Brinley Dedication

A couple Sundays ago, Brent and Latisha had Brinley's baby dedication.  It was so special.  We as a family were able to be there in support to ask the Lord's hand of protection on Brinley and help and wisdom for Brent and Latisha as they raise their beautiful daughter.  It was my birthday, so I felt it an extra special birthday.  Brinley has my middle name, making it even more special.

Later that day we had everyone over for my traditional fondue dinner.  It was wonderful.  All the food turned out so good.  We got to FaceTime Alex, Ivy and Weston and we agreed when they come home we will have to do fondue with them.  It is a lot of work but very worth it.  We finished the evening with games and life is good, and so is God.  Hope you all are having a wonderful day.  God Bless

Alicia

Brinley and Me

Happy family

Aren't they adorable

during the creepy

my helper (August)

now a couple helpers (Aidric and August)

Sierra's first time making my cake.  She did wonderful 

It is an orange cake,  soooo good!

5 Generation Blessing

Last weekend we got the opportunity to go see my grandparents.  We planned to get our five generation picture done.  What a beautiful and amazing blessing to have five generations together to take a wonderful picture.  Twenty-two years ago we felt so blessed to be able to have a picture a four generation picture taken.  My grandma had had several health problems and what a blessing it was that she was still with us and we were able to get a great picture.  So, now for being able to take a five generation picture is not taken lightly.

That hit home for me pretty hard this week when a dear friend of mine was in a senseless car accident and passed away.  She was stopped behind a big truck at a stop light, when a driver who was playing on their phone while driving, ran into Pamela's car going around 50 miles per hour.  How horrible.  There will never be a five generation picture for her.  Her Grandchildren and children have been deprived from this precious life to share together.  Pamela was one of the most giving people I have ever met.  On several occasions when I had the opportunity to go with David on a trip, Pamela watched my children.  She hosted a couples baby shower for me when I was expecting Sierra, and cooked some amazing food.  She was in an almost constant state of business and giving.  Pamela was one of the biggest encouragements to me of homeschooling.  Although we hadn't talked in quite a while my heart broke when I heard the news.  Still I am blessed to have known this woman and have peace knowing she is with our Savior.  

I pray that this accident will not totally be senseless.  That somehow through this horribleness someone out there will put down their phone, not pick up their phone, or just ignore the urge to check their phone while driving. This was a wakeup call for me too, all too often I find myself not paying good attention while driving and I can improve.  

There are so many things that can shorten our life.  To have all five generations of women alive for a picture is tremendously special.  God bless you all and have a blessed day.

Alicia

August with Great, great Grandpa

My grandma with her Great Great Granddaughter

Five generation

Grandpa with Brinley

Our four generation picture 22 years ago.  I feel like I need
to take a four generation picture with all my girls.  Next time.

Loving Love

From what I have read, St Valentine was a good example of a Christian willing to sacrifice all for his Lord.  Valentines Day is, to our family, about celebrating love.  Since God is love, what a great thing to celebrate.  We celebrate the love of our Savior, the love we have for one another, and the love that has brought those of us who are married together.  We are incredibly blessed to have our children married to amazing spouses and pray both for their marriages and for our children's future spouses and their marriages.

David and I were invited to speak at our church's youth group on the subject of purity from a parents perspective.  Purity is such a part of love.  If we love our heavenly Father we want to obey him in purity, if we want to honor our future spouse we will remain pure in the physical, and if we love our spouse we will remain pure in our hearts and lives.  Purity doesn't end when we get married.  It is important to purify ourselves by the renewing of our minds in Bible reading.  So much around us tries to muddy our minds with impure thoughts and attitudes.  It is so important to guard our hearts and the hearts of our children.  Purity is a subject I am very passionate about.  I desire my children to remain pure for their spouses, but not just my children, this generation.  I am afraid that many children (not to mention their parents) don't really know what purity is.  A definition of purity is the condition or quality of being pure; freedom from anything that debases, contaminates, or pollutes; freedom from immorality, especially of a sexual nature.  If we can envision a glass of pure water, we would see a water free from anything that would pollute it, a glass of water we would like to have. That is how we should appear to our spouse or future spouse, and most importantly to our Heavenly Father.  Matthew 5:8 says "Blessed are the pure in heart." Throughout the Bible we are told to keep ourselves pure.  Keeping ourselves pure is pleasing to God and it encourages others to walk the walk of purity as we try to be an example to our Christian brothers and sisters, and also to the world.  2 Timothy 2:21 says "Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work."  May we be useful to the Master, prepared to do any good work.

Ok, enough of my soap box, I could go on and on, but here are some fun pictures of our recent celebrations.  God bless and have a great day.

Alicia

Such a beautiful start to our Valentine's Day

Red, heart shaped chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast is a must

Valentine's dinner

The boys enjoyed themselves also

Look at this cutie, already 2 months old

Brentie's birthday

Chinese New Year a good excuse for Chinese food

Presidents day saying the "Pledge of Allegiance"

Aidric loved his three cornered hat.

