These are the Days of your Life.....

Grateful for the Spirit in my life....

2012-02-10T08:45:00.000-08:00

I was asked to give a talk on Sunday. All week long I have thought about it. The subject is LOVE, which is appropriate for Valentine's Day, of course. But that is a broad subject with a million different ways you can go. Even though I have been praying and pondering about it all week, this morning was the first time I have had to sit down and figure out what I am going to say...I am amazed how Heavenly Father showed me his will and guided my thoughts as to what direction I am to go with this subject. It is a manifestation of his love, for sure, and I am so grateful for the spirit in my life.

The song I taught the primary children in January states, "As a child of God I receive special light, the Holy Ghost helps me to know what is right." I am grateful for a Father in Heaven who loves me enough to bless me with the Holy Ghost, to guide me and protect me and bless me.

I am truly blessed.

So much to catch up on.......

2012-02-07T10:41:00.001-08:00

I have so much to catch up on with this blog........but let's just start with our latest adventure......

First, we still have Grandpa Johnnie here. After being overseas for twelve years, it is good to have him around. We are loving every minute of his presence.

Xander needed to attend an art museum to finish up his Art Merit Badge for scouts. So we took the Metrorail downtown Washington DC to go to the Smithsonian.

We haven't ridden the Metro in a long time and the kids were so excited!

Just look at the excitement on that teenagers face!

Savannah was hysterical. She squealed and yelled "rockstar" every time we went through a tunnel and then wanted Xander to read her the newspaper.

Garrett sat quietly and looked out the window most of the ride. Sometimes it's nice to just chill.

Since Garrett has been studying Hinduism and Buddhism, we made sure we went to the rooms dedicated to its art. He really liked this statue!

The museum itself is gorgeous. Marble floors, beautiful chandeliers, not to mention the amazing art work!

And these guys greeted you at either end of the hallways.

We had invited our friends, Garrett Janiak and his Grandma, Doris, better known as Meemaw.

Garrett Janiak, or Janiak, as we call him, was born 6 months after Garrett and they have been best of friends since birth. We try and get together with them whenever possible because the boys have a great time. It will be fun to look back on this picture someday when they are grown and remember how little they were once....

Yeah, that's me in a picture....I know, shocking!

Grandpa Johnnie hasn't been to DC for a long time. We had to remember this moment for him too!

One of our favorite parts of the day was the air vent that was blowing on the walkway. It made their shirts blow up and hair stand on end!

Our favorite museum is the Natural History Museum. We decided that Xander is almost as tall as a giraffe!!!

What a great day!

A reminder....

2012-01-10T17:50:00.001-08:00

This afternoon my mom called. She is working on my grandparents life history. She was reading through some entries and came across an entry that she had to call me about.

I am so glad she followed the spirit and did.

You see, my dad and I had an intense discussion this morning about life and me and my parenting and our business and other things. He told me things I needed to hear. I cried, because I always cry when I talk about things like this. And we had a great conversation. It helped me resolve to do better on a lot of things. And he was very honest and loving with what he said. He in no way was critical, but gave suggestions and observations.

So when my mom called me to remind me of this story, I started crying again. I needed to be reminded that I am supposed to be here doing what I am doing. After getting home from a mission, sometimes it is hard to remember how many spiritual experiences I really had. Hearing my mom today tell my grandma's version of the story was a great reminder of my mission, my purpose and everything my dad and I discussed.

So, here is the story.....

One evening after a meeting, one of the Elders and I were standing on the street corner getting ready to cross a busy street. We were talking and laughing and our companions were just a few feet behind us. Moments later, we were three feet back from where we had been standing. A car came speeding past, very close the edge of the road.

In the moments before, it was as if I was in slow motion and was being lifted up and placed away from the road and harms way. Afterwards, we looked at each other in amazement, as did our companions. We both realized that our lives had just been spared. The car was out of control and ran into a man, who was later pronounced dead. The spirit bore witness to all of us that we were supposed to be saved in that moment. The overwhelming feelings of the spirit stayed with me for weeks afterwards and it renewed my testimony of the divinity of the plan of salvation and my Savior Jesus Christ.

So, it has been a day of reflection for me. One that I needed. One that I hope I can take the feelings and the conversations and the reminders and make myself a better person.

Focus Word for the new year.......ENJOY

2012-01-10T06:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my dad was expecting a gentleman with whom he does business. They were going to use our house for a meeting place for a couple of hours and then go out to dinner to finish their meeting. This man is investing in some companies and has A LOT , and I mean A LOT of money to invest.

So, I went into panic mode, like I always do. I started cleaning the house. And as I am cleaning, the walls looked dirty and I realized I still haven't painted the kitchen wall. The other day I went crazy and moved furniture all around which left us with no rug and two non-matching chairs in the living room. I started to get frustrated. I have such a vision for my house and I know what I want it to LOOK like, that I get angry sometimes. I start projects and run out of time. I try and make it different and never get the project completed.

I finally had to take a deep breath. I wasn't going to get the wall painted, the chairs weren't going to get reupholstered and I couldn't afford a rug in the next three hours. I sat down and closed my eyes and asked Heavenly Father to help me out.

Of course, the immediate thought I had was that more importantly what my house looked like, was that it felt like a HOME. I made some minor changes in the decor and made sure the floors were vacuumed. I said a prayer that when this gentleman came to my home, he would feel the spirit. He would feel the love and happiness we have here. He would see the children's artwork and the pictures of family and never see the wall that needed to be painted or the mismatched chairs. Because I know my home has the spirit and we try hard to keep the spirit here. And that is more important to me than anything!

I tend to not ENJOY my surroundings sometimes. Maybe it is because I have such a vision for decor and other things, but I am always thinking of how it could be better. I am also guilty of that with my family and other things.

My dad and I had a conversation about Eleanor the other day. She was on her third major outfit. Clothes, tights, shoes and hair accessories. All I could think about was the laundry. He reminded me to pick my battles. I had to take a deep breath and not ask him to try and do the laundry in my house for a week, but I knew he was right. I need to let her experiment with her clothes. She does an amazing job for a six year old!!! She has creativity bursting from her little body and I tend to not let her express herself.

So this year I am going to try and ENJOY life a little more. Enjoy my home and pick a project that is attainable in a reasonable amount of time. ENJOY my children and not always be on them about something. ENJOY my husband who keeps me sane and helps me out so much. I want to ENJOY the moments , ENJOY the laughter, ENJOY the 13 year old who still hugs me, ENJOY the 10 year old who is the sweetest boy in the world, ENJOY the 6 year old who keeps me on my toes and blows me away with her maturity, ENJOY the three year old because she is growing up so fast.

I am going to try and ENJOY the time I have with each of these amazing children and ENJOY being a mom more. I think I do a pretty good job right now, but I am really going to try hard an embrace the word in my life......ENJOY!!!!

My Beautiful, Sweet Eleanor.......

2012-01-09T12:20:00.000-08:00

My little Eleanor is an amazing child. She can try my patience to its uttermost limits and make me so happy the next. She is an intense child. She is creative and dramatic, musical and a fashionista. In her new school, the first graders put on a holiday extravaganza. It is a big deal. At least it was for Eleanor. She wanted a new dress. We looked everywhere and finally I decided to make her one.....then we went to plan B and asked Grandpa Day to make the dress. (I got in a little over my head!) We went and got her a special headband and a necklace and a ring. Then we happened on some really cute shoes that were silver like her dress and "high heels" just like she wanted. She was in seventh heaven!!!! Here is my beautiful Eleanor......

The dress was a simple one, but we found this amazing snowflake material that we thought would be pretty as an overlay. It turned out amazing! Thank you, Grandpa Day, for making it!

Here she is after the concert with her cute friend, Penelope...

The concert was amazing! Each class dressed up like either a penguin, in winter hats and Eleanor's class was dressed up like reindeers.....so cute!

They sang several songs and then performed several grand finale songs.....it was really good!!!

The decorating was amazing also.....I wish I could take the credit, but I just helped my friend, Sara, create this amazing entrance and then the snowy backdrop....

We made it out of paper and glued the figures on top. Then I added detail to the stars and we added glitter to everything!!! There were snowflakes hanging from the ceiling and the children had decorated candy canes and gingerbread men that were also on the walls.

I was really proud of her! She loves to work the camera also, as you can tell!

I can't believe that my girls are growing up so much!

She is such a cutie pie too!!!

I love you beautiful Eleanor!

Been spendin' time with my daddy!

2011-12-30T14:54:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas, we got a phone call from my dad telling us he would be flying in the next morning at 7am! Yahoo!!!!!

Last time he came, he gave me about 6 hours notice also, but I don't care!

This is he and I last November at Thanksgiving......

I love having my dad around and listening to him tell the kids stories and play games with them......

I am grateful because he came to help Jason and I work on our business. We need some direction and business help to let us know what we should be doing with Day Violins. We haven't figured out all the answers yet, but we have had some great talks and some great discussion and some eye-opening statistics. It has been great to have him here.....

not only that, but I get to have him here for the Rose Bowl! Go Ducks!

Just a few of my favorite pictures......

2011-12-19T17:46:00.000-08:00

My cute little family......

My amazing husband.........

Four generations......Great Grandma Dorothy Brown, Grandma Charlotte Day, Jason and the children....Xander, Garrett, Eleanor and Savannah.

The Day men....I love how this picture turned out!

And my four greatest blessings....

I insisted on taking some "extra" pictures of the family. The four generation picture and the picture of the Day men turned out so well and they will be treasured forever by my children.

Great Grandma Brown only comes once a year, if we are lucky, so I took advantage of having her here and I am so glad I did!

Time to get back on track......

2011-12-15T18:05:00.000-08:00

It's been too long since I have updated my blog. I've been busy! Things just never slow down here. One of the highlights was having Great-Grandma Dorothy Brown in town. We said good-bye to her on Monday morning and sent her back to sunny California. Saturday I arranged to have pictures done. Here is one of them...The good thing is, we are all facing forward and have our eyes open.....yep! Eyes open and facing forward is as good as it gets!

THANK YOU VETERANS!

2011-11-11T10:10:00.000-08:00

Today Eleanor wore red, white and blue. She announced last night that she wanted everyone to know she was patriotic. I was so touched. She has that extra sense of compassion for others that is innate. She, as always, looked darling. She fixed her hair by herself and proudly showed off her outfit to everyone.

Today I am thanking all those who have served and are serving our country. I am blessed to live in the beautiful land of America and enjoy all the freedoms that I have. I have family and friends who have served in the military and many who are currently serving.

God Bless America.....forever!

PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES

2011-11-09T16:24:00.000-08:00

It's been a long week. Three parent teacher conferences and a slew of email updates for the middle schooler.

The middle schooler had a rough start. New school, new subjects, all honors classes. He spent the first few weeks trying to learn how to process how hard this new school is. He failed a few tests, he worked hard, he stayed after school, he corrected what he needed to correct and he ended up with all A's....and a C+ in math. (79.8 was his final math grade, so he just BARELY missed a B!) I told him that if he was going to get a bad grade in a class, I would have total sympathy for him in math! Neither Jason or I are math scholars. Xander's math is already harder than anything his dad did in high school! I am still hanging in there, but years of neglect have made me google search a couple of times to refresh my memory! Of course, by the time I am reading it and talking to Xander about it, he is already working on the problems while I remember why I was not so great at math!!! He can be really proud of himself with what he has accomplished. He is making friends, loving his classes and doing well. This was a great lesson to him on how he is able to rise to the occasion!

After last year, I was prepared for everything with being treated poorly at a parent teacher conference, except what happened at Garrett's parent teacher conference!!!!

They requested that it be on Halloween. I was a little hesitant, but Jason had moved lessons anyway and it was nice that he could be there. We were supposed to see the teachers at 3:20-3:40pm. We arrived at 3:15pm and looked through the window. The mom who they were talking to saw us and then looked away. We waited and waited and waited, we looked through the window several times and that mom saw us. It was now almost 3:45pm, our time was already up. I looked through the window again. They were in a deep conversation. Once again, the mom saw us, but did nothing.

We were supposed to be at a Halloween parade in 45 minutes. I was getting irritated and stressed out. ( I had a butterfly diva to put together. Does anyone know that kind of pressure!! One mess up and my life could be ruined forever! The chef and the pirate could get themselves dressed and the cupcake would be a breeze, but still, we were pushing it.) Xander had called several times trying to get dinner together and help with the costumes. It was ridiculous.

They FINALLY came out and we told them we were there for the parent teacher conference. Uhmmmm......they both had blank stares. So I told them we should reschedule. The teacher insisted that we do it and she starts looking through her paperwork and computer. We sit and wait. By this time I have said no less than three times that I think it is better to just reschedule. Miraculously, she finds the time sheet and sure enough we are on there. Really??????

So we have now spent another ten minutes looking to see if we are telling the truth?

Anyway, the conference was very frustrating. They tell us that Garrett is adjusting well in one breath and that he is completely lost in the next. I had to keep asking direct questions because she handed me a work assignment and said, "this is A work." I asked if it was Garrett's and she said no, but most parents want to see what A work is. I told her I wanted to see Garrett's work. Because she is not ready for us, she spends most of the time looking for his work. I just started asking questions and trying to keep my tone of voice positive.

I expressed a concern that he has forgotten his assignment book several times and what is the protocol. I told them he has had to write an essay about it and she came unglued! "I do not agree with that form of punishment for forgetting your assignment book! Do not do that again!"

I was so taken back, I just stared at her. I chose to ignore her vast knowledge of the best way to bring up my son and also the urge to inquire as to the size of belt I should use instead.

So I asked another question about him and tried to regroup.

