Thursday, September 25, 2008

Youth Temple Trip- Our Young Women























This was a sad week for some of us in our family. We had to sell Lola, our Jack Chi. Turns out Jason and Tyler were allergic to her. So while some of us cried our eyes out, others of us, namely Emily, was doing a happy dance. She could not contain her excitement when she came home and saw that Lola was gone. She is glad that she can walk the floors without hesitation and without fear. Alisha and I took it the hardest. I have never been a "dog person", but I got attached to the little cutie.

We found her a great home with a nice lady and two other dogs. Lola loves other dogs, I think more than children, so it worked out perfectly. The lady called me to let me know that Lola loves it there and is getting along with the other dogs. I know it is the best thing for Lola, even though it was hard to give her up. I did ask the kids if they wanted
Daddy or Lola just to see what they would say. Tyler and Emily said "Daddy" , Lindsay said "BOTH" and Alisha was undecided. She's not liking the fact that her dad's allergies prevent us from having pets. It's a bitter topic for her. I told them when Stacy is in school we could maybe get another dog if we could find one that is hypo-allergenic. We will always hold a special place in our hearts for Lola, that is everyone except EMILY!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008



My parents are serving a public affairs mission for the church in Frankfort Germany. They have been there since the 8th of September. They are loving it there and are meeting some wonderful people. I know they will be a great asset to the church serving in Germany and as they travel to the surrounding areas. We love them and will miss seeing them for 18 months, but we know they are doing important work.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

A Resolve to be Better

Me with Hilary Weeks and Emily











Me with Jane Clayson















I went with some friends to Time Out For Women. It was amazing! It was nice to be there in that huge conference room surrounded by so many sisters that have the same religious beliefs as I do. Women who are all striving to be better mothers, wives, friends, etc. The greatest part is that we all struggle, get frustrated, have guilt, yell at our kids more than we should, and probably don't spend enough time with those we love, especially our husbands. What's great is that it is at times like this, you don't feel so alone and you realize you are a part of a much bigger and meaningful plan that our Heavenly Father has for us. I came home feeling uplifted and grateful for the responsibility God has entrusted in me. I was rejuvenated and ready to strive to fulfil my call as wife and mother with a resolve to "try a little harder to be a little better". That feeling lingered for awhile and then reality set in. I wish I could wear the "rose colored glasses" especially as a mother, but unfortunately my kids tend to turn them red!

They talked a lot about finding joy in life and motherhood at the Conference. I want to take time to enjoy the laughs, the smiles, the giggles, and the fun times. I want to stop what I am doing and actually hear the long explanation Lindsay has of her day at school, I want to watch as Emily dances across the room and sings a little tune, I want to see Tyler's face light up when he makes one of his ingenious creations, I want to see Alisha's face light up when she shows me her good grades, and I want to see Stacy walk around like a miniature (skinny) Sumo Wrestler spouting out orders. Everyone of my kids are unigue and each one of them need my individual attention. At Time Out For Women, Hilary Weeks challenged us to "Stop and Listen" to our children. I am striving to do just that. And I am happier. Life is simpler when you take a brake (from the cleaning) and focus on what is most important!








Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Our new baby LOLA

LOLA the Jack Chi

I did something somewhat impulsive last Saturday. My husband was working and I took all the kids to Petland. Emily is terrified of dogs, so we thought it would be a good idea to help her face her fears by getting her own little dog. (The jury is still out on whether or not it was a good idea.) Anyway, the kids and I fell in love with this little, and I mean little, Jack Chi puppy. She is a "hybrid", between a Jack Russell Terrier and a Chihuahua. She looked at us with those cute little eyes and we were sold. I have never owned a dog in my life, I had no idea what to expect. Wow, it is more work than I thought it would be. But, for a puppy, she's great! She doesn't bark or yap, she is too small to get up on the couches or climb the stairs, she goes potty outside every couple of hours, she eats and poops twice a day, she's fun to play with, and we all love her (including Emily). Emily named her Lola and we all agreed that name fit her. When we got home from the store, I realized that Lola was born on Emily's birthday. It was meant to be!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

I should of had a camera!

I have always loved the pictures of kids surrounded in messes and admire the moms that have a camera on hand when such disasters occur. For me, the camera is the last thing on my mind. When a mess is made, my mind imediately goes into clean up mode and I quickly undo the mess as soon as it comes to my attention, before it gets any bigger. But, I do have some regrets! Most disasters are snapshots in my mind rather than in my scrapbook, but I am going to change my ways. The past couple of months I had a couple of " should of had a camera" moments. Hopefully after this point, I will have pictures to share of the crazy moments that occur during my life as a mom.



1. One day I was making cookies and Stacy was on the other side of the island from me as quiet as a mouse and as soon as I realized she was being just a little too quite, I looked over and saw Stacy covered in dark red lipstick . It was everywhere! All over her body, all over my purse (Dawn antibacterial dish soap took it out, great stuff!), all over the kitchen floor, all over my receipts and whatever else was in my purse. It was a huge mess! I didn't waste a second, she was clean along with everything else with in 10 min. I was so mad I did't take a picture, it was incredible what a mess such a little bit of lipstick can make in the hands of a 1 year old.

2. I was talking on the phone to a friend and I saw Lindsay trying to open up a plastic package of graham crackers. I had a feeling that it would end up on the floor. For all those who know Lindsay, it is almost a given that whatever she touches will most likely end up on the floor, but I decided I would give her the benefit of the doubt and maybe she would prove me wrong this time. Lindsay labored to get that package open and finally she did and it exploded all over her, the table, and the kitchen floor. I could not help but laugh because I knew it was going to happen and it was so darn funny to watch. The poor girl!

3. One morning I was working on the Comptuer. Jason was in the shower and I heard a really loud bang. It sounded like my husband fell down the stairs. I paniced and ran up to the main level and yelled Jason's name and headed upstairs. My heart was pounding and Jason wasn't answering. Finally, I got to the top of the stairs and I saw Tyler with this worried look on his face. I looked into his room and saw his huge, heavy chest of drawers laying parallel with the floor with all the drawers underneath. I looked back at Tyler and then back at the five drawers crammed between the dresser and the floor and then looked back at him. He looked up at me and pointed to a little tiny microscopic scratch on his knee and said "I got hurt." Oh my goodness, how did he not die. He was climbing up the drawers to get his clothes and the whole thing came down on him. Thank goodness he is alright, but I would have loved to get that on video to see how he made it out of there before it came crashing down on top of him.