Wedding Day Digitized

Hey! Guess what I did today! Well, since I am old and was married in the days of film cameras, I decided to pretend be young and I finally got some of those old negatives digitized! I picked them up from Costco today, only 3 bucks, gotta love that. Look at us, young and in love. Now we're old and in love. But once again we're also far away and in love. Corey's in Chile and I'm in Utah missing him. But good news is that it's not for 3 1/2 years of missions this time, it's only for 2 weeks, I can handle that, right? And what do you know, we're already a fourth of the way through it. Soon we'll realize that once again we've been time-warped through the dreams of the past and will find ourselves together and will say "Here we are again~"

Time to Retire

Well, I've been meaning to send out cards to several people. The good intentions have been in my head for several weeks, but I keep putting it off cause I want to take by treats with it or get a better card, but yesterday I kept thinking that doing something would be better than doing nothing. So today I did it. As I was doing it and left my three young daughters unattended, Abi held Sophia and Sophia fell asleep, and that left Lily free to do her damage unnoticed...


Yes, I think it's time to officially retire my scripture and get new ones. I received these as a gift from my parents when I turned 12 years old. I took them to seminary, on my mission, and they've were always safe and well cared for until I had children. They've survived a few rips here and there and different attacks with pens that were left out, but this damage I think is sufficient for them to be stored away for posterity.

I'm missing Genesis 33 - 38 now and 2 Nephi 26 - 29.


I guess I could keep using them without those pages, or I can try to use it with the ripped pages kept with the set where they should be, or should I tape them back together even though the tape will discolor over time? Should just put them to rest while they still are kind of in one piece? Oh Lily, I've told her not to rip books, but usually she just rips the scholastic Disney books, and I don't mind that so much cause I can just go buy them again at the thrift store for 5o cents. Don't know why I didn't see this coming. My motherly instincts must be a little rusty. So I got upset with her, spanked her bottom and said NO NO NO, then went and got my camera. She went and hid in her bed with her blanket over her head. I went in to make peace and I pulled down the blanket she was hiding under. (I adore her little face in this picture! with her hair brushed over her little eyes, and those cute lips, love her expression)

Ok two year old, let's see if you understand now what it is that I want you NOT to do. Don't rip book, okay?

Oh, the pain of being scolded is great. The memory still fresh.


...And she doesn't know why I'm taking pictures of her right now...


Jessie also got broken today. She only lasted 5 months! It's been a tough day for Lily!

Scripture Power!

The kids got these ADORABLE little chocolate scriptures at church last week after their Primary Program during sacrament meeting - a gift from the Stake Primary Presidency. I think they got the idea for it from here. I thought they were the cutest little handout treats I've ever seen.


They were made with two gold wrapped Hershey's Nuggets chocolates, glued onto a brown piece of paper for the cover of the book, little white paper with your scripture or quote of choice, and then just glue a little bit of red string or ribbon for the bookmark, and there you've got your miniature chocolate scriptures! The kids loved it.

They also did a great job for the program. I think that Abi stole the show ...but not for the usual reasons kids steal shows. She didn’t want to go up on the stage cause she wanted to stay with her cousin Alexis. So Abi was sitting up there with a big pout and cute sad eyebrows. When it was here turn to the microphone, she said her part in such a sad, squeaky whimpering voice “Child of God” and everyone laughed at how cute she was, and laughing at her when she’s in a bad mood turns her into a terrible mood, so she was pretty upset with a bigger scowl and more hurt feelings face than before, but continued to sit up with her class on the bench in the very front. When her next turn came, in the same pathetic squeaky voice she whimpered out “Pray” and everyone laughed again, including me, at how cute this sad little 4 year old was. After seeing her upset after that second round of sighs and chuckles, Corey smiled and asked “Should I go up there with her?” So he went up and sat at the sacrament bench and she came over to her and he held her there for the rest of the program. He told us afterward that among the things she said to him during their time together was “I still love Jesus but it’s not funny!”


