summer days

porter and i are enjoying the lazy days of summer. we go to the park almost every single day, and our favorite park is south fork up the provo canyon. we race down the hills, running faster than we can go so that we fall down laughing every time. we head across the bridge to the rivers edge where we throw rocks into the water. after some soccer, and a walk we head back home for nap. i love it. and i think porter does too. i look forward to seeing him laugh like this every day. hooray for summer!

california

last week jared had basketball in southern utah, so porter and i headed to cali. we had a great time catching up with friends and family. porter is adored by his grandma and "papa" - they think everything he does is adorable and hilarious... even playing in their fountain and pouring an entire bag of goldfish on their couch. we had fun taking him to fairytale town, it sure brought back memories from when i was younger. thanks for hosting us once again, mom and dad.

thinking about the woods...

when i was 15 years old, my sunday school teacher was sister kathy wood. to be completely honest, there is only one other sunday school teacher i can remember growing up. jared has heard about sister wood, because she had a huge impact on me. she was the reason i read the book of mormon for the 1st time. she was a huge contributor in helping me develop a testimony of the gospel.

a year later we went on the trek with the youth. we were put into families, and brother and sister wood were my "ma and pa". we had mini firesides at night with them, and again i was able to learn and grow through their amazing testimonies and example. one night it got really cold, and it even rained. we didn't have tents. i remember the priesthood leaders meeting prior that day to decide whether we should stay or end the trek early. the pioneers experienced such experiences, and so could we, if only for a couple days. so that night the storm came; it was sooo cold. i woke up in the middle of the night shivering, and my teeth we chattering. next thing i knew, sister wood scooted her sleeping bag closer to mine and put her arm around me to keep me warm.

my friends and i spent multiple weekends at their cabin for gospel related "retreats". we had so much fun mixing "fun" with firesides and testimony sharing.

saturday while i was with my family in california, i received a terrible phone call. president and sister wood were driving home from girls camp when they were in an accident and rolled their car. sister wood died immediately. president wood is in critical condition and we have heard he has suffered a coma, fractures in his neck and back, broken ribs, and a collapsed lung. all of his injuries are treatable, and he is progressing well since the accident. (their children are keeping everyone informed through a blog - www.kentandkathywood.blogspot.com)

my first thought when i heard was that sister wood was certainly ready or prepared to meet her maker. my heart hurts for her children and for kent. i can't imagine the pain they must be feeling. i am reminded that life is so short, and how much better i will be as a wife/mother/person if i spend less time in the world and more time serving others. as i have read numerous comments from peers on facebook, i realize that i am not the only one who has been touched by sister kathy wood. once again, i am contemplating how i can be and do more. just one month ago i recieved a letter from kathy. included was my testimony that i wrote when i was 15 years old in her sunday school class- 10 years ago. what an amazing person, i hope i can be 1/2 that good. thank you for touching my life, sister wood!

fathers day tribute

jared
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when porter was only a couple days old, we sat in our hospital room holding our brand new baby and watched the evening news on the television that hung from the corner of our room. the news reported the abduction of an infant that was caught on a store camera. as a mother was grocery shopping, she turned away from the cart to grab an item and someone snatched the car seat from her shopping cart and calmly walked away. jared turned to me and said "we have to be so careful!" such news had never pierced us so deeply as it did that day, holding our brand new baby boy. then jared says with intense seriousness- "i know everyone thinks their kid is the cutest, but ours really is, and people are going to want him when they see him." it made me laugh, but right then i knew porter had a special daddy.

now nineteen months later, as our little boy wanders the house yelling "daddy, where ARE you?" i know that there love for one another is mutual. he knows his daddy will wrestle with him, play ball with him, sneak him treats when mommy isn't looking, share his every meal with him, and love him in every way he is capable of. as i spent the past 5 days in california away from jared, i realized how much he truly helps shoulder the responsibilities of parenthood. we are a team in every possible way, and i am grateful that not only do i have him as my partner for eternity but that my children have him as their loving daddy. thank you for ALL you do, we love you.




















