Happy 4th Birthday!

Grace was so happy to have some friends over for her birthday party. Gracie W, Ava, Daemyn, Gracie H, and Gracie A were able to attend. It was so funny to have 4 Gracie's at a birthday party. We were also fortunate to have the Smith's, Seely's, McMullin's, Carson's, Creb's, Asher's, Roger's, Hainer's and William's over to share in the fun. We were supposed to have a garden party, but instead we brought the garden inside due to a massive thunderstorm 30 minutes before the party began. Well let's just say we were cozy :) We had a wonderful time. I'm so happy the cake turned out great too. We can't believe our little girl turned 4. This is Grace's last birthday here in Idaho with the sweet and dear friends that we have made. We feel so blessed to share this special day with them.

Excited to blow out my candles

I love my friends

I'm having so much fun

My new camping chair

Grace's 4th Birthday Cake

The finished product....I can't believe it. I have learned so much. This cake was definately a challenge, but I am so happy with the results. When Grace walked into the kitchen she put her hands to her mouth and gasped, "Oh Mommy...It's so pretty!" "WOW" She was so excited and couldn't believe it. That was present enough to me. I was so happy that she loved it, and that it stayed intact :)

Got Cake?

Working on Grace's Birthday Cake....Yes I'm Crazy

I still have so much to do, but I'm enjoying the challenge. It has been so much fun learning how to use fondant.

My Mother's Day Gift

I feel so happy and so blessed to be a mom. I love Mother's day.

I love celebrating my mother. She is truly an amazing, sweet and beautiful woman inside and out. She has taught me what it is to be a woman....a good woman. She has taught me more than I could ever say. I feel so blessed that she was given to me to be my mother. I love you mom. Thank you!

Grace has brought another dimension of Mother's Day to me.

I still can't believe I'm a mom!!! YAY!!!

I had Grace the day before Mother's Day in 2006.

I thought that was the kindest, most loving gift Heavenly Father could have given me.

After 7 1/2 years of waiting for my sweet angel....she finally came.

Before that day Mother's Day was a sad reminder that we were having a tough time getting pregnant. I wondered if I would ever be a mom. I longed to be a mom with my whole being.

Now I am filled with joy that my hopes and dreams have come true.

I love Grace....she is our gift.
She has brought a happiness that I could never have dreamed of...

an eternal happiness

Our joy

To my sister Samantha,

You will be an amazing Mother. Your already an amazing sister and aunt. We love and adore you. Happy Mother's Day!!!

Welcome to Ririe Dam

Who would have known this place was hiding in the middle of nowhere. It was really beautiful but incredibly windy. It was down right crazy wind. What a wonderful afternoon getaway :)
My Love

We had so much fun with Lori and Scott and Matt and Samantha. We played Bocce Ball and had a wonderful picnic lunch.

We were blown away!!!!!

I love my Grace

Let's go fly a kite....should be easy in Rexburg :)

We took Grace to Porter Park for kite flying. She was so excited! She grabbed the kite and started running. Beautifully sunny, but good old windy rexburg. We had a wonderful time together.
Excited!!!!

My buddy

Fun with Daddy

It's up up and away!

For the Romantic...

So I have been sick since Tuesday. I thought I was getting better, but apparently I was fooled :)

I have had plenty of time to do nothing at all. That part hasn't been bad. My sweet Dan has been taking such good care of me. I'm sure I'm forever indebted to him.

I have been on a Jane Austen Extravaganza this week. The true romantic in me. So far we have watched Pride and Prejudice(Keira Knightley version), Persuasion and Sense and Sensibility(BBC version). I still need to watch the other Sense and Sensibility(Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet) and Emma(Gwyneth Paltrow). Yes there are a few other movies, but I don't have them and I really don't care for them too much. So what is your favorite Jane Austen story? I love how beautiful the stories weave together. The true agony of love, loss, poverty and wealth. Of rank and characteristics of good and evil. Of the hopeless romantics in the characters. I love how the men in the stories are honorable and genuine in there love and devotion. My favorite male lead is Mr. Knightly. I may be bias but I think that he is the most like Dan. :) Dan is my My Mr. Knightly! My Mr. Ottosen! :) So I have saved Emma for last. He loves Emma deeply, he knows what he wants but he does everything in wisdom and great love. He is genuine and kind. Definitely makes the best husband. He adores her!!!

I do love Mr. Darcy too, but it takes him a while to get off his high horse and be a real man. When he realizes the error of his ways he really is a wonderful man. He loves her sooooooo deeply. Edward and Col. Brandon from Sense and Sensibility are good too. It was hard for me to get used to the idea of Col. Brandon with Maryann. There age difference was a little too big for me but he only had the most decent of intentions. I really enjoyed Edward (he is so upstanding and honorable)....I just wanted to see him in the story more. Now Persuasion has really grown on me. It keeps getting better. I like Capt. Wentworth. He was devastated by the loss of Ann. Even though he was so hurt he continued to love her against his judgement. The struggle for love and longing to be with the one you love after you think that the other has moved on. In all the Jane Austen books I don't care for the the rank and inferiority of birth and status( the snobs) and that you don't have certain rights as a woman. It must have been really tough to live back then. I love how they spend real time as friends and family. I love the slow pace and time to ponder. Each story has a bit of jealousy and longing. Excellent kisses too! I love the atmosphere, the green countryside with the beautiful cottages and mansions. The respect and politeness in public, the great respect for marriage. If I could sum it up in one word it would be

Romantic......

