Merry Christmas!

Wow I had know idea that I would let the old blog go for so long.
I thought I would do well this year keeping up with it so as to know what goes on in our life and record it. To bad I'm not to got at this.

But just to recap the past month a little I will start off on November 11th 2013 it was a Friday and Codey got off a little early. He came int he house and like always the kids run to him wanting to show him something or come and do something for them. Well he walked into my room telling the kids to wait because he needed to talk to me, so we came in our room where he informed me that he was layer off. My first thought of course was what were we going to do, with know savings to many bills and a lot of debt I was super worried.

The next day I called my sister inlaw and asked if she would give me a job at the store she manages she said I needed to fill out the online application and she would let me know. So I did and started the following Monday. Thank goodness for family. So I am working at Banana Republic at travers mountain. I have liked it so far it is kind of fun to get out and meet new people the employees their are amazing everyone is great to work with. The only not fun part of the whole thing is that I was hired as holiday help so I have had to work over thanksgiving and Christmas. Codey and the kids went down to the cabin for thanksgiving I had to work Wednesday so that night Lindsay and I drove down after I got off, so I was able to be their for thanksgiving dinner and then that night Stefan and Shannon brought me home so that I could go to work at 10 pm that night and work all night long.

Codey was able to work for Stefan for about 3 weeks so that helped with bills also Codey cashed out a 401K he had had from a job he worked at about 14 years ago so that has gotten us through and all the bills payed. There is a lady that was in my moms ward when I was growing up that also works at Bananatoo, we had a work meeting that was for us to get ready for the holladays and the united way came to let us know that the store would be sponcering 4 families for Christmas and asking that we all help those in need. This lady Kris Hammond leaned over and asked what we were going to do for Christmas and I pretty much lost it. I had know idea what we were going to do and if my kids wouldn't get what they wanted. Kris said that she would love to help us and not to worry.

Christ like love is an understatement when it comes to saying anything about this woman she is compleat lay amazing and I don't know how I could ever thank her for the love and giving that she showed to us. She started by giving me a $300. Walmart gift card so that we could use it for Black Friday sales then she took me to old Navy where she had me pick out 3 items of clothing for each of my kids. That was just one act of service and love shown to us others have been, $300. In an envelope on our bake step we think was from our bishop. Dinner from my visiting teacher, and then as it has gotten closer to Christmas more has been given. Our Bishop gave Codey $500. In walmart gift cards and then the night before Christmas Eve I looked out our back door and found a wrapped gift for each of us. Which was from our wards sub for Santa. I am amazed at the amount of help the people of our ward and our Bishop are willing to give it is amazing. We are truly blessed. I hope that next year we are able to help someone else and give back as much as we have been given this year.

Now on to the next big move for us to keep us going is Codey will be going to North Dakota next week to find a job. His plan is to go out and find a job then he hoes to find housing if that doesn't happen then he will come back and get our trailer and pull it back and live I. It while he works. He is hoping to make enough money to make it worth his while to be there. I am not looking forward to having him gone but I know that there are many people here who will look out for us. But know matter how much he is able to make it will be heard for all of us.

So Christmas the kids did very well with all the help Colton got a snow board, Peyton got a Kindle Fire HD and cowboy boots, Hailey got a motor scooter and an art set,  Laike also got a motor scooter and some Legos, Crew got Legos and boots and Cash got a cozy coop car which he loves. I got Codey a hand gun safe and some shirts and the family gift was an IPad!

Over all it was an amazing Christmas and I hope a happy new year!  

It's August

Wow! Only three weeks of summer left for the kids. I am not really looking forward to starting the whole rueteen of driving to Pleasant Grove 3 times a day and trying to keep up with it all.

Last week we went to Yellowstone we left on July 20th and went to Lava hot springs for the night, when we got there we had lunch and then went toobing down the river we went down five times it was really fun and the kids really liked it too. After dinner we walked through town and got an ice cream.
Sunday we left there and continued on to Yellowstone we camped at Fishing bridge we were there for four days we stopped at every place there was to see and even had time to go swimming a couple of times and also went into west Yellowstone for shopping and dinner.

We left on Friday and drove to Ashton, Idaho where we met up with some of my family for the Arnoldsen family reunion mom and dad and Johnnie and family were there we just stayed for lunch and then drove home we got home Friday night at nine. Saturday I got all the laundry done and the trailer cleaned out and then got Colton packed for scout camp. He left on Monday and will be home on Saturday.

Tuesday Codey started a new shift out at Ebay so he is working from nine to ninethirty so I and some of the kids get to see him befor he leaves in the morning at seventhirty but he doesn't get home until ten fifteen. Poor guy I hate that he has such awful days. Tomorrow night is the family night at scout camp so we are going to go up and watch the program. I couldn't go last year when Colton was there so I hope it is worth it this year.

The kids are in the neighborhood play this year Hailey and Peyton they have been having play  practice every day for the past few weeks and the play is on the 16th and 17th of August I can't wait  to see them in it. Next week is Peyton's birthday and I have reserved the pool so all his cousins can come it should be really fun.

Also Hailey and her friend Grace bought a hamster they named it Hammy and it lives at Grace's house as I didn't want to have anything to do with it or see it, so Hailey goes over several times a day to visit it.

Where has the summer gone?

Wow has it really been that long since I have given an update.
Hailey said a few days ago that she has had the most boring summer and that we never do anything fun. So who knows where June went, but July started with a bang, Codey had the weekend over the forth off do to layoffs at work and he was moved to the SLC Temple again starting today. So on the forth we went up the canyon and hiked Stuart falls and then had a picnic, it was supper hot and not as fun as it should have been since we had to hold Cash the whole time.

On Friday the 5th we went to 7 peaks it was hot and packed and don't forget I sunburned my back I always get burned once a year just so I can learn my lesson I guess. We have gone to the  pool a lot and the kids love to go to the parks and hang out. Sunday nights are pretty fun the ward has what they call prayer in the park every Sunday night at 7 we take a treat down someone is asked to give a thought and then we have a prayer. The kids useally stay and talk with friends for awhile befor coming home.

This is the month of lots of things going on this Saturday we are celebrating my dads 80th birthday his birthday is on the 14th of July so we have diner planned and a small program, then the next Saturday we are leaving on vacation to Yellowstone I can't wait it has been seven years since we have been there the first night we are staying at Lava hot springs then Sunday we will go the rest of the way. We are going to camp in the park at Fishing Bridge it was a lot cheaper then to stay at the KOA or at a motel.

When we get home there are only a few weeks befor school starts Laike will be starting kindergarten to. We will be going to PG three times a day, yes I am crazy but I love Lincoln I love the teachers and I love that all the kids are a the same school. So for now that's just how it will be.

Codey put up most of my frames in the living room for me now I just need to got through my pictures and print the ones I need. I also made a quilt that I just need to have quilted so I can hang it up in there too.

Well until the next update ( I hope it doesn't take me three months again )

GRETCHEN

I'm a big boy now!

Just sitting here thinking about what went wrong with the whole (potty training) with Peyton and Laike and hoping I don't make the same mistake with Crew. He asked me today if he could wear unders so here's to you Crew. I hope all goes well in the next few days, we are going on the third hour with know accidents so I hope he just continues on and keeps up the big boy routine.

It's the last day of April today some of the things that have been happening around here are, yard work, the front porch steps being replaced, the fence in the back for the bees, getting the bees, Colton started soccer, we got a n primary president and secretary, lots of rain, a few days in the 70's, and lots of driving to and from PG, Codey's car accident, getting his new car, and just all the day to day things like, scouts, pres. Meetings, scouts for Codey, YM's for Colton. And much much more.

So tomorrow starts the last month of school hooray! And the start of some fun weekends starting this weekend with the father and sons, ( Hailey and I are going to go out for dinner and have a movie night ) then it is Mother's Day then at the end of the month we are going to go to the cabin for Memorial Day.

Bring on the summer days at the pool and the park and going to the zoo, hiking, picnics and fun with the fam.

It's tough to have friends!

