The Stapley Story

Give the Gift of DANCE for CHRISTMAS! NOW ENROLLING for Spring 2012

2011-12-14T12:59:00.001-08:00

NOW ENROLLING!!

For the Spring 2012 Semester!

Classes begin January 3rd.

Tuesdays:

Beginning Ballet: 3:30 - 4:25pm (Ages 3-6 yrs.)

Beginning Jazz: 4:30 - 5:25pm (Ages. 3-6 yrs.)

Thursdays:

Intermediate Ballet: 3:30 - 4:25pm (Ages. 7-13 yrs.)

Intermediate Jazz: 4:30 - 5:25pm (Ages. 7-13 yrs.)

Monthly Tuition:

$30/ Mo. for 1 class a wk.

$55/Mo. for 2 classes a wk.

Multiple Student Family Discount

Receive a $5 discount off monthly tuition

for each additional child enrolled in your family.

*Student slots are limited.

(We keep classes small for more instruction time with ea. dancer)

**May add more classes to accomodate number of students as needed.

(479) 696-9306

Or on our Facebook page @ Compass Dance Studio

Stop by our Blog: www.compassdancestudio.blogspot.com

~Karis Stapley, Owner/Instuctor

LUCKY # 7

2011-10-08T20:20:00.000-07:00

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MY LOVE!

Seven years ago today, we were married

in the Mesa, AZ. Temple for Time & All Eternity!

What a journey so far! I am so blessed & glad

to be sharing it with you!

It's hard to imagine how the love you feel for someone could

ever grow deeper, but it does, & it has. So much more.

I love you with all my life, Jace Stapley!!

COMPASS DANCE STUDIO is still Welcoming New Students!

2011-10-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

We are still welcoming new students!!

Space is available, but limited.

Your child is welcome to attend a trial class session.
Parents may observe.

Come see what The COMPASS DANCE experience is all about.

ENROLL NOW!!

Check out our blog www.compassdancestudio.blogspot.com

Contact us via Facebook, email (stapleyk@hotmail.com) or call (479) 696-9306

Karis Stapley, Owner/Instructor

To: the Main Man in My Life

2011-07-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVE!!!

It was just days after your birthday, 8 yrs ago, that we met for the 1st time.

I'm so glad that I have gotten to spend every one of those w/ you since that time!

And I plan on being there for every birthday you have in this mortal life (& beyond, if bdays work

that way on the other side;).

And now we're off! To celebrate you! For the next two days!

I am grateful that you are eternally mine!

1st Talk

2011-07-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

      A couple of weeks ago, Cole gave his very first Primary talk in church. He did fantastic! We were so impressed! It was one of those moments as a parent that you feel so very proud of your child & so very grateful to Heavenly Father, to know & see that what we are teaching him, is really sinking in.

     We practiced a few times during the week in preparation for the moment & when it came time, he went right up there, spoke loud & clear into the microphone, & looked out at the audience. He was not shy at all. He has an amazing memory, & while I was standing next to him whispering the lines we'd rehearsed just a few times, he was jumping ahead of me & even adding in his own phrasing or wording.

   He had the whole primary presidency very impressed & said he is like his daddy; very comfortable up there speaking. He touched the hearts of many of the adults in the room & we could definitely feel the presence of the Holy Ghost. The primary pianist came up to me after church & said, as she started to cry, "I felt the spirit so strongly during Coles talk that I began to cry & was crying so much I had to duck my head down behind the piano."

   I do not wish to share this to be "braggy" on our kid. Only to remember & share how true it is that at such a very young age, it is incredible that our children our capable of so much, can teach us so much & have such pure hearts to testify of the basic principles of Christ's church. Kids are still kids & will do crazy, silly, sometimes annoying things, but they are often the ones who most sense the spirit quite easily & those things beyond this world.

Here is what Cole said :

Every day at my house, I pray for & invite the Holy Ghost into my home w/ my family to help us & protect us.

Sometimes when I’m scared at night, because I had a scary dream, I say a prayer to Heavenly Father, asking the Holy Ghost to help me feel safe & calm. And when I do that, right away, I feel safe & much better.

This is the picture we took that he shared in his talk.

Joplin, Mo.

A few weekends ago, I went w/ my family to the city of Joplin where they had the big Tornado.

And I saw: baby & Kids toys, houses broken, & trees ripped apart.

I said to my mom & dad – “We need to stop the car & have a prayer for these people." (Cole truly said exactly this when we were in Joplin)

And after we did, "It felt like someone was hugging my heart!" (Previously during the week, while discussing the "Holy Ghost" during dinner, we asked Cole how he felt when he felt the Holy Ghost & the above is what he said) (When he said this during his talk, you could hear all the woman in the room go, "Ahhhhh", it was so sweet. And quite original; Jace & I had never heard it put that way before.)

That was the Holy Ghost letting me know that Heavenly Father was happy w/ me making a good choice & that I was choosing the right.

The Holy Ghost is a special friend to you & me. The Holy Ghost can bring feelings of warmth, love, peace, joy, & wanting to do good. When you feel the Holy Ghost with you, thank Heavenly Father for this blessing. The Holy Ghost is one of the greatest gifts Father in Heaven can give you.

Whenever I feel the Holy Ghost - “I feel like someone’s hugging my heart!”

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen!

Friday thru Sunday

2011-07-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY : Annual free Chick-fil-A day w/ friends. The boys made their cute little "cow" shirts that morning together & the mommies helped out w/ the ears & tails.

Our Date Night @ Beaver Lake

Our 1st visit to the beautiful Lake, just a 1/2 hr. away from our home.

We had fun play'n around.

And, no, we did not intentionally wear the same color shirt.

Jace pointed it out as we were walking into the mexican restaurant for dinner.

I guess great minds think alike! :)

Sunsets can be so romantic.

Yep! Definitely are!

I love my dear hubbie so much. We had fun chatt'n it up.

That one on one time is so important.

SATURDAY: Cole's Day Date w/ mommy & daddy to see Cars 2. After working hard on his chore chart for 2 weeks to earn it.

Well worth it! He loved it! And was eating it up!

Having Cole there made the whole experience that much more fun.

He was so cute during the movie - getting so excited & making

such cute or funny comments occasionally throughout the movie.

He was making the people around us smile & laugh a little

at his excitement.

Kids are great at that.

Off to Braums afterwards!

SUNDAY: The boys were having a "tough time" in sacrament mtg. today, so we came home very early & created our own. To "practice" our reverence. I've recently started practicing w/ them during the week & setting the timer for 70 mins( the length of the entire mtg.- our longevity of making it til the timer goes off is increasing). I call it "Reverent Hour". Since all 3 boys were "in deep" w/ mommy today, I was pleased that they all made it through pretty dang good! After thinking about things & praying for the spirit for additional insights on how to best carry out our little "meeting", I had Cole come out of time out, help me pick up the family room, get the kitchen chairs into the family room (since the couch is a bit too "comfy" & "bouncy" I've found), & get a "grown up" church film on - no cartoon characters (to get as close to a sacrament talk as possible - I've done Gen. Conf. talks as well). And it worked out great that everyone was already in church clothes & I had the diaper bag packed w/ snacks, drinks, & church activities. So off we went! Still a bit of room for improvement, but you know what, not a bit of whining or crying & no one had to go back to time out. We are going to continue w/ our "Reverent Hour" as much as possible during the week so that we don't have to "loose the privilege" (is what I told Cole) of getting to go to church, anymore.

So later in the afternoon, they did get to get their

energy out w/ some family time on the new addition

to our backyard "playground" that daddy picked up the day

before & reassembled on good 'ol Craig's List for an amazing price!

He even made an awning for the "club house" roof from spare boards off our new

fence we had put up last month ( that was a very exciting day. It's been so wonderful
to have that fence to help "corral" our boys in.).

He's a great handy man!

Mr. Grant picking up speed.

The "big kid" swings were a hit!

The twins entertaining eachother. Those little cheesers!

They're such hams!

Mostly Merrill(in blue) getting Grant(in green)

to giggle like crazy.

And there was a whole lot more giggling & laughing of course before

I decided to go get the camera.

What a FUN, BUSY, NICE, CRAZY, IRREVERENT TO REVERENT, & ENJOYABLE

weekend we had!

Who Are YOU?

2011-07-09T20:16:00.000-07:00

I am A Child of GOD!

And One who knows it!

And so are YOU!

Have a wonderful Sabbath Day!

The Switch-a-roo

2011-06-21T19:00:00.000-07:00

The twins pulled a "switch-a-roo" on me for the first time tonight.

Since they can climb ever so easily in & out of their beds these days,

I am placing them back into their beds multiple times

lately before they actually stay. Even after stern warnings

with that "I'm serious" voice & some swats to the buns, they

have the "best time" w/ each other.

Thus we will be changing them into toddler beds

here very soon!

I have also found them sleeping on the ground

or the double rocker lately during their nap time, but

I'll save more of that for another post.

First let me state that both Merrill & Grant know

who's bed is who's, who's binky's are who's, & who's little

snugglie blankie is who's. So I go in & see one baby is in Merrill's crib

& one is out, so I assume it must be Grant that is out & proceed to lay him in

his crib until I glance at his face & could swear it was Merrill, but couldn't be

b/c its Grant's little giraffe snugglie as well that he's holding.

So I run my finger along his left eyebrow to feel for his little strawberry

mark & am still not sure who it is, since it's starting to fade.

So then I pick him up, carry him over to the remaining dim light

coming from the window & sure enough, it is MERRILL!

And GRANT was lying down in Merrill's crib w/ Merrill's snugglie!!

Those sneaky little totts!

So, of course I switched them back as their "giggling"

all the while, & then of course they're back out of bed again

w/ in two minutes & they pull the same trick again

quite easily on me since I can hardly see any detail

in the dark of their room & can't remember which

twin I put in which pajamas. Sometimes I still color coordinate them;

Grant being Green & Merrill being Blue; or at least try to have one

of the twins wearing his color in a set of coordinating outfits. This was not

one of those nights.

Usually, I'm pretty dang good at always telling them apart,

even from behind or by picking a twin up, or by their voice, but alas,

they are def. twin brothers, & if I'm not paying close enough attention,

I can "switch" them. :)

4 on the 3rd

2011-05-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

Four years ago today you joined our family, Cole. You started our parenting career for us! And boy, have you taught us soo much! Especially patience & how to be firm. :)

These days you really like . . .

