Los Aldama

There are times in our lives when the presence of our Savior is very near. I have experienced His presence this week as we have dealt with heartache. On Thursday, I taught preschool and all seemed well. Within an hour of returning home, I began to experience the signs of miscarriage. I was 8 weeks along and had been eager for our first ultrasound to tell the kids for Christmas. I was totally unprepared and in shock. The emotional sadness was coupled with the physical pain. My children didn't know what was going on, which added to the impact. So, Thursday night, I canceled our dinner plans with our friend Chelsea, who was preparing to leave for a vacation in Alaska, followed by a semester internship in Idaho Falls. She responded back with her concern for our situation and inquired if there was anything she could do to ease the situation. We were hoping to see her that night before she left. Friday morning she texted Dan a goodbye and Merry Christmas before leaving for Boise to catch a flight to Alaska. On her way up to Boise she lost control of her Chevy and crossed over the median to hit another car. The other driver was killed instantly, his three passengers were severely injured and Chelsea was life flighted up to Boise, where she was pronounced dead. We did not receive the news until Saturday. I cannot remember a time where I have felt my emotions so raw, nor have I experienced heartache like this with Dan. Her funeral was yesterday, and because of the conditions of the roads, we decided to stay back, Today, there was a memorial at Dan's work. (As Chelsea was a co-worker of Dan's) As I was pondering our friendship, I felt Christ's presence. I know that our Savior lives and that this life is not the end. I know that our spirits go on to live in a state of rest and peace until they will someday be reunited with our bodies at the Resurrection.

I am not sure why Chelsea was placed in our lives. Dan came home from work one day suggesting that Chelsea babysit for us while we attended the temple. That was the beginning of a wonderful friendship.  She was 22 and a radiology student and CNA. She was living here without family. She would babysit or come over for dinners and Family Home Evenings. She took care of the kids the night Dan threw out his back and Trick or Treated with the kids. Though Dan has known her longer than I, I know that she was placed in our lives for a reason. Through this experience, we have been able to ponder on the beauty of life, on the Great Plan of Life. Today Elijah told me he was going to build a Rocket Ship to go visit Chelsea in heaven. Noelle was asking about where our bodies go when our spirits go to heaven and Corom said he could not wait to see her in heaven again. In their small way, our children are gaining a testimony of the Plan of Salvation. I am grateful for the Christlike example of friendship that Chelsea has shown us and thankful also for the trial of my miscarriage. I do not understand the why's behind these heartaches, but I trust that there is a plan for me. I am thankful for my body, a healthy body and for a beautiful family and the time we have together on earth.

You know how it goes. You promise yourself you will write it down before you forget and then you forget. That's how I am feeling with the summer. It was REALLY long and pretty eventful and then BOOM! It was over and now I am knee-deep in preschool teaching, young womens, soccer games and homework. I am already longing for those carefree days. BUT, life is good! I think it is necessary to be pushed a little bit to make us grow. Well, back in July, we took a fabulous trip to California. I was so grateful for 2 full weeks of vacation. It allowed us to fully kick back, relax and enjoy our family. We started our stay with my mom and dad, Brandon and the Hills at my mom and dad's house. We swam, played, ate good food and just enjoyed our time. This stop was too short, I thought, but I will take what I can get. We stayed from Saturday (Lucia's baptism) to Wednesday, when we headed south to Henry Cowell (in the mountains above Santa Cruz) to camp with family friends from my childhood. My mom's best friends and their families drove from all over to camp and reunite! What used to be four families with four kids each (all matching up to me and my sibblings) is now a HUGE group with spouses and grandchildren. Again, this stop was really short, but I loved it. Oh, and I forgot to mention that this group is called the COWS. You know, four women friends, like a four-legged cow when they went walking together. The cows were a big part of my childhood! We camped with all of my siblings and families. The kids played and played. We enjoyed rides on the boardwalk, played at the beach, celebrated the Fourth of July with fireworks in Scotts Valley and went to frozen yogurt for my mom's birthday. We also visited the Seymour UC Santa Cruz Marine Center. This was all crammed into week one of our vacation and as always, it was hard to say goodbye. This time was especially difficult as my sister Callie and her family headed off to Chicago this month for school. Sigh...being away from family is hands down my least favorite part of being an adult.

Our trip continues below the pictures!

















