15 to Eternity

Today is our 15 year anniversary!
On Monday I was desperately searching for a binkie...you know, it was nap time, the crying and whining wouldn't stop until the plug was where it belongs...anyway, I looked under our bed, pushing away PILES of dust bunnies and other items which shall remain nameless...when, what did I see hiding between the baseboard and the carpet??? My wedding ring!!! I had stopped wearing it while pregnant with Noah because my grotesquely swollen, gestational diabetes ravaged finger was not having that kind of constriction. I must have taken it off in the middle of the night and set it on the headboard when it fell off to remain with the dust bunnies for 3 1/2 years!!! When I first discovered it was lost, I didn't really show much emotion, because I was sure it would show up. But, after a few months I had a good cry. About six months ago I called the Ogden Temple because I kept thinking that maybe I had taken it off in the dressing room and put it on the shelf in a locker. The temple worker, who I'm sure is normally sweet, and kind, interrupted my description of the ring by telling me that I needed to stop talking so loudly...what???? I realize that I'm a loud talker, but come on! I was shocked! Then she told me that they don't keep lost items in the temple longer than six months. So, if you've lost your ring in the temple, you might want to check the DI! :)
Ironically, Mark lost his wedding ring while swimming in Utah Lake during the Half Ironman last Summer, no chance of finding THAT ring. So I had bought him a new ring a few weeks ago for our anniversary!
Today I read my sister Mandy's post about her wedding ring. On Sunday she realized that her diamond had fallen out of her ring, and she's upset that she didn't take it off and keep it with Travis' ring.
All this talk of rings has made me think about why we wear them and what they symbolize. Not having had mine for a while, I realized that although it is beautiful, it's not something that I must have in order to recognize that my marriage to Mark is eternal. There was a time when I wished for a bigger diamond, and a more "in" ring. But, now I realize that all that doesn't matter. What matters is that we are faithful to each other, that we've been sealed in the temple and that we keep our covenants.

Drue's 1st!

I honestly can't believe Drue is one year old! Her birthday was yesterday, although we really didn't "do" anything. We had a little family party on Monday night with grandmas, grandpas, aunts, and cousins. It was a lot of fun. My cute neighbor, Lindsie Houskeeper, made Drue the most darling cake. Drue got lots of fun girl things, which I have to admit, is fun for me, too. :) This year has really flown by for me, and I am a little sad that my baby is no longer a baby. She took five steps about a week before her birthday, so she is well on her way to toddler-hood. :(

Listen to AK6s Playlist

Why?

Why is my blog so screwy? Can anyone tell me? Why isn't there a normal layout I can use with the blog backgrounds, and why are my pictures so darn BIG!!! I wish they would quit messing with Blogger...it was just fine before! :(

70.3 & Labor Day baseball

Labor Day weekend Devin played in his first comp baseball tournament. It was down in Salem, so we got a hotel room-the kids had a blast! That said, I don't know how many more tournaments we'll be taking ALL the kids to. It was a long weekend.

On Monday we went to Lagoon with Mandy and her kids. It was a perfect day! Not too hot, not too crowded. The kids..and kids at heart...had a great time. Mandy even went on Rattlesnake Rapids a second time with all the kids while Mark and I tried to dry out from the first time. What a sport! :)

The weekend before Labor Day Mark participated in his first half Ironman. It was a 1.2 mile swim in Utah Lake, a 57 mile bike ride, and then a 13.1 mile run. He did AWESOME! He was on track to meet his goal time, but experienced some major cramping during the last three miles of the run. His bike was his fastest ever! I told him he can't be disappointed AT ALL!! What he accomplished is amazing, really amazing. He says after doing the half, he is terrified for the full Ironman he signed up for in May. He'll rock it. There is no way he won't with all the effort he puts in to training. I am so impressed with his dedication! Way to go Mark!!

Randomness

So, our computer bit the dust. Thanks to my mom we have an old laptop to use. (Thanks mom)

The last three days have been like a virtual USU reunion. Lisa, Allison, Jen, Nathan, John..all of them now my FB friends. Gotta love Facebook!

Last night at YW we taught the girls the Electric Slide. I felt so young. Soon found out I don't look as young as I feel, thanks to the girls catching the action on their cell phones. (We threatened them within an inch of their lives not to post those shots)


Drue is crawling all over..I'm about to break out the winter pants because her poor knees are red and sore!

