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Tomorrow...

I have been a follower of the NieNie Dialogues for a while now. I started reading after Stephanie and Christian were in the plane accident. I didn't read before so I didn't really know what her blog was all about...now I do. She is an amazing person, filled with so much hope & has endured SO much. I feel so selfish and horrible when I think of how measly my trials are compared to hers...to others. I feel like I should have nothing to complain about...nothing to worry about...nothing to stress out about...but I do. I guess we all go through our own "fires." Maybe not literally...but non the less we all have difficult situations that we have to go through. Still tonight I feel so blessed. As I type I can hear my children laughing and they are so excited as the take in the magic of the Polar Express. Christmas is upon us and I won't have to worry about where I will be, or if I will have food on the table. The Lord has taken car of our little family, blessed us with so many things and I am grateful.

But today I was a horrible person! I scolded my husband for taking 2 little cans of tuna to the church for the donation box. How selfish can I be! I mean seriously...2 cans of tuna. Did we really need it...NO! Would someone else benefit from it...YES! I feel awful...so terrible...selfish, and yet I am thankful for repentance. I am so thankful for the atonement, that I can repent and be forgiven, that I can wake up tomorrow with a better attitude and a different outlook. That I know I will be given a second chance, that I can find more ways to serve others and I will be given more opportunities to do so. I am thankful for a husband who forgives me and makes me see my weaknesses and helps me to be a better person. Thank goodness for more TOMORROWS!

(I don't know why I felt like confessing what a bad person I am on my blog for all too read...but I did and it makes me want to do better!)

Now back to this amazing story of Stephanie and Christian...if you haven't been following or know their story you can now read it here. It is a beautiful, heartbreaking story that will make you appreciate life, for second chances and hope for brighter tomorrows.

SHOPPING!!!

Last weekend my mom, sisters and I all headed down to Kalispell for BLACK FRIDAY! We have done this for a few years now and we always look forward to it. Getting up at 3:00 a.m. to stand in line for all the GREAT deals. This year proved to be so much fun. We arrived in Kalispell early on Thursday to find NOTHING open! Zip...zilch...nothing! But we knew there wouldn't' be from years past. We did manage to find a Burger King open so we grabbed a bit to eat. Then we relaxed by going to see the movie, "The Blind Side." What a GREAT show...for the whole family. It has such a good meaning and was very clean. It just put all of us in a good mood. Then it was time to head back to the hotel to look over the PILE of flyers. It is like looking through the WISH book...there are so many flyers enticing you to SPEND MONEY! LOL! I managed to find a few great deal, one being a video camera for $200 LESS than what it is up here. I was happy about that. Early the next morning we got up and were all excited about SHOPPING...the whole purpose of our trip. It was a great day...and we were exhausted by 11. So I treated myself to a pedi cure in the mall. LOL! It was so much fun to get way, to have a break from everyday life. To laugh...a LOT! To spend time with my sisters and mom. I have to thank my great husband for taking care of the kids for 3 days even with a very bad shoulder injury. He knew how much I had been looking forward to going and seemed to manage very well while I was gone. The house was SPOTLESS when I got home! That's a first. LOL!

The Christmas season is upon us now. It is snowing as I type, and I am happy that it is. I have had ENOUGH of this crazy wind that I am welcoming the snow. Even if it means freezing temperatures, I know I will be safe and warm in my house while the storm rages on outside. Isn't that how our lives are these days..the storm rages on and I am so thankful for my home which is a safe haven.

I found this Cookie Countdown (thanks Tiff) and thought I would share it.

http://allrecipes.com/features/holidays/christmas/cookiecountdown/2009.aspx

Looks like this will be a great weekend to stay inside and bake!

Catching Up!

Holy cow I have let this blog GO...going...going...GONE! Where do the days go...SERIOUSLY. I can't even remember what I have been doing that I haven't managed to blog AT ALL in November...but for some reason I haven't. Maybe it is because I don't find my life all that interesting...just the everyday day to day things. But Halloween came and went and I didn't post about it so what better time than NOW!

