Life is hard isn't it! I have seen so much loss over the past few months and so much suffering happen to others and it has just been hard to watch people go through such hard times and not be able to do much to help them. In addition to loss of loved ones I've seen loss of jobs and other temporal losses.
Also, my sister, Dana's husband, who is in the Special Forces in the Army, is deployed right now. He missed Thanksgiving, Christmas, the birth of their second grandchild. My sister only has her little family to celebrate with as she doesn't live near any of us or her in-laws. I have felt so bad for her and her family. I feel bad for the families who's soldiers have lost their lives.
Words cannot express the feelings of sadness I have had for the people in Connecticut who lost loved ones or who have loved ones who survived it and will struggle with it the rest of their lives. It breaks my heart to think that there is such evil in our world. Truly horrific!
We had a wonderful Christmas. We are truly blessed in so many ways. My brother, Nathan, and his family are here and have been since the 18th. They live in Florida and it's been a year and a half since we've seen them. It's been wonderful having them here!
My sister Steph and her husband J.J. are part-owners of a cabin. This year they were able to stay in the cabin from December 26th to January 1st. They were nice enough to invite our family, my parents, KayTee and Chris, and Nathan and his family, to spend that time with them. It was so much fun! The kids and Brian rode snowmobiles and went sledding and played in the snow. I stayed inside the entire time as one of the main triggers for my Trigeminal Neuralgia is cold. Cold air. Cold food. Cold drinks. Cold. I read a book, relaxed, held Steph's darling 2 month-old son, Jacob. It was so nice! Matthew came down with a fever on Christmas Day and had some breathing issues so he had to stay inside the whole time. He did get to play outside for a little while one day when he was feeling a lot better but then he was back to square one again afterwards so we kept him inside the rest of the time. It's beautiful there!
Sometimes it's hard for my extremely sympathetic/empathetic heart to enjoy things to the fullest when I know of other people's trials and suffering. I know that "men are that they might have joy" but still! I just sincerely hope and pray that those who have cause to mourn are comforted and blessed in the ways that they are in need of. Sometimes it's hard to snap out of depression when it rears it's ugly head. I'm trying to overcome it and be joyful but it's hard. I have so very many blessings and I am trying to focus on that and to be what my family needs. And to be grateful for all that I have. I desperately want to help those around me who are in need of a lift. Can anyone suggest ways that I might be able to do that without making their suffering worse? I'm not very good at this! I so want to be though!
So, I know it's been a while since I've posted on here but I'm still here. Just haven't known what to say...
Showing posts with label Brian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brian. Show all posts
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Lots of Gratitude
Well, it's been a while since I posted about what I'm thankful for. The #1 thing I'm thankful for is that Brian doesn't have cancer!!!
That was so scary having to wait for 2 weeks to hear the results since they had to send the biopsy to California.
I'm also very grateful to be able to spend time with my Mom. We haven't always lived where we were able to spend so much time together so it's nice to be able to now.
Another thing I'm thankful for is music. I like how hearing a song can affect you so much. It's my favorite part of church (besides partaking of the sacrament) (and when they choose to sing songs that I've actually ever heard of :)!). It's one of my favorite parts of celebrating Christmas. Songs make me laugh. They make me cry. They make me feel and learn and grow. I always tell Brian that at my funeral I want everyone to sing A Poor Wayfaring Man Of Grief...ALL 7 verses! It's one of my favorites. I like to read it during the passing of the Sacrament. I like to sing I Love To See The Temple when we see the temple. I like to sing My Heavenly Father Loves Me as we drive around town looking at all of he beautiful Lilac trees, Apricot trees, and every other tree that has pretty little blossoms on it. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE music!!!
I am SOOO incredibly thankful to be the mother of 4 beautiful children. They are so AWESOME!! They are smart, funny, fun to be around. They remind me every day of what really matters in this world! Blessed doesn't even begin to express my feelings about them but I'll use it. I am incredibly BLESSED!!! They are also a constant reminder to me that what I WANT isn't always what I really NEED and that Heavenly Father is the Captain of this ship so I need to just trust in Him and His plan for me!!!
I am SOOO incredibly thankful to be the mother of 4 beautiful children. They are so AWESOME!! They are smart, funny, fun to be around. They remind me every day of what really matters in this world! Blessed doesn't even begin to express my feelings about them but I'll use it. I am incredibly BLESSED!!! They are also a constant reminder to me that what I WANT isn't always what I really NEED and that Heavenly Father is the Captain of this ship so I need to just trust in Him and His plan for me!!!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Health Insurance
Today, I am thankful for health insurance. There have been so many times over the years that we haven't had health insurance. Brian's job doesn't pay quite what we need it to so I just HAVE to figure out a way to bring some money in for us, but I have to say that the benefits he has at his job are really wonderful so we can't complain. Especially since he and I have health issues all of the time.
Now, Brian has some nodules on his thyroid that he had biopsied last Thursday. He has had problems with his thyroid for years and has been on medication for it for quite some time now. He also has had low testosterone. The combination makes for one very exhausted man all of the time. He has no energy and just feels worn out always. So, he was on thyroid and testosterone medication a few years back but the testosterone medication is SOOO expensive. It costs $700.00 a month for the dose he is on now. In the past our insurance covered about half of the cost and his dose was a lot lower so it cost us $150.00. Once he didn't have that insurance anymore it was costing $300.00 out of pocket. We couldn't afford it. There was just no way. So, now his levels are really low and it costs $700.00 a month but our insurance covers all but $75.00 of it and then his Dr. gave him a card that is from the manufacturer of the Androgel and it covered $50.00 so he only had to pay $25.00. His thyroid medication is only like $4.00, thankfully! So, it's wonderful that he can have his medication and that he can have the appointments with the specialists who actually know what to watch out for and how to treat his particular problems. He had always gone to family practitioners in the past.
Now we are waiting, not so patiently, for the results of his biopsy. We won't know until November 15th. It's just brutal waiting for results isn't it?!
My medication costs $200.00 a month so it was really stressful when we didn't have insurance for those months while Brian was out of work. Without my medication I am in such excruciating pain that it is so hard to function. We only paid $200 for it once. The rest of the time my wonderful Dr. and friend gave me samples from her office to get me by until he started working again. Also, Pfizer, who manufactures it has a program that I applied for which is based on your income from the previous year, which he worked most of and got severance pay for so even with getting an entire year's salary, we qualified to have my medication paid for in full. What a blessing that has been!!! After Brian got his job I called and asked if I needed to reapply based on his current pay and they said no, not until it's been a whole year since my last application. It is such a blessing to be able to take my medication without worrying about eating less food or something so we could still live.
Insurance is such a blessing and something that I am grateful for every single day of my life!
Now, Brian has some nodules on his thyroid that he had biopsied last Thursday. He has had problems with his thyroid for years and has been on medication for it for quite some time now. He also has had low testosterone. The combination makes for one very exhausted man all of the time. He has no energy and just feels worn out always. So, he was on thyroid and testosterone medication a few years back but the testosterone medication is SOOO expensive. It costs $700.00 a month for the dose he is on now. In the past our insurance covered about half of the cost and his dose was a lot lower so it cost us $150.00. Once he didn't have that insurance anymore it was costing $300.00 out of pocket. We couldn't afford it. There was just no way. So, now his levels are really low and it costs $700.00 a month but our insurance covers all but $75.00 of it and then his Dr. gave him a card that is from the manufacturer of the Androgel and it covered $50.00 so he only had to pay $25.00. His thyroid medication is only like $4.00, thankfully! So, it's wonderful that he can have his medication and that he can have the appointments with the specialists who actually know what to watch out for and how to treat his particular problems. He had always gone to family practitioners in the past.
Now we are waiting, not so patiently, for the results of his biopsy. We won't know until November 15th. It's just brutal waiting for results isn't it?!
My medication costs $200.00 a month so it was really stressful when we didn't have insurance for those months while Brian was out of work. Without my medication I am in such excruciating pain that it is so hard to function. We only paid $200 for it once. The rest of the time my wonderful Dr. and friend gave me samples from her office to get me by until he started working again. Also, Pfizer, who manufactures it has a program that I applied for which is based on your income from the previous year, which he worked most of and got severance pay for so even with getting an entire year's salary, we qualified to have my medication paid for in full. What a blessing that has been!!! After Brian got his job I called and asked if I needed to reapply based on his current pay and they said no, not until it's been a whole year since my last application. It is such a blessing to be able to take my medication without worrying about eating less food or something so we could still live.
Insurance is such a blessing and something that I am grateful for every single day of my life!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
This and That...
