Playing Hookie!

Well for the 1st day of October, our daddy played Hookie! While celebrating his first day of getting vacation by using a vacation day :) so exciting! So we started off with an awesome breakfast at our favorite place.. LONGBOARDERS! And then went for a nice walk on the Oceanside Pier! It was Zoee and Haveas first time being on the pier and I have to say it was a success.. We will go again :) Zoee enjoyed seeing the pelicans, the ocean and feeling the breeze and warm sun :) she gave me the cutest expressions today and here are some pics from our fantabulous day! Today I learned that it is simply ok to take each moment for what it is and despite the commotion, hectic lives we live, there is always time for family :)

Epiphany

Today, I had an epiphany. Rather a realiziation of what I need to do, how I need to approach things, and moving on. For years, I have always beaten myself up over my past and things that I have done. I have always felt myself unworthy of ANYTHING good, and ANYTHING precious, special, lovely, even spiritual. Although I have had many opportunities to repent, each time I have/do, I have always been stuck on that one thing, "Forgiveness" and moreso in myself. I continue to let my past haunt me, my insecurities become fed, when I choose to NOT forgive myself.

A good friend of mine and co-worker, enlightened me on this beautiful thing, she is not a member of the church and yet, she is also Christian. She told me that even though we've made mistakes, God has forgiven us, and if we continue to let something that he has already forgiven haunt us, then what good was it to have repented? She told me, to keep on asking God for forgiveness, is not having faith in Him that he has.

To me although her statement can be taken in SOOO many ways, I sincerely took this as yes. We repent daily and ask God for the things that we have done wrong to be forgiven, yet why do we do things that would keep us to ask for forgiveness. Maybe I'm not saying this entirely right, however, I felt today that my Heavenly Father, has shown me SOOOOO many countless and numerous ways in which he has forgiven me. Those things, just to name a few:

1. I have an amazing relationship with my family
2. I have a Wonderful, God fearing, Hard-Working, Loving Husband, who adores me.
3. I have a Beautiful, Healthy little baby girl, who brings joy and reminds me of His love each and every day
4. I have air to breathe
5. A place to lay my head and live
6. LIFE itself.

My Heavenly Father has done everything to show His love for me, and yet I keep dwelling on what I have done wrong, instead of continuing to make His name proud and do something right, and all the time.

I feel moreso, that forgiveness in myself is starting to settle and my heart of stone is beginning to melt. I am excited and blessed beyond words for the beauty in all of God's creations, in turn exemplify's TRUE, PURE, ETERNAL LOVE.

I am indeed grateful!

I've Learned..

I have learned that crying can be quite theraputic, that using a toothbrush for an eyebrow brush can by amusing to some, and if not that a great idea. I have learned that my fiesty-ness is increasing by the minute, and that my love for my daughter by the moment. I have learned the true importance of relationships and have seen the very best by my husband through his patience and long-suffering of me, and I have finally learned and realized after hearing it a million times, I AM A CHILD OF GOD.

The things we learn everyday, continue to grow within us as we experience situations and apply what was good or bad to the situation. Our reaction and or response to the things that we go through is what shapes our character and ourselves.

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Easter Time :)

Easter is TOMORROW! I can't believe how much time has passed, and how much has happened. Tomorrow will mark the day, but not the date, if that makes sense, of my Hubby Havea receiving his patriarchal blessing from Patriarch Johnson. How special it is to receive our Patriarchal Blessings from worthy men so in-tune with the spirit of our Father in Heaven. I can't even begin to imagine how great that must feel. I had the honor being there when my husband received his blessing for the first time, and was privileged to share with him the beautiful things that were said during his blessing. I am so grateful for the gospel, and I am very grateful for the blessings in which we receive daily. 

Today is the last day that Zo-zo will be 7 months. She is truly growing sooo fast, and I can't even begin to say how much more smarter and how much more beautiful she becomes. I am excited to dress her up and to see her around her little cousins for the first time (Thompsons, Holdcrafts and Morenos) and see all the kids as they eat, play, hunt for eggs, etc. It truly will be such a sight and so fun to see her react.

