Snow Day

A few weeks ago we had a very nice and heavy snow fall.
I think they said about 6 to 8 inches fell.
So we decided that since there was nothing else to do, we would go out and play in the snow!

This is Derek's car after it had stopped snowing.
He had cleaned his car off early that morning for his first class, so add about 3 more inches.
Pretty exciting for us since we got nothing like this when we were in Wyoming!

I needed an updated picture of Daisy. She is such a beautiful dog and we love her to pieces.
She is almost 2 now and is a Chow/White Lab mix.

While playing in the snow we decided it would be fun to make the boys a little tunnel to crawl through! Well it became a tunnel for Derek also, with some work he made it through. :)
We also made the top a slide for Xander! He came up with that idea on his own! So we added stairs on the other side so he could get up by himself!
Skyler really enjoyed the snow a lot more than I expected.
He also kept us all laughing. He kept trying to run down the front of our lawn, which is sloped downward to the sidewalk, and kept face planting in the snow.
He would just pop up and try again!
All in all we had a blast together as a family. And talk about soup and a great nap after wards.

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This is Skyler's "Crazy Eye" Funny face. He pulls it quite often and thinks he is pretty funny!

My boys and their beautiful baby blues!
I just can't get over how blue they actually are! And yes, they are already Lady killers!

Our LOVE Story (condensed)

I remember that special someone that I fell in LOVE with...

Five years and one month ago, to the day, I got back in touch with an old friend. Not thinking much of it at first I was just extremely excited because I had always loved hanging around Derek. Little did I know he had other plans.
Derek's story is that he fell in LOVE with me a long time ago. At first it was just a school crush, he actually would tease me for being short (for some reason little boys think that that is a way to get positive attention) so I would chase him around the playground and kick him.
In high school he took me on a few dates, but since my family never stayed in Wyoming long it sort of ended there.
In 2004 Derek was sent to Iraq with the Army National Guard. He said the one thing he regretted was not finding me before he left.
That December my family went home for the Holidays and we put on a concert at the Hyart. Derek told his mom that she HAD to get me his e-mail so that we could get back in touch. She did as he asked! :)
After e-mails and a lot of calls I knew that Derek would be my Eternal LOVE. Yes I know it sounds a little corny but I just knew.
He returned home in April of 2005 and immediately came to see me!
5 years and 2 wonderful little boys later I still feel the rush of excitement and LOVE when he comes home from a day at work or school. I am so blessed to have Derek in my life and we are so blessed to have the help of the Lord to guide our marriage. I am so grateful for the gospel and a wonderful husband that guides our home with the Priesthood. That is truly why I know that marriage works, with God we can do anything and a marriage lasts not only in this life but through it.
When we fight for our marriage and stick through it working together our LOVE grows.
I just wanted to thank my sweetheart for sticking through it with me!
Derek you truly are the Love of my Life!

~Kathrine

The LOVE Jar

This jar I made for Derek and I.

Are you having a hard time deciding what to do for your wonderful spouse for Valentines Day??? Well I have a suggestion.
It's called a Love jar!
What you need...
1 jar
(you can decorate it with paper, makes it crafty & fun)
60 strips of paper
(I did 3 inch by 1 inch) Make 30 red & 30 white
2 pens

Sometimes people view love differently, and we are so focused on what we view that sometimes the way our spouses view love goes unnoticed! You find yourself doing what it is that you want your spouse to do. But maybe that's not what they would want?!?
So here's what you do...
Sit down with your husband, each of you take 30 strips of paper, 1 color each! Write down different ways that you like love expressed to you.
Example
buy me 1 rose
play with my hair
tickle my face while I fall asleep
take me for a walk
take me on a surprise date
hug me a lot today
Play a board game with me
help me with the laundry...

Just whatever makes you feel loved.
You can repeat things if you can't think of 30 things. Then for the next month you pick 1 piece of paper a day and do that thing all day. Don't tell your spouse what you have picked that way it stays a surprise!
Derek and I have been doing this for the last 2 months. It is so much fun and I find that when I am focused on doing something for my husband, I fall in love with him even more everyday!
I know if you do this you will enjoy it so much! It's great to continue even after the 30 days, and I have learned so many things about Derek that I never knew, even after 4 years of marriage.
I love it!
~Kathrine

Temple Bags

Hello Everyone!
I have an amazingly talented friend named TerriAnn, she is a very crafty and original person.
She makes the most beautiful and handy Temple bags. I know after you take one look you will want one!
She sells the Temple bags, along with many other fancy things, on Etsy. She also has a blog.
I just don't think talent like this should go unnoticed.
No I do not have a Temple bag yet, but I am definitely saving for one!
Above is how the temple bag folds up, she uses a very heavy duty fabric so that the bag is durable. She also has all types of fabric styles.

This is the bag unfolded. It has 2 pockets for your pouch and shoes, then the flap open up to hang your dress and slip.

Here is a picture of one hanging! I just love these!

This is a bag with pockets inside to hold your slippers and packet, then you slide your dress right in next to it! I love the style of this bag! I would use if for a purse! :)

You should really check out her sites. She really does some neat things!

http://www.terriannhart.blogspot.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/terriannhart