February Birthday Party

In February we have a lot to celebrate. We have birthdays on the 9th, 11th, 13th, 14th, two on the 16th, 17th, 19th, 20th, 21st, and an anniversary on the 15th. It's a very busy month for us. We always get together for a big family dinner. It is a lot of fun. This month we had homemade chinese food. We had fried rice, lettuce wraps, sweet-n-sour chicken, egg rolls, kung pao chicken, & beef stir fry. The food is always so delicious. We try to pick a theme to our meals which is a lot of fun and we always have so much to eat. We have such a wonderful time at these get-togethers and I think the kids are building
great relationships with their cousins. I hope they have good memories of the things we did together and the fun times we had as a family.

Breakfast is Served

Yesterday I slept in because I was up with sick little S during the night and because the kids didn't have school. M and J were hungry and asked if they could have cereal, I said yes. They told me that they could get it by themselves, so I let them. A little bit later they told me to get up because they had a surprise for me. I even had to close my eyes while they led me down the hall and into the kitchen. When I opened my eyes, this is what I found. They were so excited to have breakfast all ready for me. It consisted of a bowl of Weight Watchers cereal, a brownie, a glass of water, and a bouquet of hershey kiss roses. They were so cute. They kept asking me if I was happy and if I liked it. I of course loved it.

Happy 32nd!

On February 17, 1975 a wonderful little boy was born in California. That boy was always busy and got into one thing after another. When his little brother was a couple of months old he sat on him and tried to feed him a penny. He made an underground fort with a friend and "borrowed" some things from a neighbor who wasn't there to put in his fort. He took the blame for many things that he didn't do, but was so used to getting into trouble that one more thing to the list was no biggie.

Well, this little boy grew and went to high school where he excelled in sports. He played on the Varsity team when he was in 8th grade for a championship game. He also played on the football team. He got decent grades. I'm convinced he would have done much better had he not played so much.

Then, when he was 19 he gave up 2 years of his life to go serve a mission for his church. He served in the Independence, Missouri mission. He was a very faithful missionary who had a ton of success.

Soon after he returned home from his mission he married a girl, who was head over heals for him. They only dated for 3 weeks before getting engaged and then were married 3 months after that. They got a lot of grief about not knowing each other well enough to be married, or not knowing what love really is. Well, 10 years later they are still going strong.

This little boy who turned into a man, turned into a wonderful man. He is caring, loving, understanding, and has a great sense of humor. He is an amazing father who is adored by his children. He's intelligent and athletic. He's a hard worker who works hard to provide for his family. He's generous and kind. This man is spiritual and strives to live a worthy life. He honors his priesthood. He's passionate.

This man is MY husband and I feel blessed each day that he is in my life. I don't know where I would be without him. He is my everything. I love him so much and look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with him and spending the rest of my life and eternity with him.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Cabella's

On Saturday it was my hubby's 32nd birthday. We went to lunch at Olive Garden which was so yummy! I got a crab pasta and it was delicious. The kids were very well-behaved which was so nice. That doesn't always happen when we go out to eat.

After lunch we were going to go see "Night at the Museum". We were way ahead of schedule and didn't want to drive all the way home just to drive back when the movie started. So, we decided to go browse Cabella's. The kids and I had been there before, but DH hadn't.

We spent alot of time looking at all the "stuffed" animals they had there. That place is huge. DH was very impressed with all the stuff they had there. We walked through the aquarium and got to see all the huge fish. The kids got tokens to go play at the shooting range, which they thought was very fun. On a couple of the targets, if you hit it, it sprays water at you. DH thought he was so cute getting me wet all the time. He kept doing it over and over. We sampled fudge, licorice, beef jerky, and bought some yummy cinnamon roasted cashews. We had a great time!
We ended up spending about an hour and a half there.

When we left we STILL had a little bit of time left before the movie, so we went and looked at model homes. We've always enjoyed doing this. One of the homes had a huge theatre room which the kids now think is a necessity. I have to admit that it would be a lot of fun to have one.

The movie was darling. DH and I had seen it before but the kids really wanted to, so we saw it again. J fell asleep because she hasn't been feeling all that great, so I was sad she missed it. It's probably a movie we'll end up buying though. We came home and had some birthday cake, then it was off to bed for the littles. All and all we had a wonderful day!

A-Z MeMe

I'm participating in the A to Z Meme from Millie's blog. So here we go...

