2008 is Going to be Great!

At the startof this year I told Paul my theme for this year, "2008 is going to be great!" I thought it might be fun for me to look through the calender and really take note of just how Great this year was.

January: I got to go back to Idaho to visit my Wonderful friends! I went to a get together for Kami Kerby before she moved away! Survived Paul being out of town for four days.

February: I had one of the very best valentines. Paul was out of town, but he his special notes for me to find all around the house. I got to go to a fun dance with my Husband put on by the elder quarm. Celebrated Leap day with My family. (We eat all kinds of things that Hop for dinner ex. frog legs (chicken), frog eye salad, grasshopper cookies, you get the idea.)

March: Had the Relief Society Retreat. I all ready new that we had really fun ladies in our ward. It's fun to see how crazy a bunch of LDS women can get with a little candy and a lack of sleep. My family started the "Total Money Make Over".

April: Attended Adhis Baby shower. Auditioned for the Oklahoma Play

May: Started going to the yoga class taught by Sarah. Attended a Prom at my sister's ward.

June: WENT to HAWAII

July: I got to be in the Lehi roundup parade. Went camping. Started rehearsals for the Oklahoma play. Paul was gone for a total of five day.

August: I got to perform at the Barn at Thanksgiving point. I made it on tv. Ok it was just the morning news, but I was still on it!

September: Hannah started 1st Grade. I got to teach a dance class. Paul was only gone for one night.

October: I was so excited to decorate for fall. I loved my time with my family. We went to Halloween parties, and just had lots of fun together

November: I had my birthday. I got to be involved with giving the thanksgiving meals to members in my ward.

December: I have had so many fun projects to make for Christmas presents. It's funny when Paul calls me from work and asks are you working on a project. He says that I sound happier, and even though my house gets messy and things get a little crazy I am happier. I love to create, and I enjoy doing thing for others.

As I look back on the year I realize a few things. Paul was gone a lot this year. This isn't all bad. I can tell you one thing I am NOT a H0ney do list kind of girl. If there is something I really want done I will figure out how to do it. Paul is busy and I home so I better learn how. I didn't right it on the calender, but during one of Paul's business trips I decided to participate in the pine ward dubry. I asked if the car comes with directions and was told yes. However the directions go something like this. Carve the car into the desired shape, and then weigh it. That was it. I called my Mom and talked to my brother. Looked on line how much coins weigh and when all was said and done my car came in fifth place. When I called Paul and told him what I was up to he was really proud of me.

I am happy to look back at the year and see the growth that I have had this year. I have learned a lot, and this is mostly because of the people in my life. So a special thanks to all of you. We don't know how we might impact someone else' life. 2008 it really was GREAT!

2009 it will be just FINE, BRING IT ON!

Christmas!

Christmas Christmas Christmas !
I love this time of year. Hannah and myself have had the wonderful opportunity to be involved in another play "The best Christmas pageant ever" it runs this week Mon.- Sat if you are interested in a fun Christmas activity to remind you what Christmas is all about this is a great one. You can get tickets at http://www.lehicityarts.org/. It has been a lot of fun to see Hannah start to understand that Christmas is not just about getting presents, and I credit some of her understanding from being involved in this play.

I also had a great opportunity to take my little ones to a wonderful church activity.
These are my cute little children on there way to Bethlehem. My family invited us to their ward Christmas program, and we had a really good time. We dressed as shepherds, angle, and a wise women. The kids enjoyed watching the story of Jesus' birth. I love the wonderful spirit of Christmas!

Learning about myself from Movies

On Sundays I often turn the radio onto FM 100. My kids love to have the music on and it's nice to have a little up lifting music for a couple of minutes as we drive to church. Well, a couple of weeks ago they started playing Christmas music. I have lately realized that it helps me be little nicer driver.

In the last month I have come to realize that I need a little help with anger management. OK, I really am not some crazy girl that plays the role of Relief Society President, but honestly I have some really good lungs I and do yell at times. Lately, I began to realize that I need to focus on my temper when I was watched the movie Hulk and thought, "It would be really nice to be able to have one of those watches that will inform me when I am about to explode. Then I could simply nicely tell my kids, "You really should stop what you are doing and obey, It really isn't going to be good if you don't stop whining to me." The second movie I recently related to was Kung Phu Panda. I have found myself driving in the car saying "Inner Peace, Inner Peace."

Well, at least I have come to the first step recognizing that there is a problem. How lucky am I to have so many wonderful movies to help me improve myself.

Happy Birthday To ME!

Another year has gone for me. I loved the saying from the talk that was shared on Sunday, "The Best is Yet to Be." My dear older sister took me out to lunch yesterday. After waiting for twenty minutes to be seated at the olive Garden and being told their was still another 10-15 min. wait we headed over to Chuck Arama. It's silly but I love their corn bread. It was fun to get to talk, laugh and just spend some time with my sister. I'm grateful to have wonderful visiting teachers: Jen Cooper was fabulous and kept Connor and Bonnie so that I could really enjoy my time with my sister, and then I got to have both my visiting teachers Jen and Kathy Carbine come over and visit me. I got a card from them with a picture of one of Kathy's painting's that women is one talented individual, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know both of them!

