Those Little Answered Prayers...

This little girl gave Matt and myself a mini heart attack yesterday while at the mall.

For those of you who don't know Brooke, know she's a wild child. Always up for adventure, and more days then not, will find her own adventure. Everyone loves her, and people draw to her because of her personality. She's basically a carbon copy of Matt's sister!

So, we went to the mall to buy some clothes for Matt and I. I was in Motherhood Maternity when Matt called my cell phone telling me Brooke ran off and he can't find her.

My heart skipped a beat. Knowing my innocent girl was out in the mall by herself scared me to death. I was more afraid that some sicko would take her. The longer she was gone, the shorter the chances were we would find her.

Matt told me he was letting Gabriel go up and down the escalators, and felt bad that he wasn't letting Brooke do the same, so he let Brooke go. He told her that she only go up and down the escalator and no where else! That didn't happen...

Brooke went up while Gabriel was going down and Brooke ran off into Sears. Matt tried hard to run up the escalator, but had no luck with people on it. He had to wait for Gabriel to get back up to go look for Brooke, but by the time he had Gabriel with him and looked in Sears, Brooke was no where to be found. That's when he called me.

I looked down stairs and even went to Godiva to see if Brooke wandered into that store (she's as much of a chocoholic as I am) but no Brooke.

I said a little prayer in my heart that Brooke would be safe, where ever she was. I instantly felt at peace, and a voice said "she's ok"! The worry instantly went away and I knew that we would eventually find her.

Matt and I both came out of Sears and Matt went back in while I had the two boys to look for her himself. He walked by a worker and overheard on his walky-talky that there was a girl missing from her mommy and daddy. He asked the guy where she was and he said she was in the toys section! Of course!! We looked everywhere, BUT there.

Brooke was ashamed. Matt told her she scared mommy and daddy and then picked her up and loved on her. She knew she did something she wasn't supposed to do. We always tell the kids that they are to never ever run off because there are bad people out there that could take them, and they seemed to understand. I guess her curiosity got the best of her.

She was gone for about half an hour, but it seemed like hours! We are so very thankful she was found and that she was safe!! I'm thankful for answered prayers and for the peace I felt when I prayed.

My new toy!!

Matt has been wanting to get me a good quality camera for a long time! We haven't had a camera at all since July of last year. I'm thankful for the camera we did have because when Matt and I first got married we had NO camera! So needless to say, there are not a lot of pics of Gabriel as a new born.

I looked around and was set on a Nikon. I then talked to a good friend of mine who is a photographer (an amazing one, may I add) and she suggested a Canon Rebel. We got to the store and picked this one out! I am in LOVE! I've already taken a ton of pics of the kids and love the quality of it!

May I also add that I am planning on becoming a photographer! I plan on starting classes the beginning of next year. I was planning on taking them this fall....but I have something a bit more important going on then!

Be prepared for a LOT of pictures...bwahahaha

Random memory...

I was reading in my journal a little bit ago about when we were in Missouri with Matt's parents before we came out to Arizona. I saw one specific entry that I couldn't resist posting on here.

They live about a half an hour away from Far West Temple Site. It was May 2009, Carl and Rachel were there. Carl was there to live for a while and Rachel was there just to visit, so before Rachel left we all went to the Temple Site to have a picnic (just to the left of the picture, outside the gates). We also invited my father in laws 1st (or 2nd) Counseler and his family with us.

We got all the food out and we were about to eat, when this stray cat came and started to beg. Of course all the kids couldn't resist and had to give it food! That cat ate everything the kids gave it. Poor thing was starving. I guess because the kids were giving their food to it, the cat didn't mind the kids rough housing with it. Every once and a while, the cat would start wandering away, or climb up a tree to get away from the madness. But, it would always come back for more food.



We played fun games, had great food, but alas, every good thing must come to an end. We all had to go to the bathroom pretty badly, so I got Gabriel and Brooke and brought them to the bathroom, but it was locked! They had drunk a good amount of water, so they had to go really bad. Gabriel's cousin, Dan (2 weeks older then Gabriel) is a crazy kid and peed in the trees with no problem. Gabriel on the other hand flipped at the thought of exposing himself and peeing on a tree! Matt reassure him that it's ok to pee on a tree every once and a while if there is nothing else available. It took quite some time to convince him, but his bladder was on his mind and finally peed on a tree away from everyone!

It was Brooke's turn, but she just couldn't point and shoot, it's of course a bigger hassle to get a girl to go. She was crossing her legs and holding herself, she had to pee so much. My mother in law took her on a rock to see if she would be comfortable sitting on something to make her go. No! She wouldn't have it!

So here we are, with a half naked 2 year old refusing to pee anywhere. We tried near a tree...No! She just didn't like the fact of peeing on herself (which I don't blame her). My mother in law had a thought of sitting her on the trash can. We laughed at the thought. A trash can? Never! But we were running out of ideas and Brooke wasn't liking any of them.
Matt talked to Brooke and told her that she should try peeing in the trash can. Brooke flipped because honestly,to a 2 year old that trash can was kind of intimidating! It had a huge opening and was just huge, period!
Picture a 2 year old screaming bloody murder because she thought her father was going to put her in a trash can! We were near sacred grounds and there were people in the Temple site looking at us. I'm not sure if they were pitting us or looking at us with disdain! Either way, I wasn't going to drive home with a half naked girl with pee all over her.
It took no convincing. All that crying made it all come out. And of course Brooke giggled at the idea that she had just peed in a trash can! We praised her to no end!

We all got home, had some homemade brownies and then I gave all 3 kids a well needed bath!

That's one memory I will never forget!

10 1/2 weeks

I'm about 10 1/2 weeks pregnant and really don't feel pregnant! I've never felt like this, and I'm thankful.

Ever since I told Gabriel and Brooke that I had a baby growing in my belly, they have been really in tune to the whole fact, especially Brooke. She feels my belly and tells me there's a baby in there but it won't come out for a while. My stomach has been getting harder lately and Brooke loves touching it. She wishes she had a baby growing in her belly...or so she tells me. I assure her that when she gets to be mommy's age, she too will get to have a baby in her belly, and she giggles at the thought. She is definitely a mother at heart already and she's only 3 1/2.

I'm looking forward to see all this pregnancy has to offer. I'll have more than just Matthew supporting me through this whole process. I'll have Gabriel and Brooke right by my side counting down the days until this baby comes out.

Happy Birthday Gabriel!

It's hard to imagine my first born is 5 years old. Where did the time go?

I thought life was over once he went to Primary, but now I have 2 who go. Obviously my life isn't over...yet. There are still many years left to teach this sweet boy the in's and out's to life.


Gabriel has brought so much happiness, love and emotion to our lives. He is our emotional boy, our kid who comforts me when I'm crying, telling me everything will be o.k. and that he loves me.


Gabriel will grow up to be an amazing man. The way he rubs my back when I don't feel well or the way he holds Matt's arm when they are watching football together. He already wants to change Tristan's diaper, and has tried many times to wipe Tristan's butt...haha!


I love Gabriel more then words can say. There's something special between a mother and her first born. He's special, and Heavenly Father has entrusted me with him. For that, I am so very thankful!