28 Jan 2010

Today's a busy one - several visits to the dentist interspersed with drop off and pickups. DJ is home sick :( Hopefully he'll feel better soon. I hope I'm not getting it :)

Hope your day is great!

27 Jan 2010

800 Posts before this one! The computer was acting up a bit today - so it's going to be a late, short post. Kimball is helping me cut out the nursery things. It counts as a good works :) 3 hours of cutting joy :) ANywayy - hopefully I'll write more tomorrow. Have a great evening!

26 Jan 2010

Good morning! Excited to hear that you're joining me in LOM, Becky! I'm mostly purging pictures beyond recovery - blurry, etc. That's about as good as it gets. Another thing that's giving me some comfort is the option to audit this course in years to come. So, If I don't get it all done this year - I can at least get a start :)

I'm working on cutting out and laminating a book of Primary Nursery Music things. Trying to help out the ward - they had the book just sitting in the closet. Needs to be used!

Well, that's about it today. Hope your day is good :) Savor the moments!

So this past weekend, DJ and I went to Island Park - Eagle Ridge Ranch to be precise. What a treat! His company was hosting growers and invited employees over the weekend (in between shifts of growers). So nice to sit and relax. We didn't go snowmobiling - maybe another year? It was so nice to just have some time away :)

So that's why you haven't heard from me in a few days - we left on Friday and got back Saturday night. On Sunday we had church - then went to his sister's families ward in IF - their oldest boy recieved the Aaronic Priestood. Enjoyed a lunch after that then finally home - for about an hour before we had new beginnings with Kimball. Busy weekend! Looks like next week is going to be packed too. This week should be OK. The inspection went well - just tying up some loose ends.....the important thing is that we have insurance on the place :)

Well - it's lunch time and my kids are clammoring. I have 2 VT apts this afternoon - so I better get going. Have a great day all!

21 Jan 2010

I can't believe I missed yesterday. I was so productive! I remembered the blog just after I had climbed into bed and I wasn't getting back out to do it. Oh well! I read 3 books yesterday. Kimball tipped me off that the ones I was waiting for were short - so I got the books from the local library and just plowed through them. Fun! I also went to the Family History Center and spent a couple of hours there. Multiple phone calls dealing with an insurance issue - hopefully that will be resolved tomorrow. Inspection needed on the old homestead....wood stove and all....I'm feeling so grateful for Jared :)

Well, I'm heading back to bed. It was a rough morning and I need the rest. Have a great day!

19 Jan 2010

So tired today - just dragging! Got the laundry finished - and went for a walk. While I'm waiting for my audiobooks - I'm listening to another story - The disreputable history of Frankie Landau Banks by E. Lockhart. It's keeping my attention. :)

I'm slowly beginning to organize my pictures - so much to do! My class doesn't start until the 4th of February. It's all good :)

More tomorrow....

18 Jan 2010

Had a great morning - taking it easy. You can see I updated the blog to reflect a Valentine's Day theme - complete with some of my favorite songs on the playlist to the side. I'm sure there are many more songs I could add - how about sharing your favorites with me? :)

We went in to the Senior Center and had lunch with Amanda :) Lots of fun! Should have taken some pictures - ugh! Oh well....

Enjoying the day - hope you are too! Make it a great one!

PS - Here's a pic of the cats, Kari :)

17 Jan 2010

Haven't tried that series - I'll put it on my list ;) Always looking for a good book (or series) to read!

Church was great - my voice is very tired, though. So I'm going to make this a short post - wanted to put the picture on that I mentioned :) Here it is:

Sorry it's a bit blurry - poor lighting and all - but it turned out great! Now to decide on the back! Have a great Sabbath!

16 Jan 2010

Had to chuckle about our twinner days, Heidi! I really enjoyed the Percy Jackson books - I'm probably not too hard to please, though. I'm working on deciding which books we'll listen to on our trip to Missouri this summer. With the kids....you have to have something good. We don't go for watching DVD's in the car - I've got a couple of kids who get carsick with media like that. Audiobooks are a must! Anyway - more about that as it gets closer.

Enjoying a Saturday - cleaning and all. When I had a house - Monday was the cleaning day because the house just got dirty on Sunday anyway....Here it is Saturday. I'm just about done with my clipboard - the front of it anyway - So I might post that later today.....

