Ha ha ha, Phil!

Inside joke, the rest of you won't understand.

Are you KIDDING me?

One of my closest friends is simply amazing when it comes to carving pumpkins. Here are his 2009 Creations. He, myself and a couple of other friends of mine are going to the They Might Be Giants concert this coming Friday. He did this in honor of that event.

Confused? Or just playing the Crowd?

So, we were at Blockbuster on Monday night (Picked up Transformers II and "Earth") While trying to keep Carson occupied, I was doing the usual thing. Letting him walk around with me just following him and making sure that he didn't touch anything he wasn't supposed to. Well, he found this picture, or at least one very similar to it in a poster frame:

He walked right up to it, Pointed at it and said....."Jesus."

Um.... Not so much. : ) Perhaps seen as the "God of Guitar" though by some people.

Pony Ride!!

Carson's favorite part of Thanksgiving Point's Farm Country, was the pony ride. Daddy got to help him out to make sure he was safe and had fun!

Farm Country!!

Back in September, we went to Thanksgiving Point with our Cousins. We decided to go to Farm Country there, and have Carson see some animals. We had TONS of fun, and it was really inexpensive!

They had a little town that was kid-sized. Complete with a Dance Hall, and Prison!

Shall we dance?

No one will dance with me? : (

Breakin' the Law! Breakin' the Law!

Partners in Crime!

Going on a Hay Ride!

Llama Llama Llama!

Carson's favorite part BY FAR was the Pony Ride. It was Mommy and Daddy's favorite too!

Misty LOVES this picture!

Stylin'!

And you thought we were kidding when we call Carson our "Giant Baby" Yeah. 100 lbs! And there isn't anyone else on the scale with him! (Okay, Okay... The scale is broken.)

Hi Ho! Cow! AWAY!!

Dancing Fool!

Carson Counts!

So, Misty knew that Carson could count up to 5, so she decided to get it on video. She was in for a little surprise!!

Carson's Lexicon

The Pumpkin Patch (Well... Nursery. : ) )

Though we were looking forward to a romp through an open field, picking out our pumpkins off of the vine, we weren't able to locate one in time for FHE. We did get an address of a local nursery, and we thought we accomplished our purposes.

Photo Booth

We went to a wedding of one of Misty's good friends. They had a great idea! They had a photo booth where you go and take your photos, and then stick it into their guest/sign-in book with a glue stick. They print out two, so you can take it home.

Everyone was really creative! Here are ours:

BooYah! (Yes... that phrase still lives! )

Yes... Yes... I know... It says "Associate Lending Manager" instead of "Principal" lending manager. However, If you read the post below, you would have realized that if there is an Acting PLM, then all other's with that same license status are just put on an ALM status until there is no longer an acting PLM.

There's your real estate law lesson for the day.

PLM.....What is that?

So, for the past few years, I have been getting most of our family's income from helping multiple families with their Mortgage needs. (I have done well over 200 loans) Purchases, Refinances, Debt Consolidations, Rehabilitations, most everything that you can do with a home financing I have done.

I've been doing that for almost 5 years now, and during my most recent change from one broker to another (I've been at 5 different brokers now over the past 5 years, changing to each one for different reasons,) the owner of the brokerage (Dennis Porter, who owns Sun Valley Mortgage) said that those of us who qualify to get our PLM license (Principal Lending Manager) should go ahead and do that. So I decided that I probably would go about and do that. It would provide them with a great education about the industry, and also would provide opportunities to those with licenses to further progress inside of Sun Valley Mortgage. (Sun Valley Mortgage is heading in some exciting directions!)

For those of you who don't know, here is a brief lesson. : )

Obviously, to do mortgages, you need to be licensed. (Unless you are with a bank or credit union, then you don't (they have a federal exception)) On May 1st 2006, a law was passed by the State of Utah, that said that the mortgage industry needed to have more responsibility tied to it, and so they mandated that every company needed to have what they deemed a Principal Lending Manager. (PLM) The PLM could, (in a very real sense) be held personally liable for any action of any of their Loan Officers that they were managing. This requirement made the responsibility for acting ethically, and not comitting loan fraud lay directly on the shoulders of the Management of the Brokerage. So, of course the management of each brokerage clamped down hard to make sure that thier back-ends were covered.