- Cars
-Jumping on the tramp
-Playing outside
-Riding your trike
-Going on nature walks
-Animals, dogs, cats, horses, cows, birds
-Your stuffed animals, especially Brownie the Bunny
-To read. To be read to & to read to your animals
-Playing board games w/ mommy & puzzles
-Tickles w/ daddy
-Running w/ brothers around the wall between the fam. rm & the kitchen
-Preschool
-Gymnastics
-Playing w/ your friends, older or younger, boy or girl, it doesn't matter.
-Asking "why" A LOT
-Bath time w/ bubbles & toys
-Nutella on wheat bread
-Warmer Honey Milk
-Candy
-Sun chips
-Ranch dressing w/ almost anything
-Popcorn
-Story time
-Talking at the dinner table almost constantly
-Playing w/ little brothers when they don't mess up your toys
-Using your imagination
-Super hero action figures. ie, Batman, Superman, & Spiderman
-Max & Ruby show
-Disney movies
-Earning prizes
-Earning money for your train bank
-Singing
-Listening to Alvin & the Chipmunks Christmas song over & over & over again, no matter what time of year it is
-Reading/Repeating scriptures everyday at nap time & bedtime
-Talking to yourself in bed each night
-Made up stories from mom & dad w/ you & your friend stuffed animals in them
-Trying new things all by yourself

We are so grateful that you are in our family! You are one smart boy!!

Why? . . . Why? . . . And Why? . . .

2011-05-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

This crazy, fun loving, smart as whip 4 year old

is all about asking "WHY?" these days.

He's always been a curious kid & asked

plenty of why questions before, yet this

last week he's all into asking,

"why?", "why?", & "why?" somemore; followed

by "why?" once the previous question

has been answered.

He's become "irritatingly inquisitive".

But I'm sure we all must have done that

to our parents at one time or another.

At the same time, its prob. better

than being a bump on a log kid.

We'll keep him! :)

Dayton's Legs

2011-04-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

Inspiration for your day.

It brought tears to my eyes to see the amazingly hard work

& dedication this young man had to helping

his friend finish the race strong.

Another inspiring story from my 2nd home town

of Gilbert, Arizona.

It is a beautiful town that Jace & I love

since we spent our first 4 years of marriage there

& where Jace grew up.

Wow Butter!

2011-04-20T12:12:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of this stuff?

I discovered this Peanut Butter replacement today while

grocery shopping.

I'm super excited!

Especially since I love PB so much.

Now we can have "peanut butter" so to speak

in the house & breathe easier for little Grants sake.

It really does taste almost exactly like PB.

It's actually made from toasted soy which I can

taste ever so slightly since I've had actual

toasted soy nuts before.

I am so glad to have found a fantastic compromise

for us that's healthy too!

Check out their website here!

195 Dresses

2011-04-13T19:59:00.000-07:00

This was so fun for me to come across this on our church websites
main page while going there to listen to our latest
General Conference talks while I fold mounds of laundry
(extremely exciting, I know! ;)

She's from my hometown, good 'ol Mesa, Arizona! And perhaps

related to one of my good friends who's maiden name is the
same last name as this cute girl.

What an amazing & great idea! How wonderful to have so many

beautiful & modest options all in one place for hardly anything!
And they also show the prom dates
eating at one of my all time

favorite restaurents in Mesa just about 3 miles up the road

from where I grew up - Tia Rosa's! Their Stuffed Chicken Quesadillas

are my fave!

I certainly remember those days back in high school of searching

for a modest prom dress for hours, that fit right, & for the right price.

Not as easy as it sounds, so what a blessing to so many girls

& their moms, too!

Fun stuff!

Triple - First Date!

2011-03-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

Since all 3 of us couples, The Hoffmans, Saumwebers, & Stapleys have known & enjoyed each other; now being over 2yrs.,

we had not ventured out on a couples date night w/out all of our kiddos.

Which would total 8 kids, all under 4 yrs. between us couples.

So, we made it official tonight & had a BLAST!

First we enjoyed wonderful Carrabba's Italian Grill

& LIVELY conversation w/ lots of laughs . . .

And then we acted like teenagers again & went

Indoor Go Cart Racing!

Check! We're ready to go!

Ka-chow baby!

No Bumping! - Yeah Right! - This is serious business!

The "Race Marshall" jacked up the speed of our cars since it was all adults on this round. Heck yes!

Tires were squealing & rubber was burn'n!
Seriously.
You could smell it.

"Shake N' Bake"!

Adios Mary!

Defeat! Spin out baby!

Needless to say, we wondered why we hadn't done this sooner!

Oh yeah! Maybe because of all those cute little things we left at home. :)

We look forward to the next time around!

"Why I Believe" - My inspiration today & every day . . .

2011-03-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

So beautifully, beautifully said & sung!

I've felt the spirit of this beautiful song

so much that I wanted to share.

I hope this inspires your day

as it has mine!

Guitar Time

2011-03-14T19:56:00.000-07:00

We all love it when daddy pulls out the guitar!

All the boys especially love "helping" daddy play.

In this inventive song,

Jace is singing to Cole

about his "Color Changer" cars that change colors

in hot & cold water - a past time favorite of Coles,

especially during bath time.

Cole joining in on the singing with daddy.

Mr. Merrill jump'n in on the action!

All my boys trying to play at once.

It's so fun to have a house full of boys singing &/or dancing

around the family room to "live" music from my favorite

man in the world.

Especially once all the boys ran off to play together,

he then played & sung for me some Neil Diamond.

Which is such an enjoyable way to end the day!

Ranch for Lunch

2011-03-10T11:35:00.000-08:00

So at lunch this afternoon, when Cole is coming to to the table

to eat, he sees what's for lunch & asks,

"Are we having RANCH for lunch!?"

(Which, if I let him, he would thoroughly enjoy such

a lunch since he loves to dip any food that can be dipped into it. :)

And silly mommy says,

"No, its actually New England Clam Chowder".

And Cole immediately says,

"I don't like it."

So I realized my mistake, & quickly corrected it by stating,

"Well, actually there's ranch in it, that's why it looks like ranch!"

And then we're good!

So, lesson learned, at this stage, it's all in how ya sell it!

And it works wonders!

Give & Take . . .

2011-03-04T09:10:00.000-08:00

This is a common scene at our house during meal time.

One twin taking the goods from the other or the other

twin giving so generously what he doesn't want anymore. :)

In this case, Merrill saw he was out of marshmallows & realized

Grant has plenty to give, so" I'll just take that one right there", he thought.

And this little man right here, gave so generously all those

wonderful marshmallows to his brothers, in which they'd never had

before.

I walk out of the kitchen for about two minutes & come back

to find a big pile of marshmallows on each of the twins trays as well

as Cole having a handful in his fist as he's climbing back up to the table.

I couldn't be upset with him, since he was giving so well &

of course the twins loved them so much.

It's more & more fun as these boys get older to watch all 3 of them play

together. And sometimes crazy too, but mostly just fun.

The twins are officially toddlers now!

Hooray for nursery time! It was absolutly WONDERFUL

this last Sunday to be able to soak up both Sunday School

& Relief Society kid free. Of course though, only 5 minutes after

I sit down in Sunday school, Merrill is brought to me for a lovely

diaper change.

Then it was Grant's turn in Relief society, but I'm not complaining!

I'll take it!

At their 18 month well check the other day, it was fun

to find out that this is the closest in height & weight that they've

ever been to eachother since they've been born.

Their heads are the exact same size, their height is the exact

same, 32 1/2 in. tall, & they both weigh 22 lbs, although

Merrill's about a quarter of a pound more.

I was glad to see that Grant is finally catching up to Merrill

in weight since Merrill has almost always been about a pound

more than Grant, whom we've always called our light weight & Merrill

our little bear.

These little boys are into everything! And surprise

us at times with how fast & smart they are at figuring

things out. They are definite climbers!

2011-02-22T17:46:00.000-08:00

This sign actually says . . .

WATCH OUT FOR MAD DOGS!

At least, according to Mr. Cole it does. :)

There's a few of these signs on the empty lots going down our street,

so Jace & I get reminded from Cole quite often when we go on our regular walks to

be careful of those mad dogs!

He is ALL Cowboy lately since he earned & helped pay for

his Toy Story pull string Woody doll.

Just like the movie, He & Woody are inseparable.

I was actually holding Woody for Cole in my hands today as I took this picture. :)

We love our little Cowboy Cole!

2011-02-18T16:55:00.000-08:00

The Sun & the Moon

I love the beauties of nature!

I captured these photos of the sunrise the day after our 2nd huge

snow storm pummeled us with nearly 2 ft. of snow last week.

I am grateful to say that the snow has all melted away now. :)

As I played with the kids in the backyard last night after dinner in the

beautiful 66 deg. weather, I noticed the full moon rising so bright

in the night sky.

And this is what I captured on "Night Shot" setting

with "Macro Zoom" on.

I can hardly believe the detail & color that shows up

at about 239 hundred thousand miles away!

Keep on rising & shining Sun & Moon!

Because I love capturing your beauty.

2011-02-15T13:05:00.000-08:00

Through Your Eyes, HIS Light Shines

As I was driving the kids to the park this morning,

I glanced at my face for a moment in the rear view

mirror & noticed that my eyes looked especially bright

this morning; & it made me smile.

Then, it suddenly occured to me.

ANY beauty I have in me is because of HIM & his LIGHT.

Jesus the Christ.

So please, the next time

anyone ever compliments you on how great you look,

how beautiful or pretty you are, on any quality you have

or something you do well . . .

ACCEPT IT!

Because it is His Light in YOU showing through.

Through your smiling eyes, happy face, or helpful

actions to another.

And any beauty we have or see in this life is owed to Him.

So don't deny it, down play it, or degrade it.

Just graciously say, "Thank You"!

2011-02-13T10:29:00.000-08:00

My Savior

My Savior loves me. He knows me. He cares for my welfare & happiness.

I am grateful to know that He is always there for me, reaching out with

open arms, if I will but call on Him.

I am so grateful for His atonement.

To know, that when I trip & fall

time & time again in striving to do whats right, He is ever so merciful, ever

so patient with me, & ever

so forgiving of my failings, even though He knows that though I come to

Him with a broke heart & contrite spirit, I may mess up again.

