Raising the BAR

Tomorrow Shawn takes the BAR... again... for the 4th time. While talking to my mom about our battle with the BAR, she said raising the BAR seemed a better description and I TOTALLY agree! I'm not going to lie... going through this challenge hasn't been easy for us, yet I feel it has raised us up and strengthen us. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right? I can see a difference in myself. Things that I had needed to do in my life, I have started to move toward them and pushed myself to do more.

So this is how we have tried to Raise the BAR:
Shawn: focused on his spiritual, mental, physical self: From working out each day, to scripture study, to BAR study, to getting a tutor... my husband has really stepped it up and I'm very proud (he did a great job in the past too, but we just tried to raise that bar a little higher this time!)
Me: MAKING dinner (healthy, maybe not creative, but hey it's a start!), trying to work out before work and if not having dance parties with the kids and chasing them everywhere! Nightly family and personal scripture study, prayer etc... those basics that I have done, but I feel like I've really tried to raise the bar for myself too!
The biggest thing for me has been to learn more about the principle of faith. In the past, I had always had this fear, a fear he would not pass. Throughout this process, I've learned to put faith in Shawn and my Heavenly Father and not fear... this has been such a wonderful lesson for me to learn. I know that everything will work out and am very blessed! I didn't always handle Shawn not passing as well as I should have, mostly because I wanted to be home with my kids, but I am grateful to have had some time to try and show Shawn that I believe in him and am a support to him.
Orin: So cute, he usually remember to pray that daddy will pass the BAR on his own. Today the first thing he said to me when I got home was "Daddy is studying and going to pass the BAR today." Such a good little support for his daddy! :)
Brody: He just continues to smile & be a pretty happy guy (although teething lately hasn't been fun for him).

Ory LOVES the song: "I Love to See the Temple" and always asks to go to the temple. So on Shawn's way to Ontario, we stopped by the temple as family. We just stood outside because the grounds were not open, but had a little prayer and Ory had to pick me a flower (one of his new favorite things to do).

Then we went to dinner @

which is one of my favorite places to eat. It was the perfect way to send Shawn off... he's ready, we're ready and we are one happy family! :) Like the song says "As a child of God I've learned this truth... A family is forever." I'm sure glad I get to spend forever with my little family!

***Post Edit: Just wanted to also say how grateful we are for such amazing friends/family! We are so blessed to have you and appreciate your love & support! :)

Adventures in Idaho: Mason vs. Food

To kick off a killer trip, we HAD to stop here where Mason was prepared for his
MAN vs Food challenge! 3 pounds of beef plus fixins & fries... which would put his picture on the Wall of Fame next to our family's reining champion Ifo. Many have attempted... many have come close only to be defeated (puke).

appearing confident

not so confident






the rest of us were not so brave (shawn, ory & I shared a 1 lb burger!)


let's see if Shawn's man enough to go against the Big Jud's challenge next time! :)

Adventures in Idaho: Reunion Day 3

Easter egg hunt! The kids got to go around looking for eggs and then they got a prize (Ory picked a squirt gun... not a surprise). The rest of the day was spent hanging out at the cabin and going on floats! Glenna, Melina, Carrie & I went on a float and it was hilarious!! We had a blast and I think Melina and Carrie mostly warmed up to the float by the time it was over! You'd think those Samoan girls would LoVE the water, but they did good and we had so much fun. I was also busy working on making cakes for Ory's 2nd BIRTHDAY!! (It was actually the day before, but we wanted to wait to celebrate when Shawn came THAT DAY! I was soo excited to see him. Ory even helped on his cake (he LOVES helping me in the kitchen... especially cleanin up!)

When Shawn came up (sportin a sweet beard... no not really) to the cabin the boys were so excited. Orin had been asking where "Uncle Shawn" was the whole time... you know you are gone a lot when your son calls you uncle... he he! :) So he was glad to see "uncle shawn" aka daddy again!

That night Santa came to town... he was kind enough to take a break from his summer vacation to meet with the lil girls & boys. And yes, Ory is still terrified of Santa! Poor guy!



Later that night we celebrated our little Ory-eo turning TWO! I can't believe it! He is such a fun, spunky, animated (everything he does is animated!), thoughtful & amazing little guy and has made our lives just that much more full, fun & entertaining (never a dull moment!)! I love being his mommy and am so lucky to have such an fun loving & sweet little boy!




and did I mention I was glad to have my husband back!! and so proud of all he does for us! LOVE HIM!

Adventures in Idaho: Reunion Day 2

The morning started off with a Valentines breakfast and we picked names to make a Vday card for (I got my father in law & he got me... lucky girl I guess!) Then we headed out to Yellowstone where we enjoyed the beauty & wonders (stinky-hot spots... which my dad always hates) of nature. Yellowstone is one of my favorite places!





this is sooo Ory! Holding up a sword to fight Old Faithful! :)

How far am I willing to go to get a pic...

...probably too far... and I was so wishing I had my telephoto lens with me! But let me tell you, I am definitely smarter then the Asian couple that were literally soo close to the buffalo it was a bit ridiculous! Still I was glad Shawn wasn't there to tell me how stupid I was! Had I read the article about bison attacking just a week before, I think I would have pasted on the photo op and oped to just stay in the car! (To read more click here!) Those stupid California tourists! ;)
That night we had a Thanksgivingish dinner which was wonderful and took family photos, which didn't come out as good as I hoped, but with that many people it wasn't the easiest and there wasn't a lot of location options... oh well, you can see people at least... well kind of!

Adventures in Idaho: Reunion Day 1

What I thought was really cool about the reunion was that each day we celebrated a different holiday! How fun to have 3 days full of celebration and the kids LOVED it!
The morning started off with a BIRTHDAY party! Each kid got to blow out his own candle and they opened up a small group present... puzzles. The kids raced to try to put them together the fastest. (Orin's team did not win- which might have been due to the fact that Ory threw some of the pieces in the rocks!)


The day was spent in West Yellowstone. Walking around the streets of the little Montana town is just so fun and of course we stop for Dairy Queen cones to, so that's a plus!




They had these painted Buffalo, which I LOVED! They reminded of my hometown Cincinnati where we had the Big Pig Gig and there were decorated pigs all over the city.


While in West Yellowstone, we went to a little museum and mini zoo. We even witnessed a bear fight (not to the death, but still it was intense & quite interesting to see!)




Right outside the museum we had a picnic and the kids had fun shooting their dollar store bow & arrows!
That night we celebrated... Halloween! Everyone (well mostly everyone... I didn't even think about a costume for me) dressed up and after dinner the kids got to go "trick or treating"! I think this may have been the kids FAvOritE holiday!






lovin the nose on lil Ifo... priceless

That night each family put on a skit. The Patterson fam did a skit where each kid would come up and cry... and the last one told the others they were crying because they didn't have a skit- courtesy of Grandpa (Ory played in the rocks in the back!)

Adventures in Idaho: Uncle Richards

Those who had arrived went down to Uncle Richards for a bbq and have fun on his "farm" (well a farm to me!) This day was SO FUN and the kids (adults too) had a blast doing things that most of us never get a chance to do:
*drinking from a hose


*eating goose berries


*jumpin on the tramp


*riding the teeter tatter

*gathering chicken eggs

*goin' fishin'


*riding horses... this was for sure a highlight and Orin's favorite! He kept convincing people to take him for a ride (think he went at least 5 times!) and he would yell to the horses, "Giddy up, Giddy up horsie... faster, faster"





Carrie even was brave enough to take a ride... you rock CARRIE!

It was just so nice to get a chance to spend time as a family laughing and sharing about life.