All the Bells on Earth Shall Ring

WOW the month of December has been one huge eventful month in our house!! I'm going to have to make a few different post after this for our Disneyland trip and for Christmas. We'll start off at the first of the month......we celebrated my 32ND birthday (woohoo).....Dave and Ashlynn had their big Christmas Concert with the EVMCO Choir that same weekend. Being apart of the organization has really been a blessing for our family especially Dave. Dave grew up singing and was in BYU Mens Chorus in school. It's been a huge commitment for him but he has really loved it so far. They have a large adult choir of almost 200 members.....a full orchestra.....and 4 youth/children choirs...totalling close to 500 members. Ashlynn is in the youngest one this year. They had two performances on a Saturday....I had to drop Ashlynn off at 2:30pm and I wasn't going to see her again until 9:30 that night! I was so nervous for her but I knew that Dave would be around a little to peak in on her. They performed in front of 3000 people...isn't that crazy. Ashlynn just LOVED it!! She loved being on that big stage singing for all those people! The concert was bell themed and was just beautiful! I was so proud of her and Dave! A great way to start off the month of December!

I LOVE this picture:)

Aunt Kirsten and Brian were able to come:)

......and so were Grammy and Grandpa. My brother Matt is also in the choir....so a lot of my side of the family was there too cheering in the crowd:) It was a great night!

Dave's Bday and a Future Trip

Turkey Day this year was not only a day of giving thanks and eating yummy food.....it also was Dave's 36Th Birthday! We were with Dave's family this year and had a nice relaxing day. Marilyn always decorates the table so nicely and had the house smelling delicious. We had a wonderful meal and took time as a family to remember what we were most grateful for.

The kids helped bring in Dave's present...he was so puzzled when he saw this big thing. I love it when I confuse him and make him curious!! He has got to be one of the most impatient human beings and he can make it hard sometimes to surprise. But this year I kept my mouth shut...told the kids nothing and left him wondering. It was so great!!

This was the best....he opened the package and literally couldn't believe it. He is about to say "shut up" in case you were wondering:) He has been wanting a guitar for years and has wanted to learn how to play for a long time. So I finally found one and he was so shocked. He looks pretty good holding that thing don't ya think??

Ty is at the stage where he is taking retarded pictures and hates to take them period. I'm lucky I got this one.

Soooooooooo we are finally doing it!! We had some friends of ours call us up a few weeks ago and somehow got us to commit to DISNEYLAND!!!! We have some other friends of ours that have been trying to get us to go with them on a Disney Cruise/Disneyworld for a couple years now and we just haven't been able to swing it. But driving 6 hours to the happiest place on earth and a huge price difference....we can swing this. The kids have never been and it's been 8 years since Dave and I have gone. We are over the moon excited and just can't wait to experience this with the kids. We are going the weekend before Christmas. I honestly still can't believe it! We made a countdown chart with the kids to help us along until we get there. We are grateful for all the things we had to celebrate in November and look forward to all the excitement in December!!!

Halloween

Ariel and Jake Sully from Avatar
The tail was Ty's favorite part of his costume

Look at her little hip to the side!! How does she know how to do that?? And....YES that is her real hair spray painted red.

The kids with Grandpa and Grandma Johnson.....Ashlynn did not want to take this picture....can you tell??

Dave was the pumpkin carver this year and did a wonderful job!!! This year was busy for Halloween and I was ready to say goodbye by Sunday. The kids Fall Festival was Thursday night....then school class parties Friday afternoon.....my parents trunk or treat Friday night....then our ward trunk or treat Saturday night!! It was crazy for the parents but fun for the kids:)

Before and After

We took the kids down to MEXICO for Fall Break. There was a lady that would walk up and down the beach everyday asking to braid you hair. Ashlynn wanted to do it.......so 45 minutes later she looks like this. She LOVED it and loved the sound of the beads when they hit together:) A week later when we took them out......she looked like this!!!!!! I swear she had 40-50 tiny braids in her hair and it took me almost 3 hours to get them all out. We will never do it again but it was fun to do one time! Ashlynn took one look at herself and hopped in the shower to get her hair straight again!! She will not be happy that I posted this picture.......oh well:)

12th Anniversary....are you kidding me???