Later at home Abi helped me make soup for dinner - she cut the carrots. It's her favorite job to do, she's a cutie.

Abigail and Sophia

Abi, whose Spider Man costume with rainboots outfit was cracking me up, fell asleep holding Sophia.

Sophia was still awake and wiggling around looking up at Abi and trying to reach her binki with her mouth... it was a cute picture :)

Life Lessons by Shannon

When we first moved to this area in 2007, I was ready to lose my baby weight after Abi was born, and I saw Shannon going on a run outside. We visited for a minute and she invited me to go running with her sometime. I did, and that first jog led to me joining her and others in running a half marathon and meeting more people and feeling totally at home here in our new neighborhood.

Shannon has been battling breast cancer for many years, and this summer it took a turn for the worse. I've been thinking of her so much, she's just amazing. She has become one of my heroes for many reasons that I'd like to ramble about here for a bit, if you don't mind. So when we moved here in 2007 she lived just on the next street over and I knew her from our church ward, and her smile and the light in her eyes just showed her joy and excitement for life. After that first jog together, I was awed at how much she had endured in her life, and inspired even more that she was so positive and happy despite the challenges she faced and was still facing. I want to be like her. I know that everyone has their own daily struggles to deal with, and as I face my own trials I think of Shannon and it helps me to be try and be stronger and to be happy.

Here are a few quick stories of my hero Shannon that she shared with us as she gave us her lessons for life.  She shared these lessons two years ago in October 2009. I didn't have my notebook that day, but I did have a pen, and I knew what she shared was going to be good cause she's just amazing, so I wrote it down on my hand and took pictures as soon as I got home. :) So here are some of the rules she lives by and the things she's learned in her life that help her with her trials. Pictures with typed translations follow below.

#1 - Always come to church - She first moved to Utah over 10 years ago, and at that time she was a young mother in her mid 30s and she was going through a divorce and had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. She moved here to Utah with her 5 kids. Her 4th child is a son who was born very handicapped, wasn't expected to live beyond two years, but is still alive today and although it's work to take care of him, he's such a blessing to Shannon, she says he is her first missionary (her oldest son is on a mission in Scotland and is her first missionary, but she also considers Kevin her "first" missionary for when he took on his earthly mission and challenge of being born into a handicapped body, she knows what a strong and amazing spirit he has and she feels honored to be his mother).

Photo from 22 April 2011 "Kevin is 18 today! Wow! It's been a journey, but I wouldn't change a second of it! Here's hoping for another 18!"

She started chemotherapy shortly after she arrived here in Utah, so she was in a new neighborhood, was a single mom now, sick, tired, stressed, self conscious of being bald etc... she had many reasonable excuses to stay at home and take it easy, but she decided to go to church that first Sunday - and that was an important test of her faith that she passed, and she knows that making church attendance a priority has been a great blessing in her life.

#2 - This is not my real home (Earth is not our real home - after this brief mortal life we will return to our true home which is with God)

#3 - Don't be scared about the future - focus on the day you're on (She tries to not to worry about how long she'll live or all the "what if?"s that cancer brings, she focuses on today - today I'm good, I'm doing okay, or today I'm struggling, but I know God loves me)

#4 - Read other people's accounts - The Ensign, the scriptures, Tuesday's with Morrie (Those are some things Shannon reads that help her. Here's one Ensign article that helped me because of this quote in it: “When someone has an ailment or an illness and they are healed as the result of a blessing, their faith is being strengthened. But for those who aren’t healed but continue faithful, their faith is being perfected. The first is a faith-promoting experience. The second is faith-perfecting.”), Moses crossing the Red Sea is a good one to remember when I struggle with my small trials, and I also love Conference talks - like this one from the prophet which helped me when I was complaining after our first month in Costa Rica last year - it was funny, cause I had been murmuring big time during the week before this talk and Corey said I should be more grateful, so when the prophet spoke on gratitude, I knew it was a call for me to repent. Also another amazing story here - scroll half way down, there's a story of a German woman during World War 2 - heart breaking trial of incredible faith)

