Bishop Adams

4 weeks ago we got a new Bishop. If anyone has ever changed our life this is the man. I can't being to express my love and gratitude for the Bishop. Rich and I have been married for 20 years. I have always wanted to go to the Temple but wasn't sure we would get there. Then our amazing daughter Autumn started to pray for us all a little over a year ago. She has such incredible faith and really wanted us all to be sealed more then anything. 3 weeks ago we were called into the Bishops office after Autumn gave her first talk in Sacrament. Our conversation was something like this "do you love each other" "yes Bishop" "do you love your children" "yes Bishop" "then why aren't you sealed to them in the Temple" Rich and
I both hit the floor with our mouths. Not what we were expecting from a new Bishop. Guns blazing... so we talked for a long time and had a few assignments and orders to report back in 2 weeks... Find out what the Atonement is.... Read 1 Chapter of the book of Mormon each night and talk about it for 5 min before bed. Say a prayer together every night, Rich on the odd days me on the even... he wanted us to do this together as a couple and then of course scripture study with the kids. He read the questions they ask in a Temple recommend to us, there were 2 we could not answer... do you pay Tithing and is Rich a Melchizedek priesthood holder. He then challenged us to come to Church each week and also pay tithe, this is hard as we are so broke right now, but we are doing it! We have been to Church the past 3 weeks I have only been to 1 hour as I have to come home to work but my loving husband has stayed all 3 hours with the girls.
To say we have a peace in our hearts and home we have never felt is an understatement. As stressed out as we are with no work for him we are still at peace knowing we are doing what has been asked of us and the Lord will help us get thru this. Our whole way of thinking has changed and a huge dose of humble pie has been slapped in our face. It has literally brought us to our knees in prayer and gratitude for the blessings, people and sweet sweet daughters we have.
Our dear neighbors Brian and Michelle were over for 4 hours tonight. Brian has been given the huge task of getting Rich ready for the Melchizedek. This Wed. he will be ordained a Priest and hopefully in November our family will have the blessing of having him hold the Melchizedek.
We are going to take Autumn and Zoey and Katie to General Conference next week in Salt Lake. Tymber and Hope will stay home with my parents. We are so excited to go.
Last I will say we are going to the Temple. I sometimes feel like I am in a dream we are going to the Temple, we will be sealed as an eternal family!!!!! Our goal is Thanksgiving weekend when most of Rich's family will be here from Boise so they don't have to come back in December. We have not gotten final word yet but I think this is do-able. If not then, I know we will go a few weeks later!

Shadow

Our dog Shadow died today. It is very sad. He was around 17 yeas old. Rich and I got him when he was 6 weeks old. We have been expecting it for a while now. His health just was not good and he was having a really hard time with his hips. We told the girls last spring we did not think he would last another winter. Some days he would run around like he had tons of energy and other days he would walk and fall down. Rich and I had been talking about putting him down for a while but we didn't want to end his life to soon but also did not want him to live in pain. We just were not ready to make the decision yet.
Tymber came home and found him. She thought he was asleep and walked up to him and he was gone. She came in the house crying and unfortunately I was on a call for work and unable to asked her what was wrong so she had to write it for me. I then had her go tell her dad, he was downstairs. He went outside and Hope followed him out he told her to go back in but she refused to believe Shadow was gone and thought he was asleep. I then heard her run into her room screaming and crying and slamming the door. When I was able to get off work I went and got her and hugged her she told me he wasn't dead that he hit his head and was just sleeping. I explained he was in Heaven now and very happy.
Rich went out and buried him. I just wish one of us had found him and not my sweet Tymber.

Fair

The Blackfoot fair was in town so we went. Autumn was hanging out with her friends and Tymber got invited to go with a few of her friends. I was just going to drop them off but I had to go help Tymber find her friends so Rich and I decided to go also. We ended up getting Hope a wristband. I really didn't want to but it was worth is. That child is fearless. She had so much fun and her smile was huge and priceless. She wanted to go on the huge Ferris wheel so I had Autumn Katie and Ryan take her. She told me it scared her when she got to the top and stopped... did it frighten her enough to stop going on the bigger rides? Nope. She also went on the big roller coaster Autumn and Ryan rode in front and Hope and Katie rode in back. Katie said Hope had a death grip on her hand. She also wanted to ride the mechanical bull. Rich and I both told her no, then Rich went home and I stayed with her, I had to go find Tymber and ended up running into Rory, Lorie and their family. Trey and JJ were on the bull. I told Lorie Hope was wanting to ride and left Hope with them for a min while I tracked Tym down. Lorie paid for Hope to ride and I got back in time to see her get on. I hurried and called Autumn and they ran over to watch. Hope stayed on the whole time with her arm in the air. She loved it so much. She wanted to go again but I said no. So we ended up taking her on more rides and Autumn Katie and Ryan took her to the fun house and a few others. We had a great time. Most of the picts I have are just from my cell phone and of course with the other 2 off doing their own thing they are all of Hope and not great quality but you get the idea. In 2 days she will be 5 and I will blog on her birthday then.

School begins

School started for Autumn and Tymber Aug 26th. On a Wednesday. They always start school on Wed. Tymber is in 5th grade. She was very excited and also very nervous. This is a big year for her with a huge State project to do. She wasn't sure about her teacher but she likes her a lot and is loving school. Of course with tater she is always there for the socialization but she has matured a lot over the summer and I think she will have an amazing year. We are off to a good start. They had to fill out a paper about themselves, likes and dislikes one of the questions what do you like to do in your spare time... Tymbers response "Like I ever have free time to myself" I just had to laugh, the hectic schedule of a 11 year old I guess. She acts like she has a full time job or something.

Autumn started her Freshman year as a Blackfoot Bronco. They had all the freshmen start a day early and I think it was great to let them have a day to get around and learn the classes and meet the teachers before the upper class came in. The school is pretty big with classes all over. Her first hour is intro to agriculture and she just loves it. The teacher is great and she thinks she might join the ag club. She then has science and is not crazy about the teacher, then she goes to math. Then they have 40 min for lunch and 4th hour is English. So far she's not crazy about it either. She said the teachers eye brows bug her. What a goof. Then its Spanish as the last class. 5 classes 70 minutes each. They do trimesters so there will be 3 trimesters. Next tri is all electives its crazy.

She was telling us about the assembly they had with the whole school. We never did any fun things like they did. She said the freshmen got booed over and over but it was a load of fun. The first football game is Friday and a back to school dance. Not sure if she will go or not but I think she is going to have a blast the next 4 years.

Hope is going to preschool. Today was her first day. She goes Tued and Thurs. 9-11:30. Tracy Folsom is her teacher. This is her first year teaching but she is going to be really good. I think there are 5 girls and 3 boys. Hope was so very excited she got to go to school also. I told her I can't believe she is going to school Her reply to me was "look at all the free time you get to yourself mom" ahhh so grown up. Preschool doesn't bother me its kindy that will kill me.

My work schedule is pretty messed up. I was really worried it would interfere with preschool and it has. But one of Tymbers friends, her mom Nikki takes her daughter to preschool also and she told me it will be no problem to bring Hope home for me. They just live down the road a little. I am so thankful Hope will have this opportunity for preschool. I didn't think she would be able to go.