Wednesday, June 25, 2008
New Picture
Well, I'm trying to put a new picture on my blog header, but I just can't get the size right. I'd stay and work on it for a while, but I just heard a bowl crash in the kitchen. Computer time is over for the day... Does anyone know where I can learn about how to customize my blog? I'm really clueless!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Life is funny...
I just thought it ironic that my last post was about how I "taught" a RS lesson about not becoming overwhelmed, then I go and do just that. Every time I start feeling overwhelmed, things like this blog just go untouched for a while (and sometimes, the kitchen, and more often than not, the ironing!). Things are still great, just sometimes less important things get neglected for a while so more important things can have priority. Lots of good things are happening in our family. We have had some fun times! I'm not going to post it all at once (I don't want to get overwhelmed -- hee, hee), but I'll try to keep everyone up to date!
Let's start with Levi's birthday! He hit the big O-N-E last month. He was born on Memorial Day last year, so all day on Memorial Day, I kept on thinking that it should have been his birthday. (But it was actually on Wednesday, May 28th.) Anyway, he got a musical crocodile
(he likes pounding on the piano, so I thought he'd like this) and he also got a little red wagon. He loves to be pulled around by his brothers, and also loves to push stuffed animals around in it. He is such a wonderful little man and I love having him as a part of our family!
Let's start with Levi's birthday! He hit the big O-N-E last month. He was born on Memorial Day last year, so all day on Memorial Day, I kept on thinking that it should have been his birthday. (But it was actually on Wednesday, May 28th.) Anyway, he got a musical crocodile
(he likes pounding on the piano, so I thought he'd like this) and he also got a little red wagon. He loves to be pulled around by his brothers, and also loves to push stuffed animals around in it. He is such a wonderful little man and I love having him as a part of our family!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
For all of us who have felt overwhelmed...
In an effort to make our Mother's Day lesson in Relief Society a little bit lighter than usual, we talked about how to enjoy motherhood. One thing that we talked about was how to not feel guilty about everything that needs to be done, and that we can't do everything all at once. To drive that point home, I used this poem. It made me laugh. I hope it makes you smile too!
Vickie Gunther of Redlands, California, wrote a hilarious poem, Dr.
Seuss style, about how much LDS women try to take on. David B. Marsh used it at
Women's Conference, and Vickie has given permission to share it.
The Girl in a Whirl by 'Dr. Sue' (a.k.a. Vickie Gunther)
Look at me, look at me, look at me now!
You could do what I do if you only knew how.
I study the scriptures one hour each day;
I bake, I upholster, I scrub, and I pray.
I always keep all the commandments completely;
I speak to my little ones gently and sweetly.
I help in their classrooms! I sew all they wear!
I drive them to practice! I cut all their hair!
I memorize names of the General Authorities;
I focus on things to be done by priorities.
I play the piano! I bless with my talents!
My toilets all sparkle! My checkbooks all balance!
Each week every child gets a one-on-one date;
I attend all my meetings (on time! Never late!)
I'm taking a class on the teachings of Paul,
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all,
I track my bad habits 'til each is abolished;
Our t-shirts are ironed! My toenails are polished!
Our family home evenings are always delightful;
The lessons I give are both fun and insightful.
I do genealogy faithfully, too.
It's easy to do all the things that I do!
I rise each day early, refreshed and awake;
I know all the names of each youth in my stake!
I read to my children! I help all my neighbors!
I bless the community, too, with my labors.
I exercise and I cook menus gourmet;
My visiting teaching is done the first day!
(I also go do it for someone who missed hers.
It's the least I can do for my cherished ward sisters.)
I chart resolutions and check off each goal;
I seek each 'lost lamb' on my Primary roll.
I can home-grown produce each summer and fall.
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all,
I write in my journal! I sing in the choir!
Each day, I write 'thank you’s' to those I admire.
My sons were all Eagles when they were fourteen!
My kids get straight A's! And their bedrooms are clean!
I have a home business to help make some money;
I always look beautifully groomed for my honey.
I go to the temple at least once a week;
I change the car's tires! I fix the sink's leak!
I grind my own wheat and I bake all our bread;
I have all our meals planned out six months ahead.