~I must say that I was rather embarrassed to HAVE to put up a whole end cap at Walmart that was solely devoted to Justin Bieber. I'm not a fan of the show, The Office, but Brian and Zack LOVE it so I just endure it each week. :) I will admit, though, that I laughed my butt off when Jim said something to Dwight about Justin Bieber and Dwight said, "What's a justice beaver?" LOL! So ever since then I call him Justice Beaver. It's not that I don't like HIM or anything, it's just that I just...don't "get" it. Last night Justice was on The Voice and his pants were so far down it was ridiculous. Seriously, below his entire butt. What is up with that? LAME!!! Just had to get that out...
~That baseball craziness has begun. Zack's games are so much fun to watch now that he's older. Add the kids are more competitive and more able to execute awesome plays and such. I'm so proud of Zack because he got hit with a pitch the very first time he was up for bat this season. I figured it would be a very crappy hitting season for him because of being afraid but he is awesome and has hit most pitches since he's been up to bat. Max and Matty are on the same team this year also so that will be a TREMENDOUS help!! Only problem so far is that a lot of the games are scheduled right during Y.W.. Tonight Zack has a game in a town really close to ours from 6:00-8:00 and has to be there at 5:30 and Matty and Max have a practice at a baseball field near where my parents used to live here in town from 6:00-7:30. And I visit teach tonight at 4:00 and 5:00. I don't have to work today like I did last week, which is so nice with all of this going on.
~Brian still hasn't found work. I am stressing so much! Ever since the Priesthood Blessing I had last week I've felt a lot better but it's just so very hard to deal with! We HAVE to figure out what we are supposed to learn from this so we can stop having this same trial over and over and over and over. It's so draining/exhausting/stressful.
~My house is looking more in order now that I'm not working so much. It will get crazy again closer to Mother's Day but for now it's been nice to have more time to devote to cleaning the house and more energy. I've felt so much better lately. I've had my share of pain here and there but for the most part I can deal with life better than I could before. Bending down to pick stuff up is getting increasingly difficult again, which I hate. Feeling like my head and face are going to explode is just not my favorite, call me crazy. I really can't complain though because it is so much better than before and I know it can always be worse. I really need to be more positive!!
~I am always so terrified when it's my turn to teach the Young Women's lesson. I seriously stress out for at least a good week over it. This week when the girls heard it was my turn to give the lesson they all were really happy that it was my turn and were like "Yay, it's Sister Freeman's turn to give the lesson". It just made my whole week! They are such amazing girls and I really hope that my lessons help them and that they I'm not just a blithering idiot up there. LOL!!! We were really early for Sunday School this week. We were actually REALLY late for Sacrament Meeting, but I'm trying to be more positive. :)
~So, when Gracie was about 2 months old or so, I bought at darling light pink tutu and some cute fairy wings to match, so that I could have her pictures taken in them. Well, she wore them for her Halloween costume when she was one year old, but other than that it has been hanging in her room waiting for us to be able to afford to have her picture taken again. The only time we had her pictures done was when she was a month old in her blessing dress. My parents had some pictures of them with their grand kids when Gracie was about 6 months old. Other than that, this poor little girl hasn't had her pics done in all that time. She will be 3 in May. Everyone thinks she looks like she's at least 4. I worry they'll expect more out of her. Trust me, she may look 4 but she acts like she's 2! :) Anyhoo, I finally got her pictures done a while back and I'm so excited to share them!!! I can't tell you how happy I am about it!! I'm sure Brian is happy he doesn't have to hear me whine anymore about it. LOL!! I usually only leave my kids' pics up for a couple of days because I don't want creapos to see them. :) I got the disc so prepared for a plethora of pics. Who can pic just one. I mean really... ;)
~Please excuse the grammer and incoherent sentences. I don't have time to proof read...
~That baseball craziness has begun. Zack's games are so much fun to watch now that he's older. Add the kids are more competitive and more able to execute awesome plays and such. I'm so proud of Zack because he got hit with a pitch the very first time he was up for bat this season. I figured it would be a very crappy hitting season for him because of being afraid but he is awesome and has hit most pitches since he's been up to bat. Max and Matty are on the same team this year also so that will be a TREMENDOUS help!! Only problem so far is that a lot of the games are scheduled right during Y.W.. Tonight Zack has a game in a town really close to ours from 6:00-8:00 and has to be there at 5:30 and Matty and Max have a practice at a baseball field near where my parents used to live here in town from 6:00-7:30. And I visit teach tonight at 4:00 and 5:00. I don't have to work today like I did last week, which is so nice with all of this going on.
~Brian still hasn't found work. I am stressing so much! Ever since the Priesthood Blessing I had last week I've felt a lot better but it's just so very hard to deal with! We HAVE to figure out what we are supposed to learn from this so we can stop having this same trial over and over and over and over. It's so draining/exhausting/stressful.
~My house is looking more in order now that I'm not working so much. It will get crazy again closer to Mother's Day but for now it's been nice to have more time to devote to cleaning the house and more energy. I've felt so much better lately. I've had my share of pain here and there but for the most part I can deal with life better than I could before. Bending down to pick stuff up is getting increasingly difficult again, which I hate. Feeling like my head and face are going to explode is just not my favorite, call me crazy. I really can't complain though because it is so much better than before and I know it can always be worse. I really need to be more positive!!
~I am always so terrified when it's my turn to teach the Young Women's lesson. I seriously stress out for at least a good week over it. This week when the girls heard it was my turn to give the lesson they all were really happy that it was my turn and were like "Yay, it's Sister Freeman's turn to give the lesson". It just made my whole week! They are such amazing girls and I really hope that my lessons help them and that they I'm not just a blithering idiot up there. LOL!!! We were really early for Sunday School this week. We were actually REALLY late for Sacrament Meeting, but I'm trying to be more positive. :)
~So, when Gracie was about 2 months old or so, I bought at darling light pink tutu and some cute fairy wings to match, so that I could have her pictures taken in them. Well, she wore them for her Halloween costume when she was one year old, but other than that it has been hanging in her room waiting for us to be able to afford to have her picture taken again. The only time we had her pictures done was when she was a month old in her blessing dress. My parents had some pictures of them with their grand kids when Gracie was about 6 months old. Other than that, this poor little girl hasn't had her pics done in all that time. She will be 3 in May. Everyone thinks she looks like she's at least 4. I worry they'll expect more out of her. Trust me, she may look 4 but she acts like she's 2! :) Anyhoo, I finally got her pictures done a while back and I'm so excited to share them!!! I can't tell you how happy I am about it!! I'm sure Brian is happy he doesn't have to hear me whine anymore about it. LOL!! I usually only leave my kids' pics up for a couple of days because I don't want creapos to see them. :) I got the disc so prepared for a plethora of pics. Who can pic just one. I mean really... ;)
~Please excuse the grammer and incoherent sentences. I don't have time to proof read...
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Easter, Scary Stuff, Zackary, & Still looking...
~We had a lovely Easter weekend. We spent it in Spanish Fork with my family. The food was wonderful and we had nice visits. The kids were happy with their little Easter Baskets. They got to color eggs here and at their Aunt Stephanie's. They love spending time with her children Joshua and Emily. They are adorable! And on the way to my parent's house from Steph's, Gracie said, "I love J.J.!". So cute! And they also had a lot of fun hunting for candy filled eggs at my Mom's house.
~Steph, J.J., and his parent's, Lynn and De, are co-owners of 2 tanning salons. One of their salons was robbed last Thursday night, at gunpoint. And the guy was wearing a ski mask. Lynn and De were there when the robbery took place. The beds were full and the waiting room was, too. De snuck out the back door to go to another business to ask them to call 911. The police were there in 1 minute, but the guy had already gone. He only got a little cash and took cash from the customers. Anymore everyone uses debit cards so there is very little cash in a register and the employees don't have a key to the safe. Isn't that scary! And it was in a fairly small town. He went on to rob another tanning salon that night. A shot was fired there. I'm so happy that no one was hurt!
~I can't believe my little Zackary is going to be a Deacon. Time has just flown! I'm so proud of him! He's such a wonderful boy!
~Brian is still looking for a job. I'm still working for Hallmark. We're trying so hard to be positive and to count our blessings. I've had some really dark days, full of stress and worry. I asked Brian to give me a Priesthood Blessing and that has helped me tremendously! I am so grateful for the Priesthood. It's such a wonderful blessing isn't it!
