Yes, this is an announcement...and we are due June 4th! PS, go Cougars!!!

The Naming Game and Halloween

Kyla bought a little stick horse at the dollar store with her birthday money. When we got it home, she played with it for the longest time, she just LOVED it. I asked her, "Ky, what is your horsey's name?" and she said, "horsey." I tried again. I said "What is your name?"
-"Kyla Dee Allen"
-"Good, what is my name?"
-"Mommy."
-"Right. Now what is your horsey's name going to be?"
She thought for a few seconds and then said with a huge smile, "Horsey Dee Allen!"
I love this girl and her sense of humor. She always cracks me up.

For Halloween Kyla was a lion and Mimi was a Tiger. We love our cute little felines! Kyla LOVED Halloween...she is still talking about it and asking for more trick-or-treating. We went to just a couple of houses on Halloween, and she loved it. We had a fun time seeing Adam's familia and we had a little birthday party for him before our Halloween festivities. Dan and Nicole's costumes were AWESOME! I wish that I had a picture to post, but I forgot to bring my camera that night. They were off of Xmen, and Nicole looked GREAT with red hair! :-) Maybe I will get someone to email a picture to me sometime soon!

We went to Deb and Matt's house and got to see Matt and Maddie, and then we went over to the Beckett's and got to see them too! It was such a fun night...even though Nate's white face terrified Kyla, and she thought that Seth was Nate because of his Harry Potter hair! :-) Here are a few pictures of the girls before we left. Hope that you all had a fun Halloween!

CATCH UP TIME!!

Well it has been a LONG time since I have blogged...and so much has happened! I keep waiting until I get good pictures of everything...but that just may not happen so I will blog and just put whatever pictures I can on here!

Adam had ankle surgery and is finally healing up, he had to be on crutches for almost 2 months and a boot for another month...
Mimi has a helmet that she has to wear night and day to help her little noggin grow more correctly...we hope that she is almost done with it...we will find out next week.

Kyla is talking like crazy, and sings so cutely! I wish that I knew how to put videos on here...I would put one of her singing the "pempol" song (I love to see the Temple)

I am going back to school online! It feels so good to be studying and learning. I am studying Nutrition, and I am loving it! Adam is so sweet to make it possible for me to do that.

Kyla is turning TWO tomorrow, and we really just can't believe how quickly time is flying by...

Kyla and Mimi funnies...

We are in Winnemucca visitting the family for the weekend. Uncle Jacob loves to tease Kyla, and one thing that he does is count down "three, two, one" and then pounce on her and kiss or tickle her. She pretends that she doesn't like it, but she LOVES it. Now if there is a quiet moment, Kyla looks demurely at Jakie and says in a sing song flirty voice, "Twooo..." and then giggles like crazy, waiting for him to GET her!

Earlier today I was making Kyla a sandwhich, and Naomi was in her walker. Kyla was holding the closed loaf of bread for me, and Naomi ran up and grabbed it from her because she was hungry. They started a tug of war until I took it away. Then I handed Kyla her sandwhich, and Naomi saw it...I have never seen a two year old run away from a 7 month old so quickly! Naomi chased her around trying to grab that sandwhich, and Kyla kept yelling, "NO, MI MI! Mine whitch!!" It was adorable!

The other night I sang a song to Kyla for bedtime and she sang with me for all 4 verses, and then as soon as it was over, she said, "bye bye Mommy!" and blew me a kiss. So I went and laid Naomi down in her crib (they share a room). She started to cry and I left and closed the door. But I stayed and listened to see what they would do. Kyla started singing to Naomi and she stopped crying! Ky Ky sang her to sleep! It was such a tender moment...I wanted to run in and give them both smooches, but figured that would probably ruin the moment a bit.

Kyla is funny

Adam was helping Kyla pray last night....

Adam: say, "please help us,"

Kyla: "hep us"

Adam: "To brush our teeth"

Kyla: "Teeff"

Adam: "Nicely"

Kyla: "...mean" giggle giggle giggle

She is such a silly little thing...we love her sense of humor...except then she really DID brush her teeth mean....tried to bite me the whole time!

