A little conference everyday this month.

Since we love conference so much, we're going to make it conference everyday this month in the Perry 'home'.

Of course, I know most of you heard...Greater Kansas City area Temple---right on. (For those of you who don't know, we're moving to Kansas. Although, I'm not quite sure if this will be closer than the one currently in the district.) And a Philly temple, I know we're moving, but still, you just feel so excited for all those who you personally know will benefit!

And last be not least, for today's conference quote: "Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved."

--Chelsea's application to everyday life, "Never let the things that I have to get done (problems), become more important than my children to be loved."

I struggle with this everyday. When my dear little girls need some love and attention, sometimes just a hug, I'm often telling them, "Hold on" or "Just a Minute".

I'm often thinking about the things that I need to get done, i.e. bills, clean house, laundry, my primary calling, errands to run, people to call, etc.

So this morning, as I try to apply conference, Kanani was pulling at my legs while I tried to read, I thought just a few more verses, but then I remembered my little girl obviously needs my attention. So I picked her up and asked her what she wanted. Then she just snuggled up next to me and laid there for quite some time. I never knew that Kanani was that snugly in the morning. All she wanted was mommy to hold her and love her. Hey, I can do that. I mean who doesn't want to hold there little baby girl?! The only time it gets hard is when I start thinking again about what I have to get done. It's easier to see my accomplishments for the day when it's house cleaning or grocery shopping, when it's so visible and tactile. But sometimes, I fail to remember the long term, more important accomplishments, that aren't so easily seen, like my children feeling they are important to me and loved by me. I know that when their days get a little tougher, with school, peer pressure and everything that they see going on around them, if they know that they are important to me, that they can trust me, and most importantly that I love them, then they will be able to come to me with their struggles and they will value my council and guidance. But it's one of those things that I have to show by actions and not just say.

I feel like when I prepare for conference, there are so many answers to be received. I feel that so many of the things that are shared are just for me. I love it and feel renewed, so let's go on our horses.

Conference Oct 2008

Our Conference Opener included breakfast at IHOP! It was good and a fun way to start off our conference day!

A few shots from breakfast.

Nani ate like a champ, well, we all did.

Oh, I was there too.

Here are a few more shots from our confrence day.
Kanani enjoying dinner. I know, it's a gross picture, but I had to put it. She had some lasagna for dinner and she insists on feeding herself. Then Aleah thought she'd come play peek-a-boo with her.

The girls watching Fantasia after dinner and a bath.

Time out!

Lately Kanani has been showing her dislike for several everyday things such as: changing her diaper, eating, being put down, being picked up, putting shoes on, taking shoes off, taking keys away, etc. Whatever it is, she has this adamant attitudinal squealish scream. It makes me crazy. She feels the need to kick her legs sometimes too.

The first sign of this was the day after Aleah's birthday. Aleah got a little dolly stroller and the next day Kanani insisted that she play with it and not Aleah. She also had a death grip on it and poor Aleah didn't know what to do. Needless to say, we went out and got Kanani a little dolly stroller too.

Back to the present. This morning I went to change Kanani's diaper and here she goes with her little fit, and I said, "Kanani stop that. Okay, that's enough." and she stopped. Just kidding, she persisted as I tried to manage the little flailing legs. Then I looked at her little unhappy face and I said, with a very serious tone and stare, "Kanani, do you need a time out?" And she stopped, for real this time, and she let me change her diaper. I mean are you serious? She's 14 months old. When do kids start needing time out? She didn't actually have to go to time out, but I threatened and apparently she knows what time out is.

She knows when Aleah is being reprimanded and she comes to make sure Aleah knows how much trouble she's really in by shaking her finger at her and scolding her. And she knows when Aleah is on time out. She usually goes to pat Aleah on the back and comfort her when she's on time out, which is not helpful, but very cute.

Then, tonight, during dinner, she kept standing in her high chair and finally I said, "Kanani, do you need a time out?" She stopped playing around and sat down. (Matthew gave me a look like, you did not just try to put my little baby in time out. Then I explained the above experience and put his expression at ease.)

