Where did I come up with this?

I had to tell you all the weirdest and most embarrassing thing.
To let you know upfront I have a very active imagination in my sleep and I tend to have some pretty vivid, off the wall dreams.

I had a very strange dream this morning that I was Bella from the Twilight series.

It was amazing to feel what I imagined her to feel.

I remember feeling the overwhelming sense of love for Edward.
After a little while things started to get really crazy and in an instant I fell in love with Emmet too.
I thought they love me enough to deal with this situation because it is too hard to choose, after all Edward was first....., but..I am having this desire to be with Emmet.
I have to admit I was a naughty girl and didn't tell Edward anything, he can't read my mind anyway!
After the last charade with Emmet I woke up.

I thought this was so funny because I took the test to see who I was compatible with and I got Emmet, but I really like Edward too.
I know in real life I do NOT have an Edward, but it would be nice to have a little more of that sensitivity that he has.

I told Geoff about my dream and he was not too thrilled and just rolled his eyes and said "Oh great!".
It was all too funny! He pretty much thinks I'm nuts anyway.

Lot's a Picts.

Hello there! It has been quite a while since I last blogged. Our INTERNET has been shutting off quite a bit because of some little boy that shall remain nameless..ha,ha.
I have nicknamed him"little poo head"!

Other than that we have had a busy month so far. Geoff has been getting some overtime on the weekends and I am still working my 4 shifts a week and it seems like I have been there a lot lately too. Overall we are healthy and doing well and are thankful for our blessings.

I have been working out more and that has been a challenge. I was doing really good up until Easter. It really bites to see how much of a difference a week or two can do. lol

Oh yeah! I finally finished the whole Twilight series and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. I kinda wish I wouldn't have gone through them so fast. I guess I shall move on to new books. I am glad that I opened my self up to the reading world and have learned that there are entertaining books out there that are better than watching some movies.

Well, here are a bunch of pictures from Easter and misc. events from the month.


We found these feather clips that are spectacular and the craft store. I loved the black one and Eve wanted the white so it worked out perfectly. We are getting to that stage where we are going to have to borrow each other's things.

I love this picture, maybe I am the only one...it's just different.
Eve and Jackson went on a car ride with grandma and grandpa so I took Tiger out on the wonderful sunny day and took the camera.

Manti loves to go outside. He cries and stomps his foot by the front door when we don't let him go outside. He definitely has that fiery temper that comes out quite a bit lately.




He looks like a little man in this one. So cute!!

Ya, he didn't like this one so much.

I like the shadows in this.

I was trying to get him to touch the tulips and not rip them off.





I am so glad that I planted these tulips, they are gorgeous and amazing. I staggered them all around in all different colors, so they will hopefully multiply.

This was Easter. I went to church with the kids and Geoff stayed home to sleep so we could see both our families. We didn't really make a big deal out of baskets this year and talked more about the religious aspect, I felt it was more important to teach that to our children. However they scored at Mim and Bumps. he,he


The Easter egg hunt was only for the 3 kids, gee that was hard.



Playing with auntie Shelle while Mim was hiding the eggs.

We got these huge cookies in our baskets. They have the kids' names on them. Eve's is blue and pink and Jackson's is blue and green and Manti's is orange of course!

BUNNY EARS!-how appropriate for Easter.


I hope auntie Jesse doesn't get mad, but this is a picture off of the web came on Easter. This is our new cousin who is from Korea, I think he is about 9 months old? Jessie and Ben just had come back from there to pick him up. I am so happy to have him come to our family. He is simply adorable and I can't wait until our family sees him in person.

Jackson and his sweets.



This was so funny. It was a project Eve had to do for school. It's hard to see, but it shows all the different countries we come from. I love that Eve only owned up to Swedish, Jackson likes pink so that's his outfit. (he loves all colors, he just will own up to the fact that he likes pink!)
my hair is blond (not for a while) and Geoff's goatee is too perfect! lol and you can't miss the poof ball on the top of his head.