This summer we celebrated our 12Th Anniversary! I honestly can't believe that 12 years has gone by. Our actual date is July 11Th....that weekend we were so busy with Tyler's baptism and family that we didn't really celebrate much. We celebrated Tyler instead which is wonderful but we wanted to still get away another weekend. So I did a little planning and worked my priceline magic.....in Aug. we packed our bags....dropped the kids off with my sis and drove up to Prescott. We loved not having a schedule and being spontaneous! We walked through tons of antique shops....roamed the streets of Prescott and Jerome......and saw Sedona in a whole new way!!! It was a very much needed weekend alone.

We ate breakfast at the little place and the portions were insane!!! We had so much food we didn't know what to do with it. We couldn't save it because we didn't have a fridge. There was a big park across the street.....different bands were playing and people were scattered everywhere. We decided to pack up our leftovers and grab some silverware and go find someone to give it to at the park. We walked around for a few minutes and asked a couple people. They thanked us but said they were fine. Dave noticed this homeless man in a sleeping bag by a tree. He had everything he owned in bags all around him. We both got this feeling that this guy could really use some food. He quietly went up to him bent down and explained the situation with our food. He welcomed the food and was so grateful....you could tell he hadn't eaten in a long time....his hands and arms were shaking as he reached out for the containers. He said thank you and we walked away and I started to cry. How many times have I walked by people like that and looked the other way and acted like they don't exist?? I have many many times. I'm glad that day was different. I'm glad that we had the opportunity to share and that we were open and willing to helping someone....it taught me something.

We drove up to Jerome after that.....awwww I love that drive.....it's beautiful. Jerome is this tiny little ghost town that is a mile or so high on top of a mountain. It's the craziest thing because all of a sudden it's there. It's full of cute shops and yummy restaurants and windy twisty tiny roads....it's great.

While in Jerome we went to an old Gold Mine behind the city. It looked more like a junk yard to me but it was cool to see it all. We were approached by this guy and somehow got sucked into listening to a time share bit. Dave will totally say it's all my fault and it was but this guy was giving all this free stuff to us just to listed to them. We had to go up to Sedona which I wanted to go there anyway.....so we went.....had a free breakfast.....listened to them for 2 hours......ended up getting a free helicopter ride over Sedona and a free weekend stay anywhere in the U.S. We were pretty irritated during those 2 hours but once were were flying in that helicopter it was all worth it! It was so cool and freaky at the same time. I had to sit in the front and the floor was glass.....it was crazy!!!

It was a great weekend and we had so much fun together! Love that we have cool little places like this to escape to that are close by. I love you babe:)

Forgiving

I had to prepare a lesson for a Sunday School class about "FORGIVING" last Sunday. I really enjoyed studying for it and reading all the information for it. After reading a couple stories that were shared it really made me think.....WOULD I BE ABLE TO FORGIVE?? I wanted to share one story....this one is very descriptive so I want to give you a little warning:)

"During World War II there were terrible examples of man's inhumanity to man. After the war was over and the concentration camps were opened, there was much hatred among the weak and emaciated survivors. In one camp, observers noticed a native of Poland who seemed so robust and peaceful they thought he must have only recently been imprisoned. They were surprised to learn that he had been there over six years! Then, they reasoned, he must not have suffered the terrible atrocities to his family members that most of the prisoners had. But in questioning him, they learned how soldiers had come to his city, lined up against a wall his wife, two daughters, and three small sons, then opened fire with a machine gun. Though he begged to die with them, he had been kept alive because of his knowledge and ability in language translation.

"This Polish father said: 'I had to decide right then...whether to let myself hate the soldiers who had done this. It was an easy decision, really. I was a lawyer. In my practice I had seen...what hate could do to people's minds and bodies. Hate had just killed the six people who mattered most to me in the world. I decided then that I would spend the rest of my life--whether it was a few days or many years--loving every person I came in contact with'. "

After I finished reading this story to my 13 year old class I was balling. I couldn't help but go back in time and picture that horrific part of history in my mind as I was reading to those kids. I couldn't help but imagine that family being mine. Can you just imagine this?? It's so horrible I can't even wrap my head around it. If I was in that situation would I be able to forgive? Would I be able to choose not to be angry and live in peace? I honestly don't know if I could.