Hailey has made a new friend one she thought she may not have because she thinks they are to similar, but things Change I guess. She went to her good friend Grace's birthday on Saturday and they were both there. So to shorten the story they got together after the party and played the rest of the day. So today she wanted to play with her (Maybrie) is her name and is also our next door neighbor. So she saw her coming home from school and wanted to go see if she could play be decided to wait for a little while in case she had homework. But she wanted to hurry in case Grace came over to play before she left, well as soon as she was going to go over to Maybrie's guess who comes to the door. She really likes to play with Grace but would like to play with the other girls too but Grace is pretty protective and doesn't like to share Hailey very much. But Hailey is to nice to say that she was just leaving to go play with someone else so she just puts up with it. She is an amazing girl and doesn't want to have any feelings hurt. So she is going to play with Grace.

Sometimes it is hard to have a friend that always wants to be around, even when you would like to be out with others. It's a good thing Hailey is the way she is, and so fun to be around. I would rather have her just stay and be with me all the time. But she is getting to grown up for her moms liking.

So I am hoping to invite a couple of family's over for dessert on Monday and then do it every other week or so to get to know more people in the word. It seems like we are here to stay at least if it is up to Codey, and the fact is there are is not a hole lot of moving in and out in this ward as you would find anywhere else so we better make some friends.

There are a couple of guys that Codey already thinks he is going to like, one wants to talk hunting all the time and the other one want to go camping so we'll see if it pans out.

April is almost over!

Wow! This month has gotten away from me.
We found out a few things about Codey's accident, Codey ran the red light but we still haven't really found anything out about the insurance yet. Codey did find a car it only took about a week and in the meantime a guy from work let him borrow his mom's car until he found one.

So over spring brake we went to the Zoo, to the movie the Life of Pi ans to Classic skating it was pretty fun but we still hang out at home a lot too.

Sunday Codey ordained Trenton to the office of Elder, he did a really good job. Then we went over to Mom's for Cade and Bridger's Birthday dinner.

Cash has been sick so now he is standing here screaming at me so I better stop what I am doing and take care of him..

Yesterday!

5:20 am Codey left for work, 5:30 am Codey gets in an accident and rolled his car, 6:30 am Codey walks in the door all this time I am laying in bed trying to go back to sleep after being woken up by his alarm at 4:30 am.
What!!!

Not a good day.

Know not at all. Codey is very sore but otherwise  fine. He crawled out of his window while his car was upside down in a gas station parking lot. Oh after being hit by someone saying she didn't run the red light and hit him,  his car after being hit while going down hill flipped and flew over an 12 embankment and landed on its roof,  mean while Codey's head is telling him,
 this IS going to HURT!

Now we are out of a car, insurance is not going to pay, and I want to get a layer. And I am having some not good feelings towered the lady since in my eyes is lieing about running a red light.

So there you go, and happy spring break. we get to sit around all week with know car since Codey has to get to work. Yay for us.

Life is Grand

Wow! I just put Cash down on the boys bed with a bottle and guess who's ASLEEP! That has not happened before even at night he has a hard time with going to sleep.

The boys have found a friend they play with Miles about everyday now and just keep going from one house to the other.

I have got to go and sign the boys up for T-ball and Machine pitch today it wont let me do it online. 
So now I have to go in. I am also taking the kids to the Dentist today they all love to go, which works for me.

Beautiful day outside it's warming up again hope we will have a nice weekend with Easter and all.

Snow

Yes it is snowing two days after the first day of Spring.
It has been pretty cold the last week or so, even colder since last week it got into to the 70's so I have been freezing all week I wish we still had wood for the fire I would have been sitting in front of it all day long. The wind was really bad yesterday too, I came home from taking the kids to school and saw a trampoline that had blown down a hill and was upside down on 1600 N.

Codey booked our vacation for the year last year we didn't go anywhere so this year is a must. We are going to go to Yellowstone my favorite place, we haven't been for 7 years Peyton was 11 months old when we were there last. I can't wait for July we are going to go alone which will be fun and we are going to stay in the park at Fishing Bridge. I hope we see tons of animals being in the park.

Last week Laike got lost or you could say he new where he was and we did not, it was 45 minutes befor he was found in the church with some scouts that were there. I even called Johnnie who was working that day he was about to sent up the troops when we found him.

We had our primary Artical of Faith party last week for the ward, we had a lot of people there and it all went well and was a lot of fun.

Sunday we went to my moms for dinner she made corned beef (from a can) and cabbage, we were aslo celabrating Marc and Allen's Birthdays they turned 49 this year so next year is the big 5 0

Life Happends

It has been a long time since my last update.
Cash has cut another tooth and on the night of the 28th he slept through the night.
But that was sort lived because since then he has been sick, goopy eyes runny nose and a fever. Know fun for either of us.

I decided to put Laike in  Lincoln for Kindergarten I know I should of just moved all my kids over here for next year but I just couldn't do it, I think the change is worse for me then it would be on the kids. On the 16th of Feb. the boys got to go to the Monster Truck show with Grandam Cherri (that is what they got for Christmas,) and Hailey went to the 2nd of the 3 Ballets. All the kids loved it, and Crew is still talking about the truck with the ghost on it.

On the 22nd I had the lady's that I visit teach over for breakfast to get to know them we had a ham and egg casserole and muffins and fruit, it was really fun.

On the 26th I went with Hailey's class on a field trip to SLC we went to the ESArena and then to the new Museum of Natural History. It is always fun to go with the kids and help out in their class'.
Then that night was Peyton's Blue and Gold Banquet for Scouts we had PB and J for dinner (yes that was a little strange) but I think the kids had fun.

I had visiting teachers for the first time since moving into the wand. I think it is pretty funny since my new visiting teacher is the new RS Pres. Lyra Dickson and her partner is a girl I new in high school Christy Haller. Lyra's little boy and Laike are new found friends and play together all the time now, Laike loves to go and play at Grant's house. They have 5 girls and a boy.

Lyra's sister Tracy also lives in the ward and had us over for dinner last Sunday, we had Chicken fajitas and tacos so all my kids loved it.

On Monday I forgot my kids at school it was a minimal day so they got out at 12:30 I was in the middle of making meals for our meal exchange when Hailey called from the school. So I was 45 min. late picking them up. I told her and boys to just start walking to Grandma Cherri's they were going as fast as they could to see if they could make it there before I did but they had only gotten about half way when I picked them up.

Codey has started going to the gym again he and some guys from work are having a weight loss challenge. I should be going with him but I had gyms. I did like going to the PG Rec. to there spin class but I only went 5 or 6 times before Codey was working when the class was so I had to be home. 

Februay Family Update 2013

Tana, I loooved that email!!!! Send more! And your run on sentence was awesome!! You write just like you talk.

Chris tried to go shoot the Timp/Cascade mountain range last night from Saratoga Springs. He walked down to the lake and practically had to swim through a thick stand of reeds sinking down to his thighs with each step carrying about 30 pounds of camera equipment. He came to a bog of a warm spring and got stuck for several minutes. He thought he'd have to call search and rescue. Since it turned out alright, I'm laughing as I write this.

Chris wants to start a new landscape photgraphy business, we need a name, anyone?

I feel like I spend the bulk of my time trying to keep my house like Lisa Carlson does. It's not working. Here it is almost noon and my bed isn't even made.

Morgan and Madison are enjoying Snow and enjoying living with Kari and Ladd (although I think they can count on one hand the amount of conversations they've really had with Ladd :).

Bridger is busy working and dancing, learning sign language and Russian and every other spare moment is spent watching dance videos on line.

Landon does "school" three hours each morning faithfully. He wouldn't start a movie last night at nine since he wants to be up by seven. He has a growing list of books he's read since he starte this a few months ago.

Cade and Sarah play a lot together, a lot of the time with Isaac since they are all home during the day. The spent yesterday, one of the coldest days we've had for a while, building a fort in the back yard.

Our baby Liam Jack is sitting up, has two teeth and is the center of attention at every moment. I need to read up on not spoiling the youngest. He also loves french onion soup and sweet potatoes. He's not sure about avacados though.