I make sure I rotate our two-years' supply;
My shopping for Christmas is done by July!
These things are not hard; 'tis good if you do them;
You can if you try! Just set goals and pursue them!
It's easy to do all the things that I do!
If you plan and work smart, you can do them all, too!
It's easy!' she said,
And then she dropped dead.
Vickie Gunther of Redlands, California, wrote a hilarious poem, Dr.
Seuss style, about how much LDS women try to take on. David B. Marsh used it at
Women's Conference, and Vickie has given permission to share it.
The Girl in a Whirl by 'Dr. Sue' (a.k.a. Vickie Gunther)
Look at me, look at me, look at me now!
You could do what I do if you only knew how.
I study the scriptures one hour each day;
I bake, I upholster, I scrub, and I pray.
I always keep all the commandments completely;
I speak to my little ones gently and sweetly.
I help in their classrooms! I sew all they wear!
I drive them to practice! I cut all their hair!
I memorize names of the General Authorities;
I focus on things to be done by priorities.
I play the piano! I bless with my talents!
My toilets all sparkle! My checkbooks all balance!
Each week every child gets a one-on-one date;
I attend all my meetings (on time! Never late!)
I'm taking a class on the teachings of Paul,
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all,
I track my bad habits 'til each is abolished;
Our t-shirts are ironed! My toenails are polished!
Our family home evenings are always delightful;
The lessons I give are both fun and insightful.
I do genealogy faithfully, too.
It's easy to do all the things that I do!
I rise each day early, refreshed and awake;
I know all the names of each youth in my stake!
I read to my children! I help all my neighbors!
I bless the community, too, with my labors.
I exercise and I cook menus gourmet;
My visiting teaching is done the first day!
(I also go do it for someone who missed hers.
It's the least I can do for my cherished ward sisters.)
I chart resolutions and check off each goal;
I seek each 'lost lamb' on my Primary roll.
I can home-grown produce each summer and fall.
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all,
I write in my journal! I sing in the choir!
Each day, I write 'thank you’s' to those I admire.
My sons were all Eagles when they were fourteen!
My kids get straight A's! And their bedrooms are clean!
I have a home business to help make some money;
I always look beautifully groomed for my honey.
I go to the temple at least once a week;
I change the car's tires! I fix the sink's leak!
I grind my own wheat and I bake all our bread;
I have all our meals planned out six months ahead.
I make sure I rotate our two-years' supply;
My shopping for Christmas is done by July!
These things are not hard; 'tis good if you do them;
You can if you try! Just set goals and pursue them!
It's easy to do all the things that I do!
If you plan and work smart, you can do them all, too!
It's easy!' she said,
And then she dropped dead.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
I've been tagged!
Natalie tagged me, so here are the rules:
List 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
Well, it's taken me a while to get around to this (it's that "busy" thing again...), so, here we go!
3 Joys: 1. My heart melts when my boys give me loves out of nowhere. Jacob is especially good at this. 2. I love watching Levi learn how to walk. (Watch for a video coming soon!) I've loved it with all my boys, and Levi is just starting. It is just so much fun when they get so excited that they fall over, then they realize that they're doing something great and they laugh, hop back up, and try again. 3. And I love it when someone expresses true appreciation - not just the "thanks for all that you do" generic stuff. Like, when they really mean it, they're not just trying to be polite. Not that polite people bug me. They're nice and all, but, let's face it, we can tell the difference between someone saying something to be nice and someone really noticing that we've made a difference, and they say so. It just makes me feel really good to know that my life has a little meaning or value to someone else once in a while.
