He can't help it

Brett is just so stinking cute.  He has the biggest, cutest smile and is such a joy to have in our family.

 Okay, here's proof that he's not cute ALL the time.  Owen put this on his face so he could be the Hulk, he didn't like it very much:)

Last chemo!!!!

It's been a long road.  I have been very grateful that I didn't experience all the side effects that I could have, but it has still been hard.  In October I had my last two hard chemo's, and I am so happy to have that done.  I hope the chemo did it's job so I won't have to do it again.  We had all the boys come to the cancer center to watch me ring the bell to celebrate finishing. I get to ring it again when I finish the Hercepton in a year.  

The boys were a little disappointed when I told them that it was my last chemo, because they knew that meant it was their last 'chemo gift'.  :)  They are so funny.  

Our thoughtful neighbors made this great sign and put it up on our garage door to celebrate my last chemo.  I just love how supportive and what a help our neighbors have been.

Just another day in Paradise

When October comes around we start to get excited about a cooking show called Halloween Wars.  It's amazing what these food artists can create!  So, this year we attempted to make our own food sculptures with rice crispie treats. . . it didn't work out quite the way we wanted it too, but it was still fun, and delicious!

We were invited to a work event by a friend of ours.  They boys had SOO much fun because they had a bunch of bounce houses, and of course the super heroes were a big plus too.  Emmett kept walking up to them just to stare.  

 I love how sweat and compassionate my boys are.  Noah has a very tender heart and I was so happy to capture this moment with he and Brett.

 For Owen's birthday we got him this sweatshirt, since he's obsessed with all the superheroes.  He has so much fun wearing it.

 Emmett=Destructicon.  It's amazing that such a tiny cute boy can cause so much mischief.  The little sneakiness is just plain cute though.  I caught him drinking the yogurt and had to catch a picture.  This boy LOVES yogurt!

 We had fun making caramel apples.  Emmett mostly just ate candy corn the whole time, but the other boys enjoyed being creative with their apples.

October!

Things have been kind of crazy this year but we're trying to keep things as 'normal' as possible.  We've had a lot of fun with pumpkin patches,  getting ready for Halloween, and cooler weather.

Owen is such a good friend.  He wants to play with friends every day for hours, and I don't mind.  There are more girls on our street his age, so he has a lot of girl friends.  This was at his preschool field trip with one of his girl buddies.  He is such a sweat heart. 

 Ms. Liza's Preschool field trip group shot.

 Noah and all of the 1st graders at his school were invited to Mrs. Reiber's farm for snacks, fun, petting animals, and picking a pumpkin.  The boys loved it!

 One of our favorite October traditions is picking out pumpkins for carving.  They loved the animals running around too.  After we brought the pumpkins home Owen asked me how we were going to get the pigs to our house to eat the pumpkins when they got yucky. :)

 The boys are getting a little more ambitious with their carving skills every year.  

To the Young Women

A dear friend of mine and former Camp Director when I was in YW asked me if I would write something for the Young Women in her ward.  It took me a few weeks to come up with what to say, but this is what I ended up sending to her:

 Hi! My name is Stephanie.  I like to cook, paint stuff, work in the yard, and sing obscenely loud to music that I don’t know the words to when I’m driving by myself.  I’m thirty-three years old according to my birth certificate, but I think my brain is still in my early twenties most of the time.  I met and married my husband ten years ago and we have five energetic, loud, and wonderful little boys.  It’s hard to believe that our oldest son just turned eight this summer!  We’re not old enough to have an eight year old!  Our fifth son was a surprise little miracle that came when we had other plans in mind, and we are so glad Heavenly Father’s plans are better then ours. Shortly after finding out I was expecting, I noticed a small lump in my breast.  I wasn’t too worried about it, but mentioned it to my OB/GYN during one of my routine baby check-ups.  Within a week I had an ultrasound on the growth, a biopsy, mammogram, and the news that I have breast cancer.  At first my husband and I were in shock and a little bit of denial.  I can’t have cancer!  I’m young, healthy, no family history of cancer, I’m just not a cancer ‘candidate’!  It just didn’t make sense, but there it was staring at us in the face: invasive ductal carcinoma of the right breast.  Now what?  There were a couple of weeks that kind of went by in a blur.  I had so many questions and concerns that I felt like they were running a constant flow threw my brain and there was very little room for much else to occupy my mind.  I couldn’t stop thinking about my family.  . . . my boys. . . . they need their mom.  I need them.  My time with them can’t be done.  Being filled with doubt is not a safe place to be.  My husband and I had some great talks and he was able to be my rock and reason.  Through our discussions I realized that my mind was so full of worry that there was little room for the Savior.  I decided to spend more time on my knees and I admitted to God that I didn’t know what to do and that I needed His help.  As promised in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”, when I turned to my Father in Heaven, He lifted my burdens so that I could finally rest from my worry.  He did not take the burden away, but almost instantly, it was as though I could see things as they really were; in God’s hands.  I remembered a vacation we went on several years ago.  We were enjoying a beautiful warm beach and learning how to surf.  The water was clear and the waves were small and perfect for beginners. Brett (my awesome hubby) really caught on to surfing and was having a blast.  I was having fun in the water, but every time I got onto my board I would head straight toward a rocky area coming off the shore and then I would have to jump off my board before I crashed.  Each time the same thing would happen, and I was getting frustrated that everyone else seemed to surf straight to the sandy beach, except for me who had some kind of magnetism to scary rocks.  It was almost time to pack it up and head in when someone yelled to me, “Stop looking at the rocks!  When you get on the board, look at the beach!”  It seemed a little too easy, but I got on my board and kept my eyes on the sandy beach in front of us, and I made it there!  The dangerous rocks were still there, but this time by focusing on the beach I surfed straight to my desired destination.  I was grateful for that advice and I could see how my current sitution needed the same words of wisdom.  I needed to reflect and really ponder what I wanted my ‘destination’ to be.  More then anything I want my boys to reach their greatest potential and have true joy in their life and for us to all live with God again.  With that destination in mind, it became easier for me to put my trust in the Lord.  Only our loving Father in Heaven could possibly love our boys more then my husband and me, and He knew what He was doing.  I trust that our experiences, trials, and hardships are meant to build us into the people that He wants us to be.  “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” Moses 1:39.  If I need this experience in my life to help my children have greater faith in Jesus Christ, build character, or learn humility, then it is worth it.  I’m on the Lord’s time.  

