Father's Day 2014!

Man, I got a little carried away going through old photos yesterday!  I love doing that though because something about it lightens my heart and makes me happy.  I love my husband so much, and I’m grateful for all the good things he is teaching our children.  Fatherhood is important to Jared.  I love talking to him about our children.  He always has great ideas on how to be more projective and deliberate in the life lessons we value and want our children to understand.  

AnnMarie said that her favorite thing about dad is his smile & when he takes her out for a milkshake.  Carlie said that her favorite thing about dad is his laugh & when he teases her.   

My own Dad is amazing!  He is a true gentleman.  He is hard working, stable, and kind.  This picture of my dad & I at my 7th birthday party captures his calm disposition.  He always has a pleasant look on his face.  Two Christmases ago, my sister-in-law put together an awesome binder of letters as a tribute to him.  Here is some of what I wrote:

My Dad is a talented musician.  He plays the piano mostly by ear; he always accompanied me in my vocal performances growing up providing limitless opportunities for me to share music.   

My father-in-law raised the man of my dreams which says everything!  Kim is a strong leader, and he values the importance of education and hard work.  He is service oriented and is constantly giving of his time for the betterment of youth, single adults, and the community in which he lives.  I love this man!     

My father-in-law’s dad passed away 3 years ago - just a few months after his 70th wedding anniversary.  He was a competitive boxer, successful farmer, and dedicated husband and father to his family.  Isn’t he handsome?  Maybe I’m bias, but I think our little guy, Gabe, looks just like him!  I can’t help but think that they must’ve had many conversations in heaven before Gabe came to us.

My mom’s dad - Grandpa Rex - celebrated his 80th birthday this year!  Last year my parents took him and my grandma on an unforgettable trip to Hawaii.  It’s amazing to me that he can still boogie board at his age!  I love talking to my grandpa - he is a fountain of wisdom on many different topics, and he has blessed the lives of too many scouts to count, especially his grandsons, through the scouting program.

My dad’s dad - Grandpa LaMar - lived down the road from me when I was growing up.  It’s hard to sum up in a few sentences how special this guy is!  His posterity means everything to him.  He loves helping others.  He loves music & baseball & family gatherings.  He leads with wisdom from life experiences and takes every opportunity he can to share his testimony.   

I hope these good men in my life know how much I appreciate their examples to me over the years, and I hope more than anything that they had the happiest of Father’s Days!!

“Noble fatherhood gives us a glimpse of the divine.”  - James E. Faust 

AnnMarie the Ballerina

AnnMarie was an Elementary Ballerina for the Academy of Ballet this past school year, & she performed in an end-of-year recital at the Columbia River Park last Saturday.  It couldn’t have been on a better night - the weather was PERFECT!  She looked beautiful, and both Jared & I were impressed with her careful grace.  It’s been tricky to watch her during her class time with my two other kiddos in tow, but she took her instruction very seriously, & it showed in her performance.

As I watched her dance across the stage with such delicacy, it brought a tear to my eye.  I am so grateful for a daughter who values following the rules to a T.  I am grateful for a daughter who cares about others’ feelings.  I am grateful for her desire to share her budding testimony of the gospel.  I enjoy talking with her about all that goes on during her day or listening to her concerns about how to be a better friend to this person or that person.  She is growing up to be such a special person, and I love her.   

Such a proud face! ^^^^^

Great job Anna-Maria Ballerina (as we like to call her in our best spanish accents)! ;)

Bahamas

On the second day of our cruise - back in February - we took an excursion through the island of Nassau which is part of the Bahamas.  We took a bus tour of the island’s capitol and stopped at a zoo.  I don’t really know what to say about the Bahamas…at least the part we saw.  For some reason, I’ve always thought of the Bahamas as a developed picturesque beach heaven, & I’m sure there are many parts that are - given the fact that the Bahamas is made up of nearly 700 islands, but wow - there’s actually quite a bit of poverty in Nassau.  It’s not seen as much in the tourist areas where we spent most of our time, but it was still a little shocking to see glimpses of poverty in the caribbean - I didn’t expect that.

We saw a black swan at the zoo which was amazing.  I’ve never seen one before, and I found myself contemplating the impact of the highly improbable.

(There’s a book out called The Black Swan: the impact of the highly improbable.  It’s possible that only an economist’s wife would know that.)

My face is cracking me up! ^^^^^

My niece was having way too much fun posing like a flamingo.^^^^^

We didn’t spend a lot of time on the island, but I was grateful for the chance we had to see a new country & once again, see the world with new eyes.  I’m okay with not visiting the Bahamas anytime soon, but I will say, the people have a distinct personality - are generally happy, full of faith, & good humored - something I’ll remember for sure.  ;)