My crazy Fam!

Well, this will be mostly random. The girls and I went on a HUGE trip with my Parents, Grandparents, and some of my siblings a few weeks ago. It was SUPER FUN, but we missed Adam like CRAZY! Here are some of the things that we did. I have random pictures, I haven't gotten all of them loaded on...but there are a ton here anyways!


Well, of course the first thing that I have to mention is that we got STUCK IN AN ELEVATOR...WITH 11 OF US ON THERE!!! I think that we were stuck for about 20 minutes, and it was just AWFUL! Poor Alma and Eliah finally just couldn't take it anymore. I am just so glad that they didn't throw up or pass out! The workers finally had to pry the doors open with a crowbar, after banging and pounding didn't work...good memories...Grandma was GREAT at staying calm. She sure helped me keep my cool!

There was a ton of driving...Dad did most of the driving...Dad and Grandpa. Kyla was an angel in the car! I think it is because Eliah worked so hard at keeping her happy!

We went to the zoo in Albequerque, and Kyla LOVED it. Her favorite part though was a playplace they had with a bunch of water spouts. She ran around and squealed every time the water hit her.

Kyla loved the Teddy Bear Factory. We got to make our own Teddy Bears at the end of the tour. Look at that HUGE Teddy bear that we are hanging out on...it was 500 pounds!

We stopped to visit Grandpa's brother, Jim. This isn't a very good picture, I haven't figured out how to load my other pictures on here yet, so we only have the ones from my phone for now. It was fun to see Grandpa with his brother. They were so happy to see each other.

Hanging out at the Hotel...

I didn't get any pictures of the Carlsbad Caverns, because they just didn't turn out, so I stopped trying. But they were BEAUTIFUL! I loved the caverns...minus the two hour wait to take the elevator out. The big elevators were shut down for the weekend, and they don't like to let people hike out because they are afraid that it is too strenuous. But they finally had to let people hike out because it was backing up so badly. Jacob and I hiked out together...and it was SO STEEP! Sweet Jakie stayed with me the whole way...what an awesome brother!

Kyla fell asleep in the backpack that Grandpa was carrying her in...and when she woke up, we were in the middle of the caves...I thought that she would be scared, but she started whispering, "Rock...rock..." (she loves rocks). She was so excited to be in the middle of a giant rock! She kept saying "wow!" It was really cute.

Then Dad took me and the girls home to see Adam because I just couldn't wait any longer to be with him! But the rest of the fam stopped at the Grand Canyons...here are a few pictures!

Thanks for the fun trip, Mom and Dad! You guys are the best! We love you and are so glad that we got to spend this time with you!

Five Generation pictures

Can you believe it? These pictures are just so special to me, filled with people that I love. The first two are all of us, and the second two are the direct line.  A couple of weeks ago my Grandparents and parents were both up for a day, so we made a trip out to visit my Great Grandparents together. What a special memory we made! I am so thankful for this wonderful family of mine. My Great Grandma and Grandpa Campbell live only a few minutes away from us and it is so neat to be able to go visit them. I hope that these pictures will be as meaningful to the girls as they grow as they are to me! 

Yeah for Dan and Nicole!!

Daniel and Nicole tied the knot last week!!! YEAH! We are so happy for them. We all adore Nicole, and are SO glad that she is a part of our family. It was so special to be able to be with them for their big day. Nicole looked absolutely beautiful, and Dan looked absolutely star-struck with her...and that is the way that it should be!

Grandma got all the little girls matching outfits for the wedding, and Dan and Nicole had a fun time trying to keep them all still long enough for a picture. Do you want triplets, Nicole?!

The guys...

The gals...

And more cute gals!

A big congratulations to both of you! Thanks for being such wonderful examples to all of us. We love you. 

PS I swiped the pics from Reni's blog...don't have any of our own yet! Thanks and sorry, Ren!