I feet like a complete slacker of a Mom this Halloween. For the past 4 years I have held a HUGE Halloween party for my kids and their friends. I mean I went ALL out...dry ice and everything. But for some reason this year I just didn't have any gusto to do it. The $$ of doing it was getting out of hand...and we have been saving for some specific things. And just thinking about all the work made me NOT want to do it....so I didn't! And you know what...it was FINE with the kids! I decided instead to volunteer in each of their classes to help with the party and they loved that...and it was so much easier on me...and i LOVED that!

Carson was happy to be a Lion...but already wants to be Batman next year!

Here is the vampire cape I made for Tyson. He was thrilled with it.

I made this adorable spider out of bread (thanks Jen for the idea) and took out the bread in the middle and put veggie dip in a bowl. The kids loved it and it was so fun and easy to make!

I can't seem to find the pictures with Grace in them! SHOOT! She looked so adorable in her monkey suit. Halloween night my kids got SO much candy...we still are eating it. I think they have forgotten about it though cause I kinda sorta hid it in the cupboard. LOL! We don't need it anyway. I think it might make its way to the garbage on Monday.

Jumping ahead now a few weeks...the last few nights I have been able to go to parent teacher for both the boys. I am so proud of both of them. Tyson continues to excel and is reading at a grade 3.2 level. All those hours reading books with them has really payed off...that was what I was hoping for. He is a great speller as well. He gets along well with everyone in his class and his teacher said, "he is a delight to teach." Wonderful words for a mother to hear.

Carson is learning as well. As he will be repeating Kindergarten next year due to his maturity level and being the youngest in the class, my expectations for him weren't has high as they would have been if her were 5. The teacher and I are both on the same page as far as his development goes and that is good. He is learning to write his name and also his letters. His teacher says he comes up with some pretty funny things...and that doesn't surprise me in the least!

Life is GOOD...the boys are going GREAT in school and I am so THANKFUL for all that I have and am BLESSED with!

2 Visitors...

Last week we had the opportunity to be the host family for 2 Japanese girls. Our family has participated in this now for several years, and we find we look forward to it every year. Our kids especially like having the girls come & I find it such a great opportunity for them to learn about different cultures and realize that there are other people in this world who don't speak English or look like them. These girls were just a joy to have. Yoshi & Maki were both a bit nervous to come to Canada as it was their first time visiting a foreign country. They were also nervous about speaking English. After a day or so though they seemed to fit right and felt comfortable with our family. It was fun to introduce them to knew things and have them do activities they had never done before. Who knew that 2 Japanese girls didn't know how to make Sushi...and that a Canadian would be the one to teach them!

I taught the girls how to make cookies & ice them. They spent at least 2 hours decorating their Halloween cookies. I think they really liked it. They started making their own designs with Pokemon characters and symbols. It was really neat to see their creativity. We also took them ice skating. One girl, Maki had been before and was actually quite good, but for Yoshi this was her first time. She wasn't scared at all and I was happy at her enthusiasm to try something knew

Then we got together with another host family and carved pumpkins. The girls had so much fun doing this!

My kids were sad to see Yoshi and Maki leave, but now they have two more Japanese friends for LIFE! One day I hope to travel to Japan and see all the students that we have hosted. I think that would be a great experience.

THANKFUL...

Yesterday in church we had the most amazing talks on GRATITUDE! I am going to try an get a copy of the one the especially touched me. It made me think about things that I hadn't before. Made me realize that I have a CHOICE to make. And made me want to make some CHANGES! Usually I don't get much out of church...Grace is a nightmare at church. It is during her nap time and she is a complete mess. I usually end up spending the first 2 hours in the mother's lounge trying to get her to fall asleep and then trying to keep her asleep once I do. So I don't usually retain much of the talks but yesterday I did! I felt like the talk was just for me. As I sat in the mother's lounge listening while holding a sleeping baby my heart was over come with gratitude for EVERYTHING! This list would be way to long to name everything I have to be thankful for...but my heart was just bursting. Tears were flowing and the spirit was so strong in that little cubical of a room. I was trying to be discreet because there was another mom in their with me and she probably thought I was nuts...oh well! To sum up part of the talk that hit me the most the sister reminded us that we have the choice to be happy and count our many blessings or to be unhappy and think about all we don't have, want or need. SO TRUE! I have found myself sitting in my living room counting up the things I would like or want, projects I would like to do around the house. I think these things will make me happier to have BIGGER & BETTER, but will they really? I think NOT! I have what is most important don't I? A husband who loves me unconditionally and puts up with A LOT! 3 healthy, happy, beautiful children who keep me so busy but bring me so much joy. I have a warm home to keep me safe from the cold weather and the negativity of the world. I have an understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I know he lives and loves me. What more could I possibly want? It was such a great talk I wish you all could have heard it. At the end she challenged everyone to go home and write down what they were thankful for. To make a change and think more positively, think about what you DO have...and not what you HOPE to have. It seems that with Thanksgiving time you are gently reminded of what you are thankful for. But one time a year is NOT enough. We need to be thankful EVERY DAY! Even in our darkest hour, our loneliest of days, or our most trying times there will always be something to be thankful for, and we must decide if we will focus on that, the positive, or on the negative. I am going to strive to focus on the POSITIVE...I hope you will too!