3 Fears: 1. The thought of my children getting hurt without me being able to do anything about it haunts my nightmares. I actually have had panic attacks when I am out on a date with my husband and I think of my baby, falling head first in the toilet and struggling to get out, no one there to save him, feeling betrayed by his mom because I wasn't there to help him and make it all better, then drowning, and it's all I can do to tell myself I'm being irrational and to not go home and check to make sure all the bathroom doors are closed. It's not pretty, but it's true. 2. What the world is becoming scares me too. Although I am more worried about the morality of society than the economics. My husband worries about the economics enough for the both of us. There is only so much I can do, and I hope my home will always be a safehaven for the values that can bring us peace. 3. I'm afraid of drunk people. I have just seen too many people all happy and drunk then all of a sudden they turn into a mean, angry drunk. It scares me. Especially when they are behind the wheel. I don't want to be hit and killed by a drunk driver (another fear).I remember when I learned why alcoholic drinks are called "Spirits." Back in the "olden days," people believed that when you were drunk, you were posessed by spirits, so that's how alcohol got that nickname. Which reminds me, I'm afraid of ghosts, too. So if you die and want to come back and give me a message, leave me a note. I'll be afraid of you too.
3 Goals: 1. To one day be on top of the housework. 2. To run. I'm starting small. Maybe next year's stake 5K fun run. In my dreams, I'd like to do a sprint triathelon. The goal is to get up early enough before my husband goes to work and run, maybe get up to a few miles by the end of the summer. We'll see... 3. I'd like to play my flute in an orchestra one day. Right now I'm just trying to not totally lose all of my talent, but I hope to be able to carve out a little more time for that when all of my boys are in school.
3 Current obsessions/collections: 1. I HAD to finish the Twilight series (by Stephenie Meyer, if you're interested) this week. Sadly, the house went to pot as I finished New Moon and Eclipse this week. And it leaves me thinking, there has to be more. After all, Jacob can't just run East forever, Bella and Edward have got some big things coming up, and will she ever become a vampire herself? And what about the Volturi? You've gotta know they'll be back! Good books for anyone who wants a good read. If you can get over the fact that Bella really is so very young for this kind of adventure... And is it really ok that Edward spends so much time in her bedroom, even if "nothing happens?" Yup, I'm sure that I dreamed about vampires last night. 2. I'm really trying to get my house in order. I don't know if it will ever really happen, but I'd love to finish a few projects and maybe even put a few pictures up. It's a daily, (and at the rate I'm going, a lifelong) obsession. 3. Can I count my boys as a collection? I collect baby boys. I can honestly say that if we happened to get pregnant again, I would love another boy. It's just who we are.
3 random, surprising facts about myself: 1. People think I have it all together. I'm surprised by that. I think it's this calling. They associate Relief Society Pres with someone who has it all together. So, let me surprise people by saying I'm not that kind of person. I just try really hard to get a few things done every now and then and hope that I'm doing some good. 2. I'm a certified BeerMaster. I worked for an Anheiser Busch distributor a while back and had to take the course. I'm probably the only BeerMaster who's never tasted the product. 3. I'm an organization freak. I don't feel like I've got it all together unless I'm organized. The projects don't have to be finished, just organized. I actually sleep better in a clean room. I honestly think it's an obsessive/compulsive gene we kids go from our dad. Strange, but true.
Ok, now that that's done, I can go back to balancing the checkbook. I'd tag 5 other people, but I don't know of that many people who read my blog that blog themselves. So, I'll just leave it up to you. If you want to do this, then "TAG - YOU'RE IT!"
Have a great day, y'all, and I hope to post again soon...
List 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
Well, it's taken me a while to get around to this (it's that "busy" thing again...), so, here we go!
3 Joys: 1. My heart melts when my boys give me loves out of nowhere. Jacob is especially good at this. 2. I love watching Levi learn how to walk. (Watch for a video coming soon!) I've loved it with all my boys, and Levi is just starting. It is just so much fun when they get so excited that they fall over, then they realize that they're doing something great and they laugh, hop back up, and try again. 3. And I love it when someone expresses true appreciation - not just the "thanks for all that you do" generic stuff. Like, when they really mean it, they're not just trying to be polite. Not that polite people bug me. They're nice and all, but, let's face it, we can tell the difference between someone saying something to be nice and someone really noticing that we've made a difference, and they say so. It just makes me feel really good to know that my life has a little meaning or value to someone else once in a while.