Kirsten

So I want in on the sharing although I have know real news. Codey is back
> > to 40 hours a week well since the start of the year. But has worked a
> > couple of Saturdays. It is strange to have him home on Sat. and I feel as
> > if I have to entertain him or give his jobs with the kids just to keep
> > everyone busy. I am still struggling with giving sharing time in Primary
> > but the last time I did it went over pretty well. I spend a lot of time
> > in the car as I go back and forth to PG to take the kids to school and
> > back. I need to get some books on CD or something. And I think the
> > laundry will never end. I don't believe it when anyone says that I will
> > miss it some day as I am very sure I will not. Colton Is pretty existed
> > that Soccer starts soon, and is loving taking guitar at school (thanks
> > to Johnnie letting him borrow his guitar) He also spends a lot of time
> > playing basketball, reading and playing on his IPod. Hailey is always
> > helping me and has been doing a lot of pre-school for Laike and Crew,
> > she is teaching Laike his letters and he can finely count to 10 and say
> > the ABC"s She also spends lots of time playing with a couple of girls in
> > the ward and can't wait for spring. Peyton is hoping to play spring
> > soccer and if not then machine pitch it will be. He is doing awesome in
> > school and is missing his PG friends. Laike is getting to know some of
> > the little boys hid age and loves to be outside. He still asks when we
> > can go back to our little house and go play with his fun friends. Crew
> > is just as cute as can be and I love having him around me all day. He
> > says the cutest things and is becoming quite the story teller, mostly
> > about all the deer we have around our house. Cash is still the
> > complainer he has always been. And still whines most of the day, he has
> > never been a good sleeper either I thought if I stopped nursing him he
> > would sleep through the night since all the other kids did, but NO, now
> > we wakes up crying and I end up holding him all night. So Tana was way
> > more fun to here about and Kirsten to but life goes on. Love ya all.
> > Gretchen From:

Christopher Barksdale: Landscape Photography

I know. I'm always glad when I make the bed first thing.

What is Landon reading, mainly? Or is he omnivorous? Let me know if he needs any suggestions, although I'm sure he's finding stuff that he really enjoys. I remember having my "study list" during my wholly homeschooled year. I finished the big book of activities the first week and then started riding my bike to the library and/or the REC center a couple of times a week (that year we had the REC pass). One of the ladies who remembered me from that year still worked at the library when I started, but retired a year or so later.

Phia's been building a fort in the front yard, but it's pretty much dead now from the melting and freezing.

I don't think you guys are capable of spoiling a child.

Yeah, Gretchen, I'm still not used to having John around. It's been 2 1/2 years now that he's not working dawn to dusk, M-F, so it's weird. And with the sequester, he might be around more.

I love listening to books on CD. Although I'm usually too lazy and just listen to the radio. Is Colton doing chords, strings, or both? He and Gabe can jam next summer.

Ha, ha. You should see me in Primary. I speak terrible German and Sophia has this pained expression on her face the whole time. It is so funny, but not to her. Hailey is such a doll. Smart and kind. Is Peyton not at the PG school? Or is he just missing his after-school friends? Cute, cute kids. Thanks for the update. So fun. I wish I could help out.

First: Kirsten --will forward this to family. Snow College has now been put on the black list by hotmail, so I'm not getting everything to all family members...

What sequester, Tana?

I can just see Phia with her pained expression. Are you still studying German 3 hours a day? She would have the same pained expression with me trying to speak Spanish in my branch. I understood someone's entire story the other day: their sister stopped on Manti Main street to check out a cat on the side of the road. She sort of toed it (yes, I understood that) to see if it was dead and it moved, so then she tried to pick it up and it bit her on the fleshy part of her hand between her thumb and first finger (there was a bit of a demonstration there so I understood that part, too) and then it ran off. So then she went home and called her sister to tell her what happened, the sister then told her to go to the hospital cuz animal bites can be dangerous, but it was late and she washed it and decided to see what it was like in the morning. When she woke up it was very swollen and red so she waited till the clinic opened and went in to see the doctor who sent her immediately to the hospital and said her life was in danger. At the hospital it was touch and go for several days as to if they could save her hand, her arm and even her life. Her lesson learned: no matter how much she loves cats she's not going to try to pick up any unknown cats or any other strange animal ever again. See? I understood all of that in English--oops it was really Spanish, though.

I'll bring the girls home this weekend, but we can't leave till 6 tomorrow night.

any plans up there for anything that I would care to participate in? Need to see Ladd's new paint job and tile job in their kitchen and I've not seen Sam/Alex's house yet, you know...

any movies? let's do that again... any GOOD movies?

Ladd did most of our snow shoveling this winter, but we didn't begin to have as much as Tana

our menus this week

Monday: fried rice

Tuesday: meatloaf, baked potatoes, corn, parslied carrots, brussel sprouts in a butter sauce by Jolly Green Giant, then I went and joined the 3rd ward for Relief Society. They invited our Spanish for tortilla making and zumba. Only me and one other gringa went, no latinas, and I'm really bad at zumba, but the tortillas were great.

Wednesday: Hot dogs and nachos--Morgan went flying to Walmart to get some veggies dogs, then I only had a few nachos with them and then went to an adult ward dinner where we had dutch oven beef, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots and a really good salad a lot like Dad's salad and rolls with butter. It was a school lunchroom setting so they lunch trays from the elementary school --I heard some of our folks saying they were glad of the little compartments cuz now the gravy didn't run into the salad-- and the serving ladies had on hair nets and big aprons as lunch ladies and walked around with trays giving us vanilla or chocolate cake. That was about 10% of the party. Tell you the rest later.

Thursday: I don't know, I'll check the fridge and see what we have for leftovers or maybe make some tomato dumplings.

love you all, kari

kari

Okay... I'll chime in. I heard my baby's heartbeat today! What a relief. I'm 13 weeks and it had a strong little heartbeat. I'm starting to maybe feel a little better. Thank you so much to Marilee. She does so much to help us. And Johnnie has been really amazing too. That spoiled little boy... My mom is here right now and that's so nice. She does a lot too. We are so blessed. I love my Arnoldsen family so much and we're really enjoying being in Orem so close to everyone.

Abby and Elizabeth are doing well in school. They go to Cascade. Abby's in first grade, and Elizabeth is in kindergarten. It's so funny because the principal at Cascade, Mr. Campbell, and I went to Ricks College together. We lived in the same apartment complex and were in the same ward. We also sang in choir together. So when I went to register the girls and saw him there, I screamed and we gave each other a big hug. It was hilarious. And then I used to be in the singles ward with Abby's teacher, Ms. Bailey. And she's taught many of the Arnoldsens.

Vance and Mary are little playmates. They're both so busy, and so cute. Gretchen, Mary is nearly 2 and she's still up in the night. I hope I can fix that problem before the new baby comes.They love being at Grandma's house. They want to go upstairs every chance they can.

Johnnie is doing well. He still loves his job. I hope the sequester doesn't affect us. He's such a good daddy. Whenever he comes home all the kids scream and run to him and jump on him. He loves tickling them and playing with them.

That's all I got.

Sarah

That is so hilarious that you already knew the principal and Abbie's teacher, Sarah. Awesome. People would ask me how I could stand living in my parents basement and I'd say that it wasn't me who had to stand somebody, and that we loved it and the kids especially loved it. I'm so glad you heard the baby's heartbeat. That is a relief. I hope you're starting to feel better.

I think the sequester won't affect Orem security. It's pretty much a federal thing. I don't know how much it will trickle down.

Don't worry, Kirsten. It would be nice to make more, since now we'll probably get too old to ever adopt, but it's OK. I think it's odd that Congress said, "OK, we can't fix the budget, so instead of axing programs or parts of programs that need to go, we'll do this across the board thing, except that it won't affect Congress, just you guys. And the air traffic controllers? They're not really important, so the sequester affects them just as much as the new, super expensive soccer field for the detainees at Guantanamo."

