"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Monday, December 15, 2008

You better watch out!

December is always such a fun and busy month. We have enjoyed a school choir concert, our ward party, dance parties, and work parties. Dathan's company always has a nice sit down dinner for the adults and then the next week a family party with what has to be the "real" Santa. Not just one of those helpers like at the mall.
Johnny wasn't sure what he wanted and told Santa to surprize him.

Loni told Santa she wanted a Nintendo DS. When he asked what color she said blue. Blue???? Santa just assumed she would want pink. I hope the elves are able make an exchange.Jalen decided not to sit on Santa's lap. So Santa got off of his chair and came and sat on Jalen's lap.
We had a great night. And now we are just waiting for the special day to arrive.
This week I decided not to post any jobs. I just figure we all need to spend our time getting EVERYTHING ready by this Friday. I want to have it ALL done before the kids are out of school. Then maybe next week we can spend out time looking for opportunities to serve and help others.
After all....isn't that what Christmas is all about?

Monday, December 8, 2008

Monday Madness

Okay, I am back and ready to start organizing my house again. Thanks for all the great feedback. I love knowing that we are doing this together. Remember only spend 10-15 minutes doing one task each day. Easy huh?

#1 the top of the refridgerator ( I had a request for that one)
#2 the silverware drawer
#3 one shelf in the pantry
#4 your make-up bag/drawer
#5 the junk drawer-you know pencils, scissors, tape, etc.

Empty, wipe, sanitize, and only put back what you need.
Have fun. I know I will.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Already December?

Well it's true, Thanksgiving has come and gone. I am so grateful however for such a wonderful holiday. I have so many blessings in my life. Don't we all?

Our Thanksgiving day was just wonderful. A day filled with family, fun and food. For a complete run down I am going to send you over to my moms blog. She was able to document the events of the day perfectly.

Okay I know I have been slacking on my Monday Madness lists. So today I am giving you one assignment for this week and then Monday I will be back at it.

Are you ready??

It has been one week since Thanksgiving. Today you need to get rid of the rest of the leftovers. It's time to either finish them off for dinner OR feed them to the dog. While you are at it clean out the fridge. Wipe down the shelves then spray and wipe the outside. Don't forget the door handles. Ours are always sticky and grimy.

Okay you got it. Good luck I will be back on Monday.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Monday Madness

The mind that has put its house in order is silent. That silence has no cause and, therefore, has no end. Only that which has a cause can end. That silence - which has no ending - is absolutely necessary, because it is only in that silence that there is no movement of thought. It is only in that silence that that which is sacred, that which is nameless, and that which is not measurable by thought, is. And that which is, is the most sacred.
~ J. Krishnamurti

A house of order! That is the ideal right? I know it is something I have to work at constantly. It hasn't come easy. I would much rather play than clean, dance than organize, sing, read, walk, blog..... well, you get the idea! But, thanks to parents who gave me chores, a husband who wants things clean and Flylady.net, I am head'n in the right direction.

So, I am inviting you to join me on my journey. Working together is much more fun. Each Monday I will post 5 areas to tackle. One for each day of the week. Each one should only take 10-15 minutes. I know you can find that much time.

So here it is:

#1 The shelves in the door of the refridgerator.
#2 The toothbrush/paste drawers.
#3 Under the sink in the master bathroom.
#4 The top of the dryer.
#5 the floor of the coat closet.

Just empty, wipe down, sanitize, and then only put back what you need and use. A few minutes a day and Wow, what a difference.

This is going to be fun!

Friday, November 14, 2008

My Airhead

I wish you could see my smile!

Today was one of those "maybe it is all worth it kind of days"!

Today I came home from 5 hours of teaching dance to PRE-SCHOOLERS and found this:


Loni made me a candy gram! She got the idea while we were in Kentucky. My sis (in-law) had made a fabulous one for her daughter's 8th birthday.

But it wasn't any better than mine.

Here is what this one said:

Dear Mom,
You are my sweetart!
Thank you for not being a nerd like Jordan, Justin, Jalen, and Johnny.
You are the best in all of the milkyway.
Even if your name was peanut butter or chedar cheese,
You'd still by my airhead!

Okay, I know that you are smiling now too.

And look how she made it, 4 pieces of paper covered with blue masking tape. And the lace.....Wow! She definately get's her love of lace from her Grammy!

Thanks Loni, you made my day!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Family Pictures

Well we did it. We survived another family photo shoot. And I couldn't be happier!
Yes I stressed over what to wear. I worried about where to go.



