Carter's Baptism

 Carter Bruce Dearden baptised by his father, Taylor Barrows Dearden.

 Monica Phair, our favorite babysitter, gave the talk on the Holy Ghost.

 Great Grandma Olsen, Grandma Hoppie and our family.

 Great Grandma Olsen, Grandma Hoppie, Dad, Carter, Mom and Spencer.

Back Row: Uncle Stuart, Grandpa Dearden, Great Grandma Dearden, Granny Dearden, Dad,Carter, Uncle Sam, Aunt Marian. Front Row: Aunt Staci, Cousin Alana, Cousin Charlotte, Aunt Crystal, Cousin Esther, Aleeya, Spencer and Mel Provost.

Grandpa Dearden, Great Grandma Dearden, Granny Dearden, Dad, Carter, Mom, Spencer.

After his baptism, Brother Christensen asked Carter how he felt and he said, "wet."  Typical, Carter response.  We had a nice program and the McBride's sang "I Feel My Savior's Love."  Taylor gave a nice blessing with the confirmation.  We asked those in attendance to share their testimonies on cards, so Carter has a nice remembrance. 

There is hope!

I have been attempting to make our FHE nights more than just say a prayer and have a treat nights.  It has been frustrating and I fear that my children have no attention span.  This night Carter said he was going to do the lesson.  He got dressed up and used the Book of Mormon and took it so seriously.  It was a beautiful moment. 

Families Are Forever

Today we went to the Logan Temple and were sealed as a family. Taylor was proxy for Dad. It was a nice day and family and neighbors came to support us. Afterwards, we had a potato bar at the house. Carrie watched the kids while we were at the temple. It doesn't seem real that it has been a year since Dad died. I am thankful for the gospel that bonds families together forever.

The most honest kid in Primary!

It was reported to me that Carter was very honest in Primary today. The Sharing Time was about helping our families and they had the kids sitting in a circle around a pile of toys. The kids were supposed to pick up a toy and put it in the basket and then tell about how they help their families. Some responses were; loading the dishwasher, cleaning their rooms, etc. When Carter had a turn he picked up a toy, put it in the basket and when they asked him how he helps his family, he said, "I help make the mess!" So true, so true!

Funeral for Suzi Baxter

Our friend, Suzi Baxter passed away on October 3 from complications from cancer. It is a sad story, but it has been amazing to see the miracles that unfolded as we planned the Benefit Concert and put together the funeral luncheon. She is a great reminder that the Lord knows each on of us and that we can have a great impact on others.

The blog www.smilesforsuzi.blogspot.com has her story and how the community came together to help her family.

Fliers for Smiles for Suzi Benefit Concert!

A friend of ours in the ward had terminal cancer and what started as an idea to help raise money for her funeral costs turned into an amazing opportunity to see how one life can impact so many. The first planning meeting was 09/09/09 and things went crazy from there. The concert just got bigger and bigger! Performers were: David Osmond, Mercy River, Tminus5, Lex de Azevedo and his choir and Greg Pearson. A silent auction was also held and the items donated were amazing! The actual concert was 09/24/09. The picture below is of us passing out fliers as a group F.H.E. I love my sweatshirt and skirt outfit!

Oquirrh Mountain Temple Dedication

Taylor and I were able to attend a dedicatory session for the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. I wish I had taken notes to help me remember, my mind and body are pretty tired, but I did remember that they told the youth to write about this in their journal, so I thought I would write a note.

The main point that has stuck in my mind is that we can have the same qualities that are in the temple in our individual lives and homes. I have heard before that our homes should be like the temple, but I thought it was interesting that as they listed the differences between the temple and the world, that we should also apply this to us as individuals. Particularly, I want my life to "Be Still." I love all I am doing, but I want to make sure I am taking time to know God and make sure my doing is what is His will. This scripture has been on my mind for the last few weeks, so I think that is another reason that I was drawn to this point.

I found my camera!

So my camera has been missing since 07/06. I have been trying not to worry because I figured that the kids had taken it or I had put it in some random place, in both cases I thought I would find it while cleaning the house.

Well, have cleaned the house several times and no luck. So then I started cleaning closets and dresser drawers and other places that I could think of it might be. No luck. I was starting to get worried and stressed because I missed having it available for pictures and I know that it is not in the budget to get a new one.

Today I decided that after again looking in every closet and bag and car and cupboard and basket I could think of that, I would pray. I had put off this option because honestly there are so many more things I need to pray for that I felt this should be something I could do on my own.

