A "little" background!

I am excited to start a blog for our family and share our photos!

Our story starts December of 2007.

We met on an online website for LDS singles to meet and date. Chris found me and sent me a smile. I responded with a thanks and we started talking via email and within a few days started talking on the phone. We then set a date to meet in person for December 15, 2007. Our first date was great. The weather was terrible, icy, windy, 25 degrees with sleet and freezing rain. Chris drove to Springfield, MO where I was living at the time from Lincoln, AR where he lives in the bad weather. On a nice day it is a 3 hour drive. He arrived safely and stayed at the Econolodge in Springfield. We met there outside the lobby and then went to a store called Bass Pro, they sell outdoor equipment and other gear and have a huge store in Springfield with all kinds of things to look at. They also have a nice restaurant in the top of the store, so after walking around for a while we decided to get dinner. We hit it off right away and were both so happy that we both seemed to be who we said we were on the phone. We had a nice dinner and the plan was to attend a LDS dance later in the evening and I decided that I really didn't want to dance and that I would rather spend the time getting to know each other better. We talked and walked through the store some more and then decided to watch the movie The Transformers in Chris' room at the Econolodge. We now joke about it that our first date was at the Econolodge!

The next day was Sunday, we had had such a wonderful evening the night before I begged my mother to watch the kids so I could take Chris some breakfast before he drove back down to AR. She agreed and so we had our second date at the Econolodge too! We have talked on the phone or in person everyday since December 7, 2007!
This is our first photo together


Chris came up to Arkansas to date me every weekend after that first weekend and I was able to go to Arkansas occasionally as well. It was wonderful and we fell deeper and deeper in love with each day. In February I needed to go to Chicago to place my macaw with a new family and Chris volunteered to drive with me. It is an 8 hour drive from Springfield. We went and ended up in Chicago on Valentine's day. If you don't know Valentine's Day has always been my favorite holiday. Chris got tickets to go up to the top of the Sear's Tower so after we took care of my bird we went to the tower. It was amazing! While were on top of the world Chris proposed to me and I said yes! It was very sweet and romantic! I couldn't have had a more wonderful holiday! This is the view from the tower that he proposed to me!


This is one of our engagement pictures!

While we were engaged Chris brought his boat up for Memorial Day to take us boating! It was a rainy, gray, cold day, but we went out anyway! It was fun!


Our engagement was fun, stressful, crazy and great all at once. We finally decided on July 12, 2008 and started the process to have my first LDS marriage cancelled in the eyes of our church so that I could be remarried in an LDS temple. Having a LDS temple marriage for us is one of our core values. To be married in the temple means that we are married for eternity, not just until we die. We believe that our church has the authority to seal on earth and in heaven and that our church leaders can seal a marriage for eternity. Chris and I want to be together forever not just until we die. I was granted the cancellation 12 days before the wedding. We felt so very blessed to have that opportunity. We arrived in St Louis the day before and went up to the top of the Arch with my mom! It was a fun way to spend the last day of singlehood!




Our wedding was wonderful. Everything went smoothly and it was beautiful inside and outside. We were sad that not all of our family could be there and were so grateful for the family and friends that were there! We know it was a sacrifice for them and we are so appreciative. I was able to get my hair and nails done just the way I wanted them! I had the most beautiful dress and I felt the most beautiful I have ever been. It truly was a princess dream come true!
After the wedding we went on a short honeymoon to Branson, MO. We didn't like Branson too much, but loved being together all the time instead of just on the weekends. Of course the fringe benefits of being married now were great! Our church believes in abstinence before marriage and no one is allowed to be married in the temple if they engage in sexual relations before the wedding. It was really really really hard to wait, but it was worth it! ;)
After our stay in Branson we went back to Springfield, we had a small fun open house to celebrate our wedding and packed up my and the children's things to move to Lincoln, AR into Chris' house.

The house is a large 2 bedroom house. Before we moved in it was nicely spaced out and open, after we moved in it wasn't anymore! :) Three children sharing a room was a challenge, however we were blessed by what I call the Europe miracle and it worked out. (The Europe miracle is as follows: When my sister, Bernadine, got married she married a Frenchman in France. I got to go with my family members to France for 5 days. We had rented a car that were were assured would be a very big car for France, everything is smaller in Europe. Well, there were 5 of us with my sister's electric wheelchair and luggage. Fortunately there wasn't a lot of luggage, but there was enough. Well when we got the car it was anything but large. It was about the size of a Geo Metro. What is considered a compact car. The way things were we couldn't get back through security to the car rental place and couldn't speak french anyway. So we tried to cram everything in. We ended up sitting on things and each other. The amazing thing was that it worked. I know that there was no way humanly possible to do what we did, but God can do anything and He certainly made that car much bigger on the inside than on the outside. We truly looked like a comedy routine when we all got out of the car each time. We just kept coming and coming out! When we finally left France and returned the car we were told that there had been a mistake and they were sorry. We saved money in the deal, but none of us ever want to do that again!) I have seen God work miracles and making everything that we needed to have fit into our house was a miracle and has been wonderful.

The children came home a week later and started to adjust to a new life. We had a reception here that was wonderful. They had been to Arkansas with me several times and knew the house and were comfortable quickly. Having access to cartoons on cable helped a lot in the begining too! :) We got settled and into a routine. We found out that there had been garbage buried in the backyard by a previous owner and uncovered a car door, in fact there were two doors as well as other various metal objects. We called the sherrif's office because we were concerned that there might be something unpleasant, it turns out it was just junk! Garry and Tina and their girls helped us uncover the door!