A GREAT Lunch Date...

I just realized how long it has been since I last blogged...life gets busy it seems and the blog seems to suffer. Now I have a few quiet moments and thought I would blog.

The other day I had lunch with a friend. Someone whom I have know for about a year now, but who I am just starting to get to know better. She is a great, FUN person. The past few weeks we have done a few things together at each others house. It was been fun getting to know her better. The other day we went for lunch and I had the BEST time. I came away from that lunch date thinking how wonderful it was to have a conversation with someone where there was NO gossip! ABSOLUTELY none! I was amazed and very pleasantly surprised and it seemed to lighten my load and I just enjoyed my time more. It was nice to know that I didn't say one negative, unkind thing about anyone the whole time. Our conversation didn't turn into "did you hear about..." It was just simply FANTASTIC. Instead of coming away with a heavy heart and a need to repent of the things I had said, I came away with a clean conscience and it was wonderful. It is people like this new friend that make me want to be better. That there is MORE to life than sitting around talking about others and their short comings. Now maybe this is starting to sound like that is ALL I down when I get together with friends...GOSSIP...and it isn't, but more times than not the conversation will take a negative turn towards someone not there...and it just feels awful after. So I have made a new goal...baby steps...that I am going to cut down on the GOSSIP. Really does it help or uplift anyone? Does it make me feel better about myself...NO...it DOESN'T...so why do it? I often think that we as women have a natural tendency to gravitate to gossip, not in a harmful way, but our conversations tend to lead that way. And after my lunch date I realized that they don't have to! Enough said!!

The past few weeks we have done a few fun things around our house. I have been crafting up a storm and love the result of the projects I have been making. I have learned how to make the most adorable Hamburger Cupcakes (thanks JEN!) I have tried out some new yummy recipes and done fun things with the kids. Last weekend we went to the Pumpkin Festival and it was SO much fun! The weather couldn't have been any better, and the kids enjoyed themselves so much. Here are a few pictures.

Tyson got his face painted like a VAMPIRE before I coudl get any cute pictures of the 3 kids. He loved his face painting! He is going to be a Vampire for Halloween...but I'm not letting him do the scary face. He has to be a NICE Vampire. LOL!

Carson loved the petting zoo. He wanted to bring one of the bunnies home with us. Mom said NO more animals! LOL!
Gracie loved the animals too. She wasn't scared at all!

I got some GREAT pictures of Grace. This is one of my favorites!

There is BEAUTY All Around...

