Yes I know I haven't posted in like AGES and so it seems fitting to start it off with a bang. I am posting to brag about a great site I visit often so check out The Old Painted Cottage at http://theoldpaintedcottage.blogspot.com . She's got a giveaway going. Visit her site and check out her french styled pillow giveaway and enter to win (of course I'll rooting for myself but thinking of all my dear friends that I hope win it too). It ends on the 28th of April and I've SO got my fingers crossed. With more time on my hands at home, I can't wait to blog more often and tell everyone about the awesome things I find and the amazing blessings we receive in our little world. I'm taking baby steps here so if I fall off the wagon don't hate.
~Jen~

I'm lame.

So as you can read and see, I don't blog much and after so many months of not blogging I'm a little scared to start again to only fall off the band wagon! Lets see, lets see...we've been a tad busy with EVERYTHING! Kaleb just turned 33, Port is now 7, Carson just (finally) turned 3 - I say finally because he's too big for his age we're always feeling weird telling others he's only 2 when he looks like a 4 year old! - and baby Jones is the big 1. Yup! It's birthday party season at the Pierce house! Birthday season has also become the 24 hour flu season as well. One kid had it and then it was gone and we thought "Gosh we're SO lucky!" and then BAM! the other kid gets it as well as so on down the whole line. So on a more serious note, Porter has become a huge Star Wars fan so we're letting him have some fun with it. Well today he informs me that after his snack that he's heading downstairs to watch Star Wars the Clone Wars and I (being the adult here) said that he has to work on his spelling first and of course that doesn't go over well. So we sit down and have a chat on "productive ways to spend our time" (which really is a lame way of saying that you can't always do what you want-because your mom says so). So as we start chatting about the importance of school over Star Wars, something hits him. He breaks down in tears and I'm begging him to tell me what's wrong. He informs me that he just realized that becoming a Jedi will never happen because it's not true. Oh my heart broke. Knowing that my son's desire of using the force to save the galaxy was becoming a shattered dream, I realized that I had some fast thinking to do. I then proceed to tell him about all of the great miracles that have happened in the scriptures. I told him that all these things were real things that actually happened and were not made up for a book or movie. I told him that the power of the Priesthood and the power of prayer were more wonderful than any Jedi tool and stronger than the Dark Side. I told him that if he remains worthy throughout his life that the Lord will show him miracles that are far greater than the stuff he's been watching in those movies. We had a good cry and an even better hug and I know that he knows that his Heavenly Father loves him and that one day he will become the Spiritual warrior he's suposed to be.

So I know I have cute kids. Sometimes they do things that make them even cuter. Take last Sunday for example. Carson comes into the kitchen and says to me, "Mom?" "Yes?" I say. "I'm a Child of God!" he said as he looked up to me with a big ol' beaming smile. Of course I give him the biggest squeeze and then he skips out of the room. I hope he always remembers how special he is to us. He's our shining Carson "Ray of Sunshine".

Reminder

Just went to my sister's blog and was reminded to write on mine. She just had a baby girl who's entry into this world reminded me of Elsa's who's about to turn 5. Both had a hard time with oxygen levels and both had IV's and O2 tubes during their stays in the hospital. My baby girl is my "little angel" and I love her so much. She's my little helper and she's such a wonderful sister. My life is so sweet with her in it. I want to say we were best friends in Heaven and that's why she was sent to me.

Fall and Such

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies (or anything with pumpkin and chocolate for that matter)I'm beginning to crave so it must be fall! New school years for the kids, soups and stews with hot bread for dinners and the beautiful nature outside being brought into our homes in various decorations. Life is good. To live in such a wonderful time, surrounded by an amazing family and a great country makes this fall almost blissful.

"Gratitude is a Spirit‑filled principle. It opens our minds to a universe permeated with the richness of a living God. Through it, we become spiritually aware of the wonder of the smallest things, which gladden our hearts with their messages of God's love. This grateful awareness heightens our sensitivity to divine direction. When we communicate gratitude, we can be filled with the Spirit and connected to those around us and the Lord. Gratitude inspires happiness and carries divine influence."
Bonnie D. Parkin

We celebrated our 8th year anniversary on the 24th. My mom took the kids and Kaleb and I (and Jones) went out to dinner. Just looking back on these eight years kinda makes me laugh because man! I'm in love with him still and he's such a wonderful husband and dad to the kids and I know that I got the cream of the crop. I've been blessed to be able to work by his side 24-7 since we've been married and I wouldn't change it for the world. Now days, 5 years of marriage is an achievement but we're looking forward to counting all the white hairs on each others heads, the wrinkles on our faces and the grandkids that will be coming one day and growing very old together. If we're lucky we'll live to see our 40th and then our 50th anniversary and so on. So here's to all those out there that are in love for the long haul! Cheers!