Vacation

We just got home from another family vacation.  It was an incredible blessing to have all of my children, children's spouses, and grandchildren on vacation together.  Of course things may get a little crazy here and there, but the trip was wonderful.  We had three nights together in a rental home and three nights where each family was at a hotel.  I personally loved the nights together at the rental house but it was fun to split it up.  We did a couple days at Disneyland, a couple beach days, a couple exploring and a couple traveling.  After we got home, Latisha set up a shared google photos album that we could all download and share our pictures.  Last night we sat around and looked at all the pictures and videos together.  It was fun going through the pictures and reliving the fun moments.  Here are a few from the over 200 fun pictures.  The weather there was absolutely perfect and we are now back home to our quite mild winter and our routine.  It is good to be home but I am sure the good memories we had will last a lifetime.

Have a great day and God bless.

Off we go

Aidric was thrilled to me Pooh Bear

Off we go

a day at the beach

She loves her mama

she loves her daddy

He was cold so I suggested burying him in the sand to warm him up.
He enjoyed it

Yay for daddy

Add caption

We got to tour a fire station

One evening we went horse riding.  Danika loves horses

The two couples took a ride together so we each were in charge of a stroller
or younger child.  I am sure we were a sight to see.  

Danika at the rental house.  It was very nice.

Bella Bear

I don't know exactly how that nick name came about, but for the last several years Isabella has been my "Bella Bear."  I guess, kind of like my "beautiful teddy bear," she is so beautiful and cuddly as a teddy bear.

Today I took Isabella to therapy, because of Isabella's new seizure medicine she has been going through very tired moments.  At her therapy, she was quite compliant (not always normal) and extremely cuddly.  She kept trying to hug the therapist and at one moment decided to sit on the ground.  The therapist followed her lead and sat on the ground to do therapy on the floor.  Isabella liked this and decided to collapse on the therapist lap and suck her thumb.  Not real productive but it was cute.  In the evenings she likes to get her soft blanket and take it to Sierra, signifying she would like to sit and cuddle. Therefor she is our cuddly teddy bear.

Bella Bear, has had such ups and downs with her seizures.  We would be good for a while then she would have a seizure here and there and eventually they would increase her meds.  She finally maxed out on the dosage and started having seizures.  We had to change medicine.  The first dosage was too low and she had a seizure, so they increased it and the seizures stopped. Her new medicine comes with side effects that we are not happy with.  Isabella has frequent moments where she is quite tired and not "all there," her eyes have occasions where they are very sensitive to light, and she has angry outbursts.  I asked our neurologist if we should cut back on the dosage and they agreed.  Isabella immediately had another seizure.  I asked if we could change medicine and they suggested another medicine that we will need to monitor her with a blood draw and it could have the same side effects.  Yikes.  Because Isabella is nonverbal she can't understand why we draw her blood and it is incredibly traumatic on us both.  There is no easy answer and as the parent it is "up to me" what we do.  Double Yikes!!!  Too many decisions.

I hate seizures.  Why they happen, I don't know.  I wish we could do something to stop them.  Until God gives the medical society a way to end them we can only do, what we can do, which is pray.  Isabella is a joy and we are grateful for our "Bella Bear."

God Bless and have a great day.
Alicia

On Sunday's Isabella and I hang out at the house
until Sunday school is done.  This Sunday the cat and dog
kept her company while I was doing dishes.

aren't they sweet.

Look at This Little Girl Grow

Brinley is almost 6 weeks old.  She is very alert and growing every day.  We are grateful that we get to spend time with her and love on her.  She loves to be held and lets me talk to her.  I love how she watches me when I hold her with great interest in all I have to tell her.  Of course most of what I have to tell her is how beautiful and loved she is.  I think she agrees with me, although at times she looks like "Grandma has lost her mind."  How fun it is to be a grandma, almost as fun as being a parent.  I thought I should update you all on her growing.  She had a doctor's appointment the other day and is over her birthweight and progressing quite well.

While Alexander and Ivy were here for Christmas they did a photo shoot with Brent, Latisha and family.  It turned out wonderful.  Here are a few of the photos.  I am very happy with how they turned out.  Alexander and Ivy do a great job on photography and Brent, Latisha, August and Brinley did a great job also.

God bless and have a great day,
Alicia

I can't tell you my favorite, I just love them all.

This picture is from just a few days ago.  Look at
those adorable cheeks.  

March for Life

Today was March for Life.  I have always had a passion to encourage others to see that an unborn child is still a child.  To take the life of a child in the womb is killing a human life.  I think the reality of that was reaffirmed last year at about this time.  A year ago we lost our grandchild.  Salem Marie was born too early.  Latisha was 21 weeks pregnant when Salem was born and Salem quickly went into the arms of Jesus.  We were able to hold this tiny child.  She was fearfully and wonderfully made.  Little fingernails, and toenails, with adorable little fingers, and dainty little features.  Salems older sibling, Peyton, was born at only 13 weeks, but was just as much a child, just as important and loved.

Last week I went to Salem's grave and celebrated her little life and spent a moment in memorial of her and Peyton.  It was a very solemn moment for me and I was blessed to have my dear friend with me to remember her short life, but still so grateful for that life.  Brent and Latisha also went to her grave with August and Brinley.  They placed flowers on her grave and August helped to keep it light hearted.

I hope that all who read this would find the value of all life, whether in the womb or out.  I pray that this holocaust on the unborn would end, that life at all stages would be valued.  We celebrated when we found out these little lives were there, and mourned when they left, but grateful that we will get to meet them someday.

May you all have a wonderful day.

God Bless,

Alicia

I placed a white lily in honor of her pure life

Add caption

August taking flowers to Salem's grave.