Hope your Saturday is as enjoyable for you as mine :) Loves to all!

15 Jan 2010

It's been a slow start morning - but I'm moving now :) Driving into town to do some walking and get some sunshine. Basement living lacks in sunshine.....:( Finished the 5th Percy Jackson - what a great ending! So I'm waiting now for a couple of books to be ready for me - the first in the 39 clues and The Giver by Lois Lowry. So many fun things to read and listen to!

I haven't begun the mod podge yet - but I am excited about starting. Sometime this afternoon. I'll post a picture :)

Well - I better get on with my day - it's almost bus time (Hinks). Have a great one!

14 Jan 2010

Organization for me comes down to this basic - gather all like files together and make sure I don't have multiple copies (beyond backup) of them. That's it in a nutshell. It really didn't take as long as I thought it would. I found 4 copies of many of my pictures. I think I've got them mostly cleaned up....and I backed up my photos (one copy on one of the hard drives, another on the external drive). I know you have been working on getting all pictures together too, Sarah! I knew that there would be much to do as part of the Lifetime of Memories class - so I had to start somewhere. I still have a bunch of pictures in my file drawer to deal with - but I plan to scan them in at some point and use the digitally rather than traditionally. I'm trying Photoshop Elements 8 - and after watching some tutorials - there are some really cool things you can do with it! It's supposed to be smart enough to help me organize my pictures (it does some of the work itself!). I'll let you know as I get into it more. I got my welcome package for the LOM class today and am working on decorating my clipboard. Should be really cute! I'll be mod podging tomorrow :)

I have texting again! So the pictures should be flowing soon :) Not that I don't use my camera - but I have my phone at hand more often. Anyway.....

Hinks is doing fine - I was reminded of the tent-pole incident. I don't even want to go through the archives to find that - but the pole went through the back of her throat/soft palette. No repair needed - just antibiotics to prevent infection. If it's going to happen to someone - it will be Hinks. She was back at school today.

What else?.....nothing much. Really - that's about it. I played a rousing game of my little pony matching game with Taylor - and did a couple of search and find pages with Taylor and Hinks. I really enjoy the pace of my life and will miss all the down time I currently have. The price of independance :)

Have a great evening!

13 Jan 2010

I've been working my way through the Gregor the Overlander series too. It's good - but slower paced and almost like an entirely different author :) Just my opinion. I updated my goodreads today a bit :) Love that web site :)

So I have a tale of woe to tell from yesterday - after I blogged. Hinckley and Taylor were enjoying saltine and cheese whiz sandwiches and I was on the computer when Hinckley started screaming. I said - Come here....and quickly saw her nose was bleeding. A lot. So we hustled into the bathroom and got it under control. Then cleanup began - and after that was over I asked what had happened. Still don't understand completely - A fall onto the cheese whiz can - penetration of the plastic tip into her nose...So we took her in to the doctor to make sure there was no significant damage. Which there wasn't. Took up most of my afternoon and the poor girl is looking a bit battered. She already had a cold in her eye - which we got meds for too - and now her nose is a little swollen. Had to share....

I'm making such great progress on my organization of files and all. So far to go with the pictures - thought I better get the other files straight first. I should have backup files by the end of this!

Have a great day - and avoid the cheese whiz :)

12 Jan 2010

I think I'm getting the hang of 2010. We are having a great day here - taking it easy mostly. Hinks and Taylor have colds and are just resting nicely. Works for me!

I've been organizing files on my computer again. Feeling like I'm making progress, though. I listened to Endymion Spring and didn't enjoy it as much as other books. Predictable mostly - ended just where you would expect it to end. Since reading the Hunger Games and Catching Fire - my perspective on TV has changed a bit. I was watching Oprah last night and could more clearly picture the behind-the-scenes and staging that takes place. Just interesting....Both books are highly recommended by me. They are part of a trilogy - the third book is due out in August this year - so not too long of a wait :)

Well, back to my files and on to listening to the last (5th) Percy Jackson book. Have a great day!

11 Jan 2009

Had another rough night - headache all night long. I'm up now and starting to go, though. Sharon, I have only seen Chuck do it once. Sue will have to fill us in further and tell us about the competition.

