On Sunday May 11th Spencer turned nine- I honestly can't believe it! Spencer has grown up SO fast. It amazes me everyday that his is half way to adulthood. Spencer is such a good boy- he is smart and funny. He loves to read and snuggle and create and play. He adds so much life and interest to our lives.

Spencer has his struggles to be sure but the Lord has blessed him in so many ways. I have seen God's hand in his life so many times, I can never doubt that he is loved and that he has an important missions to fulfill in life.

Here are a few pictures from our family "Spencer Celebration"! We wish you all could have been there too!

Spencer got a mountain bike for his birthday- it is awesome!!

Spencer also got a guitar. I love his face in this picture -
hello Chris Mattson!

Spencer had his ninth birthday in May this year. To celebrate we had an "All-About-NINE" Birthday Party- it was quite the event! Everything about the party was somehow related to the number nine. Nine kids, nine games, nine gifts, nine clues to solve- you get the idea. It was more than a little crazy- all I know is that by the time it was over I needed nine Advil and a nine hour nap!

We played Hide-and-Go-Seek with the gift Spencer received from his friends. All of the kids who attended got to hide the presents they brought and Spencer had 9 clues to figure out where each one was hidden. Here is a picture of Spencer "finding" his present from Josh.

Nine little boys hungry for a piece of birthday cake!

After presents and cake, we all headed outside for nine outdoor activities and games! Here is a picture of the boys favorite activity- the sponge toss!

This is a picture of my favorite game- the nine person three legged race. (Okay, I recognize that a nine person three legged race is actually not possible- but it was sure funny to watch!)

After the fun and games were over we had a BBQ- hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, soda. I think it is safe to say that all nine boys had a blast!

Have I mentioned lately that I am a total fan of the Cub Scout program? I think it is fantastic! Not only does it provide needed physical and mental challenges for young boys, the program teaches useful skills that the kids will use throughout their lives. In addition Cub Scouts is structured in such a way as to inspire respect, responsibility and hard work- something I have been trying to teach my boys for years.

Fortunately for us the Cub Scout program here in Naples is really strong. There are about 75 boys in our pack and a large number great adult leaders. We even have a huge outdoor recreational facility to meet where the kids can really get out and do things. Last week the boys and I went Day Camp- it was a blast! We shot BB guns, bows and arrows, climbed rock walls, made and raced rockets, played a zillion games, made a ton of crafts and of course learned one too many silly scout songs! It was great.

Here is a picture of Spencer and his scouting friend William. Aren't they cute?

This little Girl needs your prayers! She is in the hospital again but the doctors and nurses are unable to determine what is causing her very high fever. She is the sweetest, tiniest thing ever and has been such a blessing to all of us. She is as happy as can be despite the many challenges she has already faced in her short life- she truly is amazing! Her parents and older sisters are amazing too. They also need your prayers.

When grandma called this afternoon and told us that Hazel was in the hospital, we decided to say a prayer right away. Ross asked if he could say it. He asked "Mom, is it okay if the WHOLE prayer is for Hazel?" I said, "Sure!" This was his prayer. "Dear Heavenly Father, please bless Hazel that her fever will go away. And that she can grow up and get to be an adult. And that someone can figure out how to help her feel better. And please bless Aunt Jen." We will keep sending prayers like this Heavenward!

This a picture of the Temple in Bern Switzerland. Isn't it beautiful? It is like a haven to me in so many ways. It is the nearest Temple to Italy (at more then ten hours away) and it is worth every sacrifice we made to get there. I love the Temple and feel so blessed to enjoy the blessings God gives his children there. I am thankful for the perspective of eternity I have gained through my Temple worship. I am grateful to know that our time on earth is just one part of our eternal progression. And that through obedience to temple covenants our families can be together forever!

I guess I am not a true blogaholic because there are days when I am just not feeling the blog power, when I simple can't find the words or the strength to write about my life. Today is one of those days. For weeks now I have been wanting to sit down and write but when I finally made the time to do it- there was nothing inside of me to share. Or perhaps it is more accurate to say there is so much inside of me I don't know where to start. I wish I could say more... but I can't! I am sorry. Since there are no words, how about a picture? This one is for you Mom!

I am going to Venice this weekend with a few of my friends- I am SO excited!! I am currently taking orders on any Italian jewelry, glass, or pottery you might be interested in- just be sure to place your orders before tomorrow morning as we are rolling out at at 7:45 am! I will be on the look out for birthday and Christmas gift but if you have an special requests I am all ears. I will not have internet access while I am away but if you need to call me- I'll have my cell. Love you all. Happy weekend!

We are contemplating buying this car. I'd love your opinion on it. Please take the poll on my side bar- thanks!

One of the things that I love about our house is that there is enough space for an exercise room. It was fun setting it up and though we are far from done- I love how it has turned out. It isn't fancy but there is room for everything. Here is what we've got.

An area for stretching, mat work and weight lifting.

The cardio corner which contains our Elliptical Trainer.

And my favorite part- the motivation center. Filled with little things that remind me what I am really doing when I exercise and why!

I really love being able to exercise at home. While I still go to the gym 2 or 3 times a week for classes, I really like being able to exercise early, EARLY in the morning and I love being able to control my gym environment!

When I went to the Swiss Alps as a teenager, I thought hum, cool! But when we crossed over the Italian / Swiss boarder a few weeks ago and started driving through the Alps, it literally took my breath away! The mountains were way bigger and much more beautiful than I remembered.

We spent one of our days in the Alps riding gondolas and trains and hiking and exploring near a water fall. It was all so amazing! Here are a few of my favorite pictures.

This is a view from one of the the rest stops along the highway between the Italian / Swiss boarder and Bern. Hi- could we get some rest stops like this is Italy?

The view from the gondola on the ride up the mountain- it was breathtaking!

Our family at the top!

Mountains- my favorite kind of beautiful!

Here are a few pictures from Bern- one of my favorite cities in the world! Enjoy.

A view of the bridge and surrounding area that leads to down town Bern.

The place in Bern where we sat and watched the sunset.
I'll take one of those nice houses on the hill. How about you?

Down Town Bern

If I can't have the house on the hill, I'll settle for one of these on the river.


Beside being clean and beautiful, Bern is extremely posh. The is a picture of the store front display of a floral shop on the main street. Hello. Is this cool or what?

My favorite part...their store sign. Down low on the left hand side was this small plaque - surrounded by real dirt! I'm sorry but THAT is cool.

There were many other very cool shops in Bern and I am happy to say I did not have "non buyers remorse" there. I actually bought a really cool necklace that I love and will always treasure as a reminder of the wonderful week I spent in Bern.

So, I haven't been blogging much lately- it has been a rough couple of weeks for me. A definite valley in the landscape of my life. A time to think and pray. A time to make changes. A time to hold on to the truth I have been taught and to have faith in God's plan for me. Unfortunately it has also been a time to cry and complain and to spend vast amounts of time feeling sorry for myself (thus my absence from the blog. I mean who has time to blog when they are feeling sorry for themselves every waking moment? Certainly not me)!

I loved Mom's post a few days ago about Taming the Green Eyed Monster. The article she quoted mentioned how important it is for us to rejoice with our friends when they are doing well in life. I know that this is important and I am sorry I haven't been able to do it these last few weeks. I am sorry I wasn't able to cheer for you when you succeeded and celebrate with you reason to rejoice. I am sorry I missed birthdays (Chloe, Zach, Missy, Mandy) and other special days. I am sorry I missed experiencing your joys because I was so caught up in my own heartache. Thanks for sharing them with me anyway.

Anyway, I am back. I am still struggling but I am here.