My favorite part of the whole conference is when Jason stood up, frustrated, asked if he could clean out Garrett's desk. He found a piece of paper that was not done. She says to us, "that should have been done. I don't know why he is not doing his work." I politely asked (since I was about ready to lose it on her)"Why is it not completed?"

"I don't know."

"What was he doing while it should have been completed?"

"Like I said, I don't know why it is not done."

So, I questioned her about was he in the room? Did he just sit there while the other children did it? Was he unsure as to what to do?

Her response? "I don't know."

Now, mind you, we have two teachers in this room. One is a special ed teacher that is there to help children like Garrett. He is blessed to have the worst kid in school in his class, Ike. Ike has already been moved twice this year and has now landed in Garrett's class. He has been suspended no less that 2 times already and we are only at Halloween. So, I am sure the other teacher has her hands full with Ike, but Garrett has a right to his special services.

There were some good parts to the conference and we got some answers, but my, oh, my!

Anyway, I had finally had enough. I asked them if they were open to meeting again in four weeks to talk about Garrett again. They were and so we left it at that.

As we are getting ready to leave, the special ed teacher becomes flustered and says very loudly, "I really need to go! It's Halloween and I am late!" To which the teacher replies, "Oh, yes! You are late! Hurry!"

We leave at the same time - I couldn't get out of there fast enough - my blood was boiling!

As we are walking down the hall, the special ed teacher rushes past us and is muttering, "I can't believe I am so late!" I felt as if WE were the ones that made her late.

Yes, it is OUR fault that YOU requested this time and we agreed and then YOU forgot.

Long story short, I let it sit for almost a week. There was a lot going on and I was trying to figure out the best approach. I was pleased that everything we talked about changing to help him happened in the next few days. That was encouraging. The talk on the town is that they are amazing teachers. No one had any complaints about them.

So on Sunday I sent them an email. I expressed my concern and frustration with the conference and applauded them on their quick response to the issues we discussed. I emphasized that I wanted to meet again and I wanted the unfinished homework issue resolved. It was direct, but nice. Jason told me as a teacher he would be only a little bit offended by some of the things I had said. I was actually glad he said that. That means I would get a response.

The email back was positive and understanding. I am ok now with the situation. Garrett loves school and he is doing better about his assignment book. He is getting extra help in some areas that he needs it and that is what I wanted. I think we can still have a great conference in four weeks, though I am going to email her to remind her!!!!

A few days later, we have Eleanor's conference. It is the complete opposite. The teacher is calm and waiting for us. We sit down and the teacher is gushing over our daughter. The accolades are amazing. She is the top of her class, a leader, compassionate, star student, self-motivated, always willing to help and when her teacher has children, she wants one just like Eleanor. (should I invite her over on one of our more challenging mornings with her?!?!??!)

She told us that Eleanor is pulled out for special reading classes and special math classes because she is so far ahead of the other children.

We discuss having special packets brought home so Eleanor is challenged in math and reading. We talk about how she is always going the extra mile and helping the children who need it. We end on a calm positive note. I almost can't keep up with her wonderfulness!!!

Then it was off to Savannah's. Her teachers also gush over her and how sweet and cute she is. They tell us that she is the mother hen of the class and she gets the boys, who are almost a head taller than her to clean up and go to circle time. She follows directions and meeting all expectations for her age and then some. They tell us that she is doing excellent verbally and does well with the activities and when it is time to change an activity. They love her!

So, how does Garrett end up with the most frustrating of school experiences?

From day one, his school experiences have been frustrating. We have spent thousands of dollars on testing and therapy and more testing and whatever we have thought would help him. Jason is the only one who understands. He is his best advocate. Jason has the same learning disabilities as Garrett. He knows the best questions to ask. He knows when to squeeze my leg and let me know I should back off and then he will ask just the right question. Jason has lived through what Garrett is living through right now. It makes me want to say really bad words I get so frustrated, but Jason is a calming influence. Thank goodness for my husband who has walked the mile in the shoes and has the understanding necessary to make Garrett successful.

More than anything, I am grateful for my children's uniqueness. Even though Garrett struggles academically, he is gifted in so many ways. He is very creative and more importantly, he is compassionate and a good friend. Those are things that you cannot always teach in a classroom. He is loving and kind and can do well when given the right environment. He loves school and loves his teachers and that is huge.

When Eleanor was little and I was having so many problems with her, my mom gave me the best advice. "Point her in the right direction, then get out of her way!!!" Her teacher reminded me of that. She is on fire academically and I just need to make sure she has enough to keep her busy. She is creative and musical and talented in so many areas. She is a natural leader and also compassionate. She is amazing and I love her so much!!

Xander is growing up too fast and I am so proud of how he takes life on directly. He is the kind of boy I would have had a crush on in middle school, tall, good-looking, smart and good sense of humor. His musical ability amazes me. His musical ability amazes a lot of people, including his Grandmother, who is his flute teacher. He thinks beyond the moment and makes the most of his life. He is a quiet leader, one who leads by example.

And little Savannah. She is just the dearest little girl. She melts my heart and I can't believe she is my baby. I love to listen to her talk to her babies and play Little People. I love having her home for a few days to just hang out with and remind me to slow down and enjoy the moment. She is loving and kind with just enough stubbornness to help her make it in this family.

None of this would be possible without their dad. He is the best. He makes me twitterpated even after 15 years of marriage. He is the best husband, my best friend, my everything!

Every day is a learning experience and I have learned a lot from these last few days with these parent teacher conferences. Whew! Time to start a new quarter! Onward and upward!!!

Little Savannah Marie

2011-11-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

Even though she is not as much as a diva as her sister, Savannah is coming into her own style. The other day she requested to put curlers in her hair and then wear a headband. She turned out super cute and now curlers are a regular part of our grooming!

She is a great little girl and plays by herself really well. She loves Little People and baby dolls.

She is doing great in preschool and her teachers love her.

I can't believe she is growing up so fast!

Sometimes I cannot believe I am a mother of four with the youngest being three. It seems like those days of nursing and diapers and the endless nights of no sleep would never end. And yet, I still cherish every time someone says, "mom", even if it comes from a deep voice with a child a foot taller than me and not yet a teenager. Or when the littlest voice says it with that three year old lisp. And even the two in between - their little voices melt my heart. I am grateful today for being a mom. I am grateful for the happiness and joy it brings. I am grateful for the learning and growing I have done as a person as a result of these children. I am so grateful for each of them and what they teach me. I am a mom and I am truly blessed!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

This year for Halloween, we had a chef, who bakes little cupcakes......A pirate with the perfect pirate face.......
And who can yield a sword better than Jack Sparrow.....
And a beautiful butterfly who had to have curls and glitter....
And the cupcake with a strawberry on top.....
But on actual Halloween, the chef turned into an FBI agent, since he was going out with his friends and it was much cooler to walk around the dark with your sunglasses on (I wear my sunglasses at night...remember that song?)
The pirate was really a pirate still....as you can tell by the expression....
The butterfly stayed a butterfly, complete with glitter and curls....
And the little cupcake was as cute as she was a few days before and even posed for me.....

We do a parade around the pond every year and then everyone goes home to eat and then trick or treat. We did a potluck with our neighbors. We have the best neighborhood.....
Andrew, the alien (Xander and Garrett both wore this costume!) and the butterfly. Best Friends!
And my favorite little lion this year. He is so sweet! He is our little neighbor and he loves us as much as we love him!!!
So, Halloween pictures for the trunk or treat......
And halloween pictures for actual Halloween.....
Happy Halloween everyone! I hope you had as much fun as we did and are enjoying your candy!!!

Charlotte's Web

2011-10-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

My mom always read to us as children. I have done a pretty good job, but because of my illness, sometimes the evenings are really hard. Several months ago, I was reminded by my cousin, LaTisha Calhoun, that even just a few pages is worth it in the evening. So, I asked Heavenly Father for some help. I need just enough energy to read a few pages and not be too tired. With the fall and the rental business and just life in general, I have made it a priority to read to the girls every night that we are in bed at a decent hour. It has made a big difference in keeping the madness to a minimum. Eleanor is eating it up and Savannah is usually asleep by the time the story time is over. I have enjoyed just taking the time to be still and read books that I love.

How blessed I am that Heavenly Father has helped me with the extra strength these last few months to do this.

Last night the girls and I finished reading "Charlotte's Web." It has always been one of my favorite books. As I read the last few sentences, I started to get choked up. The story of true friendship is so powerful in that story. The concept of thinking of someone else and putting their needs first. I am grateful I was reminded of how powerful a friendship can be and how blessed we are when we are kind to another human being.

"What the book is about is friendship on earth, affection and protection, adventure and miracle, life and death, trust and treachery, pleasure and pain and the passing of time. As a piece of work it is just about perfect, as just about magical in the way it is done."

Eudora Welty, New York Time Book Review

Before that, we read "The Trumpet of the Swan", also by E.B. White.

It is about a swan who cannot talk and the adventures he has and how he finds love and friendship and acceptance of being different from the others. I also consider this one of the best books ever written.

Our next book is going to be " Mrs. Brisby and the Rats of NIMH." Another favorite!

Thank you Heavenly Father for this tender mercy you have shown me and blessed me so I can create these wonderful memories for myself and my children!

My brother, Ray

2011-10-29T07:40:00.000-07:00

The other day I was having a bad morning. Really bad. I was crying about everything. It was one of those days where when Jason left for work the look on his face was concern for me, but also relief that he didn't have to figure out what was going to make me burst into tears next!!!

Around 10am EST, I got a phone call from my brother, Ray.

Ray and I have always been close. He has been a pain in my side and also one of my best friends in the world. I love him more than words can express and I hate living so far away from him. For that matter, I hate living so far away from all my siblings.

Anyway, he called. We talked. I cried. We kept talking. And by the time our conversation was over, I was ok with my dilemma. I had worked through a lot of my concerns, anguish and fears.

I love my brother and I am really grateful that he followed the spirit that morning. It meant a lot to me. He is a great man.

Following the spirit

2011-10-29T06:55:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago, we attended the baptism of my niece, Ashley. I forgot my camera, so I didn't get a picture of her, but she was so beautiful in her white dress. Jason was asked to baptize her, since her dad is not a member of the church.

I was asked to give the talk on the Holy Ghost. Because I knew there were going to be family members there that were not members of the church, I wanted to make it a teaching moment also. There is a popular concept that the Holy Ghost is like a blanket that warms and protects you. I decided to go with that concept. So I thought and prayed about it for several days.

I am so blessed to have a Heavenly Father who knows how to answer prayers and guide me as to what he wants me to say.

So, in a nutshell, here is my talk:

Ashley is blessed to have a great family. She has grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins who love her very much. Her Grandma Day makes a blanket for each grandchild as they are born. The blankets are cross-stitched, so there is a lot of time spent making the blankets. I know that each stitch is made in love. I know, because I have four blankets made by Grandma and my children love their blankets. They use them all the time and they can feel their Grandma's love each time they wrap themselves in their blankets. This blanket ( and I showed the blanket) is the one that Grandma Day made for Ashley. It is her own personal blanket and it keeps her warm and protects her. When she uses this blanket, she knows her Grandma Day loves her very much.

The Holy Ghost is like this blanket. As we are baptized, we make promises to our Heavenly Father that we will follow him. And he, in turn, gives us the gift of the Holy Ghost to protect us. He guides us and he shows us how to live a good life. In our church, we believe that after a person is baptized, they can be given the gift of the Holy Ghost by someone who holds the priesthood.

Ashley's grandparents, the Garbers, I know, have felt the Holy Ghost in their lives also. Even though they do not belong to our church, they are good people, live the commandments and do what is right. Because of this, they have access to the Holy Ghost, or as they call it, Holy Spirit.

They can feel the Holy Ghost the same way we can feel it.

(I held up a picture of Jesus)

This picture of Jesus, is the picture I hold up every Sunday in primary to remind the children why we are in church. When you see this picture, you can remember what Jesus did for us and try and be more reverent. Reverence will invite the spirit into your life and help you be a better person. As we live a good life and follow the commandments, we will be blessed. Ashley is being blessed for making the decision to be baptized today. As she receives the Holy Ghost, she is taking the necessary steps to be able to return and live with Heavenly Father again.

There were other things that I said, but that was the gist of the talk.

I was so grateful I followed the promptings to talk about the Garbers. They came up to me and gave me a big hug and told me how grateful they were that I acknowledged the fact that they feel the spirit also. They told me that it really meant a lot to them that I would think of them and they I know they are good people who feel the Holy Spirit.

Jason's parents both told me that it was the best Holy Ghost talk they had ever heard. And, a few days later, Jason's mom called me about something and then she started to cry. She told me that she needed to be reminded that I was a good person and that she was so touched that I would say all those nice things about her and the blanket.

I was touched because if you know our history then you would know that that for her to say that is h.u.g.e.!!!!

I am grateful for this experience. I felt the spirit very strongly, guiding me what to say. I have been blessed lately to have many experiences that has brought me closer to my Heavenly Father.

And every step we take to having a better relationship with Jason's family is very important to me and also to our own little family.

It is a struggle to write personal experiences like this in a public forum like a blog, but it needed to be written and I needed to be reminded. :)

The Marriott Ranch

2011-10-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

For the last eight years I have gone to the Marriott Ranch to draw caricatures for the guests that attend the Western Picnic. It is a fun tradition and I have done US senators and their wives, ambassadors from all over the world and children of dignitaries. I love it.

I always bring the children with me to spend the day doing the activities.

This year I had one of Xander's friends come and help out with the babysitting of the girls.

There is a full day of activities and then a big lunch in the tent with the BYU dancers putting on a western dancing show and also the Lamanite Generation does some really cool dances.

Here is Eleanor with her cute, sassy wink!

When did this boy grow up?

