as times passes by

Yay! I have a new nephew as of today!!!!!

Travis Micheal Upchurch was born today. 7lbs 1 oz & 20 inches long. I can't wait to meet him next week!

Also I ordered my new phone today so it should be in sometime next week-hopefully!

Today we went to the gym (it was not busy at all) & then we went to the free movie-The kids enjoyed it.

Then we came home and napped and went to an animal program at the Library this evening- right up Emma's alley.

This month of July that is approaching is beginning to look busy, I guess that is good! Life is good, hard, and all the things it is supposed to be.

Baby pictures will follow soon-hopefully!

she can do hard things

This has been an especially though week for me. My daughter has been testing my parenting skills to the MAX. I have been struggling with it and on the edge of tears almost every day.

I was going through some important papers yesterday and came across the letter my mission president sent my stake president right before I was to come home. He said "Sis Upchurch has been an excellent missionary & she has trained lots of new missionaries. Be sure to give her hard assignments because she is used to them." This made me reflect on the many "greenie" companions I had on my mission & how many of them were difficult or stubborn in some way or another. I could not trade them in for another model I had to learn to love them and depend on my Heavenly Father because I had no one else. Now as I am a parent I am kind of facing the same thing except I am not alone I have a loving and supportive husband and friends and of course a Father in Heaven who know all. I realized he "my Father in Heaven" is giving me "hard assignments" so he must think I can grow from them. I pray that I can become who he wants me to be.

In tune

Wanting this...............I have been practicing on my keyboard and it is just not the same. Sigh, I can't wait till we can afford to get one of these until then I am off to practice some more.

more summer fun

we joined the summer reading club.........
so we have been at the library a lot.
the rec center had a juggler
Emma has been working on her tan
been to the Pet store

chillin
swim lessons
haircuts
what a cutie!

HOMEmade

so far this summer we have been staying busy. Here are some of the things we have done:
made & played with homemade playdough.
made homemade smoothies: super yummy (I used vanilla yogart & frozen mixed berries - then put it in the blender)
we made these little homemade donuts, the kids liked them, me meh, they were OK

homemade peanut butter pizza- an FHE dessert, once again mom was not a big fan, it sounded better than it actually was
homemade rising wheat bread
the finished product. This is a really easy & yummy recipe but the problem I have with homemade bread it after day 2 or 3 it does not taste fresh any more and I won't eat it. Any tips?
So these are some of the fun thing we have made. More on our summer another day.

I have been baking & they've been flying

Yummy Mile High Lemon Meringue Pie
from Cooks Country

Kristen's bday party

My cute niece, Hayleigh.


This weekend we went to my niece Kristen's bday party. We had a blast with all the cousins. Lots of swimming & yummy food. The steaks were to die for, thanks to John!


Cute nephew Aiden!
Sweet Niece Hannah! By the way more cute cousins, are not pictured because they would not stop playing long enough to get their picture taken! LOL

How we spent Memorial Day!