Just a little update.....

I've been waiting on some pictures to be sent to me because I forgot my camera.....I really do think I'm getting old, but I didn't have my camera so someone else took pictures for me and I am patiently waiting for them to be emailed to me so I can post about our family get together for Labor Day.  Labor Day marked 3 yrs of my mother's passing, so it was important for our family to be all together and it was great!  But I will post about that later.

Meantime, we found out that Allison is having a girl!  We are so excited about that.  Both Alan and John had a dream that it was a girl and Allison kind of wanted a boy, but felt it was a girl, so we were not too surprised, but still so very excited!! 

 

Last week Allison was dog sitting for my sister while her and her husband went out of town, so Wednesday Aileen and I went up after I got off of work at 12:30 to be with her.  We watched movies, chatted about babies, etc... and ordered take-out until late at night then we headed home.  But it was fun to have a girls afternoon together!!

Then Saturday, we went back to my sister's house where John and Allison were still staying because of dog sitting and watched the BYU game together, Allison and I went shopping at the mall, and we played cards till late evening......last time Alan and Allison beat John and I, but this time it was John and I who kicked butt and took names on our way to glory!!  It was a fun time as always to be with our kids!!

I did get to talk to Anne Marie several times and that did make up a little bit for her not being close by..... a very little bit, but it helped!! We miss you Anne Marie can't wait for the holidays to see you again!!

I was given a book for my Birthday called "Divergent" its the new young adult dystopian thriller that has kind of become the new "Hunger Games" as far as popularity and just recently it was announced the movie release date of this book of March 2014.  It's a trilogy and I read through the first one so fast I had to get the 2nd one right away....thankfully it was out....."Insurgent" and I read that in 2 days and thought I only had to wait until November of this year to get the 3rd one......WRONG, I have to wait until November of 2013!!  What's up with that!!  I'm dying!! Oh, well.  I have passed on the books to John and Allison because they enjoyed "Hunger Games" so much I knew they would love these too!!

We have some, what I think could be, exciting news for Aileen.  I'm tentative about saying this because we have signed up for programs in the past, had Aileen's name come up for different benefits at different times only to be disappointed because they didn't really come through as promised, or they said every need that Aileen had wasn't covered!!  So, like I said, so far it seems that we might be on a new program that will give Aileen some benefits that will make Aileen's life better and fuller and help Alan and myself out as well!! So finger's crossed!  Next Thursday morning we have to go for a physc evaluation and do some other preliminary stuff at MHMR so I will keep you posted!!  It's benefits for people who keep their disabled children at home.  We've been on the waiting list for years and Aileen's name finally came up!!

Anyway....I'll update again when I have the pictures of the Labor Day Family get together!!

Sweet, Sweet, Service!!

"What's a matter with kids today?" In our ward/church, I would have to say NOTHING!!  We had a 15 y/o young lady from our Ward/Church call and say that she would like to give some service.  That she would like to babysit Aileen for us so that Alan and I could go out on a date!!  This was very exciting news and we couldn't wait to go.....it took us a few weeks to get a time where everyone could be available to do it, but it was fantastic!!

Kimberly Hogan, thank you so much for volunteering to babysit Aileen.  When I told the Doctor that I work for that you had offered to do this for us, he got teary eyed and thought it was truly amazing!  Which it is because not very many teenagers these days think of others, but you did!!  And we are grateful!!  We are also glad that we could help you get done one of personal progress goals!! ;-)

 

It was a real treat to get to go out just the two of us and we didn't even mind that it was our night to feed the missionaries from our Ward/Church.....we just took them with us.  We went to dinner at Rosa's Cafe which believe it or not Alan had never been too!!  Good Mexican food and they make their own tortilla shells, love those too!!  Had fun talking with the missionaries then dropped them off home for their next appointments and we headed to....

Starplex movie theatre to see the movie "Premium Rush", which was very action packed so guaranteed that Alan liked it, but so did I, and it has a great story, different than you think it is going to be....so we really enjoyed the movie.  Then.....

We went to Sonic to get ice cream and then went home!  It was pretty much a perfect date night!  And we have Kimberly to thank for being so thoughtful and being the kind of person who we could trust to leave Aileen with!

50th wedding Anniversary

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Aileen has talent!

You've heard of the show "America's got Talent" well at our Church in Relief Society the President challenged us a month or so ago to try and realize our talents.  And to help us all do that as women, she asked us to write notes to each other of talents that we saw in each other.  And this month our Visiting Teachers delivered our notes to us so that we could read them.  Aileen got a bag of amazing notes and I would like to share them in my blog for my personal history!

Those of you who signed your names, thank you, and I hope you won't mind that I put your picture and name by your note to her......because it was so nice for Aileen to hear who they were from.  But whether they had a name to them or not.....she loved hearing what you all had to say to her!!  As her mother, I thank you for realizing what an amazing young woman she is and that even though in this life she cannot be and do what she would like to do with her body....that her spirit and her mind, is beautiful!!

And can I also add, that I did not get all my notes done, and as I witnessed this wonderful moment with my daughter in reading her, her notes, I was profoundly sad that I did not finish my notes to the women in our Ward so that you all could have known how wonderful Aileen and I think you are!


