Some of photo updates . . . . .

Our Sweet Baby is 4 months old

Loved this quote as I am begining to plan holiday projects . . . .

"Unless we make Christmas an occasion

to share our blessings,

all the snow in Alaska won't

make it 'white'."

 -Bing Crosby, American singer and film actor.

3 Things I Want to Remember About Today . . . .

I find it funny that I am writing to Dylan reminding him to make sure he is writing in his journal. These two years are going to go by so fast and most likely years from now the only things he will be able to recall with a surety are the things that he wrote in his journal and the things that he has pictures of. The thing that I find funny is "I need to practice what I preach" and take time everyday to write down three things I want to remember . . . . Because I always remind myself . . . When I am gone I want to be the one to tell my story and not have someone elses interpretation of my life . . . .

I will find you my friend . . . .

I was just reading missionary stories last night and I came across this one. Of course it brought me to tears. I know without a shadow of a doubt that Dylan is in Peru to bring the Gospel of Christ to the people he will serve. To share of Christs love for them. Before Dylan left I had a few expereinces that testified to me that the Lord wanted him in Peru and the people of Peru would be waiting for him.

***click on the story to make the image larger

My mama always taught me . . .

"If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all"

Just imagine how nice this world would be if people would stop focusing on finding fault and focus on finding the good!!! I just can't imagine one can have peace in their life if they are so focused in finding fault in others. There is so much good in this life to enjoy and so many blessings that are ours to receive. But negativity only cultivates bad feelings. I realize that many times fault finding is a direct result of one's lack of self esteem or false justification for ones actions. But I cannot help to think about how much happier people would be and how much more joy you can bring to another's life by letting go of finding fault and focusing on finding the good. Have you ever been around those people who are always positive and always have good things to say about others. Let us all try and be like them in our actions and words and maybe it just might be contagious !!!

It is not the critic who counts; not the one who points out how the strong person stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself or herself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he or she fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his or her place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.  -Theodore Roosevelt

Peace is a wonderful quality of life that can only be experienced when we do not hold to the negatives such as anger, worry,

fear and fault finding.

So don't worry - just be happy !!!

No worries . . . . it's all good !

Just been super busy lately and not much time to blog. But life is good. I promise . . . . . .  Not a lot of money, but a whole lot of lovin' - just doing the best to raise our family the best we can. I have ton's of orders I am putting in while the kids are at school - so hoping to get a little time to do an update sometime this week !!!!

and I LOVE this picture . . .

Everyone warned me I would be head over heals in love like I have never loved before . . . and guess what ?

It's true !!!

Love this picture . . . .

Long time no bloggin . . . .

Sorry to have not updated in quite awhile. We have been super busy. You can check out Dylan's mission here . . . .

http://www.elderpaolacci.blogspot.com/

In just 4 short weeks . . .

Okay so I start to cry just typing. Not that I am sad. But because my heart is filled with joy. In just 4 short weeks I will be in Provo, Utah preparing to take my boy to the MTC. Of course, I am going to miss him. I am going to miss him like crazy. How I wish I could be a mouse and hide in his pocket and go along for the journey. But this is HIS journey. He has prepared his entire life for this journey and it is almost here. On Wednesday, August 11th I will drop an amazing young man off at the

Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah

and in a matter of two years he will return home a grown man. He will have not only changed the lives of those whom he comes to love in Peru. But his life will be changed by them.

Sunday afternoon Don and I were able to sit and listen as Dylan was given his Patriarchal Blessing.

“A patriarchal blessing from an ordained patriarch can give us a star to follow, which is a personal revelation from God to each individual. If we follow this star, we are less likely to stumble and be misled. Our patriarchal blessing will be an anchor to our souls, and if we are worthy, neither death nor the devil can deprive us of the blessings pronounced.

They are blessings we can enjoy now and forever.”
—President James E. Faust

As Patriarch Crockett gave Dylan the blessing there were many promises made. Dylan has been placed here upon this earth to bless many lives. It is not by chance that he is going to Peru. The Lord has a specific mission in mind for him. There are many lives that he will touch while he is there. I know that he will truly fall in love with the people he serves. He will build friendships that will last a lifetime.

 It is so easy to feel of Dylan's testimony and his love for the gospel of Jesus Christ and I know without a shadow of a doubt that he will bless many lives.

It is an amazing thing to think about the 3 little boys who grew up together have all gone their separate ways for 2 years to help share the gospel and bless the lives of others.