~Steph, J.J., and his parent's, Lynn and De, are co-owners of 2 tanning salons. One of their salons was robbed last Thursday night, at gunpoint. And the guy was wearing a ski mask. Lynn and De were there when the robbery took place. The beds were full and the waiting room was, too. De snuck out the back door to go to another business to ask them to call 911. The police were there in 1 minute, but the guy had already gone. He only got a little cash and took cash from the customers. Anymore everyone uses debit cards so there is very little cash in a register and the employees don't have a key to the safe. Isn't that scary! And it was in a fairly small town. He went on to rob another tanning salon that night. A shot was fired there. I'm so happy that no one was hurt!
~I can't believe my little Zackary is going to be a Deacon. Time has just flown! I'm so proud of him! He's such a wonderful boy!
~Brian is still looking for a job. I'm still working for Hallmark. We're trying so hard to be positive and to count our blessings. I've had some really dark days, full of stress and worry. I asked Brian to give me a Priesthood Blessing and that has helped me tremendously! I am so grateful for the Priesthood. It's such a wonderful blessing isn't it!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Twilight?! LOL!!
Really?! Seriously?! Matthew lost his retainer....AGAIN!!!
On a good note, Brian's interview went well Tuesday. He'll know in about 2 weeks if they are hiring him or not.
And, I know this is totally random, but I've been wondering if I'm the only person that thinks that parts of Twilight are inappropriate for the young teenagers who are so into it. I think of my little 12-13 year old girls at church and I would not want them to see it. I probably shouldn't either if I want to be an example to them I guess. And honestly, the movies are pretty much exactly like the books. It just seems to me that it all seemed so much less cheesy and ridiculous when I was reading the books than when I watch the movies. At least they give me a good laugh. Everyone can stand to laugh more! :)
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Just a little venting... :)
~Well, Christmas is finally over at our house. Brian got tired of waiting for me to have time to take it all down so he decided to do it himself on Friday. We still have our Christmas lights on the house and fence but other than that it's finally all put away. I have mixed feelings about it actually. We got a real tree from Sam's Club this year. It.was.gorgeous! And our decorations looked so pretty on it. After it was decoration free it STILL looked gorgeous! The needles weren't even dried out or anything. Usually they are brittle by now. We had such a lovely Christmas this year! Kind of sad it's over! When Max was 3 years old, we were driving down the road and he asked, "Mom, can we go to Christmas?" I thought it was so cute that he loved Christmas so much!
~Brian's lack of employment is totally freaking me out now! I was cool with it at first because he had the severence package and will receive pay checks through February 1st. Well, in the beginning I was super busy and we had a little time to look for work so I wasn't too upset. Now that he only gets one more paycheck, I'm having a heart attack! One of my favorite parts of my job is that I get to see people I know, all the time. There are so many members of our church where we live that there have to be 11 different sessions in 5 different buildings. Each session called a ward and each ward has a number, so that we can keep track easier. Well, my parents ward was the 8th ward and it has been really fun to see some of the people I love who are in that ward. And the people from our current ward that we just LoVe! I've been able to see some of my friends from high school also. And a friend I made while attending the college here when Matthew was 3 months old and Zack was 3 years old. Her name is Kelly. She is an AMAZING woman! I just love her! I was SOOO thrilled to see her and it made me so happy that she was as happy to see me as I was to see her! I think of her as a "kindred spirit"! I've met a few "kindred spirits" over the years and they continue to bless my life today! The only problem with working at Walmart, and seeing so many people that I know, is that most of them are so awesome and concerned about us that they ask if Brian has found a job yet. He's applied in outher states and for jobs that aren't Accounting related. He just wants ANYTHING! I appreciate the concern and the love they have for us but hearing that all of the time is starting to really weigh me down. I'm already starting to get depressed about it and then to have constant reminders is just really hard. I need to pray harder that we'll be able to have joy in our trial because that has worked for us in the past and I really need that strength if I'm going to make it through this! I know it could be worse. People are mourning loved ones, watching their loved ones suffer through cancer, chemo, and other horrid diseases. Our trial pales in comparison! I just really worry about having to move our kids from school, the town we live in, their friends, our ward. We need to be able to feed, clothe, and provide shelter for our our 4 children. It's just so scary and overwhelming for me that I just can't take it! Not to mention how very much I hate the whole process of moving!!! The packing. The cleaning. the loading. The unloading. The unpacking. The sorting. The collecting boxes. The switching utilities. All of the deposits. The paperwork involved in registering 3 kids at their new school. I know, I'm so lazy, right! But U~G~H!!!!!
~I'll try to be more positive next post! :) Just needed to vent a little...
~Brian's lack of employment is totally freaking me out now! I was cool with it at first because he had the severence package and will receive pay checks through February 1st. Well, in the beginning I was super busy and we had a little time to look for work so I wasn't too upset. Now that he only gets one more paycheck, I'm having a heart attack! One of my favorite parts of my job is that I get to see people I know, all the time. There are so many members of our church where we live that there have to be 11 different sessions in 5 different buildings. Each session called a ward and each ward has a number, so that we can keep track easier. Well, my parents ward was the 8th ward and it has been really fun to see some of the people I love who are in that ward. And the people from our current ward that we just LoVe! I've been able to see some of my friends from high school also. And a friend I made while attending the college here when Matthew was 3 months old and Zack was 3 years old. Her name is Kelly. She is an AMAZING woman! I just love her! I was SOOO thrilled to see her and it made me so happy that she was as happy to see me as I was to see her! I think of her as a "kindred spirit"! I've met a few "kindred spirits" over the years and they continue to bless my life today! The only problem with working at Walmart, and seeing so many people that I know, is that most of them are so awesome and concerned about us that they ask if Brian has found a job yet. He's applied in outher states and for jobs that aren't Accounting related. He just wants ANYTHING! I appreciate the concern and the love they have for us but hearing that all of the time is starting to really weigh me down. I'm already starting to get depressed about it and then to have constant reminders is just really hard. I need to pray harder that we'll be able to have joy in our trial because that has worked for us in the past and I really need that strength if I'm going to make it through this! I know it could be worse. People are mourning loved ones, watching their loved ones suffer through cancer, chemo, and other horrid diseases. Our trial pales in comparison! I just really worry about having to move our kids from school, the town we live in, their friends, our ward. We need to be able to feed, clothe, and provide shelter for our our 4 children. It's just so scary and overwhelming for me that I just can't take it! Not to mention how very much I hate the whole process of moving!!! The packing. The cleaning. the loading. The unloading. The unpacking. The sorting. The collecting boxes. The switching utilities. All of the deposits. The paperwork involved in registering 3 kids at their new school. I know, I'm so lazy, right! But U~G~H!!!!!
~I'll try to be more positive next post! :) Just needed to vent a little...
Friday, November 25, 2011
I survived Black Thursday/Friday at Walmart...
Well, Brian survived his first "Black Thursday/Friday experience. We went to Walmart in Payson. It was CRAZY! I've never seen anything like it and I've been going to these for years now. One chick's hand was bleeding from fighting someone over something. Not a fan of bumper carts! Had to ditch the cart to try to get through and I still couldn't get through. I thought I was going to have to punch a couple looney cart chicks when I still had the cart. My sister, KayTee would have totally mopped the floor with them! We were so excited though because we were able to get one of the $99 4-wheelers for Max. He will be over the moon excited! We were also able to get Matthew a pogo stick for $12 and 3 Barbies that were $5 each for Gracie and we were also able to find a Harry Potter Lego Wii game for $15 that my mom wanted us to pick up for her. There were lots of other things we wanted to get but they will have to wait until after Brian's payday. :) The lines seemed to be moving pretty well to check out so that was nice! I would much rather stay up later than get up at 4 a.m.! Unfortunately, so would everyone else! We were able to save about $150.00 and as cheap as we are and as much as we love a good bargain, it was totally worth it!. Fun times! Fun times!
We had such a nice Thanksgiving! The food was delicious, the company was wonderful, making gingerbread houses was so much fun, and the Black Thursday/Friday sale was very productive. We missed Rob, Jenise, Dana, Richard, Nathan, Heidi and everyone's adorable little children and grandchildren!!! I love Thanksgiving! It is such a wonderful time to reflect on all of the wonderful blessings we have! I hope everyone I know had a wonderful day as well! Later today my mom and sisters and I will go to the craft sale in Spanish Fork. Oh, I just love this time of year!!!
We had such a nice Thanksgiving! The food was delicious, the company was wonderful, making gingerbread houses was so much fun, and the Black Thursday/Friday sale was very productive. We missed Rob, Jenise, Dana, Richard, Nathan, Heidi and everyone's adorable little children and grandchildren!!! I love Thanksgiving! It is such a wonderful time to reflect on all of the wonderful blessings we have! I hope everyone I know had a wonderful day as well! Later today my mom and sisters and I will go to the craft sale in Spanish Fork. Oh, I just love this time of year!!!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
A very....interesting baptism...etc.