We had zucchini quiche last night, chili the night before, crockpot lasagne the night before.

I love the bed-making routine, Kirsten. Mom told me about the geneology fan-chart activity. Sounds like she enjoyed it.

I'm being lazy with German study lately. I need to get back on it.

I read an article on the internet, Kirsten, about naming a landscape photography business, and the guy wrote a really funny bit of advice. Here it is: (although you can name your business whatever you want, and it'll be fine with me) "You may well be looking for a name that describes what a picture captures or portrays.

But that's not necessarily what your clients are looking for.

Think about this for a moment: if your clients are looking for sports, portraits, landscape, and wildlife photography—are they necessarily looking for poetic descriptions of how the sun majestically paints the mountain tops with astral splendor as it sinks behind the greying horizon in a swirl of brilliant umber fire?

Probably not.

So, just tell people who you are and what you do and make sure that specific audiences receive specific details about what you can do for them, as follows:

Nicola Ferreira: Sports Photography

Nicola Ferreira: Portrait Photography

Nicola Ferreira: Landscape Photography

Nicola Ferreira: Wildlife Photography

and so on. Might this mean having multiple business cards and web pages? Yup. But the expense and hassle of doing this will pay off and allow you to define which market or markets you spend most of your time serving, thereby giving you vital feedback on where to invest future marketing money and time.

This way, there is NO confusion about what you do and your name remains yours, it's not buried under some other business title.

I hope this helps. Good luck to you."

So I totally cribbed the idea from him because I thought it was good, no nonsense advice. Until somebody else convinces me otherwise

Going through the motions.

Wow another week has flown by. Last Saturday started out with Crew being sick again, he slept throughout most of the day and had a pretty high fever. The rest of the week has gone better though.

Sunday I left Hailey home from church with Crew and Cash Crew still wasn't 100% and it is easer to get through church with out Cash crawling all over me and crying. We ended up staying home from Cherri's and having dinner at home since others who were going had sick kids and I didn't want what they have so we just opted to stay here as they don't stay home when they have sick little ones.

Monday, I finely finished folding and putting away all the laundry, just to have it start piling up again for the week ahead.

Tuesday, is our busy day with the boys having scouts and I have Pres. Meeting but my meeting was canceled which is always nice. So we worked on getting Haileys Valentine box done and the kids valentines finished. I had made rice crispies for us and white chocolate covered spoons for the kids teachers with a bag of hot cocoa, the kids did popcorn for their treat this year instead of candy Hailey said she would rather have that then a sucker.

Wednesday, is my shopping day so on the way home from taking the kids to school I stopped at Maceys and then we come home and put that away and get ready to go to Costco I like to go right when it opens so we can get in and out fast. Codey had me get new porch lights they are LED and just stay on from dusk to dawn they are really pretty, they look like lanterns.

Thursday, Happy Valentines day! I had gotten some cute little mail boxes at Target last month that I didn't know what I was going to do with, so I used them for the kids Valentines I decorated the fronts for each of the kids and then put their candy inside and put up the flag. They turned out really cute and kids love them. Then I got a balloon for each of them with a note inside and tied it to the mailbox when they popped their balloons they got to see what their paper said. Colton got a friend movie night, Hailey got a date night with mom and dad, Peyton got a family weekend date, Laike got a no job weekend and Crew got a dessert night. They all thought it was pretty fun. I also went to the school to help in Peyton's class for his Valentines party they played minute to win it games and then I took cake and strawberries and they also made a flower sucker.

Hearts desire, that is what we call our Valentines dinner because we all get to choose what we want for dinner. Codey, Colton and Hailey all chose stake and baked potato's Laike, Crew and I had Cafe Rio salads and Peyton had Tia curry it was all so good after dinner we had strawberry shortcake. Hailey had set the table and put out candy it was really cute. I got Codey a big thing of almond cherry chocolates, and he gave me a a gift card for a couples massage, I can't wait to go and get it. Then it
was off to bed for the kids, and some snuggle time for me and the hubby.

Thursday, Friday and tomorrow Codey is working  ten hour days, so he gets home at five. Tomorrow I will be home with just Cash as all the kids have fun plans, the boys are going to the monster truck show with grandma Cherri and Hailey goes to the ballet. And Codey is working maybe ill get my primary things done.

Happy weekend!

Thursday, I went to breakfast with some friends I lived by in PG but have since moved to AF and Orem Jaimie and Luisa, we got together because they both had Birthdays last month. It was fun to catch up with them and talk. It has been heard to leave the friends I had and move here and have know one really go out of there way to talk to you or get to know you at all. I've had a heard time here so far, even getting involved with different things in the ward I don't yet have anyone I could call if I needed anything and just someone to get together with. But, I also need to go out of my way to get to know people to and that is sometimes heard for me.

Friday, I went with Haileys class on a field trip to Midway we first went to the Crader at the  homestead then we went to the Wasatch state part and learned about rocks and minerals and then went snowshoeing it was a beautiful day to be out on the snow, I loved the day espeasaily because I was able to spend the day with Hailey and have some fun too. On our way home coming around Deer Creek it was beautiful then we hit the Damn and were welcomed to winter again  the wind was unbelievable and the snow was almost like a white out. It took a little longer to get through the canyon because of the snow but we got back to the school just in time to pick up the boys and head home.

Friday night Codey and Colton had a scout caving camp out planned they went up AF canyon. When they got home today they said it was fun, cold, wet, cold and wet Codey brought in Colton's clothes that he had warn to build the snow cave and they were completely frozen. Colton said it was fun, he slept in the cave with a boy in the ward named Sam he said he was really warm, Codey ended up sleeping in his tent. They said the had lots of good food and tons of fun.

I had planned on just hanging out with the kids after dinner and watch a movie and for the most part that is what we did. Kirsten called and asked if they could come hang out because Chris had someone coming over to go through and edit pictures. So we had some burritos that mom had made and then I made fries they were so good. Then we went downstairs and watched Tresure Planet they left around 8:30 and we went to bed. I had Hailey sleep in Colton's room with Laike and Crew so that they wouldn't here Cash cry during the night because I was not going to nurse him through the night. He did pretty good he cried quite a bit but would go back to sleep after not to long. I am hoping to have him sleeping through the night and weened I the next week or so.

Saturday, well today I made sweet and sour chicken for our meal exchange next week, and got it delivered. I also took laundry down to mom and Kirstens house two loads each so that the kids have some clothes for next week. With the washer door broken for a week the laundry was really piling up I think I had eight loads today so to get a few done was better then none. When I got home from the store I found that the new washer door had come so I had Codey put it on and I got the laundry started I am so glad to have it up and going again.  Love Codey for fixing it.

HapPy BirthDay CASH!

A year ago today I had my little angel baby boy Cash! That was an awesome day, labor was short and he arrived 7 minutes after arriving at the hospital. What an amazing thing to bring a beautiful child into the world and know that I am responsible to take care of, teach and love while he is here, and with our family. I have some amazing kids Hailey reads and remembers things and mesmerizes thing like you cannot believe, Peyton loves to do math and it really good at it. Colton has this issue with his temper, but then can be so loving and helpful, Laike is getting to smart for his our good and started to tell the kids that they will live with the snakes if they lie or do something wrong. Crew is well he is my baby, and yet he is growing way to fast, and getting so unbelievably smart. And is a smartalec and knows it. Cash he is a complainer and yet I love to sit and hold him and cuddle but he thinks he is so big and is getting to busy to just sit on my lap. He love to through the diapers away, he wants to feed himself, he loves music, loves to play with his dad in bed when he should be going to sleep, he loves Hailey, loves to go up and down the stairs, and loves to drink from a sippy cup just so he can spit it out all over. And he loves his Mom! I can't wait so spent the rest of my life with my beautifully wonderful kiddos. Happy Birthday baby Cash!

Laundry day has come and gone and no laundry got done. I went to do the laundry yesterday and the washer door that was already broken but worked was completely broken I don't know when that happened but the door lock was completely Brocken so there was no closing the door, so I got online and found the door parts I needed and got them ordered. So as the laundry piles up with the 8 of us I am hoping I get the parts by Monday.

