Race For the Cure...Mom & Beck

I've been going through all my pictures that I've saved on the computer and found these and thought I should post them, mainly because I plan on printing my blog every year and I'd like these special memories included. Back in May of this year Becky sent me these pictures of the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure. Mom, Becky, Aunt Gracie (and a bunch of their friends)walked the whole thing...OK her doctor said she could cheat. So she did, but just a little. I'm so proud of her!! This is just the epitome of who my mother is, STRONG!! When they walked this race...it seems that she just finished up radiation and was still pretty sick. I scrolled through all the pictures she'd sent and was smiling until I got to this one. Then (just like right now) I started bawling. This has been a very hard year for her and what made me cry the most is that I wasn't in the picture with them. I am so thankful to Becky, who has just about the sweetest heart you could find has helped Mom SOOOOO much with countless appointments, errands, cleaning, meals & most of all a shoulder of emotional support. You have a gift my sis!!! Have you ever considered changing careers?? Oh, nevermind, we would lose our airline discounts! No, really, I'm so very proud to be related to such strong women. I LOVE YOU TOO JEN!!! And of course this doesn't in any way discount my lovely bro, Abe either. OK, this mushy stuff doesn't mean that I have totally erased the hairpulling fights, hang-up on each other conversations, 'you'd better not cross my line of the bed' moments. I'm just very thankful for you all and what unconditional support you have been to Mom...especially the past year & 1/2! This is definitely the older sister talking! Can you tell? I love you!!!! It really is frustrating & quite frankly STINKS being so far away and not being able to help like you'd like to!!! Mom, you really do have angels circling around you!!

I just love these pictures of the two "sista's"

We LOVE you MOM!!! And miss you...

Here's to you little sis...

Luke's First Fieldtrip

Wow, I'm really on a roll here with all the posts. One would be lead to believe that I had nothing better to do today. I woke up so excited to go on Luke's 1st fieldtrip. I think I was a bit MORE excited than he was. I laughed at this picture though because it looks like we squatted down in a gross field to take a cute picture of the two of us. We indeed did venture to the pumpkin patch with his preschool friends. We just happened to be in the one angle that didn't have any pumpkins around. I think it's pretty funny!



I'm so bummed because I had accidentally switched my camera to a different setting (not on purpose)...so about 5 of the cutest shots were overexposed. I did what I could to "doctor" them up. The kids had soooo much fun getting dirty, jumping around & getting to pick a pumpkin. Speaking of which...I only brought $5 bucks thinking that would definitely be enough for a pumpkin. So I went up to pay for it and the gal weighed it and said,, "that will be $4.60" WHAT? Are you kidding me...it's a pumpkin! Hey, I'm on a tight budget these days so I told the gal, "Oh, you know what, I think I'm going to have to change my mind. That is way more than I want to spend." Then I hear from the car, "Mom, that's my little pumpkin I picked out all by myself." AAHHHH RATS! I'm THE biggest sucker for Luke. What could I do? Come home on his first ever pumpkin patch fieldtrip WITHOUT a pumpkin? So I ended up buying it and probably insulting the poor farmer lady by saying not so nicely that her pumpkins were overpriced! I thought I saw them at WalMart for $3 bucks for any size. Anyways, needless to say we will be carving just one pumpkin this year...our almost $5 dollar pumpkin.



I promise they were having fun...even though this shot shows otherwise.



Luke held on to this gross looking ear of corn the entire time. He finally threw it back to the field because I convinced him that the field mice LOVE eating the "leftovers." I'm such a nice Mom!

Goodbye Relief Society Ladies, Welcome little ones!