Dylan, Matt and Coy will all be in different parts of the world.

Coy in New Hampshire, Matt in Rochester New York and Dylan in Peru.

Even though they will all be in different parts of the world.

They will all be sharing the same message of the restored gospel in Spanish. 

It will be amazing to see them together when they all return home. 

We better watch out because they will all be able to talk to each other and we won't understand.

As for now we have been learning as much as we can about Peru and we have been so blessed to have found many blogs of other missionary's in the same area so we can see what it is like and read about their experiences. Here is one missionary couple that was over there serving - they have amazing pictures that can help you to really see the amazing place it is.

 Couple Missionary In Peru

and also take a look at this - Elder Riggs from Gilbert is over in Peru right now. We have enjoyed his pictures and letters. My kids were so amazed at the animals

Elder Colton Riggs

if you scroll down a little you can see the baby jaguar and the mokeys.

Dylan is totally excited and hopes that it won't be long before he gets to go to the jungle and serve in one of the villages.

The packing is almost done. He has a few shots left to get. And then we have to figure the contacts situation. We are not anxious to spend $700 on contacts - but we will figure it out. We always do.

For now a couple of my very favorite missionary quotes

"Forget yourself . . . and go to work"

"You want to be happy ? Forget yourself and get lost in this great cause, and bend your efforts to helping people" ~ President Hinckley

"Come and experience the very thing that the Lord has said is of "most worth" (D&C 15:6) to you at this time in your life. Come and be part of the greatest generation of missionaries the world has ever known"

So when I miss her . . . . .

I can kinda get a Marissa fix by scrapbooking pages of her and when I see her picture it brings a smile to my face. Of course then I miss her even more. What is a mom to do ???

I have a Memory Mixer class tonight and the digital content is called "My Country Porch". It automatically brought to mind this cute blue house Marissa lived in for awhile with friends right by BYU and the Brick Oven. Funny - it doesn't even have a porch, but it reminds me of something special. Something special these girls had when they lived there. That is where Marissa met Adrienne. I can remember when she met her and she told me "Mom, she is like my soul sister. She get's me. We get each other" The formed a bond like no other. I remember how happy Marissa was in the Blue House and I think that is what makes me love it so much. It is a good place that was filled with love, Laughter and friendship.

Then there are these three - best friends forever.

 I love these girls. Even though they are miles apart - Marissa in Washington, Emily in AZ and Kandis on a mission in New York - I hope they never forget the love they felt for each other as they grew up and shared their lives together. 

Okay - sorry for the sappy post. I gotta go get ready for my class and finish some stuff around the house and farm out my boys.

Have a fabulous Day !!!!

Just Sayin' . . . . .

I am head over heals in LOVE with this baby

Just sayin . . . . .

have a great day !!!!!!!!!

Lot's of good thoughts . . . . .

Okay so my friend Heather has been posting some amazing quotes and I just had to put them somewhere so I could go back and refer to them. There just might be something here that might catch your eye or tug at a heart string. Feel free to grab it if you want and use it to empower your life.

"This life is yours. Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly. Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature. Take the power to control your own life. No one else can do it for you. Take the power to make your life happy." -Susan Polis Schutz

"Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." -Melody Beattie

"Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before." -James Buckham

"You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you." - Mary Tyler Moore

"People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost." -Dalai Lama

"Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it." -Groucho Marx

"Learn to get in touch with silence within yourself, and know that everything in this life has purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from." -Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

"Appreciation is a powerful tool to shift perspective. Finding something to appreciate during a difficult situation quickly moves the perspective to the big picture from the little picture." -Doc Childre

“Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same.”

"If you observe a really happy man you will find him building a boat, writing a symphony, educating his son or growing double dahlias in his garden...He will not be searching for happiness as if it were a collar button that has rolled under the radiator....He will have become aware that he is happy in the course of liv...ing life twenty-four crowded hours of the day." ~W. Beran Wolfe

Don't rely on someone else for your happiness and self worth. Only you can be responsible for that. If you can't love and respect yourself - no one else will be able to make that happen. Accept who you are - completely; the good and the bad - and make changes as YOU see fit - not because you think someone else wants y...ou to be different." -Stacey Charter

"There is often those rare friends in the life of each of us who seem not a separate person, however dear and beloved, but expansions, interpretations, of one's self, the very meaning of one's soul." ~Edith Wharton

“God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.” -Unknown-

“Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it's all over.” -Gloria Naylor-

"He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying." -Friedrich Nietzsche

"The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"I cannot always control what goes on outside. But I can always control what goes on inside." -Wayne Dyer

"Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier." -Mother Teresa

"Intense love does not measure, it just gives." -Mother Teresa

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned." -Buddha

"One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself." -Unknown

"He who has a WHY to live can bear almost any HOW." -Friedrich Nietzsche

Being Grateful . . . . . .