Our stake here in Orem has an exercise class at the stake center every morning at 9:15 so since my friend Luisa is in the stake she invited me to go yesterday so I did I am a little sore today but not to bad. The class is step arobics I didn't keep up very well but I kept moving.

Cash got a toy waggon and a singing bear for his birthday he loves them, we'll at least today he did.

Love you baby boy hope you had a wonderful day.

Super Bowls and Migrains

Super Bowls are watched just for the commercials rite? Well I didn't really watch the game at all since I had a migrain. We went over to Cherri and Lynn's I should have stayed home but I thought I had taken enough Tylonal to get through the evening but not even close, and then we got there and and with all the smells of the food and the noise it just got worse, so I went up on the couch and fell asleep I woke up just as half time ended. Then the power at the game went out it was out for about 38 min. So I asked Codey to bring me home. I couldn't do anything after I woke up, we just made it home before I started throughing up, I must have been mentally holding it in so I wouldn't through up at Cherri's house, but after that I started to feel better and was able to lay in bed and get Cash to sleep and even watch the last of the game. The teams were the 49ers and the Ravens every one said that the 49 ers would win but after a pretty close game the Ravens won in the end 34 to 31

Today Crew was invited over to a neighbors house to have a little preschool, he was super excited and had a lot of fun, he colored a picture and painted the letter A then worked on writing his name. They also sang the alphabet song a lot Crew said. But he loved it and can't wait to go again next week.

So we also did our dinner exchange today Shannon had brought over Costco pizza since they are on sale. Kirsten did a crockpot chicken dish mom did chicken burritos and I did home made pizza. It is really nice to think that my freezer is filled with meals I don't really have to do much to fix dinner at all this week which is so nice.

Remember You are AWESOME!

Two baptisms in one day and a Chinese dinner!

We had a very busy day today. Starting it out by making potato soup to take for lunch, then going to the Baptism of two of my nephews Michael and Isaac. Michael chose to wait a month to be Baptized so that he and Isaac could be Baptized together, so we had quite the crowd there today. It was really nice. After we had lunch at the church.

Tonight was our annual Chinese dinner that mom has for her kids so we had 17 people over here for dinner tonight, three of my sister in laws hadn't even seen our house yet. So it was fun to have them all over and have a good dinner too.

Another busy week that flew by, I don't feel like I got all the things done that I needed to but it was a good week anyway. Haileys class ski trip was cancelled this week, but next week she has another field trip where they are going to go snow shoeing and I get to go to it should be really fun.

At least I will finish the week with a clean house, the dishes done, and happy and healthy kids and blessed with a wonderful husband, and a home we are all grateful for.

Shrimp Fry!

Mmm shrimp! I love them, Codey brought me some home today from his Union shrimp fry. He took the day off today to cook shrimp so he was gone for about 4 hours then he came home for awhile then tonight went to the dinner at the Eagales Cafe in Pleasant Grove.

Wow just sitting in bed watching TV I just watched Shark Tank, now I am going to watch Blue Bloods. On Mondays I watch Hawaii 5 0 Tuesdays there isn't really anything on worth watching, on Wednesday I watch Chicago Fire, Thursday Is Person of Intrest. Also on Monday right now is The Biggest Loser.

We go to bed pretty early around here I have the kids in bed by 8:00 and I go to bed too. It is really nice to sit and relax after along day with the kids. Tonight I took a hot shower and then sat in the tub until it got to cold. I have taken a lot of baths since we moved here why I don't know, maybe because Codey has the hot water hoter, or because we have our own bathroom, what ever it is I like it more now. I never really took baths befor.

I need to get a handle on Colton and the attitude he has, every time he speaks to anyone he sounds mad and annoyed and mean. Today on the way home from school I asked him something and he yells back, I have know idea why he is that way. Maybe he really hates me and is doing everything he can to just be around me, because that is how I feel when he is around. He really gets most of the things he wants and is pretty spoiled, but he acts like he is the most picked on kid ever. It is starting to rub off on all the other boys. No one will listen to me when they are asked to do anything, Laikes new thing is to tell me how tired he is when he is asked to put the toys away or help with something. Peyton is getting to be pretty bad he lies and steals things all the time I think he has gotten a little better since we moved here but I know it is still a problem. Then there is Hailey who is amazing with the little boys and helps them with everything. She has even started to get the boys into bed so that I can take care of Cash. She is so cute she will help them get their teeth brushed and then gets them into bed and reads them a story, after kisses and hugs they will stay in bed pretty well. She is my angel and I am so blessed to be her mom. I love her, and all my boys too.

Hello February!

Wow! I am so glad to see January end on a high note, because most of the month was horrible. We are done with everyone being sick all the time, washing throw up bowls out just so someone else can use it, washing endless sheets and towels, and sanitizing anything our hands touch.

The SUN is shining and the day looks wonderful. Happy February!
With all the snow we have had this past week and with the inversion we had gone it is nice to be able to look and see the mountains and take a deep breath. It makes all the different to be able to see the sun shine.

So it's in (the wood stove) and Codey had a little fire last night right before I had craft night here, so through the smelly smokey house and the smoke alarms going off girls night was really fun. We had about 10 of us making Birthday boards (they turned out really cute) with painting drilling and screwing everything together most everyone took home there finished boards. I still have to finish the three I am making. Lindsay is going to come over tomorrow to help me finish mine.

So on this first day of February I can start it out with a clean house since I have been cleaning all week to get ready for last night now I am tackling all the laundry 5 loads to be done. this afternoon I am going to be pre baking 12 Pizza crusts for our dinner exchange on Monday I wanted to get them done so that on Monday I don't have so much to do.

This last Monday I took Laike to the doctor for his Kindergarten check. He had to have his weight and eyes checked and have his finger poked (he did not like that at all) so he was 51 pounds and 46 inches tall, so in both height and weight he is in the 91% for his age. He is a big kid.

Well here's hoping that February with bring beautifully warm days and lots of LOVE around here.

We got a wood stove!

It's like Christmas at our house today, although we are a month past Codey got just what he wanted. And after are gas bill last month I hope it will help with heating this big house. But I hope it doesn't cook me out. Now Codey just has to figure out how to hook it all up. So it might take a few days to get it going.

The ride to school today was much like yesterday, slick and snowy. I went down to Kirsten's today and got the meal that she did for this week it was chicken pot pie, yum! Then I went to Shannon's and got the one she made it is a pasta dish with ham and bacon I don't know if anyone will eat it, it is in my freezer we properly won't have it until next week since I have things for the rest of the week.

I didn't even get out to do my food shopping today since I didn't want to go back out into the snow. I better get it done tomorrow. I will be busy the rest of the week.

I got a lot done today, yesterday I worked on my craft room mostly just stacking the boxes and moving everything around to the walls. So that the main floor is clear so that I can vacuum. So today I worked on the storage room, and under the stairs I still had some boxes of books and then all the empty boxes under there so I went through the books and moved them to where they go.  Then I put all the Christmas stuff under the stairs. So tomorrow I need to clean the toy room and get things ready for girls craft night here.

SNOW!

Snow and a lot of it, it took an extra 45 min. This morning on the rout to the school and back it was crazy slow, I think the speed limit on St. street was about 25  and then the rest of the way through PG it was about 10 miles per hour.  The afternoon trip was not as bad but I still left early to make sure I would be there on time. At least the side walks were cleared so that when the kids walked down and around the corner to the car they didn't fall and get hurt.

I left all the shoveling to Codey since he loves it, he gets home from work and goes out to get on his 4 wheeler and goes around and does our house then does the church too. Today he even had time to give the kids a ride, which they love.

Dinner tonight didn't go over so well it was a casserole that she had done and given me it was a Dorrito chicken casserole but Codey said it was more like an onion casserole, but I liked it. The kids all had peanut butter sandwiches.

 

Good Stuff!

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.


Thank you Marie for sharing this.


