Monday, October 31, 2011
What more could you want?
Sunday, October 30, 2011
S to the 4th: The Five Minute Family Home Evening
S to the 4th: The Five Minute Family Home Evening: We had a family home evening tonight. We have been trying to have one every Sunday evening for about a month now... I took much comfort in ...
The Five Minute Family Home Evening
We had a family home evening tonight. We have been trying to have one every Sunday evening for about a month now... I took much comfort in what a friend said last Sunday at church. "Family Home Evenings will only last about five minutes in total with small children. Don't feel like it doesn't matter..." That is about what ours have been lasting for the opening prayer, song, lesson, activity and treat... Not too bad right? Annie invented a song for us to sing, Hank played with the pumpkin seeds James was using as a visual for the Faith as a Mustard...errr. pumpkin seed comparison. My favorite part was how while we ate our "apple pie" all Annie could talk about was how we had sung her song that she made up and how she and Hank had helped make the "Apple Pie." James thought that the closing prayer for our little FHE would be sufficient for the night night prayer... not a go. Annie refused to accept that and we all had to say the prayer for the night again as we do on normal nights. I am so grateful that for the many weaknesses and mistakes that we have made that we have been able to manage to instill somewhat of a tradition on our kids of this simple act of family prayer. Hopefully our five minute FHE's will also take root.
I get frustrated a lot because I look at the whole picture and see the "catastrophe" when if I could narrow in and see the little miracles than I can be happy with and that eventually they will add up to an innumerable amount of perfection right? For example, I spent most of Saturday organizing the kids clothes (and believe me, I have not done that all summer and I had boxes and boxes of clothes that had so graciously been gifted to us...) I walked out of the guest room feeling satisfied until I walked into the rest of the house and saw the disarray. I lost all satisfaction of doing what I had done and began seeing the whole mess. The tender mercy really was in that I had just organized all the clothes, done all the laundry and put it all away!!!!! That is a miracle in itself.
Lastly, I am so grateful for this past summer... Did I mention I am 95% done with work this summer and I mean Fall! I get to be a mom to my kids and learn about everything that I missed out on this summer. I love my work. We are soo blessed to work for and with the people that we do. Many have it far worse than we do. But this next six months of getting to be mommy has been well earned! I cannot thank those who have helped us out soo much this summer with caring for our kids and checking in to make sure we are still alive.
I get frustrated a lot because I look at the whole picture and see the "catastrophe" when if I could narrow in and see the little miracles than I can be happy with and that eventually they will add up to an innumerable amount of perfection right? For example, I spent most of Saturday organizing the kids clothes (and believe me, I have not done that all summer and I had boxes and boxes of clothes that had so graciously been gifted to us...) I walked out of the guest room feeling satisfied until I walked into the rest of the house and saw the disarray. I lost all satisfaction of doing what I had done and began seeing the whole mess. The tender mercy really was in that I had just organized all the clothes, done all the laundry and put it all away!!!!! That is a miracle in itself.
Lastly, I am so grateful for this past summer... Did I mention I am 95% done with work this summer and I mean Fall! I get to be a mom to my kids and learn about everything that I missed out on this summer. I love my work. We are soo blessed to work for and with the people that we do. Many have it far worse than we do. But this next six months of getting to be mommy has been well earned! I cannot thank those who have helped us out soo much this summer with caring for our kids and checking in to make sure we are still alive.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Potty training with ants in my Pants
So I feel that I want to remember and laugh at all the potty training experiences that we have had lately with Annie. They make me giggle quite a bit. It has been a harder go because one I am not around enough to be any kind of consistant with her and two she kind of does what she wants anyways. She has spurts of doing really good and not so good. Which the not so good ones are hilarious!
- We took a trip to Wyoming during a good spell. She said that she had to go potty in the middle of a stretch of nowhereness, so we pull over and let her pee beside the truck... SHE LOVED IT! So much so we did not have a wet diaper the whole trip... and then she insisted that outside was where she was going potty from now on. Not so good.
