Friday, October 31, 2008

GOOD MORNING!





















It isn't very often that I wake up early enough to see the sunrise, and if I do, it isn't by choice, so I don't especially enjoy it. Before I had children, I used to love mornings, but now...?? Let's just say that waking up isn't my favorite thing to do, especially when I am up a few times during the night with a baby. So this morning, I woke up to my crying baby, and children needing things, and I was grudgingly going about getting breakfast going and shuffling around the house in my robe and slippers feeling pretty sorry for myself of how tired I still was. Then Emilie opened the blinds. The sun was just starting to peak over the mountains, and the sky was a beautiful pink, blue and gold that made the whole earth have a pink glow. It was a crisp fall morning, and so quiet and still. I just had to seize the moment. Being the picture freak that we all know that I am, I grabbed my camera to try to capture the moment. "Try" was the key word - the pictures don't do it justice, but I'm going to post them anyways as a reminder to myself. However, I not only seized the moment with my camera, but I took the time to pause from the morning routine and reflect on the beautiful things of life. I, for one, am a bit nervous of what our future holds (OK, more like terrified!), and all the commotion that surrounds us in the world. It seems that there is very little of "peacefulness" (is that a word?) in our lives, but that moment this morning was one of those peaceful moments that Heavenly Father sends us to help us remember that He is still there. I decided to let go of my bad attitude, and look forward to the events of the day with optimism. Yes, ALL the events - even the cleaning bathrooms, laundry, making dinner, and getting all the Halloween costumes on and off and on and off and on again. I am so grateful for little reminders of all that is good in life, like beautiful sunrises!

Monday, October 27, 2008

Are You Happy?

When Jarin has a potty accident, he will look at me and ask, "Mom, are you happy?" (in fact, that's usually my first clue that he had an accident). I will tell him, "I'm not happy you went potty in your underwear". Then he gets a sad face, and asks, "Mom, are you happy yet?" He will continue this question non-stop until I can't hold the smiles back anymore. How can I stay angry with that cute face looking up at me that so wants his mommy to be happy? When I hold his little face in my hands and tell him that HE makes me happy, his eyes light up. What would I do without my Jarin? He has such a tender heart, and wants everyone to be happy, and his happiness is so contageous. Thank you Jarin! Wouldn't it be a different world if we all lived the example of this small child, and wanted everyone to be happy? Suppose every husband and wife put their spouses happiness ahead of their own? Would divorces cease to exist? Wouldn't there be more trust, and less crime if we thought of the happiness of our family members, neighbors, and total strangers? Hmmmm .... Just a thought .

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Then and Now...and What's to Come

With permission, I copied this post from my sister Kelli. She wrote the things which I had been thinking and feeling, and she did it so well. What would be the point of me trying to re-write it? Thanks Kel!
When we went to our family camp in August, we took this picture, which I posted a while back. I was the only one left, still pregnant and miserable. The two on the ends are my niece (in laws) and then my sister in law and my sister are on either side of me. All with sweet babies...except for me! The picture below was taken last Sunday at Desmonds blessing. We're missing one of the babies, but here are the rest. Starting on the right, Kamden, Kameron, Desmond, Ryan. Aren't they sweet???When I was looking at this picture, I started thinking about what it must have been like for them in Heaven before they came. I'm sure that they were all good friends. They must have encouraged one another, and cheered one another on as they came to earth just one at a time. I'm sure that their farewells were sweet. I can imagine little Desmond being the last of the group. The others encouraging him that they were just sure that we wouldn't leave him behind....not for long anyways. And yu know, we had no idea that Desmond was going to be part of our family. It wasn't until we knew that these other sweet spirits were on their way, that we felt the prompting that there was one more little person who needed to be with us. Perhaps his cousins were helping to give us a little nudge??? I also imagine these spirits in Heaven promising each other that they would look after each other here on earth. That they would stick together and help each other to succeed, to return to Heavenly Father some day. After all, isn't that what friends would want for each other? Just a thought. Perhaps just my imagination...but maybe not!So I hope and pray that this is exactly what will happen. I hope that these little friends will be a good example to each other. That they'll help each other to succeed. That they'll pull each other up, not down. They are all so different, but they're all so much the same too! They have come to join an extended family that loves tradition, and loves to spend time together. They are all loved by their parents, their grandparents, their cousins, their aunts and uncles, their brothers and sisters, and most of all, by their Heavenly Father! And I hope that they will never ever forget that!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Our Day



I copied this from Shaleys blog. It was pretty profound to me, and worth the couple minutes to watch it.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

