TRUCK... CRASH! Oh no...

Elijah and Cousin Tyrus were having a great time until... Oh NO! Da Truck Crashed! Here they are contemplating how to get it out. They are so adorable. This was taken at Cora's birthday party, but not sleeping tonight gave me a chance to put it on the blog. We love you Tyrus!

FLOWER / FLOUR CHILDREN

Enough said?You see, lately Isaiah has been trouble! Elijah is just so easy going he let Isaiah pour corn starch /baby powder all over him. It didn't even phase Elijah. So the camera rolls.

Now we have Isaiah again getting into Mommy's scrapbook stuff. It stinks that he is just too darn adorable to really get upset. The camera was brought out again. :)

The ghost of Elijah... Isaiah decided to get Daddy involved in his mischief!

A HORSE OF COURSE

We have a wonderful friend Chris Payne who gave our kids this wonderful day! Have you ever seen a horse so calm! WOW.

CORA'S BIRTHDAY CAKE

It was a fun family gathering as the cousins and other family members here in town came to have cake and ice cream for our little Cora. She was the star and enjoyed being the center of attention. Everyone sang and then she blew out her candles with one breath. Yeah Cora!

Below is a close up of the cake I made for her. I was so proud. I made the flowers out of fondant and it was the first time I had ever worked with it. So understand why I am so happy with the results. It was a last minute change when the idea of using gum drops to make the flowers didn't pan out. Using the right amount of food coloring, flavoring, and extra sugar was a skill I had to learn quickly if I didn't want to stay up ALL NIGHT! I did anyway; I was just so excited about making a cake I knew would make Cora happy.

It all paid off when the first time Cora saw the cake the look on her face was priceless. She said, "OH MY MOMMY! THAT IS THE MOST BEAUTIFULEST CAKE IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD! I am the LUCKIEST princess ever. THANK YOU. Thank you Mommy. You are the bestest mommy on the whole Earth, and the bestest cooker too". So, you tell me… was it worth the effort? I surely think so.

WHEN I GROW UP...

There really is a difference between little boys and little girls. It is incredible to witness the innate nature that is expressed through creative play.

Isaiah wants to go to Space and fly a space shuttle. He says he wants to go to Venus and look at the Moon from there. The other night when the sun was setting, you could see the wheels turning in his head and with some thought he looked up at the night sky and pointed to Venus and said, "Mommy, is the Earth bright like Venus?"

While Isaiah dreams of being a scientist, Cora dreams of being a fairy godmother and making everyone “Happy” around her. She will be a wonderful Relief Society Sister one day. Cora has a very special care taking side and likes to comfort you and take care of your needs. She loves the idea of being able to make tears just disappear with a SWISH of her wand and a KISS on the forehead. She is a "Mommy" in a teeny-tiny body.

You know my favorite thing off all? They both want to fly... isn't that beautiful?

Imagination is magic, what a treat it is to observe.

US (eight months later)

Our little princess.... Cora asked me to put makeup on her. Kids just don't understand how beautiful they are even without the glitter.

Mommy and Daddy holding their boys...

A NEW CHAPTER...

And so it is... On a train ride home from New Orleans we started a new life together... a changed one, and the journey has become beautiful.

Does one ever really know how much the human spirit can overcome? We find ourselves carried into winds of destruction, caught off guard. We make choices and we react. The question that bellows within my soul asks meekly, “How do we overcome?" The answer is that we do; as overpowering and fearsome the tempest, it is what it is... We Do Overcome. And if we allow it we become filled with grace, love, and humility.

This life is a gift, a beautiful precious gift.

WE'RE BACK!!!