a little shout out to the men in my life

This weekend has been nice and relaxing. We came to Price to spend Father's Day with Jeff''s Dad, Marvin. Jeff recently found him a road bike and the 2 of them traveled around town together on thier bikes all weekend. We are glad Marvin likes his bike so much! We are very grateful to be close enough to Marvin and Sheila to see them occassionaly and have Mae spend time with her grandparents. What loving Grandparents they are!
We are grateful for Jeff's Grandparents and they excitement they have to have Mae visit them as well.
We know my step-dad, John as well as my dad have played great roles in my life and are grateful to have them in our lives now.
Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Denny for all you have always done for me and for the love you have for Mae although you have not yet met her!
Thank you Jeff for being such a loving father to our baby and for working so hard for our family-
I am soo blessed!

Thoughts of the little ones

No one really needs to read this lengthy little piece if they don't feel like it. I won't promise that it will be well written, but there have been a lot of things on my heart I would like to at least attempt to put down somewhere...
This last month or so I have been thinking a lot about the lives of 3 little children who have directly and indirectly affected my life. 2 of them have been on Jeff's side of the family and I only know them through their funerals I attended. The other is a boy named Jackie who I had the privilege to teach in my preschool class 2006-2007 at JMS school for the Deaf. My heart goes out to the grieving families and friends of these sweet children.
I wonder if I could handle the pain of losing my own precious daughter for this time in mortality as well as the family members I have seen of these children. What strength those I have heard speak of their little ones passing have exemplified. What examples and testimonies of the Living Savior have touched my heart. I know God lives. I know He has a plan for each and every child that is sent to this earth. I know we are placed in our individual families for a reason and that we are to learn from each other, strengthen each other and love each other.
Just as importantly we are placed in other peoples' lives for a reason. Be it, at school, work, the grocery store, Sunday school, or other places in our day to day living, there are people who will impact us and those we will impact for good or bad. I am so grateful for those people who through their interactions and examples to me, have helped to mold me to be the person I am today.
I think back on my interactions with sweet little Jackie and ask myself, "Did I treat him the best I could every day?" , "Did I show him enough attention?" , "Will I be able to report before the Lord that I loved him the best I knew how?". I pray that I was kind when I woke him from his afternoon naps everyday. He was the biggest sleepy head I had ever seen. I pray I was patient as he got frustrated with the other children who would cut in front of him in line. Man, he hated that! I pray that I am more patient and kind to all I come in contact every day ahead of me because of that little boy. I hope to see him one day again and thank him for what he taught me and for his desire to learn, to communicate and to let me see his eyes light up when our communications clicked.
I know the Lord has great plans ahead for all 3 of these little ones who have recently been lost to us on this earth. He has plans for us too. I just hope I can comply and have an open, humble heart to learn what He wants me to learn and do what He wants me to do.
I thank my Heavenly Father for the blessings of family in my life and for the knowledge I have of the Atonement and Eternity.

Mae's ( and our ) Firsts

So, this last month had a lot of firsts for sweet Mae. Aside
from finding her voice and finally taking a binki from her dad, Mae got to meet her Grandma and Grandpa Thomson! They drove up last weekend from Arizona and brought with them the work of Mae's Great Grandfather and master carpenter, Denny. What an amazing family heirloom we now have to pass down. We are thrilled to have it. ( will put more picts up when we take some of the crib put together with the bedding and all )
The night before her Grandparents arrived Mae returned home from Long Beach California. Our family was able to travel together with Jeff's company on a plane and stay in the Queen Mary. Mae did wonderful on the plane and the stewardesses had a hard time giving their schpeels as Mae sat on Jeff's lap giving them her big gummy grins. :) Jeff and our friend Nate presented papers at an engineering conference and did great. Nate's wife Lyndie and I had a fun time being Moms with our little ones and kept each other company while they guys did work stuff. The last day there, I wanted to take Mae to the beach, but the weather (and time) didn't allow it. We did make it to the aquarium though and Mae was startled by a sea lion that swam by in front of her! Jeff carried Mae around in our sling for the first time where she fell soundly asleep and I got to touch a shark and a sting ray for the first time ever!
This Mother's Day was her mom's first, but that was also the weekend Mae met Grandpa King for the first time! Grandma and Grandpa King were able to get routed through Salt Lake and visit for the weekend. It was wonderful!

finaly more detailed gown picts!

1-The beautiful dress Grandma Bonne made from my wedding dress. Mae had a little ( ok..big) diaper explosion under the dress- thank goodness for dry cleaning!!

2&3-Mae wide eyed

4-Mae and I with Aunt Katie ( Mae's middle name is the same as her aunt's first)