On Friday February 26th we left Rexburg for Utah to go to Dan's Great Aunt Faye's Funeral. She was an amazing woman. I was really fortunate to meet her twice. She was so kind and very funny. On Friday we stopped in Salt Lake City and had a fun family evening. We showed Grace the Salt Lake City Temple, visited Trolley Square and ate at P.F. Chang's.

YAY for Chicken Lettuce wraps!!!! We stayed at the Radisson. (Gracie's first time at a hotel) She loved it and was so excited that she had her own special bed at the hotel. We had a great breakfast and headed all the way to Roosevelt UT for the
veiwing, funeral and family dinner. TONS of people! Lots of family from all over to celebrate her life. We then found out we would be staying in Vernal UT that night (even further away). We had a really nice time and were very blessed to visit with Dan's mom and his brother Kirt as well as lots of extended family. We were able to visit the Vernal temple ( where my brother Jacob and his wife Rebecca were married. It was beautiful! (That was the only time Dan and I had been to Vernal before) We headed for the long trip back to Rexburg. On our way home we decided to take a little detour at the last minute and were able to visit the Bountiful temple and then I decided to make Dan's lifetime and visit Logan UT. He got to serve his mission there for 3 months before going back to serve in the San Jose mission. We searched for the house he lived in. He found it and the same family from 16 years ago still lived there. He was so happy. They remembered him and pulled out a missionary rememberance book they had with pictures and a letter from Dan in it. What a special moment and memory. He showed me places around town, the Logan tabernacle and the Logan Temple. WOW!!! That was my first time ever seeing it! Impressive!! He showed me Utah State University and where he took a class. We continued our long drive home. Lots of talking, stories and goals. Lots of fun as a family. I wish we could get
away every month :)Sweet girl

Grandma Ottosen and Grace

Aunt Faye's and Uncle Don's headstone
(with her flowers)

Uncle Kirt and Grace

You gotta have sleeping bags!

Grace is excited that I made her dolls sleeping bags so that they could truly have the camping experience. Just too cute! Even her dog got a doggy pillow. We had lots of fun together. She's my little sweetie pie. I just adore her.

I love to go sledding!

Sledding Day!

Yes I did it!

I love sledding!
Sweet times

Fun together in the snow

Say Cheese!

Grace was so proud that she went down the big hill all by herself. I asked her if she wanted to go down the hill with me and she said, " I want to go down all by myself... I can do it....it's fun...I can hold the sled"!
The rest of the day all she did was ask if we could go sledding again right now. What a sweetheart she is. We had such a wonderful time together.

A little bit at a time

So it has been a good and productive week. Dan and I stopped eating sugar for a week to clean out our systems. I have to admit it felt really good and we both lost about 6 lbs. YAY!!!!!!! I really started not desiring the sugar. We both have felt empowered. We had a little treat on the weekend and then started again Monday morning. YAY for will power! We started exercising again too. Just trying to be better and that is good enough!

A New Year On Our Journey

Plow the fields and prepare for rain

This is our new family motto for the year. There are some goals that we want to work toward and accomplish. It is time to plow our fields and prepare for the rain :)

Some thoughts of strength and motivation

1. With God all things are possible

2. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.

3. Whether you think you can or you think you can't,

either way you are right.-Henry Ford

4. Be committed to something greater than you are.

Lovin her cousins

We had a great time on conference weekend. Jacob(my brother), Rebecca, Rachel, Eve, Esther and Emily came from Boise to visit us and (my sister) Samantha and Matt. We all watched conference together and had tons of fun for the whole weekend. We toured Rexburg (that part was short :) Went to see campus and ate at Craigos (pizza, salad and pasta). We experienced G's dairy and the 6 of us ate the 13 scoop Holy Cow. YUM!!!!!! Had fun playing games and hanging out together. Grace absolutely loved playing with her cousins. She was soooo sad to see them leave. We all hadn't been together since Christmas. The only thing that would have made the weekend better would be to have our mom and dad here. What a special treat to be together.

Eve, Emily, Esther, Grace and Rachel

Ages 4,1,2,3,5

The Girls


Jacob, Rebecca and their girls

Sept 27 2009 My first day of Primary

Aug 2009 Mariners Game

Dan and Robbie
Mom, Dad, Grace, Samantha and Matt

Daddy, Gracie and Grandpa

Grandma and Gracie

Mariner Moose

More Cannon Beach

Special moments together
hand in hand

seeing the world in it's beauty

Loving you always

August 15th 2009 Trip to Cannon Beach and Seaside OR

One of our favorite places
I love this picture of Grace

Jessica, Brian and Logan

At Ecola State Park overlooking Cannon Beach

Seaside fun