Last Saturday I went on a hiking trip with some ladies from our ward. I had been wanting to go for 2 weeks. I had arranged for a babysitter in case Tyler had to work and everything was set. With a minor set back the day before (had to find a new babysitter) I was still able to go. Yipee! I love hiking...or at least I have really started too. We took our kids to Waterton earlier this summer and did a few little hikes and we all enjoyed it so much. I think it was one of the highlights of my summer. I remember hiking as a kid and how much I enjoyed it. Something about being in the mountains makes me feel closer to my Heavenly Father. There is so much beauty out there! I am so thankful that I live close to the Rocky Mountains, where there is an abundance of beauty. I love the smell of walking through the forest. There is NOTHING like it! The Bear grass and wild flowers are so beautiful, and the peaceful sound of the mountains is so calming.
On Saturday we hiked to Victoria Falls in Glacier National Park. What a beautiful, easy hike it was. 10 km in a back of pure mountain splendor. There were so many waterfalls along the way. It really was breath taking. It was so much fun to visit with the sisters. I was the youngest one there and I gained so much info and knowledge from these seasoned sisters. We laughed lots and shared personal heart warming experiences. It was so nice to sit by the waterfall and eat lunch together. The cool breeze mixed with the hot sunshine was really refreshing after our 5km hike. As I was hiking I reflected on all the beauty that surrounds me daily. Not only in the mountains can we find beauty, it surrounds us in our homes through our children and our husbands. We can find beauty through our friends and acquaintances. We can find beauty in good music or by reading a good book. There is so much BEAUTY out there...sometimes I think we don't slow down enough to realize that it is right in front of us. So after being reminded of all the beauty there is around us, I have tried to make more of an effort to SLOW down and enjoy what we have been given. To make today a better day than tomorrow. To hug my kids MORE and tell my husband the I LOVE him more. Life is GREAT....why waste it?

Go Check OUT....

Just a quick post to direct you to the fabulous blog. KD makes the cutest kids thing...and she is LOCAL. Her blog is Lil Miss Sis Boutique. I have bought a few of her things and absolutely LOVE them. She is very talented and I know you will love her items as much as I do! Also a shout out about the Kids Show in Magrath on Saturday September 19th from 10 til 5 at the ice arena. You will find LOTS of adorable vendors there.

1st Day of School...

Ahhh the blessed day has finally arrived. I LOVE the first day of school...and I did as a kid. I remember being so excited I wouldn't be able to sleep. I remember most vividly the 1st day of grade 7...I was TERRIFIED! Back in Cardston they had "Initiation," for all the grade 7 kids...and it was terrible...and to this day I can't believe that it was allowed. This is where the grade 9 kids would have you do anything they wanted...or try to at least. Do the leapfrog across the street, carry their books, things like that. Then there was the dreaded Kangaroo Court...the assembly where the poor grade 7 kids were tormented. Like I said I can't believe that the school got away with this. I was to receive the worst treatment....eggs, shaving cream...and all sorts of goop got put in my hair in front of the WHOLE school. I was a good sport but it was so embarrassing. Every other first day of school was GREAT except grade 7!

Tyson started school on August 31st, and he was so excited...and I was too. I love the smell of new school supplies and new school shoes. He was so anxious to get to school to see who his teacher was going to be and wondered if any of his friends would be in his class. Little did he know that I requested his teacher from last year to be his grade 2 teacher as she was switching from grade 1 to grade 2. He was ecstatic when he found out it was Mrs. Kerr! And would you know that there were 9 kids from grade 1 in his grade 2 class. He was SO happy! Today was my little Carson's 1st day of Kindergarten. He was supposed to repeat pre-school but after much agonizing and consideration we felt we should put him in Kindergarten and see how he does. Mind you he will probably repeat Kindergarten next year...but that is okay. He too was so excited to meet his new teacher Mrs. Langhoffer, and see which friends were going to be in his class. He was especially excited to wear his new shoes, which he has been since Tyson started school. They are his "police" shoes and he loves that they light up.

The kids LOVE to ride their bikes to school and I am SO thankful that we live close enough

There are so many new things ahead for my boys. New teachers, new friends, new routines, and lots and LOTS of learning. I am so excited for them to develop and grow and learn life skills. I am also excited for the chance I have to spend with little Gracie at home. She is such a joy to be around, I can't help up feel happy when she smiles at me. I am happy to be back in the routine of things...lessons, homework, BEDTIME! Life is GOOD...and I am so THANKFUL...and HAPPY!

Recipe Update...

Okay when I posted those recipes I had yet to try the cake and the glaze, so I thought I would update you on how they turned out. The cake was AMAZING...everyone LOVED it. It has a little hint of cinnamon combined with chocolate and it is so delish. The glaze...NOT SO GREAT! I followed the recipe and it was way to runny and just ran off the cake. The cake really doesn't need any icing, but if you prefer your cakes iced then just make your own chocolate icing. Have fun baking...and if you make any of these recipes I would LOVE to know what you thought of them...so comment on my blog and let me know. Have a GREAT day!

Baking UP A STORM...