I love special days that give me an opportunity to reflect. It helps me to be grateful for life, and the chance it gives me to learn and grow. In the past year I can say that I feel like I have developed more in my understanding and love for the gospel and exspecially for the service of others. I have gained a better appreciation for my little family. My husband who works so hard to provide for us, and balance his life between work, school, and family time. My three little monkeys. They give me lots to do laundry, house cleaning, and teaching. I I love them!

As I said Before I'm excited for another year!

The Best Is Yet To Be!

My girl got Glasses

A letter came from school a couple months ago. Hannah failed her eye exam. Well we took her in to see the Bishop. That's what we do in our ward our bishop can help us through sin and correct vision, not every ward is blessed with such a helpful Bishop. Seriously we are pleased to be able to have our eye care with someone that we know and trust, and when Hannah went in she was actually seen by his brother, who is a really nice guy too. So to make a long story short after once eye exam and a week and 1/2 of waiting Hannah has glasses. As the mother of a child wearing glasses I am terrible worried. We have been over the rules many times: NO ONE plays with the glasses they are NOT a toy! If you do not have them on they must be put in the case. Do NOT put them down face down the lenses will scratch. I fear the day when she has to come to me and tell me that they are lost or broken. I hope that I can be a calm loving mother, but the more practical side of me that knows my self much better knows that the thing that will go flying across my mind is the price tag of these cute little pink glasses with flowers on the side. Tomorrow starts day two with glasses one day down! The made it home from school and in one piece. Only time will tell how long they last! At lest she has been really excited about having them and enjoys wearing them.

October 2008

I had a wonderful opportunity to be a ticket taker for the show The Legend of Sleepy Hallow. It was a great show and I had fun people to work with, but it's always nice to get your evenings back and be able to spend more time with my family!

For the UEA weekend we decided to take a little "vacation" we used a stay at a hotel that Paul had got from long distant work trips. We didn't go far just off 106, but the kids had so much fun swimming, watching cable TV, and eating whatever they wanted for breakfast. I enjoyed not having to make the beds in the morning!

The kids loved finally being able to go swimming. We did a lot of swimming this summer, so the kids were super excited to get back in the water. The pool was very cold, but we all got in and swam for a while, and then we all enjoyed the hot swimming pool.

The next day we drove to Eden. I won an over night stay while attending the scrapbook expo to a place called Our Mt. Home. It is a very nice condo that a family rents out. They had a great game room with air hockey and pool table, the kids enjoyed the big bed to play games. It was big enough that they all fit to sleep together. The TV room was fun. The kids watched spider wick and once they were down we stayed up and watched Indiana Jones (I love those shows!)

Hannah and Bonnie Loved playing Together!

This wasn't the kids favorite part, but I wanted to make sure that I got to have a little fun too, so I made the kids get dressed up in matching shirts and go out and do some pictures. They were a Little bit of stinkers, but some of the pictures are really cute! I sure do love these little kids!

The kids thought it was pretty neat to have a hot pool outside and to be able to go swimming when it was a bit cold. They didn't stay in for too long the water was hotter than the hot tub at the hotel, but they still had a great time.

Fun, Fun, Fun

Spider Wick became one of Connor's very favorite shows. He has continued to play spider wick weeks after watching the movie.

At school they had a crazy hair day. Hannah was really excited to participate. I was happy to indulge her and help her have a wild and crazy hair doe.

A very special event that took place in the month of October. Uncle Dave was baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. We were all very excited for him and his family. Paul's dad Ed had the opportunity to preform the ordinance of baptism. The event was a little crazy for me a lot on in and out with Bonnie trying my best to not have a lot of noise. We made it in the room for most of the important stuff. In spite of kids that still have a hard time sitting still we were excited to be there and to be able to be apart of such a wonderful loving family.




And of corse it wouldn't be Halloween with out little monsters. The weekend before Halloween we took the kids to our local fitness center they call it the legacy center. The kids had a great time playing games and getting treats and candy. All three kids had colored pictures for the coloring contest. It was a little challenging for me to allow them to do it all by them selves, but I did. We were all very excited when we saw Hannah's picture with a second place ribbon on it. October was a busy month full of fun and lots of time with family. The best part of having a family is when we get to spend time together having fun!

Halloween!!!

Amannda got a pumpkin from the kbull 93 pumpkin drop, so we didn't have to brake tradition and go a Halloween with out a jack-o-lantern. Oct 30 at around 10:00 pm we finally carved our pumpkin! Dad helpped make a scary face. The kids had a great time staying up late.

We got the jack-o-latter pizza from papa Murphy's for lunch. The kids were excited to bake there orange chocolate chip cookies that they got for going in dressed up in there costumes.

All day long the kids had big smiles on their faces. It was lots of fun for me to see them having such a fun day!