- We made it home and for some time now she has been complaining about her tummy hurting. She never acts sick and it is most always after she eats and drinks. We tell her to drink a little slower. We were eating our dinner out in the yard a couple weeks ago and she gets up from the picnic table and says, "my tummy hurts." We tell her to go use the potty. She runs over to the sidewalk and stands there. "My tummy hurts." "Go inside." we say. No she will not... All of a sudden her pants slowly start showing wetness all down her legs and the way to her toes and a puddle emerges on the sidewalk. (She was wearing her underwear because she insisted she would not potty in them.) The whole time asking here... are you pottying? No, she would say... None the less, her tummy did not hurt after that.
- As we were out in the yard again another evening, I saw that Annie had pooed her diaper. Which rarely happens,because she thinks it is fun to poo in the toilet. I went to quickly talk with our neighbor before I gathered them up to take them inside to change diapers. As I was walking back, I saw a naked bumb sticking underneath the hose bib out in our yard running full blast trying to get all the poo off. I wish I had a camera, because it was honestly the funniest thing I had seen all day. I needed the laugh. She then thought she needed to go talk with the neighbor and see their dogs before we could get her cleaned up. So naked, poopy bum and all ran across the street to see the neighbors. Good thing they are understanding neighbors...
- Last funny story. I thought it was funny... I sat in the grass yesterday waiting for some people to come pick up a trailer, when I felt something crawl down my pants and tickle me. I thought I had gotten it out, it ran out, it was gone. Nope, I tried swatting it again, thought it was gone for sure now. I went to the AT&T Store and was standing if front talking with the front people and would you know it the ant was now very angry to still be in my pants and began biting me all over my tush. I couldn't shake it free, swat it, pinch it. I even tried sticking my hand down my back side to swoosh it off... inconspicously. Good luck. I finally had to say..."I think I have an ant in my pants. Do you have a restroom I can use to get it out?" I got a weird look and a finger pointing down the hall. Would you know that ant did not want to leave my pants. As soon as it had open air, it ran deeper down my leg. Then after having to strip completly down, the ant would not be squished by my foot either. For some reason he was resilient to my sandal. But, in the end my finger got him and I was able to walk out antless in my pants. And no one even made a comment. I totally would have given someone a hard time had they expressed concern that they had an ant in their pants and needed to get it out.
For the moral of these stories. Because there always has to be a moral. I have found that I need to keep reminding myself that I need to find the humor in life and take it as it comes and laugh about it. I find myself getting too caught up in the serious too focused on what should be happening to enjoy what really is happening. Yet another tender mercy!
- We took a trip to Wyoming during a good spell. She said that she had to go potty in the middle of a stretch of nowhereness, so we pull over and let her pee beside the truck... SHE LOVED IT! So much so we did not have a wet diaper the whole trip... and then she insisted that outside was where she was going potty from now on. Not so good.
- We made it home and for some time now she has been complaining about her tummy hurting. She never acts sick and it is most always after she eats and drinks. We tell her to drink a little slower. We were eating our dinner out in the yard a couple weeks ago and she gets up from the picnic table and says, "my tummy hurts." We tell her to go use the potty. She runs over to the sidewalk and stands there. "My tummy hurts." "Go inside." we say. No she will not... All of a sudden her pants slowly start showing wetness all down her legs and the way to her toes and a puddle emerges on the sidewalk. (She was wearing her underwear because she insisted she would not potty in them.) The whole time asking here... are you pottying? No, she would say... None the less, her tummy did not hurt after that.
- As we were out in the yard again another evening, I saw that Annie had pooed her diaper. Which rarely happens,because she thinks it is fun to poo in the toilet. I went to quickly talk with our neighbor before I gathered them up to take them inside to change diapers. As I was walking back, I saw a naked bumb sticking underneath the hose bib out in our yard running full blast trying to get all the poo off. I wish I had a camera, because it was honestly the funniest thing I had seen all day. I needed the laugh. She then thought she needed to go talk with the neighbor and see their dogs before we could get her cleaned up. So naked, poopy bum and all ran across the street to see the neighbors. Good thing they are understanding neighbors...
