Happy 7th Birthday Kambri

It's so hard for me to believe that my baby is 7!  Where has the time gone?! She is such a joy to have in our family. 

 

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In honor of the BIG 7 I've made a list of the 7 top things we're loving about Kambri right now or things she likes.

 

1.  We love to listen to her talk in Chinese.  She amazes us with how well and how much she has already learned.

 

2.  I love her peppy/spunky attitude. (When used at the right times, of course.) She has a way of saying things with just the funniest facial expression that leaves us laughing.

 

3.  She is a love bug!  If someone is hurt or sad she's so good to comfort them. I love when she will sit and rub my back, it's so comforting.

 

4.  She loves playing games or watching shows on her Kindle, she takes it everywhere!

 

5.  We enjoy listening to her read.  She has such a love for it and it shows in her level of reading.

 

6.  She likes to spend time with me, no matter what we're doing.  She definitely loves her Mom!

 

7.  She likes Monster High, Barbies, playing babies, and painting her nails!

 

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She was so excited for these spiral curlers.  Who would've thought that a 7 year old would love such a gift?  We'd seen them at Peach Days and she wanted them so bad!  Of course she got a lot of other fun stuff but for some reason this is all that was taken the night of her family party.

 

 

She had a super fun party with lots of her friends. They each got to pick out their own nail polish and we painted/decorated nails, played games and all the normal party stuff.  Most of the girls that came are in her Chinese class so I got them talking a little in Chinese and they all thought I was hilarious when I tried saying anything in Chinese!  They're so smart with how well they pick it all up.

 

We had one of those parties that you never think are really going to happen.  I planned for like 8 girls (they never all show up, right?!) and ended up with 11.  Which meant having Shaun scramble to the store at the last minute to make more party bags.

 

They all spoiled her.  She got so many fun things!

The cute girlies at the end of the party

We sure love this girl and are glad she's part of our family!

Back to School

Summer is officially over and school has started.  I think we've all been ready for this change and to get back into a routine.  Funny how when school first gets out you're so excited for a more relaxed schedule and then when it's time to go back to school you're so ready for routine again!

Lots of changes and firsts at our house this school year!


Taylor and Hollie get to ride the bus together!  It will be nice to not have to take them to/from school this year.  They're so cute.  They've made a deal that whoever gets up first will check to make sure the other one is up and going.  This may just be the nicest thing they've done for one another in a long while.  :)

Taylor is officially at Box Elder High School.  HIGH SCHOOL!  He's a 10th grader this year and I can't believe how quickly everything is changing.  He got his permit in July and LOVES to drive.  Can't believe he's old enough for all of this.  This first trimester he has quite the courseload but I have no doubts he'll do great! 

Hollie is in 6th grade at the Intermediate School this year and has been so excited to get a locker, in fact she stayed after school on the first day so she could get it all decorated! :)  (I SO remember doing the same when I went in to 6th grade.)  She has already made new friends and likes that they get to change classes.  So excited for all the possibilities this year will hold for her!

Kambri is in 1st grade and in the Chinese Dual-Immersion program this year!  She's very excited and each day comes home and teaches/shows me something new she's learned in Chinese.  Kambri told me I didn't need to walk her in to school, that she's a big girl...I didn't give her a choice and told her that Shaun and I would be walking her in for her first day.  Sometimes that independence is heart breaking, especially of my baby! 

She had to have a special picture taken that showed her with her backpack better;  such a funny girl.

So here's to a fabulous 2013-14 school year!  I spent the first day of school sleeping and reading;  it was wonderful!  This will definitely take some getting used to with having Hollie getting off to school earlier and Kambri being in school all day now.  I'm so excited for each of them and the things they will learn this year, friends they'll make, and the memories they'll make!

 

5th Grade Events with Hollie

(Ok, SLIGHTLY behind- we're now in 6th grade- better late than never right?!)

 

Hollie registered to do the Beehive Mile that was held at Watkins Park.  She had a great time doing it and even held back at the end because a friend of hers was having a hard time due to asthma.  I was quite proud of her.  She likes to be a part of so many different things, things I was much too intimidated to do at her age.

 

Before the race

 

After the race

Then on top of it she decided to be in the 5th grade talent show! She sang a solo, "Let Me In" from Rigoletto with me accompanying her on the piano.  She did a wonderful job, she has a beautiful voice!  I'm so glad she doesn't let fear get in the way of doing these kinds of things.

 

I'm so grateful that all of my kids have a love for music!