Garrett is two days post puncture the lip accident on his scooter. You can see the wound on his mouth. And then there is this little darlin' Savannah. She is also growing up too fast.

Always working the camera!

At the end, we went over to get our pictures taken with the "real" cowboys. They really are! The one plays the ukelele and he started playing songs my dad would always play. It made me miss my dad. We stood around for over a half an hour and sang songs. He was amazed I knew them. All credit went to my parents!

The weather was gorgeous and we had a great time!

2011-10-26T17:14:00.000-07:00

I dressed the children up the other day, grabbed a pumpkin, a leather chair, some snacks, a blanket and a few suitcases and wandered into the woods behind our house. Here's what we ended up with.......

Some of the pictures turned out better than others......

But, for the most part, they all looked great! I was really happy about how cute they turned out! Much better than their school pictures I paid too much money for!!!!

This one is my favorite! It was actually the last picture we took and I love it!!!!

I found the suitcases at the thrift store the week before and thought they would make cute props. They did!

This cute one of Eleanor is my favorite! She really knows how to work the camera! I don't think I have a bad picture of her that day!

And this cute little thing! She was such a trooper! She did a great job also!

And the boys did well too. I love this one of them.

Garrett looks so much like his dad in the picture when he was this age!

Our neighbors, the Imeishes, came with us in the beginning. The idea was to get some good picture with all the kids. They are all practically siblings anyway!

This is my favorite of the girls. So cute!

I wish I had a better camera. My camera is giving me fits right now and it is frustrating. But, all in all, it was a productive morning! And now I have some cute fall pictures of the kids!!!

2011-09-28T08:23:00.000-07:00

Jason and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary on the 14th of September. Well, He celebrated it by drinking the sparkling apple cider I bought and the chocolate covered strawberries I made. I laid in bed with a fever and a massive chest cold and watched.

His comment?

No matter what day it is, I will always love you.

We don't need an anniversary to celebrate how much I love you.

Yeah, I have a great husband.

And he is like that all the time. Just like the song from The Sound of Music, I often think that "somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good."

So, in honor of my husband, here are fifteen reasons I love him (in no particular order):

1. He loves me and he tells me a lot.

2. He is a good father.

3. He can bring me to tears when he plays the violin.

4. He knows how to calm me down.

5. He works four jobs so I can be a stay at home mom to the children.

6. He loves the Lord and he lives the gospel.

7. He still makes me twitterpated.

8. His kiss still makes my knees weak.

9. He likes to dress well and take care of himself.

10. He is a good listener.

11. His laugh always makes me smile.

12. He holds my hand all the time.

13. His rule in the house is I can do whatever I want to it as long as I live in it.

14. His children adore him.

15. I adore him. Everything about him. All of him.

I love you Jason Day! You are my everything and I am so blessed to have you!

Thank you for 15 great years!

I am looking forward to many more!

2011-09-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

I KNOW THREE DARLING LITTLE GIRLS BORN WITHIN DAYS OF EACH OTHER....

BABY ANNIE

Born to a family, who when she was less than two weeks old, her dad was called to be the Stake President. Both of her parents are active in the church, as are most of her extended family. She will be taught the gospel daily and will learn the songs for primary and be immersed in a loving home environment. She will watch as her Father serves the Lord and her Mother faithfully supports him in righteousness. She will watch as her brother goes on a mission, her older sisters become righteous women and she will gain a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ through daily scripture study, Family Home Evenings and other gospel centered activities. By being born under the covenant, she will claim blessings promised to her and her parents for living the gospel.

BABY MADDIE

As a first child, she has been anticipated for months by her Grandmothers and Grandfathers and even a Great-Grandma. She too will be taught the gospel by her parents. She will be loved and cared for in every aspect of her life. Her life will be full of primary songs and stories of Jesus. Her parents will share their testimonies with her and teach her how to return to her Heavenly Father. She will learn talents from her Mother and responsibility from her Father. As other siblings are born into this little family, she will know that they are all a part of Heavenly Fathers great plan. Because of her parents, she will be able to achieve great things in life and have many wonderful opportunities afforded her.

BABY PAITYN

This little one came to earth to a mother, still a child herself. Due to life's circumstances, her mother has decided not to continue living the gospel of Jesus Christ. She will be loved, but it will not be without heartache, as her father and mother struggle with their own love for each other. Her knowledge of the gospel will be limited, as all of her family, except one aunt, have decided to leave the church. She will most likely not grow up listening to primary songs and, if she is lucky, she may have a story of Jesus told to her. Her life will most likely mirror her mothers, one of struggle and heartache. A life of always trying to just make it to the next paycheck. A life where alcohol, drugs and smoking will be prevalent. She will have to be strong. Very strong.

These three little girls knew each other in heaven. I am sure of it. I personally have been anticipating their births for months. Praying for their safety and their family's safety. Our family has been waiting and wondering what day the phone call will come letting us know they have arrived in the world, safe and sound. I have thought many times about how they were in Heaven just waiting to come down to earth. Their beautiful, strong spirits united in the anticipation of fulfilling their part of Heavenly Father's great plan of happiness.

As I have heard of their arrivals and seen their first pictures, my heart has been full. They are beautiful. I long to hold them in my arms and smell their new baby smell. I long to give a hug to their mother and congratulate their father. But, instead, I send well wishes from afar, as each one was born in a state far away from where I live.

And I send special prayers to heaven for each of them.

As I heard of the news of little Paityn's arrival, the last of the three to be born, I couldn't help but wonder what these three talked about as they were preparing to come to earth.

I imagine them promising to try and find each other on earth. I imagine them giving the one last hug as Annie's turn arrives to leave.

I know we don't know what really happens before we come, but I can't help but think it is similar to our arrivals and departures here on earth. The excited and tearful good-byes, the promises to keep in touch, the final hug that tries to display how much you really love that person. I really believe that it isn't that unfamiliar.

And as I thought about this, I thought about their loving Heavenly Father's last words to them. In their last quiet moments with Him, I am sure he told them how much he loved them, how proud he was of them. I know he told Annie and Maddie that they were going to wonderful families. I am sure he told them they would progress and do well on earth and make great mothers and leaders. I am sure He told them that He would be there for them when they needed them and that when they received the Holy Ghost that it would be their comforter and guide them to make right decisions. I am sure he told them to do everything they could to return and live with Him someday.

And then, in his quiet moments with sweet little Paityn, he also told her how much he loved her. I'm sure her excitement of receiving a body was acknowledged and he probably spent just a few extra minutes letting her know that He would be there, watching over her every step of the way, to be strong and to do her best to find her way back to live with Him.

As I pondered on this, my heart ached for my Heavenly Father as he allowed this sweet little spirit to come to earth to a situation where she would have to struggle on a daily basis, where the gospel would not be taught in the home, where the strains of "I am a Child of God" would not be heard.

My heart is full for these three little girls. They are truly blessings in their family's life and my life. Their birth has made me reflect on how my loving Father in Heaven is there for me and how much he loves me. I have thought so much about how the choices we make affect our lives. I have thought a lot about this last year and how we had to make hard decisions for Garrett and the other children regarding their schooling. And then just weeks ago when we almost lost everything, only to almost lose Savannah a week later, followed by an earthquake, a hurricane and flooding.

The experiences we have had are preparing and shaping my family. To make me stronger, but only if I choose the make myself stronger.

I do not have the luxury to sit back and hope that my children learn the gospel.

I need to be in the trenches, doing the hard thing. The daily application of gospel principles in their lives and mine.

My prayers will continue to be said for these three precious little girls and I anticipate with excitement watching them grow, meeting them for the first time and growing to love them individually.

I am grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who has blessed my with four beautiful children, my own blessings from Heaven. I am also grateful for a husband who makes my life complete.

And I am grateful that in my own quiet moments, I can almost remember my Heavenly Father's voice in our last moments together, telling me that He will always love me, no matter what.

THEY HAVE COME.....

2011-09-12T23:22:00.000-07:00

They have come.

By the truckloads.

Everyone is helping to load, unload and load and unload again.

They take over my house, the yard, the driveway....and there is nothing I can do to stop them from coming!

Except make some more from chocolate.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2011

2011-09-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

First Day of School 2011

Xander left for the bus almost an hour and a half earlier than the other children, so that is why we have curlers and pi's in the first picture!

SEVENTH GRADE

Is he really that old? My little bug? The one who could name all the dinosaurs and say all the articles of faith by the time he turned three? Now he towers over me at 5 feet 9 inches, has a deep voice and gets texts from girls.

Starting at his new school has been a little bit hard for him. He was excited to go and have a new adventure, but all his friends texted him and asked him when he was going to come back to Flint Hill. They all miss him and I know he misses them too. I know it won't be as bad when everyone gets into the groove of school.

The first day of school he went to the cafeteria and didn't know anyone. A redheaded girl came up to him and told him, "You are not sitting by yourself! You need to sit with my friends and me!" My response the that was, "You can never go wrong with a redhead!"

His homeroom teacher is a redhead also, so I know he will be well taken care of by the redheads!

He is taking all honors classes and it will be a great challenge for him. He is going to love having band every day and I know he will be successful!

This was right before they went to the bus stop.....notice the hair is fixed!

My diva princess Eleanor. As always, she had to be sassy about going to school on the first day. She wanted to go back to Flint Hill and see all her friends also. She insisted on curlers in her hair, a new dress with sparkly pink shoes. I love this little girl so much!

I think all the stars lined up together when she got assigned to her teacher. The first time we met her teacher, she had on high heels with big flowers, a dress and has thick, curly black hair. Eleanor could not stop talking about her shoes and dress. So, the first day of school, she comes home and tells me that "Mrs. Connely wore go-go boots, a cool skirt and this really cool necklace!"

I'm hoping there is more than fashion in that little girls head this year!

I know there is! She is doing great with her reading and loves to learn....along with being social!!

It's going to be a great year for her!

And then there is the G-man!

This boy is so great! And he is going to be so successful in his new school!

We went to meet his teacher and I got delayed in Eleanor's room with a special treasure hunt she had to do. Garrett asked if he could go to his room and put his stuff away.

When I got there, he immediately introduced me to his teacher, showed me the desk he chose (the one that faces the blackboard and should have the least distractions in his mind) and showed me all of his school supplies neatly stacked on his desk.

Hmmmmm.....this is the child we were told would not be able to function in fifth grade at FHS.

Well, guess what! It doesn't matter! Because he can function just fine in his new school! His teacher told me how polite he was and how excited she was to have him in class.

Oh, how grateful I am once again for the tender mercies of the Lord!

I am actually grateful we left that school. It is going to be an amazing year for the G-man!

Savannah starts school on the 12th of September, but she got to hold a sign also!

Eleanor and Andrew. Best friends since forever! We made a kindergarten sign for him also. It's become a tradition for them too now!

Walking to the school bus.....and just some of the kids at the school bus! My kids had a zillion friends in ten minutes! It was wonderful!

Because the bus was late, there was some goofy pictures.....

And some cute pictures....

And then the bus came....Garrett getting on the bus....

Eleanor getting on the bus.....

Savannah and Grace watching the kids get on the bus. They both go to preschool next week. I thought this was such a cute picture!

So, there you have it. We survived. I knew we would be fine, but I was amazed at how happy the children were and how they never looked back from what we had to deal with last year. I have such amazing children and even though I cried as they got on the bus (I cry every year!) I also was os happy for them to be able to experience life and learn!

Another Tender Mercy of the Lord

2011-08-21T05:27:00.000-07:00

All my life I have believed in God.

I gained a testimony of Him at a very young age, as my parents taught me about different things. I have had multiple amazing experiences throughout my life that have strengthened this belief in Him. Through our church, things like the Plan of Salvation and the Resurrection are common beliefs in my life.

And so, as I write this, I feel a heightened awareness to certain concepts of the gospel. It as if I am supposed to be learning a lesson or start listening to the Spirit more or be aware of how precious life is.

As if I have become complacent in my every day activities.

As you have read, we almost lost everything last week to an electrical fire. This week, as I was visiting my cousin, we almost lost my little Savannah.

There are not words to describe the terror that goes through a mother's heart when her child is missing. Nothing can compare. Nothing.

It was an easy mistake to make. We were coming home from the swimming pool. There are eight children between the two of us. The 9 week old is crying because he is hungry, the sixteen month old needs help into the house, my nine year old (who normally unbuckles her)rode in the other car and the twelve year old is unloading the stuff and the six year old is running to play with cousins. I am busy trying to help my cousin with her little ones and unload.

Savannah was left in the car. For over and hour. In the summertime heat.

Even as I write this, my fingers can barely type from shaking as I remember. And my eyes are swollen with tears, the wracking sobs are trying to surface....and my heart remembers the terror.

Thankfully, she is fine. We got her inside the house, in the bathtub to cool her down, hydrated her and she perked right up. The pediatrician checked her over and gave her a good bill of health.

She has had no side effects from the experience. In fact, she seems quite calm every time we ask her about it. I know, with a surety, that there were angels with her the whole time. She just seems so peaceful about the experience and just smiles when we are talking about it. I am amazed at how peaceful she is when we have asked her about it. There were angels with her. She never gets upset, she just seems peaceful.

A peace that I am searching for as I review every moment over and over again about how I neglected to get her out of the car. Blaming myself for not being a better mother, a more aware mother, a mother who has control of her life. Remembering the terror in my heart and her little face and hot body as I pulled her from the car. The anguished cries coming from my heart as we raced her upstairs to the bathroom, pleading with God that she would be ok.

And yet, it happened.

And I don't think I will ever find the peace I am looking for in this situation. Peace does not come from that kind of experience. Understanding comes. And a renewed determination to be a better mother. To check twice always from now on. To not become complacent in my daily life with anything. Ever.

Two wake up calls in one week.

Time to start listening.