ACCENT: Western, I guess
BIBLE BOOK THAT I LIKE: Not sure. I guess I read the Book of Mormon much more than I do the Bible
CHORE I DON'T CARE FOR: Laundry
DOG OR CAT: Neither, but I’m sure we’ll have a dog someday because my hubby and kids really want one.
ESSENTIAL ELECTRONICS: Computer/Internet, T.V., cell phone, CD player, DVD player.
FAVORITE COLOGNE: For my hubby I love Cool Water and Eternity
GOLD OR SILVER: I love silver. My wedding ring is gold, but I've thought about dipping it because everything else I have is silver.
HANDBAG I CARRY MOST OFTEN: A red purse that DH got me for Christmas
INSOMNIA: Occasionally, if I’m really anxious about something or excited for something like going on vacation or Christmas
JOB TITLE: Homemaker
KIDS: 2 boys, 8 & 5; and 2 girls, 7 & 4
LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: 4 bedroom, 3 bath house
MOST ADMIRABLE TRAIT: I'm not really sure. I think I have a lot of energy and always try to be positive.
NAUGHTIEST CHILDHOOD BEHAVIOR: I liked the taste of chalk. Gross I know, but I then learned that I was severely anemic and I guess the two are tied together.
OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAYS: Once when I was in highschool I was hospitalized for 4 days due to an allergic reaction to some medicine and then some other problems that they found while I was there. 4 times for each of the births of my children. Four more days after I had my hysterectomy. I also stayed in the hospital overnight when J was there with RSV. I'd much rather be the patient than watch one of my children in pain and being sick. I've also had several outpatient hospital experiences.
PHOBIAS: Not sure. I don't love spiders or heights, but I don't think either of them would completely freak me out.
QUOTE: "If you can't stand for something, kneel." (Don't know who it's by)
RELIGION: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon)
SIBLINGS: I’m the 4th of 8 kids. I have 5 sisters and 2 brothers.
TIME I WAKE UP: 7ish. Except on Saturdays when I try to sleep in if the kids are being good.
UNUSUAL TALENT OR SKILL: I remember phone numbers and birthdays really well. I can touch my tongue to my nose. I used to be able to lay on my stomach and take a hat off my head with my feet. I'm not sure if I can still do it, but I think I'll try.
VEGETABLE I REFUSE TO EAT: Lima Beans, So GROSS!
WORST HABIT: Being very critical on myself.
X-RAYS: Regular dental x-rays. MRI's and CT's, more than I'd like to admit. Series of what seemed like a hundred x-rays after my accident.
YUMMY STUFF I COOK: Lettuce wraps, fresh salsa, cream puff dessert, banana bread.
ZOO ANIMAL I LIKE MOST: Probably koala bears, they look so cute and cuddly.

If you read this and would like to play, then you're tagged! Happy Playing!

Gratitude Friday

Well, I haven't done a gratitude day in a long time. Not that I don't have anything to be grateful, but simply because life has been busy and we have so much going on. But, as I was thinking at how long it's been since I've done a gratitude day I realized that I seemed to appreciate things more when I actually stopped to be grateful for what I have.

I went visiting teaching yesterday and my friend was telling me how she burned her eye rubbing it after she had cut a jalapeno. She had to have running water on it until she got to the ER where they gave her some numbing drops. When they looked at her eye, she had tiny burn blister all over. She said how she thought she was going to be blind after all was said and done. Luckily she's not. But, her story made me think about sight. I'm so glad that I have the ability to see. I never thought about it before, but I am truly grateful for my sight. So, today I'm grateful for the five senses.

Sight- So I have the ability to see the beauties of the earth. So I can watch my children learn and grow. So I can drive, cook, craft and so many more things.

Hearing- So I can hear the needs of my children (although at times I would prefer not to hear all the whining and complaining). So I can hear the words "I love you". So I can watch movies, listen to conference, and whisper to my hubby.

Touch- So I can feel the touch of passion. So I know what it's like to feel what it's like to hold a childs' hand. So I know if I'm hurt.

Taste- So I can enjoy all the foods that I love. Of course, I've wondered if I couldn't taste would I love to eat as much as I do?

Smell- So I can enjoy the scents of fresh laundry, baked goods, cinnamon spice candles, roses, babies, dill, lemon cleaner, and apple pie.

I'm grateful for my senses and that I have the ability to experience all the wonderful things that God has given us on this earth.

Do you realize that you have been given exactly what you need just so that you may proceed with the spiritual lessons and growth that you, you alone, need to master? Yes, life can be absolutely daunting, but you can have gratitude when you realize that you have just what you need. Gratitude is the virtue that shifts our energy in order to facilitate our great growth to the next levels. Without the hankering after what we don't have, we allow ourselves to receive from God just what we need. Then we have and use just what we need to, so that we're prepared for greater gifts and gains inside.

~Michael Goddart

Hole in the Rock

On our drive home from Texas, we stopped at this place that we saw that I'd been wanting to go to. It's called "Hole 'N The Rock". This guy and his wife built their home inside this rock mountain. It is 5,000 square feet. It is really neat inside. We weren't allowed to take pictures, which I thought was pretty lame. DH thinks they do this so that people will buy the brochures of the pictures, just a way to make more money. It took him something like 20 years to build and then he only lived in it for I think either 5 or 7 years before he passed away. His wife lived in it for many years after that. She's also passed away and now it is sort of a museum/gift shop. There are also a few other gift shops there, some animals, and a little park. This longhorn was made out of old rusty tools. They also had a jeep there, made out of the same thing. It was fun to go see and put a nice little break in our long trip.