Mark is doing the Utah Half on Saturday! Please pray for good weather. Don't need my husband drowning in Utah Lake.

Missing T. Really. It's weird, but I feel guilty. Not sure why. I seriously broke down and cried the other day. Probably because I was looking through pictures of Drue's blessing, and there he was. Maybe I feel guilty because I'm not Mandy or her kids, and they're the ones who get to miss him. I was just a SIL. But, he's the closest person I've ever lost. So, I guess I'll give myself permission to miss him.

Devin is playing comp baseball AND swimming. That means practices every night of the week. He told me he's spreading himself thin....hmmm, he still seems to find time to watch hours of Star Trek a week...I think he's just fine.

And....he's off!

A few weeks ago Ty begged Mark to take his training wheels off, but when he couldn't ride right away, he begged Mark to put them back on. This happened a few times. Then, last week he asked me to take the training wheels off. I almost said, "Let's wait 'til Dad gets home". But, then I thought, 'I can take stinkin' training wheels off! I know how to use a wrench!!' So, I did. Then Ty promptly hopped on and rode down the sidewalk!!! I wasn't anywhere near him, let alone holding onto the back of his seat like people normally learn how to ride a bike!! If I remember right, Sam did the same thing when he was four.

Carter, one of Ty's good friends, learned how to ride his bike on the same day! (Preston learned a week before) Now that's all they want to do! (including Noah on his trike) They look like a mini bike gang.. :)

Weekend Getaway!

We are blessed to have wonderful, kind friends! The Hansen's invited us up to their cabin in Bear Lake for the weekend. It was a lovely time! It was Brittany, Jon and their four boys, us and our four boys and a girl, and Shane and Sarah Anderson and their two boys and a girl. Poor Ella and Drue! :) Here's the rundown:

The Cabin (Jon built it himself!!)



Fun at the beach:











Devin made "Lake T"
Brittany and Cameron: (Brittany grew up in Littleton and went to school with my cousin Diana!)

Sarah with Drue, Cole, and Zach:

4-wheeling!:



We left Saturday night, and stopped on the way out for "Famous Raspberry Shakes", they were delish! A fun time was had by all! Thanks, again Hansen's!!

Remember Who You Are

I was just called to be the YW 1st Counselor and we spoke in church yesterday. My Mom requested that I post my talk, so here it is:

I was asked to speak on the talk "Remember Who You Are" given by Elaine Dalton at the YW General Meeting this year.

When I was a teenager I was a bit of a smart alec and when my parents would say, "Remember who you are". I would recite my name and address. Of course, they meant remember that I am a child of God and that I should act accordingly.

Sister Dalton says, "This is a magnificent time to be on the earth and to be a young woman. Our vision remains the same. It is to be worthy to make and keep sacred covenants and to receive the ordinances of the temple. This is our superlative goal!"

As with all goals, especially long term goals like attending the temple and receiving eternal life, we need to take steps in order to accomplish them. In her talk Sister Dalton gives several ways young women can remember who they are. I will cover three of them:

Having a testimony of Jesus Christ, Being Strong and of a Good Courage, and Being the Queen You were Born to Be.

Having a Testimony of Jesus Christ:

A testimony is something that will either increase or decrease, it can't remain the same. We must read, study, ponder, and pray in order to keep our testimonies growing. We can't afford to waver. Without a testimony of our Savior it is hard to keep going when life gets hard, and it will get hard. In Helaman 5:12 it tells us that "it is upon the rock of our redeemer, who is Christ the son of God that we must build our foundation..."

Most of you know that my sister's husband passed away a week ago Friday. He was diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer nearly 2 1/2 years ago. This is what she posted on her blog a few weeks ago:

"Just the other night we watched the story of Job, a personal favorite. It was a good story for the kids to hear again; to learn that Job was righteous even through all of his trials, and that God did not give Job his trials because he was wicked, rather God allowed Satan inflict Job with every imaginable difficult thing in order to prove to Satan that Job would continue to be righteous. As we know, Job had patience in his afflictions and eventually was greatly blessed.


I know that at times I have wondered the purpose for some of our trials, beyond being opportunities to prove ourselves. I believe that when we agreed to come to Earth, we agreed to the fact that our mortal bodies would be subject to all kinds of afflictions that go along with being mortal, including sickness and pain, whether brought on by our environment, our own choices, the free agency of others or all of the unknown in-betweens. It is part of the plan. I also believe that God hurts for us, even more than we hurt for ourselves."

