Yep, that song's been going through my mind all week long. The children are done with 6th and 2nd grade. Jared was worried that he wasn't going to be going to 3rd (don't know why, he made A/B honor roll all year long). He's a worrier like his mom. I know, this comes as a shock to many of you that only know me as the epitome of sweetness and light (candy bars and lightbulbs as Mike says), but I am a worrier. I'm trying to be better and sometimes I am, sometimes not.
Anywho, this blog isn't about me, it's about the kiddies. I missed Kiersten's awards day on Tuesday (we had a nice long discussion about telling mommy things before the night before), but she received the highest average in art and in English/Language Arts. I did attend Jared's thing on Wednesday, where he received a PE award ( the boy loves PE, says it's the only place he can run and jump and play without getting the whole Jared, stop, slow down, calm down thing) and A/B honor roll. I'm so proud of both of them, I have great kids.
Do we have plans for the summer? Nope. Kiersten is going to girls camp (Please Lord, let her have fun and not get hurt on the rock wall or zip line), Jared will be attending Cub Scout day camp (Please Lord, don't let my son get shot by a stray arrow or shoot anybody with a BB gun). That's about it. Pretty soon I'll be hearing "I'm BORED, I don't have anything TO DO!!!" But until then, I'm going to chill. No more teachers, no more books, no more homework, no more getting up at the crack of dawn to get everyone showered and dressed and out of the house by 7:10. WOOHOO!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Happiness is....
Mike and I were talking the other day about what makes us happy and that's what I've been thinking about for the last few days. Here's a list about what makes me happy (some silly, some serious).
-clean sheets (some prefer line dried, not me. There are bugs in the great outdoors my friends)
-naps (on the clean sheets is even better)
-pansies in the winter time
-the first SC spring blue sky after the gray of winter
-towels just out of the dryer(once again, bugs and outside ick)
-a little boy's dirty face (I saw this yesterday, it wasn't dirt, it was chocolate pudding)
-talking to my daughter
-an email conversation with a friend that lasts all day
-vacation planning (McBrides and the Chesleys take Nauvoo by storm '09)
-sitting beside my DH in church (doesn't happen very often, there's usually at least one child between us)
-Knowledge of the plan of happiness
-watching the kids do something for the first time and succeed
-hearing my grandmother sing happy birthday to me at 6:30 a.m. (strange but true)
There are many, many other things that make me happy. I'm trying to find at least one "happy moment" each day. My happy moment on Saturday was when I walked into the kids bathroom and it was done! The shower curtain (not the new one, still on the hunt) was up, the sink had its guts back together, Kiersten contributed a pot that she had painted to put toothbrushes and toothpaste in. Mike had stayed up entirely too late putting stuff back together so it would be done for me when I got up in the a.m. I'll be posting pics in the future.
Jared had his interview with the Bishop for his baptism (June 1st -all are invited) on Sunday and he's excited/nervous. Kiersten is still writing. She's now on her 2nd story, she tells me she's going to have to go back and rewrite the 1st. Mike and I spent the day together yesterday (which very rarely happens b/c he had the day off, I had the day off and the kiddies had school).
This weekend was good, we are blessed. Love to all and have a good week!
-clean sheets (some prefer line dried, not me. There are bugs in the great outdoors my friends)
-naps (on the clean sheets is even better)
-pansies in the winter time
-the first SC spring blue sky after the gray of winter
-towels just out of the dryer(once again, bugs and outside ick)
-a little boy's dirty face (I saw this yesterday, it wasn't dirt, it was chocolate pudding)
-talking to my daughter
-an email conversation with a friend that lasts all day
-vacation planning (McBrides and the Chesleys take Nauvoo by storm '09)
-sitting beside my DH in church (doesn't happen very often, there's usually at least one child between us)
-Knowledge of the plan of happiness
-watching the kids do something for the first time and succeed
-hearing my grandmother sing happy birthday to me at 6:30 a.m. (strange but true)
There are many, many other things that make me happy. I'm trying to find at least one "happy moment" each day. My happy moment on Saturday was when I walked into the kids bathroom and it was done! The shower curtain (not the new one, still on the hunt) was up, the sink had its guts back together, Kiersten contributed a pot that she had painted to put toothbrushes and toothpaste in. Mike had stayed up entirely too late putting stuff back together so it would be done for me when I got up in the a.m. I'll be posting pics in the future.