I am especially grateful for that as a Mother.

I call on Him many times a day to shore me up when the chips are down.

And especially to know, that with HIM, the Holy One, I cannot fail

as a mother or mess up my children.

I have added to His pain in Gethsemane more than once & strive

to not add to His pain & sorrows that He already has so much of

for His children. Christ also has great, exceeding joy in His children

when they choose to follow his plan of happiness.
He is there to listen when I cry out to Him.

When my heart aches.

When I want to throw up my hands & give up.

When my patience with my children is wearing thin.

When I'm just plain tired.

I can call on MY SAVIOR.

To lift me up.

Buoy me up.

I can share my joys & excitement with Him of

learning something new or something new

my kids have learned.

And in the small victories of the day.

The Savior is my friend.

And I don't just want to know about Him,

I want to KNOW HIM.

So I strive to come a little bit

closer to Him, each & every day.

Because . . .He is MY SAVIOR &

I am forever grateful to HIM for

His sacrifice for ME.

Look what I found . . .

2011-02-08T10:01:00.000-08:00

In the TOILET this morning!

Oh! Grant!

This was a 1st.

I couldn't believe it. I just stood there

with my my hands over my open mouth.

And then, of course I ran & got the camera. :)

Cole used the bathroom this morning &

forgot to close the lid & the bathroom door.

Somehow, Grant just climbed right in & sat down,

because none of his upper half was wet.

It doesn't surprise me that it would

be Grant because he is our most agile kid.

And he loves to crawl into, through, or under

anything he can.

He was just enjoying himself. And yet, we are very grateful that he did not topple in head first. That could have turned out very scary. I wasn't upset though, in fact, I kind of laughed at the
craziness of the situation, and then I very calmly & carefully went through the steps with Cole of closing up the bathroom when we're not using it. I know he got it, because he got the look that he gets when he's contemplating something seriously. :)

And Merrill wanted in on the action too!

I had to lock him out of the bathroom with him crying to get in,

till I could get Grant situated in the empty tub, strip his toilet water

clothes off, clean up the water on the ground, &

get them in the wash.

And course, it was then time to enjoy the real "Bath Time"!

Together!

White Out

2011-02-03T18:49:00.000-08:00

(Yes, we know, it's actually February 1st, not March :)
Although we can dream, right?!

Only the beginnings of the storm! It snowed like that non stop

all day long.

In the 2 winters we've had here in AR. we've never received so

much snow. Probably double what we would in one storm on average.

You can barely tell that there's a big two-story house

behind those tall trees to the left of the picture.

Which normally can be seen quite clearly (even when its been snowing

in the past).

We are fortunate to have not lost power at all.

This storm has shut the schools down for the entire week,

except for Monday.

The temps. at night have been dropping to around -3 degrees

with wind chill factors causing it to feel like -15 degrees.

The high for yesterday was around 14 deg.

There truly is something to our bodies acclimatizing to the elements.

I ventured out into the snow bundled up in snow pants, snow shoes,

& a thick jacket & was surprisingly not cold in 14 deg. weather.

Though, it did help that the sun was out & it was not windy at all.

Just my hands froze since I was taking pictures w/out gloves on.

That was one deep snow drift. It was quite neat

to see the wind whip the snow around like

you would on a sand dune.

Jace scooped up the snow off the back porch

more than half way through the day to make it easier

to clear later on, & yet the snow still continued to dump

on us quite a bit more.

It piled up deep. From what we're used to ever getting anyway.

Snow is an amazing & beautiful thing to me since I did not grown up around it.

I agree with many when they say that its better to just go

& play in it for a few hours than to live in it.

For kids, snow = Fun!

For adults, snow = Work!

Can we say - Perfect place for snow angels!?

We're planning on taking the kiddos out to play in it

on Saturday.

The twins have never really "played" in the snow, just

touched it a few times.

We shall see how long it lasts.

I am grateful that here, the snow stays just long enough to play in it

a little & then melts away usually with in a few days to a week.

Oh, yeah!

And this is what we were doing just 2 days before the

snow storm hit in lovely 67 deg. weather.

Warm fronts are the best!

Mr. Grant enjoying getting to toddle around &

explore the backyard with out a huge, puffy

coat on (As well as Merrill. Wondering off the opposite

direction I'm sure).

Cole feeding the ducks at "I Street Park".

Big boy Merrill going down the windy slide all by himself.

Grant was really "dig'n in" to that sand.

He Loved! it.

So Blessed

2011-02-01T21:07:00.000-08:00

What do I really have to complain about?

Yesterday, as I was feeding the twins lunch, I began thinking about my life as a whole & how blessed

I truly am.

I have 3 beautiful, healthy, fun, smart, energetic boys that I get to love on everyday.

I have 1 amazing, hard working, tender-loving, helpful husband who is my best friend.

I have a beautiful home big enough to fit all 5 of us comfortably w/ all the necessities our family needs.

I have not suffered the pains that these amazing individuals & families have, & if I do someday experience similar trials, their stories of faith & hope amidst immense trail will buoy me up. ( Their stories are incredible! I promise your perspective on how hard your trials are will change if you listen to these episodes on the Mormon Channel of "Enduring it Well".)

No, life is not perfect or easy everyday, & sometimes a little crazy at my house, but I cannot be ungrateful for the life I have been given from the Lord. For he has given me much!

So I share with you what I am grateful for.

I am grateful that I am healthy & that I have a body that functions in every way that it should.

I am grateful to be a mom. To be able to stay home with my boys & teach & raise them in a gospel centered home.

I am grateful for my eternal marriage to my eternal companion.

I am grateful that my husband helps out often with the dishes, meals, the kids, & the house in general w/ out me asking quite often. And when I do ask him for help, he so willingly jumps right in.

I am grateful that Jace enjoys spending time with me. Talking with me. Going on dates with me. Just hanging out with me. And that he would rather spend his time with me, than to ever play time-wasting video games or something else of the like. ( I do not intend to offend anyone about video game playing. It's just my opinion that there is no real lasting value that comes from them.)

I am grateful that we own 2 well running cars that I do not have to worry if they'll break down any time soon.

I am grateful that my husband has a steady job w/ a steady income. That in these hard economic times, we do not worry if we will have enough money to pay the bills.

I am grateful that my husband holds the priesthood worthily. And to know that at any time, if ever my kids or I need a blessing, he's willing & able.

I am grateful to have been raised in the gospel, by two loving parents & with 3 fun-loving sisters.

I am grateful to have grown up with the priesthood in my home as well & to have benefited from my father

living worthily to bless me & my siblings throughout the years.

I am grateful for the calling that I currently am in. I know I have been blessed with inspiration from the Lord to do certain things or share certain things with these young girls to bless their lives. They are fun to be around & make me smile & laugh.

I am grateful to have danced most of my whole life & to have taught dance for a few years, to share what I love with others.

I am grateful that I've never broken a bone in my life or that I've never had to stay in a hospital, other than having my babies.

I am grateful for the modern conveniences & technologies that we take for granted everyday. Electricity, heating & cooling systems, cars, computers, phones, TVs, etc.

I am grateful for the opportunity to experience living in a whole other state & scenery.

I am grateful to have grown up in Arizona around so many other members of the church which provided

good friends, church leaders, seminary, institute, & the temple.

I am grateful to have lived so close to the Mesa, AZ. Temple. Only 15 minutes to get there. How simple it was then. :)

I am grateful that it is still possible for us to be able to attend the temple. The closest temple is the Oklahoma City temple, 3 1/2 hrs. away one way. And am grateful that its not days worth away from us as it is for many still. It is a long day, but it is possible to make a round trip to the temple in 1 day.

I am grateful to have direction for my life through the means of my patriarchal blessing, the scriptures, & our prophets & apostles. As well as the Holy Ghost to guide my life daily.

I am grateful that my pregnancies & deliveries have gone healthy & well without complications.

I am so grateful that Grant does not have wheat or dairy allergies. That he will likely out-grow his egg allergy & that we have the information we need to save his life in case he comes in contact with peanut products of any kind.

I am grateful to have the education that I do have & that I can always continue learning & growing no matter what stage of life I'm in or where I'm at.

I am grateful for the many ways that the church is making it easier to share the gospel with others.

I am grateful for the knowledge I have of Christs gospel & how it continually blesses my life every hour of every day.

I am grateful for the testimony I have of the truthfulness of the principles of the gospel.

I am grateful that I have not struggled with the ability to have children.

I am grateful that my eyes function w/out the aid of glasses or contacts. That I can see my family's faces everyday & the beauties of this earth.

I am grateful for the power of choice & agency. That I can choose to live the best I can everyday.

I am grateful for nature & the beautiful warm days that I get to be in it & enjoy it with my children.

I am grateful for the freedoms that I enjoy in this country everyday. To have the freedom to speak my mind,

learn what I desire, & to believe in the faith of my choice.

I am grateful for modern medical technologies to help catch any health problems quickly & early. We've been particularly blessed with that for Grant.

I am grateful for the experiences that I've had in my life to learn from in many different ways.

I am grateful for music. For it can lift me up, inspire me, make me feel happy, energetic, & loving.

I am grateful for the desire I've had to learn more about the Prophet Joseph Smith lately & how his life & example has inspired me to become a better & higher me.

I am grateful for the positive example of those around me that inspire me to serve, learn, & love in new ways.

I am grateful to know that as the world becomes more black & white between right & wrong, that I'll always have the guidance of the principles of the gospel to fall back on for support. And to know that if I follow Christ's gospel, that I will not be lost.

I am grateful for the chance to see my children learning something new every day! It truly is an amazing thing.

Especially when your child becomes very inquisitive & asks questions of "How come this or that?" or "Why did they do that?" or "What does that mean when they say in the scriptures, ". . . there were a great number, so many that they didn't number them . . .?"."

I am grateful to see my 3 1/2 yr. old remembering the gospel principles & stories of the scriptures that we are teaching him.

I am grateful for dear friends who will listen. Who are positive examples to me. Who relate well, do not judge, & just encourage me.

I am grateful for the increased promptings of the spirit, enlightenment of some gospel principles, & an increased amount of feeling the spirit being present because of choosing to follow the counsel that our stake president gave 3 weeks ago in reading specific amounts of the New Testament & Book of Mormon daily. I can see & feel a difference in my life every single day. The Lord is real & He is there for me & you.