Because of her testimony of Christ, my sister knows that God's plan for us is often more than we can understand here on earth. But, she knows there IS a plan for each of us, and that God and Jesus love us and have provided a way for their family, and all of our families, to be together again. This testimony didn't come when she and Travis were sealed in the temple, it didn't come when Travis was diagnosed, it came as she studied, pondered, and prayed as a young woman, and it grows as she continues to do so everyday.

Be Strong and of a Good Courage:

I like to think that I am pretty young, but what reminds me of how old I am is comparing how things were when I was in Jr. High and High School to the way things are now. I am honestly surprised and a little frightened by the things I hear about. There are diverse ways and means that Satan is trying to get you-and not only the youth, but all of us. Sister Dalton says if we can be distracted, discouraged, dismayed or disqualified from being worthy to receive the guidance of the Holy Ghost…Satan wins. We MUST remember that as Sister Dalton says, “We fought with our faith and testimony to defend the plan of God…we brought our faith with us when we came to earth. We knew it would be difficult, and yet we were confident that we could accomplish our divine mission.”

One of my favorite primary songs says this: “Dare to do right, dare to be true, you have a work that no other can do. Do it so wisely, so kindly, so well, angels will hasten the story to tell. Dare to do right, dare to be true, other men’s failures can never save you. Stand by your conscience, your honor, your faith, stand like a soldier and fight until death.”

We will all have times when we will face tough decisions, but choosing the right is always right, even when it’s hard. The YW theme this year is Joshua 1:9. “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee, withersoever thou goest.”

Be the Queen you were born to be:

Sister Dalton tells the story of a trip she got to take to see President David O. McKay in his Huntsville home while she was a student at BYU. She took the trip with a small group of students and they were told to wear their Sunday best. As she walked into President McKay’s home she could feel the spirit there. President McKay was wearing a white suit, sitting next to his wife. He had each of the students come forward and tell him about themselves. After he had taken each of them by the hand and listened to them, he took his wife’s hand and said, “Now, Young Women, I would like you to meet my queen.” Sister Dalton says that Emma McKay didn’t have a crown of diamonds, nor was she seated on a throne, but she knew she was a true queen. “Her white hair was her crown and her pure eyes sparkled like jewels. Hers was a beauty that can’t be purchased. It came from years of seeking the best gifts, becoming well educated, seeking knowledge by study and also by faith. It came from years of hard work, of faithfully enduring trials with optimism, trust, strength, and courage. It came from her unwavering devotion to her husband, her family, and the Lord.”

Satan would have you believe that the only beauty that matters is on the outside: The shape of your body, the features of your face, and the clothes you wear. You can be what the world calls “perfect” on the outside, and be sorely lacking on the inside.

In my daughter’s room I have vinyl that says “A true Princess shines from within.” True beauty comes from the inside. Sister Dalton says, “It can’t be painted on, surgically created or purchased. It is the kind of beauty that doesn’t wash off. It is spiritual attractiveness. Deep beauty springs from virtue. It is the beauty of being chaste, and morally clean. It is the beauty you see in the eyes of your mother and grandmother. It is earned through faith, repentance, and honoring covenants… There is nothing more beautiful than a young woman who glows with the light of the spirit, who is confident and courageous because she is virtuous.”

Cherie Call sings a song that says, “It’s what you give that makes you beautiful, it’s how you live that makes your dreams come true.”

In the end, it won’t matter whose hair looked the best, or what brand of clothing you wore, Heavenly Father and Jesus will be our judge, and they look at our inward appearance.

It is so important that each of us remember who we are. We are divine. We were born to be Queens and Kings. We must live worthy to enter the temple and then keep our covenants throughout our life so that we can qualify to return to live with our Heavenly Father.

What I Know

I don't know all the whys, but that doesn't matter. What I do know is that I have an amazing sister, and an amazing brother-in-law who for some completely awe-inspiring reason agreed to go through an agonizing trial in order to teach me, and I think lots of other people, an amazing lesson. About life, about love, about death. About knowing that this life is but a mere moment, that every single second of every single day should be filled with prayer, with service, with gratitude, with praises to God for the blessing of a mere moment in mortality with people who make earth life, and eternity, worth every struggle, every heartache, every disappointment. Moving from this life to another is difficult for those of us who are left here to continue on without those we love so much. Yet, I think they will be having joyous reunions with parents, siblings, grandparents, children, and waiting but mere moments for us to join them there.