Our sweet little Matthew was baptized Saturday. He has looked forward to being baptized ever since he saw Zack get baptized 3 years ago and has talked about it often. As his baptism date has drawn near he has talked about it even more. He had started talking about how excited he was to be baptized but how scared he was to actually be dunked under water. We've encouraged him and I told him that I was TERRIFIED to have my head under water when I was baptized, too. I told him that our Branch President even talked with me and told me that everything was going to be ok. My wonderful Grandma Irvine sent me a lovely letter of encouragement also. I just remember praying really hard that I wouldn't drown and being so thrilled that He actually answered my prayers and kept me from drowning. HAHA I thought that might help him but it didn't. He got more and more nervous as the week progressed. Poor kid!
Well, the big day came. There was a little girl from another ward named Jessica who also was being baptized. When the talks finished the Bishop who was conducting said that they would like to have Matthew baptized first and then Jessica. Well, Matthew freaked! He did NOT want to go first! I was rather embarrassed and explained that Matthew was very nervous about having his head dunked under the water and wondered if she could go first. That's when SHE freaked out TOO! Her mom said she was scared too. It was seriously the craziest thing we all had ever seen! They both were weeping and wailing and yes there was some gnashing of teeth! They both were baptized...eventually. LOL! Some of us joked that we wished we could take video of it so we could show it at Matthew's wedding reception. LOL! It was definitely crazy! Now he says that being baptized was so awesome that he wishes he could do it again and that he can't wait until he's 12 and can go to the temple and do baptisms.
Interestingly enough, though, the spirit was very strong. Especially when Brian confirmed him. I'm thankful that Zack & Matthew have been blessed with that companionship. I am grateful that Brian holds and honors his Priesthood. What a beautiful thing! We felt the spirit throughout the rest of the day. It was like we just felt we needed to be reverent. I had to run to the store for my prescription and I hated going because it felt like I was breaking the Sabbath or something.
The luncheon afterwards was nice. Yummy food and spending time with family. I love baptism days! They are just joyful! I am so grateful for the gospel. I am so grateful for the joy that fills our lives as we strive to live righteously. We are FAR FROM perfect but Heavenly Father blesses us for our efforts and I am truly grateful for Him and the blessings He gives us.
~Brian was told at the very end of last month that his job will be terminated in January. They just simply have enough people in Logan at USU that do the work that Brian does here that they are going to give them the work from USU-CEU and terminate that position here. We are so worried and Brian is hoping that he'll be able to find something. It was nice to have Matthew's baptism to bring some joy to our lives since we've been pretty stressed out. If you hear of any Accounting jobs in your area please feel free to let me know. :) tarafree26@hotmail.com
~So my friend Nikki who was doing my hair in exchange of me babysitting her 2 awesome kids, moved away a couple months ago. She did hair but she also worked part time for Hallmark at Walmart and Smiths here. My friend Tamra worked with her. Well once Nikki moved they put Tamra in charge and they needed to hire someone else to work with her and they hired me! It's very part time and very flexible, which is what I need! So I started yesterday. It was SO much fun! I am really excited about the whole thing! There were about 9 of us yesterday working on a whole redo of the cards and displays and such. It was really fun working with those ladies and learning lots of new things. And those of you who know of my love for stationary, cards, and wrapping paper, and organizing, sorting, and filing, know that this is right up my alley!!! I'm just thrilled with the opportunity!
~So Brian had church meetings all morning Sunday. He usually helps me tons on Sundays so I was worried about making it to church on time when we are always late to church when I HAVE his help so I figured I didn't stand a chance on my own. I was really trying to stay on top of things. When we got to church I scanned the congregation for Brian and couldn't see him anywhere. So I looked at the congregation and I realized that none of these people looked remotely familiar. So I looked at the Bishopric and THEY were different too! So I checked my watch and it was 10:00. We were an hour EARLY!! Yes, I'm crazy! :~/
Well, the big day came. There was a little girl from another ward named Jessica who also was being baptized. When the talks finished the Bishop who was conducting said that they would like to have Matthew baptized first and then Jessica. Well, Matthew freaked! He did NOT want to go first! I was rather embarrassed and explained that Matthew was very nervous about having his head dunked under the water and wondered if she could go first. That's when SHE freaked out TOO! Her mom said she was scared too. It was seriously the craziest thing we all had ever seen! They both were weeping and wailing and yes there was some gnashing of teeth! They both were baptized...eventually. LOL! Some of us joked that we wished we could take video of it so we could show it at Matthew's wedding reception. LOL! It was definitely crazy! Now he says that being baptized was so awesome that he wishes he could do it again and that he can't wait until he's 12 and can go to the temple and do baptisms.
Interestingly enough, though, the spirit was very strong. Especially when Brian confirmed him. I'm thankful that Zack & Matthew have been blessed with that companionship. I am grateful that Brian holds and honors his Priesthood. What a beautiful thing! We felt the spirit throughout the rest of the day. It was like we just felt we needed to be reverent. I had to run to the store for my prescription and I hated going because it felt like I was breaking the Sabbath or something.
The luncheon afterwards was nice. Yummy food and spending time with family. I love baptism days! They are just joyful! I am so grateful for the gospel. I am so grateful for the joy that fills our lives as we strive to live righteously. We are FAR FROM perfect but Heavenly Father blesses us for our efforts and I am truly grateful for Him and the blessings He gives us.
~Brian was told at the very end of last month that his job will be terminated in January. They just simply have enough people in Logan at USU that do the work that Brian does here that they are going to give them the work from USU-CEU and terminate that position here. We are so worried and Brian is hoping that he'll be able to find something. It was nice to have Matthew's baptism to bring some joy to our lives since we've been pretty stressed out. If you hear of any Accounting jobs in your area please feel free to let me know. :) tarafree26@hotmail.com
~So my friend Nikki who was doing my hair in exchange of me babysitting her 2 awesome kids, moved away a couple months ago. She did hair but she also worked part time for Hallmark at Walmart and Smiths here. My friend Tamra worked with her. Well once Nikki moved they put Tamra in charge and they needed to hire someone else to work with her and they hired me! It's very part time and very flexible, which is what I need! So I started yesterday. It was SO much fun! I am really excited about the whole thing! There were about 9 of us yesterday working on a whole redo of the cards and displays and such. It was really fun working with those ladies and learning lots of new things. And those of you who know of my love for stationary, cards, and wrapping paper, and organizing, sorting, and filing, know that this is right up my alley!!! I'm just thrilled with the opportunity!
~So Brian had church meetings all morning Sunday. He usually helps me tons on Sundays so I was worried about making it to church on time when we are always late to church when I HAVE his help so I figured I didn't stand a chance on my own. I was really trying to stay on top of things. When we got to church I scanned the congregation for Brian and couldn't see him anywhere. So I looked at the congregation and I realized that none of these people looked remotely familiar. So I looked at the Bishopric and THEY were different too! So I checked my watch and it was 10:00. We were an hour EARLY!! Yes, I'm crazy! :~/
Matthew rockin' his 70's jumpsuit. He thought that big collar was totally groovy! :)
My hair looks like crap but I was there on time. :)
Matty with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa gave the best talk on Baptism. I cried like a baby when he talked about how 8 years ago we were all gathered together for Matthew's (and Jessica's family for her) baby blessing. The time is just slipping away... :(
Matty with Steph, J.J., Josh, & Emily. He's looks kinda like a little ragamuffin. He started undressing and I told him he had to take pictures before he could change his clothes. So his shirt is cockeyed, and his pants are twisted. But his cute little Jack-o-lantern smile makes the rest not matter!!! Grandma and Grandpa game him a suit and he was THRILLED to get to wear it for the first time on Sunday. He looked very handsome!!!
Matty with his cousins Jordan, Jeremy, and Marne. Jordan just came home from his mission a couple of months ago. We just love them!
Matty with Aunt KayTee. Uncle Chris had to work so he wasn't able to make it. We're so glad KayTee came!!!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Mouse attack...
