Together a Family

Learning in Action

2012-01-27T13:38:00.000-08:00

Last night was Parent-Teacher Conferences at M&J's elementary school. One of my favorite things about going to these is that there is always a folder for each of my kids with their work in it. They draw pictures for me to see. They write reports. They get to show off what they have been working on in class. They get super-excited to show me, and I love to watch their faces light up as I "Oooh" and "Ahhh" over each page. :) Such confidence-building moments. I love that.

Here are some exhibits of their imaginations at work:

First Jake - (it says, "In the winter I like to sled"). Just in case you couldn't see that part. :)

I love this one because when asked what he was really good at AND what he wanted to do better at, he bubbled the same answer! :) Funny boy. He also told me that the picture of what he likes to do at recess is of him sliding. He was pretty stoked about this. :) It was really cute. :)

Next, Morgan - (She has a lot more because she is doing more independent work. Jake's folder mostly contained test results. I wish it would have had more of his work in it. :( )

A report on Polar Bears. She LOVES learning about animals. On one page she talks about something this animal does and then wrote, "Isn't that CRAZY!" Funny girl.

This next one is a book review on Charlotte's Web.

Lastly was this note to me, and a short story. Love this little writer. She is getting pretty good at expressing herself through writing. I love that! And I love that it gives me a window to what goes through that deep-thinking mind of hers. She is also a fantastic reader. Her teacher told me that she is reading on a 3rd grade level. Smart girl. She told her teacher that she just started reading Anne of Green Gables. It was so cute to see the connection she has with her. I am SOOO glad she was blessed to get Mrs. Bahr this year.

Before I end, I also wanted to post these of the girls. I purchased some animal fact flash cards at the Target Dollar-Spot, and these girls, particularly Abby LOVE them. They get them out daily...no lie. My kids are total animal lovers. But really, are there any kids that aren't? Well probably some, but not in this house. :)

I love that Claire is showing one to Daisy. So funny. :) I wonder what Daisy is thinking sometimes.

How I LOVE blogging!

2012-01-26T09:16:00.000-08:00

I just have to take a minute and say that I LOVE BLOGGING! I have been up and down with my commitment to this over the years, but I truly love it. Here is why:

1. I get such a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction every time I post. I feel like I am documenting my life and my family...something I don't have much of from my childhood. I always wonder what I was like as a kid. What made me tick. What inspired me. I can only assume that many of my traits I possess today were present as a youth, but I would love to have seen how those aspects of my personality, both good and bad, influenced me and my decisions. I feel like there is this long lost person from my past that I wish I could connect to. I wish I knew her now. I wish I could see how she made me who I am today. But I can't. My memories of growing up have all but faded. They are gone...or maybe just stuck in the recesses of my brain waiting to be pulled forward. I should really try to access them more. Maybe one day when my mind is not full with way too many other things. Ahhh...someday. :)
But I digress. I love that this blog gives me a way to journal. I have come to know more about me as I have done it. I also find joy in knowing that my kids will have their childhoods recorded...just in case their memories are as foggy as mine. :)

2. I also LOVE reading other mom's blogs. They truly inspire me. They give me ideas. They make me want to be better. They remind me of how much I love this job. They point out the good and I love that. I also love when they point out the bad. It gives me comfort. :) I love that I feel like I am apart of this society of mothers out there who are feeling and experiencing similar things. My favorite are the ones with great pictures too...I feel like I know these women and their neat families. So a big thank you to all you other blogging mama's out there.

I am so glad I found this outlet and that at least for now, it is increasing the quality of my life, and hopefully will show my kids one day that quality of theirs. :)

Happy blogging!

Perspective

2012-01-24T14:35:00.000-08:00

Do you ever have those moments in life where everything seems to become clear? Where you feel like you have been endowed with a moment of proper perspective? I feel like that this morning. Let me explain.

So this last Sunday was so great. Before I go on, I have to back up a bit. Back in April of last year, I received a new calling. I was called as the Primary President for our ward. I had not been in Primary since before my twins were born, and I had been secretly hoping that I would be kept out of Primary due to the fact that I was basically running a full-time "primary" in my home all week long. At that time, I felt like I needed that time during church to be with other adults. I needed to have adult conversations. I needed to be spiritually fed and uplifted. And that I was. Up until about a month before our ward split.

It was about that time that I started feeling a pull toward Primary. I wanted to be with the children again. I love little children, and for the first time since my girls came, I ached to be in the Primary.

The month went by, our ward split, and the Bishop called to see if he could come visit Trev and I. I thought I was being called as a primary teacher. Not so. Primary President. This was a bit of a shock to me since I had never been a President of anything before, nor had a I ever served in a Primary Presidency. I immediately felt inadequate and nervous, but excited for the new challenge and especially, the opportunity to be with the children again.

As you can probably imagine, adding this to being a wife and mother of 4 kids, there have been moments of feeling like I am just keeping my head above water. The callings of wife and mother are demanding in and of themselves. :) But I love EACH of my callings. I grow tremendously in each, and I truly believe this is what the Lord wants me to be doing at this point in my life. And even though it gets challenging, I kind of enjoy a challenge. :)

One thing I have struggled with lately however, is that my Sundays are typically crazy. They feel so fast paced, and often at the end of the day I feel wiped out - mentally, emotionally, and physically. This has been trying for me because of two main reasons. First, I am used to my Sundays being the day that I get to "rest" a bit. I get the rejuvenating time I need to prepare me for the remainder of the week and the demands it will most certainly bring. My Sundays would fill me up like oil in a lamp. Second, it was my time to spend relaxing with my family. Everyone is home. We get a chance to soak each other in. Since being called as the Primary President however, that has changed. I go, go, go, and then go some more. My energy is not replenished, it is zapped. :) My time with my family is often sparse with meetings and other concerns, but more importantly my mind is occupied with other things as well. They don't get me. In addition, Sacrament meeting with twin 3 year old girls has been comparable running a marathon each Sunday. Enough said.

But this Sunday was better. It was different. Not much changed about the circumstances, but my attitude changed. I felt calm. I spoke sweeter. I am getting better at handling the crisis each week brings. I am growing. The girls were even really well-behaved during Sacrament. I felt like I should pinch myself. Sharing time was tricky because my girls are now Sunbeams. It is a whole new experience to have them in there while I am in there. My secretary and I are in the same situation so that is comforting I guess. At least it is not JUST my girls having a hard time. This Sunday was no different. They still struggled...A LOT. But I felt different. I wasn't exasperated. I felt as though they were progressing. It felt good actually...although I am sure that is not what everyone else watching thought. :) But that doesn't matter.

So sufficeth it to say that Sunday was good. It felt rejuvenating. It felt calm. I needed that.

Now skip to today. I wanted to work out today. So I decided to take my girls to the Kids' Fit class at the gym while I went to a class myself. I was in there 5 minutes and they brought them to me. They had to go to the bathroom. No problem...quick trip, and I got back in right after the class started. I worked out for about 25 minutes and they the girls and their teacher were back. They were throwing fits, crying, wanted to be held, and simply wouldn't do what they were supposed to be doing to be in the class. The teacher told me that I should take them to the Day Care instead. She was nice about it, but in essence she felt they were not ready for the structure of the class yet. I left my class, and we drove home.

Here is where the perspective came. I realized my girls are still really little. They are also home bodies. They don't really want to be with a lot of other people. They are perfectly content playing with each other and being with those that they feel most comfortable around...their family. I was reminded by the Spirit that Morgan was this way as well at this age. It made leaving home a struggle. I am NOT a home body so this was tricky for me. But that gentle reminder also came with the reminder that it was only a phase. Morgan is now very social. She still prefers to stay around here, but she is much different than I thought she would be. She has lots of friends and is out-going, but she prefers her family. Is there anything wrong with that?? Heavens NO! That is what we as parents hope for right?? So , today it became clear to me that my girls are in the same phase. Hopefully that is all it is for them as well...just a phase.

The other thing that I have realized is that I am not in the phase of life that I can come and go at will. I am needed here. My kids need me. My husband needs me. And I need them. The bonds that are being built are far more important than a particular workout or anything else. I don't know if this is making any sense but it is clear in my mind. It is also what is keeping me from feeling disappointed or frustrated.

So I just want to thank my Father in Heaven for the perspective He shared with me today, and for the Spirit guiding me as a mother. I needed Sunday, and it got me ready for today.

I Jinxed it!

2012-01-22T18:43:00.000-08:00

One day 50 degrees and playing outside...the next day, 20 degrees and swimming at the local Rec Center. :) Such is winter weather in Utah. :)
The very morning after my last post, we woke up to this:

So we decided to do our typical Saturday house clean-up and then take the kids swimming for the afternoon. We were not the only ones with this idea. :) It was kind of busy, but not too bad and the kids loved it...how could you not when your Rec center looks like this:

We also ran into some friends from church...

Unfortunately, I couldn't adequately capture all the fun because I was a little afraid to use my camera too much around all this water. Plus the lighting wasn't so great. But here are just a couple I salvaged. :)

I know...yes that is all I got that turned out. Sad. :( But we had fun regardless. It was a really nice Saturday. Clean house ready for Sunday. Good family time...and Trev and I were even able to sneak away and have dinner out together. Perfect Saturday in my opinion. :)

50 Degrees in January!

2012-01-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

So far, we have had a very mild winter. We keep getting "winter storm" scares, but then only a few flakes and nicer temperatures the next day. :) TRUST ME, I am not complaining...the last couple of winters have been long and tough for me. So far, I will take this winter and enjoy it as long as I can...I kind of hope it stays this way. :)
Today was one of those days where the sun is shining and the kids and I decided to bask in it. :)

I am not asking for a drought winter or anything, but forgive me if I don't complain about this type of weather. :)

FNO (Family Night Out)!

2012-01-17T12:46:00.000-08:00

This last weekend, Trev and I decided we needed some fun, quality, family time! It seems that in our stage of life when we are all home together often we find ourselves not soaking each other in, but working on things that need to get done. We like getting things done, but it was time to be with each other! So we rented a room at the Marriott downtown, and surprised the kids with a FNO!

It was pretty low-key, but they LOVED it! We basically just met up at the hotel on Friday night and swam, ate pizza by the pool, watched the skaters in Gallivan Square, played Trouble, and just hung out together. It was really great. Great memories!

Here we are hanging at the pool and snarfing down some DELISH Papa John's Pizza (my favorite):

The only thing not pictured here is the MANY moments of M&J being tossed into the pool by Trev, and the girls swimming confidently in their little life jackets. :) We constantly moved back and forth from the hot tub to the pool and back again. :) The water felt great and I loved having the chance to just sit and watch (and take pictures) of us enjoying each other's company. We really had a great time. I think we spent at least 2 hours there. :)

Then we headed back to the beautiful room, showered, and snuggled up in bed to watch some cartoons.

Here are the girls taking their first shower. :)

Every mom has to have these pictures...it's a must. :)

Here are the kids all snug in bed, and Trev getting some time to read the book he has been entrenched in, The Lone Survivor.

We also spent a little time playing games with the kids, and watching the beautiful lights and the Zaboni clean the ice skating rink below. M&J were enthralled. :)

I have to say, none of us had the best nights' sleep that night...it is so different sleeping all in the same room with your kids. They make noises and it wakes you up all night long. :)
Trev woke up early and went for a 7 mile run while the kids and I slept in. :) Then we got up, got dressed, headed to McDonald's for breakfast and playing in the Playplace...

