May oh May!  

May was one crazy, busy, fun, stressful, successful month for us! We started May off with the preparation and then opening of our studio on May 8th. After that we moved on to a whole bunch of family fun and activities.

Cody did a great job of making me feel very special on Mother's Day this year. He was so sweet. He let me sleep in, brought me breakfast in bed with a flower, made me a super cute card, and showered me with gifts. He was so funny because he got me a slotted spoon. I have been needing one forever and I was surprised he even remembered something so silly. But he did! He also got me purple daisies that were so pretty! He did a great job at making my Mother's Day a nice one.

May 13th we made a very unplanned, but necessary decision to move Joshua from his crib to A BIG BOY BED! Joshua had developed a fun new habit of banging his head on the side of his crib. The first time it happened, I noticed a big round bruise on his forehead. I had been at a Relief Society Enrichment activity the night before so I called Cody and asked if Josh had fallen or bumped his head on something while I was gone. He said he hadn't and that he had no idea where Josh got the bruise. So I figured it was one of those toddler bruises that just happened. Well that night, I heard this loud bumping on the monitor so I finally went into his room to see what was going on. Joshua was standing up, holding two slats, and banging his head on the top bar of the crib. I think he may have been asleep or really out of it because he didn't even look up when I came in the room and his bed in right next to his crib. I finally said, "JOSHUA!! What are you doing!?" He slowly looked up at me and just kinda stared. I picked him up and took him in our room. We got him to sleep and then laid him back down. He was fine the rest of the night. The next afternoon, he did the same thing during nap time and I decided that was it. It had been about three days that we figured it had been going on so we decided it was time for a big boy bed. We went down to the local (meaning only) mattress store in Willcox and had him pick out a new bed. We grabbed some sheets and got it all set up. I think he would have done better his first night if he were more prepared. So no, the transition did not go well. He wouldn't stay in his bed, and when Cody finally got him to sleep the poor kid rolled out of bed. Now don't laugh, but they did not have a safety rail anywhere in Willcox. So we laid his crib mattress on the floor with a ton of pillows and blankets to protect him if he did fall out of bed. Well... like I mentioned he did and it did not go as planned. Instead of landing nicely in the bedding he bounced off the mattress and then into the rocking chair near his bed. By then he was so upset there was not much we could do. We tried but it was just not working so when 5:30 am rolled around we decided that the remainder of the morning would have to be spent in his pack and play. We set it up and as hard as he tried to put up a fight he couldn't resist sleeping. He was really tuckered out. The next night went fantastic! Cody laid with him for a little while, he asked for a drink and fell asleep quickly once he got his cup. It was crazy the change from the night before. It didn't stay that easy. He still asks for Cody to lay with him every night and depending on the day he goes to sleep easily or he cries for a little while. He is sleeping through the night in his bed though so I am very happy about that. Now if we can just get him to take naps there we will be in good shape. Here are a few pictures from his first night in the big bed and a couple others from another day. I am excited to get him big boy bedding for his birthday which also means we get to re-decorate (or for this house do it for the first time)!

At the end of the week, we had the chance to head up to Safford to spend the weekend with my family to celebrate my little sister's 21st birthday, go through the Gila Valley Temple open house, and take family pictures for my Mom for her Mother's Day gift. It was a busy weekend, but very special and completely worth all of the chaos. I am very close to my little sister and I miss her so much. Cody and her have become very good friends and I love that they can laugh and joke with each other. Joshua also LOVES his Auntie Shannon. She lived with us for his entire first year of life and this helped them to be even closer. He chose to let her hold him in the temple and didn't want much to do with anyone else. We decided to get a little creative for her present this year. We wanted to give her something she could use, and also something that she would like. So we decided to get her a crockpot and 25 lbs of pinto beans. I thought it would at least be useful and she has really been wanting a crockpot. I think she liked it and she has already used it successfully so I think it worked out well.

The Gila Valley Temple is so very special to me. Every temple is a sacred place, but this temple is very close to my heart. My family were part of the original pioneer members that settled the area and I know they have all waited a long time to see the Valley blessed with a temple. It was beautiful inside. I loved the baptismal font, the ordinance rooms, and the celestial room. The sealing room was another room that just had a special feeling in it. What can I say, the whole place had such a strong feeling of the spirit it couldn't be ignored. We were able to take a few photos afterward outside the temple. We didn't have the best location, but it was very busy that day so we were just happy to grab the few that we did.

That evening we went to a concert that was presented through the LDS Bookstore and it was great! We went as a whole family which made it even better. After the show, Shannon came with us, we grabbed some food and headed back to our hotel. It was so nice getting to spend a little extra time with her, and we always have a good laugh when we are together. It was late and we were tired so we called it an early night. I took her home and then headed to bed for a full day the following day. The next day we did several things to prepare for Shanny's birthday and family pictures. Day passed too quickly and we were off to do family photos for my Mom. We had a lot of fun, but we didn't know that our new camera was not compatible with the remote that we had for our old camera. So we had to them the old fashion way, but I am still really like the way they turned out.

put on her wall. Happy Mother's Day Mom!! We love you and appreciate all you do for us!
The next weekend was a very special one. We came back down to Safford for the temple cultural celebration and dedication. We did not have tickets to be at the actual performance for the celebration but we watched it at the Safford Stake Center with Joshua. It was really an amazing event. They tied a great deal of history into the performance and it was awesome seeing all of the youth participating together. President Thomas S. Monson our prophet and President Henry B. Eyring were both in attendance. They were SO funny! They sang a little song together and told a couple of really funny stories. It was a very special time. The next morning my parents watched Joshua for us while we attended the temple dedication. It was such an amazing and spiritual experience. Having grown up in the Gila Valley, I knew the great desire for a temple in the area. And to see it from start to finish was an experience that I am very grateful for. We were able to attend the ground breaking all the way up to the dedication. Many of those who spoke in the first dedicatory session spoke of President Spencer W. Kimball who lived in Safford/Thatcher all of his life. My granddad did business with him often and spoke very highly of him. It was special to hear stories from the prophet and other leaders about him. Everything about the dedication was perfect. There was such a peaceful feeling that day. I am really looking forward to doing temple work there. It will be nice having a temple so very close. What a blessing!


May was one crazy month, but it was full of blessings and great memories that will be with me for the rest of my life.