Jared had his interview with the Bishop for his baptism (June 1st -all are invited) on Sunday and he's excited/nervous. Kiersten is still writing. She's now on her 2nd story, she tells me she's going to have to go back and rewrite the 1st. Mike and I spent the day together yesterday (which very rarely happens b/c he had the day off, I had the day off and the kiddies had school).
This weekend was good, we are blessed. Love to all and have a good week!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Maybe I wrote too soon
I was all chipper on Friday because of my it could be worse post. Well, I forgot to knock on wood, click my heels three times or whatever it is that you do to ward off bad luck. I get a call Friday as Jared and I are going to Wally World to spend his birthday money that Mike and the scouts have broken down on the side of the interstate in my van but they're going to the house to get Mike's car and continue on their way camping. Frick, frack, fried green tomatoes!!! Luckily, our mechanic is the nicest guy in the world and would get it off the side of the road later that evening.
As Jared and I are checking out, the monsoon comes and it looks like it's never going to stop so we run for it after waiting a few minutes at the door. After almost losing my flip flops, and my pants (bottom of them was weighed down with water), and thinking about all the icky stuff that ends up in the WalMart parking lot that could cause illness or death if it even touches my feet.
Jared and I watched this thing on Animal Planet a couple of weeks ago about parasites that enter through your feet although these are mostly found in South America, not South Cackylacky and it's freaked me out ever since, we get to the truck and we're on our way. Jared, sweet baby boy that he is turns to me and says Mommy, it's okay that your hair is all wet ( I was looking like a drowned rat by this time), we've had our shower for the night and when we get home we can get in our jammies, eat our Rush's dinner and watch TV. As we were headed home, we passed a forlorn looking little green Mazda on I-20 and I almost cried for the van. It's been such a good car, hopefully David can fix it without too much trouble or pain in the pocketbook.
Saturday J and I woke up early (7 ish) and I was ready to paint the bathroom which Mike had finished priming for me on Friday. I'm a horrible painter, I want to get it done as quick as possible which is sometimes a bad thing. Didn't know that I would need like fifty coats of paint to make it turn out like I wanted it. After one, there were still streaks and stuff. Mike did another coat Saturday night and it looked better. I'll probably do a coat a night all this week to make it end up where I want it, but anyway. Mike doesn't like the color, says it's depressing, I tell him let me finish it and get everything back in, pictures and accessories and it will be lovely. He's skeptical, I'm optimistic and I'll be damned if I'm going to paint that stupid bathroom again. Pardon my lapse of language there.
Sunday was lovely, church was good and I got a nap. Jared's baptism date is firmed up for June 1st and he wants my dad and Derick to speak. He's still a mite worried about people looking at him but he'll be fine. Heather and I will be planning a baby shower for Anita and the end of school is coming barreling like a freight train out of control. In other words, just a normal, every day kind of craziness.
However, it could be worse. My engine could have blown up in the middle of 5:00 traffic, I could have gotten some form of strange parasite from the water runoff or driven in the monsoon (I hate driving in the rain), the bathroom could be pink.
Our family is blessed (pray for my bathroom and my sanity).
As Jared and I are checking out, the monsoon comes and it looks like it's never going to stop so we run for it after waiting a few minutes at the door. After almost losing my flip flops, and my pants (bottom of them was weighed down with water), and thinking about all the icky stuff that ends up in the WalMart parking lot that could cause illness or death if it even touches my feet.
Jared and I watched this thing on Animal Planet a couple of weeks ago about parasites that enter through your feet although these are mostly found in South America, not South Cackylacky and it's freaked me out ever since, we get to the truck and we're on our way. Jared, sweet baby boy that he is turns to me and says Mommy, it's okay that your hair is all wet ( I was looking like a drowned rat by this time), we've had our shower for the night and when we get home we can get in our jammies, eat our Rush's dinner and watch TV. As we were headed home, we passed a forlorn looking little green Mazda on I-20 and I almost cried for the van. It's been such a good car, hopefully David can fix it without too much trouble or pain in the pocketbook.
Saturday J and I woke up early (7 ish) and I was ready to paint the bathroom which Mike had finished priming for me on Friday. I'm a horrible painter, I want to get it done as quick as possible which is sometimes a bad thing. Didn't know that I would need like fifty coats of paint to make it turn out like I wanted it. After one, there were still streaks and stuff. Mike did another coat Saturday night and it looked better. I'll probably do a coat a night all this week to make it end up where I want it, but anyway. Mike doesn't like the color, says it's depressing, I tell him let me finish it and get everything back in, pictures and accessories and it will be lovely. He's skeptical, I'm optimistic and I'll be damned if I'm going to paint that stupid bathroom again. Pardon my lapse of language there.