Thank you, Travis, Mandy, Gavin, Cooper, Skyla, and Reese. I LOVE YOU!!!

Facing our Mortality=Gratitude for Eternity

I have had a lot on my mind lately...and considering there's not much room up there, I have been overflowing with emotions lately. I am constantly thinking about Travis and Mandy, and all that they are going through. It is amazing to see T at family get-togethers, and to hear him deflect comments away from himself and encourage people to focus on someone else. But, it is difficult to see him in so much pain, and not know what to do to help their family. I have also been thinking about my Dad quite a bit lately. He has had some issues with his heart and has had several stints put in. My Dad has always been a hero to me. He is someone who loves the Lord-not only through words, but through action. Finally, on Thursday I took Drue in for her 6 month check up, and Dr. Kramer had me take her to get an x-ray because for the past three visits she has had a crackling in her lungs. He mentioned Asthma, and the possibility of aspiration, but then he had to throw out the words Cystic Fibrosis. Instantly my mind started flipping through all the diseases I had ever heard of to figure out if I knew exactly what that was. I'm not one to overreact or jump to conclusions, but I couldn't help but imagine my sweet little Drue not being able to breath and having to pound on her back to break up the gunk in her lungs. In the middle of that thought I thought about eternity and what our Savior did for us to allow us to return to live with him, together, as families. I am so thankful for this knowledge. Each of us must leave this earth life eventually, and I know there is more life to come, more time to spend with the ones we love. Death is not the end, just the beginning of something new.

Drue's x-rays came back with some suspicious spots, but Dr. Kramer felt that it's most likely Asthma or aspiration. So, we're giving her breathing treatments everyday, and she'll go back in next week for another check-up. I know everything will work out the way it's supposed to, and I'm so thankful that my parents and siblings have the gospel and that we can look forward to an eternity together.

Thank You!

I just want to give a shout out to my Grandpas. They fought in WWII and risked their lives to keep this country free. My Grandpa Rogers was a pilot in the Air Force, my Grandpa Keime was in the Army, and Mark's Grandpa Spalding was also in the Air Force. I am so thankful to all of them, and to everyone who has fought or is fighting for freedom. What we have is precious and God given. We should be grateful everyday, and we should want the same for others. Thank you Grandpas! I love you!

I know I'm a parent because....

"When I was a kid..."

My ear drum exploded because I didn't blow my nose and kept sniffing the snot up. (true story)

We didn't say "No" to our parents for fear of having our faces slapped!

We didn't have cell phones, DVD players, iPods, video cameras, flat screen TVs, digital cameras, computers, etc. We had to carry around a quarter in case we needed to call our parents. (And you will, too because over my dead body are you EVER having a cell phone!)

We had chores we did every day.

We NEVER back-talked! (okay, maybe not NEVER)

We knew what real fashion was! (Leg warmers, pegged jeans, neon colors, big hair) ;)

Boys NEVER wore girls' jeans!! And they never let their undies show!!

We snapped peas, husked corn, pitted cherries, and made newspaper logs!!

We believed in Santa until we were 12. (Okay, slight exaggeration)

We played cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians, jacks, marbles, hopscotch, double dutch.

We played outside ALL DAY in the summer. No sitting in front of the TV-unless of course it was for The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Solid Gold, or Charlie's Angles. Oh, and Dukes of Hazard, Knight Rider, and the A-Team.

We didn't need our parents to entertain us.

We always told our parents where we were going and when we'd be home.

We typed our homework on good old-fashioned type writers.

We knew how to write letters by hand.

We could carry on a conversation face-to-face.


Ah, the good old days. Sheesh. I'm getting old!!

A V.I.M. ( A Very Important Mom)

At the risk of causing her public humiliation, I have decided to post about my sister Mandy this Mother's Day. I thank her from the bottom of my heart for being the most wonderful, giving, caring, selfless, patient & faithful mother and wife. Over the past two-and-a-half years she has taken on the burden, stress, pain, and annoyance of cancer. (I have a few four letter words for that disease-but, I digress.) Travis is the last person on the face of this earth who should have to go through this horrible trial. But, I am so thankful he has Mandy by his side. She is a blessing to him, and to all of us. I know I am a better mother and wife because of the example she has set these past few years.
I am struggling because I'm the big sister. I'm supposed to be the one helping her, being an example for her, protecting her. Not the other way around! But, she truly has always been the big sister in spirit. I know part of Heavenly Father's plan was to allow me to learn from her. I see her dealing with things that no 35 year old mother of four should have to deal with. And yet, she does it with an amazing strength and faith.
I love you, Mandy, and I will be forever grateful to you for the things you are teaching me.

