Our Mega Week

This has been a week – a week to remember!  But it can’t be contained in one little post.  Too much happened this week! (Follow the hyperlinks for the other posts or just go back and back and back)

Monday we enjoyed getting together with our Turpin cousins and got to see Grandma and Grandpa Turpin for a little while.

Tuesday Becca, Bella, and I spent at TCH – literally all day.

 

And this smartie is starting to get colleges sending her mail.  Please, someone, SLOW DOWN the clock.  I am just not ready!

 

 

Wednesday – Linda closed on her new condo.  She will be moving back to Houston soon.  We are looking forward to having her close again.

Thursday – Thanksgiving, Christmas Prep, and Sammi’s 12th birthday!!!  And Grandma and Grandpa moved their trailer over to our house.  They are visiting for a while and with three grown kids in Houston, they split up their visit.  They stayed in Danielle’s driveway for a while, now our driveway and then next week they’ll move on to Marissa’s driveway.  We are enjoying them while we can!

I had to give Jason a hard time about this picture.  They are sitting on the couch both checking their email and their favorite web sites – really?  Seriously?  Love ya Jas!  Meanwhile, we girls do more productive things – like facials!  LOL!

We have enjoyed our time off of school.  Our golden trees and just hangin out.  Jumping on the trampoline, playing on the Wii and the computer and watching movies.

Friday – amazing day – Bella was sealed to our family!

Saturday we celebrated Sammi’s birthday with her friends.

 

There is something about this picture.  Something about my Lizzy reaching out and touching the handicapped sign.  Something touches my heart in this picture.  Something that captures a portion of our lives, but I’m not eloquent enough to find the words.  There’s just something about this picture.

Bella is Sealed!

Subtitled – “Mine!  Mine!  Mine!”

Bella is ours.  Totally and completely!  On Friday the 26th of November we took her to the House of our God and through the Sealing power of the Priesthood of our God she was joined to our family for time and all eternity.  I can’t type this without teary up.  Arabella Michele Hope Turpin is ours.  She is mine – forever!

All those times she has been critical or trying to die…..  All of those worries…….  All of the long, sleepless nights……All of the forms and people we have to deal with………All of the pain of wondering how long she has to suffer……All of the everything……….and she wasn’t mine.  Not 100%.  Not until the temple. 

As I knelt at that alter and the Elder Hilton joined her to our family, it all hit me for a split second.  All of those emotions – the worry, the fear, the doubt – and then she started to blow kisses.  Right there on the alter while she was being sealed.  With her sisters in front of her and her Mama and Daddy beside her.  And her Grandparents and Uncles and Aunts around her, she blew kisses.  Oh Bella!  How like you!

When some people find out about our sweet Bella, they feel sorry for us or they think we are saints.  How wrong they are!  We are of all people the most blessed! We have Bella.  She is an amazing, loving, courageous, and beautiful soul.  I love you Bella.  I so look forward to our next life together.  I have a feeling that those that see Bella as disabled or handicapped will be blown away when they can see her for who she is – the beauty of that eternal soul.  I love you Arabella.  And welcome to our family forever!

Sammi Turns Twelve–12!

Twelve years old.  My Sammi girl.  Impossible, yet true.

She chose Cocoa Puffs for breakfast.  Lunch she had no choice at all – the joys of having your bday fall on a holiday!  And for dinner – her favs, Sushi and cheesecake.

We had a piñata at the Thanksgiving feast.  We opened her presents that night.

 

And then on Saturday we had a friend party.   We went to see Tangled and then had had pizza and ice cream cake.  Driving with these four giggly girls to and back from the movie theater, I thought about what an in-between age this is.  The girls talked about everything from music to dressing up. 

Sweet Sammi – you have grown up so much this past year.  I love you very much!