Sunday was lovely, church was good and I got a nap. Jared's baptism date is firmed up for June 1st and he wants my dad and Derick to speak. He's still a mite worried about people looking at him but he'll be fine. Heather and I will be planning a baby shower for Anita and the end of school is coming barreling like a freight train out of control. In other words, just a normal, every day kind of craziness.
However, it could be worse. My engine could have blown up in the middle of 5:00 traffic, I could have gotten some form of strange parasite from the water runoff or driven in the monsoon (I hate driving in the rain), the bathroom could be pink.
Our family is blessed (pray for my bathroom and my sanity).
Friday, May 16, 2008
It could be worse
This is my favorite phrase to remind myself and my family to count our blessings. Some people sing the count your many blessings song, others name their blessings one by one, I say it could be worse. This sometimes drives Mike crazy but it's really the only way to sometimes keep myself from going crazy (er) when something that I think is just horrendous happens.
When the roof leaked, I told Mike it could be worse-the whole roof could be falling in or ripped off in high winds. When Kiersten complained about wearing glasses-she could be blind. When Jared complains about having to do homework-he could be in a country where he wouldn't be able to go to school. It's a Pollyannaish attitude I know but it really makes you think sometimes things aren't as bad as we make them out to be in our heads. We have trials, some are big and some are little, but once we get through them we are stronger people.
The whole it could be worse thing came when my mom was going through chemo a few years ago and she was wiped out and tired and hairless. She was telling me one day about this trial and I told her it could be worse, the type of cancer she had is known as a silent killer, you don't know it's there until it's too late. She was lucky to have good doctors that listened to her and found something that could have killed her. Now she is able to play with the babies and watch them grow.
Yes, there are trials where nothing could be worse but hopefully those don't come around too often. I'm not saying that the trials that we go through are meaningless or not acknowledging the severity of said trials, this is just gospel according to me. So, until some other phrase comes along, I'll keep telling myself it could be worse.
Love to all and have a good weekend!
When the roof leaked, I told Mike it could be worse-the whole roof could be falling in or ripped off in high winds. When Kiersten complained about wearing glasses-she could be blind. When Jared complains about having to do homework-he could be in a country where he wouldn't be able to go to school. It's a Pollyannaish attitude I know but it really makes you think sometimes things aren't as bad as we make them out to be in our heads. We have trials, some are big and some are little, but once we get through them we are stronger people.
The whole it could be worse thing came when my mom was going through chemo a few years ago and she was wiped out and tired and hairless. She was telling me one day about this trial and I told her it could be worse, the type of cancer she had is known as a silent killer, you don't know it's there until it's too late. She was lucky to have good doctors that listened to her and found something that could have killed her. Now she is able to play with the babies and watch them grow.
Yes, there are trials where nothing could be worse but hopefully those don't come around too often. I'm not saying that the trials that we go through are meaningless or not acknowledging the severity of said trials, this is just gospel according to me. So, until some other phrase comes along, I'll keep telling myself it could be worse.
Love to all and have a good weekend!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Happy Birthday Boys!!!!
Got a little freaked out when the slide show wouldn't post right but it eventually did (see below). Today (the 13th) is Jared and Mike's birthdays and I couldn't ask for two greater guys in my life. Mike, I know you gave Jared your birthday and you're 28 for the rest of your life. I love you more than words can say and I thank God every day that He sent you to me. Jared, you're a ray of sunshine in my life and my sweet boy. You're a little of your dad and a little of me. Happy Birthday to my boys!
Mother's Day Musings...
Hello all in the bloggerverse! Yes, I've been MIA for a while, but I've been waiting until I had something I could actually write about. Yesterday was Mother's Day and I had a great weekend! Thursday was Kiersten's first temple trip so Mike and I went with her. It was fun watching her and seeing her mind rolling things around while we were in the temple. Friday everyone was gone, Kiersten to her dad's for the night and the boys were camping so I had time to myself. I taped and sanded the bathroom, which still isn't done but the toilet and the shower work so that's okay. Saturday Kiersten, mom and I went shopping for hours and hours and hours. I'm not a big shopper but mom and Kiersten are. I think by the time we were done I had started getting a tad fussy and whiney but it was fun spending time with those two. Sunday we were late for church so we had to sit in the back but still, it was a great meeting. Here is the poem that Laresa read in sacrament meeting:
The Girl in a Whirl
By “Dr. Sue” aka Vickie Gunther
Look at me, look at me, look at me now!