Time to start doing.

Life is too short and too important not to stay close to the spirit. It is imperative that I get off my spiritual plateau and move upward, climbing and doing hard things again to bring me closer to my ultimate goal. And more importantly, teaching my children to recognize the Tender Mercies of the Lord and how much He loves them and watches over them. Always.

I thank God today for His Tender Mercies in my life. I am so blessed. So very blessed.

The Tender Mercies of the Lord

2011-08-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

We recently came back from visiting our friends, The Welters. When we got home, we smelled something odd, like a burning smell. We called an electrician and he came out. Throughout the next two weeks, we had him come out several times. He fixed a few things, replaced a few things, but the smell would not go away. Then yesterday morning, he came at 7am to look at the breaker box again. He told us it probably needed to be replaced, but he didn't have time to do it. He gave Jason another number to call to see if they could come out.

Jason called and left a message. He and his dad had planned on going out to the driving range with the boys. Just as they were getting ready to leave, it started to rain and rain hard. They were deterred from their golfing and just a few minutes later, the electrician called back and said he could come over.

After working on the breaker box for an hour, he came upstairs and asked Jason if he was a religious man. Jason, of course, acknowledged that he was. The man told him to thank God that he called him to come out today. We were literally only hours away from our house burning to the ground. The wires were so worn out that they were ready to ignite. He is also a volunteer fire chief, with 23 years of experience, and told us that when the wires wear out, they create a fireball that will literally explode and burn the house down in minutes.

Had it not rained, we wouldn't have been there to answer the call. We would have lost our house last night. We would have lost our business. We would have lost everything, even possibly our lives. I will never think lightly of the words, "Keep us safe from harm and accident" again. I am grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord, for the angels who guarded us and for the safety of my little family. I am grateful for a new appreciation for the blessings our Heavenly Father bestows upon us, even when we least expect it.

Saying good-bye to Emily

2011-08-12T19:28:00.000-07:00

We met Emily when she came for violin lessons. She endeared herself to our family. She is an amazing young woman. She was our nanny last fall with our rental season. She became part of the family. She is now at the Naval Academy. We miss her terribly! We had a going away party for her. Here she is with her mom.....

Holding cute baby Nicholas......

Savannah in front of the sign the kids made for her.....

The three girls in her shoes.....

Outside her house the day before she left.....

This is the last picture we took with Emily before she entered the Naval Academy. She was a babysitter like no other. We went to her house the day before she left and had breakfast with her. At the very end she teared up. We teared up. We had to just go. She holds a special place in our hearts. She is going to be so successful and do so well! We love our "Elimee!"

Movie night on the Lawn

2011-08-12T19:21:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite traditions is movie night on the lawn. We do it at least two or three times during the summer. Everyone is in their P.J's by about 6:30pm and then we watch a movie and can still be in bed by about 8:30pm. This is little Nicholas. He is such a doll baby! Love this little guy like he was my own!

Every movie night has a bunch of bowls of popcorn....

Lots of blankets, even though it is hot and humid!

It it such a fun tradition and we love it!

The Fourth of July

2011-07-22T03:58:00.000-07:00

So, I have tried for about three weeks to upload these pictures and something kept happening with the computer or blogger or something. Anyway, it finally worked and so now you can catch up on the Days of your life!

Fourth of July, 6 a.m., Xander leaves for his first boy scout camp. He was so excited and I was so torn! He's growing up so fast right before my very eyes and I am soaking in every moment I can with him!

As you can tell, he was ready to leave and I needed "just one more picture" of him!

Ok, just one more as he leaves for the car!

He had a great time and earned several merit badges and has been pro-scouting ever since! He's working hard on getting as many merit badges as he can.

Garrett led the flag ceremony at the Fourth of July breakfast. He loves scouting also and I wish Grandpa Butler could be here to see them love scouting so much.

The Sunday School presidency was in charge of the breakfast. Sunday after church Jason says to me that the president wants some decorations.....I have less than 12 hours notice! Luckily, I can come up with something from nothing! Not my greatest work, but it was just fine for pancakes and syrup!

After breakfast they had a bike parade. Savannah rode her bike around the church about 6 times! I was really proud of her! She can pedal her bike by herself, so she is very independent!!!

Garrett led the pack in the bike rally! He must have gone around 75 times by the time it was over!

Eleanor and some of her friends from her primary class. It was so hot and muggy - typical east coast summer day!

That night we watched fireworks at the neighbors house on the pipestem. Savannah and Grace loved the sparklers!

I can't believe how grown up he looks!

Eleanor with her neighborhood chums.

We live in the best neighborhood. There are 13 children under the age of 12 on the pipestem. We play together almost every day and they are like brothers and sisters. Someday they will be all grown up and have children of their own, but I hope they remember the great times on the pipestem!

Blessings from heaven......

2011-07-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

No, this is not a picture of manna coming from the skies. It is actually a very destructive hailstorm that hit our area last year....

It was amazing to see and hear! It was so loud and came so fast! (look how young Xander and Garrett look!)

Interestingly enough, it was a pocket storm. There were only a few neighborhoods hit in the area. Ours was one of them. Xander had a friend over at the time and five minutes away, where she lives, was completely untouched. Not even a dark cloud!

After the storm, the kids ran outside to show how big the hail was. After that, it was time to assess the damage. We had some hits on our cars, but our house was really hit hard.

Because we have the "vintage" aluminum siding, the hail did a lot of damage. Most of the neighborhood houses ended up getting new roofs and new siding. We weren't going to make a claim, but then were advised that we should. It was a blessing in disguise, as our siding is in really sad shape! We were trying to figure out how we were going to pay for new siding in the future. Not only did we get coverage for new siding, but also a new roof, new gutters and new siding - talk about blessings from heaven!

So, I have spent the last several months working with different contractors, getting estimates and doing research on the best options. It is a lot of time and effort and work to make the best decisions! There are so many options and pricing and people who want you to spend money! Whew! I am glad everything is over! It took so long for some of this stuff!!! Some of my meetings with the contractors were two and three hours long!! I wanted to make sure I made the best decision and did the right thing and I know it will pay off in the end.

This morning, the roofing materials were delivered to the roof. Tuesday is the big day for our new roof. Then Thursday is the day for the siding and gutters and everything else. We paid a little more money and we are getting new shutters, a new door and wrapping all the wood to prevent rot. I cannot wait to see the end result!

The house will look brand new!!!!

All the rotting wood and trim will be replaced and/or wrapped. The new door will be top of the line. I am so blessed! It is just what I have needed to move ahead with everything that has gone on this last year!

So, take a good look at the house. It will be a totally different house in a week or two! I can't wait to show you pictures!!!!!!

And wait until you see the new color of the house too......

REGROUPING.....

2011-07-08T06:11:00.000-07:00

It was a long, hard year.

After school got out, we retreated for awhile to lick our wounds and just heal from the trauma of everything.

I was exhausted.

The kids were exhausted.

I know poor Jason was exhausted.

As I came out of my stupor from everything, I decided we needed a fresh start.

I started a list a mile long with things I want to do for the house and our family. We have been in this house six years. It needs some upgrades and TLC. Some things are going to require more money than we have right now. Some things are going to be a quick fix! Be sure and check out my creative blog, www.onecreativeday.blogspot.com and www.sixdaysofmusic.blogspot.com (my primary blog) to see what keeps me busy! I am in the mood to create and get things done!

So! I am recommitting to blogging. It is good for me to journal everything. I know how much I enjoy everyone's blogs, so I am going to get back on track!

The Lord has blessed us immensely....more than I can describe in words. I am grateful for the gospel and my family, my husband and my children. I am grateful for this country. I am grateful for my talents. I am blessed!

Sunrise.....Sunset.......

2011-06-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

So, take a look at these pictures......

Just about the only way you can tell them apart is by this picture......The older brothers and the shoes. The barefoot ones are Savannah. Almost the same age, same dress and same tree. When did they get to be so tall? Wasn't it just yesterday they were small?

And, of course, the tongue sticking out adds such a nice touch!

And now, the little one with the shoes is all grown up in this picture! And the brothers are too!

0 days 'til summer

2011-06-05T18:03:00.000-07:00

School ended on Friday.

I knew the day had to come.

I tried to prepare for it.

I really tried hard to mentally get ready for it.

It didn't work......

It was a very hard day for our family.

At one point I told Jason that I just needed to leave because I couldn't control my emotions any longer. I was sobbing and I didn't need to keep torturing myself or the children.

Fourth grade is the last grade you attend in the Lower School. They make a big deal about graduating. So, Garrett went through fourth grade graduation. I would have been teary eyed on that day anyway, but knowing we weren't coming back....well, let's just say I didn't hold it together well.

I had several teachers come up to me and tell me how sad they were that my children were leaving. I had a few tell me that they were furious when they heard what was going on. I was told by every teacher that talked to me that my children are some of the most well-behaved children in the school and that should account for more than it did. The art teacher told me that she was upset that my kids were leaving and she was going to miss teaching such talented artists. She squeezed my hand and whispered, "I wish I could do something to change this, but we know I can't. Just keep them creating!" Both Spanish teachers, classroom teachers, the music teacher and others came up to me and each time it was like a knife stabbing me.

So many parents came up and hugged me and told me how much they were going to miss us. There were so many people who we love and will miss. I think that will be the hardest part!

I kept telling myself to remember that we were doing the right thing....sigh!

Anyway, it's been stressful the last eight months. Unexpected stress that has really taken its toll on my mental health and my physical health.

I'm going to try and come back to the blogging world really soon. I need to write. I need to be able to move on with life and look forward. I have been so far behind lately, that I haven't had time to move forward.

Now it's summer and we can sleep in a little bit and just hang out and go to the pool. We are going to take it easy this summer.

So, now the day has come and gone and we are all ok. Just like I knew we would be.

We are going to make it.

0 days 'til summertime.....time to start enjoying it!

Missing our cousins......

2011-06-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

We miss these guys! It was an exhausting visit and I am still catching up, but we had a great time with them and miss them! We are also very glad their daddy is home!! I promise I am going to catch up!

My dream job

2011-05-16T04:59:00.000-07:00

Here's another thing that has kept us busy the last few weeks......potty training!She's doing pretty good. It's been hard, since there are so many other distractions with three older siblings. She's in the car a lot and that makes it really hard to be consistent!

My favorite part is trying to get her underwear down and figure out how to still hold on to the dollies. She loves her baby dolls! Notice one of them is "potty training " also!

While my sister, Anna, was here, we were doing a delivery for instruments and ended up eating lunch somewhere in Maryland. We were late and lost and the kids were hungry. We were tired and hungry from so many sleepless nights.

While we were there, there were these two women watching the girls. They commented on how cute they were. We exchanged pleasantries and got on the subject of what we were doing. I explained our home-based business. I made the comment that the business was not my "dream job" but it paid the bills and my husband was good at what he did. I added, "This is my dream job." and pointed to my little Savannah.

We finished our lunch and said our good-byes. Life went on, but I kept thinking about my comment. I actually said it in passing, not really thinking about it. But ever since I uttered the words, my mind has been racing.

Being a mother really is my dream job. I always wanted to be a mom. I loved being an older sister. I loved learning domestic skills (even if I did fight you on them, mom!) and when I dreamed about my future, it always involved being a mom.

Lately, I have been doing a lot of self-reflection. My life is wonderful, but I need focus. I need to concentrate and really be a full-time mom to my kids. I need to keep saying "no" to things that take me away from time with my children. I've gotten much better about it and I have actually said "no" about 5 times this month alone!!!!

I only have a few more years with Xander and then he is gone....and then Garrett will leave....and so I am making an effort to be present in my children's lives. I may not go down in history as the greatest mother to ever live, but my children will know I love them and I will be able to look back on my life and have no regrets!

2011-05-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

I wish I could say that this is what I have been doing the last few weeks of inactivity.......Sittin' around with my sunglasses on, with nothing to do......

I am almost back! I at least got my pictures downloaded, so that is a start!

Keep checking back! There's a lot to catch up on!

2011-05-04T18:21:00.000-07:00

I've caught up to last Thursday. That's only a week behind. I will catch up! I promise!

These last two months have killed me off!

2011-04-26T17:24:00.000-07:00

It's very quiet here.

The house seems empty.

We took Auntie Anna and Maddie and Bella to the airport last night that took them home to Germany.

It was a wild two weeks.

The Four Page Diet

2011-03-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

So, my health has been giving me some troubles lately. I can't seem to shake some issues and I am feeling the effects of this and the stress we have been under the last several months.

I am not a fan of traditional medicine, as it usually involves a prescription with a list of side effects thirty miles long. So, I have opted for holistic or homeopathic routes.

It saved my life four years ago, so I know it works.

Now, before you think I am chanting and doing funky voodoo stuff, I will say that I do believe in doctors. One saved my life twelve and a half years ago when Xander was born. I just struggle with so much medication being prescribed. And I also am a firm believer in the awesome power of our bodies. We are amazing machines and as long as we are taking care of them, then they will work.

So, anyway, back to the subject....

I was miserable. I was in pain and I was not feeling well. I did a detox yesterday and was told I would be feeling "off" afterwards. I sure did! Really yucky and tired and just blah! But a good nights sleep made me feel so much better and some of my symptoms have diminished today.

I was also given the suggestion to follow what they call "the four page diet." So, I go to get the copy of the diet at the front desk and there are only three pages......yep! I am in trouble all ready! The magic answer must be on the missing page!

Anyway, it is a diet for those sensitive to yeast and molds and those suffering from some of the things I am suffering from right now.

It's a no carbohydrate diet with little or no fruit. Basically just protein and veggies.

I started last night. Today I made it through. One day down.