Am I a bad person if the first thing I thought after getting released as 2nd Counselor in the Relief Society(3 years) is......Yea!! I don't have to teach in 3 weeks??? In the same breath that the Bishop released me he also extended me a calling as a nursery worker. That's right. I'm in the nursery. I have never ever been in the nursery before. Our kids have been really good and made a smooth transition from Jord & I to nursery so I never really stayed in there too much. I am super excited on one hand and terrified on the other. I know that I have nothing to be terrified about really. I guess that I am going to have RS withdrawals. I have been in RS for the past whew, 10 years. I will miss talking with the wonderful RS President about 3 times a week (at least). I will miss the other awesome counselors. I will miss working with the most organized, caring HPFE Leader I've ever worked with! I will miss getting to know all of the active and inactive sisters. But the thing I will miss most is the spirit I feel when attending RS Meetings. Our ward has some wonderful teachers and sisters who aren't afraid to make comments that fuel the beautiful Spirit. So, farewell to RS and welcome little ones.

I was talking with the Relief Society President today because it was such a crazy day in church yesterday I didn't really have a chance to talk with her. I told her this story...I haven't told anyone this...not even Jordan & it's such a little thing, really. You'll probably laugh. A couple of weeks ago I went up to the nursery to collect the binder. I stayed only for a moment because it was close to church's end. I was walking down the stairs and thought to myself...'ugh, It stinks in there! I don't know how those ladies do it!' Yes, I think that Heavenly Father definitely heard that comment!! AHHH. All of this aside, I'm so happy to be in a church that gives me so many opportunities to grow and be strengthened all while feeling the spirit. I can't wait for nursery. I'll have to decorate a clothespin for my nose though. Maybe a cute pink one with brown polka dots! I'm TOTALLY kidding!!!!

A Visit from Grandma & Grandpa Jeppson...

Well, It was a really quick but also a WONDERFUL visit with Grandma & Grandpa Jeppson last weekend!! We were able to watch General Conference a couple times!! It's amazing the stuff you miss when you only watch or hear it once. My favorite talk was given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland The Ministry of Angels. I watched it 4 times and cried every time I heard it!! What a powerful Spirit I felt!! It talked about how God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. He said, "May we all believe more readily in, and have more gratitude for, the Lord’s promise as contained in one of President Monson’s favorite scriptures: “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, . . . my Spirit shall be in your [heart], and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.”In the process of praying for those angels to attend us, may we all try to be a little more angelic ourselves—with a kind word, a strong arm, a declaration of faith and “the covenant wherewith [we] have covenanted.” I LOVE it!!! Another one of my fav's was of course... President Dieter F. Uchtdorf - "The Infinite Power of Hope." I love what he said, "Each time a hope is fulfilled, it creates confidence and leads to greater hope." OK Enough about conference!

We also enjoyed taking walks/runs, puzzles, "The Friend" magazine pages, hitting golf balls & having Dik & Ginger Jamison over for a nice dinner.

Yes, you may have noticed that all the pictures are the same day. You would be correct. That is because I forgot to get my camera out until an hour before they were leaving!

We miss you so much!! Bella only cried until she had to meet her friends for school. Luke just keeps saying he wants "the Grandpa Jeppson Special." I asked him, "what's the Grandpa Jeppson Special?" He said..."Mom, you know...oatmeal, grapes, yogurt, grape nuts....." Oh, that Grandpa Jeppson Special. How could I ever forget that??? We love you!!!! We appreciate the extra drive you made to visit us, seeing our kids light up because your coming always make us happy!!!!

Marathon Maniacs!!

Last weekend Saige finished her first marathon!! Yea, way to go Saige!!!

Look at how proud you look!! That is amazing that you kept track of your hours running & were able to finish the last mile in a race!! We are very proud of you and keep up the GREAT "work"-outs!! We LOVE & miss you!!!

Oh yeah, Jen ran another Marathon also!! Maybe you could send your enthusiasm over this way!! Good job. She said she beat her time again!!! Not bad for a lazy bones!! Ha Ha! JK!!

Way to go you Marathon Maniac's!!!!

And this is what Baylor thought of all of this running stuff. Jen said the food was supposed to be just for the runners. Oops! Nice Baylor!!!