Time to get REAL!

My friend Aubrey has encourage me through her own blog to be open and honest about my feelings on what is happening in our troubled world (Thanks Aubrey!)

I have thought a lot about our troubled world lately. To begin with I would like to share something I wrote in my journal a few months ago...

"The Great Generation Can Save Us NO MORE!
The Great generation and the baby boomers are trying to save their children and grandchildren by rescuing them from the natural consequences of their decisions, both good and bad.

In the process of 'rescuing' us the consequences are only prolonged and in the end it is only more difficult to bear. To forebear tribulation without the proper, daily gained strength built over long periods of time, tribulation almost becomes unbearable in the end. Generations X and Y (people born in the 80's and 90's) are not strong enough to overcome and support themselves through their trials because our parents and grandparents have not allowed us to take care of our problems and mistakes-they simply clean up the mess by sweeping it under the rug and refusing to acknowledge it. THAT IS NOT HELPING US! THAT IS HURTING US! Children do need love and support, but they DO NOT need their consequences removed.

Consequences are a natural part of life, nay, the most important aspect of Eternal progression. Consequences CAN NOT be removed, only delayed for a time. At long last each and every person will be forced by nature itself to withstand their trials alone. Far too many of generation X and Y are not prepared. Far too many will not have the developed strength to overcome on their own, nor will they know how to turn to their God for Grandpa, Grandma, Mom and/or Dad were their deliverance, their savior. Rather than turning to the true deliverer they have turned to the Great Generation and they can not longer save the child.

Parents and Grandparents PLEASE teach your children who our Savior is and how to turn to Him who can Always save. Don't teach them to run from consequences, but to embrace them as our best and greatest teachers. The only thing we can take with us after this life is our wisdom and knowledge. Don't run from experience. Don't fear failure, failure is only achieved when hope and faith are gone forever. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE stop trying to rescue us from our mistakes, let us learn from them and become better and stronger so that when the really big trials come we are capable of overcoming them. Support us by holding our hand, not by removing the obstacle.

I fear that the great trials are already upon us and far too many are not prepared. We are facing the obstacles, in far greater proportion, than even the Great Generation were forced to face. Will we succeed as they did?? I pray that we do. I pray that we have the needed strength of spirit, the strength of hope, the strength of faith, to overcome all that is bearing down upon us. But we can't look to Grandpa, we MUST LOOK HEAVENWARD!

Adorable Kids

Every year we try to take pictures of the kids for their birthdays-so we can see how much they change each year.

This year we got to take some pictures with Cousin's Shaun & Gracie.

These are some of the best pictures of my kids-we FINALLY got a good one of Elise smiling/laughing at Mommie.

I also promised better pictures of Mason playing soccer...

Elise adores her brother and looks up to him SO much...I hope it always stays that way.

and Lissy wants to play with him so much she squaks for Mommie to let her go.

This is how Elise plays soccer.

We took some adorable pictures of Gracie...which was fun to try. I know they're not perfect, but for my first try....

We had some fun in the pool, but Shaun took a nose dive and about drown...so he had to stay in this floater ever after (which he quickly got use to).

Always Playing Catch Up

Labor Day Weekend!

We had a great time hiking in Mount Charleston. The weather up there was perfect, 70-80 degrees. We went with Joseph and Kassie.



The boys taking a rest...we didn't make it to the top (Lissy was tired, Mason had fallen and scrapped his knee and Kassie has a sore toe)







Mason watching the trees grow.





Lissy loves riding on Daddy's shoulder because it gives her full access to all his hair! Needles to say-that didn't last too long.








Mason loved finding sticks along the way and pretending they were guns with which he would shoot the 'bad pirates'. He also liked the pine cones. By the time we were 10 mins into the hike Mason has tree sticks and two pine cones in his hands.




Lissy was happy to be outside and had the best seat in the house.

After the hike we got 'In & Out' Burgers!




Saturday we went to the water pad at Aliante Park. Mason had a blast splashing and playing in the water. He's finally gotten over the fear of putting his face in the water.





Lissy liked to kick and splashs with her feet but didn't like the big kids splashing water in her face.










Don't I just have the cutest kids?!!! The both got very red faced, but no sunburn luckily.









Lissy is growing up TOO fast! She is now sitting in a forward facing car seat-it's not as easy for her to sleep in but she manages to anyways =)

Elise has really become Daddy's Girl recently. She wants him to hold her when he first gets home from work-she gives him hugs and kisses. It's SO sweet.



We have finally gotten Mason his 'big boy bike'. He did a great job riding it. He gets a little stuck in pushing the petals once in awhile-it's still a little too big, but we would rather of gotten him one that he could grow into rather than not be able to ride it very long before we had to buy another.



This is Lissy trying to get away from the vacum.

Mason has started playing Soccer and he loves it! He has a lot of natural ability and controls the ball quite well. Lissy want to play too, but Mommie won't let her yet. I know, it's not the best picture I'll get a better one later. Elise has found that the cabinets hold lots of fun things to play with and is getting into all of them. She still don't make nearly as big of a mess as Mason use to-though Mason tries to help her in learning how to (which he later has to help clean up).
Mason has started making a lot of friends here, which is wonderful. He has also learned how to climb up slides which he prefers over sliding down them.
Mason has also gotten a newfound fedish with guns and killing 'bad guys' with them. Mommie doesn't know what to think about this-I didn't want him to have any play guns I worry it makes shooting and violence acceptable.

Anyone have an opinion or suggestion about play guns????
Lissy LOVES to play peek-a-boo, she thinks it SO funny when you find her.

Our favorite Park in the Aliante Park, with the Water pad, a sand pit, Ducks & Geese...as well as the usually stuff like slides and swings.


We had a fun play group yesturday, there were 11+ kids.








Both mason & Elise found new friends close to their age (Aiden & Kaitlyn).








We also celebrated my Dad's 52 Birthday the day before Elise's birthday. We hope you had a good time celebrating with us Dad. Thanks for coming we know the sacrifice it was. We were happy to have you here.

Elise's 1st Birthday!

Our little Princess turned one years old on Friday Aug 22.

I can't believe that a year ago Elise McKenna jointed our family. We don't know what we did without her smiles, her giggles-she completes our family in such a special way. We love you Lissy with all our hearts! This picture is when she was 3 months old.

Elise had a wonderful first birthday. She had a princess party with some girls from the ward. Elise would NOT leave her crown on-she doesn't like anything on her head.

All the kids loved playing with the balloons-they're one of Elise's favorite toys.




We were so happy to have Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt Candace, Shaun, and baby Grace (who drove 8hrs) for Elise's birthday. (Grandpa, Grandma, & Candace hate their pictures taken).




Elise didn't know what to think about us putting a burning flame on top of her cake-she stared at it for a few seconds-then Mason helped her blow it out.




Lissy was so funney eating her cake. At first she ate it very daintily, eating one small bite at a time. By about 1/3 through eating her little cake either she realized that it was really good or that we were going to let her eat it however she wanted...I don't know,


but she picked up the whole cake and took a big bite-about another 1/3 of the cake, then finished it off with one more bite.








Lissy loved all her presents!



She loves her panda bear from Uncle Will & Aunt Anna-she just stared at it for a second then grabbed it and hugged it.

Lissy also loved all the books and looks forward to mommie reading all of them to her and brother.

Thank you everyone for your gifts!