After this, we had these grand plans to take the kids to Temple Square and walk around, but it was just simply too cold, and we were all a little tired. So we decided to scrap that, head home, and resume the normal weekend routine of jobs, sports, and home life. :) The kids didn't seem to mind. It really was a great little trip...key words: little, and GREAT!

Goals...CHECK!

2012-01-16T14:15:00.000-08:00

So Jake's goals were done...it was time to finish mine and Morgan's. I went ahead and let Abby and Claire off the hook with goals this time around. Their newest thing is jobs. They are currently working on learning to make their bed, tidy their room, and tidy their toys each day. I figure that is enough for now. Maybe when summer comes, they won't be so lucky. ;)

We will start with Morgan's. Her "Take 2 - Goal Setting" session was not near as dramatic as Jake's (see previous post), but it was nice just to sit down with her and give her a chance to make goals for herself. It was interesting that most of the goals she picked were ones that I had previously mentioned. Being a child that is always trying to please her parents I am sure this is no accident. :) But she seems invested in them so I guess it doesn't really matter "who" came up with the ideas right? The point being that she feels invested and is taking ownership of the goals. This ownership will spark her desire to work to accomplish them...we hope. :) So here she is thinking, writing, and decorating her poster...

Proudly choosing the perfect spot to hang it in her room so that she can see it each day...(not the place I would have picked, but it's her room not mine. :) )

And the finished product...ready to be worked on. :)

Keep in mind that these are not goals for the year (as previously determined in goal-setting session #1) but just until school gets out at the end of May. We just thought that the full year would be too long for them to feel the joy of progress. So we switched it to be the goals they wanted to accomplish by summer. Then once summer hits we will do summer goals to work on while they are home all the time. Hopefully this will keep them busy working, accomplishing, and self-confidence building in their abilities to do hard things. :) That's the real "goal."

Ok, on to me. I originally set some goals for myself as well in the "first session" but then read some fantastic insight shared by other amazing women on other amazing blogs about how they were approaching their 2012 year. They talked about how they would choose ONE word to focus on all year long. This particular word would need to encompass all the things they wanted to become better at and accomplish in that time, but it would also serve as a sort of grounding stone for them in their day-to-day lives. It would be in the back of their minds always to help them in every role they were in, whether it be mother, wife, sister, friend, daughter, neighbor, etc. I thought about this philosophy a lot. It seemed to me that this approach would help me a lot more at this point in my life when I wasn't really looking to "do" more, just "be" more. So with a lot of thought, and a little teasing from my honey, I starting trying to come up with ONE word to be my anchor this year. This was actually a lot harder than I thought. I thought it would be easier to come up with one word, rather than set specific goals...not so. It was actually a lot harder because this ONE word had to incorporate progress in just about every aspect of my life! Where do you even start?!
A lot of words came to mind:
Listen
Lift
Purify
Love
etc.
But the more I thought about what I really needed to improve upon in my life, and what brings me down faster than anything else, the more I was led to "my" word. And this is it...

"Positive"

For those of you who know me, you would probably be a little surprised at this word (or at least I hope you would :)). But I have realized something about myself over the last few months. I can get pretty negative. I think this stems from the environment I grew up in. It was pretty negative a lot of the time. So I think I have the natural tendency to look for what is wrong or needs to be fixed with everything. I think this CAN be a good thing...after all, progress comes from evaluation and adaptation. But what I have realized myself doing lately is getting negative about things I CAN'T change. All this does is bring me down. No progress, just depressing. There are some days where I feel like a little black cloud is following me around. I am grumpy. I get snappy. I am far less patient with those I love. That feeling permeates my home and family. I feel it. They feel it. And sometimes it is pretty hard to snap out of. Don't get me wrong, I am not depressed or anything, but I get tired, frustrated, and just plain grouchy. I HATE feeling this way. I have often wondered why I have those days...in talking to other moms I understand that it is pretty normal, but I wanted to find a way to combat it instead of just giving into it. I still have my agency in any situation I am in, so I know that it was certainly my choice to allow myself to feel this way...but how do I change that??? These have been my thoughts for quite some time now.

Then those inspired women, on their inspired blogs, and an inspired friend, who led me to an inspired First Presidency message, by an inspired prophet of God, culminating in a trip here;

inspired ME to look outside of the box. To find a principle rather than a tactic. This little journey of self-discovery led me to find my word...and the answer I had been praying for. The answer is "POSITIVE." It is be positive. Have a positive attitude regardless of the situation or position I am in. Be positive with and about other people. LOOK for the GOOD! When I start thinking and speaking negatively it just brings me down. Makes me feel bad and my attitude toward everything, and everyone else in my life is affected. When I am positive about myself, my abilities, my situation, my trials, my aspirations, and others around me, I am better. I am happier. I am more grateful. I am more compassionate. I love more. I feel more. I notice more. I am a better mother. I am a better wife. I am better at my church calling, and every other role I play.

So this year, my word is "POSITIVE." This word will be set in the back of my mind all year to remind me of the joy that I miss when I allow negative emotions to take over my thoughts and feelings. It's going to be a good year...and if it is not, then I will be CHOOSE to be POSITIVE about whatever may come. :)

Thanks for listening.

Ps. My husband decided his "word" would be DOMINATE! :) He loves to tease me. :)

Jr. Jazz

2012-01-12T20:03:00.000-08:00

Jake has started Basketball...a moment he has been anxiously awaiting since I signed him up months ago...he asked just about every week "Do I start basketball yet???" So when the big day came he was stoked! And asked about every 10 minutes that day when we could go to his game. He (and me) are very excited it started. :) Now he just asks when his NEXT game is. :)

Here he is with his cute little team. They practice first and then play games after. I only got pictures of the practice this time, but don't worry...the season last 8 weeks so I am confident I will get some good action shots too. First Trev and I have to "finish" training the girls to sit by us instead of running off...this may take a few weeks and I wonder what the other parents around must be thinking of our "tough love" tactics. :) In our defense...well, nevermind. I don't need to defend right? :) Let's just say it worked with Sacrament meeting...it will work here. :)

Without further adue or diversion...

Jake is #25 in case you were wondering. :) More on this in future posts. For now, GO JAZZ! :)

Built-in BFF

2012-01-12T10:45:00.000-08:00

Ever since we found out we were having twin girls, we have been been in awe of their relationship. They literally are BFF's! They have this connection to one another that I can't completely understand because I haven't experienced it, but I can just imagine what a comfort it would be in life. Here is just a sneak peak of everyday life for these two.

Such cute built-in buddies. I love these twins. :)

Goals...take 2.

2012-01-11T10:52:00.000-08:00

So you know that feeling when you feel like you have accomplished something big...when you feel like you can let your mind move on to other things and check that big thing off your list? (I love checking things off...I am VERY much a list person). Well I had that feeling a week ago after we discussed and recorded our family and individual goals over Sunday dinner, posted them here, and I spent a few hours one day designing this...

to frame and proudly display in our kitchen for all to see and be reminded each day. Wheww...done! Right? Wrong. After (of course) I had gone through this whole process...I read a section in my new favorite book on giving kids ownership of their goals:

It basically says that if you give kids ownership of their own goals, guide them in setting them, and create a visual reminder with progress charts, they will be much more motivated to accomplish them and feel more pride in that feat.
With this new insight, I realized that my kids hadn't really set their goals...we had set expectations for them to attain. Ours. Not theirs. I realized this wouldn't do much for what we were trying to teach them about setting goals. It wouldn't teach them to aspire to what they desire, just what we desire out of them. So...I realized, a little begrudgingly since I had already "checked it off" in my mind, that we needed a "Goals...Take 2."

So yesterday, I bought a couple of white poster boards, sat M&J down, and did this thing again. Our family goals stayed the same, because we had discussed and determined these goals as a family. The individual ones were the ones that I felt needed revamping. So it began.

First was Jake. I simply asked him what are some goals he would like to accomplish until the end of the school year in 4 different categories: 1. Spiritual, 2. Educational, 3. Physical, and 4. Service. I offered a few suggestions to help him but was careful not to push my ideas onto him. It took about 45 minutes and by the end he was crying. :) But something interesting happpened. When we talked about his education goals he said he wanted to learn how to be a better reader. As I have mentioned with previous posts, he has struggled with his letters. So I was excited when he said that was his goal (I didn't even suggest this! Hooray!). But then when we were trying to formulate a plan to make this happen I suggested he set a goal of reading a certain number of books by the end of the school year. This is where things got enlightening. He said he wanted to read 2. I said that was too low of a number considering we still had 5 months left of school. I told him "how about 2 a month = 10 books?" He begrudingly obliged...then as we were drawing the 10 progress stars (one for each new book) his eyes started to fill with tears. I could tell he was trying to be brave and not cry, but then I asked him why he was sad, and he lost it. Tears flowing like rain! He finally said in frustration, "I can't read! That's too many!" This stopped me short. Broke my heart really, because I realized for the first time that he was self-conscience about not being able to read yet. I can't imagine too many of his fellow Kindergartners are already reading but it was clear to me that he was frustrated that he could not. This is the first time he has ever express this level of frustration with reading. I put down the marker, sat him on my lap, and tried to lovingly assure him that I would help him with this. That I would help him accomplish this goal...but that the only way to get better at reading was to practice. The 10 books would help him accomplish his goal. In that moment, Trev walked in from work. He came over, I briefly explained what was going on, and promised that he would help Jake too. We also told him because he would have to work so hard to accomplish all these goals that we would reward him by going somewhere fun of his choice (he picked Chuck E. Cheeses...Trev and I hate that place. :) ) once he had accomplished all his goals. That seemed to help him, and you could see the confidence growing on his face as he gained strength from realizing that his parents would be there to help him along his journey.
A couple minutes later, after some final coloring touches, we posted the board in his room for him to see and consistently work on. See that face...much better. :)

I have to say, I am sooo grateful that I read that section in my book. It pushed me to go back and redo this process...which led me to an enlightening experience with my son. If I hadn't taken the time to do this, I wouldn't have known exactly how he was feeling in this area. In addition, Jake wouldn't have had the opportunity to feel his parents unwavering love and determination to be there to help him when things are hard. This process became about a whole lot more than just setting some goals. I am so grateful for this experience.

Now I think I can safely say...
Jake's Goals - CHECK! I love that!! :)
...now onto Morgan's and mine. :)

A mommy-daughter date to remember.

2012-01-07T19:30:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those days you simply don't want to forget. Since M was little, Trev and I started taking her on Daddy/Mommy-Daughter dates. It is basically where she gets a little time out with one of us. We usually do something fun and then get a bite to eat. J gets them now as well. They have proven to be incomparable in building our one-on-one relationships with our kids. We connect with each kid, we learn more about them, we find out what is going on with them. A&C haven't started these yet, but probably will soon. I highly recommend this for any family. It truly is great.

Some dates are just normal, but today I had a GREAT date with Morgan. Next month she turns 8. This is a big milestone in her life because she has the opportunity to get baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is a big moment and she has been looking forward to this for a LONG time. Among the other special things about this day (more on that when it arrives) she gets a new beautiful white dress to symbolize her purity. Today for our Mommy-Daughter date, we went shopping for "the dress" and out to lunch afterward. I get emotional just thinking about the experience. It was one of those great moments for a mother and daughter. Gave me a glimpse into what wedding dress shopping might feel like. :) One day...I need my little girl a little longer. :)

So here's what happened:
We began the morning with going to Morgan's friend, Faith's baptism. The Spirit was so strong, and it was so neat to see Faith's older brothers teaching her about Baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I LOVE this gospel!!! After the baptism we headed out. We went to a couple stores...and found a couple she liked, but we weren't sold yet. Then we went to the final store...
Maybe...