- Last funny story. I thought it was funny... I sat in the grass yesterday waiting for some people to come pick up a trailer, when I felt something crawl down my pants and tickle me. I thought I had gotten it out, it ran out, it was gone. Nope, I tried swatting it again, thought it was gone for sure now. I went to the AT&T Store and was standing if front talking with the front people and would you know it the ant was now very angry to still be in my pants and began biting me all over my tush. I couldn't shake it free, swat it, pinch it. I even tried sticking my hand down my back side to swoosh it off... inconspicously. Good luck. I finally had to say..."I think I have an ant in my pants. Do you have a restroom I can use to get it out?" I got a weird look and a finger pointing down the hall. Would you know that ant did not want to leave my pants. As soon as it had open air, it ran deeper down my leg. Then after having to strip completly down, the ant would not be squished by my foot either. For some reason he was resilient to my sandal. But, in the end my finger got him and I was able to walk out antless in my pants. And no one even made a comment. I totally would have given someone a hard time had they expressed concern that they had an ant in their pants and needed to get it out.
For the moral of these stories. Because there always has to be a moral. I have found that I need to keep reminding myself that I need to find the humor in life and take it as it comes and laugh about it. I find myself getting too caught up in the serious too focused on what should be happening to enjoy what really is happening. Yet another tender mercy!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
What happens when a large mower slides down the road between cars.
I can't help but think how blessed we are. These past couple weeks have been fairly trying ones. Here is the list of trials...
1. Very expensive, very needed mower flies out the back of the trailer while driving down the busy road.
2. Wedding diamond falls out in a stack of grass. Lost.
3. James gets a sore throat.
4. Drive all night to pick up replacement mower.
5. Did I mention is has rained alot? And when it quits raining, the grass grows faster because the soil is still wet.
6. My house is dirty.
7. I got bit by a dog through a chain link fence while weed eating.
8. I can't think of anymore right now.
Point of story. It is funny how all of these trials, some small, some big, some reoccuring (dirty house) seem to tie all in together. I lost me diamond a couple weeks ago. We tried like crazy to get them to honor the insurance we bought even though I did not have the maintenance signatures and certification card. They weren't really budging. I even took the diamond earrings in a family friend gave me for our wedding to see if I could trade those in for a new diamond in my ring. Turns out you can, it just means you have to spend a lot also.
Then we are finally getting some sort of a schedule to our work and I am driving down the road feeling very blessed and all of a sudden I look in the rear view mirror and watch the mower go tumbling out of the trailer and slide down the road while cars veer off to either side. I was pretty upset... I even cried and punched the steering wheel and then cried some more. My dear sweet husband who had spent all winter rebuilding it and maintaining it came to save me and only said that it was just a mower and not worry. We would be alright. Didn't even say negative things or raise his voice at all. He's awesome.
As we are driving to the dealer to get an estimate on the damage done. The jewelry store headquarters calls me and tells me that they are going to go ahead and replace my diamond with one of almost the same quality. Wowsers! Talk about low to a high! Then we get to the dealership and they tell us that our insurance might cover the mower!! (We are still waiting to hear...) The dealership lends us a brand new mower to finish out our mowing of 30 plus yards that week and off we go.
As we finish up the week of mowing... Saturday 9pm in pouring rain mowing a ladies yard that had not been cut for weeks... we head to our friend's house who saved us and let our kids stay there an even more absurd long time than usual and picked the kids up to head off to Lakeside. We left at 10pm and arrived at 7:30am the next morning. This trip didn't used to take so much out of us... I think we may be getting old. It is usually a 4.5 hour trip. Gratefully my Dad has an obsession with working crazy long hours also and he mows and he had a mower that we could borrow that would get our jobs done. I think he may be in business just to save our butts every time we need a mower. (This is not the first time. We are so blessed to have such a giving and unselfish dad.)