3 Fears: 1. The thought of my children getting hurt without me being able to do anything about it haunts my nightmares. I actually have had panic attacks when I am out on a date with my husband and I think of my baby, falling head first in the toilet and struggling to get out, no one there to save him, feeling betrayed by his mom because I wasn't there to help him and make it all better, then drowning, and it's all I can do to tell myself I'm being irrational and to not go home and check to make sure all the bathroom doors are closed. It's not pretty, but it's true. 2. What the world is becoming scares me too. Although I am more worried about the morality of society than the economics. My husband worries about the economics enough for the both of us. There is only so much I can do, and I hope my home will always be a safehaven for the values that can bring us peace. 3. I'm afraid of drunk people. I have just seen too many people all happy and drunk then all of a sudden they turn into a mean, angry drunk. It scares me. Especially when they are behind the wheel. I don't want to be hit and killed by a drunk driver (another fear).I remember when I learned why alcoholic drinks are called "Spirits." Back in the "olden days," people believed that when you were drunk, you were posessed by spirits, so that's how alcohol got that nickname. Which reminds me, I'm afraid of ghosts, too. So if you die and want to come back and give me a message, leave me a note. I'll be afraid of you too.
3 Goals: 1. To one day be on top of the housework. 2. To run. I'm starting small. Maybe next year's stake 5K fun run. In my dreams, I'd like to do a sprint triathelon. The goal is to get up early enough before my husband goes to work and run, maybe get up to a few miles by the end of the summer. We'll see... 3. I'd like to play my flute in an orchestra one day. Right now I'm just trying to not totally lose all of my talent, but I hope to be able to carve out a little more time for that when all of my boys are in school.
3 Current obsessions/collections: 1. I HAD to finish the Twilight series (by Stephenie Meyer, if you're interested) this week. Sadly, the house went to pot as I finished New Moon and Eclipse this week. And it leaves me thinking, there has to be more. After all, Jacob can't just run East forever, Bella and Edward have got some big things coming up, and will she ever become a vampire herself? And what about the Volturi? You've gotta know they'll be back! Good books for anyone who wants a good read. If you can get over the fact that Bella really is so very young for this kind of adventure... And is it really ok that Edward spends so much time in her bedroom, even if "nothing happens?" Yup, I'm sure that I dreamed about vampires last night. 2. I'm really trying to get my house in order. I don't know if it will ever really happen, but I'd love to finish a few projects and maybe even put a few pictures up. It's a daily, (and at the rate I'm going, a lifelong) obsession. 3. Can I count my boys as a collection? I collect baby boys. I can honestly say that if we happened to get pregnant again, I would love another boy. It's just who we are.
3 random, surprising facts about myself: 1. People think I have it all together. I'm surprised by that. I think it's this calling. They associate Relief Society Pres with someone who has it all together. So, let me surprise people by saying I'm not that kind of person. I just try really hard to get a few things done every now and then and hope that I'm doing some good. 2. I'm a certified BeerMaster. I worked for an Anheiser Busch distributor a while back and had to take the course. I'm probably the only BeerMaster who's never tasted the product. 3. I'm an organization freak. I don't feel like I've got it all together unless I'm organized. The projects don't have to be finished, just organized. I actually sleep better in a clean room. I honestly think it's an obsessive/compulsive gene we kids go from our dad. Strange, but true.
Ok, now that that's done, I can go back to balancing the checkbook. I'd tag 5 other people, but I don't know of that many people who read my blog that blog themselves. So, I'll just leave it up to you. If you want to do this, then "TAG - YOU'RE IT!"
Have a great day, y'all, and I hope to post again soon...
Monday, May 5, 2008
Yup, we're still alive...
Ok, I know that I should be better at keeping our blog updated, but sometimes life pulls at you from 100 different directions and something's gotta give. And since kids can't go to school naked, it couldn't be the laundry... (although I tried to let it go - and now, after 3 days of washing, I only have 10 batches to go..) Anyway, life is good. Quick update: we were all sick, then some of us got well, some of us got pneumonia, some of us got grumpy, and some of us are just starting to feel like we can make it through a whole day without a nap. Some of us got into fights at school (in his defense, he was provoked by a bully and his dad is secretly proud of him because he was defending a friend), some of us experienced our first debate tournament, and some of us are reading our first books. Some of us are taking our first steps, and some of us are potty trained.
Some of the fun things that happened are that we bought a tv and couch for the basement and even painted down there!
