I've never considered myself an up-tight person, but..

the other day my friend Tami came by and asked if we wanted to go with her cute little family to the pet store. They had just gotten a cute little puppy and were going to buy some necessities for the cute guy. I couldn't believe how hard of a decision it was for me to make. I know my kids wanted to go, they were already putting their shoes on. I needed to shower, the kids had not had baths. The thought of going to the store stinky terrified me! She talked me into it though. Thanks Tami.



It took me awhile to get everyone ready. Tami waited patiently. We got to the store and the kids were so excited! My kids have wanted a dog for a long time. They took turns holding the little puppy. It was fun to see how happy the kids would get when they found something they thought he needed.


Tami is a mom of 7 children. I was in awe because I probably would have chosen to venture the store by myself. I wouldn't have wanted to risk a fight over collars, leashes, and toys. Not her. She had all of them, all the way from 11 years-3 mo. old! So there we were, 2 women, 12 kids, and a dog looking for the perfect accessories. Quite the sight to on lookers I'm sure. We made it to the check stand without any meltdowns. Her kids are well behaved, I wasn't too surprised. My little girls were happy that they might be able to get a fish. We're not ready for a dog yet!


I arrived home (Aaron sat down on the computer looking for dogs on KSL) and was never able to finish my list of things to do before Dustin and I went to the temple. It's okay though. I know the kids had a fun time, that's the important thing. I know I need to stop worrying about the things I need to get done and worry more about making their childhood memorable. They are only little for a while. I will be sad if all I raised were kids who worried about the house cleaning, running errands, and laundry. All that finds a way to get done. I think I need to be better at getting them involved in the daily chores. They each have 2 they have to do, but that isn't quite enough to help me out. Any suggestions to what you guys do?


Thanks Tami for helping me to see I need to work on being more flexible!

The HOPE and STRENGTH is there

We just have to have the faith to find it and rely on it.

I was driving in my car after exchanging some shoes. It was nice to be by myself. I love it because I get to listen to my music and not Tuppertunes. It's nice to have some quiet to reflect and just be able to think clearly without screaming in the background.

We all have struggles. They come in different ways, none the less we all have them. Maybe it's self-esteem, marriage issues, concerns about children, or maybe just the daily grind. I think a lot of times they leave us overwhelmed, not sure of what to do, and with a feeling of hopelessness. I have felt this many times. I seem to wind up having a pity me party. I would say right now the daily grind is getting to me. I don't know if it is because of summer, or what. I have just had a feeling of being overwhelmed and not being able to keep up.

So, I was listening to a song (I love Batdorf and McLean). Here's how the lyrics went:

It's too heavy what I carry.

Every night the dream's the same, though I've tried it doesn't change.

The load's too heavy and I'm weary from the journey.

Then from a silent place within, I hear something say-

When you've given your all and it's not enough,

when the journey's too far and the road's too rough.

And you've looked inside and there's nothing left

there is still hope if you only see.

There's a light at the end of this endless road,

filled with love strong enough to lift any load.

And it's so easily done for you,

why is it so hard for you... to believe.

I ended up in tears because I felt like that last line was a slap in the face, a good slap. The reason my "road" is so tough sometimes is because I try to carry my load by myself. I lack the faith and trust (sometimes) that my Heavenly Father knows me, is aware of me, and that His son will help me.

I have been given a wonderful gift. That gift was the Atonement. It is a gift that I have to be willing to use. I have to come to Him and ask for help. Isn't it amazing how we sometimes make that step seem so hard. We either feel we are not worthy of it, or lack the faith that He will do what He has said He would do. The Adversary makes us feel that way, I think. He does not want us to take one step forward in that direction.

We have been placed here to prove ourselves. Sometimes a lot of that is enduring. That might seem unbearable, but really it's not. Our Father's Plan took care of that. He made it easy. All we have to do is ask. We make it hard when we are not willing, or able, to believe.

I have decided to find that strength and hope. It would be an awful journey if I decided otherwise. I hope you all choose the same.

I don't know where this came from, but....

apparently she has allergies!!

My little Kate is a funny little girl. She comes up with some pretty crazy stuff. A couple of weeks ago a few of us in the family were suffering from allergies. I thought nothing of it til lately. Kate seems to think "allergies" are a little something that influences your choices.

I asked, " Who colored with pencil on the bathroom counter?

Kate replied, "Oh that was me. Sorry mom, my allergies made me do it."

A few days later I found wallpaper torn off her wall. "Kate, did you do this?" I asked.

"Uh, yeah, my allergies made me do it." she answered. I'm getting a little tired of this allergy stuff. Today she colored on Becca's shirt with bright blue crayon. Guess what made her do it? Yep, her allergies. I guess next time your child has done something you don't approve of, stop and think... he/she might be suffering from "allergies."