Misc. Thoughts

I had a wonderful time in Texas, and realized that I never posted about it. I always have so much fun with MSL. She is my best friend and we get along so well. It's so nice to have someone who you can be close to and depend on 100%. I had a blast playing with little Lucy. She is so dang cute and she liked me! I was so happy. It was a little bit hard being away from the kids, but I was glad to know that they were in good hands.

We've been considering moving to Texas for quite a while now. It would be wonderful to live next to my parents and MSL and her family. Our kids get along so well and it would be so wonderful to be that close to family and to have our kids grow up together. Housing is so inexpensive compared to Utah, it's amazing. There are a ton of pros to moving there. On the other hand we LOVE it here. There is just something about UT that we love. I know that it is completely different here than most places in the country, but we like it. We've made some wonderful friends here, and it would be really hard to leave them. DH also has family here and it would be hard to leave them too. So, it's a big decision and I hope we make the right one.

S has been having a hard time at school lately, especially since about Thanksgiving. He tells me that he hates going and that he's dumb and a bad boy. He's become very sad and this is so not him. He's a happy care-free little boy most of the time, so to see him this way breaks my heart. He hasn't gone to school for almost a week while we've been trying to decide what to do. I've seriously considered home-schooling him. I know I could do it, I just don't know if it's the right decision. I prayed about it a lot and prayed that I would also recognize the answer as to what I should do. That night all my dreams had S going to school. So, I took that as my answer. Tomorrow he's going back, but to a different class, and he's switching from morning to afternoon. We've tried to get him excited about this change and I hope and pray that it goes well. I guess if after a few weeks, if nothing has changed then I will pull him out and home-school.

Last week I started watching a little 2 month old, Maddox. His mom is a teacher at the kids' school, and had to go back to work. He's a cute little guy and pretty good most of the time. J & S have a lot of fun playing with him. Then, yesterday I had someone call me and ask if I could watch her little boy, Corbin who is 5 months old. I said yes. I know it's going to be a ton of work, but I love babies. The extra money will be really nice too. We really could use it. So, my life is changing quite a bit. I'm going from some days being all alone, to now having 2 little babies to take care. Should be fun and interesting. Corbin seems to be a pretty good baby. He has the cutest smile and hardly ever cries. I hope he's always like that.

And, last but not least. Why do adults get zits? I totally thought we were past that stage in our lives.

Cereal Box Book Report

T had to do a book report on a cereal box. He read the book "The Mitten" by Jan Brett. It is about a little boy named Nicki who begs his Baba to make him snow-white mittens. She doesn't want to because she is afraid he will lose one in the snow. Finally she agrees to make the mittens. She tells Nicki that when he gets back she will first check to see if he is okay, and then she will check to see if he still has his mittens. When Nicki goes outside he loses one of his mittens. A mole spots the mitten and climbs inside to stay warm. Soon, the mitten is filled with all kinds of animals; a rabbit, fox, badger, hedgehog, owl, bear, and a mouse. The bear sneezes and all the animals are forced out of the mitten. On his way home, Nicki sees his lost mitten floating in the sky. Baba watches him out the window and checks to see if he's safe, and then to see if he still has his mitten, which he does.

It is a very cute story. All my kids really enjoy it. We've read it several times. T had to come up with a name of a cereal that would go along with the book. He named his cereal Frosted Mitten Crunch. On one side we had to list the ingredients, which were the characters and the setting of the story. On the other side we wrote a short summary of the book. For the back we made a maze to help Nicki find his lost mitten. It turned out very cute. He did a great job on it. When he presents it to the class, he has to do a commercial for it. I hope it goes well!

I'm Home

We finally made it home from Texas yesterday afternoon around 4:30. It was good to be back and see the kids. It's so different without them. I'm not so sure I enjoy the quiet. They were excited to see us. J ran up to us and gave us a big hug and wouldn't let go. It was so cute.

I left the house completely spotless, but about 20 minutes after being home, it looked like a huge tornado had hit. I have tons of laundry to do and lots and lots of cleaning.

We had a great time visiting. I have so much fun with my sister. I think we are going to move there as soon as we get our tax returns back and as soon as DH can get a j0b. I'm really nervous because I really LOVE living in Utah. I'm so comfortable here with friends, family, and church. And I'm not so fond of change. But, I think and hope that this could be a change for the better. I would love to be next to my sis and to have our kids grow up together. We would only be living about 5 minutes away, which would be wonderful. We'll see what happens!!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

I'm off to Texas this morning! I am so so excited. I'm a little nervous about leaving the kids, but I think they'll be fine. I can't wait to get there!