 

Then of course she had to do the science fair.  Shaun is a good dad and agreed to help build a volcano.  They had a great time figuring out the perfect combination of vinegar and baking soda.  I'm not sure that she really cared about the logistics of a science fair as much as she just wanted to make something.  But regardless she had fun!

 

 

Now onto a new school and new adventures!

After the Sealing & the Luncheon

We had 5 minutes that we were allotted to take pictures in our white clothing on the temple grounds.  (Truthfully it turned into more like 20, they were patient with us.) 

It had been raining before we left for the temple but thankfully we had some dry weather while doing pictures and for our luncheon!

Lindsay, Mark, Haddie, Zoey & Rylee, Mike & Brenda, Lacie & Jennifer were outside waiting for us.  It was so wonderful to come out from something so beautiful and see the rest of our family (minus Chris who was busy catering at the fire station for our luncheon).

 

Shaun's Aunt Sandy and cousin Anne came in from Arizona to share our special day!  We were so grateful to them for making such a big deal out of our sealing.  It was so nice to see them!

This is our wonderful cake made by Connie Archibald.  She made our cake when we got married and it is the most delicious cake you've ever tasted.  I'm not a big cake person, but this one I crave and she was gracious enough to make us another one.  It was perfect (except Kambri's name being spelled wrong.) :)  On the other side of it, it said Families are Forever!

I wish we would've gotten pictures at the luncheon but unfortunately I don't really have any. 

We had a lot of family who volunteered to help with food assignments and it all came together very nicely.  A huge shout-out to Chris who did a marvelous job as our 'caterer'.  I was quite stressed about how I was going to get from the temple and then to the fire station to have everything ready to go for the luncheon, so he willingly accepted the position as our catering service.  He puts on a heck of a spread, much nicer than I would've ever done.  He has a knack for that sort of thing. 

We were so grateful to all of those who came to the luncheon and having some extra time to visit with them.  We were spoiled with many sentimental gifts that will always be a constant reminder of our Sealing Day!

We feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to be sealed with our family in our very own Brigham City Temple and are so glad that so many of our friends and family were present!  Our new Eternal Family is truly one of the greatest blessings we have been given!

Our 3 children complete our Eternal Family

This was another one of those moments that I'd played out in my head SO many times over the years. Envisioning our 3 children all dressed in white being brought into the sealing room has always been such an overwhelming feeling and I've always known I'd be a blubbering mess.  And what I'd envisioned was even more beautiful in reality.

It was absolutely silent as we were waiting those final minutes before the kids were brought in and then I heard the turning of the door knob and again my heart skipped a beat or two. They were beautiful!  So angelic looking and to see their first look as they walked in the door and took everything in was breathtaking, and again a very spiritual/emotional moment.  I lost it.  The kids walked over to Shaun and I and gave us each a big hug and then sat down next to us.  I could sense their feelings of awe, nervousness and an overwhelming flow of emotions, and peace.  

 

The sealer asked that Shaun and I, Taylor, Hollie & Kambri kneel around the altar at that time.  I had a continual flow of tears that I finally gave up trying to stop as I looked back and forth at each of the kids and Shaun!  I have never had a more spiritual/ emotional experience than this! At so many different times it all seemed so surreal.  I'd always known this was my ultimate goal in life and wanted to have this more than anything in the world, but certainly lacked the faith that this dream would come true!  I was still very aware of the fact that there were so many in the room, but yet it felt like in that moment it was just us!  Taylor was absolutely beaming, I could sense so much that I hadn't expected to see in him.  Hollie's reaction was just as I had expected.  I could see her taking every last detail in and knew there were so many things she was thinking and feeling that we would talk about later.  Kambri just had a look of such contentment and happiness.  I took a mental picture of us around the altar, with our hands all linked together, that I hope will never grow dim. Such simple words were spoken but such profound eternal blessings promised with our faithfulness.  

 

Then the sealer had us all stand and look into the mirrors together and told us to imagine the generations before us, our posterity, and the eternal life that we can share with them. To think of all of our loved ones who have passed away that were there with us that day.  At that very moment I knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that we had many deceased love ones there with us.  I very strongly felt Michelle, Grandpa Hansen, Grandma Parrish & Shaun's Grandma Bennett at that time.
 

I know the temple has been such a blessing in adding to each of my children’s testimonies.  Looking into the eyes of each one of them as we were kneeling at the altar…I KNOW they felt things that they couldn’t put words to and that they will never forget those feelings and the experience.  Hollie came home and later that night wrote in her new journal about her experience; 5 pages later and she had strengthened my testimony through hers.