    It’s funny how unimportant lots of ‘little’ things become when you begin to keep your eyes on your goal, and recognize God’s timetable.  Cancer has taught me to care less about what other people think of me.  Cancer has taught me to say yes more, procrastinate less, and treasure moments.  I went swinging on a swing set at the school playground with my boys and we tried to see who could get the highest.  I’ve jumped in puddles with my toddler.  I love being a mom and I think I will treasure all of these little moments more then I ever did before. I am so grateful for my change in perspective.  Cancer has taught me that every day we are able to choose how that day goes.  Cancer can do a lot of damage, but it cannot take away my smile, my laugh, my love, or my will.  I’m not perfect, and sometimes catch myself getting caught up in worry, but surrounding myself with positive people and a supportive husband has helped me refocus away from the ‘rocks’ and toward the smooth sandy shore.  Life can be really hard sometimes, but that doesn’t have to change who we are at the core.  We are children of God, and He has a plan for us that’s pretty amazing.  When we remember not just who we are but whose we are we can walk a little taller, care a little less about ‘stuff’, and care a little more about preparing ourselves for everything God intends us to be.  He makes big plans and every single person that allows themselves to be led (and sometimes carried) by Him has the opportunity to see things as they really are: trials are temporary, pain doesn’t last forever, and setbacks are only opportunities to do it a better way.  

  Being a young woman is hard and at times confusing and heartbreaking.  Your pains are real and shouldn't be minimized.  Just know that these pains, heartaches, and suffering that you experience now will pass. They WILL PASS!  And they will make you stronger and better prepared to meet your next trial if you allow the pain to be your teacher.  If you feel like you're not strong enough, then let the Atonement of Jesus Christ carry you.  When we are weak, He is strong. One of my favorite quotes of all times best iterates my feelings:  "

“No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God . . . and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven.” - Orson F. Whitney

Just look in the mirror and repeat, "I am strong.  I am capable.  I am a daughter of a King."

Birthday boy

Owen is such a sweety.  He is kind, a good friend, thoughtful, and imaginative.  He also really loves his 'guys' (aka: all action figures of any kind), so for his birthday he got comic hero mr. potato heads. We told him the day was his to do what he wanted.  So, for breakfast we had sprinkle donuts and chocolate milk and then opened presents. After a few hours of playing with his guys we went to McDonalds for lunch and playing at the play place, then we came home to watch a movie.  We spent the evening at their new favorite park and then went to Arctic Circle for more playing and lots of ice cream.  It was Owen's perfect day.

Blessings

We were so happy to have both grandparents, Ryan and Jennifer's family,  and Aunt Kaley and Uncle Chase's family here for Brett's blessing.  Aunt Kaley brought us some donated milk and it was so great to see Tate and Brett together.  These two are both miracle babies and the product of much prayer, fasting, and love.  It will be great to see them grow and become great cousin buddies. 

 Brett was still pretty small for his clothes, but he still looked so handsome. 

 We found a new park in Lehi that has quickly become the boys' favorite.

 BYU Football season is upon us.  For the first game Brett went with Ryan and Grandpa Partridge.  Before the game we got to have some fun touring BYU with the boys and going to the bookstore.  The boys were excited to see the Kung Fu Panda in Dad's old stomping ground.

 Hyrum's first pack meeting went well.  He earned his Bobcat and his first beltloop.  We're so glad that Hyrum gets to start scouting right when the new program begins.  He is so excited to excell at scouting.  

 I was wrapping Brett up in his usual tight burrito wrap.  Owen ran upstairs to get some big blankets and asked if I could make him an 'a-tido" (taquito).  We had a little a-tido pile.  These boys are just so stinkin' adorable. I could eat them up!