dad
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when i was in preschool (3 or 4 years old) my dad told me he was going to the store and asked if i would like to come along. i declined. until i overheard him asking my mom if she needed anything from the mall. my little headed popped up, "you're going to the MALL? i want to go!" for weeks i had been wanting a jean jacket, and as we walked through a department store my dad pulled a jean jacket off the racks and asked if i wanted it. "dadddd....," i said dramatically, "it's not stone washed!" a week or so later my dad came home with a stone washed jean jacket.

as i have grown, i have witnessed my dad travel across the entire state during the christmas season to insure that his kiddies have the PERFECT chrimstas morning. i later learned that on christmas eve he would climb onto the roof and pound his feet on the roof while ringing a bell in his hand, so we could hear that santa and his reindeer had landed on our roof top. i don't know that any one ever heard it, but i thought that was awesome.

as i got even older, my dad never complained as he came to pick me up from a friend's house, or a church dance, or a school football game late at night. in fact, i always knew that no matter where i was or how far away i was, if something happened and kids weren't making good choices, i could call and he would come. my friend's noticed too. it was not uncommon that the guys would call my dad when they got stuck 4-wheeling, or if someone got a flat tire and didn't know how to change it. i don't know where their dad's were, but they knew my dad would be there- and he was.

thank you for always being there for me dad. i know you would move the moon for me, and all i have to do is ask. i love you.




















steve (jared's dad)
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steve is in many ways, like jared. he is so easy to please, and almost always happy. give him- some castleberrys beef stew, some pbjs, chocolate ice cream, and an fsu game and he is in heaven. and i don't know if anything makes him more proud than... his grandkids. he is constantly bragging about them, and truly believes that each grandchild is far ahead of other kids their age in one area or another. he is known to sneak the babies their 1st taste of chocolate ice cream, and chuckles over their mothers shocked faces when they discover chocolate on those chubby little cheeks.

what i am most impressed with is steve's willingness to help others. he will drop anything to help his kids in time of need. he has come to our aid countless times. and lastly, his positve attitude has continued to be an example to me. i have rarely heard him speak unkindly of others. happy fathers day everyone.

sunday dinner with porter

really, this is long overdue- we should have started this a while ago, but i didn't want to deal with the messes. we just started fixing porter his own plate at meal time. he does a really good job at using his utensils and doesn't make much of a mess at all, and he loves having his own food. my little boy is growing up so quick. i thought he looked so cute today in his sunday clothes eating sunday dinner with us at the table... i just couldn't resist capturing the moment!

z's party

here are some pictures from zach's birthday party at the park last weekend. i feel like summer is truly here now! hooray!

how cool is this?

this popular LDS author, whose books can be found at Desert Book or Seagull Book has a link to our wedding ring website on her blog! i just bought a book of hers and so far, so good!













and here is another popular blog that a lot of my girlfriend's like to read up on... she has a link to our website also! yeah!

wow

my day yesterday was perfect! i woke up with porter and folded all the laundry while he played with his trucks and watched cartoons. we ran to target to pick up a couple things, and he sat contently in the cart the entire time. on the drive home he fell asleep. he napped for close to hours and jared came home and we got to spend time together, un-interrupted. porter woke up, jared left to go golfing, and porter and i put on our swimsuits and headed for the pool. we played at the pool and got a tan until the storm started coming in. we grabbed a yummy kneaders dinner on the way home- one of my favorites! then when jared got home he told me that he was going to watch porter, and for me to go have a night on my own. he suggested shopping, but after the swim i was a bit tired. but i wasn't about to turn down that offer. so i went to the spa and did something i have NEVER DONE BEFORE. i got a facial. oh my HEAVEN i can't believe i have been missing out. it was way better than a massage session, in my opionion. who knew. and of course that gave me the energy i needed to SHOP. i came home, jared left for basketball, and porter and i cuddled for a good hour until he went down for bedtime. then i read. hello! how can it get any better? productive, fun, relaxing, blissful!