So, I totally hate mice as most people do. We had one in our apartment in Pleasant Grove and it totally freaked me out! That was the first time in the whole time we've been married so I guess that's pretty good. Then we moved here. To the outskirts of town. Everyone kept warning us that we would probably have problems with mice but we just kept our fingers crossed that there wouldn't be any. One morning we came to the living room for scripture study and the boys noticed a mouse sitting on Brian's shoe. We brought our dog in and thought she would attack it because she likes to catch mice under the bushes and play with them to death. She never noticed the stupid thing and the mouse never moved once. Brian picked up his shoe and took it outside and threw the mouse off of it and the dog "played" with it and we thought that was that. I haven't been able to put shoes on without shaking them out first ever since just in case a mouse has decided they would make a nice cozy home to live in. So freaked out! Well, Brian decided to get me a HUGE bag of Peanut M&M's for my birthday which was a Thursday. He bought them the night before and hid them in his sock drawer until he would give them to me in the morning. Well, when he brought them to me there was a hole in the bag where a stupid mouse had chewed through the plastic to get to the M&M's. I was so freaked out! Another mouse! And since the month of January was so tight (see previous post) that was my only present from him which I totally appreciated other than the fact that I had to throw them away because of a stupid old mouse! Brian set some traps out. A couple days later on Saturday morning I was in my bedroom getting something out of the closet and had all of my weight on one foot and the other stretched back a foot or so behind me, when I start feeling this weird sensation on my heel. It feel like little claws coming around both sides of my heel. Like put your forefinger and your thumb around your heel and scratch and pull back lightly til they touch again and that is what it felt like. It creeped me out a bit but I just figured it was no big deal and moved my foot several inches away from that spot and...it happened again. Well, I FREAKED OUT!!! I don't know exactly what happened after the initial screaming started. I kind of blacked out or something. I ended up on my butt on the floor, right where I'm thinking this dangerous, killer mouse is right, Brian's exercise bike is on top of my face and I'm screaming bloody murder and repeating at the top of my lungs, "Brian, HELP ME! Brian, HELP ME!" He comes rushing in, along with all of my children, asking what's the matter. My nose is bleeding at this point and it really hurts from the scuffle I had with the exercise bike I'm still on the floor and can't get up and they are all looking at me like I've lost my mind when I tell them about being attacked by the dangerous killer mouse. Especially poor Gracie just looked at me with this very concerned look on her face. Not my proudest moment. But what would you have done if you thought a mouse was attacking you. I mean really. Under such circumstances you just don't always think logically you just think about survival! :) I was thinking this morning that my nose seems all better now and thought I'd share my ridiculous story with you all. I hope it made you laugh!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Winner, Winner, we get a free dinner!!!
When we lived in Pleasant Grove, Brian commuted for at least 30 minutes each way depending on traffic. He could be driving for an hour or so. Well, he used to listen to B98.7 and would call in to win prizes. One time he won a $25 gift certificate to a steakhouse in Salt Lake. Another time he won 4 tickets to the Living Planet Aquarium for singing A Few of My Favorite Things on air. Wish I'd have heard that one!!! ;) Well, now he goes online to My 99.5 and listens to that while he's at work. They also have a contest each week where they post a picture and you have to write a caption to go along with it. If they pick your caption you win a prize. Today they called him and told him he won the caption contest and the prize is $100 gift certificate to Rodizio Grill. Hooray!!! Now he just needs to win a contest where the prize is a gazillion dollars or a trip to somewhere fun or a dream house! That would be even cooler! For now though, we'll enjoy dinner at Rodizio Grill!!! I can't wait! We haven't eaten there in forever!!!
http://www.my995fm.com/pages/photocaption/7.html
http://www.my995fm.com/pages/photocaption/7.html
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Weeds, Stones, War, School, and Football
~Our back yard is a large open area that is dirt and weeds. It's so large back there that the cost of watering grass back there would be too much for the people who own the home so they just left it open and dirt. Well, it's being overtaken by weeds now. When Brian tries to mow it it flings dirt and rocks all over at him cutting his legs and arms and face, and they fling at the house, the windows, everywhere. So we decided to spray weed killer on them. I sprayed some cheap weed killer from Walmart all over them a few weeks back...NOTHING happened!!! It was as if I had sprayed fertilizer on them instead of weed killer. The other day I decided to spray some Round Up on them. I mean it's ROUND UP!! That will kill anything right?!....NOTHING happened again!!!! It looks like a jungle of weeds out there!! The kids don't even want to play out there anymore because of the craziness of the weeds. Any suggestions?! I'm going to put on some long pants and a long sleeve shirt and mow them again but doesn't there have to be some kind of killer that actually KILLS weeds? If you have a tried and true brand and particular type please enlighten me!!!
~So about 4 years ago, on Memorial Day, Brian passed his first ever kidney stone. Between that day and Labor Day of that year he passed 36 kidney stones. UNBELIEVABLE!!! And he didn't experience much pain at all. He has an incredibly high threshold for pain!!! Well, the last one had spikes and got stuck and he had EXCRUCIATING pain and ended up having to have a lithotripsy to break it up so he could pass it. The anesthesia made him very loopy which made for some great entertainment for me! :)
Since then he has passed about one kidney stone a year. None of them being very painful at all. Just a bit uncomfortable for him. Well, last Thursday he woke up in the middle of the night feeling very nauseous from the extreme pain in his back. He said it felt like he had a knife stabbed in his back and realized he had another stone. He had a lot of pain with this one Thursday and Friday as it tried to leave his kidney. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday he just had a small amount of pain sporadically throughout the day but not bad at all. Finally, Tuesday at around 3:30 am he finally passed the darn thing. I felt so bad for him! Those things aren't fun!!! I have been lucky not to have those. I may have just jinxed myself! But I'm sure that I would have been much more whiny if it were me. I would have had to use much more medication and would have milked it a lot more than he did. He's awesome!!!
~For years now people have suggested The Children of the Promise series to me. Even Brian read them and he's not a super big reader. He enjoys reading but doesn't often commit to a series of books that big. I always say NO WAY!!! I get so freaked out about war. I just can't take it. It's so hard! We don't watch R rated movies but I wanted to see Saving Private Ryan when it came out because I felt it would be good to see the reality of that war and appreciate the things people went through to ensure my freedom and the freedom of so many others in this world. Well, it was HORRIBLE!!! At the time my little brother Nathan (yes he's 6'4" but he will always be my "little" brother) had just joined the Marines. My brother in law Richard was in the military as well. I can't remember if he was in Special Forces in the Army yet or not but he has been for years. It was too close to home for me. It made me so sad and sickened to think of what these soldiers had endured. And it scared me to wonder what my relatives might have to face if anything bad happened while they were in the military. There was one particular scene that has haunted me since I saw that movie. I woke up with nightmares of that scene for at least a good month after I saw that movie. It was horrifying!!! To this day when I hear the name of that movie my mind immediately goes to that scene and I feel sick to my stomach.
Since watching that movie September 11th happened and the war broke out. Nathan spent a month in Iraq. Richard has been there many times for long periods of time. War terrifies me and I just don't do well seeing stuff about it or reading stuff about it. I finally caved and decided to read that series because my mom let me borrow a whole bunch of books and I realized they were all extensions of that series. I figured what the heck...I'll give them a try. I finished the first one this morning. I couldn't put it down. It was really good but also so hard to read at the end when the Japanese soldiers began the Bataan Death March with our soldiers. It's just disgusting to me!!! What those poor men went through and what their families went through. It's just horrible!!!
I have been watching my Gilmore Girls Series boxed set again lately because it makes me HAPPY!!! I catch an episode when I'm folding laundry in my bedroom. I like to stick a disc in the computer and watch an episode while I do dishes. As many as I've watched you would think I would dream about them but I haven't done that at all. Not until I read this book about war and now I'm having nightmares about them. I'm debating if I should keep reading these or not if they are going to affect me so much. There are still 4 more books in this stories and a whole bunch more in The Hearts of the Children that is an extension of these books from what I understand. If I keep going I won't want to stop I'm sure but can I handle the stress these books cause in my heart? Have any of you read them? What do you think? Are they worth continuing?
~Only 12 days til school starts!!! I'm so very excited and worried. The kids are going to love being in school again but I'm wondering how Max will ever manage without his brothers around. How will I ever manage without Max having his brothers around?! It should be interesting that's for sure!!!
~Football practice has begun for Zack. It's his first year in tackle football. He is very excited! He's so cute in his football pads!!! He has a scrimmage tonight and his first game in a week and a half. We're excited for this fun new adventure for him!!! Baseball about puts me to sleep but I really get into football so I'm excited to watch his games!!!