I am grateful for the atonement. That chance that I have everyday, to try again to be better then the last. To renew my covenants w/ the Lord every week by partaking of the sacrament. He is so merciful to give us another chance time & time again to make our weaknesses become strengths.

These are just some of my many, many blessings that I am grateful for & to be blessed with.

I realize that life can be messy, hard, chaotic, crazy, gut-wrenchingly difficult, unknown, & unkind; & it often times is, yet that does not mean that my Father in Heaven is not fully aware of me & my needs & the

needs of my family & that he does not love me. Because I know he loves me perfectly, even though

I cannot always see how & why things are.

He wants the very best for me & for me to be happy as well.

These are the things that I MUST remember when the going gets tough.

For remembering these many blessings can give me the strength I need

to endure my trials well, if I choose it.

This life was not meant to be easy.

We are here on this earth to learn & grow. And only

He knows perfectly what I need, to make that happen in the ways

I need it most.

I heard one of the brethren of the Twelve recently say in his

interview on the Mormon Radio Channel, "Conversations" that,

"Difficult isn't bad. Difficult is just difficult."

It's in those difficult times, that we can grow the very most.

I fully believe that we are far more blessed in many ways, than we will ever know about or realize.

So I challenge you to,

"Count your many blessing. Name them one by one. And it will surprise what the Lord has done."

Grants allergies

2011-01-12T13:01:00.000-08:00

Our sweet little light weight. :)

We officially found out the week after Christmas that Grant has

severe allergies to peanuts & moderate allergies to eggs.

In food allergen ratings there is a scale of 1 to 5. One being the least

reactionary & five the most.

Grant is a level 4 (severe) on peanuts & a 3 on eggs (moderate).

I first had an inkling that he may have an allergy to peanuts

when I gave the twins cut up pieces of a PB & J sandwiches for lunch

a few months back. Which was the first time they'd had peanut butter, being

of course, after they were one year old.

Neither of the boys were fond of the sandwich's so didn't try them again.

I noticed that Grant's skin around his mouth was red & splotchy, which I

knew could be a sign of an allergic reaction from past doctor visits

when I inquired about Grants rashes on his arms & neck to find out

whether he had eczema or if his skin was just getting irritated by something.

It turned out he had baby eczema & as he's grown, it has almost completely

stopped showing up on his skin.

After a couple of hours it faded away, so wasn't too concerned but made note

to self to watch for it the next time he had peanut butter.

So a few weeks later, we were eating waffles for breakfast & I love putting

peanut butter on them, & was also sharing bites with the babies, which they loved! And sure enough the rash appeared again.

I watched his behavior afterwards & he acted just fine, with the redness disappearing

soon after.

They had their 15 mo. check up mid December coming up & decided to def.

ask our pediatrician about it & have him tested for any allergies.

At their appointment they checked out healthy & growing well.

I talked with the doctor about it & we decided to have him tested to be safe, because

he said yes, a skin rash could def. be a sign of an allergy.

I wasn't too alarmed since I know that some foods can just irritate peoples skin

& nothing else.

So Grant had his blood drawn & of course was non too happy about it.

Then Thursday after Christmas, I got a call that morning telling me the results of

Grants tests & was surprised to have them tell me that he also was allergic

to eggs since he'd not shown any negative signs towards them.

They wanted us to come in that afternoon to talk with the doctor about

the details & what to do & expect from there.

Jace met the kids & I down at the doctor’s office & were educated a bit more on

food allergies, pertaining to Grant of course.

We now have an epipen (epinephrine) shot that we keep on hand at home

for in case he ever has an anaphylactic episode, which our doctor told

us is extremely rare (maybe 1 in billion) in babies & toddlers,

but wanted to take precautions.

So we asked, if his allergy towards peanuts is so bad,

how come it only showed up in a light rash?

He told us that his immune system is too immature to strongly

show signs or react against it. He used the example,

if there were a chain saw sitting in this room, we wouldn't worry

about Grant figuring out how to start it since he's doesn't have the

physical or mental capacity to know how to.

He explained that peanut & egg allergies are finicky ones where

the persons reaction to it can be more or less at times.

For instance, he might be ok with eating peanut butter

2 or 3 times without any real issues & then the next time

he reacts very strongly to it.

Grant will be tested again when he's around 4 yrs. to

see if the scale of his allergic reaction has gone down.

He will prob. never become completely non reactionary,

but if we avoid him eating peanut products & anything with

egg in it as the main ingredient then as he gets older his body may

become stronger to handle those foods & when he's tested again,

if they come back as a level 1 or 2 than he will

be ok. to have them every so often. Up to 20% of all kids with

peanut allergies do outgrow them, so we'll cross our fingers

for that. :) And majority of kids with egg allergies will outgrow it as well.

It's amazing that only 1.5% of kids even have egg allergies. And since my

kid is that 1.5% , it makes me feel so grateful for modern technology to help us find these things

out to keep our kids safe & healthy!

The likelihood of an anaphylactic reaction being triggered

in Him is very, very unlikely until he's about 4 yrs. & up.

So, now we have to meet with an allergist to have more

detailed testing done to make sure no other allergies were missed.

I asked the doctor, "how come we are seeing so many kids

these days with peanut allergies? I don't remember nearly

so many kids that I grew up around having peanut allergies

& it being a problem in being brought into schools

& other public places." (Many places with kids

around do not allow any sort of tree nut to be brought

in, in case there is a child with that allergy).

He said it's true that it is on the rise, & that there are a couple

of possible reasons, one being that we are just merely exposed to so

many more food types than we were many years ago & two

that there are many more preservatives & such in our

food that some bodies can't digest it well or react negatively to it.

And some can be genetic or just happen to be allergic

for no apparent reason.

In ruling things out, neither Jace nor I are allergic to anything

besides pollens, the peanut butter we use is "natural" meaning with

out any hydrogenated oils & the eggs are natural.

I think as the mom I feel more badly for Grant then he does of course, because

he doesn't even know really what he's missing.

I thought of all the things that I enjoyed eating growing up like,

the classic peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, peanut butter cookies, peanut butter & honey toast, scrambled eggs, sunny side up eggs, French toast, German pancakes, cookie dough, quiche,

& anything else with eggs in it that he won't be able to have. Although,

in reading further about his allergies, I’ve found that eggs can be replaced

in baking with a small mixture of natural ingredients such as water, oil, & baking powder.

I fully realize & am so very grateful that his allergies are not worse

& that they are not something more major such as wheat or dairy which

would make things quite tough.

I tip my hat off to you moms that go through great efforts

in making healthy meals for your kids specifically with allergies.

Our little Grant-Grant is healthy, happy, & loving life

just as he is.

And we as his parents will be just fine too while

making some minor changes to how we cook

around our house.

Snow Day!

2011-01-11T11:26:00.000-08:00

Not a ton of snow, but enough to close the schools & some businesses

for the day (Fortunately, Cole only has school 3 days a week & today was an off day anyway,

so we're so glad he still got to go yesterday because he loves school).

Actually, it snowed on & off quite a bit yesterday, then started to melt,

& then froze over again during the night, which then causes the roads to ice over,

thus causing the major problem & reason for closures.

Its the ice around here that's the usual trouble maker, not the snow, since it

usually doesn't get that deep or snow often.

So Jace has stayed home for the 1st part of the day to be safe

& then gone in to the office now that things are melting.

However, the next couple of nights will yield below zero

temps like -4 deg. with wind chill factors weighing in at -15 deg.

We're just getting the edge of the major snow storms that the

other surrounding states are experiencing.

Cole's so excited to go out & play in the snow with Daddy!

"Popsicle icicles" off the truck.

A fun new way to jump!

Aha! Swords!

The beginnings of a snowman.

The snow was still to powdery to compact

into balls. A little later on, and it'll be perfect.

Long icicles like that always intrigue & amaze

me since I didn't grow up living around snow.

Fun to see.

The Golden Ticket

2011-01-06T19:41:00.000-08:00

I must start off by saying - My husband is AWESOME!!

I love this man! He is so creative & full of fun loving surprises

quite often.

Tonight at dinner, Jace handed me a card written to me with a

GOLDEN TICKET inside!

Jace designed this ticket for our date night this weekend

to kick off our New Year right!

This'll be our New Years Celebration since we decided to

kick it at home casually for New Years Eve.

Details below . . .

**If unable to make out the text, it states:
Greetings to you the lucky recipient of this golden ticket
from Mr. Jace Stapley, your eternal friend and soul mate.

This ticket is redeemable for a respite this weekend on Saturday, January 8, 2011.
A break to relax and share with your husband, a time away from the children is yours.
Tremendous things are in store for you. I, your husband, will escort you to an authentic Mexican meal at Randitos
and, if it be your pleasure, a desert at the location of your choice. May I suggest you choose one even better than the
ever-enjoyable McDonalds and their $.99 cones. We will discuss and determine wonderous plans to take place in the year 2011 that will entrance, delight, intrigue, astonish and perplex you beyond measure.
Present this ticket at the entrance doorway of the Brimwood Manor. Your duties of the day will end and your escape begin!
Oompa dee doo.
---------------------------------------------------
In your wildest dreams you cannot imagine the marvelous
SURPRISES that await You.
----------------------------------------------------

Inside the card he wrote:

"Let me take you for a break this weekend . . .

Just need to get a sitter & we're all set!

Thank you for all you do for me & our boys!

You are great & I've enjoyed

you talking more! :)

Lets go set some plans for this year,

have a break & have some fun doing it.

I love you!"

Jace

1/6/11

I look forward to spending some quality time with my hubbie

talking, planning, laughing, goal setting, eating, smiling,

having fun, kissing ;), & relaxing!

I think it's quite ironical & funny that my husband says he

"enjoys" me talking more. :)

Uh, how many husbands say that they enjoy their wife

talking MORE with them?

I must be finally getting good at it! ;)

We joke with each other that I'm the man in the relationship

& he's the chick cuz he used to be able to out talk me

2 to 1 bar none! And, not so much anymore.

I know he means it because he surprisingly also turned to me last week,

after enjoying a casual conversation & said,

"You know what I like & is fun?

Is that you just talk & talk & talk! About good & positive things!"