How wonderful it is to know that we are an Eternal Family and can be together throughout Eternity!  It is worth every sacrifice and obstacle that had to be overcome to get there!    

Our Eternal Family

Remember that I said I've dreamed of this day for my whole life?!  Well, the invitation was no exception.  I kind of knew what I wanted, but when it came time to actually put it together it took me forever!  Ok, maybe just 5 hours forever, but none-the-less that was 5 hours!  But I love how it turned out.  Then I went back and forth a 100 times over whether or not to do a luncheon afterwards or not.  And then when I decided to do a luncheon I changed it 100 times as to what we would be serving.  I had wonderful family and friends who helped with food, getting everything ready at the fire station, cleaning up, etc.  And I must mention my wonderful brother Chris who did an amazing job at setting up the 'spread', he's got talent and I loathe doing those kinds of things.

{Disclaimer: I don't want to forget anything about this day, so this will be spread over a few different posts.}

Let me start out by leading you up to the day of the sealing.  I knew that Satan would be working on us as hard as he ever as, as we were getting ready for the big day.  That whole week before was REALLY hard.  We had more contention than usual, more irritability, increased anxiety on my part, etc.  It is so true that Satan will work so hard to try keeping us from things that are GREAT! I've experienced his efforts before as I was getting ready to go through the temple to take out my own endowments, and Shaun experienced some of the same types of things before he went through, but by how intense things got right before our sealing day, you couldn't deny that it meant the ultimate most wonderful experience was right around the corner for us!

At last!  We are now an Eternal Family as of May 18th.  I'd played this day out in my head a million times, and I still could've never given it as much beauty as it beheld.  It was such a beautiful day spent with our friends and family.

When we first got to the temple Shaun and I went and met with the temple recorder to make sure all of our paperwork was in order and the temple workers for the youth center took the 3 kids and off they went.  My mom was my escort and my dad was Shaun's escort and one of our witnesses.  Our wonderful Bishop was our other witness. We really do have the neatest Bishop and his wife, Laureen, is equally amazing.

Before getting changed into our temple clothes we passed the Marriage Waiting Room and it took my breath away as I caught a quick glimpse of all of our guests waiting to be taken up to the Sealing Room for us.  Nothing to increase emotions like seeing a full room there just for you!

It came time to get into our temple clothes and so my host led my mom and I to the Bride's Room.  Before entering she asked if I'd been in this room yet, and I hadn't.  She asked 'are you ready for this?' and in we went.  I immediately burst into tears!  It's absolutely EXQUISITE, I can't adequately put into words how beautiful this room is.  Every room in the temple is beautiful, but this room caught me completely off-guard that day.  You felt like royalty from the moment you entered the room.  Wow, there truly are no words!

It soon was time and Shaun and I were then taken up to the sealing room.  I was completely in awe as we walked in and so many of our family and friends were there waiting.  I couldn't do a complete sweep of looking at every person at any given point as the Sealer, Gerald Simmons (who happened to be my old swimming & health teacher in my younger years) talked with us or during the sealing--I just knew I'd lose it completely.  I literally felt short of breath and my heart was racing; I just kept taking deep breaths.  It wasn't like an 'I'm struggling to breathe in a scary way', just so many overwhelming emotions that I was feeling.  With Shaun sitting next to me, my Mom and then my Grandma were sitting beside us.  I couldn't help but think that Shaun's dear Grandma, who had passed away the year prior and was so excited about the Brigham Temple being built, was sitting in the empty chair next to him.  I very strongly felt of many of our loved ones who have passed on throughout the whole experience, most especially Michelle!

Shaun and I knelt across the altar and we were sealed for time and all eternity.  What a beautiful thing to hear.  As I looked at him, I reflected on how far we'd come and how much my love for him increases every day!  I will be eternally grateful for the wonderful husband and father that he is!  I can't imagine my life without him and look forward to our Eternal Journey!

Then it became time for the kids to be brought in with us in the sealing room...

Remember this? I never would've imagined.

Remember this post?  I went to the San Diego temple on May 5, 2012.  I've copied part of what I'd posted regarding our trip to California (from the post 'California- Day 2a').

"My family went to California & San Diego when I was in 7th grade.  We went to go see the San Diego Temple and unfortunately at the time it was closed for renovation, and therefore we couldn't get inside the gates.  However, it made such an impression on me and ever since I have LONGED to go inside that temple.  It is the most beautiful temple, in my opinion.