Here's the clincher. You don't get any extra money for having your PLM license. You actually are more liable if you are the PLM. But, state mandate says that each company MUST have a PLM in order to operate.

Now, Sun Valley Mortgage, already has a PLM (Dennis Porter, who is the owner). If there are more than one PLM license inside of a Company, the inactive PLM, holds the title of ALM. (Associate Lending Manager) The ALM becomes the PLM if the acting PLM were to become separated from the company.

This doesn't mean that I am heir to Sun Valley Mortgage. : ) Sun Valley Mortgage actually has multiple ALM's that were present WAY before I came on board with them.

In order to become a PLM, you have to complete 40 hours of pre-licensing work, and pass a test. (To get your normal mortgage license, you have to have 20 hours and pass a test.) Now that 40 isn't 20 additional on top of your normal. It's 40 additional hours. (None of your Continuting Education that you take to renew your license counts towards it as well. (you need 14 every 2 years)) Oh, and you have to have been active 3 out of the last 5 years in the mortgage industry to be able to qualify to even take your pre-licensing coursework.

So, I have been studying for my PLM test and completing my 40 hours for the past many weeks.

I took the test this morning, and got the wonderful news! I passed. : ) I am mostly relieved that I don't have that still "sitting on my plate" whilst school, and me trying to make money for our family is also going on at the same time.

Yahoo! I have my PLM license, and I am now an ALM! : )

If nothing else comes out of me having my PLM license, it will look good on a resume' and mean that I know my stuff when it comes to Originating Loans for Residential Properties.

Self Reliance

Today we had the opportunity to teach on Self Reliance. Misty was to speak on Self-Reliance and things we can do to be self-reliant, and what the Church has set up to help us accomplish that. I was supposed to cover Provident Living, and how we can provide for a family with not everything we would like, and still be happy.

Since we both did our talks on Microsoft Word, I thought it would be a cinch to post them here on our blog. : )

Yeah, We didn't collaborate, and I didn't know ANYTHING Misty was going to talk about. So when I started to see the similarities between our talks, I started to freak out a little. : ) But luckily she didn't cover the same stuff I did.

Misty's is first.

We are the Burnetts. My name is Misty and my husband is Phillip and our little munchkin is Carson. He is 13 months old. Phil and I met at the Weber State Institute of religion. We have been married for 3 ½ years. We moved here in March so that Phil could go to school at BYU. He is fulfilling one of his major dreams by going back to school and getting a degree in sound recording technology. He also works out of our house processing mortgage loans. I got a degree in Family Studies from Weber State. I stay at home with Carson.

I have been asked to speak on Self-reliance. The term self-reliance encompasses a few different aspects. One is spiritual self-reliance, another is temporal self-reliance. Both are essential to our eternal progression, but I will be focusing in temporal self-reliance.

The church handbook states that “The Savior has commanded the Church and its members to be self-reliant and independent. To become self-reliant, a person must work. Work is physical, mental or spiritual effort. It is a basic source of happiness, self-worth, and prosperity. Through work, people accomplish many good things in their lives. As people become self-reliant, they are better prepared to endure adversities and are better able to care for the needs of others.” In this quote we are told that we are commanded to learn to work and provide for ourselves, we must always be progressing and developing.

Through the research I have done for this talk, I have found 5 Steps that are essential to becoming self-reliant:

1. Seek answers to life problems through the spirit. Moroni 7:16 The spirit of Christ is given to every man” This promises that every man can get answers to life’s problems, including how to become self-reliant, by seeking answers through the spirit. As we more fully come to understand that every good thing in our lives comes from the Lord, we will begin to rely more on Him and he will bless us and help us to become more self-reliant

2. Honestly appraise our needs and the needs of others. We can do this by asking ourselves a number of questions: How well are we listening to the spirit? Do we live according to the guidelines laid out by the Church? Are we living within our means? If not, what can we do to live more within our means? Sometime sacrifices and adjustments will have to be made in order to live more appropriately. The Spirit can guide us when choosing what adjustments need to be made in our lives. We need to have open communication with our spouses and our families in order to do these appraisals. Family councils are a great place to have discussions regarding family finances and becoming self-reliant. They are also great places to teach children the importance of living within your means. If children participate in the family budget, they should be able to understand the reasoning behind your financial choices.