I smiled. Laughed. And said,

"Wow, that 1st part is the complete opposite of what

you'd hear come out of most husbands mouths."

He is my best friend.

One of our goals for 2011 is one that

we just implemented tonight that I'm really excited

about because now, every Tuesday & Thursday evening, Jace & I

will get to spend an hour together working out

at the gym while the boys are in the child care center there.

Whahoo!!

And some Saturdays we'll get our "exercise" as a family

by going to the gym's indoor pool.

All the boys love water so its a great match!

HAPPY BELATED NEW YEARS EVERYONE!!

Sabbath Day Woes

2011-01-02T21:54:00.000-08:00

"Saturday is a special day, its the day we get ready for Sunday!"

That little primary song has never been more true in all my life as it has the

last almost year & a half.

Every Saturday, all kids are bathed, nails trimmed, church clothes picked

out & laid out (including mine), & church bag & diaper bags are packed.

And most Sundays I'm showered the day or night before. Sometimes,

if I'm daring, I'll wait till that morning & get up extra early before the kiddos

to get ready, which can still push the time & cause me to feel a bit more tired.

Even with all that prep, Sunday mornings can still be chaotic at times & a struggle to still be
on time.

Once in church, we've got two tired babies who's nap time

partially runs into the church time.

Just two more months baby! Til Nursery!

There's also the funny little moments that can make you laugh in the midst of the crazieness.

For instance . . .

This morning as I sat on the couch dressing a baby for church,

Cole was sitting on the ground by me & says,

"Mommy, do you have monster truck tire track marks

on your legs?!"

Why, yes! It does look like that doesn't it!?

(Who knew I was so fashionably cool by the standards

of my 3 year old?!)

Today was our 1st child's 1st day of Primary!

Cole's been really excited & looking forward to it.

The primary leaders had even brought him in a few weeks ago with a couple of his classmates

for a practice run. In which he did quite well. He got to participate & be a helper

in sharing time & he sang all the songs.

Yet when it came time to go today (which we'd happily talked it up),

he did NOT want to go!

Despite his tears, we sent him in to sit in the front row with his Sunbeams class.

Jace went down the hall to teach his new Sunday school class & I went

into Gospel Doctrine class with the twins in tote.

After only a few minutes, I hear Cole crying hysterically in the hallway.

I could hear quite well since the Relief Society room & the Primary room are adjacent to each other.

This "wailing" went on for minutes not stop.

I resisted jumping up & going out to settle him down, because I thought,

no, he can learn how to settle down with the help of his teachers. His mom can't & wont'

always be there to be able to help him out.

I also had the twins with me & did not see anyone I knew well enough

in my corner of the room to leave them with.

So, since his sobs were not relenting, I took the train of a stroller out

with me & saw two of the bishopric members sweetly sitting with Cole on the ground

trying to console him.

I managed to settle him down quickly enough with some "breathing exercises"

we do at home, enough to ask him some questions & get some audible

answers out of him.

He finally told me that he was scared.

Hmm? My kid? Scarred?

Pretty much, never!

This was coming from left field!

He was telling me things that, under any ordinary circumstance

he'd never utter, such as,

"I want to go home with you & daddy & brothers".

"I want to go home & go to sleep".

"I want to go to time out".

So after settling him down & telling him that that was not an option,

we decided that I'd go to Primary & sit with him.

He was o.k. with that! :)

A wonderful sister in the ward was standing near by & offered to take

the twins for me.

Once in Primary, he was calm & happy. But half way through, he started to get upset

& say that he wanted to go back to Nursery while they were transitioning onto

something else. One of the leaders took him so I could leave.

And probably half the ward is well aware of Coles Primary struggles today - no joke.

My kid, was the only one today who had such an outright struggle with

the change.

He's not normally a scared or shy kid, so this surprised both Jace & I.

We've thought that perhaps it was just a lot for him to take in with such a big primary group

since he's used to smaller groups of kids.

Once in Sunday School, with a little snack, he did great they say! He brought

home that day's lesson drawings & even told us at dinner how

"Pinky the Pig" is scared when it gets loud in class & hides, & will only come

out when its quite. And he was more than happy to talk about Sunday School.

Needless to say, we're praying that next Sunday goes a lot smoother for him.

As I was sitting her at the computer waiting for some pictures to upload, I was reading this new book

I got for Christmas from my mother-in-law entitled, "Contentment, Inspiring Insights for LDS Mothers"

by Maria Covey Cole. And happened to be reading at that moment about the comparisons

we make with our selves & others particularly regarding church time. And I thought,

how fitting.

So I thought I'd share.

Sis. Cole says, " Many of us feel insecure & compare ourselves with others when we attend church each Sunday. Other families seem so put together & in control, & we often get the impression that ours is not one of these families. This perspective can leave us feeling discontented & discouraged.

I remember being in sacrament meeting on one particular occasion when the young family in front of us was sitting perfectly still without any books, crayons, or coloring notebooks to keep the kids occupied. Meanwhile, my kids were taking turns crawling under the benches, dumping crayons all over the floor, & teasing one another. What's wrong with me & my family? I wondered silently. A short while later, I again felt like a failure as I watched four perfectly dressed & groomed children ( in outfits made by their mother, I might add) stand & play a beautifully prepared musical number - all on stringed instruments. "I can barely get my kids to practice their piano lessons a few times a week," I lamented.

One woman, a young mother of six boys expressed to me how exhausting Sundays are for her. To avoid being judged for having "too many" children, she feels that her family has to look perfect & behave properly each week to give the appearance of being well-managed & under control. By the time she gets home from church, however, she is utterly worn out from the effort of maintaining this facade, which she concedes is far from reality.

It's safe to say that most women actually feel this same way- whether it be because their children do not seem to be reverent as the children in the next pew, or because their family doesn't seem quite as put together as the next-door neighbors. It is also safe to say that if we base our feeling of self0worth on any source other than the quality of our hearts & our identity as daughters of God, we are basing it on a very shaky footing.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland warned us to beware of "our culture's obsession with comparing, competing , & never feeling we are 'enough'." This often flows, he pointed out, from our own negative thinking about ourselves. "We see our own faults, we speak-or at least think- critically of ourselves, & before long that is how we see everyone & everything" ("The Tongue of Angels," Ensign, May 2007, 17). This comparison mentality is not only damaging to our self-esteem; when we allow ourselves to feel inadequate, we are literally undervaluing our divine worth.

All women have struggles of which we are often not aware. Some struggle with infertility, others with wayward children, others with depression or a troubled marriage. Yet we typically only see these woman at their Sunday best, & if we were to judge them by appearances or compare our lot with theirs, we would truly end up with a distorted picture of reality.

Thank heaven for the inspired counsel of our latter-day prophets & Apostles. Elder M. Russell Ballard reminded us:

There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills & abilities, & certainly different children. The choice is different & unique for each mother & each family. Many are able to be "full-time moms," at least during the most formative years of their children's lives, & many others would love to be. Some may have to work part - or full-time; some may work at home; some may divide their lives into periods of home & family & work. What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply &, in keeping with the devotion she has for God & her husband, prioritized them above all else. ("Daughters of God," Ensign, May 2008, 108)

It seems to me, that Sundays are definitely full of learning opportunities & experiences! One of which is to learn for me

that there truly is a "time & a season" for everything.

I long for the days to be able to savor & drink in the entire church block; from being able to peacefully take in the Sacrament

all the way down till the end of the Relief Society lesson uninterrupted, let alone be aware of someone else in need, but for now, I try to remember that I am teaching & training

up little men how to be reverent so they too can learn to listen for the spirit to touch

their hearts with something that they may be needing to hear or learn or see how to meet

the need of another.

So therefore, I make concerted efforts during my week to listen to talks from the brethren, General Conference, Church Education Week, the BYU channel, or anything "lovely or of good report or praiseworthy" that I can get my hands on while I'm folding laundry, getting ready for the day, sometimes in the car(if we're not all enjoying preschool songs:), or any other monotonous daily task to fit it in

anywhere that I can. Now, this isn't all the time & some days more than others, but I try to make it a habit.

I think it helps with my sanity to listen to & learn from someone who speaks about more

than toys, snacks, & kid shows.

I look at it as my "education" that I'm getting right now. Although not formal,

I've felt very satisfied in learning a variety of things pertinent to my life & the gospel

right now at this point in my life.

Oh, the day in the life of a "Sunday Goer".

Mommy's Little Piggy

2010-12-28T17:24:00.000-08:00

So at dinner tonight, we discovered that Cole sounds just like Randi, "Mommy's little piggy" from "A Christmas Story", when daddy was being funny. So Jace started saying, "are you my little piggy? Oink, oink!" and Cole would crack up laughing & sounding just like Ralphies little brother again & again.
So of course, we're dieing laughing. Its one of those moments in life were it's def. fun to have little kids to have an excuse to be silly with.

2010-12-27T11:34:00.000-08:00

~My very sweet & talented husband wrote this for me in smiling memory of actual events just before

Christmas & then surprised me with this poem in my stocking on Christmas day.~

Christmas Day, In Three

~ All before 12:33 ~

T’was three days before Christmas, when my phone did ring,

A recounting of events of the day she did sing.

It was a ballad of sadness , she was feeling quite blue,

The following highlights are not exaggerated, every bit of it’s true.

Early that morning, when all through the house,

Karis was juggling kiddos, she is a great spouse.

The children were clothed, all bundled up with care,

For a quick pass by Walmart and some shopping in there.

The circus began, as is usually the case,

A stroller for twins and Cole on a leash in that place.

She tied Cole to that sleigh so he wouldn’t run,

And to reach for a purchase, that’s when began the fun.

When while reaching for something there arose such a clatter,

She whipped around to see what was the matter.

And what to her wondering eyes should appear?

Cole had pulled over the sleigh with the boys and her gear.

Her purse and her bag emptied in a flash,

The twins bonked their heads hard on the floor in the crash.

Can you imagine the sight of that which you’d see?

Needless to say, time to close Aisle 3!

Merrill and Grant, of course, screaming, and Cole stood in shock,

Hands shaking, she thought, “This is no cakewalk.”

Two Good Samaritans held and soothed the two kids

As she gathered up all and placed the sleigh on its skids.

Medicine for little heads and snacks for all,

Then Cole needs to run for the bathroom stall.