As week one came to a close, the stinky campers (us) made our way over to Deb and Richard's beautiful new condo. They have spent the last year renovating the space and we were really excited to see it and to enjoy that part of Santa Cruz. Dan's sister Gina and her husband Josh came for the week too. Seriously, this week was a blast! We relaxed like we haven't relaxed in a long time. We watched movies, took walks, went to the beach, took family pictures and at A LOT! We also spent my birthday in Monterey. We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and ate at Bubba Gump's. YUM! We got to hear Josh's fabulous Bubba impressions. We also spent time down at the Boardwalk. They are SO close. A highlight for me was going back later in the evening with Josh and Gina to ride the rides without kids. Um, so fun! We don't get out much and those two are such good company. After spending most of the week at the condo, we headed back to Orangevale. Dan and I attempted to go to the Oakland Temple, where we were married 10 years ago. We had a Wally World experience. A wild goose chase to find a mall to buy Dan socks or a tie, (I can't remember) and when we arrived, the temple was closed for cleaning. Wow. Nothing like a let down. We headed back to Deb and Richard's to BBQ with family for Richard's birthday. The kids swam and played. PHEW... this brings us to the close of our stay. We also got to meet up with dear friends for yogurt and a short visit. It is never enough time. This trip was priceless. It has been four years and I am still homesick. I don't think that longing for family ever goes away. I was so grateful for memories made and bonds made stronger. If anyone remembers something I left out, let me know. My memory is already fading! Anyhow, enjoy the pictures!

After months of encouraging Elijah to potty train, I finally backed off and decided to wait. No need to make it a frustrating event. Today I hear him yell, "I need a wipe!" And... sure enough he had gone. He followed that pattern all day. He kept going in the toilet without telling me and yelling for me when he was done. He had to do this thing alone, I guess. I am so proud of him! I hope, hope, hope this means we can start phasing out of diapers. Way to go Elijah! Hope you are loving the mountains of m&ms you are consuming!

I have a million posts to go back and do, but wanted to post my thoughts tonight about my baby boy. Elijah turned three on September 1st! MY BABY is 3! I am feeling the weight lifted of not carrying around diaper bags or worrying about baby proofing and 3 is turning out to be the year that he has discovered he has a brother to play with. I knew the day would come that they would discover that they are close in age, but it took legos to bring them together. Corom and Elijah play together all day! They converse, they fight, they laugh and they create really elaborate story lines. I am thrilled that the bonds of brotherhood are developing so young. Elijah is a joy. He is REALLY a joy! I am addicted to this little boy's sparkly-eyed smiles. Elijah is creative, witty and smart. His Doctor told me today that he is developmentally a lot more like a four-year-old. It is like there is a really old soul in a little body. Spend a day with him and you will see for yourself. Today we were sitting at the table and Corom was trying to remember the movie that Daddy had watched a few days ago. Corom and I were going back and forth for awhile trying to remember and Elijah looks up at us like we were dumb and says, "THOR!" Yup, Dan had watched Thor. He can do puzzles better than me, can recite and remember cartoon and TV show names and characters and is very particular about routines. He is riding a balance bike like a champ and spends a lot of time just talking my ears off. He is really good company. I often snuggle him at night, as this is the only time he will snuggle. He is too busy. When you try to kiss him, he will give you a raspberry instead. He likes to climb onto counters to get what he wants and dresses himself in the same rotating 3 outfits RIGHT when he wakes up. Elijah likes to do artwork and began preschool with me last week. He gives me a run for my money, but I think he will benefit greatly from the structure and learning environment. He adores our neighbors, who have 4 boys. He looks forward to going to nursery each week. Elijah is learning his scripture stories, says beautiful prayers and can sing many, many primary songs. His favorite song is Praise to the Man. He also likes to sing Adelle and High School Musical. He thinks that Coldplay is pretty good too. Somehow we missed all the nursery songs with him, as he has older siblings to keep up with. Elijah is a good eater and at 3, he weighed in today at 32.5 lbs. and is 36 inches. He was a character for the doctor. I love this boy to the moon and back. As I tell him daily, he makes me HAPPY! I am so blessed to have such a beautiful child to raise. HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY ELIJAH! We love you so much!