Part of cultivating a good life is forgiving, being kind, honest, and sincere, doing good, and giving your best. Yes. Good stuff.

This was shared on a blog I follow, beckyhiggins.com and I liked it and thought I wanted to share.

Happy Tuesday!

Gretchen

Happy Birthday Lily

Miss Lily is four years old. Trenton and Jessyce have a cute little girl who's Birthday is today, we went over to there house for cake and ice cream tonight. Lily was very tired and not to happy, but put up with us all so she could have her cake and open her presents.

So Shannon and Kirsten started a dinner exchange just between them and mom and I so today I made 4 9x13 pans of chicken spaghetti, mom brought me two different casaroles a chicken and broccoli dish and a Dorito and chicken casaroles I haven't gotten the things from Shannon or Kirsten yet, but I'm sure they will bring there things up tomorrow.

Shannon's nephews funeral is tomorrow morning so I hope that all goes well, I would be going but I don't want to take my little kids so I think my mom and Kirstan are going to go. It will be sad day for Jeff and Jane and ther family but knowing that they are an Eternal Family and will be together again helps a little.

When you have someone you love in Heavan you have a little bitt of Heavan in your home.

Colton

Colton was put in the Deacons quorum Presidency today as the secretary. He is petty existed, they had a meeting after church today to plan out activities for the year. He said it was pretty fun and he said they planned some fun things.

Dinner at Cherri's today was really good we had chicken cordon blue cheesy potato's and cheesy broccoli, and salad and rolls. Crew ate the most I was amazed that he ate since I have been having a heard time getting him to eat well since being sick.

So I am thinking that this has turned into a daily journal entry. But I hope I just remember the little things we do. And the big moments in our lives. I want to be able to remember the things we do and the cute things the kids do and say.

Sharing time went a little better today, Jr. primary went a little better then Sr. I feel so rushed in Sr Primary music always goes over and I am always rushing through so that we end on time. I challenged the kids to make the choice now to choose the right 100% of the time instead of only half the time, it is heard to get across to the kids that the choices we make now will affect everything we do throughout our lives.

Mr. Clean

I wish that is just who I was. I did clean today but it would be nice to have a cleaning company come in a scrub. I still need to get a mop for my wood floors, but I am loving my new vacuum that I got for Christmas. The blue Orek and my kids love it to Laike loves it a lot he gets it out all the time and tells me the house needs to be cleaned.

We had Isaac up to play with Peyton tonight, they sat downstairs and watched a movie, Peyton came up and made popcorn and burned it, wow! The smell is  overpowering. I hope it doesn't linger into tomorrow.

I am ready for bed so I guess I will say goodnight a little early tonight.

Gone to soon!

Shannon's nephew Steven who has been battling Non Hodgkins Limphoma for two years passed away yesterday at the young age of 22 he had been in the hospital for about a week with hnemona on Monday his lungs started to bleed and after trying many new drugs and other things it was just to much. Love and prayers for a wonderful family who has gone through so much, and throught it all Steven had a sence of humor and lived the life he was given to the fullest.

Jazz read a thon at the school today, the kids have a contest  between all the classes to see who can read the most minutes in a months time. The kids love it they got to take a treat and wear free dress, Hailey and Peyton took blankets and books and were able to skip homework so they could get in all the reading they could. Colton had a field trip with the super Iexcel to Water Gardens to see Wreck it Ralfe. So all the kids had fun day.

I made oven tin foil dinners tonight it was really good, I think that is one of my favorite things although I do love it cooked in an open fire. Codey went to look a wood stoves today, he thinks it wood be best for us to have a wood stove downstairs to keep the gas bill down, which would be wonderful since I don't think we will be able to keep up if they continue to be over two hundred a month. He did get new thermostats to see if that will help and to keep both of the furnisses from coming on at the same time. So I hope it all helps.

It's Friday so it is movie night which we haven't done for awhile, so Codey went and got a movie we watched Diary of a Whimpy Kid Dog Days the movies are pretty dumb but the kids liked it and we also made milkshakes. So the kids had a fun night and the point of Friday night is to have our family together.

Primary Prep!

Getting ready for sharing time on Sunday. The theme for sharing time is I have Agentcy, so I am going to have two posters one with good choices and one for bad choices I hope the kids get what I am doing and choose to do what is write 100% of the time in stead of just sometimes.

I am thinking that in February I will just blog once a week, but then I wonder if I will forget to do it. I have a hard time thinking of anything to say each day and may be able to recap the week better. I may give it try and see how it goes.

This is all about a whole lot of nothing, I feel as if I am starting to ramble each day instead of really telling something that needs to be written down. Although I wish I could record the boys all day as they play, they are so funny, and cute, and loving and then they will turn around and start hitting each other it seems to come out of know where. If Laike gets in trouble he will through a fit about saying he is sorry, and Crew if has something to say sorry about he does it before he has to sit in time out.

Hailey is an amazing sister I say it all the time how she loves her little brothers but I have to say again she is awesome. She got the boys sitting at the table doing pre-school I had found some of the things I had got a few years ago. So anyway Laike said the ABC's every letter for the first time that I have heard, and she is teaching him shapes and colors and how to write his name, she is teaching him where we live, and it is pretty cute she had Crew matching shapes and he loved it and counting to five. She tells them what a good job they are doing and how cute they are. Hailey would love to be a teacher although there are a lot of things she wants to do and she would be good at any of them for sure. Man I love that girl.

I am trying to think about eating better mostly In the morning, I think if I always eat breakfast and drink a lot of water I can keep from getting bad headaches.  There are some days there is nothing I can do to keep them small or keep from getting a migraine but it is helping and I always feel better when I am drinking enough water. Now I really am rambling and just going on and on.

I sent an email not to long ago to all the girls asking what they fix for dinner and to send me some ideas. So they did and I got some good ideas I have tried a few new thinks and made some others that I haven't done for a long time. It has helped me to get a little out of the funk I was feeling that I was in. Shannon and Kirsten have started a dinner exchange they each make 4 meals on Monday and then keep two and give two to the other person so they have 4 meals done for the week. They would like to have four people doing it so that they are not the only ones and so that one person makes four of the same meal and then they exchange them. It sounds very nice to go home with four meals done for the week, but I thought it would be hard for me to do it and have them making meals for me as I have the most picky eaters ever and then there is the fact that five of our eight don't eat hamburger. And they use that a lot I there cooking. So we will see if I deside to do it.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday mom!
Mom was born on January 23rd 1938 in Roosevelt, Ut  to John and Cleo Mohlman the oldest child of three kids. Mom has a younger sister and brother, Cheryl lives in Pinesdale Mt. And Johnnie lives in Herriman, Ut mom met my dad at BYU in 1957 and they were married in 1959 a double weeding with my aunt Cheryl and uncle Lewis. Mom and dad had 10. Children and I am the ninth six boys and four girls I being the favorite of them all since I was the baby for five years befor Johnnie arrived.

I love having a big family, I love that my family is super close, we got together tonight to have cake at Kirsten's house she made Apple raisin cake for mom and then made brownies for everyone else. It is fun to get together with anyone who is around. There are now 50 grandchildren and with a little announcement  from Sarah tonight it might make that number change to 51 by the end of Septembere. We hope.

Mom,
Wow! There is a lot I could say about my mom and I could go on and on about how much she has done for our family and for countless others throughout my life and befor I came along. But I do want her to know that she has taught me a lot over the years in my life that I have paid attention to, since I haven't always. Sometimes I catch myself sounding just like her,  or thinking that is just what mom would do, or would have done. But a lot of the time I think what would my mom do?
I know that if I needed anything she would do all she could to help me. As she does so often, I am glad that we are closer now not only because she helps me so much, but so that I can go and sit and hang out at there house and just spend time with them.

I am blessed to have amazing parents that have given me everything I have ever needed and taught me so much. I hope that my own kids will want to be around me in my older years and come to celebrate my 75th Birthday with me.

Love you Mom!

Laugh out loud!