My DJ let me sign up for the BPS class Lifetime of Memories! I'm really excited about it. It lasts Feb through May - so that should help me stay busy in a small way while he is putting in tons of overtime at his job. I'll probably put little tidbits about how it's going on here - so stay tuned :)

Kimball gets to go bowling with the Honor Society today. She's excited - as she's never been bowling before. I know - what a deprived childhood I'm giving my children!! Hinckley's class was making stone soup today. She took a carrot. :) That is going to be their snack. What a fun idea! I also gave her teacher a CD of Go Chicken Fat, Go! and they have been doing it regularly at school :) Made me chuckle. Old treasures rediscovered.

Taylor asked if we could go out to the shed and look for our Church DVD's today. We had them in the motorhome - but they got lost (maybe put away) during my shuffling and moving of boxes. I told her no - it's too cold! Crazy kid!

Well, that's about that here. Mondays are a bit crazy as all the kids are out early every Monday. With the Kindergarten schedule I have to remember two times - Monday and the rest of the week. It doesn't seem like their gone at all. Don't know why they are like that. Now if it was Friday they got out early - I could do something with that.....

Have a great day all!

9 Jan 2010

We watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs today - really enjoyed it :) Primary Activity went well - just tired me out. Had a nice restful day all in all. Hope your day has been great too!

8 Jan 2010

Had a great day! We had so much fun sledding down the hill :) The girls didn't want to leave - Taylor threw a legs kicking fit as I put her in the car. We had a few words and I asked her if she would like a few more minutes. She said yes. I said, that's not how we get that. So - she calmed down and got a few more minutes - and when I honked the horn (the signal for time to go) they all came and got in the car. She still was crying a bit - because she was cold. So - DJ put some gloves on her red feet (she had boots on before that). I've got a picture of it - I'll have to re-activate my texting to send it to my email. It was so funny!

Well, I'm tired tonight and we have a Primary Activity day tomorrow - and I get to practice the Organ for Sacrament Meeting. So I better get some rest. More tomorrow!

7 Jan 2010

OK - have I been putting 2009 on the date still?!?
I did it today and had to change it.

I'm feeling pleased with myself. I got the dentist appointments scheduled today. Hold your applause! I don't know why it's taken me this long to do it - we were supposed to go back in July.....but they are now scheduled. Yesterday I bought my ticket to the Family History Convention in St. George. So excited about attending that with Aaron. I know all the little details will fall into place as it gets closer.

Something you might not know....Sue is participating in a Biggest Loser competition at work. As a result - we are all getting a bit more health-conscious. It's been fun hearing stories about how she's getting the pedometer figured out (ending up going twice as far as she thought she was), and doing fifteen minutes on the ab roller (I do fifteen crunches). We got it for Chuck for his birthday - figured he could even do it lying in bed watching TV. How much easier can you make exercise?!? Needless to say, Sue is sore! I'm so glad that she wants to be healthy!

The school has a sledding activity on Friday after school - so that's the next thing we're looking forward to. At the Junior High hill - for those who may know it :) It's mainly for older kids but I'm taking the little ones over too. They are going to have such a great time! Hopefully they will get to bed early too!

Didn't mention that we had a great time at the temple with Kimball. Really such a blessing! So grateful for those opportunities. We met another nice family that wanted to know how to get their own family names. So - of course I told them :) I just love it when things work out in such a way that you feel guided by the Lord. ;)

Make it a great day!

6 Jan 2009

What a great word, Aaron! So today - I looked around a bit to see if I had already recorded the story of how we ended up in Spanish Branch - and I couldn't find it right off - so I'm writing it down just in case I haven't already written it. Then I can cross it off my to-do list ;)

It's been long enough that I don't remember if I had the dream first or second. The dream was really hearing Spanish words as I was falling asleep and trying desperately to hold on to them. I woke DJ and asked if they meant anything - and he said no. He didn't remember our conversation in the morning - so who knows? They might have meant something and he just was too asleep to tell me.