So when we started planning our family trip this year to California, I knew that this was something that couldn't be overlooked. 

I felt kind of bad, because the kids were so antsy to get to Sea World, but I came prepared to do a quick session and wasn't leaving without it being done.  It was the only thing I asked for for the entire trip.  Shaun was super understanding and he and the kids waited outside on the temple grounds while I did a quick session, they took some pictures, and had a picnic out of the back of the car.  :) 

 

Still holding out for the day that our pictures are taken after we've gone through the Temple and been sealed as a family.  :)  Can't wait!

I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to enter the doors of this beautiful temple!"

I distinctly remember how I wished so much that he could go in that beautiful temple with me that day.  And holding on to a piece of hope, that somehow, someday my dream would become a reality.  If you would've told me then, that exactly one year and 13 days later that I'd be kneeling across the altar with him, and then our children...I would've never in a million years believed it!  No dream is unattainable!

Shaun's Special Day

Shaun went through the Brigham Temple on April 18th and took out his endowments!  Traver, a good friend and neighbor of ours was Shaun's escort.  There was just a small group that went through with him that included me and my mom, Traver & Ivy, Bishop Sanderson and Laureen, Rob and Lora.

When I saw Shaun for the first time all dressed in white my heart literally skipped a beat.  All the feelings that I felt when I went through came rushing back to me as I saw him sitting there with a look of complete contentedness and peace.  It was an absolutely perfect evening and the most incredible experience to be with Shaun and the others in the Celestial Room.  It leaves me in awe each time I'm in there imagining what Heaven must really be like and the great anticipation our loved ones on the other side must have as they are waiting for us to return.

I was completely surprised to learn that my old Primary teacher, Kathryn Hyer, was going to be my host for the evening.  I didn't get the memo that I was supposed to have an escort, but my mom got there as I was finishing up with the Temple Matron (as well as one other girl and her mom).  It was nice to get to go through that again with more of a clear mind than I had the first time going through.  I love that everytime I go to the temple I learn something new!

My dad and the kids were waiting for us as we came out of the temple and they had plenty of time beforehand to get some pictures taken on the temple grounds.  I am so grateful for each opportunity they have had to be at/in the temple.  They were there waiting when I went through the Logan Temple (except for Kambri), when I did a session at the San Diego Temple, the open house of Brigham Temple, with Shaun and our upcoming sealing.

Warning: picture overload; I couldn't cut any of them out!

We sure love these kiddos of ours!  They're very excited for our upcoming sealing.  Kambri has been questioning Shaun since before the temple was dedicated as to when WE were going there to be sealed.  Several times when we'd drove past (I LOVE that it's on Main Street and I get to drive past it so often) Kambri would say, "Can we go tomorrow night to be sealed?"  She's just been so excited, I know Taylor and Hollie are as well but Kambri has been so passionate about it from the get go so when she realized we were really going, you can only imagine how ecstatic she was.

 I love Shaun so much and I'm so proud of him and the many changes he has made in such a short period of time.  I don't want to put out the wrong impression that he wasn't already great and that our marriage wasn't good, but the changes occurring with him and myself have completely changed our marriage.  I can honestly say that our marriage is the best right now that it's been in 12 (almost) years of marriage.  Until having the Gospel as the center of our marriage, I never could fully understand how it can bring so much greater happiness to a marriage.  It's always been something I've wanted, but at times has seemed so out of reach.  Shaun inspires me to want to be better and I hope that I can be the same for him.  I want to live the kind of life and marriage that my kids will want to have for themselves someday with their spouse.  With having gone through the temple to take out my own endowments just over 4 years ago, I couldn't fully grasp what the temple would do for us TOGETHER someday.  There were amazing blessings in my own life from having gone beforehand, but I know we've not even scratched the surface of things to come with these new changes in our marriage together!

And very shortly...the Bess Family will be an Eternal Family!

What do you do when all of your dreams are being realized?  I get down on my knees and thank my Heavenly Father & Jesus for all that I've been blessed with.  I have wanted this day to come for 12 years and it's really happening!  My cup runneth over!

Blessings of the Priesthood

I'm sure there are lots of things I could talk about that have happened in the last year with Shaun, but bottom line I'm dying to put this out there and share it with any one who will listen.

This is very spiritual in nature to me and my family, but seeing as I'm not a faithful journal writer, this was the next best way for me to preserve such exciting memories for us!