He's a silly guy.


Boys were out BBQ'in.



This picture is so great.

Love that smile!!!

Manti has been doing this thing when he laughs really hard, you know...knee slappers! ha,ha

They always have to play on my exercise ball and it drives me nuts.


Geoff snapped a picture at me and so I gave him a cheesy smile. He loves it!

Happy Easter!

I felt very compelled to express my joy and thankfulness to my Savior this special Easter season.

In the everyday world Easter seems to be more about bunnies and candy. I honestly used to be that way and as the years have gone by I have learned to realize what Easter and the month of April truly means.

I am so grateful for the family in which I was raised in and the knowledge that I was given as the years have gone by.

I know that my Savior knows me and the true intent of my heart......

I wish to be good! I wish to be honest! I wish to be MORE LIKE HIM!!

I wake up daily to a picture that hangs above my wall in my room that shows Christ suffering for me with HIS Crown of Thorns. It humbles me to know that he went through this pain for me. How agonizingly painful it all must have been! And what brings me the most yearning to be close to him is because HE was all alone when HE took this upon himself. HE had been treated as if he had extremely sinned. I have sinned so much in my life, all too much! I know what it is like to have Heavenly Father's Spirit to cease within. It is worse than words can describe......But to have all humanity on HIS shoulders is unbearable!!!

I also think to myself...

What would it have been like to be there while HE was teaching?

While HE was being persecuted?

While be was being drug?

While HE was being nailed on that cross for ME and for YOU?

Would I have been strong enough to have declared my faith in HIM?

Would I have worshiped HIS feet and washed them with my tears?

Would I have laid out my life for HIM?

I BELIEVE WITH ALL MY HEART I WOULD.

I LOVE MY SAVIOR,
HE was perfect, is perfect and always will be perfect for ALL TIME!

He did this purely out of LOVE, ONLY LOVE COULD CONQUER THE WORLD.

I wish to bear my testimony that I know the truth, and I am eternally grateful for it. I am indited to my Savior. I know that HE knows I am worth it. And through that I gain confidence, strengthening my faith and furthering my intent to spread the HIS Gospel.

There is no such thing as a religion that works for you, there is only one truth and that is the Gospel of Christ. We are so fortunate that God allowed this Gospel to be restored to a 14 year old inadequate boy. WE ARE ALL INADEQUATE! And yet THEY love us so. How humbling is that?!

I am so thankful for the PROPHETS that we are able to be directed by and receive inspiration from. I think how perfect a time for us to have conference the week before Easter so that we may be better prepared for HIS Spirit to strive with us.

Again, I am grateful for my blessings and all that Christ has done for US.

Mov'in On

I had to write a follow up from my last blog update to say I finished New Moon this morning and I am excited to get to Eclipse. I have learned that I should just ask for both the books so I don't have to wait around. lol

Can I Stop?

I have to admit that I have started reading the Twilight Series and I cannot put them down!

I know a lot of people love them or hate them. But as soon as I saw the movie I noticed a lot of stuff that in was comparison with our beliefs. After this point I went to work and was talking about it to someone who loves the series and she said that the author was LDS.

I am probably the ONLY person who didn't know this.. ha,ha.

It all made sense to me; whether she meant to or not I saw a lot of comparisons, or symbolization. I thought about it and decided to read the the first book to see how I liked it.

I was surprised when I opened it and she had quoted the scripture about the Tree of Life, that was exactly what I told Geoff it reminded me of when I made him watch the movie with me a 2nd time.

I borrowed the book from a neighbor who has all the series and I thought...
"What the heck! It's not going to cost me anything!"

I finished it in about 4 days of reading off and on, that's with working at night too! lol

I got the New Moon from her on Monday before my shift and at about 10:oo in the evening I sat down to see what it held for me. It is now Wed. after non and I have read almost 2/3rds of the book...ha,ha,ha.

