Every Memorial Day in our ward, most of the ward goes up to Gualala, Ca and spends the weekend and most of the week camping. We had other plans and couldn't take off work, so we just went for Friday night and spent Friday there, along with Saturday. It was a beautiful 3 hour drive with almost an hour of it driving up Highway 1 along the beautiful and winding coast. It was definitely a fun few days. We spent time with friends, lots of time at the river, got in the ice cold water, sat by the camp-fire, played games, and stayed up all night with Preston sleeping in my sleeping bag or crying all night long.
Luckily we were talked into going! We ate most of our meals with the Bodily group. The Bodily's were the family that started this camping tradition with the ward. I guess they have been going since they were little themselves. They had an amazing kitchen area set up with a fridge, sink, and toaster oven. It was amazing how they set everything up. Each camp-site had an electrical outlet for people to plug into. There were many families that had brought their campers and were doing it all in style. They also had an amazing middle park area where there were swings, slides, volleyball courts, horseshoe area, and ping pong tables. All the kids loved spending time there. Preston ate lots of dirt and liked touching everything that he could get his hands on. It was fun watching him discover everything in nature he possibly could. There were big redwood all around this area, which made it super beautiful! There was a little place where there was what they call Cathedral Redwood trees, where they were all in a circle together. It was a fun and beautiful weekend.
We were also able to go to the Williamson's on Monday for a BBQ! It was fun to get to spend some time with them this weekend as well. Camping makes it really feel like summer is here!
Happy Birthday Taylor! We were all able to go celebrate Taylor's birthday recently. We had to celebrate the Sunday before since the Williamsons went to Hawaii the week after. It was a fun party with a big blow up bounce house that also had a slide connected to it. Most of the kids looked like they were going to fly off when they went down. Preston seemed to like it though. They also had the same face-painting balloon lady that was at Tehya's birthday party. The kids really seem to love her. After we ate lots of food and had fun in the sun we were able to rest a little inside and watch her open all her presents. She got some really fun toys and seemed like she had a great day!
The other day I was looking for my birth certificate and couldn't seem to find it. I tore the apartment totally apart looking for our important documents that I knew we needed to find in order to get California drivers licenses. In order to find these documents I went through every single box that we had with papers in it. In the process I was able to go through mission stuff, high school stuff, and random childhood keepsakes. I found my senior portfolio and a picture in it that Neil and I have been looking for...of our Daffodil experience, which was the first time we met. I left the portfolio out so that I could show Neil the picture. We laughed because we feel like we both look so funny.
So, this was the first time I ever met Neil. He was my escort for the Daffodil Pageant at Rogers High School. The girls were voted on by the student body and then they do interviews and prepare a speech and share it in front of an audience. You have several different events or luncheons during this whole process and I was able to meet lots of new people. I had a great time and was able to meet Neil.
I have never been one to be very personal on my blog and I don't tell many people what I struggle with or different things that are going on with my family that are struggles, but I felt differently after Relief Society yesterday.
I guess I should start with the blessings that I know I have received. Heavenly Father has given Neil and I so many tender mercies in our lives in so many different areas and in so many different ways. We have amazing family and friends that support us and help us. We now have little Preston who is a light in our lives, and most importantly we have the gospel. This has helped us through the thickest and hardest things we have gone through. I don't think that I have the hardest trials in my life and after I have gone through them I often look back and think that I have such an easy life, but when we are in the middle of our trials they aren't easy and we struggle. Struggling is okay though and helps us become more beautiful.
Recently I has another miscarriage. Neil and I felt like we were supposed to try to have another child and when I am told something I try to do what I can. We weren't too far along, only about 10 weeks, but it wasn't easy. Pregnancy has never been easy for me. I am terribly sick for a long time and it just takes a toll on our family and kind of throws our normal life out the window, but the end result is such a miracle. When I thought I miscarried I called and made an appointment with a doctor and we were able to go in and see what was going on. This wasn't my first, which made is easier to go through. This was my third and so Neil and I have gotten much better at understanding that there is a time to cry and then we turn even more to our Heavenly Father who helps us move on. Having Preston here to distract me and bring me back to normal life was very helpful and a beautiful reminder that Heavenly Father has a plan for our family. I am grateful for that and I know that Heavenly Father loves me and my family so much and wants us to be happy. I believe that the struggles we have gone through to have children have made us more understanding and hopefully more beautiful people.
A sister showed us this video yesterday in Relief Society and I wanted to share it with everyone I possibly could. It made me cry and I felt somewhat understood.
I haven't been the only one to struggle this year in my family. I have had lots of family members who have gone through so many health struggles that has been hard on us and made us grow closer to Heavenly Father. My brother Ryan was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. He has his whole colon removed and now has an ostomy bag. He was planning on going on a mission and had his papers in when all this happened so suddenly. He has spent way too much time this year and last year in the hospital and has become so much a better person for what he is going through. He is such an inspiration to me and so much of my family. While his trial seems to be the bigger one, others have struggled too and have helped me understand how I can be better everyday.