3. We must learn to discern between good and evil. Every man and woman has the right given to them through the Lord to choose what we believe and what we will do. In 2 Nephi 2:27 we read: “Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh…they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediator of all man, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil.” As we learn to listen to the spirit, we will be able to discern better between good and evil and between our worldly desires and our holy desires. We can seek the Lord’s council when we are contemplating big purchases and he will help us to understand if it is a righteous desire.

4. We must master the ability to think straight. Benjamin Franklin said: “The foundation of all happiness is thinking rightly.” Part of thinking straight is using common sense to solve some of life’s problems. Our lives will be much simpler if we master the ability to stop and think about our problems and decisions before acting.

5. Finally, after learning and implementing all of these things, we must go to work. The Lord has commanded us to work. Doctrine and Covenants 42:42 says: “Thou shalt not be idle. For he that is idle shalt not eat the bread, nor wear the garments of the laborer.” Work is what we do and self-reliance is the product of the work we do. We work towards achieving the skills necessary to provide for our needs, then we implement those skills to bless our lives and the lives of others.

Marion G Romney said: “Let us work for what we need. Let us be self-reliant and independent. Salvation can be obtained in no other principle. Salvation is an individual matter and we must work out our own salvation in temporal as well as in spiritual things.”

One of the most important ways to become self-reliant is to learn to manage our finances. The world that we live in is dominated by debt. It is much too easy in this world to finance the things we want. Far too many of us have a substantial amount of debt and not nearly enough savings. The Church has always counseled us to stay out of debt whenever possible. Of course, it may be necessary to acquire a mortgage to buy a house, or to get a loan to go to school, but in these situations, the Church has counseled us to these things modestly and make choices that are appropriate to our situation. The solution to staying out of debt is to budget our income appropriately, to live within our means and save both supplies and money for the future.

President Hinckley has said that “We have been counseled again and again concerning self-reliance, concerning debt, concerning thrift. So many of our people are heavily in debt for things that are not entirely necessary. When I was a young man, my father counseled me to build a modest home, sufficient for the needs of my family, and make it beautiful and attractive and pleasant and secure. He counseled me to pay off the mortgage as quickly as I could so that, come what may, there would be a roof over the heads of my wife and children. I was reared on that kind of doctrine, I urge you as members of this church to get free of debt where possible and to have a little laid aside against a rainy day.” For me, one of the most important words in that quote was a modest home. That means we don’t have to buy the biggest, nicest house on the block. Even modest homes can be made beautiful and inviting. The thing that makes any home the most attractive is to have the Spirit of the Lord resting there.

We are encouraged to be prepared for the future by storing a years worth supply of food. President Hinckley went on to say: As we have been continuously counseled for more than 60 years, let us have some food set aside that would sustain us for a time in case of need.” Many of us plan to work on our food storage some day. It’s very easy to say that we will get it when we have a house or when we have the room to store it. However, President Ezra Taft Benson has said that: “The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah.”

The best store house that the Church has is the homes of the families who have prepared their years supply of food, clothing and other necessities, a reserve of money to meet emergencies, and adequate home, health and life insurance.

As we are achieving self-reliance, we are better able to serve those around us. Our church is a church based on the service of its members. Marion G. Romney said: “Without self-reliance one cannot exercise the innate desires to serve. How can we give if there is nothing there? Food for the hungry cannot come from an empty purse. Support and understanding cannot come from the emotionally starved. Teaching cannot come from the unlearned and most important of all; spiritual guidance cannot come from the spiritually weak.”

The church has implemented its welfare service to assist members in their goals to become self-reliant. The goal of the welfare program of the Church is to care for the needy while teaching principles that will allow them to become self-reliant and to build their self-respect.

Funding for the welfare program is provided by donations from the Church members. This is where our fast offerings go. Once a month we are asked to go without two meals

and donate the cost of those two meals to the fast offering fund.

