Happy Birthday Turner!!!

There are a million and one pictures so don't feel obligated to watch them all- this is just a sampling of the Love and Laughter Turner has brought into our lives the past two years!


Turner I love you in so many ways! Here are 24 reasons why- One for each month you have been in our lives:
1. You love to be wherever I am.
2. You love your daddy.
3. You get so excited whenever you see a "big big truck"
4. You made me a mommy and it is my favorite thing in the whole world.
5. You love people young, old, big, little it doesn't matter- they love you too.
6. You always want to hold your little brother.
7. Even though I have to change your diaper and your brother's diaper, you can still convince me that I should also change Elmo's diaper.
8. You have always been pretty content to go with the flow. You are getting more opionated as you get older but as long as we are busy you are usually happy to be doing whatever.
9. You love to be outside.
10. When you are playing you are so busy and seem to almost have an agenda.
11. You smile and say hello to everyone you see.
12. You love trains, cars, boat, big trucks, anything with a motor.
13. You attack your food with tenacity. You might not get it all in your mouth but it isn't from a lack of trying.
14. You love Jesus and get so excited when you see his picture.
15. You LOVE books and would be happy if I would sit there and read to you all day long.
16. You love your baby brother and can always make him smile.
17. Your cousins are your favorite people and you can name everyone in our family pictures without a whole lot of help.
18. Nursury is the highlight of your week.
19. Walks always make you happy.
20. You can pull your brother in the wagon all the way around our hilly block.
21. You are a snuggle bug.
22. You are the BEST sleeper and have slept through the night since you were really little.
23. You never complain about taking a bath- anything to do with water you are game for (even the Ottesons freezing cold swimming pool.)
24. You have the best sense of humor and make me laugh everyday!

happy thought- baby smiles

I am so thankful for baby smiles. Although babies smile at everyone, there is something in them that makes you feel special. When he smiles at me, I feel like I matter somehow in this world. One of those can wipe away a rough night, getting pooped on and even a marathon crying fit. Thank you Max for your wonderful smile!

"Every time we remember to say "thank you", we experience nothing less than heaven on earth."
~ Sarah Ban Breathnach ~

I could have guessed that!

You Are Mulan!

Strong and spirited. You're no one's girly girl; actually you are very determined person with a strong sense of self. Never let go of that! The only thing that equals your sense of self is your family, but the traditions of society can always be bent to protect something or someone you love.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

Marriage Tag

Well- I knew Sherrie Nelson so I am tagged and happy to do it!! (I love tag)
1) How long have you been married? 3 years next month- yeah we don't waste time do we? 3 years- 2 kids we are following the commandment to multiply and replenish.

2) How old is your spouse? 29 - 2 months younger than me.

3) Who eats more? I eat more often- I have 3 meals a day where as Josh eats whenever but fills his plate for sure.

4) Who said I love you first? Josh- but we were both wanting to but thought that it was way too early.

5) Who is taller? Josh

6) Who sings better? Me.. he never sang when we met- I am now just getting him to realize that singing is fun and you don't have to be good at it! We have fun singing in church and we see who can make the best "pro singer face."

7) Who is smarter? Hummm.... this all depends on what you are talking about. Josh can remember random facts like no one can. He is observant and sees things I don't. He also has spacial genius he can see how things are put together way before the pieces are all there. I on the other hand love school and learning and probably know more about human behavior (I hope so since that is what my degree is in.)

8) Who controls the T.V. remote? Josh, Josh, Josh. Even the other night I suggested that I get a night to hold the remote and he said no! We probably got in that habit because I don't watch too much TV and honestly would rather do something else. He thinks he has to hold it because he was an only child for 7 years and has never had to share it.

9) Whose temper is worse? Humm... Josh's is behind the wheel. Mine is worse over everyday stupid things. But we both get more mellow the older we get.

10) Who does the laundry? Josh does most of the time. At least he brings it down, washes and drys it. I usually end up folding it and putting it away.

11) Who does the dishes? Me unless I ask him to while I feed the baby or give the boys a bath.

12) Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Right side when you are standing at the bottom looking at it or while you are in it? From the perspective of looking at it- Josh does. We have a huge sliding glass door on that side of the room and he likes to sleep by it just in case a bad guy breaks in. My question is what if the bad guy comes in the front door? Then I would be closer ti him :)

13) Who cooks dinner? I usually do but Josh helps out on occasion. He loves to experiment with food. I can say we are having hamburgers for dinner and he will always have a suggestion of what I can do to make it different.

14) Who is more stubborn? Depending on what it is about but I would say me

15) Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Oh that would probably be me but Josh is also a champ with saying he is sorry.

16) Who has more friends? Life long good friends I do. Josh can strike up a conversation with someone waiting to return a movie at the redbox but the people we hang out with are my friends.

17) Who has more siblings? I do. I have 6 and Josh has 1.

18) Who wears the pants in the family? We make big decissions together but Josh wears the pants (at least I let him think he does :)

happy thought-my husband, boy bonding time

We have only done this twice but Josh will take the boys for an hour or two on a Sat. while I get stuff done around the house. It is so freeing to be able to get things done without wondering about what Turner is getting into while I am busy. I am so grateful for such an amazing husband that is willing to do this for me. Josh is truely my companion and best friend and I feel very lucky to have as my husband. Josh- you are my #1 happy thought!

"Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude.
Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness.
Thankfulness may consist merely of words.
Gratitude is shown in acts."
~ David O. McKay ~

happy thought- good books

I am thankful for good books! I checked Jane Eyre out of the library before we left on vacation but didn't get a chance to start the book until a few days ago. Although it is a bit of a slower read for me (I have to check the footnotes every so often) I love it (so far.) A couple of summers ago Josh and I did a "Thomson summer reading program." If you earned 5,000 points then you got to go and pick out a new book. You earn a point per page and then different kinds of books are worth a certain amount of points. We decided to revive the program again this summer; and classics are worth 1,000 and since Jane Eyre is a classic- I am starting off with a bang this summer. I am thankful for good books- especially when they are worth a lot of points :)

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."
~ Marcel Proust ~

Happy Thought- The atonement

The day I got baptised was a great day. My parents made sure that it was something that I would remember for the rest of my life. My grandma and grandpa Anderson were there (my grandma and grandpa Mangum were mission presidents in FL at the time.) Aunts, uncles and cousins, primary teachers and friends all gathered for my special day. Afterward there were refreshments and mingling. After the festivities we were cleaning up the church and something terrible happened. I don't remember the details but I know it involved a 2 liter Sprite bottle and it ended up with me yelling at Jason. He looked at me and with a smile he said: "your not perfect anymore." That was it! I had ruined it; my perfect streak only lasted an hour or so. I was devastated. And I realized that my life would be one of sin.

It wasn't until I was older that I realized that sinning was part of the plan. God knew that it would happen and he loved us anyway. It was because of this love that he provided a Savior, a brother, to suffer in place of us for our sins. Now sinning does bring a lot of suffering not only to those who have been vicimized but also to those who did the sinning. Yet Christ can take that suffering from us so we can be whole again. I am thankful for the amazing power that the atonement has to make us all whole again.

"To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven."
~ Johannes A. Gaertner ~

Happy Thought- strollers

I am so thankful for strollers! Without a car this week we have been doing as much walking (as the weather permits) as we can just to get out of the house. Thank you mom for buying it when I Max was born. I love our stroller and I am thankful that someone invented them.

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."
~ Epictetus ~

My Mom

I know my vacation counted as my happy thought for the day but today is my mom's birthday! I am so thankful for her today. She is the woman that gave me life. Not only did she bring me into this world but she brought me up in this world. My mom is the greatest mom in the whole world. She is stalwart and strong. She is an amazing example of faith and patience. She has a wonderful relationship with the Savior. She also is very close with her children- I know she has worked hard to maintain those throughout our lives. She also has accomplished much- she got her masters degree when she was 55! I love this woman and she is my happy thought today! I am thankful for my mom! Happy Birthday!

San Diego

MANGUM FAMILY REUNION!
We are back! We had a fabulous time in San Diego last week. We left on Sunday and went as far as Mesquite, NV. We had high hopes of swimming in the pool the next morning but it didn't open until 9 and that is when we wanted to hit the road but we had already got into our swim suits.
Here the boys are before we changed them back into thier clothes. Max started smiling a week before we left- it melts my heart everytime. This isn't the best picture of his smile but you can get a glimpse of it. His face looks funny in this picture but he is such a cutie. It is great that I have a child that will smile at the camera (for now) as Turner pretty much boycotts it.

On Tuesday we went to Scrippts Birch aquarium. The coolest part was the kelp forest. We got to watch a diver feed the fish.

Wednesday we hung out at the beach. That night we had a retirement party for my dad. It is always crazy with 12 grandkids- 5 of them being 2 but we had a great time. Congrats Dad on 36 years of wonderful service to our family and the community! Aren't my parents cute?

Turner couldn't get enough of the water or the sand.



Thursday we went to Legoland. Josh loves legos and makes AMAZING structures with them. He was in heaven. Of course Josh also loves Starwars making this the perfect photo op. (I think the light sabor was positioned for little kids- oops)

Turner is in love Thomas and so he loved this lego version. He cried when we had to leave it.



The best part was just hanging out with the family and goofing off.

On Friday we had a little birthday party with all of the cousins for Turner's birthday. He is going to be 2 on the 12th. I can't believe he is going to be 2 already although he has been acting two for a month or so now so it shouldn't be a suprise.

Here he is before he "blew out his candles" really the wind was so bad that he didn't really get a chance to blow them out but we tried our hardest. We must have lit like 15 matches to get it to light and that is Thanks to my brother who insisted that we get the candles lit.


The condo we stayed in was right on the beach. It was amazing to look out the window and watch the waves. This is the view from our window.

Here is a picture of the condo (this is for you Heather- I am not sure that it stands out much!) Overall it was a great week. If you want to see more pictures of my family go to this website: ginahansenphotography.com User name is mangum and password is beach. We had a great time!
On the way home our transmission started going out! With a lot of faith, and prayers on behalf of our family we made it home slowly. We haven't got the van looked at yet so we aren't sure of the damages but it looks like it will probably be in the range of $3,000. It makes it an expensive family vacation but that trial helped me remember why I married my husband. I knew we could get through anything together. I am greatful for families, the beauty of the earth the Lord made for us, and trials that make us stronger!