Over the last few days despite fighting a nasty sinus cold, I have managed to bake some fabulous things...and I thought I would share the recipes with YOU! I LOVE zucchini...that is when you bake it in something. Not a huge fan of eating it raw or cooked plain but I will if I have too. But when you add it to baking it just makes things SO much better. So here are my recipes dedicated to ZUCCHINI...

Pineapple Zucchini Muffins

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups vegetable oil (I used 1c. unsweetened applesauce & 1 c. oil. Turned out very well)
6 eggs
3 cups shredded zucchini
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
3 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour 4 muffin pans, or use paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the oil, eggs, zucchini, pineapple and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Fill muffin cups 2/3 to 3/4 full.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (used 1c. unsweetened applesauce)
3 cups grated zucchini
3/4 cup chopped walnuts optional

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan. (I used a bundt pan instead)
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the eggs and oil, mix well. Fold in the nuts and zucchini until they are evenly distributed. Pour into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake completely before frosting with your favorite frosting.

Chocolate Glaze for Cake

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl, combine butter with sugar and cocoa.
2. Add vanilla. Add milk gradually until smooth.
3. Drizzle over cake.

ENJOY!

Holidays Are Over....

We are home from our last week of holidays...and boy did it ever go by FAST! This time we headed off to one of our very favorite spots...Surveyor's Lake, B.C. The weather was so perfect, HOT everyday. What more could we have asked for. We were also happy that we were able to have a campfire, which we haven't been able to do for the past few years as it has been so dry. This year everything was perfect. We were happy to be able to camp with Tyler's brother, Bronc and his family. It was so nice to have his older girls there to occupy the boys. They rode their bikes and went to the park many times. It was so fun to soak up the sun on the beach and watch the kids play. And of course we were chasing after Gracie. She is sure moving around. Luckily she is SO cute that people didn't mind if she walked all over their towels and beach blanket soaking wet and all sandy. LOL!

It was also a great time to do some reading. I read a wonderful book that I would encourage everyone to read. It is very thought provoking. It made me wonder if I am READY...If I would be FAITHFUL enough...If I am PRE-PARED. The book is called The Great Gathering by Chad Daybell.

I am anxious to pick up the 2nd and 3rd book in the series and find out what happens to these 3 families. I have also been reading the Harry Potter series and have found them to be very fun to read. I usually don't read fantasy books with wizards and magic, but I have really taken a liking to this series.

I am so thankful that we were able to spend some quality time together as a family enjoying nature. I was happy that we were able to shut off our cell phones (other than checking email & FB once a day) and not have the t.v. on for background noise. It was good to see the kids being active and enjoying their surroundings. I enjoyed the talks I had with Tyson about the upcoming school year. I hope that I can instill self confidence in him. To me that is one of the most important attributes you can have. If you have self confidence you can stand up for yourself and your beliefs. You aren't afraid to be a leader and make your own decisions. I am excited for the kids to go back to school next week. I love watching them learn and grow, make new friends and succeed. I hope that Tyson will remember that he can accomplish anything he puts his mind to, just like going on the rope swing when he thought it might be to hard or scary. He DID it and then went on it again cause he realized how fun it was. I was so proud of him. I hope my kids will remember those teaching moments we have had.

Now it is back to reality...laundry, and housework and catching up on all the things that got neglected while we were away. But I wouldn't want it any other way. I am happy to get into a routine again. Life is good...I have SO much to be thankful for!

Here are a few pics from our holiday:

This little stinker was supposed to be going to bed...but was playing instead. Isn't she just SO cute!

Gracie our little beach baby. Did I mention that NIBS are her favorite treat.

Tyson got really good at snorkeling!


Carson totally tuckered out after playing on the beach ALL day!

Tyson's first time on a rope swing. He was a little apprehensive...but he did GREAT and LOVED it!

Pilling Family: Surveyor's Lake 2009

My Baby is 7!!

I can't believe that Tyson is 7! Today is his birthday. I remember this day very well 7 years ago. Tyler and I were both so excited...and a bit nervous to be first time parents. I was nervous for labour the most...the unknown... I HATE that. I knew that being a mother would come naturally though. I remember when Tyson was born, he was a beautiful baby & people would often stop me and mention that. Of course I thought he was the MOST beautiful baby. We were thrilled to have our little man in our family...we felt complete.