You could do what I do if you only knew how.
I study the scriptures one hour each day;
I bake, I upholster, I scrub, and I pray.
I always keep all the commandments completely;
I speak to my little ones gently and sweetly.
I help in their classrooms! I sew all they wear!
I drive them to practice! I cut all their hair!
I memorize names of the General Authorities;
I focus on things to be done by priorities.
I play the piano! I bless with my talents!
My toilets all sparkle! My checkbooks all balance!
Each week every child gets a one-on-one date;
I attend all my meetings (on time! Never late!)
I’m taking a class on the teachings of Paul,
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all.
I track my bad habits ’til each is abolished;
Our t-shirts are ironed! My toenails are polished!
Our family home evenings are always delightful;
The lessons I give are both fun and insightful.
I do genealogy faithfully, too. It’s easy to do all the things that I do!
I rise each day early, refreshed and awake;
I know all the names of each youth in my stake!
I read to my children! I help all my neighbors!
I bless the community, too, with my labors.
I exercise and I cook menus gourmet;
My visiting teaching is done the first day!
(I also go do it for someone who missed hers.
It’s the least I can do for my cherished ward sisters.)
I chart resolutions and check off each goal;
I seek each “lost lamb” on my Primary roll.
I can home-grown produce each summer and fall.
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all.
I write in my journal! I sing in the choir!
Each day, I write “thank you’s” to those I admire.
My sons were all Eagles when they were fourteen!
My kids get straight A’s! And their bedrooms are clean!
I have a home business to help make some money;
I always look beautifully groomed for my honey.
I go to the temple at least once a week;
I change the car’s tires! I fix the sink’s leak!
I grind my own wheat and I bake all our bread;
I have all our meals planned out six months ahead.
I make sure I rotate our two-years’ supply;
My shopping for Christmas is done by July!
These things are not hard; It’s good if you do them;
You can if you try! Just set goals and pursue them!
It’s easy to do all the things that I do!
If you plan and work smart, you can do them all, too!
It’s easy!” she said…and then she dropped dead
She also talked about the voices in our heads as women and mothers and I thought that that was an interesting way to describe those things that go on in our heads. I realized that I will never make my own pie crust or figure out how to can. I don't really care to sew even though I admire other's work. I'm not the scripture reading, praying, family home evening every week perfect wife and mother even though I keep trying. However, I can make a mean chicken casserole, put together a Bionicle, proofread a budding author's book (when she lets me), help lay a floor, explain to my husband the varying shades of red, not get creeped out by reading about bugs and snakes, help with 6th grade homework and listen to explanations about mini-splits and duct work.
Enough about me, I want to write a few things about the moms in my life. Starting with my own mom who showed me how to be a mom. She is so funny and silly, strong and a bucketful of tears, an example to me and my daughter. Mike's mom is also important to me. She is also an example to me of how you can live through great adversity and raise a wonderful man. There are moms all over the place that I look up to and admire.
So to all you wonderful women out there---you're doing a great job even if the voices are telling you something different, you are a daughter of God who loves each and every one of us. I'm not perfect in the least, but I'm working on it one thing at a time. Love to all!
The Girl in a Whirl
By “Dr. Sue” aka Vickie Gunther
Look at me, look at me, look at me now!
You could do what I do if you only knew how.
I study the scriptures one hour each day;
I bake, I upholster, I scrub, and I pray.
I always keep all the commandments completely;
I speak to my little ones gently and sweetly.
I help in their classrooms! I sew all they wear!
I drive them to practice! I cut all their hair!
I memorize names of the General Authorities;
I focus on things to be done by priorities.
I play the piano! I bless with my talents!
My toilets all sparkle! My checkbooks all balance!
Each week every child gets a one-on-one date;
I attend all my meetings (on time! Never late!)
I’m taking a class on the teachings of Paul,
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all.
I track my bad habits ’til each is abolished;
Our t-shirts are ironed! My toenails are polished!
Our family home evenings are always delightful;
The lessons I give are both fun and insightful.
I do genealogy faithfully, too. It’s easy to do all the things that I do!
I rise each day early, refreshed and awake;
I know all the names of each youth in my stake!
I read to my children! I help all my neighbors!
I bless the community, too, with my labors.
I exercise and I cook menus gourmet;
My visiting teaching is done the first day!
(I also go do it for someone who missed hers.
It’s the least I can do for my cherished ward sisters.)
I chart resolutions and check off each goal;
I seek each “lost lamb” on my Primary roll.