One thing I realized. I eat a lot of carbohydrates and a lot of fruit! The carbs weren't as bad as the fruit. I keep telling myself it is a mindset. It is a lifestyle change. It will make you feel better. It will be worth it.

Then I made the mistake of checking one of my favorite blogs and she had a recipe for chocolate chip cookies with an oreo stuffed inside....with pictures.....aaarrrgh!

Anyway, next step is walking again. It's been a long, cold winter and I need to get moving. No more excuses!

So, I will let you know how the "four page diet" works out.....and if you ask, I might even send you the recipe for the stuffed oreo cookies so you can try them and let me know how they taste!

Sigh!

2011-03-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

So, we started spring break at 3:00pm yesterday. (The boys loved saying that, so I had to put the exact time!) Last night we had a two year old throwing up. What a great way to start spring break! Sigh! It seems to never end at our house right now.

I have been thinking a lot about spring break and what I want to do. Since we have tightened our belts a lot the last couple of years, Hilton Head, South Carolina is out. (insert sad face)

Now, mind you, we live in the nation's capitol, so entertainment is not scarce. It's just that the beach is my favorite spot to just unwind. Growing up, we would bundle up and explore tide pools for hours, swim in the sub-zero Oregon coast temps until our lips were blue and we couldn't feel our toes and then build the most awesome sand castles. And then when we could feel our toes again, we would run and body surf the waves again.

And every year we went to Hilton Head, we would spend the entire week just enjoying the beauty of the sunrises, get excited when we saw dolphins and running and jumping in the waves. I would just be there, in the moment, and just enjoy everything that was going on around me. It was heaven!

I think I have convinced Jason to take a day trip to the beach. It won't be the same as a week of sand in my toes and wind in my hair, but enough to let me breathe the salty air and feel the foamy water on my legs. The kids will love it and we will build an awesome sand castle and I will be happy. I need to have a moment to just close my eyes and breathe in and out and wiggle my toes in the sand.

It's been a frustrating few months. It's been taxing on my health and my ability to deal with added stress (like a barfy two year old) and my perspective on life. I need a moment to just be. To just enjoy. To just relax and take a deep breath. To re-group and re-focus. To re-commit to myself and my God that I have the faith to make it through all of this.

I can already smell that salty air and feel the wind and hear the waves....as soon as the two year old is healthy!!!

Dancing in the Rain

2011-03-09T10:57:00.000-08:00

There is something going on with our family and I am not sure what it is. I need some kind of talisman or good luck charm because we are having a rash of frustrating things happening to us this year! My dad gave us one awhile back and I have no idea where it went. I need him to send me another one! Maybe it will help us out!

Friday, Xander came home from school and was upset. I asked him what was wrong and he told me he is being bullied by another child. He's been trying to deal with it on his own and Friday it got worse....to the point he was nervous about going to the middle school activity night because that kid was going to be there.

I talked to him calmly (while I was boiling up inside!!!!!) and we discussed what this little demon was saying to Xander. There were some pretty mean things. And that day he had specifically targeted Xander about the activity, saying that if he goes no one else will want to go and he won't want to be near him either, that Xander is a bad person and no one likes him and then told the girls near Xander not to sit next to him or that meant they were in love with him, that he will be watching him at the activity..blah! blah! blah!

It doesn't really matter what he was saying, the fact that Xander was nervous about attending an activity and had to watch his back and avoid this kid the whole time is truly classified as bullying. He said it has been going on for quite awhile.

I have been on Xander lately about his test grades and some missing homework and now it is all making sense. The poor kid is probably so stressed out! Knowing that he is moving to a new school and being bullied are very stressful on children! I immediately emailed his teachers and let them know. There is a form the kids have to fill out to report bullying so the administration can deal with it. ( I'm not sure how effective that is, but I will have to trust the administration on that one.)

One of the teachers email back today and let me know that there is another child trying to deal with this same little demon on his own and is afraid to write the referral for fear of consequences. (My thoughts exactly!) I am glad that the teachers at least know about it, but why are we waiting for referrals to deal with it?!?!?!?

We will write the referral tonight and I think I will personally deliver it to the Middle School director. That might speed up the referral process.

One of my worst fears as a mother is that one of my children becomes a target or is not liked. I remember a girl in Vale, Oregon, where I grew up. Her name was Gina. No one liked her. Everyone said that she smelled and teased her. The boys would make rude noises and comments to her. I didn't ride on the same bus as her, but one day I did and was horrified by what I saw. I was sitting with my friend, April, and I asked her if that happened every day. She said it did. After that, I remember being very upset for many days about Gina. She wasn't in my grade or class, so I didn't have a chance to see her very often, but I will always remember how bad I felt about how the other kids treated her. I didn't even think about defending her. I think I was too shocked to know what to think at the time.

I know Xander has a great group of friends, and he is not the only target, but it is still stressful to him and our family. It is still making his mom very concerned, since he is struggling with school and his self esteem. Being stressed out about the whole Garrett situation and now this has been hard. My health is delicate as it is, and I am finding I am really struggling with some issues from too much stress and worry.

So, the other stressor is Jason's job. He's worked at the school for ten years. He has gotten superior ratings at about 99 percent of his festivals and competitions. He has made the orchestra program into an amazing program. And now he is being questioned by the administration and denied programs and trips. He is being told to change grades and has refused, resulting in some bad stuff. He has been yelled at and accused of things he would never do. He admits he is not a perfect employee, but in ten years, only one person has come to observe his class. No one can tell him whether or not he is doing a good or bad job, because they have never seen him teach.

The other day he had a very disruptive child. To the point that even after reprimands, he was disruptive. Jason took him to the office and was told to learn how to deal with children with special issues better. He almost said, "Like my son, Garrett?" but he refrained. The child was back in class in two minutes and disruptive again. He went to talk to the administration again and got no support. Basically, he was told to learn how to deal with children who have different learning styles. Hmmmm.......

Anyway, it's all been frustrating and nerve-wracking and just plain ridiculous!

I know it will get better. I know Xander is stronger than his little demon bully. I know Garrett is stronger than his learning disabilities. I know what kind of teacher Jason is and how amazingly talented he is. I know we will make it through. It just makes it hard when my health becomes fragile also and I don't feel good and I have to deal with that also.

But...

Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass...

It's about learning to dance in the rain!

Two and a half!

2011-03-07T16:56:00.000-08:00

This weekend, Savannah turned two and a half....wasn't it just yesterday I was in the hospital with her holding her for the first time?

She's growing up so fast! This month she started saying, "I do it meeself!" and meaning it! She has to dress herself and walk down the stairs without help. She insists on not wearing a bib anymore. Everything has to be done HER way....or else!

She has started drawing faces and circles and recognizing her colors - yellow is her favorite - and wants to know what everything says. "What dat say mommy?" We read words all day long because she loves to put letters together.

She is my independent player. She can play with her Little People or Legos or doll babies for hours. She loves to sit in closets or under tables and play with her babies.

Her eyes are still big and brown and luscious! She gets compliments all the time on how beautiful her eyes are.

Her favorite foods are cucumbers, strawberries, pineapple, carrots, and scrambles eggs. She is a voracious eater and loves most things.

And she sings....all day long! Songs about her hair bows, songs about the puppies and the kitties. Songs about random things like cars....I love to listen to her little made up songs. And primary songs. She sings them all day long also. "Follow the Prophet" and "Sunbeam" are two favorites.

She loves her big brother, Garrett. Although, when he tries to make her do something she doesn't want to do, then she will let him have it! (look how young Garrett is!)

And Xander is so loving to her. She also can be a stinker to him when he tries to get her dressed or make her get out of the bath....sigh! Another strong-willed child in the house!

And Eleanor, she calls her "mommy" and they have their own language. It's pretty interesting sometimes to listen to them. Eleanor loves to put her on her lap and give her hugs and sing to her at night. They have a special bond.

She is also my little clown. She knows how to make everyone in the house laugh. She has a great sense of humor and loves to be silly. She is a fun little girl and we are so blessed to have her in our family!

Two and a half! Where has all the time gone?

The Day after.....

2011-03-04T04:34:00.000-08:00

An update from yesterday.....

All through my life I have heard that the Lord will answer your prayers and pick up the slack, after all you can do. Yesterday was a good example of that.

I had prepared. I had knowledgeable people coming to speak.

I had prayed and fasted and even gone to the temple for this situation.

(I cleaned and sterilized my freezer even!)

That was all I could do.

As I passed the packets about Garrett's life around to the other 10 women sitting there, I knew I had done all I could do. The last silent prayer went to heaven and we started the meeting.

It was amazing.

I had Garrett's Learning Center Specialist and his tutor come to speak about him and the struggles he faces academically. They were so professional and so well-versed.

They were also prepared with paperwork and samples and knew what words to say to convince the panel he needed more testing before he started at his new school.

Maybe I should back up a little bit.....

We are not going back to Flint Hill, the school where my children have been attending and where my husband has taught for 10 years. The school that we moved our lives and family for and have bled Flint Hill blood through hours of service and other things. The school we planned our life around to make our family life less stressful. The life we had created for our children that was working and working well, or so we thought.

It's been a long and painful, very frustrating year for us.

We were called in six weeks into school to be told Garrett was failing fourth grade. I looked at his teacher and asked why she hadn't said something (because she knew and I knew we had had several meetings about him and I specifically asked her to let me know if there was a problem!)

They had concerns. They were sorry they didn't talk to us about this sooner.

We were told their mistakes were all water under the bridge.

We were told that they should have done more, but didn't and now we need to deal with it.

Well, long story short, they don't want to work with him. They were very nice, but very calculated in their process. We asked for writing samples and benchmarks and nothing was ever presented until it was too late. And even then, those efforts were pathetic.

I was disappointed over and over again.

There are other children at the school who struggle academically. Actually, quite a few. But we were targeted for some reason.

In the end, after meetings and fasting and prayers and tears almost everyday, Jason announced to the Lower School director that we would not be coming back. Our hands were tied and they knew it. They got what they wanted and it made me very sad to see the lack of effort on their part.

It is the right decision.

We will no longer have to fight every day for Garrett to succeed in a school that doesn't want to help him. He will be successful and he will make it.

Because......

Yesterday at the meeting they approved more testing for him to qualify for services. He will get what he needs and though the fight to help him is not over, he will make it in a school that cares about him.

So, thanks to the Learning Center Specialist and his tutor, we will move forward.

The school was so impressed with our organization and our thoroughness, that they commented on it several times. The woman in charge told me that in ten years she has never had a mother pass out packets and bring such qualified people to speak on behalf of her child.

She told me that she could tell we would work with them on whatever they needed.

I assured her we would.

We created Team Garrett yesterday.

He is going to make it.

My heart is aching to leave Flint Hill, but the Lord will help us out.

After all we can do......

TODAY

2011-03-03T06:01:00.000-08:00

I have a meeting for Garrett this morning at the local elementary school he will be going to next year. I am trying hard to stay focused and not freak out.

Yesterday I ended up with a migraine headache from the stress. Today I have cleaned the entire house and organized the freezer and sterilized it.

I have an hour and twenty minutes and I am a nervous wreck.

WHY?

Because today determines whether or not he gets services for next year for his learning disabilities.

Today determines if I can breathe a little easier knowing he will be taken care of as my heart dies when I tell him he has to leave all his friends.

Today I have to tell people all the frustrations we deal with and those things have to be more important than what an amazing child he is.

Today I have to not show emotion and speak calmly, while they stare at his school performance and ask me hard questions about my little baby boy.

Today I have less than an hour to make them understand that every day of my life I am killing myself to make him successful and if they take away services, then he will struggle, because I can only do so much and I am only one person and they are many.

Today I have to separate my feelings, emotions and undying love for him and look at him from their perspective.

Today I will understand more fully the new life we have to live...not the one I have grown to live and am comfortable with, but a life that is very different.

Today I have cried tears of fear and anger and frustration and love and exhaustion.

Today I need them to feel in their hearts what an amazing child he is and how much these services will help.

Today I have to restrain myself from throwing myself on the floor and clinging to their legs, begging them to understand.

Today I have to keep telling myself it will be ok, even if it doesn't turn out the way I need it to.

BUT...

I am bringing a picture of Garrett.

A child they have never met.

A child they are already discussing without ever looking into his amazing green eyes and seeing into his soul.

I am confident about the people I have asked to come.

They are people who know him and love him and can speak without emotion.

I will have my husbands hand to hold if I cannot say the words in my heart.

Because I know, the first words that come out of my mouth will bring tears.

Sigh.....

Lavender is a lollipop and other profound thoughts on turning 40

2011-03-01T17:15:00.000-08:00

It's a real drag having my family live all over the world (literally!).

We don't get to see each other very much, and when we do, we cram three or more years into a few days of high emotion, grandchildren everywhere and a lot of re-connecting in several hours. And though I LOVE seeing my family, it's hard to just hang out and enjoy each one.

So, when the opportunity presented itself (thank you to my sweet husband for giving up his miles) I took it and flew to Arizona to surprise my brother for his fortieth birthday.

His wife, Stephanie, and I are both busy moms, so we only talked twice on the phone and I sent her an email that came through cryptic, so there was NO WAY he could have known I was coming......oh, yeah!

Of course, the minute I arrived, we started getting ready for the party the next day. I was dubbed "poster girl" and set out making all sorts of posters and signs and fun things to hang up for the party....

My two cute nieces, Katie and Lizzie, were great helpers!

And I, being the most awesome of sisters, brought him lavender lollipops!!!

For some reason, this song, "Lavender is a Lollipop" has been a family joke for years. Probably because it was one of the few songs my brother could play on the piano. It is in a book about colors and all the songs have these funny poem like songs we used to sing.

So, the color purple starts out..."Lavender is a lollipop" and he used to play it over and over again. Over the years, it just became funny.