Let me set-up the scenario of how this all came to be.  I had foot surgery in October and I was laid up during the time when my temple recommend was about to expire.  I have the sweetest Bishop and he didn't want it to have to wait until I could make it to church again, so he came to my house for my recommend renewal.  When it was all done, Shaun came walking in to the living room and said to Bishop Sanderson, "we need to talk about what I need to do to get to the temple."  Ok, I'll be honest, my jaw probably dropped to the ground, but of course I tried to act all calm and collected.

So, fast forward a few months and Shaun and I started the temple prep classes.  It was an excellent review for me and he seemed so excited.  Shaun had always told me, "when I start working towards becoming active again and then making it to the temple, hold on, I'll be doing it fast!"  Wasn't sure exactly what that meant but I think I've witnessed it.  The temple prep class was about 4-5 weeks and then a week or so later he had his interview with the Stake President so he could be ordained an Elder.  They normally present the name before the congregation at Stake Conference for someone receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood/being ordained an Elder.  We recently had our stake conference and so we were told they'd need to present his name before each ward in our stake.  We show up at church on Sunday and the Bishop comes up to Shaun before it starts and tells him that the Stake President is there and they'll present his name today.  And then tells him, we'll take care of this after Sacrament meeting, oh....and who would you like to ordain you?!  We were both totally blown away and had no idea they were doing it this week until 2 seconds ago, and so long story short...the President of the High Priests is the one who ordained him and it was only the Bishopric, the Bishops wife, and our family there for the ordination, but it was perfect!!  I wish we would've known ahead of time so he could have invited our immediate families, but it was sort of fun to go home and surprise them with the news, we're all so proud of him and the changes he's been making.  The blessing he was given was beautiful and one thing that stood out to me that I wanted him to be able to refer back to later was that 'he'd be blessed with a more thorough knowledge of the Melchizedek Priesthood with time.'  He was born LDS and went to church as a child, and then off/on once he hit 16 years old.  And to hear that the Lord blesses him with continuing knowledge of the sacredness of his Priesthood really stood out; to think of what's yet to come with him in His work, it brings such a feeling of love and peace to my soul.

Obviously this was a necessary step along our path to the temple together, but even after this I still thought he'd be a month or so further out for getting his temple recommend, but that didn't prove to be the case.  A week or so later and he had his recommend in hand...

Bess Grown-Ups

It feels nice to be blogging again (we'll see how long it lasts...haha).  We'll start with updates on Shaun, as I'd rather talk about him than myself anyways! :) 

Shaun has been such a trooper over the last year with me not having a job.  He's been incredibly supportive and although he makes smart aleck remarks about it, I always know it's in teasing.  He's continued to keep busy with work and the fire department. There was a death of one of the guys on the department, so here is a picture I took of him all dressed up in his formal fire attire.  Such a good-looking man! 

This picture of Shaun holding Rylee marks a very important first for him!  He's always been good with little kids and has always loved the nieces and nephews.  But when they're first born and he sees them for the first time, he won't hold them.  It's not because he doesn't think they're all great and wonderful, but more like he becomes nervous to hold a brand new baby again and it takes him a time or two of seeing them before he comes around and is ready to hold them.  Well, this was his very first encounter with Miss Rylee and look at him, holding her like a natural (with maybe just a little prodding).  :)  

...More about Shaun to follow in an upcoming post...

Kellie- It's been a bit of a year for me and I've had quite the whirlwind of emotions to accompany it.  It has been hard for me to just enjoy the journey while I've been unemployed and still looking for work, but I can say that I have seen blessings in being home. It has come with its struggles in obvious ways such as financially and also socially...work really fulfilled that for me. However, I've enjoyed being home when the kids come home from school each day, having the mornings with Kambri before she has left for afternoon kindergarten, having the time to spend with Hollie and address the things that are troubling her as well as watching her turn into this young lady right in front of my eyes, being able to attend things of Taylor's and being home if/when he needs me (at 15 years old he needs his mom less and less), etc.  

One of many great things that has happened this year is being blessed with a new niece in September.  Rylee Michelle joined our family and we all love her so much.  I had the honor of being present when she was born and it was a bittersweet moment to realize this was the last of the grandkids on my family's side, and my last time to witness the miracle of a birth!  

I had to have surgery on my foot for a bunion and if I'd have been employed during that time it would have made things really difficult, so it was nice that I didn't have that added stress and was able to focus on my rehab and healing.  I was non weight-bearing for a little over a month and got around via my GLAMOROUS   knee scooter, a very humbling experience.  I had a lot of great help and I couldn't have done it without many visits from friends/family, help with housecleaning, outings in the car (which were NOT an easy task to take on), and lots of love!  Thankfully, other than a real ugly scar and some pain from time to time, I can put this experience behind.  :) 

This was taken at my 1 week post-op appointment.  