Maybe...

YES!!! This is the one.

My feelings were just about bursting out of my chest seeing my little girl in this lovely white dress! She looked so beautiful and she even had black boots on underneath...I am just going to die when she I see her all done up for her pictures and special day!!! Awww...I love this sweet thing.

On the drive and between stores we chatted. We talked about her upcoming baptism, concerns she had at school with standing up for herself the way Christ would, and even planned out her birthday party. On the way home we ate a yummy lunch at Paradise Bakery. MMMmmmm.....

Loved this date, LOVE this growing girl.

Snapshots - Daily Life

2012-01-07T19:05:00.000-08:00

With my New Year's goal of creating a better document of our family, and improving my indoor photography skills...I decided to start practicing. So the other day, I thought I would just walk around and photograph some of the everyday things my kids like to do. The lighting in my house was great at the time so here is what I caught...

Our bookworm:

An intense train-track building session (the girls are enamored with trains lately so Gma Moores got them a "girly set" for Christmas. :)

While trying to be "invisible" and catch the candid...Abby got bored with the construction and started posing...fine by me. :)

Then Claire joined in...

I was grateful for her participation. :) This moment became quickly became a perfect expression of their relationship...so glad I caught it.

Next was Morgan and Jake...I had to switch to my flash for this one, so obviously not as good...but it's not all about the quality of the picture, but the quality of the relationships you capture. They are BIG into National Geographic Kids "Animal Jam" lately.

I sure love these little people.

Dawning of a New Year

2012-01-05T11:27:00.000-08:00

This was the view from my kitchen window the other morning as we began a new year....2012.

Is that not just so incredible?? Very symbolic of what I had been thinking about...the dawning of a new year.

I always love December and all the magic, family, and love that part of the year brings...but I am always so glad when it is all over because it brings a lot of extra work and stress with it. This year we spent a lot of the week after Christmas organizing, doing projects, and trying to squeeze in more family time as well. I am going to be honest. It was a rough week for me. Mostly I think because there was so much Trev and I wanted to get accomplished before he went back to work, family in town we wanted to see, and because I had a lot of primary stuff that I needed to do to prepare for the 1st Sunday. I also had a lot of stuff to do to get our family setting goals and getting back on track for the new year. It left me feeling pretty stressed, and honestly like I felt as though I didn't even get a break at all.
Monday morning, the last day before the kids went back to school and Trev went back to work I pretty much had a "mom-meltdown." You know, the kind where you lock yourself in the bathroom and cry for a while, as the rest of your family wonders what has become of you. :) I told my sweet husband my feelings to which he empathized, and then lovingly offered to try and help. He promised me that at 3:45 p.m. that night we would stop whatever we were doing, take the kids on a walk, and go out to dinner. Just get some family time with just us. That was EXACTLY what I needed. We did just that and it was so great. Like, really great. I am just grateful for a husband who knows me and who helps me see the forest through the trees. Love you sweetheart.

On our walk, we talked to the kids about Honesty (the value we want to focus on teaching them in January). Then we ate at Pizza Pie Cafe...YUM! Then next morning the kids trotted off to school, Trev headed back to work, and the girls and I began the routine, once again. It has been really nice to get back into the swing of things...kind of like the calm after the storm. :)

With everyone back to normal (a relative term) I wanted to take a minute and post our family and individual goals for the upcoming year. Time to get working. :) Again. :)

Lighten Family Goals 2012:
1. Spiritual - Read 5 Book of Mormon verses together a day. Try to get to Alma 15.
2. Educational - Study America. This year we want to teach our kids about our government, history, etc. With it being a Presidential Election year we thought it would be fun to teach them about this great country we are blessed to live in.
3. Physical - Complete 1 bike ride/hike/swim/race/etc. together as a family a month.
4. Service - Once a month do something special for the poor and/or the needy (emotionally, physically, temporally, whatever).

Kids Goals:
Morgan-
1. Spiritual - Read 1 verse of the Book of Mormon each night before bed.
2. Educational - Learn to cook. Make one new recipe each month.
3. Physical - Be able to swim the entire length of the pool without touching the ground or stopping.
4. Service - Begin fasting on Fast Sunday and donate money to fast offerings to help the poor.

Jake-
1. Spiritual - Learn about the following prophets: King Benjamin, Nephi, Lehi, Joseph Smith, and Thomas S. Monson.
2. Educational - Learn about sea life (sharks, fish, dolphins, whales, barracudas, etc).
3. Physical - Learn how to rollerblade and play street hockey.
4. Service - Help keep weeds out of one of our neighbors yard that has major health issues.

Trev-
I can't remember all of his...except to be able to do 6 dead-hang pull-ups...he can currently do 2. :)

Me -
1. Spiritual - Ask for my Saviors' help more often. Don't try to lean so much on my own understanding. Invite the Savior into my everyday.
2. Educational - Document my family. Do at least 1 blog post a week. Increase my knowledge and ability in Photography. I am getting a new camera this year and I with that I want to increase my skill level. Particularly in shooting indoors. I love my outdoor pictures...but my indoor ones don't seem to turn out as well. Learn more about healthy eating...eat less meat.
3. Physical - Run at least 1 half marathon. Add a lifting class at least once a week. Maybe get pregnant. :) We'll see....no I am not currently pregnant. :) Just thinking about it.
4. Service - Become the "Eye of the Storm" in my home. I realize I need to be more patient and loving with my kids. I need to let them enjoy their childhood and not let that slip away. So I will be focusing on my family more this year. I also want to become an expert cinnamon roll maker...I have tried this numerous times and it hasn't worked...they NEVER rise right! I will figure this out this year. :) More of a service to my family than self because I can't eat those. :)

So there we are. Ready to charge ahead. Can't wait to see what this year has in store for us. Happy New Year everyone!

Go JAZZ!

2012-01-05T10:28:00.000-08:00

So we have this AMAZING friend, Chris, and he has AMAZING courtside seats to the Utah Jazz...which he was SUPER nice to share with us!
CAVEAT: Get ready to be jealous...this date night with my sweetheart was pretty much a typical man's bucket list item...one we have been able to check off TWICE now!

So here's how it went down. A few weeks before Christmas our dear friend invited us and our fun neighbors, the Maughans, to take his tickets to the Jazz's season home opener game against the Sixers. We obliged (of course!). :)

So we started the night driving to the game with our dear friends, and parked in the VIP lot across the street from the arena. (Lucky, right!? just wait...)
From our short walk to the game, we were taken by elevator up to the dining area where we were treated to a DELISH and fancy dinner, over looking the downtown area and beautiful Temple Square. The food and conversation were both wonderful. Then before the game started we snagged a couple ice cream cones and headed down to our seat...on the 3rd ROW!!! COURTSIDE!!! We settled in, trying to look like we belong there while the players warmed up right in front of us! I am always amazed at how big these guys are up close, but they are somehow super-athletic and coordinated too. True athletes.

Here we are before the game:

During the game: (I was trying to get a booty shot of one of the players...this was the best I could get...those guys are fast = nice booties. :) )

It wound up being a REALLY close game...super fun to watch and very exciting at the end...have no fear however, the JAZZ WON!!! Thus...the confetti...

My favorite part of the game was probably the fireworks show at the beginning...yes...fireworks! InSiDe!!! It was pretty incredible. :)

My favorite part of the night was being with my honey and our great friends. What a night! Thanks again Chris!! We had a wonderful time. :)

Christmas Morning 2011

2012-01-03T16:01:00.000-08:00

Before I reveal the magical morning, I have to take a moment and document all the fun leading up to the BIG day! I don't have pictures, so this is for my memory...

In December - We started things off with a date night to Cetabellos (our fav pizza restaurant in SLC) temple lights, and hot chocolate with just my sweetheart. LOVED this night. We usually take the kids each year...and it winds up being a bit of a disaster, so we went alone this time...really romantic. :)
We watched the Annual First Presidency Christmas Devotional...Morgan had a GS christmas cookie exchange...the Bullock family (Trev's Mom-side) Christmas Party...Addie's (cousin) Baptism...and the Ward Christmas Party.
Then came Morgan's Dance Recital...GNO with my SIL's for Heather's Bday...saw New Year's Eve...sorta lame...then had the Lighten Christmas Party.
Jake had a friend Bday party...we had a "Mormon Cocktail Party"...really FUN! Martinelli's was my drink of choice...loved the time with my neighbors and REALLY fun idea! Thanks Belshes! :)
We also did a couple "secret elves" missions to try and get the kids to think of, and serve others at this time of the year. This was something we will do every year. I hope that in the future it works out better but Morgan LOVED being sooo sneaky. :)

That brings me to this point...Christmas EVE...and Christmas morning!
Christmas Eve we just hung out at home. We cooked, cleaned, and deliver neighbor treats for most of the day, getting ready for the big event. For dinner, we had roast, potatoes, and Yorkshire puddings...Hmmm...I love Trev's English heritage! :) After which his parents stopped by to bring presents. :) They always get our kids the coolest things!
After they left, opened Christmas Jammies, and watched DVD, Joy to the World. It was all about Christ's birth and the miracles surrounding it. My kids were enthralled...M&J are really starting to get these things. I love that! We ended the night with setting out homemade Oreos and Hot Chocolate for Santa, checked his location on the Internet, kissed the kids goodnight, and sent them off to bed.
In the meantime, Trev and I watched Christmas Story (one of Trev's fav Christmas traditions) and awaited the Big Man's arrival!

This is what we found the next morning! (yes...I actually have pictures of this...proud of me??? especially now that you see how much I don't have pictures of. :) )

Yeah...they pretty much scored! Trev got a weekend trip to St. George to see Brian Regan, Cougar gear for his man-cave, and his fav candy...seafoam. I got new boots, a mustard scarf, a couple of books I wanted, and anything else I saw for myself while out shopping. :) After the presents were all open, and the dust settled, we sat down for a yummy Christmas morning casserole breakfast. The kids weren't too keen on it...especially Morgan (our Egg-hater). But we (Trev and I) enjoyed it thoroughly. :)

Next up was Church at 10:30 am. We moved to the 2:30 pm time slot so this was a bitter-sweet day. Early church, 1 hour, mostly songs. LOVED IT...sad to see our nice time slot go. :(
After church we came home, had lunch, and headed off to Gma&Gpa Dodson's house in Richmond. My brother is on his mission in AZ, so we went up there to skype with him. :) We also ate a scrumptious dinner and opened more presents...kids got rollerblades, and a little girl train track, I got jeans, and Trev got a new speaker thing for our room. He loves it!

It was a great day...one of those days you want to encase in your memory. It truly was a Merry Christmas, full of love, family, and happy moments together.

100 Years of Girl Scouts!

2011-12-26T19:27:00.000-08:00

My little girl (M) is an official Brownie Scout (2nd Grade Girls in Girls Scouts of America). I was a Brownie Scout as a little girl too, so when we found out that there was a troop in our area, we were both super-excited! She started in September and has loved every minute of it. I was lucky enough to see why a couple of weeks ago when I went to be the "mom helper." It quickly became one of those neat mom moments.