So, I bring the lollipops. Stephanie's grandma is over for dinner and we decide that when Ray gets home, the kids will run up to him and say, "Dad! Look what came today!" and hand him the present. Inside are the lollipops.

I was hiding around the corner until he started opening them (you can see Katie looking at me!)

He never looked up once, so I snapped a picture.....

Yep! He was surprised!

And happily surprised....

You could tell he had no clue....

Happy Surprise birthday, Ray! (I even wore my lavender sweater for the lollipop effect!)

So, this has to be one of my favorite pictures of the weekend! Stephanie with a million balloons around her. She is an amazing sister-in-law. We had so much fun getting ready for the party and thinking of funny things to write and just hanging out. Of all the sister-in-laws in the world, she is the bestest ever!

So, one of the best signs we made was Ray's head with his mullet cut out to hang over the dress shirt. The sign says "Just like my high school haircut...business in the front and party in the back!"

He dubbed it the "AWESOME" party.

I have to admit, he is an awesome brother, because he was such a great student. I taught him well. Then he married Stephanie and he really became AWESOME!

We made signs about his life and hung them up all over the backyard. People loved it. They were reading the signs and commenting on them and laughing and really enjoying them. His favorite color is red, so the balloons were red, the signs all had red in them, etc.

A great spread of his favorite foods included wings, veggies, butterscotch cookies and candy.

Lizzie and Katie made the cutest sign. Grandma Annie sent pictures and notes and then they decorated it. It turned out so adorable!

Then, of course, we had to have the shrine to the awesome birthday boy!!!

And his shirt says it all...."This is what AWESOME looks like"

Johnnie also has the same shirt and he was in charge of the popcorn. I was so impressed with him. He is a great kid! He helps out, he is responsible, kind to his sisters and family, funny and just a great person to be around. And, that night at the party, he was really popular because he was running the popcorn machine. Everyone loved the popcorn!

And this is truly what awesome looks like.....Stephanie!

She's the best and she put together the most awesome of awesome parties! Poor thing, she was exhausted afterwards, but people were raving about how fun the party was. She was the hostess with the mostest! Not to mention how beautiful and talented she is in other ways also.

Not only that, but she really does make Ray awesome! They are a great couple and have so much going for them. I loved being able to spend time with them.

My cousin, Christian, and his family came. I haven't seen them in several years and it was fun to give them a big hug and see some of their children.

And Stephanie's grandma, Grandma Peterson. She is amazing. I spent a lot of time talking to her and then was able to spend more time at several family functions that weekend. She is a grand lady, for sure!

Ray spent most of the night making balloons for the kids. They loved it. He is very well-loved by his ward family. There were a lot of people who came because they love their bishop and he loves them.

Sunday, February 20th, was Ray's actual birthday. It was stake conference and it rained. He was thrilled. It was nice and cool that day, almost chilly, and he told his kids that was the best present, to have a cool day with rain. Here's the cute family outside their church.

And Lizzie, always the ham, dressed up in the shrine paraphenalia and strutted her stuff for us!

We had cheesecake to celebrate his awesomness turning 40.

Just a note, I was with him in his final hours of being 39 and it was amazing the deterioration that happened overnight. Some drooling, but mostly just OLD! I think he'll make it, but it's definitely taken its toll.

Lizzie leading him in for the big surprise.....

Singing "Happy Birthday to you..."

Making a wish....

Lizzie helping him blow out the candles....

Then licking the candles....

This cutie, Katie, was so fun to hang around. We did her hair and it turned out so cute! She is fun and just an amazing young lady. I was very impressed with all the kids how they are just really great children. You can tell that Ray and Steph and fabulous parents. It was fun to just sit and observe the whole weekend.

Monday evening we went to one of Stephanie's brother's houses for a family home evening. Steph is one of ten children. Here are her sisters and sisters-in-law. How awesome would it be for our family to be able to see each other this much!

Her mom and dad left the day after I did for their mission in Africa, so they had an amazing Family Home Evening lesson by Grandpa Martineau and had pizza and cheesecake and even adult conversation....it made me miss our family reunion this summer! And to think they can get together on a regular basis!

Here's all the adults and some kids at the very end....what a great family!

And what a great family I have also. It was so great to sit and talk to Ray and discuss important topics and just be around him. He and I have always been close and being there made me realize how awesome my brother really is...

You can't see it, but his shirt says "I'm just one big freaking Ray of sunshine!" One of the ward members gave it to him....so, to my one big freaking Ray of sunshine awesome brother....Happy Birthday and I love you!

The Day Family Chamber Players

2011-02-26T18:26:00.000-08:00

Jason and his family will be donating their musical talents for an upcoming Gala at the elementary school they all went to - Hollin Meadows. In return, they are getting some free publicity! I was chosen to be their photographer.

Here's Jason and his sisters, Jessica (r) and Alicia (l).....

I took this cute one of his parents - just like the one I did of my mom and stepdad this summer.
This is one of my favorites.....It would look good on the postcard I am creating for distribution.
And I love this one of just them.....
So, there they are! It will be interesting to see which picture they choose to use!

My Valentine Princess

2011-02-16T06:33:00.000-08:00

E L E A N O R

This little girl is something else. She has grown up so much and is amazing. She is still very intense and can be exhausting at times, but I am really enjoying her right now. Her personality is very social and engaging. Her teachers LOVE her. She has a million friends at school and loves learning. She is reading now and devours books. She is writing every word she can think of to write and spells everything. She hates to sound it out and will only write it if it is written perfectly - of course!

She still loves to dress up and play with her baby dolls. She draws better than I did at her age and her attention to detail is amazing. She has started to organize everything. Her doll clothes are all neatly folded, her babies all lined up in the crib, her jewelry and make up in special boxes. I, of course, am encouraging it! I want her to be a neat freak like her mom!

I made her and Savannah Valentine dresses and she loved hers!

( Savannah wasn't in the mood for pictures because she was without a nap from 1:00pm church!)

She twirled and danced and twirled all day long in that dress! I 'm glad she liked it!

What a cute little Valentine sweetheart! I love you, Eleanor!!!!

Our Family Christmas Service Project 2010

2011-02-10T18:45:00.000-08:00

I don't know why I didn't take more pictures of our service project this year. Maybe because it was a little hectic around Christmas time. But, it was successful. We donated a huge plastic bin full of food and toys and our family made the heart pillows. Jason's students brought the food and the toys and put a handprint on the wall for every donation. The winner got a $25.00 gift certificate to Chipotle.The heart pillows are used for children who are removed from their parents for various reasons. Inside the little pocket, they place a toy or book for the child. The kids had a great time making them and I hope, in some way, I am teaching them good things.
We took everything over the first part of January. We got a really nice thank you note from the Assistance League thanking us for being so generous. Warm fuzzies!

You can never have too much P.I.N.K!!!

2011-02-07T17:07:00.000-08:00

The other day I was talking to my mom on the phone and this cutie pie came along.......the cape is one my mom made for Xander and Garrett a million years ago, but as you can see, it is still loved!

By the time I got the camera, the sunglasses and the tiara were off, but I still couldn't resist!

I started laughing and my mom told me to take the picture....so this one is for you, Mom!

This little girl is growing up so fast! I can't believe how time is flying! She makes my heart sing and I can't believe I can love a little girl so much.

The last few months have been very stressful for our family. Some unexpected trials and situations that are wearing on us. But, it's pictures like these, that make every day worthwhile!

Here are my two little princesses.....

I L.O.V.E. this picture!

Then, we have 5 year old diva girl, who loves to pose for the camera.....

Notice the eye shadow, compliments of her big sister! She calls it "maycop" in the cutest little two year old voice in the world.

Not unlike her older sister, she likes to pose for the camera also.

Complete with a performance and a dance and a song!

Another day we had to match our baby dolls...

I love it when they learn how to wink.....

Savannah loves her dolly, Flower!

Truly, I never thought I would be so happy as a mother to these two little girls. I look at these two little girls and it reminds me of all the great memories I have with my sisters. I hope they have just as good of memories someday too!

The Mongolian Hair Cutting Party

2011-02-05T19:12:00.000-08:00

Jason's sister, Alicia, married a man from Mongolia. It is the custom to not cut the boy's hair until they are either three or five years old. Time in the womb is counted as part of that time. Their two boys are just at the right age to be able to do both of them at the same time.

It is a big deal in Mongolia, like a right of passage. So, here we are posing as the guinea pigs for the photographer. She was trying to find a good background for the family picture.....

Here's the other background......

We didn't mind because we got some good pictures of the family and I got this cute one of my girls and me! I love Eleanor's smile in this picture!

And here is the family picture....

The yurt centerpieces.....

This is Charlotte and Charlotte. They have been friends since they were only a year old. She flew out for the party. We went out to dinner with her the night she came and they bought these cute matching sweaters at Talbot's. They look darling!

Xander's former principal. Alicia works at the school Xander used to go to and Sharon and I have stayed in contact all these years! She was shocked to see how TALL Xander was!

Savannah watching the hair cutting......

First, they put their hair in a ponytail and then dad cut the ponytail off. They put it in a special bag to save forever. Here is Jay cutting Zorig's hair.

There's the ponytail and now dad is cutting Buuvei's hair.

Buuvei was a lot less cooperative than Zorig. They had a hard time getting him to sit still!

Once the ponytail was gone, they let the cousins cut some of the hair.

Then it was time for the BIG hair cut.....shaving their head!

I love this picture of Zorig! He looks so grown up now!

(By the way, that is face paint on his face, not war paint or anything having to do with the ceremony!)

Next was Buuvei and he had to be held down by both parents and he was NOT happy!

I can't believe how different they look! I didn't get a good after shot of both of them, as they were running around. It was an interesting experience and one my kids won't ever forget!

Follow your dreams....and make them heard!!!!

2011-02-04T11:47:00.001-08:00

My sister, Anna, has started a new blog. She is amazing! She is a writer and a good one. I always have my husband send his business stuff to her, after I have checked it out, to proofread and give a real opinion. Because she is that good!

She writes stories and poems and all sorts of good stuff. She can make me cry when I read her blog and laugh and want to be a better person. She is just plain talented when it comes to that stuff!

Anyway, she started a blog about father's rights. It's going to burn up the internet, I tell you! And that's exactly what it needs to do! People need to share their stories and be heard. People need to know it is not always the dad who is the "bad guy" in a situation.

As a former social worker, I saw many dads just trying to do the best they could and have the courts almost laugh at them when they wanted rights. And also saw dads who really were dead beats. I saw children beg to see their dads and I fought for some of those dads and lost. So, I know some of the pain also, which is why I love that she has started this blog. I can help and I can comment and I can be a part of this new informational movement!

She has wanted to get involved and try and "change the world" with this subject for a long time. She has experience in it, as a child of divorce and as a step-mom. She is very fair from the beginning, as you will read, about what the blog is about.

So, I want her to know, that I am proud of her for following her dreams.....and making them heard at the same time!!!!! Go Anna!

Her blog is fathersfightforrights.blogspot.com - so go check it out and make your voice be heard!

The meanest babysitter.....

2011-01-24T17:42:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up, I did a lot of babysitting. I babysat pretty much every weekend and even gave my money to my parents to buy groceries, we were that poor, sometimes. I was in demand and I liked to do it.

I like to think I was a good babysitter, despite the horror stories my sisters and cousins will tell you of making them run around the house for being too noisy. What they don't tell you, is that I babysat them once a month for about three days straight, when their parents and my parents would just "take off" and party for the entire weekend. And when summertime came, I was the "chosen one" to watch all the cousins all day long while the moms canned and cooked and did all the motherly things. A lot of babysitting....I was pretty much their second mother at times! So, when they complain, they just don't remember everything....

And, they don't tell you about the cool dance parties we had and the sugar cookies we decorated and all the pictures I drew them to color....no, just the mean cousin/sister making them run around the house!

Let me introduce you to another mean babyitter......Emily.

She's a hockey player and she doesn't take crap from anyone! And that's why she is MY children's babysitter!

Her dad is in the military and her mom works at a department store and does hair on the side. They are wonderful and so cute, as you can see, sitting together eating cake!

Yes, this mean babysitter can handle Eleanor...and that makes her amazing!

She was their second mother this fall when we were so busy with the Day Violins business. She picked them up from school, taught them Lady Gaga songs, did homework with them, listened to them talk about their day and their friends and their concerns, fixed dinner and got them ready for bed. And she became the neighbors babysitter too, so we would "fight" over her and schedule her in advance, she was that popular with the neighbors!

So, when Emily turned 18 on the 18th, we decided to have an "I love Emily" party.

Did I mention she has a 4.75 GPA, takes college chemistry twice a week for fun, is being considered for the Naval Academy, WestPoint and Penn State, is the Editor for the school newspaper, one of the top players of the hockey team, drop dead gorgeous, plays the violin and is fun to be around? She comes to all the kids birthday parties, comes to their games and loves them unconditionally. AND doesn't let them get away with anything! I am so bummed she is graduating! I need to clone her!

Thank you Emily for everything! We hope you had a great birthday!

Eleanor's got a new man......

2011-01-17T17:43:00.000-08:00

Eleanor has a new man in her life....yeah, I know! She's only five, but he came highly recommended. I have to admit, he's really cute.

Not very tall and has a hairy chest, but so does my husband.

And I have a serious crush on my husband!

Anyway, she brought him home to meet the family and spend the weekend. We all fell in love with him......

Meet Estuardo

She introduced him to all her friends and they got along famously....

She and Savannah woke up Saturday morning and played all day long with Estuardo.....

She wanted "ballerina hair" for the day, so we curled and crimped and made her the prettiest ballerina around!

