Susan's New Trick

Its so fun to teach babies new tricks. Susan's newest trick, that we love, is when she folds her arms and kneels down for family prayer. It usually only last a few seconds then she is up again running around or tackling Daddy and the other kids kneeling down. Love it!

Beachin Weather

I miss the Beachin warm weather! It was warm about 2 or 3 weeks ago now we are back to the cool air breeze and clouds, too cold for beachin. We got to go the beach 3 times when it was warm and I never posted those good times so I will today.

Our first Beach trip was very unplanned. We went with my Sister Charmaine when she was stranded here in San Diego. (her post was great) It was a very warm day and it felt perfect! I am glad she got to spend a few days with us! We have one of those relationships that flourish in long distances. I love to call her and chat for a long time and I love to have her visit with me. We get along much better when its in short spurts like her trip. The kids had fun with their cousin Israel. In the Photo Brian is practicing his surfin' moves, he told me that day when he grows up he wants to be a Lawyer AND a surfer.

Last year we were so good about getting out to the beach. We probably went once a week this year I hope to beat that (It might be our last summer living here!) If we didn't go during the day sometimes after work we would all go for a walk on the shore. Or for date night Brian and I would walk along the shore so romantic! I love the smell of the air at the beach, the calming sounds, the bright sun contrasting on the blue water. I really love the beach and can't wait for Beachin' weather again!

Easter

It has been a very enjoyable Easter this year. I got to go on an unplanned trip to Arizona for a week. I had to take Charmaine back to Yuma to pick up her car I figured I would just go all the way to Tempe to see the family. Brian Sr joined me and the kids a few days later after he caught up on some papers for school. While in Az the family celebrated Easter, my sisters Charmaine and Jenny did cute posts about the fun times, check them out! (Also Jenny posted about our trip to Lego Land I LOVE her side of how the trip went, she is so sentimental, spunky, and trendy :)! So check that out also).
Above- Lacy face is great in the race for eggs! Susan loved looking for eggs, when we were all done she just wanted to sit in the tall plants.

Easter was full of fun the kids did 4 Easter egg hunts! Fullers, Jones, Primary and from the Wenger kids (I think there are still real eggs in my back yard! ewww! I am calling them in the morning to come back and find them!) We died eggs, made candies, ate too much good food, filled baskets, and dressed up for church. But today I wanted to blog about 3 awesome Easter lessons I enjoyed.

The first lesson was from my Dad the master of Family Home Evenings, for about 36 months he has been working on a FHE 200+ pages long! We have a lesson every few chapters. His lessons are usually about Zion and for the adults, but for Easter he did one for the kids. He gave every adult (about 16 of us, with a few family guests,( It was good seeing you Tina!)) 2 pictures from the Saviors life. The kids (4 of them old enough to participate) went around to everybody and we told them quickly about what was happening in the picture. The kids loved to keep moving, we all learned something as we had to teach our quick part. It was an awesome Easter lesson! I miss my family thinking about it. I was very impressed by Brian (my lovie) I think he went last and I don't remember his pictures but he said, "I want you all to know I know Jesus loves me, and I want you to know the Jesus loves you Lacy, and you Israel, etc... to all the kids" It was a simple pure testimony and sweet moment.

Next lesson was the one we had the chance to teach to our primary class. It began with a few items displayed about Easter, eggs, bunnies, church shoes, spring flowers, a picture of Christ, etc.. Then the kids had to put away the items that were not the real reason we celebrate Easter. After that Brian taught them the story of Christ Crucifixion, burial, and Resurrection. Then the kids took turns teaching a part of it back to us. They did such a great job! I really do enjoy teaching our primary class and especially, teaching with Brian. Primary is so basic and pure often the lessons are full of deep doctrine presented so simply. Its wonderful to just teach them the sequence of events that happened on the First Easter. Then tell them of my testimony that I know we all will be resurrected someday just like Jesus was.

The last lesson was with the Wenger Family. Brian's older sister Mardell Wenger, and her family live near by so we get together often with them. After a delicious big meal, earlier tonight we have a lovey lesson by Mardell and Kaimi, Its nice to be able to talk with them about the gospel. They got a lesson from the store about the resurrection presented in Easter eggs. Every egg 1-12 told a portion of the story of the first Easter. The kids had fun and it held their interest.

Below-Easter on Easter Sunday our sweet elderly neighbor brought over a basket for the kids (I would sent her a shout-out but she asked If i used my typewriter for our Christmas letter, so I don't think she will be reading this) I made chocolates to eat on Sunday and the kids posed by the lovey flowers.