Here is why:
1. Each girl was supposed to come with a themed paper on a topic they would be discussing that night. Morgan's topic was hope. As usual, I had planned to help her with it, but I got so busy with other things that she pretty much wrote it on her own. With such a ominous word, I worried that she wouldn't know what to say. However, when she read me what she wrote, I was really impressed. She said, she thought hope was when you believe in something like God, families, or love. She also wrote that she has hope that she will be able to live with her family forever and her Heavenly Father. What a sweetheart this little girl is...she has always been very sensitive to the spiritual things. This was just another confirmation of that fact for me. Here she is sharing her thoughts on hope with her fellow Brownie Scouts and listening to the other girls'.

2. After each girl shared their papers, the girls got to decorate "100 Year" posters to take to the GSA 100 Year Birthday Celebration in March. My cute friend Kelli, who is one of the troop leaders brought TONS of craft supplies for the girls to decorate their posters! They had so much fun just chatting and crafting. :)

Do you love that cheese-ball smile??? :)

3. Once the girls were finished decorating, the meeting ended with a fun game of musical chairs, a Christmas story, and a truly touching gift to each of the girls from their leaders. They gave them little charm bracelets that had the words, Faith, Hope, Love, etc., on each dangling charm. It was the sweetest thing every!! The told them these charm bracelets were to remind them of everything a girl scout stands for. I didn't get a picture of these adorable gifts, but they were sooo cute. This probably made my night, just seeing what amazing leaders my daughter is blessed to be led by. These little girls don't even know how good they have it!

4. The last reason this night was so special was that I just got a little time to focus on my sweet Morgan. I have come to find with 4 kids, and a young set of twins, it gets tricky to give each child all the individual time and attention I wish I could. This is why this night was a special mom moment for me...it was a chance to spend some special time with my special daughter. I love this cute Brownie Scout!

Tis the Season!

2011-12-19T20:28:00.000-08:00

Like everyone else right now, we are gearing up for Christmas!!! LOVE THIS HOLIDAY!!!
This year, we started some new little traditions...we will see if they stick. :)
First, I bought one of those gingerbread house kits that I always see, but never get. I thought this year we would give it a try. :)
Luckily, Jake brought home his class mascot, "Tigerrific" so he joined in the fun as well.

Do you love Morgan's face??? A result of me trying to get her to actually look at the camera...she is INFAMOUS for looking away just as I snap a picture. :)

While M&J worked on the candy-licious house, Abby and Claire watched one of my all-time favorite holiday shows...Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer...you know the "original." Gotta love that Abominable Snowman. :)

I thought while the kids were occupied, I would take a few pics of our holiday decor. It was nighttime so the pictures aren't great, but I thought what the hey...I'm documenting right!?

I also wanted to try and make this Christmas more about showing Christ-like love to the people I care the most about...so as part of our Christmas countdown I tied a bucket for each of my kids on the countertop chairs. In those buckets each day I write them a note of something I love about them, and a treat to go with it of course. It has really been neat to see how much they love it! Morgan is the only one that can read them on her own, but it is the first thing she does when she gets home from school is read her note and eat her treat. She said to me one day, "Mom, I love my bucket countdown...can we do this every year??" Those moments make it all worth it as a mom. ;)
Here are the buckets:

This is for my honey! :) For his countdown, each day I write him a little note. It is either a compliment, service to him, or a special date night I have planned. He loves this too! When he gets home from work the first thing he does is say hi to all of us...then he reads his note. :) I am so glad he appreciates them. :)
Okay, back to the gingerbread house experiment...

So it turned out really cute...however...

This is what happened not long after the kids finished...it collapsed!!! I think the roof was too heavy...too much candy...I don't know. Maybe we need to let the frosting dry first, then decorate??? Have any of you done this before?? What did you do? I would love some suggestions for next year...if we attempt it again. My kids were a little bummed. :) But it was fun to decorate it at least. :)
Finally, Morgan's class put on a Reader's Theater. They did "The Best (Worst) Christmas Pageant Ever." It was really cute...the girls and I went. We could barely understand the kids' lines but it was sweet nonetheless. :)

Well there you have it...it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here... :) We are sooo READY!

Thanksgiving AZ-style (Part 2)

2011-12-14T14:08:00.000-08:00

After all the hoopla of Thanksgiving dinner ended...Black friday shopping began...around 9 p.m. that night actually. :) All the ladies went our seperate ways while the husbands and children laid nestled all snug in their beds. The next morning, the ladies met for breakfast at this yummy place called "The Egg and I." Sad I didn't think to get a picture of this. :( Once the women were back, the men went golfing...an absolute favorite activity for the Lighten guys. And seriously, how can you not golf in such great weather???

During the afternoon, everyone kind of went their seperate ways, so we took our kids on a little hike to the ASU "A." They are becoming really good hikers. Abby peed her pants at the top, but other than that it went pretty smoothly. :)

Check out those ancient petroglyphs!

By this time, we were all ready to eat...so the kids got Lunchables and Caprisuns, while we picked up sandwiches from one of our favorite restaurants...Capriotti's! This is a sandwich shop we discovered, and LOVED, while living in Vegas, but they don't have them in UT. I couldn't pass up the oppertunity to get "The Bobby" (a delectable turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce Thanksgiving dinner on a bun). Did I mention I love Thanksgiving??? :) Mmmmm....good!

That night we all met up at Megan and Ernesto's SWEET clubhouse they belong too...This place was AWE-SOME!!! They have fun pools, tennis courts, and rooms you can have get-togethers in. So we played tennis, games, and MINUTE TO WIN-IT! This place was super fun!

Then next day was pretty relaxing. We swam some more at the pool, then met up for lunch at this really great park. It was HUGE and had carnival rides, a train ride, duck pond, and of course, playgrounds. I must have been tired of picture-taking by this point because I didn't take anymore during the rest of the trip. :) So sorry...no photos, just envision in your minds all the fun we had. :)

That night, we finished our last night together with the kids at M&E's for a movie night while the adults went out. The BYU game was playing at Buffalo Wild Wings so the ladies aquiesced to the boys' request to go there...until we saw the food choices and that P.F. Chang's was right next door. So we left. :) The boys got their game, and the girls got to chat and have a yummy meal. It all turned out really nice actually. :)

When we picked up the kids, we all said our Good-bye's and headed back to the hotel. Then next morning we all drove home. Together, of course. :)

Before I close this post, I have to take a personal moment to express how much I love Thanksgiving. Every year it seems to get more and more slided by the upcoming Christmas holiday. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, but I just really wish their was more emphasis given to the gratitude Thanksgiving engeanders within us. I love Thanksgiving and I could not be more grateful for my life, my Lord, and my family. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thanksgiving AZ-style (Part 1)

2011-12-14T13:27:00.000-08:00

Well, after a few busy weeks in preparation of Christmas, I was able to take some time and work on our pictures from Thanksgiving! :) Hooray!

This year for Thanksgiving, we went south to Arizona! Why you might ask??? Trev's family, warmer temperatures...enough said. :) Trev's sister Megan and her family live in Gilbert, so 6 months ago we convinced them to host the family at Thanksgiving.  Not everyone could make the trek, but for those of us who did...boy oh boy did we have a great time!  We TRULY loved this trip. Here's how it went:

We caravaned down with Trev's two brothers, Rich and Dan, and their families. We got into our hotel around 2 am Thanksgiving morning.  We slept in as long as the kids would allow us, and then headed over to Megan and Ernesto's house for some family, football, and LOTS of food! :)
I have to give a little shout out here...Thanksgiving is such a HUGE event to put on, but Megan and Ernesto were EXCELLENT hosts! And the decor...oh my...Pinterest would be proud! :) SO nice!
Preparing the feast...

Playing the sandbox...one of the kids' favorite past times. :)

While the turkey cooked, some of the crew stayed behind, while the rest headed to the park for some intense Lighten Family football, and playtime at the playground with cousins...did I mention that the weather was WONDERFUL???!!! Oh, to see the sun. :)

After a lot of snacking and anticipation, the food was ready...THANKSGIVING DINNER!!! :) Everything was so scrumptous, and the table was just beautiful. What a neat experience to sit down together and have a beautiful, delicious meal together. I love being in this family.

Our fabulous hosts above!! Thanks sooo much guys!

So much to be thankful for...

Halloween 2011

2011-11-07T09:04:00.000-08:00

This October was really fun, but also really busy. I feel like that is the story of my life. :) Anyway, I wanted to take a minute and post about the ways we, in the Lighten house, celebrated All Hallow's Eve. :) Mawwwwww....

We started off the festivities with the Annual Lighten Family Halloween Party! My kids look forward to this every year. My super-nice in-laws throw this party at their beautiful home, and I am always amazed at that fact. The reason being??? 30+ some-odd grandkids! All in one house, all decorating sugar cookies with frosting, and all doping up on sugar! It gets pretty wild sometimes, but the kids love it!
This year, Trev was on a fun guys' trip in Dallas with all his old college buddies watching the Cougars play. So I went stag with all my 4 kids. :) For that reason, I didn't get a single picture. :) Too much going on, too many little hands to wipe, and the moments just flew by. But I will mention all the fun things we did so that later on my kids will know how amazing and nice their grandparents are. :) We had sugar cookie decorating, pumpkin bowling, bean bag tossing, apple bobbing, and ghost suckers making. They also had a parade to show off costumes, yummy soup and bread dinner, and of course, trick-or-treating throughout the house! So fun...thanks Gma and Gpa Lighten!

The next day was Saturday. Trev was still gone, and so I decided I would clean my house and then do some fun things with the kids for Halloween. It is always such a great feeling to have a clean house going into the Sabbath. I really think it helps me feel the Spirit more on the Lord's day. :) So once the house was clean, we headed to the store to get some supplies to make caramel apples! Yummm...these are probably one of my most favorite treats in the world. LOVE them! While I dipped the apples, Abby and Morgan did a little Halloween craft. Jake and Claire weren't so interested.

What a nice sister Morgan is...

Now onto Monday...HALLOWEEN! We started the day off with the kids annual school costume parades and parties. Which they were both REALLY excited about. :) Again, no pictures. Too much going on, but all the kids looked super-cute. One kid was even the "UP" house...that's right, the cardboard house around him, and brightly colored balloons coming out the top! Really creative. :) Morgan was a bumblebee and Jake was a SWAT team guy.

After all the school festivities, I wanted to take the kids somewhere fun...mostly to kill time before dinner and trick-or-treating that night. We decided to go see the Witches at Gardner Village. We have done this every year, and this time Trev met us there after work. I think it's becoming a tradition. :) And guess, what...I actually got a picture this time...just one. :)

Next we headed home to Pizza and Salad for dinner...something easy and I knew they would eat before the massive candy-intake began...not the healthiest, but something of substance...hey, whatever. :)

Last, but certainly not least, TRICK-OR-TREATING!!! Notice Morgan is no longer a Bumblebee? She does this every year, by the time we go trick-or-treating, she wants a different costume. :) Funny girl.

As you can see the weather was gorgeous! My kids didn't even need jackets! We got lucky however, because the next morning we woke up to a blanket of fresh snow on the ground. :) In terms of candy, the kids CLEANED UP! Most of which, we wound up selling back to their dentist the following day...he sends it all to the troops in Iraq. Nice huh?? Plus Morgan had a lot of cavities this year...I think a win-win option. :) In return, they each got a little prize, $2, and a new toothbrush kit. :) This might become a tradition too...we'll see how long I can keep talking the kids into it. :)

Happy Halloween everybody!