This is really funny because I don't think I have ever done this or wondered so much about a book before. I know it is kinda geared more for teens, but I must be young at heart and extremely immature.

Inspired Direction

I feel very humbled and thankful this weekend for the many talks that were given this Spring Conference. I can honestly say that I have a testimony that they were divinely inspired for each and everyone of us. We could not have needed their words now more than ever!

I decided last conference that I would kind of jot down notes from the talks that were given so that I may receive more personal spiritual growth through their knowledge. This conference I made a point to keep it up and get out a spiral notebook instead of a tiny notepad which limited my writing space. I am SO glad I did and will return with another spiral next time.

It never ceases to amaze me the GOD IS GOOD! You cannot go through conference and not realize that yourself. Every single talk was perfect in it's own right. They all had a subject to talk on and somehow they all flowed together beautifully. We were all given spiritual food, rather a banquet to feast on. As I looked out on my table and saw all the wonderfully "prepared food", I noticed how individually beautiful all the dishes were and how I so wanted to partake of each dish. I feel well fed!

There are so many talks that struck me, but I wanted to share may favorites;
Robert D. Hales- Debt
I could not have asked for a more perfect talk! It was as if he was talking to me and knew exactly what I had been feeling and going through. Everything of which he talked on is was what I had been learning the past so odd months and finally came to a realize. Now this is all that could make sense in the end and so when he talked about the struggle of debt and the snares of the devil the Spirit confirmed that what I had learned was true! The key is to be aware and rise above our trials. I am comforted to know that my prayers are answered.

Allan F. Packer- Communicating with the Spirit &
Kevin W. Pearson- Faith in Jesus Christ
I have had to talk about this quite a bit the last couple times I have taught in Relief Society. In one lesson I testified of what this means to me, to have the Spirit with me constantly and said that it is an action, we must DO! To hear similar words brought me thankfulness to know that I am learning as thou would have me learn.

D. Todd Christofferson- Sacrifice=Blessings
Realizing what is most important, what is really priceless? We need to be happy come what may.

Henry B. Eyring- Affliction
This really touched me because I have had to humbly learn this lately. That doubt, sorrow, fear cannot co-exist with faith because one will take over the other; let's make it faith! In desperation we need to subject ourselves to the Lord and get on our hands and knees and plea.

M. Russel Ballard- Learn from our Past
Look to our elders for advice and respect them. I loved this quote and thought how true it is;
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it!"

Rafael E. Pino- Persevering
Immediately I choked up when he started talking about his sweet 3 year old daughter drowning in a flash of an eye. He spoke with true conviction of faith and sure knowledge of the plan of salvation for his family. ~
I thought about this horrible dream I had just a little while ago.
I had been preparing for a lesson and it was a dreadful topic. A lot of the lesson focused on the loss of children and I must have had this on my mind when asleep. I dreamt that on a vacation we lost our little Manti, we could not find him anywhere! I remember thinking it was in a blink that he was gone, an instant! We searched and searched fearing the worst. It was as if I could feel it in my heart that his little spirit was not with us anymore; it was anguishing!!! I had thoughts flash through my mind like a lightning bolt, WHY? WHY would Heavenly Father do this to me? TO HIM? He is just an Innocent baby! Time was flying by, but it was as if time was still for me, I could not for the life of me catch up to it and not matter what changed the fate of my poor Manti. I am his mother! I am was suppose to have looked out for him, it was my fault! As Eve, Jackson and I searched there was no avail and soon we learned that my suspicion was true. To make it worse it was because of a putrid and cruel act. As the police showed me a picture so that I may identify him I felt completely sick, violated, they had robbed my perfect child of a happy life and with those thoughts came a great enlightenment. All of this sudden..I REMEMBERED, I shoved those thoughts aside and recalled on all that I had been taught and had a true testimony of. An overwhelming sense of peace encircled me and brought me up. I KNEW THAT I WOULD SEE HIM AGAIN! HE WAS ALREADY SAVED BECAUSE HE WAS A CHILD!! God would NEVER forsake our children or us for that matter ( we learn to forsake ourselves). I am not saying that it wasn't still painful, but I remember feeling such hope and happiness. It was all so real and vivid in my mind thinking tomorrow I have to get up and learn how to face the day only to have Geoff wake me up and for me to realize what had all just happened was a horrible dream! I honestly thought I would never get to smell the scent of Manti again or experience his lovable hugs and see his contagious smile or hear his adorable laugh. I was still questioning what was real, had it really happened? and then I heard Manti laugh and in that instant reality settled in with a surge of thankfulness that ran throughout my soul! I will NEVER forget this experience in all my life, it was truly humbling to have a glimpse of what it must be like for those that have lost loved ones.