This lesson made me think about a lot of things. It made me think about how lucky I am to be living in a free country. I can walk down the street and not be covered up because I'm a woman. I can have as many children as I want and not just one. I can be who I want to be and where I want to be at any given time. I have choices that I am able to make and no one makes them for me. It's all me. It made me think.....why was I put right here on this part of the earth....why?? I certainly don't have all the answers but I am going to make for dang sure that I appreciate things more....acknowledge things more.....not take things for granted. Especially not get caught up in the small things that don't matter and let things go that maybe bug me a bit. Not allow myself to get bent out of shape about things that I can't control. How much head space do we all take up on things that we can't control or change?? All you can control is you and you alone. We are truly blessed to be living in this time. Don't get me wrong I know there is a lot of crap going on in this world but there are a lot of remarkable things going on in this world too. We have our freedom we have our choice.

I appreciate stories like this that stop and make you think....literally stop. What a remarkable man to have a heart filled with peace and love instead of anger and hatred. It teaches me to stop....and be grateful for what you have....be grateful for your family and loved ones....be grateful for your health and your freedom. Focus on the bigger picture and thank God for what He has given you every single day. It is through Him that we live and breath every single day. How quickly I forget that sometimes....but I'm working on that and trying harder every day to be who He would want me to be. I'm trying to change my focus.....really change my focus.....it takes a day at a time.

My Cubs

So I finally have a Cub Scout....can you believe that...it's CRAZY!!! Dave just happens to be the Cub Scout Master as well so this is something that my boys can do together. I have to say that Tyler has been so excited to be a part of this and has been working really hard. He just earned his first badge....his BOBCAT and a couple belt loops. It was the first meeting that I had been to and it was a lot of fun. Dave did a great job with the boys and planned a bunch of fun activities for them. I was really impressed....Dave's father was a Scout Master for many years....I could tell he learned a lot from him:). They were having a swim party that night...that's why the boys had swim shorts on with their shirts:) Look at Ty's face though.....he kills me he is so hilarious!!!! He is so embarrassed and it trying so hard not to smile. I don't even know what face that is....it's like he's holding his breath or something. So funny I just love him!!

He was so proud of himself and I was such a proud mom!!

It was Cub Scout night at the D-Backs game the other night. Dave and Ty went and brought along the Bybee's and also took our brother in law Brian. Ty had one of his favorite buddies with him all night. They were able to go early and march on the field with all the Cub Scouts before the game. He thought it was AWESOME!!!

Ty and Kohl.....good buds:)

First Day of School

Today FINALLY came!!! I knew this day would happen and I completely thought I was ready for it. Tyler was kind of excited to go back to school but Ashlynn.......she was SO EXCITED to be in school like her brother. She could hardly wait!! I've been holding on to their school clothes and shoes until the first day. I think they were just as excited to wear brand new things. Even though Ashlynn had to change 3 times and ended up not wearing a new outfit. But she still wore new sandals.....she calls them her Jesus shoes....I laughed so hard when she said that!

So this is Ashlynn before we said goodbye and this is me after. I took my sunglasses off and realized that my mascara was all over the place. All of our emotions were really high and then it was that time to let her go and me just to watch. As I stood there and watched my baby walk away with a backpack just as big as she was.....I completely started to cry. It caught me way off guard. I couldn't believe that my baby was a big girl now and in school ALL day long.

As soon as she was inside I ran over to Ty's classroom to see him and give him a love. I get in there and want to take a picture and he was acting all embarrassed....like he was too cool for his mom now. What is the world is that......how is he already old enough to act like that??? I kept telling him to smile and show his teeth and he very quietly said...."no mom no"....and he wasn't even moving his mouth when he said it. He just wanted me to take the dang picture and get out! At least he smiled, it's a little cheesy but oh well.

Isn't he such a stud......and she is just so precious:)

After school I took them over to the big fountain and took a few more pics. They were so happy when I picked them up. I'm so glad that I planned to be with a friend that morning because I was feeling so strange all day. It was a weird feeling being alone all day and not knowing what to do with yourself. There are so many things that I want to do and accomplish while I have this time to myself. I just need to make a plan and stick to it so I don't turn into a frumpy mom that lays around and eats all day. I'm excited to have more me time and work on things and make new goals for myself. This will definitely be an interesting year around the Campbell House....Happy Schooling everyone!!!!!