First Father/Son Campout!!

Ryan and Harrison had a little outing this weekend : ) Zak invited Ryan to attend his wards Father/Son campout and Ryan figured...what the heck, it'll be an adventure!! We wondered how Harrison would do but Ryan was willing to take the risk and went with no expectations.

They had a great time with Zak and Zachy and Harrison loved running around the campsite, watching the campfire and so much time with his daddy. Unfortunately, when it came time to go to bed he was a little confused! With some help from WALL-E on the iphone, he finally fell asleep but when he woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't figure out where he was or how to fall back asleep, the adventure had to come to an end. I got a call at 4 in the morning from my wonderful husband saying, "Can you come unlock the front door for me?"

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry but after we got Harrison into his comfy bed, Ryan assured me that they had a great time and he did not regret going so I was relieved! It will make for a funny story to tell Harrison about his first campout!

I was so glad Ryan got some photos before they made their early departure : )


The Set-Up



His favorite activity was collecting sticks and dirt in his bucket!



Exploring the site



He found his throne : )



Get me outta here!!



Thank goodness for WALL-E



Just chillin' in the tent with daddy!



I think we'll wait a few years before embarking on a camping trip again but next time I won't miss it!!

Weekend Warriors!

What a great weekend! Ryan follows Jenny Cavnar on Twitter. She works for Channel four here in San Diego and she was giving away tickets for the Padre Game. He tweeted to her that he would love to take his wife to a game and he WON!!

We had no idea what kind of tickets they were but thought it would be fun to have a spontaneous date night. We dropped Harrison off at my mom's who so generously wanted to watch him for us...thanks mom! Then we headed downtown to Petco Park. We picked up our tickets at Will Call and and this funny old man giving us our tickets asked if we knew where we were sitting. We told him that we won the tickets and had no idea where they were. He showed us a map and pointed to the worst possible nose bleed seats and said, "you are way up here in the corner." We were kinda bummed but didn't really care. Then he giggled and said, "just kidding, you have awesome seats right behind First Base!!"

THANK YOU JENNY!! We had a blast!!


During the game Jenny came down and introduced herself, what a sweetheart she is! We told her about the funny old man who played a little trick on us! She said that her and her boss were trying to decide who to give the tickets too and then they decided on Ryan because they thought it was cute that he wanted to take his wife : ) Thank you for a fun date night honey! I don't know if you can tell how cool our seats are from this picture but I have never sat so close to the field before and it was so fun to be able to see the players chatting and blowing bubbles with their gum...definitely a different experience!



This weekend was also our Great Strides Walk. If you're not sure what that is, check out this post!! To be honest, we hesitated in being involved in GREAT STRIDES again this year, we were going to take the year off. We thought it would be hard to ask for help in this economy but then we realized that people with C.F. don't get to take a year off struggling to breathe and fighting this disease. We can't wait for the day that we don't have to "solicit" dollars for C.F. research, it has not been easy. However, we know we can't quit until the cure is found... my life depends on it!

In a last ditch effort to raise more funds, I sent out an e-mail blast to family and friends and was OVERWHELMED with the response I got!! As we were at the event I seriously struggled to keep the tears back while I thought about all the wonderful people (some of whom I don't even know!) who just poured out their love and gave what they could to support this cause that is so dear to our hearts!

They (The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation) have extended the deadline for donations so it's not too late to help! We know times are tough and seriously, it sounds cliche, but every dollar counts so even small donations are appreciated!! It's so easy, just click on the GREAT STRIDES Widget on the right hand side of my blog to go directly to my webpage. From there you can read part of my story and donate! I have never been so hopeful that a CURE for CF will be found SOON!! It is a day I pray for and anxiously anticipate. Here is a picture of my little family at the walk. Harrison is smiling despite having been woken up and taken from his warm bed at such an early hour : )

I said it Once...

And I'll say it again,

". . . It's really my mom's fault that I wanted a child of my own so much. All I wanted to do as a girl was be exactly like my mom when I grew up and to be exactly like her meant being the best mom in the world and loving my children as much as I was loved. I only wanted a chance to emulate my hero. I am a mom now and I still want to be exactly like my mom when I grow up : ) I continue to learn from her every day and hope and pray that Harrison knows, as I know, how much his mom adores him. . . ."

That was part of my Mother's Day post last year and I can't express my love and gratitude for my mom enough so I thought I'd re-post it!