Elisha Lynn

Adam was so sweet and took Neya and me to see our baby sister's gravesite. It was so special to me, it has been a few years since I have been there, and there is such a peaceful spirit there. Over the years, Elisha has meant so much to me. I have felt her spirit near me time after time, and I am so thankful that she is my little sister.

I wanted to write a few of my memories about when she was born, while they are on my mind. 

I remember that day vividly, even though I was only a little girl. We stayed at Grandma Campbell's house, and all of our Aunts made me feel so special and beautiful. I remember wearing a necklace of my Aunt's and they let me take it to the hospital with me. Mom and Dad had talked to us and told us that Elisha probably would not live, so we were prepared for that, 

but I remember hoping that she would, and praying that she would. On our way to the hospital, they told us that she had passed away, and I was sad that I didn't get to meet her. 

But as soon as we walked into the room, and saw her and my Mama, I felt her spirit so strongly. I remember thinking, "I remember her. I know her." I wasn't sad at all, and maybe that was because I was a little child and didn't really understand. Or maybe it is because I was a little child, so I really DID understand. 

Over the years, during difficult decisions and lonely times, I felt her love and prayers lifting me. I love her so much, and have felt the blessing of being sealed to her. She has been one of my closest friends throughout the years. I love her and can hardly wait until we meet again. 

"Elisha, Elisha,

Some bright morning you'll greet me,

small and white, clean and bright,

you'll look happy to meet me.

Daughter of God may you learn and grow,

learn and grow forever.

Elisha, Elisha,

bless our family forever."

We love you, Elisha Lynn!

Naomi

Thanks so much everyone who has been fasting and praying for Naomi! I went to the doctor yesterday, and she won't need surgery!!!   We are so relieved and grateful, her plates have not closed up and she is just fine. They still want her to wear a helmet for a few months, so we are in the process of looking into that, but her little head is just fine, and no danger of brain damage! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! Ever since we fasted, I have just felt peace about it. I even TRIED to be worried yesterday before the appointment, thinking that I probably SHOULD be...but I couldn't worry. I just felt calm about the whole thing, and I know that was a blessing from Heavenly Father. Thanks for keeping her in your prayers. We sure love and miss all of you, and pray that the Lord is mindful of you and your precious families. 

Mothers Day Weekend

I don't have many pictures loaded, but I didn't want to wait to blog it! Last weekend, we got in the car to go fishing...and Adam just kept driving and driving...he took me to Winnemucca as a surprise for Mothers day! I got to spend Mothers Day with my Mama, and it was the BEST surprise EVER! He is so thoughtful! I wanted to cry when I found out where we were going. It was such a sacrifice for him to do that, since he is in school this summer, and had so much to do. Saturday was just PERFECT. I got to be with Mom and the girls for all of the day, and Dad and Jacob and Adam were able to be together a lot too. It was a dream come true for me, I have been wanting to visit them with Adam for so long now. 

WHAT A SWEET MAN I HAVE!!

We forgot Kyla's Jammies, so I found a clearance item at WalMart...BATMAN! Adam loved seeing his little girl dressed up like a boy...maybe the closest thing he will ever get to having a boy! :-) Kyla loved being there, and was so sad when we had to leave.  She loves her Aunts and Uncles and Grandparents so much. 

On the way home we were able to stop at Adam's family's home for a little while too, and that was so fun. The big downer is that while we were there, Kyla was feeling really sick and had a high fever. Adam his Dad and Dan were able to give her a blessing, and that was such a comfort. I love that they are ready, worthy, and willing to use the Priesthood to bless our lives.  I was so glad that she had had that blessing before the night was through. She and I were up most of the night, she had an EXTREMELY high fever. We almost took her in to the emergency room, and it was so scary. I kept feeding her popsicles and sponging her down, and trying to cool her off...and it was so sad to see her feeling so miserable. At about 2 in the morning, I had Adam come down and look at her to see if she needed to go in and we just didn't know. So he gave her another blessing, one of comfort since she was so upset. After that I felt at peace and she was able to calm down.