None the less, we have been trying to play catch up ever since. I am just so grateful that I am handed the trials that I have and not other peoples. I am grateful for the tender mercies that are an everyday occurance. I have only made it through these past couple weeks because I have forced myself to see the good things, the miracles, that happen every day. Friends ask me what I do...Here is an example day...
6:30am-7am wake up, eat breakfast, load of laundry (never fold, just wash and dry), start on paper work.
7am-8-30am paper work, mow our yard, billing, wash dishes, paper work, bids, etc
8:30am-9:30am see the kids, feed the kids, bath the kids, dress the kids, pack the kids diapers to go.
9:30- 10:30 drop kids off, and start Physically working (not just paper work)...
10:30am - 6-7pm work. this usually entails eating only fruit snacks, banana, sunflower seeds. mow lawns, start irrigation systems, dig in the dirt, load the trailer, unload the trailer, get wet, get hot, computer work in the truck in between jobs while driving.
6-7pm. pick the kids up
7-9pm unload trailer, bids, maybe make dinner
9-10pm put the kids to bed, scriptures, prayer, bath time (the kids usually get fed in here also... somewhere in evening.)
10pm-12pm You guessed it ... paper work, maybe dishes, laundry, ten oclock news.
This is probably more for me to look back at and laugh than anything. Oh what crazy people we are. We are so blessed we have work and we have the ability to perform it and support our family. We should not be getting all the calls that we do for work. I am amazed at how we find, more others find us and almost beg us to do work and then sit patiently while we run with our heads cut off trying to get it done. More we are blessed with everyone who help raise our kids. You guys are the greatest. I cannot thank you enough for loving my kiddos. It really takes a village to raise a kid... at least my kids.
Last point of story. If I didn't have these trials to get me through this life. What would push me? What pushed the Jaredites across the sea? Not a soft, pleasant breeze. A strong, powerful storm that threw them across the sea violently. And guess what. That wind was sent from a loving Father in Heaven who understood what it would take to get them to the promised land.
1. Very expensive, very needed mower flies out the back of the trailer while driving down the busy road.
2. Wedding diamond falls out in a stack of grass. Lost.
3. James gets a sore throat.
4. Drive all night to pick up replacement mower.
5. Did I mention is has rained alot? And when it quits raining, the grass grows faster because the soil is still wet.
6. My house is dirty.
7. I got bit by a dog through a chain link fence while weed eating.
8. I can't think of anymore right now.
Point of story. It is funny how all of these trials, some small, some big, some reoccuring (dirty house) seem to tie all in together. I lost me diamond a couple weeks ago. We tried like crazy to get them to honor the insurance we bought even though I did not have the maintenance signatures and certification card. They weren't really budging. I even took the diamond earrings in a family friend gave me for our wedding to see if I could trade those in for a new diamond in my ring. Turns out you can, it just means you have to spend a lot also.
Then we are finally getting some sort of a schedule to our work and I am driving down the road feeling very blessed and all of a sudden I look in the rear view mirror and watch the mower go tumbling out of the trailer and slide down the road while cars veer off to either side. I was pretty upset... I even cried and punched the steering wheel and then cried some more. My dear sweet husband who had spent all winter rebuilding it and maintaining it came to save me and only said that it was just a mower and not worry. We would be alright. Didn't even say negative things or raise his voice at all. He's awesome.
As we are driving to the dealer to get an estimate on the damage done. The jewelry store headquarters calls me and tells me that they are going to go ahead and replace my diamond with one of almost the same quality. Wowsers! Talk about low to a high! Then we get to the dealership and they tell us that our insurance might cover the mower!! (We are still waiting to hear...) The dealership lends us a brand new mower to finish out our mowing of 30 plus yards that week and off we go.