I wish I could remember every line of Eric's email today, but I can't. It was awesome and I needed a good laugh. It was a rhyme just like my dad does often on his emails to everyone. It reminds me how much I miss being around my sibling all the time to enjoy their sense of humors. I love any get together we have just so I can get all I can of they're whit.

So funny tonight Colton was going around with the young men to get donated items for the homeless shelter, so he went to the front door and rang the door bell Peyton let he and Sam in and Colton comes write in my room where I am ( sitting in bed ) with Sam asking for TP, or food. It was pretty funny I think when Sam realized that I was in bed he turned around and just let Colton talk to me, I don't think Colton even realized or thought to be inbearest since he is so used to the way we are. It made me laugh again.

Tonight I had Pres. Meeting and then I left early To go to pack meeting with Peyton, then when I got home Codey had scouts, so I had made dinner before I left (white chicken chili) I ate before I left and now am wondering if I should have, my stomache is still bugging me. I hope it ends soon.

Love that it is a short 4 day school week. So on to Wednesday.

Playing catch up!

Getting thing caught up today was not what the kids wanted to do on their day out of school but sometimes a dirty house trumps all the other stuff.

So after getting through 5 loads of laundry, three bathrooms, the kitchen and vacuuming the whole house, some of the kids were able to have a little fun. Hailey played with her friend Grace and Colton and Crew went with me to run a couple of errands then I went down to  Kirstens so that I could have Maddi draw a snake on a poster for primary for me. 

When I got home I made barbq chicken and agratin potato's and a ceser salad it was really good I didn't get much feed back from the kids except from Laike since he will eat most anything I cook, he said (why don't you make this just for me.) so I guess he must have liked it. 

On a side note, my sister inlaw Shannon's nephew is in the ICU and in unstable condition he has been battling hodgkins Linfoma for two years and about a month ago he was told he was in remission, but last week he got hnemona and now is bleeding from his lungs, if he does happen to pull through he will not live a full life it would be hard to just do normal everyday things but, it will be heartbreaking to their family to lose him after he has been through so much. Are prayers are with their family, we love them and know that it is in Gods hands and that family's are forever. 

I think for one day everyone had a pretty good day know one new is sick Crew was up happy and playing all day, and I feel tuns better. Codey is still not 100% but he's getting there. So happy day. 

School starts tomorrow and I have a lot to get done this week to prepare for sharing time on Sunday, Pres. Meeting and also pack meeting tomorrow. 

Thinking through the drops of awesome, do I really think or want to point out that I can do something awesome each day, or that telling it for all to see will make me feel better? Maybe I just want to do it so that I can see for myself that I can do something good each day. But does it have to be the spotlight of my day? No! I need to be awesome because I want to remember that I am better then I was yesterday, that I love my kids more, that I want to be that person my kids talk about someday that they want to be like not because they love me but because they want to be awesome too. 

So for today I just want to say that I am a little better today then I was yesterday, I accomplished more today and I sat and read to my kids. For that I am awesome. And tomorrow I will do even better, not because I want to have that drop of awesome but, because I can be better tomorrow then I am today. 

Never ending!

Wow! Will it never end? I think I have written that befor. The sicknesses just keep on coming, our vacation was know vacation, Crew continued to be sick over the weekend, and to add to it I got sick Friday night and Saturday it spred to Codey, which is all we need since his overtime is now done and  missing a day of work is more then we can do right now. As it is we are just scraping by. We got our gas bill and I just about passed out it was $218.00 what? That we can not do, it's pay the pills and go hungry or pay the pills and never leave the house again ever.

Today I am doing much better although Codey is still growning. Crew has been up most of the day, but now Cash has a fever, I hope it's only teeth and not what we have had. We got up and left the Hotel at 9:00 this morning Codey couldn't get home fast enough, so by the time we got home the kids were starving and had lunch just as soon as we got everything out of the car. Then I just made waffles for dinner.

As for my drop of awesome yesterday it wasn't. I made Codey go get lunch then last night for dinner he took the kids to Applebee's since he had a gift card from work and he left Crew and I in the room to be sick. He brought Crew back a baked potato, I tried to give him a bite and he just about gagged.

Then he and the kids went swimming he even took Cash and he loved it. Then when they got back and we all got in bed Codey got sick and I started throughing up, so one of us was in the bathroom almost all night long. I'm glad to be home. We stayed at the Marriatt Universaty Parknd Hotel it was pretty nice I guess, I didn't walk around a whole lot.

When we got home the kids found the scale in the bathroom and desided to weigh themselves so the stats are in, Cash was 20 pounds, Crew 30, Laike 50, Peyton 52, yes they are 3 years apart. Hailey 72, and Colton was 84 pounds. It is kind of fun to do that every once in a while to see how big my kids are getting.

We had been home for awhile today when Hailey pokes her head in my room and says with Crew and Laike standing behind her with a chef hat and aprons on, ( mom may I make cookies? ) so I had her make peanut butter bars, it was pretty cute to go I and see her showing the boys what to do. They got cooked a little to long but other than that she did a good job, Laike even washed the dishes.

I am sitting in my bed as Codey and Colton are watching football not what I would pick but they are watching the Ravens versus the Patriots to see who will be playing in the supper bowl with the 49ers who won there game today.

It is still cold and gray as we have been sitting in an aversion for a couple of weeks, it is warming a little bit as it hit 22 the other day. I feel like just sitting home all the time as I don't want to go out in the cold or take the kids out either. Hopefully we will start the week off with better health. The kids don't have school tomorrow so I hope to get the house clean and all the laundry done, so the kids can play for awhile.

I will just dream of  sunny beaches and warm days to help me get through the drirry days.

Awesome drop!
Will it count to say I just made it through the day!

Pool time!

So after an okay night of Colton and Laike on the floor.  Codey and Peyton in one bed and Hailey Cash and I in the other one and Cash thinking I am his pacifier we all woke up around 7:30 Codey went and got Einstein bagels for breakfast it was pretty good.

Then we just watched TV until about 11 and then Codey and the kids - Crew and Cash went swimming and just got back so now we have to think about lunch. Its hard since we can't all go, so Codey just goes and gets the food and brings it back to us. Crew and Cash just woke up from a nap they slept while everyone was gone and then got woken up when they all got back from swimming.

To night after dinner I hope to go down and get in the hot tub but I haven't felt good today either, that's all we need is me getting sick again too. The kids have also spent a lot of time looking out the window of our room because of all the deer, last night I think they saw eight deer or so, this morning we saw two 2 by 3s right below our window, that was pretty cool.

While sitting here I just watched Mary Poppins, now we are watching Lady and the Tramp all the movies I grew up watching all the time.

Drop of Awesome!
Going out to get lunch.

Vacation!

It was time to get away, sometimes I think it is more work to go somewhere then just stay home. And it is really, getting the house clean, getting the laundry done, packing, loading the car. Then you get to where you are going and you have 8 people sitting in this little hotel room, and it gets louder and louder, things start getting messy and I start getting stressed. So Codey took the kids swimming, I went down and watched for a little then came up since I have a whopper of a headache.

Codey went and got Wendy's for dinner and they messed up and didn't give us the baked potato's we ordered so Hailey and Cash didn't really have any thing to eat. Hopefully we will do better tomorrow, I didn't want to go out somewhere since Crew is still sick he was throughing up again this morning. I think the poor kid has lost 5 pounds since Christmas I wish I had lost some while I was sick too.

Drop of Awesome!
Got everyone ready and packed to go.

Ready for the weekend!

I am ready for this week to be over. Crew has been feeling a little better today but still is not really eating and lays around a lot. But the good news is no one else has gotten sick so far and I hope they don't since we are going to SLC tomorrow to stay in a hotel for the weekend.

Codey got a voucher for a weekend stay from the IBEW Credit Union for cheaper then normal so that is why we are going, we are going to go until Monday unless I can call tomorrow and cancel Sunday night since Codey works and we would have to come home on Sunday to get his car anyway and have dinner at Cherri and Lynn's house so I hope we can.