~So about 4 years ago, on Memorial Day, Brian passed his first ever kidney stone. Between that day and Labor Day of that year he passed 36 kidney stones. UNBELIEVABLE!!! And he didn't experience much pain at all. He has an incredibly high threshold for pain!!! Well, the last one had spikes and got stuck and he had EXCRUCIATING pain and ended up having to have a lithotripsy to break it up so he could pass it. The anesthesia made him very loopy which made for some great entertainment for me! :)
Since then he has passed about one kidney stone a year. None of them being very painful at all. Just a bit uncomfortable for him. Well, last Thursday he woke up in the middle of the night feeling very nauseous from the extreme pain in his back. He said it felt like he had a knife stabbed in his back and realized he had another stone. He had a lot of pain with this one Thursday and Friday as it tried to leave his kidney. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday he just had a small amount of pain sporadically throughout the day but not bad at all. Finally, Tuesday at around 3:30 am he finally passed the darn thing. I felt so bad for him! Those things aren't fun!!! I have been lucky not to have those. I may have just jinxed myself! But I'm sure that I would have been much more whiny if it were me. I would have had to use much more medication and would have milked it a lot more than he did. He's awesome!!!
~For years now people have suggested The Children of the Promise series to me. Even Brian read them and he's not a super big reader. He enjoys reading but doesn't often commit to a series of books that big. I always say NO WAY!!! I get so freaked out about war. I just can't take it. It's so hard! We don't watch R rated movies but I wanted to see Saving Private Ryan when it came out because I felt it would be good to see the reality of that war and appreciate the things people went through to ensure my freedom and the freedom of so many others in this world. Well, it was HORRIBLE!!! At the time my little brother Nathan (yes he's 6'4" but he will always be my "little" brother) had just joined the Marines. My brother in law Richard was in the military as well. I can't remember if he was in Special Forces in the Army yet or not but he has been for years. It was too close to home for me. It made me so sad and sickened to think of what these soldiers had endured. And it scared me to wonder what my relatives might have to face if anything bad happened while they were in the military. There was one particular scene that has haunted me since I saw that movie. I woke up with nightmares of that scene for at least a good month after I saw that movie. It was horrifying!!! To this day when I hear the name of that movie my mind immediately goes to that scene and I feel sick to my stomach.
Since watching that movie September 11th happened and the war broke out. Nathan spent a month in Iraq. Richard has been there many times for long periods of time. War terrifies me and I just don't do well seeing stuff about it or reading stuff about it. I finally caved and decided to read that series because my mom let me borrow a whole bunch of books and I realized they were all extensions of that series. I figured what the heck...I'll give them a try. I finished the first one this morning. I couldn't put it down. It was really good but also so hard to read at the end when the Japanese soldiers began the Bataan Death March with our soldiers. It's just disgusting to me!!! What those poor men went through and what their families went through. It's just horrible!!!
I have been watching my Gilmore Girls Series boxed set again lately because it makes me HAPPY!!! I catch an episode when I'm folding laundry in my bedroom. I like to stick a disc in the computer and watch an episode while I do dishes. As many as I've watched you would think I would dream about them but I haven't done that at all. Not until I read this book about war and now I'm having nightmares about them. I'm debating if I should keep reading these or not if they are going to affect me so much. There are still 4 more books in this stories and a whole bunch more in The Hearts of the Children that is an extension of these books from what I understand. If I keep going I won't want to stop I'm sure but can I handle the stress these books cause in my heart? Have any of you read them? What do you think? Are they worth continuing?
~Only 12 days til school starts!!! I'm so very excited and worried. The kids are going to love being in school again but I'm wondering how Max will ever manage without his brothers around. How will I ever manage without Max having his brothers around?! It should be interesting that's for sure!!!
~Football practice has begun for Zack. It's his first year in tackle football. He is very excited! He's so cute in his football pads!!! He has a scrimmage tonight and his first game in a week and a half. We're excited for this fun new adventure for him!!! Baseball about puts me to sleep but I really get into football so I'm excited to watch his games!!!
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Happy Anniversary to US!!!
Our Zacky made us chicken fettucini alfredo for dinner. The sauce was from scratch. So delicious!!! What a sweet boy to ask if he could do that for us. Brian helped him with the sharp knife stuff and he did the rest. I love that boy!!!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
A little randomness...
~We discovered that a child safety thingy for the refrigerator door keeps cute, silly one year old little girls from throwing random, possibly important things in the garbage if you attach it to one of those handy garbage cans that has a lid that you open by stepping on a little pedal with your foot. It's amazing what a little child proofing can do for a person's sanity! Brian put those little locks on the cabinet doors as well so now the kids still have their plates, cups, and bowls low enough to reach and they can open the child proof locks but Gracie stays out! It has saved me so much time cleaning up that stuff several times a day and rewashing everything that she was dragging everywhere. Especially had to rewash them when we had our dog. YUCK!!!
~2 weekends ago Brian said he would do anything I asked him to. He's been so busy working 10 hour days and then delivering for J.J. on weekends and then we've been running around a lot so it was wonderful to have a weekend that was freed up so we could get caught up on some stuff that has been neglected. He mowed the lawn, bought and put together a weed eater, mowed down the weeds I couldn't cut with the weed eater, put weed killer and fertilizer on the lawn, he built a book case, built some shelves in our closet for our shoes, took a bunch of stuff to the cellar, cut and spliced back together the hose that had a hole in it, helped me hang pictures, fixed the broken handle and the broken shock absorber on the front screen door, took the tv out of the dining room and hooked it up in the bedroom, baby proofed the garbage can and cabinets...I can't remember everything but it has been wonderful having those things done!!! He did SO much and never complained, sighed, or rolled his eyes once!!! I am SOOOOO grateful for everything he did and does for our little family!!! I know I don't say it often enough but I love him and appreciate him!!!
~I cleaned up the boy's room today and it looks so good!!! The computer is in the kitchen and right by their bedroom door so as I'm typing I sneak a look every now and again. I'm hoping to remember how nice it looks since I'm sure it will be completely destroyed in about 5 minutes when Gracie wanders in there and starts throwing everything around again. It's always nice to enjoy those things while they last!!!
~I'm thinking that pink car seats and strollers are super cute but not very practical. Not for my daughter anyway. We took her poor stroller camping since we didn't have another one. It's DISGUSTING now!!! YUCK-O!!! Keeping her car seat clean is quite the chore, too! But they are SOOOO cute I just couldn't resist!!!! Oh well! At least she had fun, eh! I refused to try to keep her or her stuff clean when we were camping! What would have been the fun in that?! :)
~I'm so glad that I can use the internet to listen to my favorite radio stations, from where we lived before. We can still listen to them even though we can't get them on the radio here. I love the internet! And I LOVE music!!! It makes me happy!!!!
~2 weekends ago Brian said he would do anything I asked him to. He's been so busy working 10 hour days and then delivering for J.J. on weekends and then we've been running around a lot so it was wonderful to have a weekend that was freed up so we could get caught up on some stuff that has been neglected. He mowed the lawn, bought and put together a weed eater, mowed down the weeds I couldn't cut with the weed eater, put weed killer and fertilizer on the lawn, he built a book case, built some shelves in our closet for our shoes, took a bunch of stuff to the cellar, cut and spliced back together the hose that had a hole in it, helped me hang pictures, fixed the broken handle and the broken shock absorber on the front screen door, took the tv out of the dining room and hooked it up in the bedroom, baby proofed the garbage can and cabinets...I can't remember everything but it has been wonderful having those things done!!! He did SO much and never complained, sighed, or rolled his eyes once!!! I am SOOOOO grateful for everything he did and does for our little family!!! I know I don't say it often enough but I love him and appreciate him!!!
~I cleaned up the boy's room today and it looks so good!!! The computer is in the kitchen and right by their bedroom door so as I'm typing I sneak a look every now and again. I'm hoping to remember how nice it looks since I'm sure it will be completely destroyed in about 5 minutes when Gracie wanders in there and starts throwing everything around again. It's always nice to enjoy those things while they last!!!
~I'm thinking that pink car seats and strollers are super cute but not very practical. Not for my daughter anyway. We took her poor stroller camping since we didn't have another one. It's DISGUSTING now!!! YUCK-O!!! Keeping her car seat clean is quite the chore, too! But they are SOOOO cute I just couldn't resist!!!! Oh well! At least she had fun, eh! I refused to try to keep her or her stuff clean when we were camping! What would have been the fun in that?! :)
~I'm so glad that I can use the internet to listen to my favorite radio stations, from where we lived before. We can still listen to them even though we can't get them on the radio here. I love the internet! And I LOVE music!!! It makes me happy!!!!
Monday, July 5, 2010
An adventure...
This is the dam. The view on the other side of the bridge and dam is absolutely gorgeous!! That canyon is beautiful!! Wish I had better pics!!!!
