IT'S A BOY!

I just got back from a short, spontaneous trip to Utah. My little sister Shannon was scheduled to be induced last Friday to have her 3rd baby. I decided on Wed. that I wanted to go down there. I bought a plane ticket and got there Wed. night. Well, lucky for me, her water broke early on Thursday morning. So, I got to be in the delivery room and watch her give birth. After 2 girls, she finally had a baby boy named Jack (after David's late father).

Me and Shan AFTER her epidural. Doesn't she look happy!

Sister Lindsay, Brother Trevor and his wife Elise visiting the hospital

My mom and Jack

Aunt Shelly and baby Jack

Baby Jack has made me very baby hungry!

BEAUTIFUL NAUVOO

Jeff and I had the opportunity to go to Nauvoo as a Ma and Pa for our Stake Youth Conference this past week. Words cannot describe the beautiful spirit that fills Nauvoo. My love and testimony for Joseph Smith has grown even stronger.

This is Carthage Jail where Joseph Smith was martyred. The top window is the exact window Joseph fell out of when he was shot.

This is the dungeon room in Carthage where Joseph and the other men were first put.

The temperature in here got to about 120 degrees. The jailer felt so bad for them, he decided to put them in his own personal bedroom. That is the room where Joseph and Hyrum ended up dying.

If you look closely, you can see a bullet hole in this door.

This was the bullet that killed Hyrum Smith.

Michele and Jeff standing on the shore of the Mississippi River where the Saints started their journey.
This building is called the Nauvoo House. This is where the boys and men in our stake slept. It was originally a hotel that Emma Smith ran after Joseph died. Emma also died in this house. We had the amazing opportunity to do baptisms for the dead in the Nauvoo Temple. It is the most beautiful temple font I have ever seen in my life.

The Newman Family on the steps of the Nauvoo Temple. I was known as "Mamasita" the whole trip and the kids called Jeff "Papa Jeffe".

This is the Old Nauvoo Cemetary. They do not allow youth groups up here to do service because of the sacredness of these grounds. However, they made an exception for out stake and we were able to spend about an hour and a half cleaning the old cemetary grounds. There is a very special spirit that resides here.

Our family was put in charge of making a path that leads to the cemetary.

On our way to Nauvoo, we stopped at Liberty Jail in Missouri. This is the original floor from the jail that Joseph spent about 4 months on. The figures in the picture are part of the presentation they give.

This is the Joseph Smith Homestead where Joseph and Emma originally moved to when they first arrived in Nauvoo. The left part of the house was built on later in 1858 by Joseph's son Joseph III
This is the Mansion House. In 1842 Joseph Smith built this beautiful frame house just across the street from the Homestead. Just after its construction, however, a hotel wing was added to accommodate the many visitors to Nauvoo while the Nauvoo House was under construction. It was in this house that the Prophet Joseph Smith lived when the Martyrdon occured. We were able the take a tour of both of these homes. We saw where Joseph and Emma slept. We walked where they walked, and we were able to see some original furniture pieces from the house.

On our way home from Nauvoo, we stopped in Omaha Nebraska at Winter Quarters. This is where the Saints stopped during the winter on their way to SLC.

This is a monument of a mother and father standing over the grave of one of their children.
More than half of the graves in this cemetary are children.

I told a story to my family about a man named Stillman Pond. This man lost 5 of his children on his way to Winter Quarters. While in winter quarters, he lost 4 more of his children. I gave each of the kids in our family a windmill to put on a grave of one of the Pond children. One of those children was a 6 year old boy named Lymon Pond. Not all of the graves are marked with a headstone, but we had a map that told us the locations the bodies were buried. This is a picture of me with my windmill at Lymons burial site.

Michele's Favorite Things

I was watching Oprah a couple of days ago, and she did a show on her favorite things. I decided I wanted to do a post on some of my favorite things:

This is Mandarin Coriander dish detergent from the "Thymes"

I can't live without it. It is my favorite gift to give people.

I can't live without Mr. Clean Magic Erasers (get the generic kind, they are cheaper)

to wipe away all of the finger smudge marks and crayons off my walls.

Try cleaning your sink, tub

or shower with one too. It works wonders!

This is my favorite nail polish. It stays on for a long time!

My favorite color is magenta cream

OK, this is a product I seriously cannot live without. I use it all day!
This lip gloss goes on so smooth and soft and actually gives your lips a moisture treatment. Since nude lips are the in thing this summer, my favorite color is clear nude!