We kicked off our summer the last week of May, when we ended our school year. It was really sad to see Noelle end kindergarten. It really felt like the end of her baby years. We spent June working on our yard and enjoying the sunshine! Nana and Papa came out to pick up our kids to take them back to Sacramento the last week of the month. While they were here, we took them to our favorite spot, our lunch park! They left for Sacramento 3 days before Dan and I. (Dan and I left the 29th) It was a treat for all. A chance for Dan and I to catch our breath, to clean and spend time together and a treat for the kids, to get to have their Nana and Papa to themselves. A BIG THANKS to Deb and Richard for making the long drive, again. June was a busy month, as we planted a garden, layed sod in the back yard and planted grass in the front yard. These were huge milestones for our family. There is such an expense and learning curve that accompanies landscaping your first home. It is REALLY exhausting, but rewarding to watch it progress. Here are some random shots from the month! I LOVE THESE BABIES!

Are you ready for the longest post ever???? If not, scroll down for pictures! Thanks for checking in! My cute little preschool class! Well, hello! I apologize for my long absence. I have a lot of explaining to do and this is a bit personal, but I feel like this blog should include the happenings of our family. (exciting, stressful, whatever it may be) This year has been a year of change and the changes have consumed me. Like previously posted, we moved into our home in October. We moved after 6 months of living out of boxes and as welcoming as our circumstances were, renting a cute home and living with our friends, it was a period of transition and well, a bit of chaos. We became accustomed to eating out, got out of our routines and just felt like we were on vacation. We started school, Noelle in kindergarten and Corom with our preschool that we opened. Life just went on. We moved from a 1000 square foot apartment to a 3 story home, without landscape. I feel blessed and pinch myself often, as I recognize that we are very blessed to have found employment and to be living this new life and step as a family. As we have settled into our home, I have had a really hard time adjusting to the added responsibilities. I never knew how much work a house could be. (All of you homeowners are laughing) That coupled with living in a new community and getting used to having a husband who works long hours. It has really affected me. I feel really stupid admitting it because I know that people have REAL trials and change isn't a trial for everyone, but it is for me. It has made me pretty miserable to be around. This, is why I haven't posted. I have just been hiding. With that said, lets get on with this post. We are here. We are healthy and a LOT has happened and I have had some really neat experiences in the last few months. After a year of praying to know our purpose in Idaho, I have finally found the comfort I have been seeking. I just had to be ready to receive and accept it. I KNOW that this is where we are supposed to be. I know because as I have prayed, I can feel the warmth and comfort of the Holy Ghost confirming to me that this is part of the plan for my life. I can feel the guiding hand of the Lord in things as little and big like raising my children, budgeting, making decisions regarding our preschool, decisions about the yard, etc. We have also been blessed with wonderful people who have taken us in and befriended us and helped us. I know Heavenly Father is mindful of me and my life as a mother and wife. We have been blessed to be a part of the creation of a brand new ward. We have had over 700 people in our ward. We are now down to 400. Its been a few weeks and already, with smaller numbers, I feel like we have more of a ward family. Dan has been called to serve as ward mission leader, and I have been asked to continue serving in the youth organization, this time as a councilor. We love, love, love our callings! I feel like I have missed out on documenting many wonderful details and as I document, I am going to go out of order. Thats just how my mind works, so bear with me! In March, we celebrated our 10th Anniversary! I am a lucky woman! It has been a decade of serious growth and learning, but I have an amazing husband. He works so hard for our family and devotes his time to taking care of us and loving us. He is devoted to teaching our children and living up to his role as patriarch of our home. With the celebration of our anniversary, we were able to go to Sun Valley. The week prior, Dan's parents drove up and got Noelle to take her back for her spring break. She spent time in Sacramento and as well as at their condo in Santa Cruz. She got a bit homesick, but really enjoyed her time with her grandparents. They made the 9 hour drive back to Idaho and tended our children while we went to the mountains. It was soooooo refreshing to spend quality, quiet, time with Dan. We stayed in a cute studio condo, ate lots of yummy food, took walks, watched General Conference, shopped and snow shoed. We drove up to Galena Summit and a little beyond. It is truly heaven up there. One of the masterpieces on this earth. A great way to celebrate our time together. When we returned, we came home to happy children and sick