Needy people are identified by the bishop with the help of the relief society president. Home and visiting teachers provide a vital role in helping to identify those individuals who are in need of assistance. Bishops evaluate the individual’s circumstances and needs. If they are in need of temporal assistance, such as food and household items, the bishop gives them vouchers to take to the bishop’s store house. They are given opportunities to work for the items they receive, to the extent of their abilities. The assistance given is temporal and partial. The goal of the welfare program is to build independence and self-reliance, not to build dependence. The assistance that is given is to help with basic life sustaining needs, not to maintain a certain standard of living so those who are in need of assistance will most likely need to alter their standard of living. The Church encourages individuals to do all they can to help themselves first, get help from their families, if possible second, then if they are still in need they may receive church assistance.

Employment resource centers are also available to provide job training and help people to build their skills to find and acquire a job.

In closing, President Ezra Taft Benson said: “The world would take the people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.” This is why the welfare program is so successful. It changes people so they can change their own situations. It assisted where needed, but also encourage growth and change. The individuals who receive assistance are better people because of it.

Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are at the center of everything. The Church welfare program was created by them. They want us to succeed, to be happy and live productive lives. I know that if we follow their instructions, we can learn to become self-reliant and by doing so we will be happier in this life, and better prepared for the life to come.

I am so thankful for this church and the direction it gives me in my life. I know that it is the Lord’s true church and Joseph Smith restored it through the power and inspiration of our Heavenly Father. I am so thankful to live in a time when we have modern revelation and a prophet who receives it. I know that President Thomas S. Monsen is called of God. I am so thankful for the personal direction my family receives from our Father in Heaven. I know that when we pray to him and truly listen for an answer, He will direct our lives. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Mine came next:

Throughout my life, I have had the experience to see varying degrees of financial security. I served my mission in India, which allowed me to see the poverty of a third world country. Though there were places and cities that had McDonalds, (Sorry, they didn’t serve beef, so there were no “Big Macs” but you could get a Maharaja Mac made from chicken.) I even came across Ruby Tuesdays. However, a few miles away you could see the struggling conditions of sewer-less neighborhoods, Cement houses, dirt floor dwellings with no heat, no cooling, and no electricity.

Though there was a huge disparity in India between the “have” and “have-nots” we have seen examples in the scriptures and the gospel that “having”(in the worldly sense) is not always the pathway to happiness. I have seen often times, that the “have nots” have been happier, more willing to serve and enjoyed greater piece of mind than those that “have.”

Right now in our country, we are experiencing financial unrest that most likely many of us haven’t seen in our lifetimes. Whether this has affected us directly or indirectly, through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we have been shown the pathway that we may take to maintain peace and happiness in our lives, whether we feel that we are on the “have” or the “have not” side of things.

While researching and reading about things we can do, I realized something about the way the Brethren of the Church teach Self-Reliance and Provident Living that intrigued me. When I think about Self-Reliance, I think of Food Storage, Budgeting, Staying out of Debt etc. But the talks I found that had the phrases “Self-Reliance” and “Provident Providers” didn’t necessarily speak about those things as ways we could become more self-reliant or fiscally responsible. Each of the talks did teach the following principle which I believe is on the forefront of the Leaders of the Church’s minds when teaching Self-Reliance. This principle was stated very well by President Ezra Taft Benson:

“The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people. And then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.”

Elder M. Russell Ballard, gave a talk on March 11^th 2004 at the Marriott School’s Center for Economic Self-Reliance at BYU that outlines 5 steps we can take to become Self Reliant Physically and Spiritually, following the principle given by President Benson.

His first step is to Find Answers through the Spirit:

(QUOTE)“People need to realize that regardless of their circumstances, as desperate as those may be, they are entitled to the Light of Christ in their lives.” (END QUOTE)

As stated in Moroni 7:16. (READ)

Elder Ballard Continues (QUOTE)“The promise is that every son and daughter of God can find, through the Spirit, answers to the challenges in their lives, including how to become more self-reliant.” (END QUOTE) Thus, the beginning of self-reliance is Christ-Reliance. As we understand our relationship to God, that we are literally his sons and daughters, and that Christ is our elder Brother, we begin to realize that we will find the quickest and straightest path to self-reliance if we turn to the Spirit for direction.

Secondly, Appraise Our Lives and the Needs of Others.

The following questions may help us do that:

How well are we listening to the Spirit?

Are we living according to the eternal truths and doctrines of the restored Church of Jesus Christ?