Addicted

Okay people. I am officially addicted. No, not to cigs, or caffeine, or chocolate (debatable), but to P90X. I have my wonderful brother to thank for letting me borrow it from him...which he will have to pry out of my cold, dead hands if he ever wants it back! At first Tony, the instructor guy, drove me nutso, but he's grown on me, and I seriously can't-and don't want-to go a day without doing it. (Except for Sundays, of course) I am 7.5 weeks through the 12 week program, and so far I haven't lost a ton of weight, about 7 pounds, but I can see and feel muscles where I've never seen or felt muscles before! It is an amazing feeling. I feel stronger and better overall. Now people are telling me to try Insanity. A lady in our ward does it....don't know if I'm quite ready for that, yet. I think I'll finish up my 12 weeks before I move on to something else. Now if I could just cut out the bad food completely. I'm getting better, but still have to have me some sugar once in awhile...

A Good Cause

I have a dear friend whose 13 year old son is going to Cincinnati for Colon surgery next week. He has had several surgeries here at Primary Children's, but they weren't able to help him. The hospital they are going to is a Colo-rectal Pediatric Hospital, and they are hopeful that this will be his last surgery. My friend, Amanda, is an excellent cook and she has put together a cook book to raise money for the surgery. If anyone is interested, just let me know. The books are $12.

Beacuse I'm a Mom

I can...
*undo any knot-no matter how tight
*choke down any veggie with a smile to prove how "good" they are
*talk on the phone, fold laundry, play with a child, and cook dinner-all at the same time
*hold in a laugh when Ty tells me that either butter comes from Butterflies or Butterflies come from butter
*re-live the horrors of times tables and pre-algebra
*whip up a mean mac & cheese
*beat Devin at Guitar Hero
*successfully complete 7 loads of laundry in one day
*name every meal my kids love, and hate
*eat an entire half gallon of ice cream
*see wrinkles in places I'm sure they weren't yesterday
*smile despite the increasing number of grey hairs
*lie and tell people that Black Stiletto is my natural color
*almost feel good about the tummy that even P90X can't flatten..at least not yet
*talk Sam out of a full on melt down because going to piano-or doing homework-or not being about to play with friends-or not being about to get on the computer-is more than he can handle.
*admit that I can't dress like a 20 something anymore
*love anyone
*admire every mom
*adore and respect my mom and sisters (stacie included :)

Mothers & Daughters

I listened to conference on the radio yesterday, and I LOVED the talk by Elder Ballard (I think it was Elder Ballard) on Mothers and Daughters. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for blessing us with Drue. I must admit, though, when I found out she was a girl I realized how nervous I was to be the role model for a perfect little spirit from our Heavenly Father. With the boys I had always found comfort in the fact that they had Mark to look up to. With a dad like him they are sure to turn out great. But, now I had to face the fact that I would be the primary role model for this little girl, and I was scared! I'm still a little scared. But, I know if I do my best and teach Drue the gospel with my words and my actions, she will be just fine. I find myself noticing mothers and daughters more, too. I wonder how their relationships are, and if they talk and spend time together, and if they accept one another as beautiful, unique daughters of God. I hope I will always treat Drue that way. One thing that gives me confidence is the wonderful relationship I have with my Mom, and the excellent example she is to me.

Dear Manufacturer...

Dear Manufacturer of Children's Clothing,

When you design and manufacture clothing for children, especially boys, would you mind putting the pictures on the FRONT of the items? You may not be aware, but boys want to be able to SEE the characters they are wearing. They don't care if anyone else can see them. It is especially annoying where underwear is concerned, but I will spare you the details.
Your time and attention in this matter would save me from many battles I don't have the energy to fight.

