Music

I figured out, thanks to the help of my blogger buddie Valeri, how to add things to my blog. I've added some music & for those of you visiting I would like for you to take the time to listen to the first song that I have placed on my playlist. This is a new song by Casting Crowns called Slow Fade. This song has touched our hearts in the Gould house. I know this song to be true. Our lives don't crumble in a day & Satan doesn't just throw things in our face. He works slow. He has all the time in the world & he is always waiting for the perfect moment to place something in our life to make us fall. Our choices do not just affect us, they affect our entire family. Remember that their are little eyes watching & ears listening & little feet following us. We, as a family, have discussed this song a lot the past few days & it has had a large impact on our lives. I want to share the lyrics to this song & hope that it will touch you & help you grow as it has us.
CASTING CROWNS LYRICS"Slow Fade"Be careful little eyes what you see It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings Be careful little feet where you go For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow It's a slow fade when you give yourself away It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid When you give yourself away People never crumble in a day It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade Be careful little ears what you hear When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near Be careful little lips what you say For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray It's a slow fade when you give yourself away It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid When you give yourself away People never crumble in a day The journey from your mind to your hands Is shorter than you're thinking Be careful if you think you stand You just might be sinking It's a slow fade when you give yourself away It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid When you give yourself away People never crumble in a day Daddies never crumble in a day Families never crumble in a day Oh be careful little eyes what see Oh be careful little eyes what you see For the Father up above is looking down in love Oh be careful little eyes what you see

Big Sister

Today Alyssa, who is almost complete with her potty training, was trying to do # 2. She couldn't come out until she did so Zhara volunteered to read to her. I came back & Zhara was saying "I'm reading you the scriptures to teach you about the Gospel & Jesus. This is the book of mormon (really a look & find princess book) and these are the bad guys fighting" She then noticed that I was there. Alyssa was watching her very intently & listening. Zhara is such a big helper with her sister & Alyssa does everything that sissy does. It was too cute not to capture!

swimming

Dinosaur Museum

Time is flying by at the Gould household. We have been so busy. The grandparents came last weekend & took us all to a baseball game. The girls very first baseball game was a Diamondbacks game (FYI David & I HATE the Diamondbacks) but we had a great time. It had a/c which was nice because it was 110 out at 5 pm when the game started. Zhara starting running a fever at the game & it continued through the night. Sunday was Father's day & she was going to sing in her first primary song at church. She wanted to sing so bad because Grandpa was coming to church to hear her sing so I prayed all morning that she would be able to sing. She was sick & just laying on us during sacrament but when it was time to sing she stood up front & sang her little heart out. It was so cute! I cried, along with my mom & David. I just couldn't believe that she is old enough to be singing. I remember when she was first born thinking "someday she will be singing" and now she is. It was precious. Even more precious was when she woke up from her nap that day she was sick. She was coughing, her throat & ears hurt & had a fever of 102. I asked her if she wanted an ice pop for her throat & she said "No I want Daddy to give me a blessing" so he did. We called the only person we know in the ward & she was told that because of her faith she would be healed, that her ears would stop hurting & her fever would go away & that her throat would stop hurting by the next day. That is exactly what happened. After the blessing her ears didn't hurt anymore, her fever broke that night & Monday she was so much better. She couldn't talk very well so she was very quiet all day (very unusual for her) and at 1130 that night she woke up crying about her throat & that was the last time that it hurt her. I am so thankful for the power of the priesthood & the healing hands that David has been blessed with. I'm thankful for the faith of a little child, who knows without a doubt that her Heavenly Father will make it better.

Tuesday we went with a playgroup to the Dinosaur Museum in Mesa. It was really cool (both exciting & much cooler than our apartment) & the kids loved it. They had a whole section on animal poop. Alyssa wanted to take a picture with the alligator poop. Zhara enjoyed putting the puzzle together matching animals to their poop. At the end they got to pan for gold. Zhara & Alyssa enjoyed playing with the water but Austin actually got a bag of gold flecks. Aunt Aimee flew in on Wed night to spend a few days looking for a place to live and last but not least grandpa & grandma arrived last night to spend the weekend with their whole family. We were standing beside the pool & my dad said "Look at us all standing here & where are we?" No where any of us thought we would be that is for sure but how thankful that we have a Shepard that guides us & that I am not in control.

Fun in the Sun

Every weekend that Austin is here, is planned with something & this was our only weekend to just hang out as a family & so we made the most of it. We went to the zoo on Saturday morning (Alyssa was a trooper after being sick for 2 days throwing up & a fever that got up to 103.4) only to see that we had left the umbrella stroller at grandpa's house last weekend. I asked how much it was to rent one from the zoo...7 bucks...no thanks so when we had to walk a long way or they got tired David carried Zhara on his shoulders, and I had Alyssa on mine. Need I say that today, 4 days later my shoulders still hurt? We had so much fun though. They loved having Bubba with them. After we finished up with half of the zoo the kids played in the splash park at the zoo for a few minutes (Austin was like 3 times bigger than any of the kids) and then we headed off to have our picnic. After we finished lunch we went to one of the many aquatic centers they have here. We spent over 3 hours in the pool. Austin & I got fried big time, in fact Austin was sick when we got home that night. David & Austin went off the diving board & can I say that was a funny thing to watch but we all had a blast. I thought for sure the girls would be worn out but they stayed awake the whole way home. When we got home we went down to our pool & BBQ for dinner. Then David, Austin & Zhara went back to swim for another hour. Alyssa had pooped in her swimsuit at the aquatic center...sorry to those in the water.. so she stayed with me. I thought she was playing in her room & I went in there & she had crawled into bed & fell asleep around 630 & slept until the next morning. She was pooped. We had a great day. I love being a complete family & just enjoying our time together.

Sunday David & I talked in church....now maybe we won't have to talk until we move again? It went well. David got a calling to be the Sunday school teacher for the 13 & 14 year olds. He's really excited & he will be so good at it. We are both excited to have callings with the youth.

Great Grandparents

This past weekend my grandparents were on their way to my grandmother's family reunion in Oregon ( they are in their 70's & drove for 4 days...unbelievable) and they stopped for a day in Page to see my parents. We didn't want to miss out on seeing then, since we probably won't be going to MO anytime soon and so we all drove up the day after Austin got here & spent the weekend. It was so wonderful to be able to visit with them for almost 2 days. Usually when we are in Springfield there are so many people that we have to see that we go to their house for a half hour & that is all we see them. I enjoyed being with them. The girls loved them. They came to church with us on Sunday & Zhara helped GG pa walk to the car from church & into the house, and she was fascinated with watching GG ma put on her makeup & they had quite the conversation about it all. Zhara really liked it when Aunt Tina bribed her to eat ther food by paying her :) That will not be happening it at our house. It was just an amazing time & memory to be able to cherish when their time on this earth is done. I love you both very much.