happy birthday Larry

Cooper James is an official teenager. Marcos and I surprised him at school with a candyland cake (his dream location) and he received 13 gift cards to spend at his whim and leisure. As an extra special gift he got nailed with the flu the morning after. Cooper just learned that there is an actual organization a the high school called Future Business Leaders of America. He just about peed his pants with excitement. Really this reaction sums him up pretty well. Cooper loves social opportunities. He likes leadership opportunities. He loves money making opportunities. He likes to dress nice and talk slick. Cooper is the kind of kid that makes parenting fun and easy. He likes to do things that make his parents proud and please others. He has an innate and deep empathy. He's got hops and a sweet lay-up. He sneaks candy and stuffs the evidence in the couch cushions. He's handsome and naturally charming. I could not be happier to have this boy as my son. I love you Larry.

celebrating President's Day

We are getting a little anxious for winter to end and summer to come. So, in the middle of a snowstorm, we BBQ some awesome cheeseburgers with our friends the Stones (little Ezra looks a little like he's had a few too many cheeseburgers!). We spent President's day swimming with the Workmans .

Inappropriately Funny

Like the movie "Blades of Glory", the following pictures are inappropriately funny. That was your warning. Now try to figure out which one is the real Max and which one is Max's weird outie belly button.

Kelly Loves Tony. Happy Valentines Day.

happy place

I ran away from home last weekend. To celebrate Betsy's birthday, she, Andrea and I filled a full 48 hours with sunshine, retail therapy and guacamole. Like our other retreats, we started at the temple on Thursday night and it was a perfect beginning. Unlike other retreats we got to bed at a reasonable hour and didn't shop once for the kids! We took long walks and seriously discussed the doctrine of grace the whole weekend. I am constantly inspired by these two friends of mine. They helped me understand in a new way that suffering or discomfort is an integral part of the atonement. I have spent most of my life going to extreme measures to avoid discomfort, including being "good". My work is to submit to discomfort, accept the enabling power of grace, and have the faith to know that the discomfort will end and will be for my good. If my suffering turns me to the Savior, my eternal reward is a changed heart. If it doesn't, my reward is temporal; extra attention from people or justification for my actions. Most importantly, I don't keep commandments or be obedient to "pay for mistakes." I keep commandments because I want to become like Heavenly Father and to show my gratitude to the Savior. Since the majority of my discomfort is coming right now from my children, I need to really apply these principles. Just like Heavenly Father, I'll acknowledge their mistakes (without freaking out) and remind them that a Savior has been provided for them.
That was the gist of my weekend. I'm blessed to have a good husband who held the fort down, friends who helped babysit, and my lovely aunt who put us up in resort style accommodations.