FHE - A Play and Sunset Hike

2011-11-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

Two Mondays ago, Morgan and her Brownie Scout troop put on a Readers' Theater play all about eating healthy and exercising. They had been practicing for a few weeks, and it turned out really cute! Morgan was one of the Princesses...she did a great job.

I have to mention this...during the play, every time Morgan had a line she would step forward, say her line dripping with passion, cock her cute face to the side, and then step back in line. My friend commented to me on how dramatic Morgan was. I had to laugh because when we were practicing the lines together, it was almost depressing to hear her speak her parts. She was so drab and boring about it. So I told her, "Dress it up a little honey...when you talk act like you are actaully enjoying it!" :) This dramatics come showtime were the result. :) Funny girl.

Since Morgan's play started at 5:15 p.m., we were all invited to come, and it is about 20 minutes from our house; we just decided to bring pizza, have a picnic at the park nearby, and finish off Family Night with a sunset hike! :)

Not far from where Morgan's troop meets, there is a trailhead that goes up to a place called "Potato Hill." Trev found it, and so we headed out.

Everything was going great for about the first 3 minutes. Then Morgan fell, next Abby fell, and then Claire fell. Jake was the only survivor. :) All the girls cried. Abby and Claire wanted Trev and I to hold them. So we did, for about 5 minutes. Then we tried to put them down, and they started to cry again. We, or maybe I, decided that we were not going to carry them this entire hike. They could walk. They did not like that idea. :) Claire eventually was fine with it. This one however, was not. :)

Seriously, is that not the saddest little face. :)

But we held firm, and kept going. I held her hand, but was not going to climb this hill carrying her when she was perfectly capable of walking. I have done hikes like that before and I refused to do it again. Mean mom?? Maybe.

After the power struggle started to subside however, the sun was just starting to set and it was beautiful! Add in the changing Fall colors on the trees...and wow! M&J kept saying, "GORGEOUS ALERT!" I am so glad they noticed. :)

This is about half-way up the hill, it was pretty steep actually. You could DEFINATELY consider this a hike. :)

Notice that I am not holding Abby's hand any longer?? I think it was more that she was upset with me, than doing better. As witnessed on the top when she wouldn't even come sit by us. :) See what I mean???

In the midst of all the Abby shananagans, I suprisingly wasn't too bothered. I was just enjoying the scenery and LOVING seeing my kids enjoy it as well. Great moment as a mom.

Well, Abby did finally warm back up to me. Maybe it was the beauty on the top that got to her too. :) This was pretty much the last sad face she sported that night. Sure love this little girl, fire and all. :)

So the best part of the whole hike (and the reason we took this one in the first place), was that from the top of Potato Hill you can see the whole valley on one side (as noted above), and the beautiful Draper Temple on the other.

This just melts my heart. Trev and I just pointed out the temple, and then didn't say much more. We just listened to the kids talk about it. They mentioned words like "beautiful...families...marriage...Heavenly Father's house." Then we sang "I love to see the Temple" together. Family night lesson - complete.

I believe in this world there is "the beautiful" and "the ugly." I have oftened pondered how to protect my kids from the ugly in the world. I used to think that I needed to shield them from it. Which I still do try to do and believe in many instances that is appropriate and also my job as their mother. However, as my kids grow, I realize that I will not always be able to shield them from it. I have started to feel that if I try to surround them with the beautiful, then hopefully that is what they will choose later on. They will understand and connect with how the beautiful makes them feel, because it will be starkly different than the feelings that come from the ugly. That is why I want them to learn to appreciate the beautiful now, so they will look for it later.

Some of the things I believe are beautiful in this world:

1. The Gospel of Jesus Christ

2. Families and the idea that they can be eternal.

3. God's amazing and awe-inspiring creations that were made for us.

4. Seeing my kids recognizing beauty.

This life is wonderful. There is opposition, but again, I state, that it is wonderful. We just need to be shunning "the ugly" and search for "the beautiful." This is something Trev and I are trying to teach these precious little ones. Cherish the beautiful. Great Family Night.

Fall Break at Gma & Gpa Dodson's

2011-11-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple of months Trev and I have been talking about doing various "home improvement" projects. Some more needed than others, others more fun than needed. :) So fall break was coming up for the kids, and Trev said to me,"you take the kids to your mom's for the break and I will do the wainscoating you want in the entry way." Ummm...let me think...YES!!! So off we went...to Gma's & Gpa's house. :)

Day 1 - We pretty much just hung out on day 1. Cousins came over and my kids were in heaven. :) They just played, and played.

When I told my mom we were coming, she informed me that she needed some help with a project of her own...she had purchased a 40 lbs. bag of frozen chicken. All this chicken needed to be cooked and shredded so she could use it a little at a time. So my mom, myself, my sister-in-law Becca, my little sister Jessica, her friends, and Morgan all worked together to accomplish this. I have to admit, I don't think I have ever spent so much time standing over a stove. I also have a bit of a phobia of raw meat. It has gotten better over the years of being a mom and cooking for my family, but this scenario was sort of like shock-therapy. :) Here are all the girls shredding away at the intense amount of chicken. :) They kept complaining about hurting hands...I can imagine. :)

I have to mention something here. Morgan is the oldest grandchild on my family's side. When she was born, my little sister Jessica was Morgan's age (7). So these two have always had a special relationship. My little sister is now 14, and so Morgan is kind of like her little sister. They pal around together just like I did with Jessica when she was young. It is always really fun for me to watch the closeness they share.
This visit however, I saw that increase even more. Jessica's friends Hannah, Whitney, and Rianan were there most of the weekend. They did the typical teenager things, but this time, Morgan kept getting invited.  She was asked to sneak in and hang out with them, even eat their brownies they made that none of the other children were allowed to know about.  She even shredded meat with the "big girls." It was a neat experience for me to see her feeling so grown up. It also gave me a glimpse of where she is heading. I also realized once again, how fast she will be getting there. It seems like just yesterday that Jessica was Morgan's age. Now my little sister is growing up into a beautiful, amazing young woman.  And Morgan won't be far behind...strange.

So after a long day of cooking chicken, Becca and I decided to take our kids to the park around the corner, just to get them out. They LOVED it!  It amazing how much kids love parks. Especially when cousins are around. :)

Afterwards, we went back to Gma's and ate...BBQ Chicken Sandwiches (of course!). YUM!

Day 2 - Since the kids had all been at Gma's house the day prior, we decided to take them somewhere fun. In Logan, near where my parents live, there is a little Zoo. I can't remember the name, but it is tucked inside this big beautiful park. I think I may have mentioned how much my kids love animals...;) It was perfect for them. :)
So we packed a lunch, played and ate at the park, and then went to the Zoo...with 9 kids. It was a bit crazy. :) But fun.

What a fun day right?? Well...this is not all! While we were eating lunch at the park, we ran into my parents' old Bishop, Bishop Gilbert and his family. They told us about this Annual Pumpkin Walk that this group does up in Logan. It's free, and it is adorable! The basic idea is that different groups take a "booth" and create a "scene" using pumpkins! Their were some pretty great ones. We saw Despicable Me, Pumpkin Jack, Winnie the Pooh, and Tigger too, Mrs. Sunny Patch's kids, and many others. I was really impressed! And they only do it for a few days in October - just so happens that we were there at the time! Lucky huh???

By this point, all the kids were pretty spent. :) We ran them hard, and they were ready to head back home. We finished off the night with more chicken...this time Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup in bread bowls. :)

Last Day - This was the day we headed home. But before we left, we were lucky enough to see my brother, Kevin, and his sweet Fiance, Katelyn. The kids LOVED playing with them both! I love it when there are adults around that don't have kids yet...my kids get tons of love and attention! :)

I love my family. I am so glad we got to spend time with them over fall break...who knows, maybe we will do this next year too. :)

Stay tuned for pictures of Trev's projects while I was gone...we are going to work on finishing the wainscoating this weekend...pictures soon! :)

School Spirit and Lunches on the Deck

2011-10-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

So in an attempt to blog the big stuff, and the small, I had to just post a few pictures.

First off, last week was "Red Ribbon Week," at school for M&J. It is like Spirit Week (different theme for each day, crazy hair, assemblies, etc.), except the week is devoted to keeping kids off drugs. LOVE this, by the way. One of the days was Crazy Hair Day. My kids look forward to this each year. This year was mowhawks and blue hair spray. So without further adue...here they are - CRAZY-HAIRED out!

Here is the whole crew! Minus Luke, Jake's best bud. He was still doing his hair at the time the picture was taken. These kids walk/bike/scooter to and from, school together each day. Then they usually play together for the rest of it. We are blessed to be surrounded by such great friends for my kids. Love these kids and their families.

Crazy hair also needs a crazy face to go with it apparently. :)

Speaking of school, since I didn't get around to blogging about the kids' first day this year, I thought I would add it now. :)

The only problem is that the morning Jake started, my camera wouldn't focus. My fault. Switch the setting to "manual focus" instead of "auto focus." Didn't figure it out until much later...so I am sad to report that I don't have Jake's picture on his first day of school. :( But here is Morgan's. Sorry buddy.

Now this picture just might be the real reason I wanted to blog about this day. I think a new tradition may have begun in our home. Trev decided he wanted to take M&J out to breakfast on their first day, and then drop them off at school afterwards. This year the kids started on different days, so it was the perfect time for each of them to get some fun one-on-one time with Dad. It was really neat to see how excited they were. They felt grown up to be going to Kneaders for breakfast. They felt loved to be with their dad, and get his undivided attention for just a little while. He loved the time with them, and getting to drop them off into all the excitement of the first day of school. Finally, I LOVED IT...because it was really cute, and also because they brought me home a hot breakfast too! :) I think this tradition is here to stay. :) I love these moments.

I also wanted to add in another moment that I have been enjoying a lot lately. Every day when Jake gets home, he, the girls, and I, have lunch together. Since it has been so nice outside (and also because I want to keep the kitchen as clean as possible), we have been eating lunch outside on the deck. I truly love this. Is there any question as to why? Seriously. So nice.

While I am on the topic of school. I have been really impressed with the "little smarties" in our house. Please don't take this the wrong way, I don't mean to brag. I just want to take a moment and recognize M&J for a couple things they have been working hard on, and areas I have seen VAST improvements in lately.

Morgan - The year has just begun, and already you are doing incredibly well. You are in the top of your class, and your reading has just SOARED. I love to see you getting excited about books and the world of words. This is something I have learned to love in my life. I love that you have books outside of school that you WANT to read. I love that you are reading "The Boxcar Children" right now...a series of books that your father loved as a child. I find so much joy in good books, and I wish that spark had been ignited in me so much earlier in my life. I see it starting with you. I hope it continues to burn. There is so much to be learned from good books.

You also just learned how to stack the numbers when you add and subtract. I think math was a bit frustrating for you before, because it would take you so long to figure out the answers; but this little trick has seemed to help a lot! Now you breeze through story problems! I also love that I taught you this. Your teacher didn't, your mom did. :)

Last, I want to express to you how proud I am of the efforts you have made to be better at staying on task. This has been a struggle for you, mostly at home where things aren't as structured as they are at school. It used to be that in the mornings you would get up...dawdle about...and then about 10 minutes before you needed to leave for school...go into SUPER-SPEED mode! Many times you were on time, but things were not done as well, and there were times that you couldn't get it all done. I would harp on you to "stay focused." Sometimes nicer than others. My heart would break when I would take it to far and you would leave for school with a sad look on your face...or even sometimes tears in your eyes. I would question my methods, over and over, and over again. Was I expecting too much?? Should I back off??? Should I help more???