I had such a special Mother's Day this year. Ryan totally spoiled me. The highlight of the day was definitely listening to him speak in Church. He paid such a beautiful tribute to the "mom's" in his life, his own mother, my mom and the mother of his child. His words were genuine and thoughtful and I was so proud of him.

We also had such a fun get-together at my mom's new place and it was a night filled with delicious food, raucous rock band, good friends and family...in other words, a perfect night : )

The absolute JOY of my LIFE is being a mother to Harrison. I am definitely figuring it out as I go, but am loving the journey that I felt was my purpose. I am humbled every day by motherhood, the privilege it is to have this precious spirit to raise and nurture and guide. I pray for the courage and strength to teach him correct principles and help him realize his potential in this life. I am so grateful to have Ryan by my side in this role. I told him the best Mother's Day gift I got from him was the fact that he treats me like it's Mother's Day everyday. It sounds corny but it is completely true and I love him for it!

These pictures were taken for the Cystic Fibrosis fundraiser coming up in September:

Me and my little Man!!

Think One Person can't make a Difference?

This man HAS!!

Last night I accompanied my Mother-in-Law to hear Greg Mortenson speak and hearing him definitely made an impression on me. What an incredible man. What an incredible mission. I read his book
Three Cups of Tea last year and was so touched by Mortenson's genuine and sincere desire to promote peace and make a difference. I would highly recommend this book as it is captivating, uplifting, inspiring and motivating. Greg Mortenson is a true hero and it's refreshing to read about something positive and good happening in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

I won't make this a book report but I will tell you that Mortenson's story began with a devastating personal failure. He quoted an African Proverb last night, "When it is dark enough, you can see the stars." How true. He could not have known at the time of his utter disappointment, that his failure would lead him to discover his life's mission.

One thing Mortenson made very clear last night is that it is not his intention to "fight terrorism," it is his intention to "PROMOTE PEACE." This struck me as a very wise and powerful statement. His publishers wanted the tag line on his book to say, "One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism...One School at a Time" Greg Mortenson urged them to change it to "One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time."

He believes strongly that fighting terrorism is based in fear and promoting peace is based in hope. He chooses to cultivate hope and uses education to prevent the Taliban from manipulating and indoctrinating young boys into violence and hate. He also quoted another African Proverb last night that says, "If you educate a boy, you educate an individual. If you educate a girl, you educate a nation." He believes that educating the girls who will become mothers and leaders in their communities is the most powerful way to limit the Taliban's power. He now advises General Petraus and his book is mandatory reading for certain military groups.

For more information and inspiration see Greg's Blog!

There were many take-home messages for me but, one of the greatest lessons we can learn from Greg Mortenson is that ONE person really can make a huge difference if they are willing to persevere! So...what are we going to do to make a difference?!

I'm crazy about this BOY!

Well, another one of my little "angels" is celebrating a birthday today! Happy Birthday Sweet Ben!!

I can't believe he is already EIGHT years old, I still remember when Chels and Cam flew to Boulder to surprise me and give me the BEST news ever....that Benjamin was coming to our family!!

Ben, I have offered so many prayers for you, while you were in your momma's tummy, and since you've been here. I know Heavenly Father will continue to bless you keep you strong and healthy! You are so special to our whole family!

Here are some of my favorite pictures of us together:


Shar and Ben at La Jolla Cove January '03



Sightseeing in Washington D.C. September '05



"Ben and Lauren's Buddies" -- Walking to Cure C.F. May '06


Proud Aunt Shar sees Ben get his "Character Counts" Award April '08

All day Harrison has been chanting, "Happy Birfday Ben!" so I recorded this message from Harrison to one of his favorite cousins:



I told Ben today that I so appreciate the example that he is to Harrison. As Harrison's mother, I want him to have examples of big boys to look up to that are kind, sensitive, caring, smart, funny and love the Gospel and Ben embodies all those wonderful things!!

We love and miss you Ben and are sending Huge Birthday Hugs and Kisses all the way from the other side of the country : )

Calling all Lovers of being PAMPERED!!

If you love to pamper yourself or want to give a wonderful Mother's Day gift to someone special just click over to my mom's Blog and leave a comment to qualify to win her Mother's Day Giveaway!!

I have been using these products for years and they are natural and paraben free. I love nourishing my skin with this line and people are always telling me "you are glowing!" I don't know about that but I do know that I LOVE these products!!

All you have to do to win is leave a comment and spread the word! Good Luck and Happy Mother's Day : )