Family BBQ 2010

Last year I planned a Family BBQ with my family and my dad's side of the family since we don't get to see them very often. Since last year was such a success (minus the rain) I decided to do it again. I didn't have as much time to plan this year though. Last year I started planning it in May this year I started planning it in July so needless to say somethings were forgotten or we had to run to the store a few times but even through all of this it was still a success. There were only 3 families out of 13 that couldn't make it with the exception of a few missing members from some of the families. The day was awesome, I got to the park by 10:00 AM to make sure we got the pavilion and did homework till everyone started showing up. We visited, played with the kids on the playground and watched them play in the water at the splash pad. When mostly everyone was there we even pulled out the water balloons and had a water fight which ended with My cousin Matt, my nephew Craig, my niece Shaylee and I all ganging up on my niece Lindsay and pouring a cooler full of water over her. It was fun. :) we BBQ'd hamburgers,hot dogs, and chicken played baseball, flew kites, and tried to play a game of Clue but the wind was blowing so hard that it was hard making sure nothing blew away. It was so good to spend that time with family and to see my cousins Matt and Melissa again. Thanks everyone for participating and coming out. :) It was so much fun and I think I am going to try and keep this going...what do you think? I have been slacking on the picture department this year. I do have some that I will post below but it's not as many as I was hoping to get..oh well enjoy anyway. :) All the pictures of the kites that were flown didn't come out...especially this one, he had it almost all the way out. See the string. When the kite came down it resulted in a massive tangled up knot that took 5-6 people to untangle. :p

Joys of being a Great Aunt

Again I forgot my camera so I had to take this with my phone. Isn't he so cute though! Elijah Ute Jensen was born last Saturday Aug 7 at 1:21 PM he was 6lbs 8oz and 19 inches long to Craig and Erika Jensen. This is their second son, Their oldest Zach is excited to be a big brother and loves to hold and play with Elijah. Congratulations you guys he's so cute.

Pictures

Ok I found my camera Hooray. Here are some of the pictures I haven't been able to post. Most of the one's from the 4th of July are my Sister in laws..but some are mine. :)
July 4th...

Pioneer Day Weekend

Everything is Going to be Okay

This year has been a pretty hard one for James and I and his whole family, between 2 miscarriages, a open heart surgery, school starting, depression, basements flooding, a potential back surgery, car accidents, cars breaking down, faucets breaking, etc. etc. etc.(*note this is the whole Armstrong family) So suffice it to say this year has been rough and a little overwhelming. I thought I was holding up pretty good but this past week I had the chance to talk to my cousin. I knew his wife had had a miscarriage a couple months before I did and when I asked how she was doing, he was shocked that I didn't hear the news. A couple months after her miscarriage they got pregnant again. I am so happy for them but at the same time for some reason it hurt and brought hope at the same time. From what I had heard about a year to a year and a half was the normal lapse time from a miscarriage to get pregnant again, so hearing that it only took them a couple of months gave me hope that maybe James and I might get pregnant sooner than we thought. But at the same time the news hit me with a painful blow and sent my head spinning. After I got off the phone with him I tried to get a hold of James. (sometimes I can text him at work and he can text back) But with no luck. so I texted my niece Erika and my friend Dawn. Both had encouraging words but for some reason I felt like I was bothering them so I decided to leave it at that. I was feeling kinda angry, frustrated and started to wonder again why that little baby was taken away from us. I started to feel very overwhelmed, lonely and again frustrated. I've been reading this book called Trusting Jesus by Jeffery R. Holland and I started to think about some of the stuff I read and as I took the dogs outside I saw the most beautiful sunset and started to think about how we have a loving Heavenly Father who made all these wonderful beauty's for us to enjoy. The sunset, the fluffy cotton clouds, the beautiful mountains and then it hit me like a ton of bricks, I don't trust in the Lords will and I have very little if no faith in his will and the fact that James and i will be parents someday. i felt really bad but at the same time it made sense. I started to ponder these thoughts for the longest time and realized there were simple things that I can do to help this. Things like instead of saying IF we get pregnant again I need to say WHEN. I believe it's never the Lords will to make us unhappy, but it is his will to test us and stretch us to the point where we think we might break so that we can become stronger and find an even greater happiness after those trials are over. the other day James needed a scripture for his institute class and I remembered my one of my favorite Scriptures. Mosiah 5:15

"Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen."

I know things aren't going to get easier but at least I know know what I need to work on it has brought such peace to my heart to know that I need more trust and faith. I know I can do it, it may take awhile and I can't guarantee that I wont have anymore breakdowns. :) But I know my Heavenly Father loves me and wants nothing but the best for me.