The other thing that happened was attending the Stake Adult Valentines Dance. While there - we sat by a great couple from El Salvador who suggested we come to the branch (like a visit I think). So - the next Sunday we took them up on it. Our ward schedule overlapped theirs - so attending their Sunday School and Relief Society was easy. They were at the same time and in the same building as ours. The kids had no change - they still went to Primary. I still remember how loving the people in the Branch were - how welcoming! We decided to attend regularly the meetings we could starting then. It worked out because we didn't have Sunday callings to worry about.

I loved the feeling of letting the spirit teach me rather than worrying about the words. I learned more about the spirit and became better at recognizing it in the Branch than anywhere else. I truly feel like I had a mission-like experience because I love those people! The Lord simply blessed me with that love for them from the start - and I feel it still. What a treat it was to visit the branch over Christmas and see those wonderful people. We've only been gone six months - but everyone was so excited to see us (some even hopeful that we were moving back). So many hugs that day. And - I have to add - they know how to hug. Gently! I never felt uncomfortable hugging sisters in the branch. And - I love how they called me Hermana or Sister. ;)

Well, we got word that the branch was going to go independant of the ward at the start of 2009. The stake asked for volunteers to move to the branch. As we considered it, we felt that this was an opportunity we shouldn't miss. Indeed it was! We began attending the branch full-time in November 2008 and attended until our move in June 2009. We were committed (in our hearts and minds) to at least a year - possibly two. We were told we could go back to our ward at any time. I served in the Primary doing music as well as in the Activity Days program. I learned some Spanish - not a lot, but more than I thought I could.

We had many special friendships that developed from our service in the Branch. What a blessing it is to be able to stay in touch with those great people. I know my life was blessed more than theirs through our association. I'm so grateful for the gift of the Spanish Branch at that point in my life.

Thanks for reading, if you've made it all the way through that. I am determined to get back to the purpose of this blog - recording my experiences, sharing them with those who are interested. Make it the best day ever!

A few more thoughts

SO I took time today to cut and paste to my word document that is a copy of this blog. From 2006-2009 I have compiled 681 pages. I still need to go through and format it to be uniform. It's there - and that's the important part. It doesn't seem like anything big - just a quick post when I can - but it really does add up. It was very nostalgic as I read through 2008. Seems like a lifetime ago. Isn't it interesting how different you can be as a person as you go through different life experiences - how the experiences change you?!?

I really don't know what I was thinking at the time - doing and being so much. Too much. I am glad that I did many of the things - but this streamlined life has taught me too. Why didn't someone tell me it was too much?!? Or wait - did you and I didn't listen?!? At any rate - some things you have to learn for yourself. More and more I am allowing others to be right - and nothing is lost in the long run. It really is OK.

Don't know if this is making any sense to you, but I wanted to get these thoughts down. A while ago I wrote down seven words that seemed to sum up what/why I was here. They were: organize, serve, bless, teach, care, joyfully, simply. Already I see things that aren't encompassed by those words - some that need changing. That's a good thing. I had the opportunity (and took it) to bear my testimony on Sunday and could truly say that my testimony has grown this past year. What a blessing that is! Thank you all for being a part of my life - each one of you mean much to me. I wish you the best year ever!

5 Jan 2009

We're trying to back in the swing of back-to-school following the holiday break. Anyone else having troubles with that? Oh well! They fall asleep eventually.....

It was so nice to see A & family last night - next time it will be under better circumstances!

We are excited to get to the temple tonight with Kimball again. When we heard it was going to be closed for three weeks - we wanted to make sure and get there this month. Eliza & fam - we'll catch up with you next month :)

Really we're just feeling so blessed here. My word - Savor - definately applied to my sleep this morning. It was a bit tough getting up I just enjoyed the rest so :) I am enjoying living in and appreciating the moments as they come, though. I was excited to hear that you were thinking of a word, Regan! Anyone else out there have a word for this new year?

Have a great day!

2 Jan 2009

A, I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I'm hoping to see you while you're over here. Let me know if there's something I can do for you. Loves!

FYI - I cancelled my texting option on my phone - so if you've been texting me and I haven't responded, that's why. Sorry!

A quick thank you to the sweet fairy who sent me some pics from McKay's baptism. Thank you! That was a wonderful surprise.

Church is at 9 in the morning! I really don't remember the last time we had church at 9. It's been YEARS! So....we'll see how we all do :) Make it a great Sabbath!