#5 - Have an attitude of gratitude - (She said that being bald makes it so easy to get ready in the mornings! Plus, she joked that it was nice to not have to pluck those thick facial whiskers that start to grow here and there as we get older. I met an amazingly happy person in Costa Rica, and when we talked about her insanely good attitude despite the problems she was facing, she shared something which is what I now try to say to myself in my trials: "It must be a blessing" If Stephanie Nielsen can say her accident and the trials that have followed are a blessing, how could I not also try to recognize that my trials (which are so small in comparison!) are also blessings, to get me closer to God. I know that God is good and that he loves his children, so our trials and difficult experiences really could be and are actually blessings.

#6 - Have confidence in yourself - "I'm bald..." Shannon was bald at the time she gave this lesson from Cancer treatments from her breast cancer that had returned. During her first battle with cancer, she often felt self conscious or uncomfortable being bald. This time she told us she has gained more confidence, took off her hat, and gave the rest of the lesson with her bald head showing. Don't be scared!

#7 - Make it a priority to keep moving  - She didn't know what the next year would bring, if she'd be feeling healthy or not, but she still made plans to do fun things that she enjoyed, like a planned trip to New York to play in a tennis tournament.

#8 - Plan something fun - make a Bucket List like in the movie

She asked a sister in the ward to share her experience of her husband passing away. She remembered a condolence card she received that sweetly said "There's a little bit of heaven in your home when someone from your home is in heaven."

(I apparently stopped numbering after 8, but I think 9 and 10 were as follows)

#9 - Life is a polishing experience - and polishing a stone, like refining gold or making a precious diamond, takes heat, or lots of pressure, and/or pain. That's what it takes to make us the best and most beautiful that we can be - stretching us beyond our comfort zone.
#10 - We don't own our problems, God does - Turn our lives and problems over to him. Be optimistic. Plant perennials (make plans to be around the next year)

One more story about Shannon. In 2006 on her birthday, she went on a hike with some guys up to Pheifferhorn. That was before we'd moved here. It was June 25th but it had been a long winter, so there was still ice/snow on the mountain.

(more pictures here)

She didn't know how to use an ice pick correctly and on a steep icy slope she lost her grip and control of herself and fell, she was literally tumbling to her death off a cliff, and as she felt this was it, this was the end of her life. Then she thought of who would take care of her children, especially her son Kevin, and then she was stopped, she felt something grab her waist and she stopped from her full tumble at the edge of the cliff with her feet dangling off the edge. Her friends Richard and Jerry saw her falling and thought there was no way she would survive with the angle of the slope and how fast she was falling.

Shannon knows that she was miraculously spared that day and that she was supposed to have died, so each day since has been a gift from the Lord.

In October 2009, Joe and I went with Shannon and a group of friends to hike Pfeifferhorn. Shannon shared parts of the story again, it is called her "Miracle on the Mountain"

Shannon is the 3rd from left, I'm 5th. It's a really steep hike in places - the picture above is not the steepest part. Joe and I stopped at the "knife's edge" which part made me way too nervous for Joe's life, not that he had been struggling with the hike, it was just too scary - I was scared for myself, let alone putting my first born child at risk. So here below is where we took one last snap shot and turned back. (Plus I had baby Lily home waiting for her milkmaid to return...)

After the knife's edge is the final climb to the peak of Pfeifferhorn, which you can see from the top left of the picture above is STEEP. The rest of our group made it to the peak.

This is Richard who took fantastic pictures of the view during the hike. (image 4027) He was also one of the two guys with Shannon on the day of her Miracle.

When we got back from Costa Rica in May of this year, Shannon was doing great, still out walking in the mornings but taking it easy - no plans for marathon. But her cancer took a turn for the worse over the summer and she's in need of extra prayers. Shannon, I just love you - I pray for you every day.

Update: Shannon passed away on December 2, our prayers are with her and her family, especially her son on his mission.

Hibberts Rule!