Sincerely,

A tired mom


Yes, Ty went to preschool like this. :)

A Natural High

I guess there are studies that say a baby's smile gives a mom a natural high. Well, one look at this face, and anyone would believe it. She may not be willing to smile for the camera, yet, but-that face!!! I just love her to pieces! She really is a ray of sunshine in our home! Mark would argue that she looks better sans the '80's Jazzersise get-up..but I love this outfit! What do dads know about fashion anyway? :)

A Work in Progress

Most of you can relate when I say how unpredictable and utterly annoying the road construction on 1700 s. has been. One morning you find that the right side of the road has been closed off and there are two lanes on the left side of the road for traffic going in opposite directions. Okay, I can get used to this....I actually get comfortable with it. Until I approach the road a few weeks later to find that the left side has been closed off and the right side is now open. It throws me for a loop the first few times, but once again, I am getting into a routine. Then there are the lanes at the north/south intersection near Smith's where there is no turning lane, yet I have witnessed several drivers-myself included, who have mistakenly pulled into the lane for oncoming traffic, thinking it was a turning lane-at the mercy of drivers wanting to go straight or turn right...luckily, no accident-yet.

Well, this is a metaphor for my life right now....no, wait-probably for the rest of all of our lives. For the past month or two I have been working out everyday, getting used to the boys being off track, feeling pretty comfortable with my life-when the orange cones go up in the form of Noah coming down with a fever and a horrible cough. At first I thought it was just something simple that would go away within a few days. But, at 3:30 this morning, after hours of coughing fits and six days of fevers, I took him into Wee care. Blood work and several chest x-rays later I find out he has pneumonia! Not only that, but his pulse ox (like my medical lingo?) is 90..below 90 would be dangerous. So, they give me the x-rays to take to our regular pediatrician. I call him on my way home at 7:30am to see if I can get Noah in right away. Amazingly he has an opening at 9:15. I hurry home, shower, get Noah ready-and during all of this Ty is crying that his ear hurts. What the heck?!!?? So, I throw them both in the car and take them back to Layton. Yes, Ty has an ear infection, Noah does have pneumonia-and he gets an antibiotic injection on the spot. To add to the fun, I get to bring him back in tomorrow morning! Yea.

Just when things get settled into a routine and we're feeling good-the right side of the road disappears and we're forced to drive on the other side of the road. Or, one day the turning lane disappears and we are at the mercy of others who could smash us to smithereens. Luckily, Heavenly Father is there to warn us and prepare us for all this road construction. Unlike the construction on 1700 that has literally shut down the road between me and my parents' home, He will never shut down the road between Him and us. I am so thankful!

A Boy and His Dream

Ever since I met Mark (November, 1990), he has wanted to be an Olympian. He did the Decathlon in high school, and he loved the 100 meters and the 4X4 relay. He was good, too. For years (about seven-before and after the mish) we spent time at the track perfecting his long jump, shot put, discus, and javelin...and sometimes I even questioned what he cared about more, getting to the Olympics or his big haired girlfriend who was keeping track of his times and distances.

Fast forward a few years: Married with babies, and the dream changes to doing an Ironman. Swimming three times a week, running three times a week, throwing a 30+ mile bike ride in there a few times. Several Olympic distance triathlons down, a marathon down...and the dream continues.....

Fast forward a few more years: Amy and Mark sitting on the couch watching Apollo Ono in the 2010 Winter Games. Mark turns to Amy and says "Call the Olympic Oval and set me up a time, I'm sure I can go to the Olympics in that! I just want to try it."
A Boy and His Dreams!

It's a Wrap

I've decided that a couple of the things that make me happiest in life are working out and eating...so, I am bagging the no-sugar-except-two-days-a-week thing. I have been working out five days a week, so I figure as long as I'm not eating two or three candy bars a day, I'm okay, right? Whatever I have to do to make myself feel better. I know. But, seriously. No more free days. Just everyday I'll do my best to eat healthy and stay away from too many sweets. The key is not having them in the house! ;)

What a Blessing

We blessed Drue yesterday. It was a beautiful, sunny Valentine's Day-the perfect day to bless our little sweetie. The chapel was packed because there were two farewells along with Drue's blessing. Luckily, we made it to the church early enough to save a couple of benches. Mark did a great job, as always. And I cried, as always. Each of my kids' blessings have been wonderful, but it was especially neat to have Drue blessed. There is something about having a little girl. I had heard many people talk about it, and never really believed it. But, now that I have a daughter I can tell you, it's true. Drue is such a joy. It is fun to dress her, to buy her little bracelets, to put bows in her hair, there is definitely a connection there that is a little different. Besides all that, she sleeps through the night, and has for at least a month now! She only cries when she's hungry or stinky. (None of my boys cared when they were stinky!) It has really been a blessing to have her in our home, and her sweet disposition allows me to keep up with Noah and his less than sweet disposition ;). We are so thankful for our little Drue.