For how do we expect to raise ourselves from the “slums” of our circumstances, if we are continually wallowing in the mud that is so attractive to the natural man?

Can we effectively appraise the needs of others by the prompting of the Spirit?

If we are having trouble seeing beyond our own circumstances, and “have not,” one thing I suggests is to lose ourselves in the service of others. I know that as I have seen the challenges and struggles of others, it has made me grateful for the challenges which I am facing. By the end of the service, I find myself saying… “You know what? You can keep your trials, and I’ll keep mine.” : ) By seeing things in the perspective that God knows you, and will not allow you to be tempted above that which you are able to bear, you will begin to properly appraise your situation, and begin to seek help from Him who can make your burden light, and direct you down the path that will begin to take the slum out of you.

Third, we need to Choose. Ultimately, the choice is between good and evil.

READ (2 Nephi 2:27)

Benjamin Franklin had this to say about choice:

(QUOTE)“We stand at the crossroads, each minute, each hour, each day, making choices. WE choose the thoughts we allow ourselves to think, the passions we allow ourselves to feel, and the actions we allow ourselves to perform. Each choice is made in the context of whatever value system we’ve selected to govern our lives. In selecting that value system, we are in a very real way, making the most important choice we will ever make.

Those who believe there is one God who made all things and who governs the world by his Providence will make many choices different from those who do not. Those who hold in reverence that being who gave them life and worship Him through adoration, prayer and thanksgiving will make many choices different from those who do not. Those who believe that mankind are all of a family and that the most acceptable service of God is doing good to man will make many choices different from those who do not. Those who believe in a future state in which all that is wrong here will be made right will make many choices different from those who do not. Those who subscribe to the morals of Jesus will make many choices different from those who do not.

Since the foundation of all happiness is thinking rightly, and since correct action is dependent on correct opinion, we cannot be too careful in choosing the value system we allow to govern our thoughts and actions. And to know that God governs in the affairs of men, that he hears and answers prayers, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, is indeed, a powerful regulator of human conduct. “ (END QUOTE)

By us choosing the value system that God has outlined in the scriptures, and in the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, we afford ourselves the opportunity to be guided by Him through His value system aided continually by revelation, as we seek to become self-reliant.

Fourth: Master the ability to Think Straight. As Franklin said “The foundation of all happiness is thinking rightly.” Part of thinking straight is using common sense in solving life’s problems. Elder Ballard states: (QUOTE)“Often in my ministry have I heard the sad tale of those who are struggling to become self-reliant but in fact are becoming more dependent upon others because of their inability to think straight and apply common sense in the decisions they make. Much of life’s misery centers in the lack of using common sense…Helping people to think straight and use common sense will, in my judgment, always be a very important step in helping them to reach economic self-reliance. It is part of teaching our children and others to walk in the ways of truth and soberness and to love and serve on another. Part of thinking straight is listening-being able to listen to the promptings of the Spirit.” (END QUOTE)

I recently talked to a friend of mine that was going through some emotional difficulties. While speaking to her, I could tell that her thought processes were jumbled and she was at a stand-still and feeling helpless because of her distress. I believe I was impressed to suggest to her that she needed to focus in on what her next course of action was. She really had 2 options. One was to the right, and the other to the left. By thinking straight, and focusing on her next step, she would not being paralyzed by her situation, and be able to take control. Then she could begin to move forward to alleviate herself from her emotional indecision.

We may find ourselves at times paralyzed by our circumstances, no matter what they may be, but by thinking straight, we are able to progress and begin to change our circumstances for the better.

Fifth: Seek the Lord’s Guidance and trust in Him.

In D&C 76:5-10 we read (READ)

As I think about the difference that those 5 steps and principles would make in the lives of those whom I have seen in poverty and even those that I would consider to the be in the “have” category, struggling with becoming Self-reliant, I am able to see that the Lord does speak through his chosen prophets and Church Authorities in our days. I have seen miracles take place in relation to people becoming self-reliant, and harvesting the blessings of the Gospel.