Then, last, but not least, I was trying to organize some things to put in storage and little miss kept crawling all over me whining and gnawing on my shoulder. (It's not quite a bite and it doesn't hurt, but she knows mommy will tell her "No" because I don't want it to turn into biting.) Anyways, I told her "No" and then she walked her little legs over to time out put her face in the corner and did this fake little cry, like she was sad to be in time out and then she came back. It killed me! It was just too funny!

So I guess Kanani has some sense of what "time out" is and maybe she'll have to start going when she acts up. They sure do grow up fast.

(This is in the middle of one of her whines, while still keeping her pacifier in and she's also attempting to pick me up. Talent, I tell ya!)

Mum's the word

We went to Ott's Nursery/Greenhouse yesterday, thanks to a friend's blog. We went just to see the mum hill and walk around. It was a fun little outing and the girls loved it! Our friend Emily came with us and took all the pictures. Good thing, because my camera battery happened to be dead.

The little waterfall inside.

This cool old John Deere tractor...my girls are already for a Kansas lifestyle...how cool are tractors?!

The result of playing on a really old tractor. Too bad it wasn't just on her hands.

A great picture that Emily got of the little Nani.

Fe, el primer principio...

Hoy, a la iglesia, yo di un discurso. Lo fue una experiencia buena. Yo aprendi mucho.

For the past two weeks I had been preparing a talk to give today in the Spanish Branch, hence the lack of posting. I kept telling Matthew he needed to post something on the blog, but of course, nothing. So here I am again trying to think of what I'm going to post and I guess I'll just post a little of what I've been doing.

The talk I prepared was on faith. I feel that it is a principle that has really touched home this past year. Whenever I have doubt, I realize that I'm just lacking faith. Whether it be doubt in my mothering skills, doubt in serving in my calling, doubt in our future, doubt in someone else and whatever else it may be, I have had to stop and say to myself, "Hey, have a little more faith."

I'm sure that we can all think of numerous stories where when we showed a little more faith, we received our witness. Just think of how you got to where you're at. (There's a great story in the upcoming Ensign.)

Anyways, I felt very blessed to have had the opportunity to prepare that talk. I have seen how my faith has grown this past year, and what is required of us in order for our faith to be strengthened.

Faith is a principle of action and power and we have to be willing to work, we have to be willing to listen and follow, and we need to heed the promptings of the Spirit.

Sister Beck, the Relief Society President, said at the General Women's Broadcast, that "...if we heed those promptings, we cannot fail"

So there's just a little for ya.

I'm not Catholic, but I am a Christian. And I just thought this was a cool video.

Timely. Beautiful. True.

WE GOT IT!!!!!

Monday night, right after FHE, Dr. Jon Julian called from Kansas.......and yes, he offered the job to Matthew!!!! There are 3 dentist, 2 partners and one associate, and they all decided on Matthew. They were really impressed with him, his positive attitude and that he sought them out. They could tell he really wanted to be there and he could see what a great opportunity it was. We won't get into numbers or anything, but it's a great opportunity for many reasons, I'm sure I posted them way back when I put our first post about visiting this practice, but lets just do a quick run down. Great office, new technology, recently remodeled and they do everything there is to do. They don't refer anything out, so that means they do, of course, the regular dentistry, sedation, implants (Matthew's most desired procedures) then wisdom teeth, sinus lifts, ortho...I don't know what else, but that's plenty.

The first 10 months he'll be looking over Dr. Julian's shoulder to thoroughly learn the procedures (like a GPR), and then after that Dr. Julian sells his portion to the associate now, and then Matthew becomes the associate and will have the opportunity to buy in after 3-5 years, whenever he's ready.

So this is way better than a GPR, because he learns so much more and gets paid more and doesn't run the chance of having a lame GPR or Residency politics.

Anyway, McPherson, small -15,000, but great place to raise a family and we love the town, plus the town is way into basketball!!!

So McPherson, Kansas here we come. The good ol' Midwest, where they cling to their guns and their religion.

We feel very blessed and grateful and very fortunate to already know where we're going.