Gavin's new room!!!

Kade and I have thought of a new way to deter visitors by moving the queen bed into the same room as Braylee and Gavin into the other room all by himself. So, if you are thinking about visiting just know that you will be sharing a room with our adorable and sometimes not so sleepy Braylee.

This is part of the problem with starter homes, not enough room for everyone. We hated to get rid of the queen, but Gavin was ready to have his own room again (for a while anyway, not an announcement) and was the best arrangement due to the vent placement in the rooms. It is kind of tight but will work for a while. We will also be able to put some of the many toys up in his room.

We are also tired of worrying about Braylee waking up Gavin in the middle of the night, while she is trying to crawl into bed with him because she can crawl out of her crib and wants so badly to sleep with him, but Gavin is not cool with this arrangement. Also this way we can close the door and keep her in her own room rather than in bed with us. We also made her bed into a toddler bed so we will see how that works out.

Camera fun

So, Gavin wanted to take some pictures so instead we decided to take a picture with all of us (except daddy who didn't want to play). Braylee has just started saying cheese but I can't get the picture fast enough. Gavin is always smiling and loves to be the center of attention. We may not look very good but we had fun trying to get us in the picture.

Gavin as a shepard

So, for our ward Christmas party the kids sang songs and so we as parents had to dress them up. This is the best we could come up with. Kade did a good job I think. His friend with him is Kassie Peterson and her brother Daniel. She is adorable as well.

Fun in the Dryer

So this happened a while back before Christmas and I had been washing so the dryer was warm. Braylee decided to get in and then as always Gavin follows suit. We were very tempted to turn it on but they started freaking out when the light went out when the door shut. Oh well, another time perhaps! :)

Spiritually Bipolar

Recently I was in a priesthood meeting. It was the 4^th Sunday and the lesson was the conference talk by Elder Dale G. Renlund Preserving the Heart’s Mighty Change. He talked about heart transplant patients, and their need to take medication. He said “Surprisingly, some patients become casual with their transplanted hearts. They skip their medicines here and there and obtain the needed follow-up less frequently than they should. They think that because they feel good, all is well.”. With that comment a brother in the class mentioned that he worked in a mental hospital and that sounded a lot like bipolar patients. That got me thinking about bipolar and some of my experience working with the mentally ill.

What is the basic definition of bipolar. It is having two poles. What does that really mean. In the field of mental health it means that you have extreme ups and extreme downs. For loved ones of those that suffer from this condition it can be very difficult. While on the prescribed medication the individual is fine. Life goes on like planned. However because “all is well” the individual may stop taking their medication and their counseling. This effect throws them into a downward spiral into sever depression. This might even take it to the point of being suicidal. Then the person can quit abruptly go to the other end of the pole to excitability. Giving them increased energy, and delusions of grandeur. After which they will go back to depression.

As I thought about that I wonder how often do we do the same spiritually. Alma the younger gave up the judgment seat so he could preach the gospel to those who already had it. He stated “Yea, he saw great inequality among the people, some lifting themselves up with their pride, despising others, turning their backs upon the needy and the naked and those who were hungry and those who were athirst, and those who were sick and afflicted. (Alma 4:12). What happened to those members of the church? Alma said “that the people of the church began to wax proud” (Alma 4:6). They got comfortable with their beliefs and stopped taking their medication. Nephi described this process “And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say:All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well...” (2 Nephi 21). They followed the temptations of Satan, and where pacified. They stopped taking their medication because “all is well in Zion”.

Then we have a spiritual experience. It may be conference, a fire side, a talk in church, a lesson in Sunday school, or a training for a new calling. We get a spiritual high. We hit the opposite end of the pole. Our enthusiasm for the church is unmatched. We “have felt to sing the song of redeeming love...” (Alma 5:26). How long does this last though. Soon life creeps in and we are again “pacified”, and the process starts over.

To stay level someone with bipolar would need to take prescribed medication and receive regular counseling. Their condition can be managed by the use of these two tools. However if they are neglected them they will again start the process of highs and lows. It is hard for them to see the purpose of these tools when all is well in Zion.

The same goes for use spiritually. We have “medication” and “counseling” that we need to take in order to endure to the end. Nephi said it best “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.” (2 Nephi 31:20). Our medication is to “feast upon the words of Christ” or to study the scriptures. Both modern and ancient. Alma described our counseling and how often we should do it “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good" Alma 37:37). We should have frequent meetings with the ultimate counselor, our Father in Heaven.

If we continue to take our “medication”, receive our “counseling”, and endure to the end. We will be able to stay on that strait and narrow path, and receive exaltation.

Some sort of Update

Ok. I know it has been a loooong time since we last put a post on our blog. And to be honest we've been to busy to really care. So this some what of an update. Nothing really exciting has happened to us to really report on. We are still trying to make ends meet and make the best out of life. Ashley is working 3 different jobs, She has her own dance classes, and she teaches dance for a gale here in the valley. She goes to daycares and preschools to teach classes. She likes it but she is getting a little tired of driving around. She also works at Daybreak doing book keeping and playing games with the clients. I've been pretty busy too. I don't have three jobs but I'm working a couple of companies. I spend 9-10 hours a day trying to build up Technology Alignment. www.talignment.com its main focus has been manufacturing VOIP PBX's. in laymen terms thats internet phone systems. I've been doing the back end programming for the system. As of about 2 weeks ago we release a new product called nexMatrix. www.nexmatrix.com. It is a CLEC or in other words, we are a phone company. I've really been busting my hump trying to get that in place. I'm working with a few other people who are great, two of us are on the programming and development side and two are on the business side setting up contracts and deals with other providers, we also have a few sales people who are brining people on board. It has been a lot of work but as with almost any startups it doesn't pay very well at first. However this new product should really move the business a long fast and it will start brining in income. Ashley and I are also looking at starting another business that is in the debt collecting arena.

Gavin and Braylee are really taking all of this in stride. They are doing very good. Gavin is in preschool and he thinks that is pretty cool. Braylee is just Braylee and she just rolls with the punches. She is getting big and is a little menace. She can be somewhere really quick and making a mess just as fast. She is also very independent, she doesn't like help. Something as little has helping her up into the chair will offend her. She will come over to me and start climbing up my chair, I'll try to reach out and grab her to help her up and she will bail off and back up complaining that she can do it herself and doesn't need my help. So I have to sit there and have her claw and grunt her way up my pant leg up my lap and chest until she deems she is high enough to turn around and sit down.

Oh and both of them love music. They both sing, dance, and try to play instruments. I have a video that I'll have to post.

We would also like to thank those who have helped us during this economic slow time.

Kade, Ashley and the Kids.

Scary Spider

Here is a super scary looking spider we caught in the backyard the other day while mowing the lawn. It tooks us a while to find out what it is. It is called a Cross spider and after making a web they position themselves on it like a cross. It is not harmful and I have never see one that looks like it wants to eat you. Gavin loved it but I didn't like it in the house anymore so we let it go.