I think about a Branch President Vincent, in Coimbatore, India a city in the southern region of the country. He worked as a Air Conditioning Repair Man for School Buildings in the surrounding area. Himself, his wife, and his 2 kids lived in a 1 bedroom, 1 kitchen dwelling combined probably would be smaller than most of our living rooms. Outside were the facilities for the bathroom. Though many of us would categorize him in the “have nots” he definitely wouldn’t. See, they had saved for more than 3 years, to take a trip to Hong Kong to get sealed in the temple as a family, and they were scheduled to make the trip later that year. He knew the value the gospel added to his life, and knew that the crowning blessings of the gospel he was entitled to, and that in his mind definitely put him in the category of the “have’s.” He had everything necessary for himself and his family. Food, Shelter, and most importantly, the Blessings of the Gospel.

Though they may not have had everything that the world had to offer, or even everything that they would have liked to, they were able to appropriately prioritize what they needed, recognize their blessings, and were some of the happiest people I ever met on my mission.

As we prioritize what we need, seek the guidance of the spirit, appraise our own lives, choose based upon a the values the Lord would have us choose, use common sense, and seek the Lord’s guidance, we will be able to see the path the Lord would have us choose to become self-reliant and obtain the lasting peace and happiness that only the Gospel of Jesus Christ can afford.

Chester Carson

Recently, I was sharing some cheetoes with Carson. It was his first taste of REAL cheetoes, (not the puffy fake kind. : ) ) I had given him what I thought was good amount, and decided it was time for him to be done. I was sitting on the edge of ouf couch, and had crinkled up the bag and put the bag behind me.

I got up to go into the other room, and when I came back, this is what I found!!

He's just lounging on the couch munchin on his cheetoes! He climbed up on the couch, unrolled the bag and started fishing out his snack! Didn't even give me a second look.

I of course let him have some more. He DESERVED them!

Cute little orange fingers!

-Phil

Conversations at the Burnett's...

This is a "for instance" of how a lot of conversations at our house go. : )

Misty: Honey, are you thirsty?

Phil: (knowing what she is getting at) No. Are YOU?

Misty: Yeah. My mouth is REALLY dry!

Phil: Would you like me to get you something?

Misty: You don't have to if you don't want to.

Phil: But would you LIKE me to get you something?

Misty: Only if you want to you don't have to. I can go get it myself.

Phil: (as I am getting up) No, that's okay I'll get it. What would you like?

Misty: I don't care.

Phil: (from the kitchen) We have Milk, Water, Lemon Lime, Hawaiian Punch or Kool Aid.

Misty: Not Milk.

Phil: (Pours himself some Hawaiian Punch, and gets Misty some Kool Aid. Walking back into the room where Misty is...)

Misty: (Expectantly says, with a smile on her face) Oh! Is the Hawaiian Punch for me?

Phil: Yup. Sure is! (Hands Misty the Hawaiian Punch and takes the Kool Aid for himself. And sits down next to his cute wife. : ) )

Misty: Thanks Honey!

Phil: Anytime Love.

1 Year Old

Our sweet little baby, Carson, is now ONE! We really can't believe how fast he has grown up. His birthday was last Monday. He really is such a joy in our lives. We thank our Heavenly Father every night for entrusting us with this special little spirit. We don't know what we did to deserve such trust. It is very humbling. We just love him so much! He brings us such joy.

We had a big birthday party for him on his birthday. Unfortunately our camera is broken so we had to buy a disposable camera and we haven't gotten the pictures developed yet. We were so thankful that so many of our friends and family were able to come to celebrate with us. Carson receives so much support from all those around him. It's wonderful. He got lots of fun toys and is having a great time playing with them all.

Phil and I have always said that we would take Carson's binky away from him as soon as he turned one. We were both really dreading it, though. He has been pretty attached to that thing. We had a couple of family trips and things scheduled for the weeks around his birthday so we postponed taking it away for a little while. However, we finally got the guts to take it away yesterday. When I put him down for his morning nap, I was really worried that he would start screaming and it would last for hours. However, he played for a little while, then fell quietly asleep. I thought, "Wow! That was lucky! I bet his afternoon nap won't go as smoothly." So we went through our day, we even had a doctor's appointment and he got 4 shots. I put him down in the afternoon, same thing as the morning! Then that night, he went right to sleep without even playing for that long. And today has been the same story. It's like he never even used a binky. I'm truely baffled! He's such a good little boy.