We went out to the huntin' land almost every weekend and loved it. Here are just a few pics. I love the setting!



The last six months have been spent adjusting and adapting into all the changes that occur when you combine two families that have been independent into a cohesive unit and I would like to think that we have done fabulously given our circumstances.
My oldest son, JC was having a lot of problems living here for his own reasons and after a lot of prayer and thought and deliberation, I asked his father to have JC live with him in Utah. It was a heartbreaking and impossible decision that a mother shouldn't have to endure or ever make and yet I knew it was for the best and what needed to happen. JC moved in the beginning of November. I miss him terribly!

We had such a wonderful Christmas with Julia and Ethan completely caught up in the magic of the season. I loved watching them be so excited and amazed at all the lights and joys of Christmas. We decorated gingerbread houses with them and the King family.

They are wonderful friends and their daughter Augusta is one of Julia's best friends. We went to see lights around the cities. There is one house that is a plantation home that is 3 stories and all white with big pillars that has been restored and is absolutely covered in lights at Christmas, it was beautiful and absolutely my favorite. There was also another area where a whole street is all covered in lights, we had such a nice drive doing that and Chris' mom, Candy, joined us too! We decorated the house and the tree as a family and Julia and Ethan helped me wrap presents. Santa was able to find great deals on gifts and saved lots of money which was such a blessing this year. Someone from our church also blessed us and Secret Santa-ed us. It was truly humbling to receive so much from a stranger. They gave us each a gift that was fitting, Julia got a Barbie doll, Ethan got a firetruck, Chris got yummy treats, and I got a beautiful candle, towel and bathset. They also gave us a giftcard to Walmart and enough food for a Christmas dinner including a huge ham! I wept in gratitude as it was such a blessing to our budget this year to have this gift. I will never forget that gift. It was truly what our Savior would have us do unto others. I am so grateful to have been a receiver and hope to be a giver soon. We acted out the birth of our Savior on Christmas Eve. Julia was Mary, Ethan was Joseph. The baby doll was wrapped in swaddling clothes. It was precious and the true meaning of Christmas was in the room. We shared the holiday with Candy and were glad that she was able to join us. Christmas morning was great! Julia and Ethan loved opening all the gifts and playing with all their toys. Chris gave me wonderful, thoughtful gifts. I am continually amazed at what a wonderful husband I have. He thinks of me always and is careful to watch out for me and protect me and the children. He works hard at his job and at home. I am so blessed to have such a humble, helpful, and special man in my life.
We were able to go up to Springfield Christmas night to spend the holiday with my family. We had a nice visit and the kids loved all the presents from Grandma and Grandpa. They went crazy making things for the children. It was wonderful and fun and we appreciate their love.
We are back in Lincoln getting into the routine again now. Chris had to go back to work at the begining of this week. It was so nice to have him home for almost 2 weeks for the holidays. When he is gone we all feel a hole and when he comes home we feel complete.
While he was home over the holidays, we worked to enclose our back porch to become my stained glass studio.

It was hard work and took longer than it should have, don't all construction projects do that? It took just over a week and it looks great. I haven't ever had such nice conditions to work in before. I can't wait to get in and set things up and get them organized and laid out. It has 3 windows and a window in the door so I have lots of natural light. I have been working on getting my portfolio together to show to potential clients and my cousin has been working on a logo for my business which is called Cutting Edge Glass, Inc. I will get business cards and phamplets made right away. I already have a few potential jobs lined up. I have dreamed of having my own studio for over 15 years! I have been so blessed to have so many of my dreams and wishes come true in the last year!
I have loved the people in Arkansas. I love our little town of Lincoln. It has a population of about 3000 and yet it has almost every type of store or service that we need. The only thing we don't have is a Walmart. We live about 50 miles away from Walmart headquarters! Anyway, our town has a small square that has a community center in the middle. We have a local town festival every summer, called the Apple Festival, it is cute and fun with the typical fair stuff. It is so nice though there aren't lines or tons of people, so we can do everything and anything without having to wait or be sold out of stuff. At Christmas they had a parade where Santa came and then he sat with the children. It was wonderful and fun for Julia and Ethan and me too! There is just a sweet peaceful feeling here in the beautiful Ozark mountain area. Our house sits on 2 1/2 acres of woods and lawn. We have tons and tons of flowering bushes, they have been allowed to become overgrown, but are beautiful and I have loved the work of setting things right and pruning and tending plants again. It feels like we live in a park, we have wild rabbits running around our property and a very fat groundhog in the back. He is hibernating right now, and I am going to watch for him on Groundhog day! We have a small stream in the very back of the yard and someday hope to be able to have a cow in pasture back there. We do unfortunately have poison ivy here too. I found a good size bush of it and basically danced with it as I was clearing bushes. I came down with a very severe case, but thankfully for antibiotics and excellent advice from family and friends was able to avoid going to the hospital.
Our church family is wonderful too! I have made friends quickly and feel very much a part of things. The children really like the children's group here. Julia found her other best friend at church, Abigail and they love that they can see each other at church and at playdates. Ethan has another little boy his age named Ethan in his class, I am sure it gets confusing! He loves his class though and can't wait to go each week. Chris is very involved too as he is a teacher on Sunday and is a Cub Scout den leader during the week. I get to teach children every Sunday. I am really enjoying that.
I have so much to be grateful for. I have so much joy and peace in my soul and I am so grateful for that. I know it is because of my faith in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and in my Heavenly Father. They have blessed Chris, the children and myself abundantly! We are so excited to see what the future holds. It is so wonderful to have Chris as my partner and husband to go forward together.