I can't believe I waited this long to ask for help. I found my camera several hours after praying. I was changing Aleeya's diaper and then went to get a new outfit for Serena, since she needed changed also. When I was in Serena's closet I thought maybe I will look in her purse for my camera. Looked there, empty. Then I thought I wonder if it is in Carter's "purse," his backpack. So I went to his closet and looked inside-there it was!

I am thankful the Lord cares about the small details of my life. I am glad I was finally humble enough to pray and I am glad for this reminder that prayer is powerful!

Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House

Our family had the opportunity to tour the Oquirrh Mtn. Temple. The tour was super organized and a few highlights for the children were the cart ride to and from the car and the cookies and water at the end.

The tour is silent, so they asked everyone to turn of cell phones etc., but they said that we could keep the children on. I appreciated this comment, as it acknowledged that they understood families.

Carter walked with his hands in his pockets, silently, the whole way through. Serena was also fairly reverent, just fast. There are many ushers, so she kept saying, "this way, this way?" Aleeya just took it all in.

The temple has beautiful chandeliers and marble staircases. I noted that it is wise to have durable easy to clean stairs, I think carpet is a pain. (I think I might need to change my focus to something more spiritual!)

It was a nice time together as a family and I am thankful that we could tell our children that mom and dad are married for eternity.

Are accidents contagious?

Serena was jumping on the bed last night (5/27) and fell off and bumped her head on the nightstand (feel free to sing about no more monkeys on the bed!). We went to the doctor and spent an hour and a half as they iced it, then put a gel on to stop the bleeding and then finally put on Dermabond. I guess she is destined to have bangs, since this is the second time she has cut her forehead!

It feels as though we might have an accident virus in our home...5/25, I missed the last stair going into the living room and twisted my ankle, it was swollen and painful for two days. 5/26, Aleeya climbs up one stair and then rolls back down. 5/28, I was walking upstairs and fell up the stairs (this has been a life long problem for me), I was carrying Aleeya so I fell on my knee since I couldn't use my arms. Then Carter falls down half of the stairs to the basement and I cut my finger with the apple slicer.

But we must have angels watching over us, because after I came home from the doctor with Serena and everyone got into bed it was late and I was kneeling down by the bed saying my prayers, when one of the screws came out of Aleeya's bassinet and it fell off of the bars that hold it up.

I must admit that I don't always kneel for my prayers, so I am thankful that I was right there and heard the bassinet fall and quickly got Aleeya out so there was no harm done. She is now sleeping in the pack-n-play and we REALLY will go and get a bed for Serena this weekend and then Aleeya can have the crib (this has been on the list of things to do for over a month).

The power of Carter's prayers

Our lesson in Relief Society was about prayer and Bonnie Whitlock asked for examples of prayer we remember being answered when we were children, it reminded me about an experience with Carter's prayers.

We had an Oldsmobile that the transmission was going out on, one day I decided to risk it and drive to the store (I knew a ward member was going to be selling Girl Scout cookies there and I really wanted some, I was pregnant, so that is my excuse). Well, of course, after we got our cookies, the car wouldn't start. I decided to go to another store there in the complex and then try again. I asked Carter to say a prayer that our car would work so we could get home. He gave a great prayer and when we tried again it started.

So... Carter knew that when he prayed the car would work. Well, Taylor drove the car to work one day and it officially died for good. We tried many things to get it started, but it was done. At one point we did say a prayer, but it was time for the Olds. to be donated to charity.

The cute thing is that several weeks later Carter was saying that he missed the white car and that if we would have let him get inside the car and he had prayed, that it would have been fixed. I love that in his mind, since we were not in the car when we prayed that it didn't work. Who knows he might have enough faith that if we had put him inside the car, it would still be running!

Hopefully this will be funny someday...

So it is official, the Dearden children are the most disruptive at church. Carter had such a hard time being reverent in Primary that after they moved him several times, and he still refused to be good, they brought him to us in Sunday School. When I played the piano in Primary, I don't remember any kids getting kicked out, so he must have really been trouble! So, Taylor took him for awhile until he was ready to apologize and be good.

Then after Relief Society I was busy talking with people and Serena was in the Relief Society room wandering around. She climbed on a chair and pulled the fire alarm! I was so embarrassed! Luckily, Bishop Dearden was able to quickly use his key to turn it off, but then it went off twice more as they reset it, so the whole thing was very disruptive!!!!

I don't know if it is possible to have enough Family Home Evenings on reverence to get our kids to practice the principle!

On a happy note, Aleeya was smiling through the whole thing! There is still hope for her reverence!