It has begun....

This is Cloey's little friend, Ian. He is such a cutie!!! He tells his family that Cloey is his girlfriend. He even got her a little stuffed puppy for Valentine's Day that he picked out all by himself. They are so cute when they play together. Cloey is really going to miss him.

Any ideas?

Does anybody have any great ideas on how to reactivate a young woman? I have tried so many things but it just doesn't seem to be working. I have prayed and prayed for this girl and I know that she really needs YWs, but I don't know how to help her make that first step.

Any ideas?

Our 4-Day Weekend

This last weekend was four days because yesterday was a teacher workday. It was the perfect weekend because the weather was amazing!! There is just nothing better to me than perfect weather, blue skies, blossoms in bloom everywhere, and birds chirping all day long.

Yesterday we spent the day at the park and at a good friend's house and then on Friday and Saturday we drove to our new hometown...Chattanooga, TN. We stayed with our good friends, Jim and Celeste, and let our kids have the time of their life with their kids while Cory and I went house hunting. We found the one that we want, know we just have to pray that it all works out because we need to move by the first part of April.

Guess what???

We're moving.

Last week Cory had a meeting with the vice president over leasing in his company. They offered him a job to be a leasing manager over 3 malls. We will be moving to Tennessee. I am really excited about the promotion, but I am also going through all of the emotions that come with moving from a place where you have really settled in.

I can still remember how hard it was to move from Fayetteville to Asheville because we LOVED our ward there and we had such great friends, but we adapted to our new home in the mountains and I have really come to love it here. I am really going to miss so many things...good friends, wonderful neighbors, the beauty of the mountains, the young women and the women whom I serve with, our Bishop, Katelund's school, friends of the girls, etc.. But above all, I am really having a hard time with leaving Clairisa. I couldn't even imagine how hard it must have been for the pioneers who had to bury their babies in unmarked graves and then walk a way knowing that they would never go back again. At least I know where her grave is, but still...
It will be hard to leave but also exciting to meet new people and have new adventures. I just have to keep singing in my mind, "I'll go where you want me to go dear Lord, I'll be who you want me to be." I know that this is where the Lord wanted us to be and that he will once again lead and direct us to where our new home will be. So, here we go. Let the moving process begin again.

Sisters

My sister, Andrea, flew in yesterday. We have been having so much fun! I seriously feel like I am being so spoiled this month because I have been able to spend so much time with two of my sisters. Although, it is going to be really disappointing when it is over next week. I could really get used to having a sister around to laugh and hang out with 24/7. There is just something about sisterhood. The bond between sisters (and that definitely includes sister-in-laws) is such a strong one and one that I could not live without. As I have been spending so much time with each of them, I have realized how much I have to learn from them and how much better I need to be. Each of them, and all of my other sisters and sisters-in-law, are so amazing in their own unique ways. I feel so blessed to have them in my life as my best friends and role models.

Cory and I always tell our girls that their sister should and will always be their best friend. I hope and pray that someday they will be able to feel the way that I feel about my sisters. How grateful I am for a Heavenly Father who knew how important it would be for me to have such strong and loving sisters. Sisters who have been there for me during some of the hardest times of my life. Who love you enough to tell you when you're wrong and love you anyways. Who constantly reach out to you with support and encouragement, and who make you want to reach higher and be a little better. Thanks to each of you...Andrea, Katie, Amber, Stefani, Brittney, and Becca.....I love you all!!

Viva Las Vegas

Luxurious dressing area+
a beautiful lap pool +
The most amazing showers ever +
massage tables +

a huge hot tub +
an amazing steam and sauna room +
one of my best friends of all time = A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!!!!!!!!
This last week was such a blast! I went to Vegas to spend some time with one of my very best friends...oh...and she also just happens to be my sister-in-law. :) Amber and I spent a lot of time scrapbooking, shopping, laughing, eating, and scrappin' some more. It was so much fun to spend time with her and her little family. She has a wonderful husband and two adorable little girls, Brooklynn who is 4 and Callie Clairisa who is 5 months. I have this quote in my house that says, "God knew that I loved you so much that he made you my sister." That is how I feel about Amber. I feel so blessed to have her as my sister and friend. I admire her in so many ways. She is one of the most loyal people that I know and she cares so much about her family and friends. In fact, I think that she feeds and takes care of almost everyone in Las Vegas. Not only that, but she is an incredible mother!!! I could seriously go on and on about all of the things that I learned from her example. Anyways, she told me when I got there that she had a suprise planned for Wednesday night. It was a trip to Red Rock Spa. It was the best 5 hours EVER! Here are some more pictures...
So I was just playing around , but the atmosphere was seriously SO relaxing...the music, the decorations...everything.

What we did while waiting for our massage.

We took all of these pics afterwards (we were actually not fully dressed while doing all of these things) :). When we first got there we got changed into work out clothes and ran 3 miles on the treadmills. Then we changed into our swimming suits and swam some laps in the pool. After we froze to death, we went inside and hung out in the spa. After we showered we went over to the massage area and waited for our massages. Then we went to the steam room and the sauna. Then we topped the night off at Olive Garden. One of our favorite restaurants ever. It was such a fun day!!

more pics from Vegas