I can home-grown produce each summer and fall.
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all.
I write in my journal! I sing in the choir!
Each day, I write “thank you’s” to those I admire.
My sons were all Eagles when they were fourteen!
My kids get straight A’s! And their bedrooms are clean!
I have a home business to help make some money;
I always look beautifully groomed for my honey.
I go to the temple at least once a week;
I change the car’s tires! I fix the sink’s leak!
I grind my own wheat and I bake all our bread;
I have all our meals planned out six months ahead.
I make sure I rotate our two-years’ supply;
My shopping for Christmas is done by July!
These things are not hard; It’s good if you do them;
You can if you try! Just set goals and pursue them!
It’s easy to do all the things that I do!
If you plan and work smart, you can do them all, too!
It’s easy!” she said…and then she dropped dead
She also talked about the voices in our heads as women and mothers and I thought that that was an interesting way to describe those things that go on in our heads. I realized that I will never make my own pie crust or figure out how to can. I don't really care to sew even though I admire other's work. I'm not the scripture reading, praying, family home evening every week perfect wife and mother even though I keep trying. However, I can make a mean chicken casserole, put together a Bionicle, proofread a budding author's book (when she lets me), help lay a floor, explain to my husband the varying shades of red, not get creeped out by reading about bugs and snakes, help with 6th grade homework and listen to explanations about mini-splits and duct work.
Enough about me, I want to write a few things about the moms in my life. Starting with my own mom who showed me how to be a mom. She is so funny and silly, strong and a bucketful of tears, an example to me and my daughter. Mike's mom is also important to me. She is also an example to me of how you can live through great adversity and raise a wonderful man. There are moms all over the place that I look up to and admire.
So to all you wonderful women out there---you're doing a great job even if the voices are telling you something different, you are a daughter of God who loves each and every one of us. I'm not perfect in the least, but I'm working on it one thing at a time. Love to all!
Monday, May 5, 2008
And so it begins...
I've been after my DH for months about wanting to redo the kids bathroom-new paint, tile, all new stuff because I just wanted to. Finally we were able to start on Saturday. It's always fun to go and get a whole bunch of stuff from Lowe's and Home Depot. What's not so much fun is putting said stuff together and getting it all looking right. Saturday, the boys and I went out and got the new linoleum, paint, vanity, wainscoting, chair rail and medicine cabinet for the new project. At about 2:00, we were ripping up tile and taking the toilet out of the bathroom and Jared was knocking in the old cabinet. Mike and I ended up laying down the new lino, putting in the vanity and wainscoting because you can't put the toilet back in without all the stuff behind it and underneath it. Long story short, all that needs to be done to get the room finished now is some primer and paint and caulking along with the new shower curtain (I have a feeling there's going to be a disagreement about that-mike says red to match the walls I think that would look like a brothel, I'm saying white). I'll try to post some before/after pics pretty soon. Mike did ask me-what's our next project and all I could think was recovering from this one. I've got a compressor sitting in the middle of my hallway and boxes and a nailgun in my living room. It's not pretty, but my bathroom is lovelier even without the new paint. There is a certain amount of satisfaction when you do the work yourself but I wish I could do a Mary Poppins and SNAP! things would be done.
Other things of interest coming up-Kiersten's first temple trip is Thursday (thanks Alona for keeping the baby boy) and we're all excited. The boys are going on the annual father/son campout on Friday and they're excited (I'm excited b/c I think that I get Friday night to myself-hello new book!). Jared's counting down the days until his birthday (week from tomorrow) and I still haven't figured out what we're getting the child. I'm thinking about getting him a suit for church, he wanted one for Christmas but I think now would be a better time. He gets to go to Cub Scouts next Wednesday and you would think that he's going to the moon on a rocket he's so excited. That's all that's on my mind today although there's something else rattling around in there that I might write about tomorrow...
Other things of interest coming up-Kiersten's first temple trip is Thursday (thanks Alona for keeping the baby boy) and we're all excited. The boys are going on the annual father/son campout on Friday and they're excited (I'm excited b/c I think that I get Friday night to myself-hello new book!). Jared's counting down the days until his birthday (week from tomorrow) and I still haven't figured out what we're getting the child. I'm thinking about getting him a suit for church, he wanted one for Christmas but I think now would be a better time. He gets to go to Cub Scouts next Wednesday and you would think that he's going to the moon on a rocket he's so excited. That's all that's on my mind today although there's something else rattling around in there that I might write about tomorrow...
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