I feel so blessed to be an American and I am thankful to those who serve our country and have made sacrifices so that we can each enjoy the life we do here in the beautiful USA. I am so grateful for our soldiers that they have chosen to help protect our freedoms and reach out and help people in other countries who are not as fortunate as we are to enjoy these freedoms. I am so grateful for the military families and the continued sacrifice they make on our behalf. I am grateful for and I pray for the leaders and all those who make decisions on behalf of this great country. I am grateful for family and the opportunity to spend time with them. On this day July 4, 2010 I feel blessed . . . . . .

I have a wonderful husband whom I will celebrate 23 years of marriage with tomorrow. We have definitely had our ups and downs, but the must important thing is that we always find our way back up and we are happy  - I am blessed


My mom lives close, I get to see her often and she is always willing to help when needed - I am blessed.

I have a job that allows me the flexibility to work from home and go to school - I am blessed.


I get to work for and travel with one of my best friends and work with amazing store owners (whom some have become some of my best friends) - I am blessed.

I have a husband who works REALLY hard for our family - I am blessed.


I have REALLY good kids - I am blessed.

I have a cell phone and with that cell phone I can call and chat with Marissa - I AM blessed

I am flying Marissa home next month to spend a few days with us - I am totally blessed.

I have the most wonderful grand baby in the whole world who is strong and is facing life's challenges at such an early age with vigor and strength - she is a little firecracker - I am blessed 


I have wonderful sister-in-laws that are just as good as the real thing for me - I am blessed.


We live so close my kids can go play with cousins and grow up with them - We are blessed.


I have the 2 most fabulous brothers in the world who are always there for me - I am blessed.


My in-laws live near by and love my kids with all their heart - I am blessed.


I have some of the most wonderful friends in the whole world who are just like sisters to me - I am blessed.


I know my Heavenly Father loves me is watching over me all the time- I am blessed.

I am going to be a missionary mom next month - I am blessed.

My kids and I just got to spend the weekend with Marge - we are blessed.

I have an amazing ward family - I am blessed.

I know that at anytime, anywhere, no matter where you are, I can pick up a phone and call a bishop in a church and they would be willing to help and serve in any capacity at anytime whatever the need may be - I feel blessed.

I could go on and on because I know I am forgetting many things - but I have realized how important it is to stop and recognize the things we have been blessed with, and recognize that we really do have a Heavenly Father who is watching out for us . . . . and the bottom line is - I am so blessed.

Found Something New and Awesome to listen to . . . .

So I am searching for hymns, motab, and just basically gospel centered music that we can put on an ipod for Dylan to take with him to Peru. Well, I found something amazing in my search - check out The Lower Lights
they are pretty amazing and I really, really like their music.

Goodnight & Sleeptight

Making the best of a situation

We kinda had a surprise happen this weekend when Marge and Toms AC went out. My mother-in-law was supposed to be taking care of them and she called me and said what am I gonna do ? Marge and Toms son Steve was out of town and so I told her to go get a hotel. But my mother-in-law could not go to a hotel because she needed to be close by my father-in-law who is blind and  they live in the same retirement community. So I said that I would volunteer to go to a hotel with them if they got an extra room for my kids. So we made the best of it and the kids came. Melissa brought the little boys over and Morgan and Trent came over with Malorie. Marge was happy to see the little ones and it didn't end up being to bad. The AC at Marge and Toms has been repaired and they should be going home tonight. I would love to go home , but I think the boys love the novelty of staying in a hotel and since they have been such good sports we will probably stay again tonight.

Logan Our All Star

Some of our summer plans were changed as we learned Logan was selected to play on the Shadow Mountain Little League All Star team. We had planned to camping for a week with our good friends the Dahls but we knew how much it meant to Logan to be on this team. So Coleton and Dylan still went camping and the rest of us stayed home to enjoy Logan's games.

The team played really well and Logan was an awesome contributor to the team as a pitcher, third baseman and left fielder.