And because the TV doesn't take an antenna (which has been our sole form of tv reception for the past 10 years), we got a satellite dish. (Wow, there is a lot of crap out there.)
We are very excited that it hasn't snowed this week - for the first time in months! (If you click on the picture, you can see that Caeden and Jacob are standing IN THE SNOW - IN APRIL!)
Jordan turned 11 and is now in the 11 year old scout program with his dad.
We took Jordan and a few friends bowling for his birthday party, then we came back home for pizza and cake - the cake is a blue bowling ball, in case you were wondering what Jordan is blowing at... We had the pinewood derby just before Jordan's birthday, and his car never came in less than 2nd place, so he got a trophy this year - yay Jordan!
So that's a quick update. Life is good. Busy, but good. And I will try to be better at keeping y'all updated on what goes on in our crazy home!
Some of the fun things that happened are that we bought a tv and couch for the basement and even painted down there!
And because the TV doesn't take an antenna (which has been our sole form of tv reception for the past 10 years), we got a satellite dish. (Wow, there is a lot of crap out there.)
We are very excited that it hasn't snowed this week - for the first time in months! (If you click on the picture, you can see that Caeden and Jacob are standing IN THE SNOW - IN APRIL!) Jordan turned 11 and is now in the 11 year old scout program with his dad.
We took Jordan and a few friends bowling for his birthday party, then we came back home for pizza and cake - the cake is a blue bowling ball, in case you were wondering what Jordan is blowing at... We had the pinewood derby just before Jordan's birthday, and his car never came in less than 2nd place, so he got a trophy this year - yay Jordan!
So that's a quick update. Life is good. Busy, but good. And I will try to be better at keeping y'all updated on what goes on in our crazy home!
Friday, April 11, 2008
Finally - pictures from our trip!
I know, it takes a while, but we've been busy getting caught up on all the stuff we missed while we were gone! Ahhh, life. I just doesn't stop. Well, I guess it does, eventually, so I guess I'd rather be busy than not have one at all. Enough philosophising...
We had a great time in Southern California! We shared a beach house with our dear friends from Sacramento, the Droubay family. Their two boys and our two oldest are great friends, which was always a bonus when I was looking for someone to watch my guys... (smile!) Upstairs was 2 bedrooms (each with two queen beds), a bathroom, kitchen, and dining and living room. Downstairs (connected by an outside stairway) was a master bedroom, a small sitting area, a bathroom, and kitchenette. We found it on www.vrbo.com (it is rental #128732, if you want to go look at some more inside shots), and it was right on the beach!
Our first full day there (Saturday)was spent on the beach. That turned out to be the boys favorite thing!
Sunday we went to the Oceanside 4th ward, then spent the day relaxing, eating spaghetti and scones, and walking the beach and the pier.
Monday was SeaWorld day! Jordan has decided he no longer likes dolphins, since they wouldn't stop splashing him at the dolphin show.
Tuesday was another beach day. We were actually planning to go to LegoLand, but because there are a bunch of water rides, and it really wasn't warm enough to be wet in an amusement park, we decided we'd stay on the beach again. The boys would get in the ocean, get cold, roll in the warm sand, warm up, and then get wet again. And when they'd get too tired of it all, we'd hose them off, put them in a warm tub, and let them play inside. Boy, they were great sleepers!!!
Wednesday was our Disneyland/California Adventure Day. The boys decided their favorite rides were California Screaming (a loop roller coaster) and Space Mountain. Who'd have thought? They either are really getting big enough to love a little more of the thrill rides, or they were trying really hard to impress their friends...
Thursday ended up being another beach day, and a wash/get ready to leave day. And Friday we came home. I've got over 100 pictures, and I'm not sure how to post them! How about a slide show?
We had a great time in Southern California! We shared a beach house with our dear friends from Sacramento, the Droubay family. Their two boys and our two oldest are great friends, which was always a bonus when I was looking for someone to watch my guys... (smile!) Upstairs was 2 bedrooms (each with two queen beds), a bathroom, kitchen, and dining and living room. Downstairs (connected by an outside stairway) was a master bedroom, a small sitting area, a bathroom, and kitchenette. We found it on www.vrbo.com (it is rental #128732, if you want to go look at some more inside shots), and it was right on the beach! Our first full day there (Saturday)was spent on the beach. That turned out to be the boys favorite thing!