Estuardo was the perfect gentleman. He never complained and did everything Eleanor wanted him to do. Since it was her half birthday, they celebrated at school and all her classmates made her a birthday book.

Look how happy Estuardo is to be reading the book with her!

She may be a handful, but she really is one amazing little girl!

This one is pretty darned cute, too!

Later on, they built a fort out of ALL the blankets in the house and ALL the kitchen chairs.....

Then they turned the living room into a movie theatre and watched one of our favorites, "Finding Nemo"

Sunday morning, Estuardo told us he wanted to go to church, so he sat very reverently in the front of the primary room and learned the songs with the children.

It's kind of a bummer he has to go away tomorrow. Eleanor understands. He will be missed, of course, but she knows he needs to go.

We've grown quite attached to him, but he has other adventures to experience.

Thanks Estuardo and come back again soon!

The power of Prayer

2011-01-14T19:12:00.000-08:00

I am a firm believer in prayer.

I am always amazed at how much my faith grows when I have a prayer answered. And I have had many answered......

So I have made it a point to teach my children about prayer.

When I hear of a situation in someone's life, I talk to my children about praying for them.

And, when that prayer is answered, we rejoice and I bear my testimony about the power of prayer.

And even when the situation doesn't turn out like we wanted it to, we talk about how Heavenly Father has a greater plan for all of us.

Since I am not rich and my family lives all over the world, sometimes prayer is my only way to help them. And I have such wonderful friends, the least I can do is pray for them!

Some people get prayed about almost every prayer, like Uncle John serving our country and having to be away from his family. And, of course, the prophet and missionaries get the daily prayers.

Some of the things we have been praying about lately have all turned out positive.

One of them was my mom and her hip surgery. She got a lot of prayers. And fasting. And more prayers. Last time I talked to her, things were going better than the doctor expected. That is truly and answer to prayers. I can't describe how my heart swells when I hear my little ones and the bigger ones saying, "Bless Grama Annie..." because I know THEIR prayers are not just hitting the ceiling. They are soaring to the heavens and their little pleas are touching God's heart and he can't help but answer their prayers for their grandma.

My sister, Eliza, has a son, Marrick, who did NOT want to go to primary his first week. So, in family council, I mentioned to the kids that we needed to pray for Marrick to want to go to primary. Every day, every prayer, included Marrick. And, though he still needed some extra attention to go, he went and he even folded his arms in the halls going to class the very next week! Small victory=prayers answered.

And just a few days ago, I got an email from a friend who has breast cancer and was going through a double mastectomy and exploratory surgery for some other possible cancerous areas. My kids don't remember her, though they have met her. I told them about her and we started praying. Several weeks later, just before the surgery, I saw her at a birthday party. I told her my children were praying for her. She got very emotional and thanked me. We took some pictures together and I showed the children who she was. Now they can place a name with a face when they pray.

The email stated that every thing went well and they found no cancerous areas. She is recovering quickly and feels wonderful! Her email made me emotional and I thanked her for the opportunity to tell my children that their prayers were answered.

And a situation that has been plaguing our family lately has started to resolve itself.

It's been a hard one.

One that has made me cry for days.

One that has my husband and I awake until the late hours of the night, sometimes in a heated discussion about what is best for our family.

One that has made me wonder why prayers five years ago were answered that way they were. But weeks of fasting and prayers and we are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. Research, interviewing, contemplation and tenacity are the only way this one is going to be answered.

And it is one that leaves you wondering why two choices can both be good, though in the end, one will be better, but how do I know?

So, I am grateful for trials and miracles that enables me to teach my children gospel principles and to strengthen their testimonies...and mine.

May God bless you all and remember, we are praying for you! :)

Having a Quack Attack!

2011-01-10T17:56:00.000-08:00

So, for the BCS National Championship Bowl, we decided to show who we were voting for....OREGON! The kids designed their own t-shirts and then we used freezer paper to make the shirts. I posted the "how to" on my creative blog, www.onecreativeday.blogspot.com, if you really want to know how to make these super easy and super cute shirts.

This is how Eleanor dressed to paint her shirt....I made her put a big, old t-shirt over the top!

The boys hurried up and did the dishes so they could design their shirts....

Garrett chose a vintage design. I think it turned out awesome!

We made Savannah's perfect for a two year old....

Xander made his all by himself. He did a fantastic job. He loved it that is almost cryptic!

Sportin' our new duds!

Eleanor had to have cheerleader hair all day, so when she came home and changed out of her uniform, she could immediately be ready with her shirt!

baby QUACK!

Diva QUACK!

And, after eating all green and yellow food for dinner, this was our dessert!

So, even if they don't win, we at least had a great time and showed our Oregon spirit!

The National Junior League Cotillion Winter Ball

2011-01-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

Many years ago, before I married Jason, there was a guy in my ward who approached me about buying a franchise call the Junior Cotillion. It's basically etiquette classes and dance classes. Most people have heard of the "coming out" balls for the southern belles, well, this is the pre-cursor for that.

Anyway, I told him I wasn't in a position to do that and he ended up selling it to my friend, Marilyn Wellington. She has since made it into a fantastic program. I think it is a wonderful program and I signed Xander up to do it. He actually thought it would be fun, which thrilled me!

So, last night was the Winter Ball. There were to be no dates (which I liked) and they were going to practice all the dances and etiquette they had learned so far.....

So, here is my twelve year old looking VERY grown up! And no, that is not our mantle...my friends just bought this GORGEOUS house and we used their house as the backdrop!

His good friends and twins, Angela and David on the beautiful staircase.....

Everyone looked so good! Angela had her hair done and had the most beautiful silver dress on! The boys looked so handsome in their ties.....

Hmmmmm.....who shall we dance with this evening?!?!?

We just need some sunglasses!

And a token picture with mom!

My friend, Marilyn, asked me to be a chaperone and help with the corsages and boutonnieres, so I got to take some pictures too! Each boy was assigned a girl and they escorted them into the room and introduced them to the receiving line. Xander was asked to escort one of his friends from school, Lillian. She looked so pretty!

Then they had to seat them at the table and wait for instructions.

They had learned three dances...the waltz, the foxtrot and the cha cha.

Xander was lucky to be paired up with one of his good friends, Stephanie. She looked so pretty!

Uhmmm...is that MY son dancing with a girl and having a good time??!?!??

They did have a good time and they did a great job. Afterwards, we went to Olive Garden and fed them. This is the last picture I took. I think they were done with me taking pictures!

I can't believe Xander is old enough for all this social stuff! It's bittersweet. He's growing up so fast and such a great kid! I am very lucky to be his mom! And the good thing is, he won't be doing the "deacon shuffle" at the stake dances! He'll be able to actually DANCE and feel confident about himself!

My last FIRST HAIRCUT!

2011-01-08T18:57:00.000-08:00

Poor Savannah and Mom were really sick over winter break....we caught something wicked and it knocked us out for a few days. One morning, I was fixing Savannah's hair and her hair kept getting knots in it. I had been meaning to cut it for some time, but just hadn't had the time. So, the pictures are with her not feeling the greatest.....

I love how cute it turned out! I cut over 5 inches off her hair, mostly the baby fine stuff that was getting the knots in it.

Notice the awesome new bedding I got as a Christmas present on super deee duper clearance!

She's such a sweet little girl and her hair is thick like her sister, Eleanor.

Kind of sad to give my last first haircut.

Love you baby girl, Savannah!

Just having one of those days......

2011-01-07T11:49:00.000-08:00

Why is it that the right thing to do is sometimes the hardest one to accept?

And why does God want a major decision made when I can barely keep up with the laundry?

I know I shouldn't be complaining, but I am.

Just because I am having one of those days.....

2011-01-06T16:30:00.000-08:00

This new year has been a little bit hard for me. Maybe it was because I was really sick for the two weeks the kids and dad were off and now that they are back, I am reeling from the laundry and the clutter and the overwhelming feeling that I haven't even started my resolutions......phfft!

Of course, it may be that my resolutions are the same ones they have been EVERY year since I was eleven.....get in shape, lose weight, read my scriptures more......that's 30 years of the same resolutions! I'm obviously a S-L-O-W learner!

Plus, I struggle with my health a lot still. Some good days and some bad days. It's hard and frustrating. I don't get a lot done some days and I feel bad. My husband works so hard and I feel like I should be doing more. But I have to keep reminding myself to take it one day at a time! Sigh!

Today, though, my sister's blog put a lot into perspective. Her husband, John, has been deployed for seven months. That's a long time to be without your husband, especially, when he is as great as John is! Plus, living in Germany, away from family, with two children, one a difficult step-daughter. She is amazing. I cried when I read her post. It made me realize how much I take for granted, especially my freedom. So, hats off to her and all the military families who endure and sacrifice every day so we can live in a land of freedom. God Bless them all!

My little Divas....

2011-01-02T16:59:00.000-08:00

So, it is Winter Break (yeah, they don't call it Christmas vacation around these here parts!)

Anyway, it's time off from school and this is what my daughters look like every day. Hair fixed, dressed to the nines in boots and all sorts of fancy pants....me? Pretty much in sweats everyday.

I've got to hand it to Eleanor, though. She is a fashion diva. She ALWAYS looks good and put together! She takes care of her clothes, she loves to look good. She loves to wear lipgloss and perfume. She is my little diva, but I sure Love these little girls!

"I got underwear from the monkeys!"

2010-12-29T18:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas was wonderful! It was so fun and it was a good Christmas. We are so blessed. We are so fortunate to have what we have and the children we have. I cannot think of a better Christmas present than to have these things with me every day. I am so grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the Saviour's birth also.

Opening presents was hilarious. Growing up, I never received anything from my parents. Lest you think they were cheap, we always got creative gifts.....like my sister, Eliza. She got a present from "Rocky," her kindergarten heartthrob for years! My other sister, Anna, scored something every year from the New Kids on the Block and my brother, Ray, always had something special from the cheerleaders. It was fun. It made the present fun, even if it was just a pair of socks.

So, I have adopted the tradition with our family. We got great things this year. The "Bum-wrap guy" gave Garrett some seriously cool bum wraps, Xander got new socks from his new church shoes. Eleanor got a "new to her" purse from Fancy Nancy that never leaves her side now. Everyone from the fourth grade girls to Batman to Mozart to Frosty the Snowman gave us gifts.

So, as Eleanor was talking to her Grandma Day on the phone, she exclaimed, "I got underwear from the monkeys!" You could tell there was some serious confusion on the other end. I started laughing, laughing until tears rolled down my face and my stomach hurt. Listening to her trying to explain over and over again that the cheerleader monkeys gave her underwear just about did me in!
Savannah LOVED unwrapping presents! She would toss the paper in the air and squeal at the box! It made me remember the year my youngest sister, Emma, got a box of Cheerios, and hugged them to her chest and squealed, "CHEERIOS!" Loved every minute of Savannah's unwrapping!

And to make the morning magic, we got snow for about an hour! It was gone in another hour, but it made the morning so magical!
This is my favorite picture of Christmas....the new winter hat and bum wraps so we can get on the potty train....
The children were allowed to ask for two things from Santa. Their Santa presents were sitting near their stockings and they all got just what they asked for....after everything was opened, I told the kids to look on the tree and see if there was anything else....nothing.....really?...nothing....REALLY?!?!?!?...oh, just this plain envelope, Mom...here you go. I told them to open it up and see what was inside.....A treasure hunt!
It took them all over the house, to the mailbox....
Looking through books......
Finding them in cupboards.....
And trying to decipher the next clue.....

Finally, the last clue told them to sing to their dad some Christmas carols....they didn't start out so well.....
They got the hang of it and sang louder.....
And louder....down on their knees.....
Singing with gusto and pleading for that last present promised in the clues.....
Then a hug and a kiss.....
And they got their iPods they asked for on their list.....
I remember those were some of my favorite Christmas presents. I got a 1984 National Championship BYU sweatshirt that I desperately wanted! One year we got radios, another year it was an envelope of money. Great memories and now my kids will always remember the year they got their iPods.
We celebrated with Christmas turkey and I had the boys set the table - we are practicing good manners and etiquette. They almost got it perfect. We taught them how to toast. That was interesting! Eleanor LOVED the idea and we were toasted all afternoon! You would not believe what she came up with, but since we told them it was rude to not acknowledge a toast, we toasted! ( We also told her that one toast was sufficient, but she didn't listen to that part!)
Jason's Aunt and Uncle sent the kids special presents this year. We went to visit them over the summer and we had a great time. They are so generous to us! The kids loved their new BYU gear!
We even had to dress our dollies up in matching clothes to get our picture taken.....
And the tutu's great Grandma Brown sent were also a huge hit! We love pink and fluffy at our house!
We hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas, surrounded by loved ones and may you have a fabulous New Year filled with possibilities and blessings to you and your family!

Terror in a Mother's Heart

2010-12-26T18:21:00.000-08:00

Tonight I was planning on posting the Christmas pictures, but we had a little incident......we lost Xander. I know, I know, I know! He's twelve, wears a size 9.5 shoe, has a deep voice and towers over me now, but we managed to lose him....or actually, he got lost.

Everyone has been dying for it to snow and this afternoon, we got enough coming down that the kids wanted to go out an play in it for awhile. After a while, Garrett and Eleanor come in with Xander and he tells me he wants to stay out and play. I told him that was fine. Well, at dinnertime, he wasn't inside. Jason was leaving to go home teaching, so I told him to go get him. He wasn't outside. He wasn't inside. His boots weren't in the garage which meant he was outside somewhere. I told Jason to go ahead and sit down to eat. The other day, Xander took a walk around the pond in the snow and I figured that's where he'd gone. The problem is, is that while we were eating, it started to get dark and he wasn't coming home. So Jason went out in his car to find him. After he'd been gone for about 15 minutes without any luck, I decided to go look where you couldn't see him from the road.