I love mac cosmetics. My favorite eyeliner is the cream eyeliner in rich ground(a brownish color)

Sally Hershberger is my favorite Shampoo and Conditioner. Not only does it make my hair so soft and smooth, it smells soooo good! I get it at walgreens.
OK, once you try this purse you will be addicted. This is the Miche purse collection. It is a plain black bag, but you have several different shells in different colors and designs. You can switch them out with your outfits. My favorite is the zebra shell.

https://www.michebag.com/pages/how-to

My favorite moisturizer of all time! This makes my makeup go on so smooth!

I can't live without my Tommy Girl perfume! My favorite is Tommy Girl Summer for the summer of course, and Tommy Girl Original for winter.

Alright, here is another product I have been using for years and can't live without. It is AHA souffle with Alpha Hydroxy acid. AHA is proven to help prevent aging, not to mention this prevents me from breakouts and evens out my skin tone. You can get it at Rite Aid or Walgreens.

This is the AHA cleansing soap. I used to be addicted to Dermalogica cleanser until I found this stuff. It's a gentle cleanser with a powerful result! It is just as good as Dermalogica, but for half the price.

Have to have my Orb eyeshadow from Mac! Put it on as a base coat, then apply your normal eyeshadow. Your shadow will look soft, blended and last all day!

Sebastian hair spray is the best of the best! Trust me! It is more expensive than most hairspray's, but it keeps my hair in place all day! No joke! I use the flexible hold if I want more movement in my hair. You can get it at the grocery store.

Some of my other favorite things I can't live without are:
Mineral Makeup, My Ipod!!!

Family Vacation to Orlando

Well, we just got back from a fabulous vacation in beautiful Florida! My husband participated in the Ford half ironman competition and did awesome! We spent the other days sleeping in, eating good food, swimming, fishing and of course going to Disney World! What a blast!

Notice Jaydan's Mohawk! His dad did that the night before we left.

It's gone now!

Beware! Ramblings from a Crazy Woman

Some people may wonder why I'm a little cookoo. (I know my husband does). Here's why:

6:30am - I did not wake up to the sun shining through my window, or robins chirping. I woke up to my 2 year old yelling, "MOMMY! NUMMY'S!"
7:30- The two older kids are out jumping on the trampline... It is raining today!
8:00- Quick prayer with the kids and Jaydan is off to school. Feeewww.
Put on Dora so I can at least get a little workout in for the day.
8:30-On the treadmill for 5 minutes. Phone calls are already pouring in about church stuff. (I am the compassionate service leader...Can't you tell?)
9:50-Shower, dressed, no makeup yet.
10:00- Kayleigh informs me her diaper is off and she has peepeed on the floor.
10:10- Start cleaning up the house.
11:00-lunch
11:45-Carpool to preschool
12:00-Kayleigh takes a nap! Halelleuah!
12:10-Find Kayleigh's diaper in the toilet
Start planning my lesson for Relief Society on Sunday
Start thinking about what to make for dinner
Start thinking I should go put on a little makeup
Start thinking I would rather read my new book "The Host" than plan a lesson.
Start to wish I was on a deserted island...alone!
2:30-pick up from preschool
run to the store
3:00-argue with Cassidy about doing her chores
3:30-Jaydan gets home
4:15- off to drum lessons
5:30-Baseball practice for Jaydan, soccer for Cassidy
6:00-Cook dinner, I have nothing, I make mac and cheese, I know everyone will complain
7:00- Cassidy fights with me. She is in her room the rest of the night. She screams and cry's for a half hour.
7:30- Do a little church history on my computer
8:00- Kayleigh to bed
8:30- Jaydan informs me his book report is due tomorrow and he needs props and a two minute presentation!
10:00- Jaydan to bed. I watch a show.
11:00- Jeff gets home from being out of town, snuggles me and says"hey baby." AAAHHHHH

AND NOW YOU KNOW WHY I'M A CRAZY WOMAN!

Petunia Pickle Bottom

My two cousins, Mary and Winter have officially gotten me totally addicted to this line of baby gear called Petunia Pickle Bottom. You can find the line in Nordstrom, but if you go to

http://www.petuniaoutlet.com/ it is usually much cheaper.

My favorite is the boxy backpacks.

Sweet Baby James

Yesterday, April 20th, was the 2 year anniversary of my nephew James Joseph Krainich. He was almost 2 years old when he was sent home to his Heavenly Father. My family will be letting balloons off into the sky tonight in his memory.
Please visit the link below to view a small video made by James mom, my sister-in-law in his memory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MJfgmZuE1I

Jaydan did not know his cousin very well, but this picture of Jaydan with James will always be precious to us.