The power of the Priesthood is truly remarkable. I am so grateful that our Heavenly Father loves us enough to allow us to exercise our faith in behalf of our loved ones, and I am so thankful for a wonderful husband who does his best to honor his priesthood.

Speaking of faith, I was wondering if those of you who read this blog will pray for our little Naomi Lynn. Yesterday at her check-up, the Doctor was concerned that her head isn't growing correctly and referred us to Primary Childrens. If the diagnosis is right, she will need to wear a helmet and perhaps have surgery to correct the plates in her head so that her brain growth isn't prohibited. If you could remember her in your prayers, we would be grateful.

Sorry this was such a long post! So much going on...we love you all!

We went on a family vacation to Bryce Canyon a couple of weeks ago, and I am just barely getting around to blogging about it! It was so fun, just Adam and the girls and me. We loved having family time, hiking around, and playing at the park! Truth to tell, we think that Kyla enjoyed the slides at the playground more than she did anything else! :-)

Adam was such a trooper, carrying BOTH of the girls on our hikes...all I had to carry was the water and food, which was a good thing since I am so out of shape. Don't think that I would have made it very far with more weight! Kyla loved the backpack carrier that we got for her, and wasn't at all afraid of the height or anything!

I JUST LOVE MY FAMILY!!!

Kyla being cute again

Well, I can't add a picture, because I am on Neya's computer. (She is living with us by the way...how fun! We LOVE having her here!) This will be a quick post...I will have to catch up better later.
This morning we all knelt down for prayer and Naomi was laying next to us. Kyla saw her and said, "Uh-Oh! Mimi! Prayer!" Then she scooted her little self next to Mimi and grabbed her hands held them folded together. Then she bowed her head over Naomi and said, "Wadoh, Wadoh, Wadoh" (Father, Father, Father) and helped Mimi "pray". It was adorable...I must admit that I was peeking through most of that prayer! :-) She kept it up until Naomi spit on her hands, then Kyla yelled "BUBBOWS!" (Bubbles...) she was pretty impressed with her baby sister's crazy skills!

Thoughts

The other day Kyla fell down the stairs pretty badly-she was okay, just hurt and scared. She actually let me hold her and rock her for a few minutes. Usually if she gets hurt, she is mad and goes off on her own, doesn't want me and will hit if I try to hold and hug her. It is sad, because as her Mommy, I just want to hold her until she feels better, but she doesn't want it.

That makes me think of two things.

The first is; I remember when my friend died, I was 16 years old...we were at the grave dedication, and it hurt so bad. I can't even describe the raw aching in my heart. I was so devastated. I wanted to be alone. It was so cold. Dad came up to me and put his jacket on me- and I threw it back at him and walked away. He followed me and gave it to me again, ad I did it again-ruder this time. He was hurt. I was mad. I didn't want to be warm, I didn't want to be consoled or loved. I hurt inside and wanted to hurt outside too. Somehow I thought that would make the inside hurt go away. Dad saw his little girl hurting and wanted to make it all better. But I wouldn't let him. I didn't let him near me for almost 3 years.

And that brings me to the 2nd thing. Our Father in Heaven sees us hurting and wants to help. His healing is through His Son- our Savior. He knows that the atonement of Christ has real power to heal- so much more even than a mother's hug, or a Dad's coat- and so He always invites us, with open arms, to partake of His love. And what do we do? Do we run to Him and lean on Himn and find solace? Or do we retreat into our little corners and say, "Go away! I want to hurt- I want to stay angry! I don't want you!"

We are so foolish! So often, like the stubborn two year old, or the confused sixteen year old, we shy away from our source of comfort and strength.

And does he withdraw His love? No! Just like my Dad did for almost 3 years, He waits- with open arms- loving us completely...crying for our sorrows, and hoping for our repentence...waiting to welcome us home and fill us with His comfort and love.

Just as I am grateful for an earthly Father who loved me enough to continue to give me his love-I am grateful for a Heavenly Father and His unending, perfect love. I am so thankful that our girls can depend on Him and find comfort in His arms.