He now weighs 25 pounds, which puts him in the 81% for his weight, and he is 31 3/4 inches tall (95%). His doctor says he is very healthy looking and he is really pleased with his growth and abilities.

At my family's reunion a couple of weeks ago, I had my sister take a few pictures of Carson for his first birthday. She does such a good job! I'm so thankful that she is willing to take such wonderful pictures for us. Look her up if you need pictures taken. Her name is Angie Berrio and her blog is berriophotography.blogspot.com.

Playing in the water. He absolutely loves water!

This is my cousin Brant. He would take Carson's hand and rub it on his goatee.

Carson thought is was really funny. I love that smile!

This is actually his whiney face. He makes it all the time.

He was sitting up on a wall and was a little nervous about it.

Here he is telling you how old he is.

Officially Toddiling!

Carson is officially a toddler. Walking is now his preferred mode of transportation. : )

Pictures are still to come! (I PROMISE!)

Phil

10 Months

(I am going to add pictures to this post. We save the pictures on the laptop and Phil has it.)

Where does the time go? Carson is already 10 months old. His actual birthday was the 27th of May. I'm just a little behind. He is such a little joy in our lives and we thank our Heavenly Father daily for blessing us with him. 

He has the best little personality. He loves people, especially babies. If he gets within touching distance of other babies, he pulls them close and gives hugs and kisses. 

He gets more and more mobile everyday. He crawls like a mad man with a very important mission, pulls himself up on everything and walks around holding on to things. He can stand independently for a few seconds and has taken a few steps. He has learned to go up onto his tippy toes when he can't reach things. We are always amazed by how high he can reach. It is his mission in life to make sure that nothing is on the couch, piano bench and end table. Whenever he sees a stack of anything, he absolutely has to unstack it (especially folded laundry.) 

He loves to help with the housework by unloading the dryer and dishwasher, taking everything out of baskets, pulling the hand towel off of the oven handle, opening and unloading all the drawers and cupboards, and pretty much making as much of a mess as possible. I have had to majorly alter my cleaning procedures to accomodate his lifestyle. He is so cute when he is doing all of these things that I have a hard time getting after him or getting frusterated. 

Some of his other favorite things to do are sing songs, read books, throw balls, repeat sounds, talk, take baths and showers, play in the sprinklers, play with big kids, go for walks, and swing.

He has just recently learned to point to things. So far he knows light, window, nose, shoes, Mama, Dada and Carson. He has almost learned where his eyes and mouth are. He learns things so quickly. Such a smart little boy!

He has three teeth, his two front bottom teeth and one of his incisors (those are the ones next to the two front teeth). His other top incisor is right under the surface and will probably break through soon.

This is such a fun age! Every day is a new adventure. I feel so lucky to be able to be experiencing this wonderful process with him on a daily basis! Thank you, Phil, for working so hard so I can be with Carson! I love you both more than I can say!

(Insert New Post Here)

Yeah, yeah,...I know....it's been FOREVER since we posted anything new on our blog. Slowly but surely I am catching up on my work, and Misty is almost done with her "Twilight" series (again) : ) so, hopefully we can post something interesting soon!

Happy Valley Take 3

So I have to apologize to those people that tune in to our blog to see the crazy antics of our ward that we are attending down here, because believe it or not....Testimony Sunday was surprisingly....Normal! 

Not too much to report on it, Misty and I were asked to sub in the Marriage Class, (I don't know the exact name of it) and I thought that we did a pretty good job!

The biggest drama that happened last Sunday, was that Carson SCREAMED HIS HEAD OFF when I had to take the chalk package away from him to give back to the librarian. I guess he got attached to it during the time that I let him hold onto it on the way there. 

Daddy's Little Boy

So, I had this thought to post some of my favorite pictures of Carson. Whenever I think of Carson, I have this image in my head, and so I wanted to post the pictures that I believe represent my little boy the most.

I am so proud of my little boy, and the amazing things that he does! (Crawling all the way over to me when I get home, turning pages of the books that we read to him each night, helping turn off light-switches, and saying Da Da Da Da over and over and over again! (I Love it!)

I love my little boy so much!

Below, is Carson's face that he has been making ALL THE TIME! It's SO FUNNY! He sucks in his top lip, and just crawls around like that!