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the drive between Spanish Fork and Beaver! When we lived in Cedar City we made the trip oodles of times. It's only about 2 1/2 hours from Cedar to Sp. Fork so the kids don't have time to get too crazy and the gas wasn't too costly and we live in such a beautiful state that just about anywhere you go is going to provide you with gorgeous scenery. I have missed those trips. We would hook the kids up to their dvd players and head phones and Brian and I would take turns picking music from our cd collection. We would sing together, visit with each other, and eat sunflower seeds. It's hard to find the time to just sit beside each other for so long and catch up and reminisce and just BE!
I had only ever been as far as Panguitch before this weekend so it was exciting to see a new area of our beautiful state. It is a simply gorgeous drive! The little towns from Panguitch to Kanab are so charming and cute. I thoroughly enjoyed the drive! Singing and visiting and seeing part of this great country we celebrated this weekend. We didn't get to light fireworks, attend a bbq, or see a parade but we had a lovely holiday. We saw an absolutely gorgeous sunset, saw some of the most beautiful creations on this earth, listened to our Lee Greenwood's "American Patriot" cd and thoroughly enjoyed singing along to all those great patriotic songs, and we even caught a few illegal fireworks in the sky as we drove along in the dark. (We got home around 12:15 early Monday morning.)
The Glen Canyon Dam is so incredible to drive over. It is breath taking!!! The lake is so pretty too. We were going to take some pictures from the dam but didn't get a chance. Saturday night poor Brian was hit with the virus the rest of us had had during the week. It made Sunday's 3 deliveries interesting and the poor guy had to suffer through it while being in a car most of the day. He said he was glad I went with him since he really needed my help. I was so happy to be able to!!! Can you believe I backed a boat trailer in the water while he loaded the boat on?!
Steph and J.J. let us take their Yukon on the trip instead of the truck Brian usually takes. It was so roomy and nice and we are so grateful to them for being so thoughtful and generous as always!!! We are just praying they don't get this virus! NOT FUN STUFF!!!
After taking this fun little trip I have decided that one of these years I want to take a trip across Utah. I want to not have a single agenda. I want to just go where our curiosity leads us. I want to stop at antique stores, and little museums, and tourist attractions along the way. I want to know the story of that big ol' bell in one of those little towns we drove through. And that cute church! I want to know it's story! I want to see the handmade porcelain dolls and stop at Cove Fort again and go to Jabob Hamblin's home, and stop at pioneer museums. I want to stop at scenic overlooks and eat at mom and pop joints. I want to hike. I want to put my feet in rivers and swim in lakes. I want to sleep in mountains and go to Lagoon. I want to eat cheese curd from that cheese factory. I want to EXPERIENCE this gorgeous state! There is so much to offer here! We can't afford to go to Europe or New York or even to Lagoon this year but I had so much fun just experiencing a bit more of this great state. I look forward to exploring it more some day. Hopefully we'll have a truck and camp trailor by then and we can just sleep where ever the road takes us. Just take it easy and relaxed and just ENJOY!! Wouldn't that be FUN!!!!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Happy Birthday Brian!!!!
P.S. This is one of my all time favorite pictures of Brian. This picture of him holding Matty when he was 2 is just precious! Even Superman needs his Daddy sometimes!!! :)
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Beautiful things...
-So yesterday we splurged and took the kids to the matinee showing of Toy Story 3. It was so good!!! We all just love the Toy Story movies and I was a bit nervous that the 3rd wouldn't be as good as the rest but it was so great! I'm such a bawl baby that I cried. Everyone knows the premise of the movie is that Andy grows up and goes to college and the toys are donated to a daycare. Well, it made me really sad to think about my own boys growing up and going to college and not needing their toys anymore. Their toys drive me crazy! They have TOO MANY and I just can't stand all the clutter that goes along with all of those toys. I've been taking a lot of them to D.I. these last weeks and feel like I need to take even more! After watching Toy Story 3 I have a new perspective on the toys. I still need to get rid of more of them but they are a really wonderful part of the kids' childhoods. Another thing I should just enjoy while it lasts!!!
-It's been so wonderful to be in our own home again and to feel more relaxed with the kids and get back to just being US! It's amazing how much different the family unit works when you have your own place to relax and enjoy each other! Our kids are the best and I am so happy to be their mom! They bring me so much joy and happiness! I love feeling like I can slow down and take the time to notice their individual personalities and gifts and what brings them joy. It's so fun to be able to laugh at their cuteness and just breathe easier and not have to worry so much! Freedom and space and boys and babies and motherhood are BEAUTIFUL things!!!
-Happy Father's Day to the wonderful dads in my life. To my amazing husband who loves his kids so much and finds so much joy in them! It's fun to be living the parenting dream with such a great man! Each of our children has wrapped him around their little finger and Gracie is no different. Maybe wrapped the tightest yet!!! I have loved watching his interaction with our kids over these past 10 years! He has been so hands on and involved and wonderful! Our kids ADORE him and it makes me so happy to watch him with them! He's awesome and I love him! I also want to wish Stan and my brothers and brothers in law Happy Father's Day!!! It's a wonderful thing to watch the men I know as they father their beautiful children. They are so involved and nurturing and loving and kind.
-It's been so wonderful to be in our own home again and to feel more relaxed with the kids and get back to just being US! It's amazing how much different the family unit works when you have your own place to relax and enjoy each other! Our kids are the best and I am so happy to be their mom! They bring me so much joy and happiness! I love feeling like I can slow down and take the time to notice their individual personalities and gifts and what brings them joy. It's so fun to be able to laugh at their cuteness and just breathe easier and not have to worry so much! Freedom and space and boys and babies and motherhood are BEAUTIFUL things!!!
-Happy Father's Day to the wonderful dads in my life. To my amazing husband who loves his kids so much and finds so much joy in them! It's fun to be living the parenting dream with such a great man! Each of our children has wrapped him around their little finger and Gracie is no different. Maybe wrapped the tightest yet!!! I have loved watching his interaction with our kids over these past 10 years! He has been so hands on and involved and wonderful! Our kids ADORE him and it makes me so happy to watch him with them! He's awesome and I love him! I also want to wish Stan and my brothers and brothers in law Happy Father's Day!!! It's a wonderful thing to watch the men I know as they father their beautiful children. They are so involved and nurturing and loving and kind.
Happy Father's Day, all!!!
You deserve a wonderful day!!!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
AAAHHH!!!
~It seems the older I get the better it feels to crawl into my bed at night. When I was a kid I HATED crawling into my bed when the sheets are cold. Now I LOVE how that feels! It soothes my aching knees and the muscles in my legs. It's the BEST!!!
~Today is Zack's last baseball game of the season. His coach (Andy) is so awesome! He's wonderful with the boys. The game the other night was intense. This was a rival team and the coach and team REALLY wanted the win bad!!! The coach isn't usually driven by that but this game was different. They tied and had to play an inning in overtime. INTENSE!! Zack's team won by 3 points!!! I have no idea what Andy said to the team during the game but he is usually really positive with them no matter what but apparently he said something he wasn't feeling good about because he apologized to the kids and was so great with them. I was so glad to have heard that because it just made me even happier that he was our boys coach. We were already so impressed with him after the coach Zack had last year. Sure, they took 2nd in the division and made it to the state tournament so he was a "good coach". But he was such a jerk to the boys and especially his son. His poor son (the pitcher) SOBBED for at least 15 minutes after they were eliminated in the state tournament. I looked at that poor boy, with the weight of the world on his poor little shoulders, and realized at that moment that I NEVER want to put that kind of pressure on my children with sports or anything else in this life. Andy would NEVER do that to a child and I am so grateful Zack had such a great guy coaching him this year! They are playing for 3rd place in the division today. Last night was a fun skills competition and Zack's team won the "around the horn" event. So fun!!! They had a BBQ with brats and burgers. Course we were sweltering at the game on Thursday and it was in the 50s with strong wind and some rain last night. Fun times!! Zack's team has played 22 games since April and, as much fun as it has been wrestling a baby girl in the car most of the games because of cold, windy weather I am glad it is coming to an end. It has been awesome watching him play and watching the team progress and everything but it will be nice to say goodbye to baseball season until next spring. It won't be completely over until Max finishes tball and Matty finishes soccer at the end of the month but no more, 2 games a night, so that will be a relief!!!
~It's amazing how calming a priesthood blessing can be to the soul!!! It's just wonderful! I am so grateful that my husband honors his priesthood and can give us blessings when we need them!!!