I should know by now that all that matters is that we are all together and happy.
And I am not even going to post my favorite. You will have to wait for our family Christmas card for that one.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Change

Today we are not happy. Can you tell who we voted for? I thought this picture of Johnny is his Halloween costume might give it away.

Let's hope America is really ready for the upcoming changes.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Heeere's JOHNNY!


This is a belated birthday post for my sweet Johnny. He is a big 12 years old and has been a delight from the moment he was born. He is smart, organized, dedicated, and extremely athletic. He is the kind of person that others love to be around and he sets a great example for everyone that knows him.

Johnny is working on level 8 skills in gymnastics. As soon as football season ends, he plans on increasing his gym workouts from 15 to 20 hours a week, that's 3 1/2 hours/day Mon.-Sat. Except he will leave a little early on Tuesday night so that he can go to Scouts. He does his reading in the car as we drive and his homework every morning and still manages to have a clean room and practically perfect grades in school.

Johnny's motto is:
"Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you are right" Henry Ford

This is a difficult lifestyle and I sometimes have dreams of being "normal". But Johnny has set his goals high and as long as he is willing to work this hard to accomplish those goals we are behind him 100%.

We love you son and all that you stand for. How lucky we are to have you in our lives.












Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Cap and Hook $3.98
Bleach $1.50
Developer $3.25
An Afternoon of laughs Priceless

I just have to say how wonderful it is to have a daughter as fabulous as Loni. I really needed a pick me up and she had the great idea of giving me a make-over. Not bad for a nine year old eh?

We sure had fun taking pictures of ourselves.


before and after hee hee



"A daughter is a miracle that never ceases to be miraculous… loving and caring and truly amazing." - Deanna Beisser

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

come'n clean

It is never too late to turn from the errors of our ways: He who repents of his sins is almost innocent. - Seneca


Well Sunday was quite a special day. Johnny was ordained a Deacon. My heart was so happy as I watched my handsome 12 year old pass the Sacrament for his first time. It actually got me thinking about the Sacrament and how privileged I am to participate in that ordinance each week. Isn't it wonderful that every Sunday we can renew our Baptismal covenants and come "clean".


Speaking of clean...Jalen had a great time playing mud volleyball a few weeks ago. In fact, it was so much fun that Loni couldn't resist jumping in.





Yes with a little work even the worst messes can come out as good as new.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Super Star


I was going to add my own thoughts, but I think this says it all.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Starting up

There are two fatal errors that keep great projects from coming to life:

1. Not finishing, and...
2. Not starting."
Author Unknown

Thank you all for your sweet comments. I don't really know why it has been so difficult for me to get things posted lately. I guess the "not starting" thing is my big problem. Our family has had such wonderful things going on and we have been extreemly blessed. I really need to get it all written down.

So today I have decided to set some blogging/journaling goals for myself. Infact, I am going to set some goals in a few other areas of my life as well.

President Spencer W. Kimball said concerning goals:
We do believe in setting goals. We live by goals. We must have goals to make progress. Our total existence is goal-oriented.

Wow! Just what I needed to hear.

Look out world, the new and improved me in on its way.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Smile Ü

A smile costs nothing but gives much. It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he cannot get along without it and none is so poor that he cannot be made rich by it. Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give. ~Author Unknown


Well it has finally happened. We have been waiting for years, almost 4 years to be exact. But let me tell you, some things sure are worth waiting for. Justin finally got his braces off. He was one good look'n kid before. But now when he smiles......Oh baby!



before



after


His braces may have cost us a pretty penny but

A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks. ~Charles Gordy

Monday, July 14, 2008

Relishing Motherhood

Michal from Relishing Motherhood is having a writing contest. The topic is basically your thoughts on motherhood or as she put it an Ah Ha moment. I really haven't ever done anything like this but, I have recently put a few of my thoughts together and figured what the heck.

Being a mother has changed me. It has taught me things that I did not even know I needed to learn. It has tested me and stretched me into a person I am just getting to know.

Twenty years ago, as I was anticipating the birth of my first son, I realized that now my life was no longer about me. All of my thoughts, dreams and actions were focused around this new little spirit. I was excited and ready to take on the challenge. The minute he was placed in my arms I was changed forever.

Along this journey I have had many wonderful experiences. Looking back however, it has been the difficult experiences that have been the most rewarding. Isn’t it ironic? It is the latter that I have chosen to write about today.