The kids are looking forward to the pool I'm sure they will spend a lot of time in it while we are there. I am looking forward to doing a lot of nothing I hope, I just want to sit around and watch the kids play and have fun.

So the big news in the news is about Lance Armstrong who has won the Tour de France 7 times and has now admitted that he was doping up the hole time and now is being striped of all the titles. Mmm, so sad, and yet I don't really care because it seems as if a lot of athletes lie a lot about how they win, so to bad for him.

I feel as if I didn't get anything done today since I just sat and held Crew or sat by him so that I could hold Cash who climbs up onto my lap and then decides to get down 30 seconds latter about 100 times a day. But we all need days like that, to just sit and hold and love our kids.

Last night Codey had a dinner for the Union that he went to in SLC then from there he went straight to the BYU basket ball game he went and picked up Allen to go with him since it was a late game starting at 9:00 pm so all the kids and I were already in bed.

Codey just got home from his bank meeting and will want to go to sleep so I guess I will quit, get
some sleep too and start all over tomorrow so goodnight.

Awesome drop!
Swept the floor.

Gratitude!

Today I have had a hard time thinking of anything to be greatful for. With sick kids, a house that needs to be cleaned, laundry keeps piling up, dinner has to be made, driving to and from to get the kids at school, home work, It just feels as if I don't ever think of the things staring me in the face, the things that really matter I have a hard time looking past all the things right in front of me and to be glad for the really good things I have.

A house
Food
Heat
A car
My mom and sister who are always willing to step in and help me.
A coat
My kids
Hot water
A microwave
Medicine
A phone
My bed
Codey
And the list goes on.

I need an often reminder that I am blessed with so much and need to remember that we have so much to be greatful for.

Tonight was RS the theme being to stretch ourselves is service. They are putting together small groups to get together and do an act of service and then come back in two months to the RS birthday in March and talk about what each group did in the past two months. So we were asked to think about  a service that we can do, the group leader had a list of things that she had thought about, I didn't think any of them were wonderful but I don't know what else to suggest that would be better for us to do. So I guess I will start to think about it.

Awesome drop!
Got Colton a guitar to use for school. We were able to barrow it from Johnnie so glad he had one and we didn't have to bye one!

Sick Again!

Well Crew has a bad bug again this time he is not keeping anything down, not even water. Although he was throughing up last time he was sick with the flu too. I hate to see that poor little boy sick his tiny little face is so sad and his eyes have sunk. When he gets sick it is horable I hate it.

I went to the school today to do the reenrolment stuff that they have you do. I taked to the secretary about Laike and Kindergarten next year I don't know if I will have him go to Lincoln as it is another hour I the car, and take all that fuel to get there. I am going to go talk to Northridge Elementry and see if they will let him come for Kindergarten and then I will move him to Lincoln for first grade. We'll have to see if Northridge will let him in since we are not in the school boundreys.

Colton started a new term and is taking guitar, so we went to Taget and got him a guitar for class but I think we will end up taking it back, I think we will go to a music store and see if we can find him a different one or well will just rent one from the school for the term. The one we got is not a very good one and the teacher said that the kind we got they have a hard time keeping them tuned and things so we will see what we will end up doing.

I took Colton, Hailey and Peyton to the library yesterday too and we all got library cards and then the kids each got a book Hailey was getting biographies for her book project this month so she got 3 books and read them all last night and now is trying to decide who she is going to talk about in class.

Codey had scouts tonight and the guy he does it with didn't come so he just did it by himself  the learned all about knots, in a couple of weeks they are going snow camping with the 12 year olds. I need to get both Codey and Colton some snow pants and warmer clothes, but I ,think they will have fun if they don't freeze to death.

I had Pres. Meting for primary tonight and we talked about the kids who don't come to primary, because of non member or part member family's or just because they don't want to like one little boy who's mom is in the RS Pres. It is hard to think of so many children in this ward that don't come, and how many inactive family's there are. I never had to think about it like I do now.

Well I better get to sleep and hope that my poor little Crew is able to sleep and is not up throughing up all night I have know idea how he could have anything in his little stomache after how sick he has been to day.

Drop of Awesome!
Cleaning up after a sick little angel. Love him lots!

Bitter Cold!

Wow! it was -4 this morning when I dropped the kids off at school today. It has been really cold for just over a week or so and it doesn't look like it will be much warmer anytime soon. the highs are only getting in the teens. The mountains got a lot of snow over the weekend and also north and south of us got up to two feet of snow, we got about 3" so we got the least of it for sure.

I heard Hailey crying last night about 12:00 and got up to see what was wrong, she said that she had a headache. That poor girl gets them like I did at that age mine have just continued through my life because they never found anything that they said was wrong. So I stood by her bed and rubbed her head for about 30 min. until she could relax enough to go back to sleep. when she got up this morning she said she still had it but that it was a lot better. I hope we can figure out what is wrong so she doesn't always have them like me.

Tonight we get to go clean the church, I told the kids this morning and they all growned, my little boys well love it they love to help clean.

Cash will be one next month I can't believe he is growing so fast, I love to sit and hold a new baby, watch them sleep, look at every little expression, sleep by them and most of all wake up next to that little warm body and get all those cuddles, and  to just know how much I love them. It all goes bye so fast, I know I can't slow it down, but really does it have to go so fast.

But I'm starting to think about a night of sleep without being woken up every hour by my baby wanting to eat, or be held, or just waking up and crying for an hour for no reason. When my babies get to be this age I look forward to weaning them and getting them to sleep all night. I love to sleep.

I love to be a mom, I love to have my kids want only me when they are hurt or sad, I love to sit and cuddle with them, I love to be the one they love.
I have a feeling the next stage in life is coming, my kids are starting to grow up, Colton is 12 years old he is getting so tall, he has lost that baby face, Hailey is so responsible, she is so loving to her little brothers. I don't think Codey will give in again to the not planning our life anymore, if we had planned our life I don't think I would have gotten 6 beautiful kids and I can't imagine my life without them. Yes life is unbelievably crazy, and I know I don't get everything done but, I love my kids I love the things they do, I love the pictures they draw or the notes left on my pillow, or the toys picked up because they want to watch a movie.

What would life be like without each one of them and all the spacial things they do. I love being a mom, not just a mom, but there mom, the mom of 6 unbelievably beautiful and amazing in their own way kids. I am the mom of Colton, Hailey, Peyton, Laike, Crew and Cash what could be better then that. I don't think anything.

Drop of Awesome!
I love my kids! every fit throwing, screaming, winning, cuddling, loving part of them.
I love them, to the moon and back + a hole lot more!!!

Sunday

I got through today! Yay!!! I had to do sharing time today and I got through it, it didn't quite go as planned but it is over and now I need to prepare for the next time I have to do it which  is in 2 weeks.

I hope I can get over the nervousness and do a better job at it next time. It is hard to find something that will keep the Jr. Primary engaged and then to have something for the Sr. Primary that does the same thing. And have the teachers like it too.

I have a huge mental list of all the things I need to get done this week, and yet I'm sure I will not get it all done, and if I make a list it will just overwhelm me and then I will feel as if I can never get it all done. Baby steps that is what I need to do. I should just start with a few things maybe 3 or 4 and then see if I can get those done along with all the normal weekly things that I need to do, then it may seem doable.

Well it is on to a new week as I am still playing catch up from last week as I didn't get anything done that I should have. After today I hope I can get through tomorrow, Crew is now in Sunbeams and today was the first time that he was there, well I just have to say it didn't go as I had planned Crew would not sit with his class he wanted to sit with me which was fine until the Sr. Primary went to class and he saw Hailey leaving for class and wanted to go with her instead of stay for sharing time. Then as they left for class Laike decided that he was going to be a stinker too and wouldn't sit with his class so the Primary Pres. Went and sat with him so that I only had Crew to deal with. I hope it will be better next time, but we keep messing up there routine since we will be gone next week, then the fallowing week I have to do sharing time again.

Well I guess I  will see how this week turns out, be a little better, do a little better, and you will become a lot better!  This is to a new week, to be better.

Awesome drop!
I went to choir practice today.