I've been thinking a lot about my awesome family this week, meaning the family I was born and raised in. My family that I'm creating with Corey is pretty awesome too, but thinking about my parents and siblings, they are a funny bunch. Lots of great memories. I'm excited for when my kids get older and become friends and have fun together. They have fun now sometimes, maybe 80% of the time, then are mortal enemies the other 20%. but if I was living with all my siblings now, we'd be having a major blast 24/7 cause we are just so gosh darn funny!


I shall now write a paragraph of different word and phrases to bring back some memories to those involved.


Star Spoon, hamsters, 4 square & dodgeball, Ridgecrest, Candy Houses, He-Man, The Spruces, "I'm going for a drive...", The Littles, soccer, Billy Joel, Star Wars, Muppet Babies, Sport, Gaggamaggot stew, Michael Jackson, Mandy and Jenny Dolls, kick the can, Mannheim Steamroller, green toilet, My Little Ponies, Anzak Park, Ashton Idaho, Butler 11th, Dan's, "Around the block!", Happy Meals, Space Legos, Renting a VCR, Mickey Mouse Phone, big wheel ice cream, Chalkboard on the cupboards, barstools, Upside down Christmas tree, play catch, Snow forts, that very unique print on the upstairs bathroom counter, dog run, pac man in the garden... Your turn Hibberts! What are some more?

I love my 7 siblings ~ Hibberts rule!

Give Thanks

I just thought this Thanksgiving Advent Board was so cute. Link to it here. Maybe I have time to do it before Thursday gets here? Um, probably not. Maybe I'll modify it for a Christmas advent calendar. I'll have a little time for personal crafts and freedom cause Corey is leaving on Friday for Chile again, going to be gone 15 days this time. (I don't feel as much pressure to keep the house tidy when he's gone) He say's it's time for him to "put up or shut up" with MovieMouth, but I know he's not going to give up or shut up about it, I've tried before to persuade him to abandon ship, but he's informed me that that is not an option, so hopefully his pilot will go well or else I guess we'll just keep going down this road till he dies of a heart attack. (I always start thinking of him dying when he leaves on a trip and start making plans for how I'll handle life as a widow. I guess I think if I'm ready for it, it for sure won't happen. I already have an unwashed shirt of his in a zip-lock bag so I can always remember what he smelled like. Corey, you were a great husband. I'll miss you! (Anyone else get crazy like this when hubby travels?))

First Ski of the Season

Corey took Mel, Wes, and Abi on Friday after school. Then again on Saturday he went up, this time with the 4 older kids and also with his brother and his two kids. We missed winter last year, so we're excited to take full advantage of each opportunity this time around. We even rented skis for everyone.

It was Abi's first time skiing and she did great, she loved it! She wanted to go on the lift but the other kids didn't, so she just posed for the camera and they're gonna hit the slopes next time.

(where'd she learn to tilt her head like that for the camera?)


As for this time, they had fun on the bunny hill and rope tow. We love living so close to the canyon - Alta is just 20 minutes away, and at Alta kids ski free after 3! And may I just say that is perfect for our family. :)


On Saturday when Corey went with his brother and his kids, Wes and Abi let their cousins use their skis. With 6 pairs of feet, we've got all sizes! Anyone else want to come play? We've got skis for your kids already! Neil and Amy? Amy, you and Lucy could stay here with me and my toddlers, we'd let the men and boys go have fun, and have hot cocoa and dinner ready for them when they got back. Anyone else? Let me know! Party time in Utah's winter wonderland!

Hyrum's Contract

Tuesday was "Tool Day" at the kid's school where parents get to come and tell the students what they do for their career. Well, a lawyer came and talked to Hyrum's class and taught them about contracts. He gave them a paper contract as a handout. Hyrum filled it out.

Contract States: Hyrum must build legos. If he does, Corey will pay him 900,000,000-infinity dollars.