grandparents. It happens every time. They returned home and we prepared for our next round of visitors. Callie, my mom, Eden and Riley came up over my mom's spring break from the school district. I had been so looking forward to this visit and we all got sick, like really sick. Nonetheless, we played and enjoyed our time. We celebrated Easter with our preschool Easter party, an egg hunt at Dan's work, (Eden found the golden egg!) and decorating Easter eggs. The Easter Bunny even managed to come and bring a huge egg hunt to our house and darling baskets. We visited the Shoshone Falls and had a yummy ham dinner. I would give anything to live closer to my family, but cherish the time we do get. Thanks to all of our family who made the trek to see us! We feel so lucky! April was a crazy, busy month! We celebrated Dan's 32nd birthday with a BIG birthday bash! We had a bunch of families over, had a BBQ, cupcakes and a pinata! We love birthdays here and I can't believe Dan is 32! It's been 14 years since our first date. HAPPY Birthday to Dan! Again, there are a million details I am missing out on because I didn't document...a bummer for me. MAY! May brought Mother's Day! Mother's Day I awoke to breakfast in bed, really excited kids and lots of homemade gifts! I LOVE being a mom and seeing the pride of giving homemade gifts! It was a very special day. This was also the first day of our new ward! This last week was our last week of school. We completed our preschool year with a preschool graduation at the church. Brenda made wonderful refreshments, the kids wore their graduation hats and the children performed their songs with singing and instruments! It has been a lot of work, but as always, whenever I teach, I feel so good about stretching my talents and working with children. It has been a very fulfilling year. (We have committed to next year and have 6 sign-ups already!) I do, however, look forward to a bit of a break and a chance to write lesson plans before the year begins. Noelle graduated from kindergarten!!!! I know, when did she grow up? She is SO grown up! She has really enjoyed her time with Mrs. Makings and has made wonderful friends. The last few weeks of school, she took field trips to the Rock Creek Growers, to visit the greenhouses and plant a flower, went on a bus field trip to Rock Creek park for a picnic and play, and had a big BBQ picnic/potluck on the last day of school. Noelle's teacher has been teaching for 26 years and has teaching kindergarten down to an art. She is so good at what she does and Noelle has developed by leaps and bounds this year. Her creativity has blossomed as well as her interest in music. (Which has always been present) She sings most of the day and has been memorizing 1-handed Primary songs on the piano. She really has a talent for it. We are going to begin piano lessons in the fall. Dan surprised Noelle with pink and brown cowgirl boots for graduating kindergarten. (REAL leather ones from the farm supply store) She has been wearing them proudly! It is an Idaho thing! The little girls wear cowgirl boots. She is in heaven! Congratulations Noelle! She has thrived in school and we are so proud of her! We had a really fun visit a few weeks ago. Dan had to go to Boise for a conference, and I was bummed he missed out. My longtime friend, Jordan Bartlett, (since we were 5) his wife Natasha and their baby came to stay with us! EEEK! I was so excited! They are attending the University of Idaho, a few hours away. We had such a nice visit. So refreshing to be around someone who knows me and all the same people as me! As for my cute boys, they are doing well...growing like weeds. The boys wrestle and play like bear cubs. They fight like crazy, but can't seem to be away from each other. They love each other so much. Corom is seeming more and more like a 4 year old. He is such a tender heart, it often makes him seem younger than he is. Dan was doing his monthly interviews with the kids on Sunday and commented that he would have 10 kids if they were all like Corom. He has a heart of gold and is very affectionate and snuggly and eager to help. He is always in the thick of things when we are working on projects and keeps a tidy room and a made up bed. He is a good boy. He spends his time playing legos, playing with Gavin and riding his strider bike. He likes to be read to, likes art and is really into his bathing suit. Elijah is quite opposite of Corom, or should I say, just has a different personality. Elijah is really, really independent. He is going to be a chief! He is my sidekick, likes know where I am, what I am doing and wants to help! He talks like a 5 year old, he has a huge vocabulary and is always surprising us with new words. I spend most of my nights snuggling him, because I can't get a hug while he's awake. He's too busy. He knows where everything is in the house and gets into things. He dresses himself (even without being asked) and likes to do everything by himself. (brushing teeth, buckling seatbelts, etc.) There is a pecking order in our home, but Elijah tries to keep up. I love these ages! I hope all of you are doing well and thriving! I have felt very overwhelmed by the support and love that has been shown to us! And for the record, I officially passed my Idaho driver's license test today! (It only took me a year to get in there!) Enjoy the pictures!