As we finish up the week of mowing... Saturday 9pm in pouring rain mowing a ladies yard that had not been cut for weeks... we head to our friend's house who saved us and let our kids stay there an even more absurd long time than usual and picked the kids up to head off to Lakeside. We left at 10pm and arrived at 7:30am the next morning. This trip didn't used to take so much out of us... I think we may be getting old. It is usually a 4.5 hour trip. Gratefully my Dad has an obsession with working crazy long hours also and he mows and he had a mower that we could borrow that would get our jobs done. I think he may be in business just to save our butts every time we need a mower. (This is not the first time. We are so blessed to have such a giving and unselfish dad.)
None the less, we have been trying to play catch up ever since. I am just so grateful that I am handed the trials that I have and not other peoples. I am grateful for the tender mercies that are an everyday occurance. I have only made it through these past couple weeks because I have forced myself to see the good things, the miracles, that happen every day. Friends ask me what I do...Here is an example day...
6:30am-7am wake up, eat breakfast, load of laundry (never fold, just wash and dry), start on paper work.
7am-8-30am paper work, mow our yard, billing, wash dishes, paper work, bids, etc
8:30am-9:30am see the kids, feed the kids, bath the kids, dress the kids, pack the kids diapers to go.
9:30- 10:30 drop kids off, and start Physically working (not just paper work)...
10:30am - 6-7pm work. this usually entails eating only fruit snacks, banana, sunflower seeds. mow lawns, start irrigation systems, dig in the dirt, load the trailer, unload the trailer, get wet, get hot, computer work in the truck in between jobs while driving.
6-7pm. pick the kids up
7-9pm unload trailer, bids, maybe make dinner
9-10pm put the kids to bed, scriptures, prayer, bath time (the kids usually get fed in here also... somewhere in evening.)
10pm-12pm You guessed it ... paper work, maybe dishes, laundry, ten oclock news.
This is probably more for me to look back at and laugh than anything. Oh what crazy people we are. We are so blessed we have work and we have the ability to perform it and support our family. We should not be getting all the calls that we do for work. I am amazed at how we find, more others find us and almost beg us to do work and then sit patiently while we run with our heads cut off trying to get it done. More we are blessed with everyone who help raise our kids. You guys are the greatest. I cannot thank you enough for loving my kiddos. It really takes a village to raise a kid... at least my kids.
Last point of story. If I didn't have these trials to get me through this life. What would push me? What pushed the Jaredites across the sea? Not a soft, pleasant breeze. A strong, powerful storm that threw them across the sea violently. And guess what. That wind was sent from a loving Father in Heaven who understood what it would take to get them to the promised land.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Hoy estoy agradecida...
Hoy voy a escribir este blog en espanol... si se dio cuenta...!
Estoy tan agradecida hoy por buenos amigos que apoyan a mi familia y que nos quieren. Estoy agradecida por la confianza que tienen en nosotros y por la fortaleza que tambien nos brinda.
Mas que nada estoy agradecida por mi salvador y la expiacion que hizo para mi y para todos. No solo para ayudarnos vencer los pecados y debilidades que nos pasan pero tambien para entender el plan de salvacion y el proposito de la vida. Todos nos hemos equivocado y no somos nadie para juzgar. Solo estamos aqui para ayudar y dar de todo de lo que tenemos. No hay nadie perfecto y no somos nadie para juzgar. Todos tenemos pruebas distintas y diferentes en nuestras vidas para vencer y hacernos mas fuertes y llegar a ser como nuestro salvador. El futuro de una persona no depende de lo que pienso solo como pueden aplicar la expiacion en su vida.
Estoy tan agradecida hoy por buenos amigos que apoyan a mi familia y que nos quieren. Estoy agradecida por la confianza que tienen en nosotros y por la fortaleza que tambien nos brinda.