I can't believe how fast 7 years has gone. I have anticipated and looked forward to each of Tyson's milestones.

First smile

First Tooth

Rolling over

Crawling

Walking

Talking

Going to Nursery

Being Potty Trained

Going to pre-school

First Bike 2 wheeled bike

Going to Kindergarten

First visit to the Dentist

Going to Grade One

Learning to Read....and there are SO many many more.

Tyson has been from the very beginning of his life a very happy boy. He loves his mom and family & is a pleaser. He will do anything to make you proud or happy. He is a GREAT big brother & a real help to me! He is sensitive to others and is a great friend to everyone. He loves to play on the computer! He is an energetic boy who isn't afraid to try new things. He is an adrenaline seeker & loves the roller coasters! He has a love & a knowledge of the scriptures and his testimony is growing everyday.

We LOVE you TYSON...HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We wish you many many more fun birthdays to come.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Tyson had a Transformers party.

We took Tyson & his friends to the Movie Mill to see UP! It was a great movie and the kids have a wonderful time. And I liked it cause I rented the party room and ALL the mess was there and NOT in my house! YAH!

Tyson's b-day present from Grandpa & Grandma Jensen. They took him to Petland and let him pick out any pet he wanted. Tyson has always LOVED reptiles. So we brought RAPTO SLICER (Tyson came up with the name...from some t.v.show. Tried to convince him to call him George or something else...but he wouldn't have it!) home to be a member of our family.

BEST BUDS!

We had a small party today with some friends & Tyson got another cake...a D.Q. ice cream cake...YUM!

A Wonderful Vacation...

We are back from our vacation to Montana, Idaho & Washington. Yes we visited 3 states during our holiday. We went to Silverwood Theme Park which is just north of Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. We have been there in the past, but this trip was so much more fun since the kids were older. Both Tyson and Carson LOVE the rides...and dad is such a good sport he will go on the roller coasters with them. I was so proud of Tyson this year because he went on the 2 big wooden roller coasters. The 1st one scared him quite bad and he shed a few tears, but the next day he conquered his fears and went on the other one and had a good time.

Tyler even got dragged on a few of the adult rides, he even admitted that he was scared when he got to the top, but knew there was no where to go but DOWN. It was fun to watch him.

Carson had so much fun on the raft ride & so did I. I got completely soaked from the chest down the first time we went on it. But it felt SO good in the 95 degree weather. It was SO hot while we were there that we welcomed the cool refreshing water on the raft ride.

Carson & his friend Tori must have gone on the airplane ride 20 times. They kept getting off and running right back in line. It was fun to watch them having so much FUN

Even little Gracie got to go on a few rides. She was happy on the little antique car ride. All smiles & giggles.

We also spent some time in Spokane at Riverside State Park. It was beautiful there. Our campsite was right along the river, it was so beautiful. The kids had fun playing in the cool water after a very HOT day. Even little Grace loved the cool water.

Another highlight of our trip was biking the Hiawatha Trail in Montana. Thanks Amy for giving me the idea to do this with my family. We all had such a great time & I know my kids will remember this for a long time. As we were riding through the beautiful mountains, across man made wooden bridges and through cold, dark tunnels I couldn't help but marvel at the beautiful world that was created for us. Each little corner of the earth was hand designed by our Father in Heaven and made for us to enjoy. There is so much of the world that is over populated, crowded, polluted and being destroyed, I couldn't help but be so thankful for where I live. That I am only a short drive away from the magnificent Rocky Mountains. That I can look far into the distance and see nothing but yellow canola fields. That there are beautiful lakes to swim in and fresh fish to catch. I am so happy that we live in a province that recycles. I wasn't an avid recycler until our garbage can just kept getting full to often with all the junk mail and cardboard and cans. We have been recycling for quite awhile and man does it ever cut down on the garbage that gets thrown in to the landfill. I know we could do more...but a little is better than nothing. I am happy that when my kids see garbage littered on the ground that they pick it up and say that we shouldn't litter. Anything we can do to keep our world clean I am sure is pleasing to our Heavenly Father.

I am so thankful for this past week that I have been able to share with my little family. We had so much fun together making memories that I hope with last my kids a lifetime.