The Wenger family is fun! check out their Peeps of Mormon gaining popularity very quickly. Here is the first one, nephi 1:1, I nephi having been born of goodly parents...

Happy Easter everybody!

Love is Spoken Here

In my parents house as I was growing up I remember this sign always hanging up where it could easily be seen. Love is spoken here I don't ever specifically remember my parents singing the song to me, or a big FHE on the topic but our housese was very much full of love! Sure there were some typical arguments, and a few fights where someone left the room crying but as a whole lots more love and kindness was shown here. The Fuller family had so much sincere love it was almost like nerdy love. The kind of gushy you might be embarrassed by, for example, we still call our parents Mommy and Daddy. Just a sweet term of endearment we have never let go of.
I remember my Dad used to shoot kisses with his pointer finger gun style then aim them at us, or usually our Mommy. It was always funny to shoot kisses at each other. I remember once all us kids sitting in the pew at church and shooting kisses at Mommy while she led the music at church she couldn't help but laugh. Our family loved to be together, we played and still love to play lots of card games together. We also worked hard together, when we moved into our house there was a lot of yard work that needed to be done my parents made up get up a lot of Saturdays and work.
As us kids left for school in the morning we always shouted up the stars to our parents, "Bye mommy, bye daddy Mwa Hoo, Mwa Hoo!" Mwa hoo was the sound of blowing a kiss. Now "mwa hoo" had become another term of endearment and a cute name for a small family business.
Over the years many people have passed through my parents house seeking this love. My parents have let several people move in for a time and live with us, they have hosted lots of parties, get togethers, firesides, and game nights. Our parents house was always the cool place to hag out and my parents were the cool parents to hang out with!
My Mom and Dad have done so much for my Brother and Sisters and Me, to keep love spoken here. As I am now grown up (or growing up) and come back to visit my parents house I love to feel the love here and enjoy the beautiful way my mother decorates her home. So much of my Mothers love and personality is reflected in her home.
Let me try to show you my parents beautiful house, and maybe my insights to the love found there;


When my parents were young and first beginning their family my mom cross stitched, tooled and painted scriptures, and songs that still hang in their home. These wall hangings didn't cost much to make but they have priceless value as I look at them and many memories are stirred up as a child looking at them memorising the words and imagining my parents trying to establish our home.



My Mom holds her children as priceless jewels and that is evident in her home with the many family portraits she has hung around the home.

She loves family history and her parents. These photos are of her mother's hands on the right her sisters hands all together in the shape of a heart then her fathers hands on the left. My mother and her parents valued hard work, as you can see in their hands.




My parents are both very generous people, My mom began collecting these "Relief Society grapes" as they reminded her of her grandmothers and mother, she said that she wanted to see these grapes in every home she visits, she has now given away lots of grapes and loves to bring joy to others. In the photo the shoes under the grapes are from my brothers mission that he served in Argentina.

My mom is very talented and is an amazing artist there are 3 rooms in their home I am very exited to show you later. First is the laundry room, with a mural on all the walls. Second is my parents bathroom and lastly is the Mexican theme guest room.

A whole hand!

Little B had his 5th Birthday and he is so proud to be able to hold up a whole hand for his age! Birthday preparations have been fun. Last year he starting asking for things like his own real huge airplane, a real dump truck, a jet, a sharp sword, and his own robot. Every day he would ask for about 50 things. Most of them too impossible to ever get, but it worked well to just say, "Yes, maybe you can get it for your birthday." This clammed a lot of tantrums in the Wal-Mart toy aisles.

With his Birthday coming up I told him he can not have anything too dangerous or expensive. As his Birthday came closer his stage of asking for 50 things a day passed. Brian and I have tried to stick to getting just 3 gifts for kids Birthday's and Christmas. (It is always so easy to over shop) Here are some of his birthday surprises

Brian's Birthday Gifts started with a sweet endearing letter from Emma she writes, " Brian, Happy Birthday. your great. I (heart) you. Love Emma." Brian asked what the heart means. I asked him what he thought it meant. He just smiled and thought about it. Brian told us once that he was going to marry Emma, because she is a girl and not his sister. When he told Emma, she told him she was already going to marry another boy, (Max, I think?). This Birthday note was very special.