The Better to See You With

I don't know about you, but it seems like every time we get a tax return there are always unexpected expenses just waiting for it! This year it was glasses for both Devin and Sam. Devin had been complaining about his eye sight, but we had no idea about Sam. Their eyes aren't horrible, but just bad enough to need glasses at school. They both look quite handsome, don't you think? We should have know it would only be a matter of time. Mark and I both have bad eyes.

Besties

Yesterday I had the pleasure of getting together with three of my "old" friends- Alecia (Glauser) Davis, Stacie (Schofield) Rogers, & Michelle (Arnell) Anderson. We all grew up together in the greatest neighborhood and ward of all time. We took our little kids to Discovery Gateway and then went to lunch together. Stacie & I rode down together, and we talked about how awesome it was to grow up in a neighborhood with so many girls that were the same age. Besides us, there were at least ten other girls our age. I remember sleep overs, getting in trouble for walking around the neighborhood at night, freaking ourselves out over Zack Davis, riding bikes to Hambiln's, playing city and church softball, shakes at the Ranch House after playing church volleyball at the stake center, helping Michelle's mom cater weddings, listening to Bryan Adams, playing soccer with the Sims' and Moyes' boys, neighborhood movies in the Moyes' backyard, playing in the Alfalfa field behind my house, walking along the frozen irrigation ditch and falling in, playing in the closets in Michelle's house and prank calling people-"Is your refrigerator running?..." Alecia's mom making Wassail at Christmastime, playing on the huge snake pillow Alecia had in her basement, Girls Camps, my annual Halloween party, eating Cool Ranch Doritos and Grandma's cookies out of the vending machine for lunch at CHS, Alecia's good-bye sleep over when she moved to Washington in 10th grade, I could go on forever...I really had (have) great friends.

It had been 4 years since I had seen Michelle, and 10 since I had seen Alecia! We didn't get to talk as much as we would have liked because we had the kids, but next time we're hoping to get together with the hubbies and leave the kids at home :)

Another Monday???

Okay, so maybe I won't post every Monday. It's getting old already. Last week was a great week. Despite having a bad cold, I worked out hard Mon, Wed & Fri...didn't make five days, but, I felt okay with that, considering I did really good on my eating goal. I made peanut butter bars for my Activity Day girls on Tuesday, and I didn't eat a single one!!! There were even left overs, and I still didn't eat any. On Friday (free day), Mark and I went to the new Iceberg here in Syracuse. I got a grasshopper shake and couldn't even get half-way through it!! It was huge, but anyone who knows me knows that I can seriously down ice cream! So, I was feeling pretty good. We'll see what this week brings, and maybe I'll just post every two weeks or so. I am keeping a food journal and that helps me think before I eat ;)

Check In

K- so I said every Monday I would check in with how I am doing on my fitness goals. So far, so good. I only gave into temptation twice last week. I ate A cookie one day, and then on Saturday Mark's Dad made me a cake for my birthday, so I couldn't refuse a piece now could I? I worked out four days-skipped my birthday-so, I think I did okay. There is a little room for improvement, but hey, not bad. I have decided that I will only weigh myself once a month, because the number isn't really what I care about, it's the way my clothes fit and how I feel that matters to me. Besides, like Mark says, getting on the scale every week can make all that working out and feeling good go right out the window just because you don't see the number you hoped you'd see. I need motivation people...no downers!!!

I have a major head cold this week...but, I worked out today. Wish me luck for the rest of the week!!

Happy 2nd B-day to my Nohs

Noah T. is two years old today. I am happy to report that he is getting sweeter the older he gets. He seemed sweet in the hospital, maybe because he was hooked up to all kinds of things, but when we brought him home he began his ornery stage-which lasted about a year and a half ;) Not only was he ornery, but he didn't walk until he was 20 months old-which could account for the orneriness from 12 months on.

These days he knows almost all his colors, can count to 10, missing a few here and there, and can sing most of the ABC song. He LOVES Lightning McQueen, Thomas, crayons, and books. He will sit for a good 15-20 minutes just looking at a book.

Noah is our only brown eyed boy. I always wanted at least one-I even had a dream about a brown eyed boy, but it took us four to get one! Today he said "Happy Birthday to You" all day, and right after we sang to him he whispered to himself, "Happy Birthday to You", then promptly stuck his face into his blue frosted cupcake. Too cute!! Happy Birthday No-No!! We love you!!!