It was a Wednesday night in early February. As we sat down to eat, my three year old son Justin pulled the cord on the electric skillet spilling boiling oil onto his head and arms. We spent many sleepless nights in the burn trauma unit. It was physically and emotionally almost more than I could bear. Nothing is as difficult as seeing your child suffer.

Once we knew that his life was no longer threatened, my list of worries began to change. I mourned the loss of my perfect, beautiful little boy. I would stare at his before pictures for hours thinking “what if” and “if only”. It didn’t take long however, to realize that he was still beautiful and perfect. HE WAS JUST THE SAME. Beauty comes from within. I had been taught an amazing lesson and I was changed forever.

Next I remember a long, terrible night. I had noticed some changes in my son Jalen’s normal routine. He was barely eating and always tired. Finally, after a week or so, I took him to the doctor. We found that his digestive system was plugged up. His intestines were compacted and had been for three or more weeks. Needless to say the doctor was concerned and he gave us a few things to try. That night we saw no results. We went back the next day and were given one last option before they would have to schedule surgery.

No one but I would know what that little boy endured that night. For hours his body trembled with pain and his pride was completely stripped away. In between his gasp he would apologize and whisper “thank you mom”. It was physically and emotionally almost more than I could bear. Nothing is as difficult as seeing your child suffer. That night I learned a very difficult lesson about true compassion and I was changed forever.

This last experience is from about six month ago. It was the darkest and most difficult time of my life. My oldest son Jordan was making choices that went against the things that we had always taught him. We were constantly arguing and our home was always a place of contention. I was so tired of it and to be honest I felt like I couldn’t stand it or him anymore.

One night things were especially awful and scary. After hours of heated arguing Jordan grabbed a handful of clothes and walked out the door. He was gone. How could this be happening? It was physically and emotionally almost more than I could bear. Nothing is as difficult as seeing your child suffer. This was not my dream when that precious infant was placed in my arms. But I learned a few important lessons that night. I learned to pray. I mean to really pray and pour my soul out to God. I learned to never say never. And I learned unconditional love. It took him walking out the door for me to fully understand how much I truly loved him. That night I was changed forever.

I am grateful for these and the many other things that I have experienced as a mother. These are lessons that I could have learned in no other way. I am humbled that my children were willing to go through these trials to help their mother change and grow. So now twenty years later I think I may have changed my mind; maybe, just maybe it is all about me after all.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Happy Birthday J-Dawg


Well it's official. My precious little boy is no longer a little boy. He has overnight grown into a handsome young man. It all happened so fast and I feel so unprepared. Will somebody do something? It's gotten to where I am afraid to blink.

Monday was Jalen's 14th birthday. We have been blessed to have him in our lives for fourteen wonderful years and I am not sure how we survived life without him. Jalen is our third son. And I thought I wanted a girl. Silly me!

Jalen is amazing! He is thoughtful, quiet, kind and mellow. A good word to describe him is even tempered. With him you always know what to expect. He is a hard worker and probably put in longer hours helping us get moved than all the other kids put together.

Jalen is creative and artistic. You should see the drawings he does in his art class. They are almost as good as the ones he does in his science, english and math classes. He loves to build and put things together. For his birthday Dathan brought him a whole truck load of lumber. Since then Jalen has been busy building a fort and baracades to turn our back yard into a airsoft gun battle ground.

Happy Birthday J. You are such a blessing in all of our lives. Thank you for being our middle child. It is a difficult spot and you have handled it beautifully. I love you more than words can say. How lucky I am that you are mine.








Monday, July 7, 2008

Let Freedom Ring


I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him. ~Abraham Lincoln


I am many things. I am a daughter and I am a wife. I am a mother and I am a woman.


But on Friday I was reminded that I AM AN AMERICAN.


I am so grateful to live in this country with so many opportunities and blessings. I love this nation, "one nation under God". And, if you ask me, our 4th of July was a perfect day of celebrating.


Johnny, Lonica and I headed out early to line up for the parade.

I LOVE PARADES!

It was so much fun! Here is Johnny entertaining the crowd and one of the dances that I spent last week teaching to about 80 girls (and a few boys).





After the parade we loaded into the car and headed to Uncle Kent's and Aunt Blythe's for our annual family 4th of July Party.


Where we ate and ate AND ATE!




Played in the pool.




And lit fireworks.
These three put on the most amazing firework show. I am surprised that they didn't singe the hair off their arms. They put their lives on the line for our enjoyment. Thanks guys!

FAMILY, FOOD AND FIREWORKS. It doesn't get any better than that!
This truly is the land I love.
May I never wake up from the American dream. ~Carrie Latet