Monday, October 14, 2013

The Young and The Old

This beautiful young woman turned 18 today.  What a lucky mom I am!! I have been so lucky to have her in my life.  During hard times she has been there to hug me and tell me it would be ok.  I have very much enjoyed getting to know her!  I have done my best to teach her the most important things in life.  I can see so much potential in her life. She can do or be anything that she wants!  She is so smart and so many people love her.  I am so proud to call her my Nicole!!  I hope with all my heart that she is able to make good decisions throughout her life in order to do all she dreams.  I could go on all night.  What I really want to say though is I love you Nicole and will always be here to do just that, love you!!

Today I also visited this beautiful woman.  This is my Aunt Norma. She is currently living in a nursing home because she has dementia and she forgets most everything short term.  My kids like to go see her because she is so "funny" when she asks them over and over their name, age, and any other question she may have on her mind that day.  It makes me so sad.  In my life she has been one of the only people that loved me unconditionally.  She never expected me to be one thing or another and always loved and supported me no matter what.  I love her so dearly and it makes me sad to know that one day she will no longer remember me either.  Until then I will visit her as often as I can and know that somewhere in that mind of hers, she loves me.



Friday, October 11, 2013

Real Life

Some days are harder than others and I will admit that although some people think I am much stronger than I feel sometimes, days like today I would let them down.  Today I just feel overwhelmed.  I have a TON of homework and am getting behind. I have to be both parents and so need to be with my kids to attend to their needs whatever they may be.  My house needs to be cleaned.  My second daughter is turning 18 in 3 days and I worry I have not done enough to prepare her for life.  I need to do some things for my calling.  Today there seems to be a chink in the armor and this is what is stressing me out..just today.

I try not to whine.  After all we are living a blessed and happy life.  We are all generally healthy.  We have a vehicle that gets us where we need to go and back home again.  We have a warm roof over our heads.  We have our ward family that helps in many ways.  I have my friends that listen to me whine on the rare chance I need to.  :)  We have the gospel and I know my Heavenly Parents love me.  So, sometimes I just feel better when I can vent.  It would be nice to have a break from just most things once in a while.  I realize that a break from all things is pretty unrealistic.

So the bottom line here is we are a real family.  We have real problems and real emotions.  However, when the problems work themselves out, and they usually do, we still have each other.  I still have my kids that I can cuddle up to and tell them that I love them (when they are asleep of course, lol).  I don't want this blog to be misleading in any way.  I don't want anyone to think we have it perfect here, far from it.  I want to be real.  I want to be loved for THAT and not some fictional character that others think I may be.  That is all.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Bucket List vs. Christmas List

To some this may seem to be the same and when you look at their lists they look very much the same.  I believe that they are very different.  The most distinctive difference is that the Christmas list is fully attainable and in a limited amount of time.  It is a list of material things that are tangible, usually (I'll explain this word in a minute).  A bucket list is a list that will take a lifetime to achieve and in some cases may not be attainable and only sometimes are they tangible things. 

Now saying that I also want to add that I believe in the law of attraction.  What you put out into the universe comes back to you.  If you are a positive and happy person, people like you will be attracted to you and visa verse.  If there is something you need or want you just "put it out there" and (here is the hard part) you believe with you whole heart it will happen and tah dah. 

So let me demonstrate a bucket list.  In my lifetime I want to: learn to play the banjo, travel to some places including Bali, Rio, Germany, Holland, and Vermont (if you know me you know why this last one made the list), meet Michael Buble and Blake Shelton, see New York at Christmastime, run for political office, be on a school board, see all my kids gathered together in the temple, and have a house big enough for multiple Christmas trees.