~Today is Zack's last baseball game of the season. His coach (Andy) is so awesome! He's wonderful with the boys. The game the other night was intense. This was a rival team and the coach and team REALLY wanted the win bad!!! The coach isn't usually driven by that but this game was different. They tied and had to play an inning in overtime. INTENSE!! Zack's team won by 3 points!!! I have no idea what Andy said to the team during the game but he is usually really positive with them no matter what but apparently he said something he wasn't feeling good about because he apologized to the kids and was so great with them. I was so glad to have heard that because it just made me even happier that he was our boys coach. We were already so impressed with him after the coach Zack had last year. Sure, they took 2nd in the division and made it to the state tournament so he was a "good coach". But he was such a jerk to the boys and especially his son. His poor son (the pitcher) SOBBED for at least 15 minutes after they were eliminated in the state tournament. I looked at that poor boy, with the weight of the world on his poor little shoulders, and realized at that moment that I NEVER want to put that kind of pressure on my children with sports or anything else in this life. Andy would NEVER do that to a child and I am so grateful Zack had such a great guy coaching him this year! They are playing for 3rd place in the division today. Last night was a fun skills competition and Zack's team won the "around the horn" event. So fun!!! They had a BBQ with brats and burgers. Course we were sweltering at the game on Thursday and it was in the 50s with strong wind and some rain last night. Fun times!! Zack's team has played 22 games since April and, as much fun as it has been wrestling a baby girl in the car most of the games because of cold, windy weather I am glad it is coming to an end. It has been awesome watching him play and watching the team progress and everything but it will be nice to say goodbye to baseball season until next spring. It won't be completely over until Max finishes tball and Matty finishes soccer at the end of the month but no more, 2 games a night, so that will be a relief!!!
~It's amazing how calming a priesthood blessing can be to the soul!!! It's just wonderful! I am so grateful that my husband honors his priesthood and can give us blessings when we need them!!!
Monday, June 7, 2010
IT'S ROUGH!!!
So when life gets really rough I have to count my blessings so that I don't let the negativity take over, so, here goes (in no particular order)....
I am thankful for:
blue skies
HOT summer days
seeing friends for the first time in 5 years
brown eyed baby girls
watching my kids run through the sprinklers
having a clean bathroom
the rubbermaid tote we found in our cellar that is FULL of novels
bbqs
Max's big blue eyes against his green tball hat
feeling the spirit
being married to my best friend
my wonderful brother in law, JJ. All I can say is I'm sorry you had to get hurt in this after you were being so generous and kind and thoughtful and good. It breaks my heart!!!
ice cold Cherry Coke
Mississippi Mud Cake
AND...
last but not least
air conditioning!!!!
I am thankful for:
blue skies
HOT summer days
seeing friends for the first time in 5 years
brown eyed baby girls
watching my kids run through the sprinklers
having a clean bathroom
the rubbermaid tote we found in our cellar that is FULL of novels
bbqs
Max's big blue eyes against his green tball hat
feeling the spirit
being married to my best friend
my wonderful brother in law, JJ. All I can say is I'm sorry you had to get hurt in this after you were being so generous and kind and thoughtful and good. It breaks my heart!!!
ice cold Cherry Coke
Mississippi Mud Cake
AND...
last but not least
air conditioning!!!!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Time.........
~Yesterday was a gorgeous day! The sun was shining brightly. It was warm. And the wind only lightly breezed by a few times. I love days like that!!!
~I'm still unpacking. Brian and Zack brought over the last of our things in storage yesterday so I don't have to worry about adding more to the mix, which is a HUGE relief!!! This place is bulging at the seams. I've already taken out something like 5 boxes of things we are getting rid of which is nice but there is still so much more. Our boys have always LOVED dressing up in costumes. They are so cute! You never know "who" is going to walk in the room. As I've been unpacking and organizing and sorting I've run across many of the cute little costumes our boys have always loved dressing up in. Of course Matthew and Max were so excited to see them again after being away from them for the last 8 months. They put them right on and much to my surprise and both of our disappointment...they have grown too big for most of them. I knew they were growing like weeds this year but I had no idea just how much until now. It's sad that they are growing up so quickly. It's wonderful that each new phase brings new joy and excitement for them and for us. It's so exciting to watch them grow and change and progress in so very many different ways. I'm a little scared of what the future brings. It's kind of a crap shoot. You raise your kids the way you believe you should and some of them turn out great and others...not so much. There is no secret. There is no magic potion or formula that will ensure that they will turn out the way you hope they will. I have seen so many people that have been very good, decent, people and they raise all of their kids in the same way, in the same home and each result is different. I just hope and pray that our children will turn out to be happy, good, kind, decent, loving, family oriented, successful, spiritual, productive, honorable, upstanding, members of this world we live in. They are growing so fast. I hope we are doing it right. I hope they are taking the good things from life. I hope they hold onto the good things of their childhood and not the bad. I hope I can try harder to enjoy the moments before it's too late and they are grown and the opportunity is gone. I see my nephews and nieces and I can't believe how quickly they have grown. I blinked and they are all in their late teens/early twenties. Some are parents. I just can't believe how fast time flies by. I want to capture this time somehow and remember it forever. Everyone that is past this stage tells us to savor the time, enjoy it more, it goes too fast, don't let it slip by without taking time to just ENJOY. I'm trying. Really, I am. Sometimes LIFE gets in the way and time slips away a little more and I stop and think, wait! Hold up! SLOW DOWN!!! Crazy how it doesn't. It just goes by faster. One thing that might help is to take more pictures. The more kids I have, the fewer pictures I take. Too busy taking care of everyone to think about capturing the moments. If I do though I will at least have the pictures to look back on and help me remember this time after it's gone. Scrapbooking is so great for this. I should do it more often. If you scrapbook you are thinking all the time of the scrapbook and what moments you want to capture in their books forever and you take more time to really look for those special, sweet moments to capture on film. I am so grateful that our children are so healthy and can grow and flourish. I wouldn't want it any other way. I will ENJOY this time more and appreciate it more and try harder to make this time more enjoyable for all of us!!!!
~I'm still unpacking. Brian and Zack brought over the last of our things in storage yesterday so I don't have to worry about adding more to the mix, which is a HUGE relief!!! This place is bulging at the seams. I've already taken out something like 5 boxes of things we are getting rid of which is nice but there is still so much more. Our boys have always LOVED dressing up in costumes. They are so cute! You never know "who" is going to walk in the room. As I've been unpacking and organizing and sorting I've run across many of the cute little costumes our boys have always loved dressing up in. Of course Matthew and Max were so excited to see them again after being away from them for the last 8 months. They put them right on and much to my surprise and both of our disappointment...they have grown too big for most of them. I knew they were growing like weeds this year but I had no idea just how much until now. It's sad that they are growing up so quickly. It's wonderful that each new phase brings new joy and excitement for them and for us. It's so exciting to watch them grow and change and progress in so very many different ways. I'm a little scared of what the future brings. It's kind of a crap shoot. You raise your kids the way you believe you should and some of them turn out great and others...not so much. There is no secret. There is no magic potion or formula that will ensure that they will turn out the way you hope they will. I have seen so many people that have been very good, decent, people and they raise all of their kids in the same way, in the same home and each result is different. I just hope and pray that our children will turn out to be happy, good, kind, decent, loving, family oriented, successful, spiritual, productive, honorable, upstanding, members of this world we live in. They are growing so fast. I hope we are doing it right. I hope they are taking the good things from life. I hope they hold onto the good things of their childhood and not the bad. I hope I can try harder to enjoy the moments before it's too late and they are grown and the opportunity is gone. I see my nephews and nieces and I can't believe how quickly they have grown. I blinked and they are all in their late teens/early twenties. Some are parents. I just can't believe how fast time flies by. I want to capture this time somehow and remember it forever. Everyone that is past this stage tells us to savor the time, enjoy it more, it goes too fast, don't let it slip by without taking time to just ENJOY. I'm trying. Really, I am. Sometimes LIFE gets in the way and time slips away a little more and I stop and think, wait! Hold up! SLOW DOWN!!! Crazy how it doesn't. It just goes by faster. One thing that might help is to take more pictures. The more kids I have, the fewer pictures I take. Too busy taking care of everyone to think about capturing the moments. If I do though I will at least have the pictures to look back on and help me remember this time after it's gone. Scrapbooking is so great for this. I should do it more often. If you scrapbook you are thinking all the time of the scrapbook and what moments you want to capture in their books forever and you take more time to really look for those special, sweet moments to capture on film. I am so grateful that our children are so healthy and can grow and flourish. I wouldn't want it any other way. I will ENJOY this time more and appreciate it more and try harder to make this time more enjoyable for all of us!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)