The Gusty Wind

The Bryce Canyon Gang . . . WDP!!!

I think babies are proof that no obstacle is too high to overcome if you just have enough determination. I have learned so much about perseverance from my children. Not that I encourage Raia's newly found climbing skills, but I do admire a girl with a goal.

Bubba has been sick a lot this month. It seems like every other week he has some kind of bug making him feel yucky. I really miss my pediatrician who moved to Chicago. It seems like we have no one left in mesquite who is adequately competent. (In the pediatrician department, I mean)

What happens when a mama does a 45 minute work out video and then takes a 10 minute (maybe 15 minute) shower? The three year old and the 10 month old raid the cupboards. I came upon this scene and had to laugh to myself.

Cambria participated in another triathlon the week before school got out. The run two lengths of a field, do a lap of scooter racing and then one length in the shallow end of the pool.

Cambria gets so nervous before these kind of events. She so badly wants to do well.

By the time the kids gets to the pool, most of them are so out of breath that they can't put their heads under water to swim.

Cambria says she took eight place, I thought she took ninth place and the city newspaper said she took seventh place . . . so for sure she finished in the top ten. I am so proud of my little athlete. She was also named to the honor roll again for straight A's for two years in a row. She got a medal.

Enter Bryce Canyon

We often go on family trips together but this is the first time we went somewhere that none of us had been before. We were all so excited to see the sights and to do something new together. It was also so fun to see Stephanie and Kevin and to spend time with their family. They have a son named Kai, like my big Kai and their son assumed that my Kai and he were twins and needed to do all of the same things. It was really cute.

All of our kids (minus Raia) in the bath after a trip to the very cold, "heated" pool.

We went to church in Tropic, a city very close to Bryce. It was a cute little ward.

We took a shuttle to Inspiration Point. It was a beautiful view, but a little scary with kids because there were so many drop offs.

With the weather in our home town heating up and promising to roast us very soon, it was so fun to put on sweatshirts and enjoy the brisk air.

If you look very closely, you can see some crazy people near the edge of the cliff.

It was so windy at the top of the mountain. Kai warned me to be careful with Raia on my back telling me to walk in the middle of the side walk. I didn't say anything to Kai, but I thought it was a bit insulting, him thinking I couldn't safely walk my daughter on a side walk with out falling of a cliff.

But guess what. It was really windy and I totally got blown of a cliff and I am sad to report that

I died.

And yet, I lived!

So I didn't get blown of a cliff, but I quickly swallowed my pride and understood Kai's warning. Carrying Raia on my back gave the wind more mass to blow around. It was actually a tiny bit scary and I had to make sure that I planted my feet well so as not to get blown off balance.

If You haven't been to Bryce Canyon, you gotta go.

I have one more post about Bryce Canyon . . . you just have to scroll down a tiny bit:)

I Made Some New Skirts!

First off, Thank you so much to those of you who commented on my post re: my young women's project. I am referring to it as "the mommy project." Along with those of you who comment on my blog, I received at least a dozen emails with questions and experiences and it has been so wonderful to read. I think I have caught on to something wonderful. Thank you for opening up your hearts to me and if you haven't yet, there is still plenty of time.
I have so enjoyed this new skill that my friend, Ashley, has been kind enough to (patiently) teach me!

I also made matching headbands!

I am also ready to post my awesome Bryce Canyon Pictures. I started working on a draft so once I publish it, it will actually show up prior to this post!

As my friend, Nicole, used to say . . . Happy Sunday!!!

Day Three At Bryce Canyon and Hike To Mossy Cave

I am so behind on blogging and there are so many moments that I don't want to forget. Do you ever feel like someone pushed the fast forward button on the remote control of life?

We had so much fun at Bryce Canyon , especially since we were able to spend time with the Christensen Family. It was so fun to reconnect after so many years have gone by.

Mossy Cave was kind of a let down, but the surrounding scenery more than made up for the lack of magnificence in the cave.

The kids however were fascinated by the moss.

All the kids minus Raia

These pictures just don't do justice to these mountain views

There were little tiny lizards all around and the kids had so much fun trying to spot them. I hate lizards so I stayed away.

Here are the four adults. Kai, Amy, Stephanie and Kevin.

Kiera of course picked the wild flowers which I am not really sure you are allowed to do.

It was hard keeping a hold on the kiddos. We didn't want them following over all the cliff's edges.

I didn't think she would fall asleep in this pack, but I sure ate my words.

So.SO. So fun. I am ready to go back right now.

Bubba suddenly decided that he did like to pose for the camera.

Kiera hurt her knee which was very reminiscent of our trip to the PCC. I wonder if we will have a picture like this on every vacation.

Bryce Canyon Town . . . so quaint and absolutely catered to tourists.

Bubba wanting to pose . . . again

Cole and Bubba

A little craft store I could have stayed in forever and spend loads of money in. But I exercised extreme restraint.

Cambria absolutely adores Saydria. I wish we lived closer together. View from our Resort (an over generous term)

Free Hot chocolate every day, three times a day for 11 people . . . they might rethink the "free" after we left.

Panguitch town . . . loved this place.

The had a bale of hay with a quilt thrown over the top of it and a scarecrow leaning against it on every street corner advertising a "quilt walk" the second weekend in June. I so wish we could have been there! It seemed like a safe, fun and close knit town.

Raia blowing a raspberry.

Begging for Your Response

I am going to beg. Like a puppy. With Big puppy dog eyes.
Will You Help Me?
Will you Please leave a comment or email me (amykaidavis12@yahoo.com)
I know there are many of you who look but never comment.
Can you break your rule today?
For this?
Please, I'm begging:)

Our Relief Society has been invited to earn our Yong Women's Medallion for a second time. It has been fun to do Personal Progress all over again! For one of my projects I am trying to gather information on Mother hood for a two-fold purpose. (Maybe someday, I can even Write a book to help other mothers in our same situation)
Purpose one: How Do you Find Value and Joy in Motherhood on a Day to Day Basis
Purpose two: How On Earth Do you Raise a Good Kid in Today's Society.

Your answer can be as brief or as long as you want.

I am wondering if you can write to me about the most pressing challenges you face as a mother. Being a mom and raising children today is tough.

I would love to hear your stories of struggle and triumph.

I want to know what keeps you awake at night (especially if you don't have any solutions yet) and also any solutions you have had with day to day problems.

All of us mother's are in the boat of child rearing together and I think we can draw strength from one another.

I have included some idea starters, but really I want to know two things, How do you personally find value and joy in Motherhood and how do you help your children with what ever day to day struggles they face. So you are not limited to these topics. You can answer one or several. You can write one sentence about something that you struggle with. I will not use your name in any info that I "publish" I would like to use your age and where you are from though.

Here are my Topic Starters:

Teaching your child the value of Honesty

Teaching about the Value of Prayer

How to make your picky eater get the nutrition he needs
Teaching your child to have self worth in a society who doesn't necessarily value righteous things,
Balancing work and children,
Feeling inadequate as a mother
Will I ever sleep through the night again?

How do I still be me when I am in the full throttle of Motherhood.
OR
How do I survive while my husband is not home often?
How do I teach my child to have self worth?
How can I teach my daughter to value inner beauty as much as outer beauty in today's world?
How can I raise a son who has a sense of honor and values his priesthood.
How do you survive the terrible two's
How can I feel worthy as a mother when I feel like there are so many mother's doing a better job than me?

Please, please, please . . . Young and Old, blog stalker and known, will you please share with me???? (remember the puppy dog eyes)