A Christmas list on the other hand may include things like a new camera,  new dishes, flannel sheets for my Cal. King bed, a sleigh bed frame for said mattress, and so on.  This year though, and this is where the previously mentioned "usually" comes into play.  You see what I want this year is not totally tangible.  I am not sure what to label it....person or thing.  I am a person that has a lot of love to give and lately I have been feeling a void in my life.  I feel like I have love over flowing just waiting to be claimed by someone.This is love in addition to what I already give to everyone I love.  I love the Christmas season!  I love the decorations, the spirit of happiness and giving, and mostly the music.  Oh how I love the music!!  So, what I want for Christmas more than anything else is someone, preferably a man, that loves these things too and that I can give all this overflowing love to.  Someone that wants to love me back and do it for the rest of his life.  I want to shower him with love and treat him like a king and in return he will treat me the same way.  I am so ready for this. 

I have put it out there, now bring it!!! :) #totallydoable hehe

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Long overdue update!

WOW!  Courtney asked me today what the name of our family blog was.  I thought man it has been a while since I posted on there.  Little did I know that it has been FOUR years!!  I think I may be a slacker. :)

Some would disagree with me on that though.  Since I last blogged I have returned to school and in May will graduate with my BA in Political Science.  What am I going to do with that you ask. Good question.  I have done two different internships and I plan on doing one more before I graduate.  I love the law and wish I could afford law school right now and not have to move to attend it, but I can't so not now.  I do plan on going on to get my masters degree.  I have a couple of avenues I can go down with this it just depends on where I get a job.  I am thinking I may like something like city planning.  I plan on getting into politics in the next couple of years.  I just don't know, the world is my canvass!! :)

The kids are all busy too.

Amber is currently going to College of Southern Idaho majoring in Equestrian Studies and Business.  She will also graduate in May. College seems to be much easier for her than high school was. I am super proud of her in this endeavor of her life. She has learned a lot in the last year or so about how life really is.  I guess we all have to go through that.  She is working at Albertsons there in Twin Falls.  It was there that she met her boyfriend, Justin Walls.  They have been dating for a few months and seem to be having fun together.  They have used his parents season passes and come to a couple BSU football games.

Nicole is a senior!! After cheering for KHS for 3 years she has transferred over to Initial Point and she is thriving scholastically now.  She feels more comfortable there.  If that is what it takes to help her get to graduation in May, then it has been a good move.  She has not decided where to go to college and I honestly don't care as long as she does.  It would be very sad to waste that tremendous brain!!!  During the summer she worked at Roaring Springs and she is now working at Linder Farms earning her own money.  I am really proud of her work ethic.

Courtney is a sophomore at KHS.  She is getting good grades.  Softball is HER sport.  This past summer the city league called and begged her to come play for them.  She can play any position she wants to.  Although it is only the beginning of October, they are already having open gyms to gain strength and speed.  The whining about being sore will be worth it in the end. :) I can totally see her playing softball in college somewhere.  The coveted item for her right now is her drivers license.  I will have to get on that soon if I want to continue to have someone else to drive besides me.

Football, football, and more football. Need I say more about Grant?  Well yes a little but seriously that is what he loves most in life.  I really hate how political the football program is at the middle school. If you didn't play optimist for one of the coaches (which he didn't) or your dad is not actively involved (which he isn't) you don't get on the A team.  He was told he could have 3rd or 4th string on A team and never play or 1st string on B and play every game.  He chose wisely the B team. He will just work his butt off for next year!  They have him playing a new position to him, 2Back.  He really likes carrying the ball and convinced Grandma to pay him a dollar for every 1st down he makes.  She regrets that now.  School really isn't his friend.  He has to work really hard to get good grades!  That is why I am so proud of him when he does.

Holly came home from the first day of school this year and informed me that she is going to make this year, 6th grade, the best year of elementary. YAY!  You go girl!!  The last couple of years she and Jaycee have competed in Girls on the Run.  It is a running program that teaches girls to have a good self esteem through running.  They are not doing it this year, but because of it and the three 5Ks she has run she has decided she will participate in track with the middle school in the spring.  That will be really exciting.  I am excited to see her find something she can excel at!!