After that wrestle and with boys growing tired,

From her job she wouldn’t mind if she were fired.

Still, she plunges forward, “Forget the rest. Let’s check out.”

“No time to look at cars, Cole”, which made him more than just pout.

The scene causes grandmas to smile and cheer,

And recent-weds to think “Best to wait one more year.”

“On, Coco! and Merrill! yes, Grantito, too!

Please end this circus and show, I am through.”

Once packed in and buckled and ready to go

Cole insists on holding the cinnamon rolls

To avoid another chapter or more terrible scenes,

She permits him to hold them, you know what that brings.

“Be careful… don’t open” she cautioned with hope,

What she found when at home almost brought tears – need soap!

Christmas breakfast is ruined, cinnamon dough in his lap

Wishing they all could just go down for a long, long nap.

And that’s when she called me, but that’s not nearly the end,

More feedings, time outs and whining was the trend.

All this as we spoke, then as the story wound down,

A crying baby appeared at her feet on the ground.

I was impressed as I heard her exclaim with great care

“Hello little one. Oh! Your diaper is messy in there.”

In quick moment I thought how wonderful is she,

After this morning she’s still loving, how could this be?

Then the baby got to it, performing his work,

She yelled what happened ending my thoughts with a jerk.

As if all weren’t enough, and it beggars belief,

“He throw up on me!”, she cried, lending no sign of relief.

I looked at my clock as our goodbyes we did say,

I was shocked to realize, “That’s only HALF of her day!”

And so it goes on any average day, you see.

When I hung up the phone the clock read 12:33.

What tremendous love and a great heart has my wife,

With whom else would I want to share life?

A woman and mother as she is quite rare to find,

More and more I am grateful to be with her entwined.

We are blessed! And we’ll keep our boys, please,

Even with times as what took place on Christmas Day, in three.

You are amazing, Karis! I love you.

Jace Stapley, December 24, 2010

How we do story time at our house

2010-12-17T10:03:00.000-08:00

Cole almost always wants to come to "story time"

for the twins.

Even though he gets his own story time every night,

it never hurts to have more book time.

That double rocker turned out to be a much needed

blessing more than we could have ever thought since

we got that for Coles nursery before he was born.

We've been practicing the last few months to learn to sit & be ready for nursery

in just 2 1/2 short months.

Mommy's excited for that since it's quite the circus

in Sunday school & Relief Society to keep

them corralled in the far back corner between the

double stroller & folding chairs.

Their such good babies & also want to

go, go, go & explore!

Santas Firetruck

2010-12-12T09:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, our small towns firetruck was going through the neighborhoods

honking its horns real loud to spread some Christmas cheer.

They had Santa with them & were stopping at homes & handing out little

goody bags to the little kiddos that came outside to see the commotion.

When I saw the firetruck at our neighbors house across the street,

I was worried something happened to one of their kids,

till their mom came out with the camera & Santa jumped off

the side of the truck.

So I grabbed Cole & ran outside with him to wait till

they came back around.

When Santa asked Cole what he wanted for Christmas,

he was so cold he couldn't answer, so of course I told Santa; cars! (What else would it be?!)

The temps were somewhere in the 30's.

And unfortunately, that little snippet of film was all Jace could get since the memory

card was full. I need to be quicker at clearing it off. Especially since I take tons of pics so often. :)

All in all, Cole thought it was great!

Ring Around the Rosies

2010-11-23T10:41:00.001-08:00

This was a hit for FHE last night.

It being A new favorite around

our house these days, it's only natural that it was

done several times of course.

*To pause the music, scroll to the bottom of our blog where the playlist is at.

Teenage Dream Dancer

2010-11-22T18:25:00.000-08:00

*To pause the playlist music, scroll to the bottom of the blog

Whenever little Grant-Grant hears music, he's either swaying, bounce'n up & down or be-bop'n.

And Merrill, he likes to make the music by drumming on everything.

So if we could get Cole to do vocals, then we'd be set as,

"The Stapley Brothers Performers"
or something just as cheesy. :)

2010-11-19T15:06:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of Her?

I've recently discovered her music & love it!

I think my favorite of hers would be . . .

In The

Peek - A - Boo Giggles

2010-11-15T19:52:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I actually caught this hillariously sweet moment between the twins.

Too fun!

Messes, Messes, Messes . . .

2010-11-12T19:11:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of the messes my sweet innocent boys have made over the last 3 months. :)

That new Sponge Bob soap is just too tempting!
(Lucky I caught it when I did! And no, for some odd reason, that sink does not
have a top basin drain. So, it would have flooded!)

The Sunday paper! What fun!

(I'm just glad I'd already gotten my weekly coupons out,

& didn't mind too much since we really don't read the paper anyway)

I actually let them have at it, & then Cole got to
help me clean it all up & then everyone got
into the tub since they had black ink all over them.
That was a fun, one timer.

Covered in grass from head to toe, while enjoying the Buzz Lightyear

water-rocket.

I knew it was too quiet . . .

Cuz they were all enjoying snack time! Hooray!
The twins had figured out how to get into the cabinet
with their baby snacks & Grant knows how to open the lids
with his bottom teeth.

Sneaky, sneaky!

Bathroom doors stay closed at our house now.
If not, then we usually find this . . .

And what a blast they have!

It's drum time too!

Snack time for twins + art time for Cole = A painted baby
(Good thing it was just water paints)

Mmmm . . . Yumm! Desetin!
(Which is incredibly hard to get out of fabrics)

Both of them were in on the action, but Grant was the culprit
since he can get lids open with his teeth.
(This all happened in less than 1 minute when I went to help big
brother finish up with the potty)

And yet these sweet little messes are mine & my hubby's.
And I'm glad for all those times when I chose to run & get my camera,
for we will be able to look back on those moments years from now
& laugh.

Strangling Your Husband is NOT an Option!

2010-10-16T09:35:00.000-07:00

I 1st heard of this book way back in April at a Quarterly Enrichment Relief Society night. The whole evening had to do with marriage & dating your husband. One of the sisters teaching one of the classes discussed the "5 Do's & Don'ts" of "Wife hood", which intrigued me & was fantastic. During the class she stated that she has read & reread & reread this book. And you could tell from the wear & tear of it.

So, a few days later, I went on line & ordered it for pretty cheap! (Try: half.com) I also ordered with it a few other books I'd been eyeing as well. So unfortunately, it got set aside for a time to focus on a couple of other great books.

It takes me quite sometime these days to get through a book, since finding quite reading time can be hard to come by these days with the little munchkins! :) However, when I "re found" this book about 2 weeks ago, I've had a hard time putting it down! I was going through a tall stack of books in our room that I was organizing & came to this book in the stack.

The only way I can describe this insatiable need to share this book with other woman is the feeling people get when they believe so much in the Gospel & just want to share their testimony of it with everyone around them because you want them to be as happy as you have felt!

I have highlighted & made notes in the margins & learned so much already that I want/need to do/ start doing again.

O.k. So the tittle of this book is quite cute & funny. This book is actually, about becoming a BETTER & WISER WIFE. Which can start from the moment you read the very 1st chapter.

Whether you've been married 1 month or 50 years, this book is oh so beneficial! AND! I'll add those woman who are of the "marrying age" & thinking about it or are engaged. (There are things in this book that I'd wished I'd known from the start!)

So without further adieu, I will share some of my favorite excerpts of the book with you that I LOVE!

Wifehood "Don't" # 1 : Don't put other people before him.

The Lord commanded us to cleave unto our spouse & none else (D&C 42:22). Of this commandment, President Spencer W. Kimball taught: "The words none else eliminate everyone & everything. . .

A husband or wife who places children, friends, careers, hobbies, or church callings before the marital relationship is "in direct violation of the command: None else."

Quiz : Are you married to Your Husband or Your Kids?

True or False

Do your children stay up past 9:00 or 9:30pm in the main family area? (Or, if you have older teenagers, do you have separate places where they can go so you can have alone time?)
Do you go out with your hubby, without kids, at least three times a month?
Have you been gone overnight without your kids & with your husband within the past year?
Think about the last time you bought your kids a treat- do you buy your hubby a treat just as often?
Analyze your conversations with hubby when it's just the two of you-do you spend more than 50 percent of the time discussing the kids?

Each of these areas is telling to see if you are putting other things or relationships ahead of your husband.

Wifehood "Don't" #3 : Don't speak ill of your husband.

     A husband's name & reputation are sacred things. Treating our husbands w/ respect & extending that respect to protecting their privacy are crucial to being a smart wife.
" . . . what a refreshing change to hear woman who by & large are complimentary of their husbands & speak highly of them. (not husband-bashing)."
Think about it. How would you feel if he talked about you the way you talk about him?
    What we are doing is allowing our husbands the privacy to change & improve. There are things that we used to do as wives months or years ago that we no longer do. We have changed. We have hopefully improved. By keeping quiet to others about our husband's failings, we allow him that space & time to change & improve as well.

Wifehood "Don't" #5 : Don't kill what worked at the beginning of the marriage.
Ex. Getting fixed up.

     In the beginning of the marriage, & indeed throughout your courtship, you looked good. A lot! You knew that you would never attract a husband if you looked lousy.
[Merrillee's moms "Best Advice # 7"]
     "He's surrounded by babes at work. He doesn't want to come home to a slug." Think about it. Wherever your husband is, he sees women who take care of themselves. They had to dress up to go to work. They look good. But he comes home to you. What does he find?

     All those things that worked in the beginning of the marriage will work now. So take time to look good. Talk a lot. Go do the fun stuff you used to do. Compliment him. Flirt with him. Spend time with him.

Wifehood "Do" # 1 : Do honor your parents.

     One important way is to keep them out of your marriage intimacy. President Kimball expressed this well: "You love them more than ever; you cherish their counsel; you appreciate their association, but you live your own lives." Good advice from a prophet.
     We need to honor our parents' privacy & our own. This requires a clear boundary between the two marriages. You should not confide private, marital things to your parents (and frankly, they should not discuss theirs with you!). Honor them by not burdening them with your petty complaints about your husband & your marriage. Respect them enough to keep quite.

Wifehood "Do" # 3 : Do value yourself.