Mas que nada estoy agradecida por mi salvador y la expiacion que hizo para mi y para todos. No solo para ayudarnos vencer los pecados y debilidades que nos pasan pero tambien para entender el plan de salvacion y el proposito de la vida. Todos nos hemos equivocado y no somos nadie para juzgar. Solo estamos aqui para ayudar y dar de todo de lo que tenemos. No hay nadie perfecto y no somos nadie para juzgar. Todos tenemos pruebas distintas y diferentes en nuestras vidas para vencer y hacernos mas fuertes y llegar a ser como nuestro salvador. El futuro de una persona no depende de lo que pienso solo como pueden aplicar la expiacion en su vida.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Rules to garage saling... Pay attention
1. Never take money to a garage sale. Leave it in your car on the street.
2. Only take a roll of quarters, a few one dollar bills and maybe a few fives if you are looking for something more expensive. Hide you check book down deep in your purse.
3. Assess the item and the desired price. Assess the host of garage sale.
4. Test the hosts garage selling ability..."Would you take (always offer at least half less than what they were originally asking." If they know what is going on they will shoot back another answer like (a number just a little below the original.) and than you are open to bargain till you run out of guts or til they give in. But if the host doesn't lower a bit, smile, walk away and browse a bit more. IF you really want what you were trying to get you can find a junky item that you know they won't want to put back in their garage and offer still less than what the original price is and say, "at least you won't have to haul it back inside..."
5. Make small talk with the host. Be friendly and make instant bestfriends with them. If needed make a sob story up... Mine is... college students with two small babies trying to run a business. It usually helps if the kids are in the car with me.
6. Never tell them how much you will give for an item. Always ask if they would take this much. If they say they want a little more you can go to your car to see how much you have. Pull out how much you want to spend in cash or offer them a check for the amount they want. They will most always prefer the cash even if it is less than what they wanted. But, always give them the option to choose.
7. Hate to say it but the early birds get the good items, but the later ones get the best deals because nobody wants to put their stuff away. Best opportunity for free stuff. (Be careful, only take what you will potentially use or give to someone...)
8. Act a little ignorant when buying important things. Make them feel like they are helping you out and teaching you something about the item you want. (I did this with a skilsaw... and it worked wonders. Of course I know how to use one and how to hold it.)
9. Never waste time looking too long at sales. Do a drive by if needed to scope it. Sure bet is the next one will have better stuff.
10. Research general areas as to where they are holding garage sales, but do not spend time looking for specific addresses. Go with the flow and follow the little pink and orange signs!
Good luck!
2. Only take a roll of quarters, a few one dollar bills and maybe a few fives if you are looking for something more expensive. Hide you check book down deep in your purse.
3. Assess the item and the desired price. Assess the host of garage sale.
4. Test the hosts garage selling ability..."Would you take (always offer at least half less than what they were originally asking." If they know what is going on they will shoot back another answer like (a number just a little below the original.) and than you are open to bargain till you run out of guts or til they give in. But if the host doesn't lower a bit, smile, walk away and browse a bit more. IF you really want what you were trying to get you can find a junky item that you know they won't want to put back in their garage and offer still less than what the original price is and say, "at least you won't have to haul it back inside..."
5. Make small talk with the host. Be friendly and make instant bestfriends with them. If needed make a sob story up... Mine is... college students with two small babies trying to run a business. It usually helps if the kids are in the car with me.
6. Never tell them how much you will give for an item. Always ask if they would take this much. If they say they want a little more you can go to your car to see how much you have. Pull out how much you want to spend in cash or offer them a check for the amount they want. They will most always prefer the cash even if it is less than what they wanted. But, always give them the option to choose.
7. Hate to say it but the early birds get the good items, but the later ones get the best deals because nobody wants to put their stuff away. Best opportunity for free stuff. (Be careful, only take what you will potentially use or give to someone...)
8. Act a little ignorant when buying important things. Make them feel like they are helping you out and teaching you something about the item you want. (I did this with a skilsaw... and it worked wonders. Of course I know how to use one and how to hold it.)
9. Never waste time looking too long at sales. Do a drive by if needed to scope it. Sure bet is the next one will have better stuff.
10. Research general areas as to where they are holding garage sales, but do not spend time looking for specific addresses. Go with the flow and follow the little pink and orange signs!
Good luck!
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