My tank has been re-filled



Do you ever have that "running on empty" feeling? You know, the one where you wake up in the night in a cold sweat because in your dream you are swimming as fast as you can, but your still drowning?, just to realize that your reality is even worse than the dream that just woke you up? Please tell me I'm not the only one who feels this way! Problem is... I feel this way more often than not. So, a few weeks ago, when I realized the kids had a 4 day weekend coming up, I approached Ira with puppy dog eyes (OK, maybe more sunken in, black-circled eyes), and asked him to take off his work and church responsibilities (yes, I'm the bad influence!) for the 4 days, and spend that time away from home, telephones etc., and spend it with just us. I have been so excited, I could hardly wait - and I wasn't disappointed. We split our vacation in two parts. We went camping, hiking, and 4-wheeling (in my parents camping trailer with a heater). We also went to Salt Lake City for a couple days, and went to Boondocks Fun Center, ate dinner at the Mayan, did a little shopping, and went to Temple Square. More importantly than what we did, was how we (I) felt. I felt more relaxed than I had felt in months, and I laughed and wrestled with my kids, talked Ira's ear off, smiled more, and just enjoyed the moments. It is amazing how much anxiety can be wiped away in a few short days away. If only it took longer than a few short MOMENTS to use up all that emotional and mental "fuel" in my tank!



It was SO refreshing to me to get to ride my 4-wheeler .
My parents went 4-wheeling with me (while Ira took care of Kamden) - thanks mom and dad! (Aren't they cute?) Yes, that is snow in the background...winter is coming!




How cute is that?

Our destination - Willow Springs


What's that I see?... Cooperation?...Getting along?...Could it be?


My silly boys!


Miniature golfing at Boondocks.



Who's driving that thing?



Bumper boats - FUN!






Tuesday, October 14, 2008

FOOD...GLORIOUS FOOD...

SO YUMMY AND SCRUMPTIOUS! I wasn't planning on doing any canning this year...with a new baby and all...I have a great excuse. However, I got the bug...and I couldn't stand to let my shelves stay empty, and I couldn't bear to go BUY the already-packaged stuff at the store when so much of it was growing in my garden, or my moms garden - (besides, it just doesn't taste the same!). I decided I would only bottle pears, and one thing led to another...and another...and another...and wahlah!, no more empty jars crammed in boxes in my garage - much to Iras satisfaction (he hates finding a home for all those jars when they are empty).

pears and peaches
applesauce
Salsa and stewed tomatoes
carrots
In addition to these, my mom stayed busy with helping us with some canning this year. She bottled us some green beans and apple juice. THANKS MOM!
A few quotes I found regarding food storage:
President Spencer W. Kimball:
Let Us Prepare
Though we never know when we will face a challenge that will require us to depend on the resources we have stored, we know that the Lord has said, “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear” (D&C 38:30).

Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) Thirteenth President of the Church
“The revelation to store food may be as essential to our temporal salvation today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah” (“Prepare Ye,” Ensign, Jan. 1974, 69).
President Spencer W. Kimball gave us this counsel regarding home storage: “We encourage families to have on hand this year’s supply; and we say it over and over and over and repeat over and over the scripture of the Lord where He says, ‘Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?’ [Luke 6:46]” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1976, 171).

Sunday, October 12, 2008

NOOOOOOO!!

For my friends who think they miss living in Utah...

last week ...

OH...SAY IT ISN'T SO!!!

today

Halloween decorations and snow should not be in the same photo...THAT'S JUST WRONG!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

OuR CuTiE PaTtOoTiEs

Jarin was in the garden helping me harvest carrots (at least I was harvesting carrots, he was harvesting worms).


"Look mom, can you see their faces? They are beautiful. The worms like me. "
(So what does that say about me when he says, "Mom, your beautiful."? Hmmm...)


Emilie has a big Tootsie Pop sucker, while Jarin has a small dum dum sucker. When Jarin noticed the difference, the conversation went like this...



"Em-a-lay? Did you make yours grow? Make mine grow too."
Yea...the potty chart has been filled, and now Jarin earned the right to go to school and to get his back pack. Now I guess I have to live up to my end of the bargain and find him a school. So...that day we went to "library school" (a.k.a. story time at the library). Every fun activity, we can just add the word "school" onto it, and I've got it made! Pretty tricky hu?!


I haven't posted any pictures of my sweety baby in a while, so I'm adding a few in here just for fun. If we can't use our blogs to show off our cuties, then why have a blog?


Love this seat. He's just starting to have enough control to sit in it... I think it will be a mommy favorite.


Tummy time - the smiles only last a couple seconds when he's on his tummy - then the tears take over.

One can never have too many frog jammies!


Way cute quilt my sister Kim made for Kam.


Kamdens growing up way too fast. A month ago we had his 2 month appointment, and he weighed in at a WHOPPING 14 lbs. 3 oz. (90 % on the charts). This picture was taken after immunizations - poor little guy!


What is there to explain?