Aileen,
What a talent you have of bringing out the best in others!  Your gentle spirit prompts us to do more and be better.  You have a testimony and others can recognize that.  Thanks for helping us all to become more tolerant of differences.  Love you!


Aileen Brown,

You are able to recognize those who are sincere in their communications.  You communicate a powerful presence without using your voice, and I look forward to someday talking with the strong, sensitive, giving person that already exists.  - MaryAnn Stephens

Aileen Brown,

Sweet girl.  Precious both inside and outside.

Dear Aileen Brown,

Your love for the Savior is so noticeable.  I know when you are happy and I know how much you love music. Keep sharing with us the wonderful gift of celebration.    - Love, Rosa Tillman

Aileen Brown,

You have made our Ward members into the best people we could possibly be.  You are such a very special spirit that Heavenly Father has allowed us to know.  You have helped the young people learn love and compassion just by being around you.  You are our special Angel.

Aileen,

You are brave and courageous.  I know that you accepted the challenge of being born in your body.  You weren't scared though, because you knew that Lois would give her life to take care of you.  You were willing to suffer through this life both to get a body and to teach compassion and sacrifice to others.  You are a Queen!  - Rebecca Albright

Aileen Brown has such a loving sweet spirit about her.  She looks at life with such a serene peaceful countenance that you know she has the pure love of Christ in her heart!

Aileen,

You are so special to your family, to our Heavenly Father, to our Savior, and to our Ward!  although there have never been words exchanged between us, I have felt your support and your love for me, and I am so grateful to know you.

You have an incredible spirit and a strong testimony that can be felt by those when they are around you.  I also think you are such an example of how the light of Christ can truly shine on our faces, and I thank you for being that example to me!  - Love, Kirsten Murphy

Aileen,

You are an amazing daughter of God and Heavenly Father has sent you here to teach us all to want to return to His presence to constantly be surrounded by spirits like yours.  You are a blessing to those around you and your testimony is one I hope to gain someday. 

Thank you for being an example to me!  - Love ya, Karin Havens

Thank you again for these wonderful messages to Aileen and I wish that each of you could have seen her face glow and even get a little bashful as she listened to her beautiful notes from you!!!

And from me.....I could not love and appreciate you more!!

Organizing for Christmas!!!

Yes, I realize it's August, but I was asked to teach a class at our next months RS meeting (use to be called Enrichment Night, and before that use to be called Homemaking).  I have to be very honest and say when I first heard about the project I was not impressed and only because it was MaryAnn Stephens asking me to teach the class that I agreed to do it.  But tonight I made a sample to show the sisters on Sunday of what we will be doing to organize our Christmas season to make sure that our Christmas will be Christ Centered!!  And I love it and think its a fabulous project.....something you could do so much with.  I'm even thinking about making them for my girls with some of our family recipes and traditions already added in.

It's a writing composition book that we cover with cute Christmas fabric, and then add tabs for thngs like:

Calendar
Activities
Service
Budget
Recipes/Menu
Cards
Gift Lists

 Memories

Spiritual thoughts

And each tab has a quote about the savior and a picture.  I don't know where MaryAnn Stephens finds all these great ideas, I think Pintrest and blogs.......anyway, I hope everyone will get excited about this project and want to come and make it because I can't wait to start to use mine and get organized!!!

MaryAnn Stephens had a birthday.....

MaryAnn Stephens had a birthday and she was turning 55!!  And she is a beautiful, vibrant, young 55!!  We are Visiting Teaching companions and friends.  And we always celebrate everyone's birthdays that we visit teach and so I wanted to make this one something a little different and not something that we always do.....so we had lunch at the Kimball Art Museum and then took a tour of the museum.  It was a really lovely afternoon because we were together and with two of the ladies we visit teach.  I had invited the RS Presidency that MaryAnn is a part of now to join us, but for various reason they were not able to come, but Rosa (Counselor with MaryAnn in RS Prescy and friend) was waiting when I dropped Maryann off at her home to give her flowers and to sing happy birthday to her.  All the kids were in the van and they all hung out the windows to sing....it was great!!  Fun time was had by all!!  Happy birthday....and many more!!

 L to R:  MaryAnn Stephens; Becky Wangler; Lois Brown; Lacy Lassiter

The staff at the Kimball Buffet found out that it was Maryann's b-day so they made this sign!!

The food was yummy!!

Becky brought a strawberry crunch cake and we sang to her!!

Then there were gifts........

and the grand finale' of the singing from the van....... she said it was a great day and that she had awesome friends!!  We'll, I'd say that I agree, but I'm too modest....lol!!!

Last Friday, Emi turns 3!!

This sweet baby girl turned 3 last Friday!!  We we all got together at our favorite place - McDonalds to celebrate!!

She had lots of family there, lots of presents, and lots of fun playing in the play area!!  The cake was delicious and grandpa bought everyone ice cream cones!!  It was a fun night.

The cute birthday girl!!

The birthday girl and her daddy!!

Aileen loves B-day parties at McDonalds!!

Opening the present from us.......

looking at it and checking it all out......

then showing it to everyone else.....its the coach with Cinderella and the Prince and clothes to change Cinderella in etc...

Showing us how old she is.... she practiced all day!!  3!!