Spring

I wanted to share this spring photo with everyone and remind you to plan for the family reunion which is June 26 & 27. Make sure and bring your camera and laptop so we can share reunion photos before we go home on Saturday.

Hi, everybody. I wanted to share a family picture we finally had taken. I was going to have one taken but then we had Danika so we waited. Now she is 1 1/2 yrs old. So here we are in the backyard. I hope everyone is well and have a peaceful Easter.

In Memory of Neil Kevin Bodily

March 20, 1959- November 12, 1998!

for a memo go to elizabethbodily.blogspot.com

The Doren Family

Well, This is Dawson. He turned 4 on Aug. 30th. He is so creative and attentive. He still likes Blues Clues but there is a new love in his life. He likes to pretend he is Sporticus from the cartoon Lazytown. He jumps in the air and off my couch trying to do the same jumps he does. He loves to eat fruit and vegetables and good things because they will help him grow big muscles and strong bones. He thinks it will be instantaneously though. very funny. He broke his arm back on July 2nd. Trying to get on the neighbors trampoline. I didn't think it was broke because he didn't cry. But I took it in anyway to be sure and he had broken both bones in his arm. So I think I will be paying for that till next July. I don't think that will be the last time I am at the hospital with him. Dawson loves to play games on the nick jr. website. He is very computer savy. He watches me and then he does it. He amazes me every day. He also likes to try to get everybody to go to grandma pitchers for a party. Grandma is great to welcome and help make the imagination of the grandkids grow. Dawson constantly asks to call grandma and grandpa or he wants to use my cell phone to text with my sisters or grandma. We recently are recovering from Dawson learning we don't color on walls and furniture. About a month ago he colored on his walls and down the stairs and on the livingroom walls with crayons (I only bought washable) so we had a cleaning moment and a learning moment (I did get pictures.) But just last week we were rearanging our livingroom furniture and Rob gasped from awe, Dawson had drawn a mural on the back of the couch. It was a love seat, microfiber, Mashell had told me to clean it use babywipes.. (works awesome by the way) So it did come off thank goodness. Anyway, Dawson is always asking questions and wanting to know how things work. I call my mom almost everyday to tell her funny stories of my days with my kids. It doesn't get any better than this.

The Doren Family

This is Danika Sue with daddy. She was born Sept. 16 so she is about 13 mos. old. She is growing so fast. She is walking and going up stairs, and giving Dawson a run for his money. She is very happy and her favorite toys are books and following dawson around to help him get into trouble. She loves to go for walks in the stroller and be outside. She loves the park and going to the library. We love having her in our family. She likes to give hugs to everybody. She also likes to play with shoes. Rob was getting socks and shoes on to go to work and she picked up his shoes and ran away with them. Shoes is the first word outside of our names she has learned. She will get them out of the basket and drag them all over the house. She is in love with taking baths. She tries to jump in while I am getting the water started. I can't get her in fast enough. I always have to change shirts after. She is an exciting little girl. We love her so much.

Sam . . . The Bishop

We are a few weeks into the new calling and so far I have had questions like, "What's it like being the Bishop's wife?" and "Is it weird having him gone all the time?" And my favorite comments are the ones that can only lead to this answer: "Great, we will go ahead and take the campaign signs down now."

The nice thing is that nothing had to change for us. He is still the same guy and I am still the same gal. Yes, he is gone more than he used to be but it isn't anything that can't be handled with a few babysitters. The sad part of the deal is that we both had callings we loved. He served on the High Council and worked with the Spanish Branch. He felt like he promised them the world and wasn't given the time needed to fulfill the promise. I am serving as the Enrichment Counselor in Relief Society but was told by the Stake President that I needed to be released. I understand the wisdom in doing so but I love what I do and don't feel like I'm really done. Maybe I can finally serve as the Assistant Librarian. I've always wanted that calling.

So far this has been very eye-opening. Our phone rings at late hours during the week and a ton on Sunday. I have greater compassion for any family that has already been through this. At the same time, it is also very spiritual. The spirit in our home is measureably stronger and that is awesome. But the thing that will pull me through this is the knowledge that Sam has been called to this position to help the youth of our ward. These kids need him and I can share him if he is needed that bad.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations to Jacyn and Nicole on their new baby. Thanks for the link to the pictures...when are we going to get pictures here?