The Blessings of Tithing

It is no secret that we have never been financially wealthy. I chose to stay home and raise a family while Don worked. We stopped going to college after we got married (big mistake we hope our kids won't make - hence I am back in school today - much easier to be young starving students than old starving students)  But asked if I would have it any other way - choosing a career over being home with my kids and I would do it the same way all over again.

So as we are juggling bills trying to make things work with summer classes, mission preparation, plane tickets and summer activities I struggled to figure out where the money was going to come from. It just wasn't working out. What bills could i postpone till next month. I really wanted to go stay at a resort with just my kids when Marissa comes in town for a fun family staycation like we always used to do. But I just couldn't figure out how we were going to make it work. Sunday morning I had the strong impression that if I would just pay my tithing it would all work out. I had no idea how - but I felt reassured that the Lord knew how hard we were working and he would provide for us. As he always does.

Well, as I went to the mailbox this afternoon I found an envelope from my school. Inside was an award letter for a scholarship I earned for Summer Semester. (Because I got straight A's spring semester - yipee)  I had no idea I had earned a scholarship or that I had money owed to me. Since I had already paid out of pocket for summer classes (since summer classes started on June 1st) this was now money in the bank. In fact it is almost the exact amount of money needed for Marissa's plane ticket home in August, the rest of Dylan's missions supplies and a little extra to have a staycation at one of the local resorts before Dylan leaves.

Tithing surely is a test of faith. One test that whenever I take it the Lord always provides a way. I truly feel blessed.

Cleaning out the bedroom closet

So I am determined to make a trip to DI before the day is over and so I have emptied my bedroom closet. It is kinda scary - but we will all be better off because of it. So far I have filled 2 big black trash bags - of it feels so good. Don will be pleasantly surprised when he comes home from work. I won't get to see his expression because I will be at my favorite place - Algebra (uuuggghhh) but i know he will have a smile on his face. Later friends !

Afternoon with Malorie

I got to spend the afternoon with my sweet baby Malorie yesterday afternoon while Morgan and Trent went on a date to the temple. I was in Heaven. She is so sweet and she sure is working the chub for 6 weeks. Later in the day we went over to visit Great Grandma Paolacci and she was in heaven too.

Grandma Duty . . . .

Just a little excited to be on grandma duty this afternoon  while Morgan and Trent have an afternoon date to the temple. Pictures to come . . . . .

My Darling Grandbaby

You will have to head on over and check out Morgan's blog and see all the excitement with my sweet little Malorie. At Phoenix Childrens Hospital they refer to her as the "Miracle Baby" becuase her feet have responded better than any babies feet they have ever seen !!!! We are so happy !!!!

http://www.morganandtrent.blogspot.com/

Happy "11" Birthday Logan

My baby boy is "11" years old today

It seems like yesterday that I sat and rocked him,

 holding him knowing that he would be my last baby.

What an amazing boy he is.

He loves "ANYTHING" sports related (just like his brother's)

Tonight the LITTLE LEAGUE ALL STAR TOURNAMENT starts and Logan is the starting pitcher.

Should be an awesome game. This is an awesome group of boys and I believe they will do very well.

This morning I am planning on taking Logan to breakfast with two of his best friends. A few years ago Logan became fast friends with 2 boys on his baseball team that were twins. In fact Logan and Andy (one of the twins are so much alike it is scary) Well come to find out the twins were born the day as Logan and they were actually born just a few hours apart. So jokingly you always hear them calling themselves

 "My brother from another mother"

Then Logan will go to basketball camp with his cousin Zach and then prepare for the big game tonight !!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY SWEET BOY !!!!

1 Month Old . . . .

Happy Father's Day

Happy 1 Month Birthday Baby Malorie

Happy Happy 1 month birthday to my precious little grand baby !!!!

I went over yesterday to play for just a bit and took her a new toy bar. She is so fascinated by everything. You can just see her taking it all in. Looking at all the bright colors and shapes. She is such a good baby and Morgan is such a good mommy and Trent is such a good dad and provider. They are making sacrifices so that Morgan can stay home with Malorie. So proud of them and their cute little family !!!!

be on the lookout - tomorrow is her offical 1 month photo shoot with Aunt Jamie (http://www.jamieharper.typepad.com/)

Happy Birthday Dylan !!!!

19 years ago I gave birth to this precious little boy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DYLAN

Follow the journey . . . . as the doctors begin "Perfecting the Feet of a Princess"

www.morganandtrent.blogspot.com