Dinosaurland Trip

We took a quick trip to Vernal, UT. It is the dinosaur capital of the world.
It supplies most dino museums with their large skeletons. We had a fun time. We stayed at a KOA . They had a lot of fun things to do to keep us busy. We enjoyed swimming, mini golf, and the fun little bikes they had.
We traveled to the quarry. There they have part of the mountain exposed in the building. You can see see the fossils in the rock. We were so bummed that it was closed for renovations, but you could hike and see them. We chose not to. It was quite a hike.
The next day we went to the field house. The kids had a lot of fun. Ryan really loved the Native American exhibits. They all loved the life size models. It was extremely interesting to learn about our earth.
We went back to the the camp ground and went swimming. There Dustin and I have decided to enroll our kids in swimming lessons. Ever since becoming a mom I worry. Because of this, I am scared to take the kids swimming. It was pretty sad to see my 10 year old not be able swim well, my eight year old wanting floaties, and if you watched the slide show, Grace all decked out in her floating devices. I have really done them an injustice. Live and learn, I guess.
We went golfing. The kids loved that too. Ryan had a bad experience. He thought Aaron and Grace were "experts" because of their holes-in-one. He tried and tried. It ended up with him getting upset and throwing his club. I made him put his stuff back. He was not happy with me. I had to explain that they were lucky. It had nothing to do with skill.
Later, we roasted marshmallows and made s'mores, a camping favorite. It was really hot, so we made root beer floats too. A nice combination.
On our way out, we went to hike and find some petroglyphs . It was amazing. We were so amazed by the landscape of Vernal. It seemed pre-historic! The Fremont Indians used to wander those lands. It was beautiful. We left Becca with Grandma and Grandpa below. We hiked up. Everyone loved their walking sticks. We found a whole wall full of drawings. It was really neat. It made up for not being able to see the fossils.

We were happy to spend time together. We really enjoy being able to pack up a motor home and travel. Gas is pricey, but it is worth the memories. I really recommend this for a quick trip!

Beauty's in the Eye of The Beholder

Have you ever had one of those, "I'm just ugly today" days? Well, I've had a few since I've allowed my hair to grow out. I pull it back just for the sake of time, least attractive style. My face has also become a dot-to-dot puzzle. The oil around the face is terrible! I feel like I have re-entered high school. Needless to say, I've just been feeling awful.



Thankfully I was given 5 little angels to make me feel better. They can really boost your self- esteem! I have mentioned how Kate loves to sing her own songs, well lately they have been about how beautiful her mom is. She looked right at me the other evening and said, "Mom, you're so pretty (I was in jogging pants, t-shirt, and yes hair pulled back, not to mention my skin problem)! She made me smile.

As I was getting ready to go outside with the kids and prepare for battle in our water balloon fight the other day, Grace happily said, "Mom, you look awesome!" I guess I should tell you, I was in my swimming stuff. Not very flattering when you have about 20 lbs. to lose. She made me smile!



I know mac-n-cheese is not the prettiest or fanciest dish, but when your boys say, "Mom, you make the best macaroni and cheese! Can I have some more?" you can't help but take their plates happily and fill 'em up!



I think Heavenly Father gave us kids to make us feel better about ourselves! They truly see the love in things instead of what we have dubbed reality! I hope to be able to look past the "reality" and see the LOVE. Everything is beautiful that way.

The Power of Perspective

Have you ever noticed when you lose your perspective, you lose EVERYTHING! I say this because I have recently realized my ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE was askew. I had let every detail of my life boil down to the moment. You know when you you want to watch What Not to Wear instead of reading your scriptures. Or maybe, you rationalize not being a very good visiting teacher due to your overwhelming schedule (if you have time for TV, then you have time for VT).

I have found myself in this situation. I have tunnel vision at the moment. I'm trying to expand that view, but I realize how hard that can be.

I once owned a cassette tape (yep, I said it) titled, You Only Live Once, but if You Live Right Once is Enough (this quote will find a permanent spot on my blog for a reminder). The speaker put things in an eternal perspective. He started out adding up the time that we have waited to come to Earth. 1,000 years to us is 1 day to God. It took 7 days to create the Earth, so to us 7,000 years. We know that from the time of Adam to us was about 6,000 years. He explained how we waited "in-line" to come to Earth for 13,000 years. Then he calculated according to God's time. The average person lives 80 years. If we are lucky to live that long, we will have been away from our Heavenly Home for 2 hours! That's like one day of pre-school! It blew me away.

I share this because I realize my 2 hours are dwindling. I am going to be held accountable for what I did with my 2 hours. Time to get back to the important things, which is not What Not to Wear, although I really like that show. When we put things in the right perspective, it really makes you rethink things. I only have 2 hours, if I'm lucky!!!

Time's Tickin'

4th of July

We were able to go to the parade this year. We really do have a sad little parade, but the kids are always so excited. We sat at the very front of the route this year. It was nice because the kids SCORED in the CANDY department.

We went with our friends the Corderos. Later that night we had a BBQ and FIREWORKS. The kids loved the SPARKLERS.

Later in the weekend we were able to go north to KAYSVILLE, and spend time with some of my family. Jeff and Staci live there. Alan and Natalie were visiting. We ate pizza at a park. The kids loved it! It sat next to a hollow, or the "forest" as grace calls it. They liked hiking through it. It reminded me of the park I used to play at in Lee's Summitt, MO. when I was little. I wish I had remebered my camera. They had succh fun with the cousins.

I am so grateful to live in a country of FREEDOMS. We truly live in a blessed land!