Let the summer begin

First of all, I want to give a shout out to my INCREDIBLE little brother Daniel Edwin Walter. He is the proud new owner of a DIPLOMA!!!!!! He graduated from high school this year. I can't believe he is big enough to graduate from high school I truly can't get over it.

I just want to say a few things bout my exceptional baby brother: He is ALWAYS there. He is ALWAYS willing to drop whatever he is doing to do ANYTHING I ask him. He loves my girls. He loves to hold my babies. He has a special way with them. He would play and hold Daxton for hours. He never seemed to tire of those moments he spent with him. He loves to hold Isabella. I think he misses his nephew, but Isabella is SO sweet she just lets him love on her.

I want to thank him for ALWAYS helping me out when I need him to. He will pick up Savannah from school. Tend the kids after they are asleep (and even sometimes when they are awake). He will run to my friend's house when she is late and get her son off the bus. He will run random errands, just because we ask him to. He will always bring a smile to your face. He has a great sense of humor and has a great carefree nature. He is always sensitive to others. He is a great speaker. He has an inspiring testimony of the gospel and is an exceptional young man.

CONGRATULATIONS Danny Boy!!!!! You are a high school grad, soon to be a college goer. WOW. I am old :)

I must say that FAMILIES ARE THE BEST. And I have the best one!!! I really do. My brothers and sister are ALWAYS there no matter what. Whenever I would sit around with my in laws talking I always thought about what it would be like when all my siblings were old enough to be married and what we woudl talk about when we got older and how much fun it would be.

Well I had that opportunity this last weekend with my fam. We spent countless hours playing games, watching movies, swimming, and just enjoying one another's company. Logan and Nat came down from up North and we had such a great time with them. I wish I had enough time and eloquent words to express the gratitude I feel for each of my siblings and their spouses.

It will be fun to have a NEW ADDITION TO OUR FAMILY!!!! No peeps. I am not prego. But my sister is getting MARRIED!!!!! YAY!!!!! So if you see her on the street, look at her rock, give her a big hug, and tell her CONGRATS!!!!!!

I honestly can't even express into words the joy and peace and love and beauty that Isabella has brought into our home these last few months. I can't believe how sweet and cuddly and fun she is. Her smile lights up her face and lights up a room. She has been able to pull me from the depths of my sorrow on so many occasions. She has been able to help me through my grief and fill my arms like only she can.
In Elder Scott's LDS General Conference talk, he talked about the importance of temples and temple worship in enabling our families to be together for eternity.  Elder Gary E. Stephenson told of President Monson's suggested that we take our children to the temple often so that they can feel the Spirit of the temple and have the desire to attend one day. Doug and I decided that we would visit the different temples and take pictures of the girls in front of them individually and together. We will then put all the pictures in a book that they can keep.

Doug was insistant that we put this picture in.... so here I am. ON my stomach, on the ground, holding Isabella up :). What a picture!!!!

For Memorial Day when Doug was growing up they always went to the cemetery. His Grandpa was a veteran, so it was a tradition to visit. So here we start our tradition, although I really would rather not, but here we are. We went to the temple, then to the store to get something for the cemetery and also something for Daxton's Birthday. Then off to McDOnald's for lunch so we could have a picnic at the cemetery. Who does that? Not anyone that was there, but the girls like to sit under the tree by his grave and we just talk about Daxton, get our usual picture and off we go.

We finished off the day with a nap, a swim, and a BBQ at Aunt Dranas. Sure was fun, all things considering. :)