Well, when the kids get home they are always pushing papers in front of us to sign - sign my planner, sign this field trip permit, sign that you saw my scores for this week, sign sign initial sign. Hyrum passed his contract over to Corey and told him to sign it. He signed it without reading it and handed it back to Hyrum. Hyrum's eyebrows went sky high and his eyes got big with disbelief, like he's just won the lottery. He held the signed paper up in the air and waved it as he ran around yelling to his siblings "HE SIGNED IT!!! HE SIGNED IT!!!" We brought the terms of the contract to Corey's attention.


Corey said "Oh. Ok...Well, I guess I signed it so I have to keep my part of the contract! You win Hyrum. I'll pay you 1 cent a day." "No! You have to pay all of it now!" "The contract doesn't say when I have to pay it by" and we continued to have a lesson on contracts and why they are usually really long so people can't find a loophole. Hyrum started to get pretty frustrated with Corey trying to weasel his way out of it. Corey told Melodie "I want you to go get rid of all the Legos in the house" - thus making it impossible for Hyrum to keep his end of the contract. Hyrum said "Nooo!!!" Well, I'm not sure how it ended. Corey might have tried the distraction method which is my favorite tool: Hey! Want to play the Wii? Or how 'bout a fruit snack?

BYU vs. Utah

Wesley is so cute. He's big into BYU. BYU and Blue. Red is bad, cause Red is Utah. So unfortunately his 1st grade journal is red. Red is bad, so he decided to try and change it to blue. He drew on the cover with blue crayon. Then he said his teacher told him to take it home to fix it. So we tried to erase the crayon. I was able to a little bit, but I thought it was kinda funny to have a peek into why this little 6 year old does things. I'm sure his teacher came and saw him scribbling and was like "Ack! Stop! What are you doing to your nice journal?" Perfectly logical thinking in his mind "What do you think I'm doing? Anyone can see, look at it! It's RED!"

Sophia's Blessing

Sophia was given a blessing at church this past Sunday. She is such a cutie.

Sophia with my parents above and Corey's parents below.



Then taking a nap at home with Ethan. :) The kids love having her take a nap on them, it's so sweet to have her snuggle with, I love it too, she's my little toasty teddy bear.

Fun To Have Girls

Melodie was outnumbered with brothers for quite a while - I felt like we were a family of boys + Mel. But now these little princesses have evened up the score, so I'm trying to prep myself to be more girly. Melodie is good at helping me.


SLEEPING BABY GIRL + A BIG SISTER WITH POLISH = TINY PAINTED FINGERNAILS


We did her toes too. So fun!

Cute Sophia

The kids have a stuffed Dog that has a puppy. The puppy is very small. The kids thought it would make a perfect "teddy dog" for Sophia.

Since she's so tight all the time, with clenched fists and arms tucked in, they were able to get her to hold it pretty well. It was cute. I loved Sophia in these pictures, cute to see her when she's wide awake. It's starting to happen more often. She's so cute, she's a keeper.

"I Wuv Deez Widdle Toes!"

I have fun staring at Fifi everyday. Here are some pictures I took last Wednesday, I thought this one above with Lily and Sophia was really cute - Yes, just enjoying wasting time and being in the moment when Sophia is tiny and precious, Babyhood just goes by too fast.


Look at those big eyes! Those are from her father. And have I mentioned her eye lashes? They are longer than mine are. She's gonna have some killer eyes.





Took lots of pictures of her and her feet, loving ooh-ing at her little toes and cuteness


Oh, I love this little girl! Amazing that I just barely met this little soul 8 weeks ago, but she is now and will forever be one of the most important people in my life.


I'm glad I have Melodie around, cause I know I can count on her to ooh and aww over Sophia, especially when there doesn't seem to be anything to get excited over. Sophia will just be laying on the bed staring off into the distance sucking on her binki and Mel and I will both be looking at her, then we'll both say "She is SOOO Cute!!!"

I was walking by the mirror in our room as caught a glimpse of Sophia's big eyes, said "She is SOOO Cute!!!" and tried to get a picture of it that would do her cuteness justice.


I love that little face!