Brian also got another Birthday card in the mail. This one was from Great Grammy Fuller. She has a very unique loving way of card giving. In one birthday card you will get several cut outs from other inspirational, christian and Birthday cards. She lovingly tapes several messages inside one card. Its always fun to count how many cards she cut to make one card. She is very generous with gifts. Brian has a little cash built up mostly from Grammy and Grandaddy

The morning of B's Birthday he got to open one of his gifts from Brian and me. I love making these shirts! and this is one of my favorites, I am exited to make more. Brina loves the big 5

At preschool the kids sang to him, and he gave everybody a sticker. Brian's favorite San Diego cousins came over and enjoyed cake and gave him some great gifts, he loved all the phone calls Brian's gifts were a hit. he slept with his toy jet, woke up and finally figured out how to shoot the bow and arrow to make them stick and all day he has been playing with Lego's. Brian was so exited to find out that for his birthday everybody in the Fuller family is coming to San Diego and we are all going to Lego Land!

His last 2 surprises came today. While I was cleaning the kitchen I had the front door open enjoying the nice weather and the mail man came. He said hello to the kids so I came in, quickly to answer the door. He asked if it was somebodies birthday we said yes Brian's was yesterday he then handed the mail and package to Brian, a gift from Grandma Jones. Then the mail man sang Happy Birthday to him! Wow that was a surprise, the nice looking, dark, mail man had a beautiful voice! He said I don't usually do this but, here you go young man and he reached into his wallet and gave him a dollar!

Brian is so likeable and charming. He makes everybody ar ound him happy! He is a special boy! and is looking forward to more Birthday fun with Fullers!

A super hero nice thing to say.

Little B. said something nice today that I want to remember. While I was cleaning his room he came in and laid down on his bed that I had just made then he said, "Wow, Mom, my bed looks nice...I like my bed, thank you." and I said, "Your welcome," as I was cleaning his room, " It's nice to have things clean, isn't it?" he said, " Yea I like my room clean. Its better then Dora, Nick Jr! (I highly recommend this FREE online game as well as the other nick Jr games. My kids are learning Spanish and Chinese!)"

I love how he compares things that don't quite relate. Another example of this, and cute story that I want to remember, was the morning after the kids had a baby sitter. He had been telling me that he didn't want Heather to baby sit, but that he wanted Maria. I told him Maria was busy and Heather was busy also so we were going to have a new babysitter Jessica. She came and everything went well. The kids were sleeping when we came home, and the report from the sitter was all positive. In the morning I asked Brian how things went, he said fine, I asked if he wanted her to come back, he said no, and that he still wanted Maria, to babysit. I asked what he did with Jessica he said, they read stories, watched a movie and played games. So I asked what he does with Maria that was so fun and in an exited voice he said, "We read stories! Watch movies! and play games!" I said is she nice? she sighed a yea, is she fun, yea, is she pretty? Yea! She is pretty! Super pretty! Like super hero pretty! I smiled big, but held back the laugh, so as not to embarrass him. I just said yeah she is pretty! and I am glad you think so too!

Names have been changed. :)

Brian's Lucky Tooth

We took Brian to the dentist last year and he loved it. Not a suprise becuase like Susan, Brian is a very happy kid. He loves almost everything. At the dentist he did real well, laying down on the dentist chair, letting Dr. Ryan, my brother-in law's brother, look at his teeth, tickle them, and holding still for the X-ray. After the exam Dr Ryan told us Brian has a "lucky tooth" a cute name referring to the extra tooth Brian has between his central incisor and his lateral incisor. Its the little tooth in front as you can tell in this photo that captures Brian's smile. The Dr. said there is plenty of room in his mouth so the extra tooth is no big deal, for now.

Along with Brian's great, toothy, smile, comes an infectious laugh. He has a great sense of humor and can make us laugh just to hear him giggle. At a Christmas gathering with the Ollerton Family my cousin, Kolby, read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas Spanglish Style . Kolby is a funny guy also, so he had some of us laughing but Brian thought the poem was hilarious! Brian is learning Spanish words and loves rhyming all these combined had Brian laughing loud as the poem was read. The poem was great, and Kolby read it with a lot of character, but I think most people were laughing because Brian's Laugh was so, sincere, sweet, and infectious.

Back to the Lucky tooth. I have been feeling lately like Brian is growing up so fast! He will be in Kindergarten soon and I am afraid I am gonna miss him so much while he is gone! He lost his first baby tooth this past weekend. Just another reminder to me that he is growing up! So I figure lucky for me he still has the same number of baby teeth as a child born with the normal number of teeth. To me that means I still have a little time for him to be my baby. Before his new big tooth grows in, before he starts school, before he stops getting into bed with me in the middle of the night, before he stops wanting to cuddle and lets me play with his hair. Brian really is a special kid and I love him so much!

He is so exited about loosing a tooth! He has been telling everybody, and asking me 50 teeth questions.