Or should I let you grow. That was always what came back to me. Let you grow.

Well, I am SO PLEASED to say that I have noticed IMMENSE improvements in this area for you over the last couple of weeks! Hooray!! You are becoming a Super Self-Starter! You get up, you get going, you keep going, and often you are ready to leave even before you need to be! You are not stressed, I am not stressed. Our mornings together have become so much more enjoyable. You leave with a smile on your face, and I just know that these habits will help you throughout your life. And most importantly, I have seen you grow. I love you Morgan-pie...you are wonderful. Great job!

Jake - My son. This is your first year at the "big school." You are now in Kindergarten! I can scarcely believe it. It is so neat for me to see you head off to school each morning, and getting to see your beaming face when you get home. I love that you love to tell me all about your day! I love that you come home and we have lunch with the girls. I love the time we get to work on your homework. I love still having you around for at least half the day. :) Next year I will miss that.

So when the school year started I had some concerns for you. In January of this year, as I was starting to practice your sight words with you, I was astounded to find that after 2 years of Preschool, you did not know your LETTERS or the SOUNDS they make!

Ever since then, we have worked on them together. Even over the summer to try and help you get ready for Kindergarten. I knew that you would be expected to be reading by the end of Kindergarten (as witnessed from Morgan) and I was concerned that you would be behind because you didn't seem to be retaining this vital information. But I know what a hard worker you are, and that if we worked on it hard enough you would get it. So we worked, and worked on them.

Then the school year began. I did not discuss these concerns with your teacher, Mrs. Parsons, because I wanted to see if you had progressed and would perhaps respond differently to a different learning style than what I was using to teach you at home.

Well, about a month ago we had our first Parent-Teacher Conference. I was a little sad, but not suprised to have your teacher express to me the same concerns that I had. It was kind of sad, she told me that she had asked you to write down what you thought the sentence, "The dog can run" would look like. You did not even attempt. You did however, draw a great picture of what that would look like. :)

At that time, Mrs. Parsons, shared with me that she would be working with you at school. She also gave me somethings to practice at home. However, she informed me that if she didn't see improvement within the next month, we would need to bring in a specialist to determine why you were not retaining this information. It made me worried for you, but I also felt motivated to help you even more. I knew that if you could not get the letters, that reading and writing would be frustrating for you and it may become something you didn't want to do. Something that you wouldn't like doing. So we got back to work.

Well, it has been a month. We have worked on your letters and sounds just about every day. Dad and I have both made this an effort to assist you in this area. You have grown tremendously! At your parent-teacher conference, you only knew 4 letters...today you can recognize and give us the coordinating sounds of 17 of them! You have improved greatly, and you are even starting to recognize some sight words! I don't think I can adequately express how seeing this makes me feel. I feel...Proud. Relieved. Happy. Excited.

I also love to see that you are progressing because of another talent you possess...the ability and desire to work hard. You are going to be just fine kiddo...because you know how to accomplish hard things. Hard work. And Dad and I will always be here to help you. I could not be more proud. Love you son.

~Mom

Beautiful Heartbreak

2011-10-28T08:43:00.000-07:00

I saw this video on another blog, that just...well...touched me. It is on Hilary Weeks' new cd, and it is a music video portraying some incredible women/families. Just another reminder of how fortunate I am in my life...and how many wonderful and inspiring people are there for me to learn from.

Please take a moment and watch it...just to warn you, it might make you tear-up. :) It does me. Click on the link below:

Beautiful Heartbreak

These 2 turn 3!!!

2011-10-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

On Oct. 1st, my babies turned 3! This is pretty crazy for me. Maybe because for the first time as a mother I have not had another baby following along behind them. :) These two are my babies that are not babies anymore. They are in "big girl beds," just about potty-trained, no high chairs, no bibs, no "bobbas." No more babies. Just growing big girls.

I have to admit, I love being out of the baby-stage. :) I loved it when I was there, but I am enjoying being out of it. :) It may not be the last time I am in it, but for right now, I am out and enjoying it! :) More on that another time...maybe when I actually figure out whether or not Trev and I are done having more kids. ;)

So for the girls' bday, we did a couple of things. A&C both LOVE, LOVE, LOVE animals, so we decided to take them out to dinner at Barbacoa and to Hee-Haw Farms to celebrate! In addition to the typical presents and cupcakes at home of course. :)

Due to inclement weather, the festivities turned into a 2-day affair. We went out to dinner and then as we were on our way to Hee-Haw Farms, we noticed we were heading straight into a HUGE rain cloud. So we scrapped the idea and just went home to do cake and presents. This last minute change wasn't incredibly well received by the youngsters, but we "PINKY PROMISED" that the next nice day, we would go to see the "anmals." (animals in A&C language)

So here is Party #1: Dinner & Gifts

The clan at dinner. Since the girls were born, we SELDOM take them all out to dinner at a restaurant. Mainly because of 2 reasons: it's expensive, and more importantly, it gets crazy with trying to keep all 4 kids from interrupting those around us due to INTENSE excitement. :) This time it was pretty nice actually. Not too crazy, and yummy food that the kids actually ate. :)

Now onto the presents...pillow pets and coloring books...and fall cupcakes they got to decorate...Yum!

Party #2: Off to the Farm...(definately the highlight) :)

First stop...the "anmals."

Then off to the slide, haystacks, farm toys, pony rides, and corn pit...SERIOUSLY, does it get any better than this for a kid???

Last but certainly not least, the hayride and pumpkin-picking in the pumpkin patch.

I have to comment about this picture because it is a pretty accurate portrayal of each one of our kids' personalities. Morgan, sweet and sitting perfectly, trying to please her parents in every way. Jake, making faces trying to make us laugh...this is his M.O. for sure. Abby, (top left) making no mistake as to how she if feeling or what she think of what is going on around her. She sports this face somewhat often. :) Lastly, Claire, staring off into the distance, looking for the next adventure. I am suprised she sat still long enough to even get the picture. She has always been super-independent and a total explorer. What an accurate snap-shot this picture has become to me. :)

Happy Birthday to my big girls! Love you more that words can express. :) -Mom

Conference Weekend - Oct 2011

2011-10-23T20:07:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago was General Conference. For those of you not of our faith, General Conference happens two times a year - April and October. It is something I look forward to each time it comes around. Basically, it is a conference that the leaders of our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) speak to the entire church. It is 2 days, 4 sessions, broadcasted throughout the world, and an event I truly love and look forward to. This is also when we get to hear from our beloved prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. He is a wonderful man and I always love to hear him speak. For more info on that check out www.lds.org .

The conference itself is held at the Conference Center on Temple Square in Downtown SLC. They broadcast it locally and throughout the world, and so everyone is able to see it. We are lucky enough to be able to watch it in the comfort of our home. :)

This time around we hosted Trev's family for breakfast and the Sunday morning session. I have no pictures from the breakfast because it was well...busy. :) I think we had 17 kids and 9 adults. :) The bfast spread included eggs benedict, chocolate biscuits and gravy, homemade hashbrowns, and some sort of tropical pancakes that I can't remember the name of...but oh, I still can remember the taste...AMAZING!! :) After bfast it was time for conference...and it was a good thing too, because I think we could all hardly move from being so stuffed. :)

Not long after everyone headed back home, the afternoon session began. The house was quiet, and something truly magical happened in our home. I was able to watch conference pretty much uninterrrupted!!! This has not happened to me pretty much since I became a mother. :) In fact, I had basically resigned myself to the fact that I would always hear some, and then have to re-read the rest of the talks when the Ensign came out the following month. But this time was different...Why you might ask??? I stumbled on something GREAT...Conference Bingo!!!

Conference Bingo is simply a Bingo card with the words like, scriptures, faith, Jesus Christ, Holy Ghost, etc., in each square. The markers were dried pinto beans and the kids had to see how many bingos they could get in one session of conference. The player with the most bingos by the end was the winner and got a prize (a tootsie pop).

It was SERIOUSLY the most amazing thing. My kids were intently listening to every word the speakers said, I could listen intently to every word the speakers said, it was reverant, it was magical. Truly. These pictures are proof! :) This is Morgan with her cousins, Liberty and Saylor. Looking at this just fills up my heart. :)

I love this...seeing my sweet hubby just enjoying conference...

Maybe it got a little too relaxing... :)

These are moments worth an expression of gratitude - thank you fabulous speakers for inspiring me all throughout the year, but especially at General Conference time; thank you family for such fun memories and sinfully delish food; thank you Conference Bingo for changing my Conference experience; and lastly, THANK YOU Father in Heaven for these special experiences as a wife, mother, and thy daughter. My heart is full.

Caveat: This worked for M&J, and A&C watched a movie downstairs. But it gives me hope for the future. :)

What a great weekend.

Top of the World

2011-10-03T20:51:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, Trev and I finally did something we have talked about doing for a very long time...we hiked to the top of Mount Timpanogos! Bucket list...CHECK!

I have to begin by saying, we could not have done it without my sweet M-I-L, Jill, coming to watch our kiddos. Thanks again Gma Jill!!! :)

I'll start by telling about the hike, and then finish up this post with some sappy insight I gained along the way...feel free to skip over that part if you would like; it's mostly for me and my memories anyway. :)

So we got up at 4 am. I know. I know. But in order to be back by the time we needed to be, this was the only option. :) We headed up to the mountains and began are hike around 5:10 am.

It was still pitch-black dark outside. I was worried we would be cold, especially since we saw a few people around us with long pants, and warm jackets on. We were both in shorts. But thankfully, the weather was amazing the entire time. As long as we were moving, we were perfectly fine temperature-wise. We both had headlamps on and literally could only see the piece of earth right in front of us, and the stars above. It was a really neat experience actually. There is something spiritual about the idea of just being able to see right in front of you, and taking something difficult step-by-step.

As we hiked, we could hear (and often stepped in), water running down parts of the dark trail. We were stepping on rocks to traverse the little streams of water, that could only be heard. Not seen. We had to be really focused on what we were doing in order to avoid wet socks and shoes for the entire rest of the hike. Somehow, we made it through completely dry. As we came out of this area, dawn was just beginning to break.

As you can see, it was stunning. My emotions started going into hyper-drive. Such beauty to be seen while in a place of utter silence. I felt so lucky to be there at that moment with my sweetheart. Truly a touching moment in time for me. It sure made getting up so early WELL worth it.

In the midst of the quiet, Trev and I got to really talk. It was so nice to just have HOURS alone with him. We talked about the kids, we talked about each other, we talked about what we are interested in and working on as individuals...we just talked! In our stage of life, so much time is spent in quick conversations. And we make a great effort to talk to each other! But things get so busy with the kids and life, so it was so wonderful to just spend a large chunk of time connecting with my love. No distractions. Just us. LOVED that!