     What is one times one? That's right. It equals one!
One full partner with one full partner equals true oneness in the marriage. Now, what is one times zero?
Yup. It equals zero. So what does this mean? It means if you treat yourself as a big fat zero in the relationship, nothing good will be the result.
     The best wife is a true person. She develops her own unique gifts & abilities & is constantly evolving & growing.
     It is the duty of each woman to come to know & accept & enjoy being herself.
     One of the greatest mistakes wives make is to stop growing. They tend to mistakenly conclude that they snagged their man & can now coast to the celestial kingdom. Actually, that wedding is only the very first baby step in a series of steps that will lead you there. Now is not the time to sit down. It is the time to value yourself.

Wifehood "Do" # 5 : Do value your commitment.

     A dear friend said to me one day, "I want the same testimony of my marriage as I do of the Church."

The seriousness & importance of our marriage cannot be taken lightly.

     Realize that your husband is you eternal companion. Learn to look at him that way.
Elder Lynn G. Robbins sums this up: "Scripturally, the Lord is very clear with us on this doctrine - you can't 'fall out of love,' because love is something you decide. Agency plays a fundamental role in our relationships with one another. This being true, we must make the conscious decision that we will love our spouse & family with all our heart, soul, & mind; that we will build, not 'fall into,' strong, loving marriages & families. 'Don't just pray to marry the one you love, Instead, pray to love the one you marry'.

    One of my favorite lines from this book is, "I want the same testimony of my marriage as I do of the Church."

This book has changed the way I view my role as a Wife, a person, as a whole & my marriage as a whole.

     Since reading this book I have strived to remember these little everyday things that I can do to improve myself & keep my marriage strong & growing.

You really can be madly in love with your husband for years to come! (even if their not perfect! :)

     Even if your marriage is great, there is still things to be learned in this book or reminded of or great ideas to be gained.

   While reading this book, I've realized that there are things that I can definitely improve upon as a wife for the livelihood of my marriage.

     I love my husband dearly & am grateful for the 6 years we've had together to learn & grow through the ups & downs. Our marriage has especially bloomed to something greater than ever before in the last 2 years.
I believe there really is something to the need of being on your own & having to really rely on each other for strength. It brings you closer together.

     I share these truths with you, that have been shared with me, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

6 Yrs. Running

2010-10-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

1 out of state move,

2 houses,

3 kids later, we're still Eternally Bound!

My how life can change in 6 quick years!

Life, & the Lord has made us stronger.

Individually & as a couple.

I love my husband dearly!

He works so hard for us making the "monies"

(as Cole would say it).

He is thoughtful.

Helpful with kids & house.

Hard working.

Great cook.

Generous.

Good teacher.

Good organizer.

A great friend.

He is my best friend. :)

Happy 6th Anniversary Honey!!

I look forward to our 60th!

2010-09-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

I'm soo excited for

THIS!

It's my guidance to live by for the next 6 months

of my life (and then some :).

My family & I will be spending our Saturday & Sunday watching & learning from this man . . .

& these men. . .

along with many other great leaders.

I know, for us, there is no better way to spend mine & my families weekend together.

Please watch, learn, & enjoy!

IF,

2010-09-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

You could go back to right before you had your 1st child . . .

What would you tell yourself?

Here are some mothers answers

HERE.

Enjoy! I know I did.

Thanks for sharing Mom. :)

For kicks:

You might also enjoy

This.

It's great for a quick laugh. :)

Two 1st Birthdays

2010-09-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

Waiting for the big moment to begin! The boys had never tasted of

any sort of cake, cookies, ice cream, frosting, or the like until

their 1st Birthday(just the cupcakes, not all of the above). We're pretty sure it was a hit! They also

tried pizza for the 1st time & inhaled it!

We sang Happy Birthday to each of them individually & watched

them each for a few minutes get into their own cupcake.

What? Do I have a little . . . ? What's so funny?

GRRRRR!!! Attack it!

Oh yeah! Power to the frosting!

There's still some left! I'll just clean that up for you mom!

Hey Dad! You've got a little somethin' on ya.

So after some quick wash down bathes, it was time

for their 1 big present.

Cole could hardly STAND, not opening it!

I had to finally hide it for a couple of days since Cole

would ask quite frequently if it was time for the twins

to open their gift (so he could play with it :).

Something New!! Ooooo!!

Here Dad, we'll just help you put that together. :)

And their off! To the baby races!

We figured this gift was a good idea since the little walker toy we already

had was consistently trying to be used/walked/played with simultaneously

which would result in one or both of them falling over the other

while trying to walk together. :)

It was a winner for sure! With all 3 boys. :)

We love you so much Merrill & Grant!!

You guys are such sweet little munchkins!

Happy 1st Birthday Merrill & Grant!

2010-08-31T12:57:00.000-07:00

Hooray for Merrill & Grant! They've survived their 1st year of life together!

And we've survived them! :)

Grant is a giggly one! And a talker! He jabbers on & on.

He's our little lightweight. And is very active.

This is all as of right now, since they seem to flip flop on

their personalities.

Merrill only talks when he's really got something to say!

We think he lets grant do the talking for the both of them.

Although he was the 1st talker of the two.

Merrill's our little drummer boy. He loves to drum on

everything! Merrill's our big boy who likes to "tumble" around.

They both like to Be Bop to music, play with big brother Cole (especially

in their pop out tunnel's), bath time, books, the swing set, baby Einstein, to giggle

a lot & play by each other.

They can hardly stand not touching the books when I read to them.

It gets kinda crazy with 4 little hands grabbing at the book

while I'm trying to read to them. :)

Those big grinned smiles are contagious Mr. Grant!

And Merrill does the same impish smile I did when I was a baby.

They don't like playing with out another brother around.

They have such good demeanor's & are such happy

babies!

Happy 1st Birthday Merrill!!

Happy 1st Birthday Grant!!

1st Day of Preschool !!!

2010-08-30T14:43:00.000-07:00

Cheese!!!
Cole was sooooo excited to go to school!
He's been waiting for school to start all summer!

Hooray! Day # 1 !

Our 1st child on his 1st day of school. He's getting so big!

He'll get to go 3 days a week for a 1/2 day at St. Stephens Preschool in Bentonville.

His teachers are Miss Susan & Miss Robin.

Cole is in the Caterpiller age group this year.

Next year, he'll be a butterfly.

Cole was excited to get to bring his Lightening McQueen back pack to school finally.

And even baby brothers were there to show their support. :)
They're such good babies!

Coles 1st activity of the day while all the kids come in.
Playdough is a good one! He jumped right in.

Jace & I are very excited for Cole to attend this school. They have a
wonderful curriculm that is state approved with fantastic teachers in a Christian based
environment.

When it came time for us to go, I told Cole that we had to leave & he was so good; he just said,

"Ok. Bye mom. Bye dad. Love you!" And that was it! No fuss or worries!

And when we came to pick him up, they brought him out to us in the car line

& they said he did great. No tears.

Cole said he loved playing outside on the playground & on the way to lunch, he kept

singing, "Happy Birthday to Cole" because appearently there really was a girls birthday

in his class that day. But, ya know, Cole's name sounds real good there, right? :)

Then we all ate lunch together at Chick-fil-A.

Cole is not featured in these photos since he was off playing

majority of the time in the indoor play place.

The babies had a blast playing on the booth seats & nawing on their baby spoons

in which they would try a grab eachothers spoon from eachother & squeel till they switched. :)

They love those waffle fries! Soo good!

An older gentlemen who had been watching the twinners play

& jabber, offered to take a picture of all of us & of course

wouldn't turn that down.

It was a memorable 1st day for cole & us as the parents.

We did ok too! No tears from either of us.

This is a positive change for us & are thrilled that Cole

can gain the full learning experience of school that he so needs.

This will also allow for some quality attention mommy & twins time

together.

And tonight for FHE, we'll have a brief lesson on Priesthood blessings & Cole will receive his 1st "school" blessing for the year from his daddy.

All in all, the day went well & positive, up until we had to leave the restaurant

& Cole was past his limit, & just cried the whole way home & then

after some more tears about naps, he zonked out!

Its a lot for a little kid to take in with a whole new routine!

We love you so much Cole!

Your our favorite oldest big boy! :)

Tuck & Roll

2010-08-27T14:54:00.001-07:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

SLC, Utah Trip; Moments of tears, memories, excitement, joy, & blessings

2010-08-12T13:52:00.000-07:00


We en-devoured off to Utah just a couple of weeks ago on short notice for the funeral services of my grandfather John Langeland. He was almost 92 yrs. He married my grandmother Louise over 7 years ago. It was wonderful to have a grandfather figure again since both my grandpas have been pasted away for many years. John made her soo happy & he was so incredibly loving to her & us.My grandma will not be in any of the photos since she passed away 2 yrs. ago from some form of stomach cancer, which no one ever thought she'd pass before John since he was about 12 yrs. older than her & she tried to live very healthy. Since there were no direct flights to Ut. from Ar. we had to get a flight to Az. were it worked out well since we dropped off all 3 kiddos at Gmoms & Gpa Stapleys house for 4 days.Which is no small task! Thanks again greatly to my in-laws for taking great care of our boys. In the above pic, Cole was helping daddy open his early B-day gifts from his mom the night we arrived since we'd be traveling during his Birthday & since we don't live there anyway. :)


This trip was also the 1st time in almost 2 yrs. that we'd been without the kids for more than a day.	We are at Tucanos enjoying their awesome meats & sweet grilled pineapple! Oh yum!

Jace on the chairs as the Tucanos staff sings a Happy Birthday song to him in Portuguese.

Green means - Bring it on, baby! More amazing meats!

On Sunday, we slept in, took our time getting ready, & then walked the temple grounds & went into the south visitors center & stood in line to see this amazing replica model of the Salt Lake Temple.

It truly is a beautiful temple!

That night was grandpa Johns funeral viewing. We met up with my parents there & enjoyed visiting with them & seeing again Johns very gracious children as well as watching a video of his life. Its very strange to see someone you know & look at them & not hardly recognize them. I don't think we look the same without our spirits with us. When we got there we'd just barely missed seeing Elder Bednar, whom we'd have loved to have met since I'd just been listening to an interview he & his wife had done with Sheri Dew a couple of days early & was grateful to get to know more about him in a day to day setting. He also was the Stake Pres. over the area of NW. AR. that we now live in before he was Pres. of BYU Idaho.