Jaycee is quiet and sticks to herself a lot.  She loves to draw and do other art projects.  I am sure that if I had the time to cut her some stuff out of wood she could be very good at painting too.  She was finally diagnosed with Asperger's two years ago which answered so many questions about her.  It makes it much easier to parent her.  She loves our cats.  When things seem to be overwhelming her she just sits cuddled up with the cats and it soothes her.   I just wish others understood her the way only a mom can.

Rebekah is the epitome of sarcasm and happiness. She is my monkey.  Third grade never saw her coming.  She says some of the funniest stuff.  Social butterfly describes her to a T.  When we leave the school each day she is yelling out the window "bye" to everyone.  She announced the other day I need to start saving for her mission.  Ok, thanks for the warning.  At this point I think I may need to win the lottery to pay for all these missions (Courtney, Grant, and Bekah so far).

As you can see I love my children!!  They are why I do what I do!  I will become much better at this blogging thing.  I won't let time get away from me again.  :)

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Note to self

Are you kidding me? I really have not updated the blog since July?!?!?!?! 000ppps

Since the 3rd of November I have had to attend 2 funerals. The first was for a 2 year old little boy. It was heart wrenching to watch his mother go through that pain! It was so sudden and it was definately time for him to return to his Father in Heaven. The morning of his death when his mother went to take him out of his crib he looked at her and said, "All done?". She thought he meant sleeping and she said yes and took him out. Wow! The veil is much thinner than we know.

The second funeral was for a 31 year old man. He has been battling cancer for several years. In the end it was the flu and pneumonia that took him. You see 4 years ago this man joined the church and he had taken his family to the temple and was sealed for time and all eternity. That brought so much comfort to his wife. She is a beautiful person with an amazing testimony! The last thing he said was to her, "I love you and I am sorry that I am giving up."

So here is the thing. I have learned many things as a result. Well at least reminded of some things. We have to hug our children, kiss them, and tell them we love them many times each day. Be more patient and kind not only to our family but friends and neighbors, too. Here is the thing that I made mental note of. At both of these funerals they are blessed to have tons of pictures. I am not taking enough pictures of my children!!! If that were me today I would not have that blessing. I am now saving my pennies to get a camera that I can fix this problem with.

These 2 families are so very blessed to have Eternal families. They are going to be together again!! How comforting that is for all of us!

Monday, June 15, 2009

Being a mom

One of the best parts of being a mom is I get to witness and aide in the growth of my children's testimonies of the Gospel. I am trying to set the right example for my children. Sometimes when I leave to go to the Temple I worry about them. Are they going to fight, is the house going to survive, are they going to be doing things they are not supposed to. What I have neglected to do is concentrate on what they are seeing me do. I love to be at the temple!! When I come home I guess it shows. The other day Grant and I were driving in the car by ourselves and he said, "Mom, I can't wait until I am 12. Then I can go to the temple, too. It will be so cool." Wow!

The other night Jaycee and I were laying in bed and she was the only one still awake. It had been quiet for about 5 minutes and then all of a sudden she said, "Mom, I don't have to be scared. The Holy Ghost is here with me and He will always protect me. As long as I make good choices and don't fight with Holly and Grant." Tears in my eyes, I told her that is absolutely right. She was asleep shortly after that.

Things like this sustain me through the days when all they do is fight, mess up the house, and are disobedient. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I love being a mom!!!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Better late than never

Here I am, yes it is May already, and I have not updated since March. What the heck is that all about? I don't know either. I still have to put Jaycee's birthday pictures on here and Courtney's now. geez, I am a slacker. :)

Things are good. Tomorrow Courtney is getting her Taylor Spatial taken off her leg. It is straight, the same length as the other, and strong. She is so excited!! The rest of us are too. It is so difficult to go through. All of the kids have been troupers.

The trip here was really something! Our flight was to take off at 9:35am. When we got to the airport we found out the flight had been canceled and we were rebooked on the 1:05pm flight. Then about noon they delayed the flight. It was crazy and we did not get here until about 3:30. It is all good!!