As we continued along the trail, and the sun was rising the beauty of those mountains just kept getting better and better! In fact, I kept stopping and saying, "Trev I'm sorry, just one more picture!" I wanted to capture those memories in photograph so I could look back on them and remember. I am realizing my memory doesn't hold as well as it used to...this I am certain will only get worse over time, so I DEPEND on my camera to help in the effort to remember. :)

As you can see, the more the sun came up, the better the view seemed to get! As the sun finally came over the top of the ridge we reached this beautiful meadow. It is pretty much a huge bowl sitting at the bottom of the mountain top. We stopped there to eat, and continued to enjoy the beauty.

As we continued on toward the top, it seemed like the REAL hiking began. The incline was
steep, the terrain was slippery and rocky, but we finally made it to was is called "the Saddle." This is ridge that you walk along to get over to the actual mountainside. It is the first time that you can see on both sides of the mountain range. You see all of the Utah County side, and also over into Heber on the other. It is breath-taking. Truly amazing. I took pictures of this but realized later on that my "auto-focus" had been turned off, so none of those pictures were in focus. But I remember the sights so that will have to be good enough. Hopefully it holds. :)

The last portion of the hike was a bit scary for me. This section of the hike is definately safe, but you have to really pay attention. One false move at certain points would spell trouble for sure! I also have a bit of a fear of heights, so throughout this section of the hike I put my camera away and just focused on my steps and keeping my breathing and heart rate steady. :)

Then we reached the top...

Ohhhh...the top. We were LITERALLY standing on the VERY tip top of this mountain! You could not climb higher if you tried! What an amazing sight and what an amazing accomplishment!  There are SO MANY spiritual things associated with this moment. We realized once again that we can do hard things. We were able to look back over how far we had come. We supported each other along the way. We made it. We conquered. We were there TOGETHER! So amazing.

At the top, someone has constructed a tiny shack. It is just a white metal box, and people write things on it. Someone must come and paint it every so often because the oldest note we saw was dated 2010.  So we of course, had to add ours. This is what we wrote (our family motto):
Love, Lift, Labor, Learn, and Laugh - Lightens 2011

How grateful I am for that moment. Words can't describe.

Now that we had made it, we had to head back. The descent was just as amazing as the climb.  As we headed the long way back, I realized that even though I loved hiking in the dark, we missed some of the most beautiful parts of the hike! Remember the water we heard? Oh...it was waterfalls! I LOVE WATERFALLS!  They are probably one of my most favorite things to behold in nature. LOVE them. Even though we were in a bit of a hurry to get back, I wasn't about to miss these again. ;)

After a long hike, beautiful scenery, great conversation with my sweetheart, a few falls on my part, and running into my S-I-L Amy and her family along the way, we arrived back at the car. It took us 8 hours...which sounds like a long time, but that is actually a pretty good time. :) We were sore, but so happy to have done it. I am still beaming about this 3 days later.

One day I want to do this again...except next time with the kids. I want us as a family to experience this, and what getting to the top feels like. This is what I feel like we are trying to do in this life. This life is a climb, it is hard, it is beautiful at times, and at others feels pitch-black with just a small light to follow in front of you - but with a family and the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ to guide you, it is worth it. You can reach the top. You can bring your family and others with you. This is my desire.

These last two pictures are for my memory. I want these images that my eyes were blessed to behold to be forever encased in my mind.

The path.

The goal.

Family Pictures 2011!

2011-10-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

Well, they are done! Hooray!!! And a big thanks to Heather (my sweet s-i-l) for taking them!

The photo shoot itself, went just about like I expected. See previous post that pretty much outline my expectations. :) Outside of Morgan falling into the little lake, things weren't too bad. :) Luckily for her, that happened right after we finished shooting. ;)

All I can say is that I am glad it's over...at least until next year. :) And, they turned out really great so it was all worth it. Hope you like...we sure do. :)

"I wanna go Potty."

2011-09-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

I have to share this because my heart is just BURSTING with joy right now! Claire just came in the office, butt-naked mind you (she takes of her diaper CONSTANTLY), and said to me, "I wanna go potty." I figured this was just another one of those moments where she would tell me that, we would go sit on the potty for a couple of minutes and nothing would happen. NOT THIS TIME!!! She got on the potty and IMMEDIATELY started going pee!!!! AHHHH!!!! SHE IS GETTING IT!!! HOORAYY!!!! can you sense my excitement? :)I tried to call Trev but he didn't answer so I am sharing my excitement with all you mom's out there instead. :)
I love these moments in motherhood. :)

Now mind you, I know this won't likely be the last of the diapers. I am sure we will have our share of messes, but it is soooo nice to see progress. :) Hopefully Abby will see Claire do it, and then she will want to also. Could I really be somewhat close to not changing diapers anymore??? What a lovely thought. :)

Family Picture Time Again...

2011-09-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

So the time to get family pictures taken is upon us. It's still nice weather, the fall colors are coming out, and we need at least one good family picture to replace last years' in my big frame, and for the upcoming Christmas card. Most importantly however, I am a FIRM believer in getting your family's picture taken AT LEAST once a year. It is just so imporntant for you and your kids. You get to preserve the moment in time of your lives together (which I am quite certain will bring me a lot of joy in my older years when they are all grown and gone) and your kids will love to see themselves and you as they grew. Trust me, I don't have any pictures like that of my family and I sooo wish I did.

With that all being said...I have a LOVE(which was already explained above)/HATE (which I will explain now) with getting family pictures taken. They are SOO much work for me! SOO much stress!! What do we wear? Where do we go?? Will the kids actually sit still long enough to get a good picture? Will the stars align and we will all be looking at the camera and preferably smiling, at the same instant???!!! AHHH...

Being a photographer, I can appreciate how much work goes into this. I always would feel the worst for the mom. She is usually the one that loses it first in the photo shoots. She has worked SOOO hard to get ready for this day in hopes of capturing her happy family. Often it doesn't go as planned and I often wondered after I would leave if the mom is crying in the car the whole way home. :) I have done that myself. We moms want SOOO badly to have pictures that capture the essence of our family. I just hope that the "essence" I WANT to remember is captured, instead of the "other" stuff I don't (i.e. crying kids, annoyed look on my face, etc.). :) I think that I am just going to try and remember the ages of my kids, then I think I will be happy with whatever comes out. :)

Here is last year's family photo:

Okay, back to trying to coordinate outfits. Wish me luck... :) I'll post the pictures soon. :)

P.s. My little girls are in the living room watching Cinderella as we speak. This is the first time they have been into it. Fun moment as a mom. So cute.

A quiet morning at home.

2011-09-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

This morning M woke up with a pinkish eye. She told us when she woke up it had goop in it but she cleaned it out. She convinced her father, I am still not sure if this is a true case of sickness...but I kept her home with me and the girls, just in case. :) My girls are also feeling a little under the weather, so this morning has been pretty low key and quiet. I secretly like when my kids aren't feeling so hot because then I get more snuggles. :)

Learning about me.

2011-09-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

This last week has been an eye-opening experience for me. Just to warn you, this is a post for me. I debated whether or not to share these things so publicly because althought I may not seem to be, I am actually somewhat of a private person. I don't believe everyone needs to know everything about you. There are certain things that you only share with certain people. However, I gain so much strength from other women's blogs, especially when they share their feelings/thoughts/impressions - both good and bad. So for two reasons, I am blogging mine.

#1: Most importantly, I want to document them so that I don't forget.

#2: Because maybe someone reading this will relate and this will strengthen them.

So now that you are all thinking I am going to delve into some deep closet to share my soul...perhaps I have built this up to much. Or perhaps these things were powerful to me and that is why I view them as personal.

This last weekend, we had our Stake Conference. For those not of our Faith (LDS) it is a meeting where our local leaders speak to us. Sometimes a General Authority will come. This time Elder Brimhall of the Seventy was there. The focus of the meeting was how can we strengthen and serve others. I won't go into all the details but I want to record the feelings and impressions I had.

Love

First impression - Sometimes I feel as though I have so far to go in becoming the person I want to be. Or better yet the person my Father in Heaven created me to be. There are things that beset me so easily. But I try SO hard! I can honestly say without reservation that I know I am trying, and the Lord knows that too. But still I see my struggles. So, the thought came to me in Stake Conference that if I try to do these two things with every fiber of my being: Love the Lord with all my heart, might, mind, and strength...and love my neighbor as myself...that everything else will fall in line. So that is what I am going to try to do. I am going to try and love. Love God and love others. If this becomes my focus I know that I will have the Spirit guide my life and I EVENTUALLY will get there. And that's all that matters right?!! :)

Art

Second Impression - I am an artist! I love art! Particularly, writing, music, and photography. These elements touch me deeply. I feel the Spirit when I am creating or experiencing art. This realization came to me in a number of ways, one of which was while watching some of the LDS Youtube videos on www.lds.org. The other was attending the plays, The Sound of Music with Trev, and Mary Poppins with Morgan. In addition, I have been DEEPLY touched my LDS women's blogs who are excellent writers and photographers. I feel as though I know there families so well, even though many of them I have never met. I truly love the way photography captures and encapsulates those precious moments of life that the mind forgets.
This realization about myself came to me as a bit of a suprise. I grew up in a tiny country town, where the only extra-curricular activities revolved around sports. I was decent at sports and all my friends played them so that is what I did. I also grew up in "less-than-well-to-do" family so experiencing art was not a major piece of my childhood. I actually realized my love for art by watching my daughter Morgan. Personality-wise, she and I were cut from the same clothe. I have always known this. But what I didn't know was that as I studied and tried to help her, I would learn about me. This is one of those times and I am so grateful for it because now that I can articulate what touches me, I also know what will touch her. This will be a major piece of my mothering of Morgan from now on.

Health

Last major impression - this one has really just become a confirmation of MANY impressions I have had in this area. I never knew why, other than the obvious...it's- important-to-take-care-of-your-body reasons. I think the first time I began thinking about my health and trying to live a healthy lifestyle was when I went to college. I wanted to be healthy so that I wouldn't have to spend my whole life dieting like I saw my mom and aunt do. I just wanted to be healthy so that I could live a long time and be able to do the things my soul yearned to do (i.e. take my family on hikes, go on bike rides with my kids, etc.) These were not a part of my childhood, but I knew I wanted that for my future and my future family. I wanted an active family.
In addition, in my patriarchal blessing, I am counseled specifically to learn how to care for my body so that I can be healthy. Well, long story short, over the last year I have had even great impressions to cut out sugar, junk food, and start eating more veggies and whole grains...I already eat a ton of fruit. In fact, I have even been reading this book about healthy eating as well. Sufficeth it to say that this subject (healthy-eating/exercising) has been something I have had many impressions about, and been studying over time.
WELL...yesterday I went to the doctor for my annual physical. I told him that I have noticed, mostly in college but progressively getting worse, a great impact when I don't eat regularly throughout the day. I get very moody, my mind gets fuzzy, and if I wait too long I get shakes, headaches, and start feeling sick. I also know that there is a great deal of Diabetes in my family. He informed me that I am already showing a lot of symptoms of Diabetes. He also told me that with my family genetics, if I don't be super careful how I eat, that I will almost definately have Diabetes. In fact, he said that if my waistline gets to be a 34, that I would for sure get it. He also told me that my children would be in the same boat as me. However, he said if I am careful about what I eat, that I could stave this off entirely for my life. He also took my blood and we are going to monitor it over the years. I have THE BEST doctor!
Now this might sound somewhat scary, but really talking to him was just a confirmation of all the impressions I had had previously. It was just clear to me "why" this is going to be such an important issue for me. Why the Lord had prompted me so much in this area of my life. Why I need to learn how to eat properly. Why I need to make this a focus in my life and the life of my family. I love when the Lord blesses you with the "why."