There are so many more talks that touched me and that I grew from, but I don't want to go on and on. I just wanted to express my gratefulness for such comforting words at such a trying time.

With Love- Sarah

March Madness!

"SPRING CLEANING" is a term that some use..
-my kids have obviously opted to have never have heard it before.

I tried to explain why this ritual is so important, but all they are wondering is why the heck am I going through all this effort if we're NOT having a party???!!! AWE, they make me laugh! I in return ask.."Do want a nice mom? If so, this needs to get done!!"

Every year I feel the pressure and it will not simply go away. I have a whole list full of things that need to get done and so this is what are Spring Break is all about this year.

I have a picture of yesterday's task of organizing and cleaning our family room. We have these gorgeous mahogany bookcases that I LOVE! They are however a pain in the rear to clean. They have 4 glass shelves at the top so you can see all the dust and when you put on the lights that are up above the top shelf it is a hundred times worse! It's like my stress level shoots when ever this happens..."oh, I really need to clean that!" I think to myself.



I decided to take all of Geoff's MANY, MANY games and gear out of the "HALLOWED" bookcases and bring down a cabinet that has been in the bonus room to store it all. I found this cabinet at a place in down town Portland for a fraction of the cost of the SAME ONE at Restoration Hardware. For those of you who have never heard of this place it is WONDERFUL!! I am such a sucker for ANY KIND OF DECOR STORE!! I am not kidding by any means on this one, it's like a candy store for me. I just sit there and imagine what I would do if I had the means to buy what I wanted, oh! it would be so fantabulous!! "Maybe someday" I tell myself.



Notice the white cabinet..



After the task and feeling a little stress flying off my shoulders; it's a nice feeling!



This was a couple weeks ago after church when we came home we saw the big camera sitting there and decided to have a little camera shoot.






This picture cracks me up...he,he,he...
Those are definitely his "bedroom eyes", shoot! ya, that's right! I gave them to him!! lol



It's a cheesy smile, "but that's what makes me so great!" ha,ha (a line from WICKED)


Jackson BOND


OK, my hair looks really red in this one. I can't get my hair done for a little while so it has to do.


This one's for the boys!
I had to do an 80's pose.



I thought this would be funny.



Then Eve says "Mom, take a picture" and does the same pose. She is such a ham.


I don't have any idea on this one??? Maybe it's a 1st grade thing?!



What's with the tongue?



I had to get the camera for this one. We were doing some things around the house and I couldn't find Manti and this is how I ended up finding him.

As you see these pictures you need to see the "3 Little Maids" song~ it is too perfect for words!









This was on the day of the ice cream party.



He has the cutest smile.



Again with the tongue, what's up with my kids?



I am too a sucker for these rootbeer eyes. Just like his daddy's.


Geoff got Pinocchio for his birthday on blue ray, of course.





I like this one.



BOY'S CLUB ICE CREAM EXTRAVAGANZA!






We had some people over to celebrate and share in the goodness.



Geoff and his friends Will and Rob.