Early Monday morning, Jace & I attended the SLC Temple & truly enjoyed the live sessions they do. It had been about 5 yrs. since we were last at the SL Temple for a live session. They are so neat to experience & help keep you more awake since the lights aren't dimmed.

We had fun doing model poses for each other on the temple grounds since we were all snazzed up.

My grandfathers funeral was one to be remembered! I knew John knew a lot of the bretheren from his church service through out many years & being temple president over the Swiss Temple some years back , as well as being president of Zions Bank for many years, but I didn't expect the prophet to be in attendance. Especially with his busy, busy schedule. Pres. Monson spoke where I learned that He & John had known each other since 1976. Elder L.Tom Perry was in attendance & spoke as well, telling fun stories of John & him & sharing scriptures with us off of his iphone. John was an amazing man who lead an amazing life. He was originally from Norway, where he joined the church by the influence of his beautiful girlfriend at the time who became his wife, had 6 amazing children, moved to Utah with hardly any money, & served well in the church & influenced strongly the missionary programs in the church & so much, much more. Here's a short life bio on him HERE.


Meeting the prophet, was for me, an amazing thrill that I'll never forget. Better than meeting any celebrity on earth. A few months prior, I felt a strong desire to get to know our prophet better, so I bought the new video that's about his life called, "On the Lords Errand", which is fabulous by the way, & was grateful to learn more about him. I even felt & had planned to write Pres. Monson just thanking him for the amazingly exemplary life he's lead. And that I am a better person from getting to know our prophet a little bit more. When the services were over, the family files out of the chapel first, so we were outside waiting for others to come out when Pres. Monson came walking out. Without a second thought, I beelined it for the prophet. I shook his hand & expressed gratitude & thanks to him for his life. I told him I purchased the new video out about him & he said, "Oh, I've been on many errands for the Lord!" I told him that our 3 yr. olds favorite part of the video was when He was a young teenage boy floating down the river in an inner tube when he came upon a family screaming because their daughter was drowning, but nobody knew how to swim, so he grabbed her up by the hair as she went under again & then carried her over to her family on the shore. Where her parents kissed on him for saving her, but he was embarrassed by being kissed my a bunch of older people, so he quickly left. And of course he recalled the story. He was so friendly, gave me a hug, & met my hubbie as well. When Jace walked up he said, "Well we're in the presence of greatness!" & Pres. Monson said, "Where?" And Jace continued, "Right here!( pointing his hands at me." It made the prophet laugh, since he's the one used to hearing that about himself. Then Jace just bragged on me for a moment. He told us we were a beautiful couple, & when we asked for a picture with him, he said, "Go stand by your wife young man". In the background behind Jace is the prophets body guard. He was very nice to all the people around wanting to meet & shake hands with the prophet. This may not mean much to somebody else, but for me, I was on cloud nine! I love our prophet dearly!


Here are a couple of my cousins & our spouses that I've not seen for a couple of years or more. On the left is my cousin Melanie & her husband Sterling with their new baby girl who live in Boston right now, then Tyra & her husband Hugh with their youngest boy who live in Utah, & us of course in AR.

Jace taking pics of me at the Joseph Smith Memorial building & having fun listening to the beautiful piano music being played with my awesome hubbie while we wait for our dinner reservations on "The Roof" of the building.

Jace & I hanging out a bit more, enjoying wonderful conversations with each other with out any interruptions from kiddos. Ah, so nice!

A small sample of our incredible meal. Fantastic food! And of course, all drinks are alcohol free. :) There was great food, sweet conversation, eating, talented piano music in the background, dancing with my hubbie, more eating, taking pictures, & dessert!

Aaah! The desserts! Too, too many tantalizing options.

This, is Margaret. It was her 80th birthday that day. As she was walking past us, she'd been watching us dance, & said to Jace, "I loved your dancing guys, & I would have danced too if you'd have asked me (all in a smiling, fun way). So Jace offered right then & there & absolutely made her day! She was a sweetheart! And my husband is too, for his kindness to her. We had more conversation with her & later I remembered that we had gone to the Church Distribution store right before dinner & still had with us some pictures of the different Temples with us to give to our boys & a copy of the video, "The Testaments", so we wrote a happy birthday wish to her & gave her a pic of the SL Temple & a copy of that video. She could hardly believe it & kept thanking us. She even invited us to come & stay at her home in Texas with our boys since she loves being a grandma & has plenty of visiting room with 5 bedrooms. We've already had email correspondence with her.

We had a wonderful evening together & chatted it up with the pianist, making requests of which he could play all songs, met a young man & his girlfriend which was their last evening out together before he left for his mission the next day to OK. City (which is only a few hours away from where we currently live), talked with our server & he became our "photographer", & of course met Margaret & her daughter too. It certainly is different how your focus on others can extend so much further with others when you don't have your 1st priority with you (kids & hubbie of course, but we had plenty of focus time on each other).

The sun setting on the Temple. Our view from our table at "The Roof".

I love this man! He is my best friend. He takes care of me well. And we have lots of fun together.

Since we were flying back to Arkansas from AZ. with all the kids on Jaces birthday, we celebrated a couple of days later with a home made oreo brownie, cheesecake frosting cake which Cole helped me make. Cole was upset here because he wanted to blow out the candles already.


Then Cole gave daddy his homemade birthday card made on construction paper & with paint pens. Cole also gave Jace a book called, "Dad's Big Idea" for them to read together. And they both enjoyed it. HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY!! And Grandpa John, you will be greatly missed! You were such a hilarious & wise, wise man.

2010-07-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

I pray,

to never have to experience what these amazing parents have gone through.

The closest I could merely relate to them is knowing what it's like to have a baby
in the NICU. (Grant for 9 days when he was 1st born).

You just look at them, attached to all these cords a feel for them & want to hold them, but cannot.
When we finally could hold him, he was still attached to some cords. We didn't get to see him
much since we now were caring for Merrill at home along with Cole still; and the hospital was a 1/2

hr. away one way. I only got to spend 1 night with Grant in the hospital before he came home & brought

Merrill with me. That was a hard night. They slept in hospital bassinets next to each other, but were not
allowed to sleep together even still.

I can only imagine the heartache that Ashley & Pat are going through regarding their little girl Preslee, even with the knowledge of the gospel, you would still ache to hold your little one over & over.
I broke down when they told me that Grant would have to be transferred to the NICU at Willow Creek so
they could better care for him. He was put into a mobile incubator connected to soo many tubes & transported by ambulance. It reminded me of E.T. when he was in the medical incubator.
They let me hold him before he was placed in & wheeled away. It wasn't a grim diagnosis they said, he just needed more advanced medical technology & time for his lungs to develop & not stick together. We were very blessed that we were able to get into Willow Creek & not have to go 3 hrs. away to Little Rock.
We got the last spot at WC & there was a baby born a few hours later at our hospital that did have to go all the way to LR.
I've not intended to go on, yet this has been a very good & real reminder to me to be grateful for my
little crazy munchkins every day! To hold them, hug them, kiss them, & tell them that I love them every day, many times a day.

Thank heavens for the eternal binding powers of the
Holy Temple & how blessed we are to have our spouse & children with us for all eternity.

2010-06-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

A great way to start out the day; Perfectly!

I got up at 6AM. Before the kiddos.

Got dressed in work out clothes.

Took vitamins for the day.

Knelt in prayer for quite a while.

Read the scriptures.

Twins are awake.

And by 7AM, out of the house jogging

the neighborhood with the twins in the stroller.

Perfect temperature. Nice cool air.

The sun is out, but still behind the trees.

The birds are singing & chirping loudly & beautifully.

And I can smell the wild flowers in the fields around

our house as I jog by.

A 1/2 hour later, I'm back at the house saying good

morning to Cole & my sweet hubbie.

It was . . . . Perfect! It really was. That. Perfect.

And I felt so very grateful for it.

Now, to make it habit & routine to follow the council

in the scriptures of:

Early to bed. Early to rise.

That's the challenge for me!

We had our Home Teachers over last night

& they had challenged us as we commit to saying

our personal prayers, couple, & family prayers

along with our personal scripture study, couple, & family

scripture study daily, that the Lord will show us in a few ways

how we are being blessed by following the

council of the prophets

that we've been given

all our lives.

It's so simple & basic.

Yet.

Seems so hard to make

habit.

We have made family morning

prayers a Habit now &

the norm about a month

ago, instead of it being the

rarity as it had been

in our home.

And I can testify it has brought

more peace into our home.

HAVE A FABULOUS DAY EVERYBODY!!

2010-06-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

Heads Up!!

Lots to come! On Birthdays, Holidays, Trips, & more!!

Sooo, keep watching for it!!

Love, The Stapley Gang :)

PS.

If your feeling BLUE,
there will surely be something

to make you smile! :)

2010-06-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

Sayings from Coco

Yesterday at the breakfast table Cole says all of the sudden :

"Oh! I hear a fly flapping his wings!"

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This morning as we are putting shoes on to go outside he could hear the birds chirping & says:

Cole: "Aaawe (in a sweet voice). It's a baby bird who's sad. "

Me: "Why is he sad?"

Cole: "He's scared because he's lost from his mommy."

Me: "Oh, no. Really?"

Cole: "Yes. We need to go find him & give him a hug."

Me: "That's so sweet of you. I think he would like that."

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As Cole stood on the coffee table today while I was changing a baby he said :
Coco: " I am a pillar of God. Like an angel! I want to fly!"
Me: "Oh, like an angel?"
Coco: "No. Like Buzz Light Year!"
That one made me laugh, because I certainly didn't expect Buzz Light Year to come out of his mouth
at that moment. :) Oh, how quickly they can go from one thing to the next.
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He'll say to Jace sometimes as he leaves for work:

"Ok. Daddy, love you, go make the monies!

And then when he gets home he'll say to him:

"Daddy? You all done making the monies!?"

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A few days ago, he told a total stranger that :

" Mommy had baby brothers in her chest". (As he pats his hands on his chest).

I was slightly embarrased! Just one of the many times I sure that things like that will happen in the future. I guess it made sense to him. I had 2 babies in my tummy before & it prob. looks like it now to him, just slightly higher. ;)

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And then there are the sweet moments when he will very softly put one hand on my cheek & say :

"Mommy, I love you, you are so pretty."

And he melts my heart!