Lindsay and I started doing Paparazzi Jewelry as a team and it has been an absolute blast!  I'm loving it.  Everyone gets so excited over $5 jewelry and who can blame them?  It has been a success for us so far and it has created many occasions for 'business related' outings, which also double as fun girl time with my best friend!  I obviously have no idea at this point what the future holds as far as a job goes and so right now, this is working out great and I'm excited to start feeling like I'm contributing in some small way, again!

This cheesy picture was taken at a recent boutique we participated in at Maple Springs, where we stole the show with our awesome jewelry!  

Well, I think that sums things up for the Bess family on a personal level!  

What a year, what an unexpected year! :) 

Quick year overview of the Bess 'Littles'

Ok, the perfectionist in me is going to have a really hard time letting go of the last year's worth of blogging that I'm behind on and just picking up from here!  So instead I'm going to try doing a brief summary of things that have been going on in our lives!

Taylor has been in Chamber Choir this year and has kept quite busy with many performances, activities, etc. He has truly found a passion for music and it shows.  He had the opportunity to participate in a 3-day workshop with the Young American's.  (One of the members of the group thought he was good enough that she was trying to help him find one of the directors afterwards so he could try out! What a compliment!!)

 

Taylor with his friend Dakota on the left and then one of the Young American's to his right, below his old girlfriend Brittany.

He was part of the cast at the school musical 'Sound of Music' where he played out the part of the butler.  It was an EXCELLENT play and he did wonderful!  A new girlfriend has come into his life, Emily, and we get the honor of trying to keep a healthy balance between hanging out and not 'dating'.  She's a cute girl though and he seems to be quite smitten.  ;)  Within the last week he brought home the stuff to register for HIGH SCHOOL next year.  Oh my gosh, seriously?!  Where has the time gone?  He also just put in for a job at the Bear River Bird Refuge that is specifically for youth ages 15-18.  It's a random picking that they do for the job, so hopefully he'll hear something about it either way in the next several weeks.

Hollie is wrapping up her last year at the elementary!  Again, where has the time gone?  Seems like yesterday I was dropping her off for her first day of kindergarten.  She's becoming such the young lady and we're enjoying watching this transformation.  It has been a bit of a trying year for her socially at school, so we're very hopeful that next year will bring some positive changes for her and many of her peers.  She's trying so hard to make the right choices as we're working with the doctor to get things leveled out for her the best we can.  Like Taylor, she also has a real love for music.  She signed up for the 5th grade Talent Show to do a solo.  I love to sing and consider myself to be half ok at it, but NEVER would I sing a solo.  But she did amazing, she has a beautiful voice!

Beautiful girl after her solo performance!! :)

I started teaching her piano lessons about a year ago or so, but we struggle with keeping after it...well, recently she's been trying to teach herself and can play a couple of church songs out of one of her learner books.  Needless to say, we've got to make it a top priority to set aside the necessary time each week to do lessons.  Hollie has also started just very recently babysitting Aunt Sissy's girls and seems to feel quite proud that she's growing up and able to do that.  She loves to make up dances and cheers and as soon as I find a job I'd like to put her in dancing or cheer- she loves it!  Her and Kambri have both done the Mini Cheer Camp the last 3 years while my friends daughter Madeline has been a Box Elder Cheerleader.  They LOVED doing this with her, and even managed to score their own private session with a few of the cheerleaders after it was all said and done.

Kambri has been enjoying this year with me being home everyday and having me to herself before school.  We've played many of days with Aunt Sissy and the girls before afternoon kindergarten.  She has absolutely loved school this year and is so excited to start 1st grade in the fall. She has made a lot of cute little friends and it's been fun having them over and seeing how excited they get to play.  She loves to play with Hollie and join in on making up dances and cheers- we'll be putting her into dance or something also when we're able to put them both in.  Kami has learned so much this year and has started learning to read and does a pretty good job at it.  She loves to be outside whether she's riding her bike, playing with her dog Alli outside, riding her scooter, jumping on the tramp...it doesn't matter she just LOVES to be outdoors.  She welcomes any chance she can get to hold Lindsay's newest daughter, Rylee who was born end of September.  She is always happy to help do anything for her whether it's feeding her, changing her, holding her, etc.  She is just the cutest lil' mommy ever!

Stay tuned for a quick year overview of the Bess 'Grown-ups'! :)