I am usually a pretty calm person about stuff like this and Xander is a very responsible child. But, I started getting the panicky terror feeling when we still couldn't find him after another half an hour. Silent prayers became pleadings and the tears started to fall. I was terrified, not to mention freezing (it's about 20 degrees tonight) and worried about Xander who'd been out for about three and a half hours by now.

It was beautiful outside and the earth was so white. Everything was so quiet, except for my calling his name every few minutes. I wasn't sure what to think. I kept telling myself not to worry, that he was a big boy, that he would be fine, but as the minutes ticked by and I was feeling the chill to my bones, I was starting to get a terror chill in my heart.

Right about the time I was ready to go home and call the police, Jason called and told me Xander showed up. He'd gone for a walk and gotten lost and couldn't redirect himself in the snow without seeing landmarks and then it got dark, but had finally managed to find his way back.

I said a silent prayer and started through the woods to home. I started thinking about this incident. I only have six years left with him at home. Pretty much everything I can teach him is done. He's at the age, where peers and outside influences are getting more powerful than my words. I can still influence him in some things, but he is very independent and can make most decisions on his own now.

The fact that he towers over me and his voice changed literally overnight just makes me more aware that I am starting the process of letting go - - - - and it really makes my heart ache.

I couldn't ask for a better son. He's responsible, smart, handsome, compassionate and helps out with his siblings all the time. He is so talented on the flute and loves to learn and read. He's well-liked in school and is fun to be around. I like him. Like my dad always says, "you always love your children, but it's really nice when you LIKE them too!"

Anyway, he turned twelve last month and I never posted his birthday party pictures. I let him invite several of his closest friends over for some homemade pizza, games, etc. We had so much fun!
On a side note, we have the best babysitter...her name is Emily. She came to his party! She came to Eleanor's and Savannah's too. She is just plain C.O.O.L! She's a hockey player - one of the best women players in the US, editor of the school newspaper, 4.7 GPA and just got nominees to West Point, the Naval Academy and Penn State. Yeah, and she's BEAUTIFUL and funny and doesn't take Eleanor's crap - which is the real reason I love her!

So, not the best picture of her, but she is just too cool not to mention! So, I had a great spread for the kids to munch on before the pizza. They didn't touch it! Maybe a nibble. But, when the pizza came out, it was all over! The pizza couldn't cool fast enough. Oh, well! Next time I will know better!
That's ok! I ate the munchies food. I even splurged on strawberries, so we couldn't let that go to waist! I mean, waste!We had the kids decorate their own cupcakes - huge hit! They loved that! The more sugar you can pile on, the better, eh?

We also had the kids design their own shirts. I used freezer paper for them to make their stencil. They also loved that too, but there were too many shirts. Next time, that will be for a smaller or outside group. I was cleaning up fabric paint for weeks!
The shirts, however, were so stinking cute! Some of them really did a great job!

Some of them required a lot of help also, but in the end, they were all happy and they all looked so cute and Xander wears his shirt all the time, so I guess it was worth it!!!
It was a great party and everyone had fun. We've even had requests for another party like that where they can just hang out...if I just had a bigger house with a basement....oh, well! Xander had a blast and that's the most important thing!
And so, my little wake up call this evening was really good. After we were all calm, we watched the new Joseph Smith movie on the DVD Gramma Annie sent us for Christmas. As we watched Joseph ride his horse away to Carthage and see all the people he loved for the last time, we were all in tears. I watched my twelve year old son wipe tears from his eye and I realized that I must have done something right for him to be able to feel the spirit at that moment.

I hope Xander knows how much I love him. I hope he knows how blessed I feel to be his mom and I hope he knows how amazingly blessed I feel tonight to have another night with him! I love you, Xander! Thank you for being an amazing son!

Family Reunion Memories....

2010-12-18T18:29:00.000-08:00

I've been missing my family lately. There's been some stuff going on and some unexpected stress and I just wish I could go hang out with them and talk some of this out and let the kids play and just be together!

I have a great family....

We can all dance....

We have been blessed with great insight.....

We know how to fight a good fight....

And still remain friends.....

We can laugh at ourselves.....

And show emotion when needed....

Even though we can be a little fruity......

We've been taught good table manners.....

And we are o.k. with who we are.....

Yes, my family is the best and I love them so much! I am grateful for family reunions to help us remember how much we need each other, even when there is a lot going on and we struggle.

I hate that we live so far away from each other......

I hope they know how much I really love them and miss them....

And how sad I am that these cousins don't get to grow up together....

Even though they are still best of friends when they are together....

And make great memories every time they see each other....

I am especially grateful that my little two year old, when looking at the Christmas cards can pick out her little cousin and says, "Beebee Hayeee!" and points to her picture about a million times a day, because she knows her and remembers her!

And I am really grateful that since the family reunion, I've been able to give my Dad more hugs, talk, laugh and skype several times! Thanks, dad! I love hearing from you!

So, even though we only get together every three years...and the cousins grow up too fast....

It's my wonderful siblings that I am so blessed to have.

We are so different, and yet, I love each of them so much!

Yes, even these two!

Thanks family, for all the great memories of the family reunion. It made us stronger and taught us a lot. I hope you all have a great holiday season and that you know how much I love you! Lick kisses from your big sis!

A Christmas Story

2010-12-14T08:37:00.000-08:00

My former roommate always sends a Christmas story with her cards and family letter. This year's story really got to me. We read it last night for Family Home Evening. We discussed why we do our service project. We talked about how most of their friends are going to get A LOT for Christmas, but we will be doing something for someone else....well, let me just share the story.....

New York City, is impressive at any time, but as Christmas approaches, it's overwhelming. Store windows blaze with light and color, furs and jewels. Golden angels, 40 feet tall, over Fifth Avenue. Wealth, power, opulence - nothing in the world can match this fabulous display.

Through gleaming canyons, people hurry to find last-minute gifts. Money seems to be no problem. If there's a problem, its' that the recipients so often have EVERYTHING they need or want and it's hard to find something suitable, anything that really says, "I love you!"

Last December, as Christ's birth drew near, a stranger was faced with just that problem. She had come from Switzerland to live in an American home and perfect her English. In return, she was willing to act as secretary, mind the grandchildren, do anything she was asked. She was just a girl in her late teens. Her name was Ursula.

One of the tasks of her employers gave Ursula was keeping track of Christmas presents as they arrived. There were many, and they would all require acknowledgement. Ursula kept a faithful record, but with growing concern. She was grateful to her American friends; she wanted to show her gratitude by giving them Christmas present. But nothing she could buy with her small allowance could compare with the gifts she was recording daily. Besides, even without these gifts, it seemed as if her employers had everything.

At night, from her window, Ursula could see the snowy expanse of Central Park, and beyond it the jagged skyline of the city. Far below, in the restless streets, taxis hooted and traffic lights winked red and green. It was so different from the silent majesty of the Alps, that at times she had to blink back tears of homesickness she was careful to never show.

It was in the solitude of her room, as few days before Christmas, that a secret idea came to her.

It was almost as if a voice spoke clearly to her. "It's true that many people in this city have so much more than you, but surely there are many who have far less. If you think about this, you will find a solution to what is troubling you."

Ursula thought long and hard.

On her day off, which was Christmas Eve, she went to a great department store. She moved slowly along the crowded isles, selecting and rejecting things in her mind.

At last, she bought something, and had it wrapped in gaily colored paper. She went out into the gray twilight and looked helplessly around. Finally, she went up to a doorman, resplendent in blue and gold. "Excuse me please," she said in her hesitant English, "can you tell me where to find a poor street?"

"A poor street, Miss?" said the puzzled man.

"Yes, a very poor street. The poorest in the city."

The doorman looked doubtful. "Well, you might try Harlem. Or down in the Village. Or the Lower East Side, maybe."

But these names meant nothing to Ursula. She thanked the doorman and walked along, threading her way through the stream of shoppers until she came to a tall policeman.

"Please, can you direct me to a poor street...in Harlem?"

The policeman looked at her sharply and shook his head. "Harlem's no place for you, miss." And he blew his whistle an sent the traffic whirling past.

Holding her package carefully, she walked on, head bowed against the sharpness of the winter wind. If a street looked poorer than the one she was on, she took it. But none seemed like the slums she had heard about.

Darkness came sifting from the sky. Ursula was cold and discouraged and afraid of becoming lost. She came to an intersection and stood forlornly on the corner. What she was trying to do suddenly seemed foolish, impulsive and absurd. Then, through the traffic's roar, she heard the cheerful tinkle of a bell. On the corner opposite, a Salvation Army man was making his holiday tradition appeal by ringing the bell.

At once, Ursula felt better. The Salvation Army was part of life in Switzerland, too. Surely this man could tell her what she wanted to know. She waited for the light, then crossed the street.

"Can you help me? I'm looking for a baby. I have a present for the poorest baby I can find." She held the package with the green ribbon and gaily wrapped paper up for him to see.

Dressed in gloves and an overcoat too big for him, he seemed a very ordinary man. But, behind the steel rimmed glasses, his eyes were kind. He looked at Ursula and stopped ringing the bell.

"What sort of present?"

"A little dress. For a small, poor baby. Do you know one?"

Oh, yes. More than one, I am afraid."

"Is it far away? Could I take a taxi there?"

The Salvation Army man wrinkled his forehead. Finally, he said, "It's almost six o'clock. My relief will show up then. If you wait and can afford the taxi ride, I will take you to a family in my neighborhood who needs just about everything."

"And they have a small baby?"

"A very small baby", he said.

"Then," said Ursula joyfully, "I wait!"

The substitute bell ringer came. A cruising taxi slowed. In its welcomed warmth, Ursula told her new friend about herself, how she came to New York, what she was trying to do. He listened in silence, and the taxi driver listened too. When they reached their destination, the driver said, "Take your time, Miss."

On the sidewalk, Ursula stared up at the forbidding tenement - dark, decaying, saturated with hopelessness. A gust of wind, iron-cold, stirred the refuse in the street and rattled the trash cans.

"They live on the third floor. Shall we go up?"

But Ursula shook her head. "They would try and thank me, but this is not from me. Take it up for me please. Say it's from...from someone who has everything." And she pressed the package in his hand.

The taxi bore her swiftly through the streets to the lighted ones. From misery to abundance. She tried to visualize the Salvation Army man climbing the stairs, knocking on the door, the explanation, the package being opened, the look when they saw the dress. It was hard to do.

Arriving at the apartment on Fifth Avenue, she got out her purse.

"There is no charge, miss."

"No charge?"

The taxi cab driver smiled, "I've been paid."

Ursula was up early the next morning. She set the table with special care. By the time she finished, the family was awake and there was the excitement and laughter of Christmas morning. Soon, the living room was a sea of discarded wrappings. Ursula thanked everyone for the presents she received.

Finally, when there was a lull, she explained why there were no presents from her.

She hesitantly explained about the department store, the Salvation Army man, the taxi ride, the little dress.

When she was finished, there was a long silence. No one could trust themselves to speak.

"So you see," said Ursula, "I try and do kindness in your name. And this is my Christmas present to you."

I can't read this story without tears. It emulates what I am trying to teach my children, and myself this year. That we are doing kindness in His name. That that is our Christmas present to him.

I cut out twelve hug pillows yesterday. I hope to make twenty. That way, twenty children can have a Christmas hug from someone who has everything.

Simple Joys of Christmas....

2010-12-09T19:10:00.000-08:00

This is what our Christmases have looked like in the past. Yeah, for four children, that's a lot of presents. We didn't do anything extravagant or expensive, but it was a lot.

Then, last year, I decided to make Christmas simple. I wanted my children to learn the true meaning of Christmas. I wanted to start a tradition that would be something they might take with them to their own families.

My parents were wonderful examples of service while I was growing up. They taught me to love and serve the less fortunate. I want my children to learn the same thing. Thanks Mom and Dad for the great example you have always been to me!

We asked them to choose two presents they would like Santa to bring them. One they really wanted and one that would be their second choice.

Then I chose a service project. I had no idea the magnitude of this project or that my heart would be wrenched in two as it hit close to home.

Christmas was wonderful. It was simple. It was just what I was looking for. So, this year, we are making HUG pillows. They are pillows for children who have gone through a traumatic experience. The social worker/police officer gives them a pillow in the shape of a heart. It has a pocket with a small toy to "entertain" the child during the hours of interviews and waiting they have to go through.

It has personal meaning, as I was that social worker so many times. There were hundreds of HUG pillows I wish I could have given to children. Now I can, in my own way.

We also got Jason's studio involved too. We are having donations brought in by the students to make healthy food bags for children who might otherwise go hungry over the weekends. The county has targeted several schools and children. The Assistance League makes up the bags. Our neighbor is on the board of directors. She was the one who gave me both these ideas.

I have heard so many people worrying about Christmas this year. All the presents they have to buy and send and wrap and what to get.

I just smile.

I simplified and I love it. Even with Jason's family, I told them I would like to not give presents this year, but get together, decorate cookies and go caroling.

Today while I was visiting teaching our Relief Society president, she told us she was giving the lesson on Sunday and wanted ideas of service that worked in our lives.

I just smiled.

Where do I start telling her how much this year has made an impact on my life because of service. Service that I wanted to give, service that I unexpectedly gave, service I sought out and service I received.

There is a special feeling at Christmas time. The world seems to come together. And no matter how crazy it gets, I know I can always turn off the lights and look at the glow of the tree.

Life is not perfect for me and it is still crazy, but in the craziness, I hope I am showing my children how to make a difference in the life of another. To lift someone up, to show love and to follow in the footsteps of our Savior.

I hope you are finding joy this holiday season.

Turn out the lights and just sit by the Christmas tree in the evening and enjoy the moment!