So those were my impressions. These are my take-aways.

1. Love others. Even and especially those that are hard to love.

2. Art. Take the time to create art through photography, writing, and listening to uplifting music. Take LOTS of pictures of my kids and make art out of them.

3. Cut down on, and eventually cut out sugar and refined carbs (i.e. white flour, white rice, etc.) Continue with previous impressions. Make my meals for my family more balanced and whole. Don't forget the "why."

That's all. Thanks for letting me put these feelings that have been occupying my mind, into yours. :)

What summer means to me...

2011-08-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

Last week my oldest daughter started 2nd grade. Tomorrow my only boy starts Kindergarten. So tonight, I am a little reflective. My thoughts are a bit scattered, but I wanted to take a moment and write my feelings.

First, it is hard to believe my little boy is starting Kindergarten. I feel like I missed him as a baby. When he was 2 months old, we moved to Utah from Las Vegas. He was the most easy-going baby EVER (in our house anyway). Most of the time he would just hang out and watch what was going on around him. His face would light up with sheer joy when someone would walk by him. Other than that, he mostly just hung out. So since he was easy, and I was busy trying to get our lives and home established in a new state, I don't feel like I got to spend much time with him. Then when he was 2, the twins were born. Given the roller-coaster that was, again, I didn't get to spend much time with him. And now here I am, the night before he leaves for school, on one hand very excited for him, but fighting back tears...(that are now flowing by the way) knowing that from here on out, my time with him will only continue to shrink. I keep begging him not to leave me, but he assures me that he has to. I know that he is an independent boy and I don't feel as though he has been neglected in any way. It's just that I will miss him. Sorry to be so sappy...just emotional thinking about my boy. I just love that kid so much.

On to my next thoughts. This summer just flew by. I am not ready for it to end. I always think that summer is going to be so laid back and we will just spend all our time by the pool and being together. Every summer I am disappointed at how fast the time goes by. So given my melancholy mood I thought I would post some pictures of this summer that remind me how much fun we had and that we did in fact, spend lots of time together. So here's to SUMMER FUN!

Thanks for indulging my pity party. We all need one of those now and then...now off to bed. Good night.

Family Time

2011-08-24T10:19:00.000-07:00

In our Church (LDS), our leaders have counseled us to take a night each week (usually Monday) where we spend time together as a family. When Trev and I were first married, and even after we had Morgan, I looked at this counsel as a nice suggestion. I saw it as a way to make sure we were spending time together. Trev and I always want to be a family that follows the inspired counsel we recieve, so we have always tried to make this a priority. It has not been until the last couple of years that I have come to realize this is more than just a nice suggestion, it is a necessity for our family! Life comes at you fast, and often the things that are most important can get overlooked in the rush. Our adult lives get so crazy/hectic these days, and I have come to realize some of the most therapeutic/rejuvenating moments for me involve spending quality time with my husband and kids. It buoys me up to be with them. So now, we look at Family Night as mandatory. I need this time with my family and they do as well. I am grateful for that we followed this counsel.
Ok, enough said. So a couple of weeks ago, I remember feeling particularly drained. So Trev and I decided to take the kids out on a Friday night to go hike Bridal Veil Falls. It is located in Provo Canyon, and it is truly stunning. There is a nice, paved walkway with picnic benches on all sides, that lead up to the falls. We have visited this place at least once every summer. We love it here. So we picked up some pizza, drove down, ate, and walked to the falls to play. The walkway spans the bottom of the falls and so the kids can play at the base. It is really great. For those ready for more adventure, you can also hike up the side of the waterfall closer to the top. I haven't done it, but one day, when the kids are older I would like to try it with them.

As I looked back over the pictures of our night together, it struck me (as it often does) what a wonderful father my children have. I grew up mostly without a father, so when I was looking for a spouse, one of the top things I looked for was a man who loved children. I wanted a great father for my kids, and thanks to the guidance of the Spirit, I found him. Trev truly is a constant answer to my prayers. I love him dearly and his children adore him. He is the father to my kids, that I never had growing up. I love this man tremendously.

This little family outing was so fun...but the fun didn't stop there! When we got home, a couple of our neighbors came over for smores in our fire pit, bocci ball tourney for the dads, and lots of playing in the backyard. It was a great night. Rejuvenating for everyone. I love family time!

Colorado Vacation!

2011-08-23T19:49:00.000-07:00

This year for our family vacation we went back to my home state of Colorado. This is where Trev and I both grew up. Since our youth, most of both of our families have moved to Utah. But my sweet aunt, uncle, and cousins still live there, and so we decided to go see them (just as much of a vacation for my kids as Disneyland...honestly!). They live on a beautiful ranch on about 40 acres in Elizabeth, Co. They have cows, a horse named "Sunny", 2 dogs, 4-wheelers, and our kids wrapped around their fingers. :) My kids beg me to take them to their house, so we figured this would be perfect. We also decided to visit Rocky Mountain National Park while we were there as well.

The week started with just hanging out at my aunt and uncle's house. I felt bad for my poor uncle who had to field CONSTANT requests from my kids (and let's be honest, Trev and I too) for horse and 4-wheeler rides. We SERIOUSLY love this. My uncle was even sweet enough to teach me some "horse-whispering" tricks. It is amazing how intelligent these animals are and how in-tuned to us they are as well. It was so neat.
When I look back on my childhood, these are the very things my aunt and uncle did with me that I just loved. It is such a neat thing to see my kids experiencing them.

This is my aunt Vicky. She is truly special. She is an incredible person and just loves people whole-heartedly. I, and now my family has been lucky enough to be happy recipients of her never-ending love and kindness. I love my aunt so much.

Now on to more fun...4-wheelers! We spent A LOT of time on these fun toys.

I have to tell one funny story here. My uncle Bob, was taking Morgan on a ride and he had to stop to turn off some water for the cows. He told Morgan to move forward on the 4-wheeler a little. At first she was nervous because she had never driven the 4-wheeler before, so when she push the accelerator, it just moved slightly. She pushed it again and it moved a little more. Then she pushed it a third time and TOOK OFF! Trev had to chase her down on the other 4-wheeler! It quite funny...she just left and didn't look back! :)

More memories: When we arrived in Co., my cousins were still on their Stake Pioneer Trek, so I was able to go with my aunt and uncle to pick them up when they got back. Before they came back, we (mostly Morgan) decided we should throw them a welcome home party. :) So the kids painted Welcome Home signs and baked a cake. It was so cute to see them hard at work. :) Jordan and Ryan loved it. This is the kids painting the signs. Super sweet. :)

This is me on vacation. Maxin' relaxin'! I love vacation. :)

Another fun thing we (me, aunt vicky, and morgan) did was take a short little visit to the Denver Temple. It was so beautiful, and so we had to get a couple pics. :)

Me and Morgan inside the waiting room, next to a beautiful statue of the Savior. Love these moments.

We also hit a up a fab pool while we were visiting. It is in Parker, near my aunt's house, and so Trev, me, the kids, and Jordan and Ryan, went. It was pretty great. Jordan's friend came and we played hard all afternoon. The kids loved it! Seriously, look at this place! How could you not??? :)

Before we left my aunt and uncle's house, we went to see 17 Miracles (the movie) with Vicky, Jordan, Ryan, and Jordan's friend. This movie is so well-done and so touching that I pretty much bawled through most of it. The movie depicts the experience of the Willie and Martin Handcart companies when they crossed the plains. The Trek my cousins went on, and the one Trev and I went on last year, was a reinactment of these companies. The miracles depicted in the movie were the same ones that we learned on the Trek. It was so neat to go see it and feel once again the feelings I experienced on the Trek the previous year. I also loved the opportunity to have such a spiritual experience with my husband, aunt, and cousins. Those early pioneers were so strong and faithful that they were willing to endure anything to become closer to God. I want to be like that. Not that I am hoping for trials, but I hope to be as faithful in the ones I am in and will face in my life. Those people were true testaments to faith, determination, and enduring to the end. I am grateful for their examples from long ago.

There was another spiritual experience that we were blessed to have while staying at my aunt and uncle's. My cousin, Ryan, was ordained a Priest on the Sunday we spent with them. We were unaware that this was happening, but it turned out that Trev was able to ordain him. The blessing associated with the ordination was truly touching. I can only say that I believe the Lord knew that Ryan needed this experience to be special. It was. I get chills just thinking about it. We were grateful to be there, and I am grateful to see the Priesthood being passed through my family. Talk about power.

After a great time with my family, we headed up to Estes Park. For those of you who have never heard of it, Estes Park is a quaint little town in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park. It is a beautiful mountain town with all the charm associated with it. It also has a famous hotel, where The Shining was filmed. I never saw that movie, but I have heard it was pretty scary. We did not stay at that hotel. :)

We spent two days just touring the park. The first day, I think we all (everyone minus Trev) were a touch grumpy. To put it mildly. :) The kids were whiny, I was annoyed. Not a pretty sight. However, we were able to catch a glimpse of arguably some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. We also saw Tim Allen at one of the scenic stops. Sorry no pictures of him. :) Thought we would leave him be. Here are the pics from the first day. See if you can get a sense of our moods. :)

I don't know why we were so grumpy. Maybe too much time in the car. But looking back at the pictures just makes me smile. I think they truly describe parenthood and families sometimes. Some days are better than others. :)

This picture cracks me up because at one of the scenic spots we stopped at, there were these chipmunks or squirrels (does anyone really know the difference?). They had obviously become accustomed to people because they kept coming right up to us begging for food! Notice the larger one? His cheeks are CHOCK-FULL of nuts from our trail mix. The kids thought they were hilarious. I just secretly worried they would bite us and give us rabies, or some other crazy disease. :)

Ok, is this not the COOLEST picture??!!! I took this at the top of a mountain from our car. What a stunning thing to behold. Maybe the first day wasn't so bad after all.

On the second day in the park things went a lot smoother. Everyone was happy and we found a beautiful little lake nestled in the mountains that we could hike around. We called it a hike, but really with kids our kids' ages, we just do nature walks. :) But this one went all around the lake and we loved it.

Well that pretty much rounds out our trip. It was really fun. We all had a great time and it was so nice to combine spending time with each other, spending time with extended family, and enjoying the Lord's creations all simultaneously. I am so grateful we went and think that Colorado vacations might become a tradition in our family.

Swim Lessons 2011

2011-08-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

This summer has been very busy, but lots of fun. Now that school is about to start, maybe I will get a chance to document the past few months. :) Maybe not, we'll see. :)

So the summer, as with the last few summers, began with swim lessons. I have to start out by explaining that due to a lack of learning how to swim properly, I actually am a bit afraid of the water. I believe if I felt like I was a stronger swimmer, that I could enjoy water a lot more. So at some point, I will join an Adult Swim Class and learn to swim. For now, however, I am just insisting that my kids learn properly so hopefully they won't have the same, irrational, fears that I do. :)
This year the M&J learned diving, treading water, front stroke, back stroke, and of course, jumping off the diving board. They always love their swim lessons and they learned a lot. In fact, Jake has now joined Morgan in that he can be in the pool without any flotation device what-so-ever! So nice when they get to that point. :)
Here are the pics:

During the lessons, the girls and I would sit on the side, watch, and eat snacks. Can't beat that right??!!! :)
They will probably start swim lessons next year.

Stay tuned for more summer fun...