I truly can't hold back the feelings and express that this last year, marking the date of Easter, has helped me reflect on the beauties of the atonement, and the love my Savior has for me. I am so grateful for the chance to change, and the reminder we have that change is needed and is possible :) 

Life is truly teaching me the greatest lessons any woman could experience. I just feel so blessed and so privileged to be learning them at this time.

Beautiful Spirits...

It's OFFICIAL :)

I'M PREGNANT!!

with baby #2 :)

Honestly, it almost feels like it was just yesterday that I gave birth to Zoee (our eldest daughter) and held her in my arms. So small and so beautiful she was, and how much more beautiful she is now and becoming :)

Zoee on the day she was born, monday, August 8, 2011

Zoee, 7 months, March 31, 2011

I can't beleive how fast time is going and just how fast my litle baby girl is actually becoming a LITTLE GIRL. Zoee has brought so much love and joy to our lives, and we're so grateful that she is the first child and that she is the very one who will be the example for her younger siblings.

After having Zoee, and now being pregnant again with our second baby, I have realized just how much Heavnely Father loves me, and just how aware He is of the things that we need in our lives. I cannot even count on a million hands how much love Zoee brings to Havea and I. We are sooooooo blessed and privilidged to be responsible for such a beautiful spirit.

With the adventure of being pregnant again this time around, I have definitely seen things different and opposite from my pregnancy with Zoee. It's funny to say, but I have a feeling this baby may be a boy. I may be wrong, I may be right, but whomever the Lord feels He would like to come down at the time, with open arms Havea and I will be grateful and soooo excited :)

Starting a family is a lot of work, and I know the load will continue to get bigger, but I am so grateful for the gospel and for the guidelines it gives us to rear our children in a way that is pleasing to our Father in Heaven, and the guidelines that will not only help them but help me as a mother. I see me bring pregnant again is a whole new experience a whole new adventure, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be a mother again.

I love my family so very much and pray that I will be the mother I know Heavenly Father knows I can be, and the mother I want to be to my children.

So grateful for this opportunity to have more learning and growing experiences :)

Don't Judge Me.......

The word's of President Uchtdorf's message left a great impact on my heart as he explained the message of a bumper sticker that read:

"Don't judge me...

...because I sin differently than you"

I couldn't help but remember these words for they engraved themselves on my heart that I could not believe that the answer to many prayers were apparent within these words.

For many years, I have struggled with so many people, and have struggled because I let the things they say, the things they do, GET to me. I have in desperate times, often cried and asked the Lord, "why me?" or simply "why them?" I am somewhat uncomfortable admitting my weaknesses, but I feel that only admitting them will help me overcome them. I have been jealous, mean, rude, a smart-allec, unkind, judgmental, wanting pity, selfish, and negative. Having these things in my life and realizing that I have had these feelings or have done these actions made me think, "can having these things in my life make me happy?" the answer is simply "NO"

President Uchtdorf mentioned other things as well and said "if we have any of these feelings or participate in any of these things..." he urged us to

"STOP IT!"

To stop these things from letting them get the best of us, the best of our kindness, the best of our good judgment, the best of what we know we can be, and the best of who we KNOW we are. We are children of our Heavenly Father who indeed has a mission and a will for us, to accomplish His work and be partakers of the blessings that come from choosing the right. A Father in Heaven who cares, knows and loves us deeply and hurts when we hurt, and comforts when we need comfort. In order to feel of His comfort and peace, I have had to let Heavenly Father help me get over the things I have been feelings and recognize the real reason for my anger and realize the anger was simply being hurt. I hope and pray with all of my heart that I will be a strong example of forgiveness to my children and generations to come that they may know that the Lord can heal, can strengthen and make new any person willing to subject to the will of the Lord. 

I am grateful for this conference and for the beautiful words in which I have heard to help me make anew the things that I need to, to have a better understanding of the Lord's will for me, and to go forth and live up to the values that I have been taught and given.