Sunday we went to the Oceanside 4th ward, then spent the day relaxing, eating spaghetti and scones, and walking the beach and the pier.
Monday was SeaWorld day! Jordan has decided he no longer likes dolphins, since they wouldn't stop splashing him at the dolphin show.
Tuesday was another beach day. We were actually planning to go to LegoLand, but because there are a bunch of water rides, and it really wasn't warm enough to be wet in an amusement park, we decided we'd stay on the beach again. The boys would get in the ocean, get cold, roll in the warm sand, warm up, and then get wet again. And when they'd get too tired of it all, we'd hose them off, put them in a warm tub, and let them play inside. Boy, they were great sleepers!!!
Wednesday was our Disneyland/California Adventure Day. The boys decided their favorite rides were California Screaming (a loop roller coaster) and Space Mountain. Who'd have thought? They either are really getting big enough to love a little more of the thrill rides, or they were trying really hard to impress their friends...
Thursday ended up being another beach day, and a wash/get ready to leave day. And Friday we came home. I've got over 100 pictures, and I'm not sure how to post them! How about a slide show?
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Jordan's Arrow of Light Ceremony
Hello, there! We're back! We had a great vacation, and we will be posting pictures throughout the week. To start with, the night before we left was Jordan's Arrow of Light Ceremony. He achieved his Arrow of Light ranking this last month (it is the award given after they have earned their Webelos rank, plus a few more achievements...) Anyway, it was really cool. The scouts had a Shoshone shaman come and perform a ceremony for Jordan and he was given a bear claw necklace. He blessed both Jordan and Aaron and me in the tradition of the Shoshone indians, that we will always know the direction we should travel. It was a good night...
Then it was home to pack for our trip to California!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Kelly's Quilt
Last month, my sweet sister Kelly was involved in a very sad accident, and we wanted to put our arms around her and give her a hug. Unfortunately, she lives in Texas and we're in Utah. So we decided to make her a "hug" and send it to her. She got it today, so now we can post our pictures without spoiling the suprise:
Zachary was the first to want to help sew. Jordan, of course, then decided he was man enough to help, even if it was pink. (After doing some sleuthing, we discovered that Kelly's favorite color was "pink, pink, and more pink.")
All in all, the boys did pretty good. We only got off line once, and it wasn't noticable enough to change. We also got a some help from a few women in our neighborhood, and we were able to finish it before April - yay!
I hope she likes it - It's big, soft, fluffy flannel filled with love from me and my boys.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
I think he's feeling better
Levi getting into cookie dough:
I do believe that Levi is feeling better. He is eating better and only has a rash on his belly... I'm hoping we're done with all that's been going on around this house!
I do believe that Levi is feeling better. He is eating better and only has a rash on his belly... I'm hoping we're done with all that's been going on around this house!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Easter!
I hope everyone had a great Easter! We only have 2 small patches of snow in our backyard, and I'm thinking they'll be gone today (We're hoping for 60's today!) We don't do new Easter outfits, but we do have an egg hunt, so here's our pictures:
Before the hunt, filled with anticipation...
The swingset is always a treasure chest of plastic and sugar!
The bunny must have hopped along the side of the basketball court, too.
Luckily, Jacob got a few before his more experienced brothers found them all.
All in all, it was a pretty good day. There has been no vomiting of blood, very little fevers, everyone is sugar-saturated, we colored eggs, played "Seek" for our Sunday game night, had fish for dinner (I don't know why, but this has become a tradition), and everyone had a happy day! We hope you did too!
Before the hunt, filled with anticipation...
The swingset is always a treasure chest of plastic and sugar!
The bunny must have hopped along the side of the basketball court, too.
Luckily, Jacob got a few before his more experienced brothers found them all.
All in all, it was a pretty good day. There has been no vomiting of blood, very little fevers, everyone is sugar-saturated, we colored eggs, played "Seek" for our Sunday game night, had fish for dinner (I don't know why, but this has become a tradition), and everyone had a happy day! We hope you did too!
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