Hannah got all dressed up to head of for school. She was excited to be a cat this year. We got this cute costume from My sister. All I had to do was make the ears and tale. So much less sewing than last year! Hannah was really excited to wear fake eyelashes. She was so good with getting them on, but they only lasted until about 11:00. She called me from school and said that they were bugging her and she wanted them off. I was glad that I had instructed her not to pull them off on her own. With makeup remover they come off very easily, but pulling them off will rip the skin off and possibly some eyelashes out. She was good to give me a call. When I took them off she made a deal that she would put them back on for the evening, so her dad could see how cute she is!


We made a second trip to Hannah's school to see the Halloween parade. It is always fun to see all the kids and teachers dressed up.

After the parade I took Hannah out of school so that we could head over to the cornbelly maze. I got tickets two tickets from the pumpkin drop, so we figured we had better use them. Hannah really wanted to go into this scary dragon. Connor and Bonnie really had no desire. I told Bonnie to close her eyes, and dragged Connor by the arm into this scary dragon. As you get in it gets very dark. You really can't see well, so I told Hannah to stay close so that I didn't lose her. In the middle of the dragon is the beating of the dragons heart. That kind of freaked the kiddos out, but then as we turned the corner there was some kind of air and quick noise that startled me. I screamed all the kids started crying. At that point all I could do is laugh. We found our way out of the belly of the dragon. I made the kids all go and stand in front of it so that we could have a picture to remember the scary dragon that they all hated. They talked about that dragon all night long!

The kids ended up having a lot of fun. They really enjoyed the princess area. Both the girls dressed up and Connor loved climbing up in the tower. They played for over two hours and when I told them that we had to go home to get ready to go trick or treating they didn't want to leave.

For the evening we head over to Paul's brother's house Mike. It was lots of fun to have everyone together. We all had taken time to dress up in costume. We took the kids around the neighborhood to go trick or treating. They got lots of fun treats. I must say that my very favorite was the new tooth brushes. The little boy that passed them out was even very careful to give the girls princess ones and Connor got a batman tooth brush. I believe he has taken it to bed every night since he got it. The evening was wonder we couldn't have asked for better weather. Well, it was a little rainy by our house, but at Mike's it didn't rain until just as we were going back home.










Paul had decided it would be fun to get into the spirit of Halloween and dress up this year. He spent three weeks growing out his facial hair, so that he could transform into Wolverine.







Before heading home the girls tried out Mike's coffin. I was told it was pretty comfortable. Connor is the scary skeleton in the back!


All in all Halloween was a really fun day for the family!

Just a thought

To choose or not to choose is still a choice. I have had a lot on my mind this month, and it all goes back to choices. "If you want to be Happy, BE!" At times it all sound so simple.

My life is made up of daily choices I have made over the last well almost 28 years. Some small choices some large, but all the same those choices all added up make up the person I am right now.

We are taught in the scriptures choose you this day who you will serve. In this life of uncertainty my Father in Heaven has given me agency, the power to choose. With this comes responsibility. We must learn when to say yes and when to say no. Last week at Hannah's school they had red ribbon week. They were instructed to say "NO" to drugs. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I have known the importance of keeping the word of wisdom even before I start grade school. However, I am still learning how imprtance it is to say no when I just cannot do any more. As a Mother you learn very quickly that life truly is a balancing act. You can only keep so many things going at a time, but lucky for me I get to choose which things to keep juggling and what I want to drop. Maybe I'll pick some of those things up at another time, and maybe not. The real trick is making a good choice of what to keep. I recall the counsel of choosing the "Best" things. It is easy to get overwhelmed with the demands of life, but taking responsibility and being aware that my life is what it is because of the choices I have made. Maybe some days that is very depressing, but hopefully more often than not I will discover that I have made some pretty good choices and with those choices have come wonderful blessings from my Father in Heaven. At that point it will be easier to keep making those choices that bring happiness into my life. The bottom line is that I get to CHOOSE!

First SNOW!!!

Getting dressed to play in the snow is A LOT of work!

I am an individual who wakes up in the morning sees snow on the ground and reply, "oh crap!" I hate dealing with the snow. It is cold, slippery, and wet. However, I was raised with a mother who LOVES it. It was not uncommon for my mother do declare a snow day. This meant that you didn't have to go to school so that you could stay home and play in the snow. After all there are days that if you don't get out there and play in it early it will be gone by after noon. I was not excited about snow days. I hated missing school. The idea of making up the school work seemed like a chore. I recall one snowy day being late to school because my Mom needed to build a snowman before she could take us.

Because of my Mom's playful childlike personality when it comes to snowy days it is easier for me to make sure that my kids get the chance to get out there and play in the snow before afternoon when the snow will probably be all gone, and like my Mother they LOVE it!

The one thing I really enjoy about snowy days is: taking pictures of my kids out playing in that cold, slippery, wet stuff!


Hannah made a cute Little snowman! Her Grandma Pam would be very proud of her!