Being a Dare Devil Has to Start Somewhere

I started by watching from the front window. Then I realized that I needed evidence the I am not a child abuser (read the time little Princess broke her leg) in case he broke a bone.

Then I just got a kick out of watching little dude and his best buddy, Nathan ride their bikes off the tire ramp. If you can enlarge some of these pictures you should! Their faces just crack me up!

There were a few falls, but nothing that was going to keep them from doing it!

Sometimes these two guys are very entertaining! I promised myself that I will get more pictures of them together. I have a few that I haven't posted, but I am still kicking myself for not taking the pictures of them when they were dressed up a Ninja Turtles, Darth Vader, or Spiderman. Seriously, these two are super funny together!

We are all grateful for good friends at our house! We have really made some good ones in our neighborhood!

Today was a big day for her.

Little Princess got her hair cut today. They ended up cutting off about 5 inches. She is super happy about it and so am I! I think she looks adorable! Since she has cut her own hair 2 times and we never really got it fixed we figured that she needed a good cut. It will be good for summer too.

Her gymnastics class also started again today. She had been begging daddy and I for quite some time to get her a sparkly suit like the other girls. Since daddy has a soft spot for his little girl he wanted to find her one for her new classes. After she put it on she could not stop dancing! Everywhere she went she had an extra bounce in her step!

I love being seeing my kids THAT happy!

Lunch of Champions

I had just said to my hubby that little man needed lunch. He figured he would take care of it for himself.

I just didn't have the heart to take it away from him. I figured that since he had had his shots earlier this morning then he deserved a little treat.
He knew he got to keep it for a bit and he was pretty happy about it!
Peeps are good for you right? Well if not, this face will make you want to give them to every growing boy!

Socks?

This is what you get when you ask your daughter to put some socks on and she can't find any in her drawer. She puts on mittens instead.

My Poor Hubby!

Did anyone know that the banking business is very dangerous? I know the first thought is robberies right? Well did you know that you can brake your ankle working in the banking business? Yep! You can! Ask my Hubby, cuz he did it!

His branch is a brand new building. He was doing an inspection outside and rolled his ankle off a curb. It has been hurting him all weekend, but was still able to help my sister move some sheetrock, help our friend move my hubby's new green house (Thanks for the Green House Holly and Toby!) then we even walked around IKEA for awhile yesterday. When he woke up this morning he couldn't even move it, let alone walk on it. It was so bad that he ran to the Instacare before church. They did an x-ray and sure enough, it was broken.

He broke a bone that I guess doesn't happen very often. So he has to go see a specialist to see if there needs to be any surgery. I am REALLY hoping not! I feel bad for him though. He can't get around. I hope that he starts to feel better soon! Love you honey!

Happy Birthday Little Man!

You have gone from this.......

To this.......
WAY TOO FAST! Happy Birthday Little Man! I love you so much!


Today is a really busy day so I will post more birthday info and birthday pictures soon!

Grateful

The most interesting thing happened the other night. I got all grumpy about a few things and started to feel really bad about myself. I felt like everything I have ever done was not good enough. My photography most of all. I have put my heart and soul into it for the last few years, and while I will never admit to being the best, I have come a long way in the last few years. But sometimes things happen and I loose all my confidence. The other night was one of those times.

I was feeling a little emotional I guess too, because I just climbed into bed and just cried. My hubby being sweet, laid next to me and let me cry. Next thing I know he was clicking away on my laptop next to me. I had no idea what he was up to. I didn't care, I was determined to just wallow in my self pitty. (I am really good at that you know.)

To my surprise he had hijacked my blog. This caught me by surprise. This isn't something that he would normally do. His caring and his sweet words made me feel so much better. I love him so much, and to read that he cares about what my interests are meant the world to me. He somehow knew what was going to make me feel better! I am super lucky to have him as my best friend!

Then I started to get emails. WOW! You know I just don't know where to start when I say thank you! All of the comments that I received really meant a lot to me! I was ready to throw in the towel all together with photography. (Unfortunately I have been too close to that for months now) After reading those comments I felt that I could give it another summer. I need to grow in so many more ways to really feel like I have a belonging in the business and I hope this is my year to do it! We will see, but all of you have helped me past this little road block. THANK YOU!

So with that I thought that I will post a list of some reasons why I am grateful and blessed!

#1 I truly have the best husband in the world! He means so much to me! I am grateful that you have been able to witness a part of his personality here.

#2 I took the kids to their first dentist appointment today (I know, I should have done it sooner!) But no one had a cavity! They did great and I am really proud of them! What awesome kids I have!

#3 I am grateful that I have survived an entire year of being a mother of 3! Tomorrow is Little Man's 1st birthday! I can't believe that this time has come already!

#4 Even though I am super excited for Spring, the snow means something really special to me. Anyone that knows me well, knows this. I woke up to a few inches of snow this morning. It actually brought a smile to my face!

#5 I am grateful for wonderful friends that truly care about me. One that has a birthday today and took some time out of his life to talk with me last night when I was still feeling a little grumpy. Another that sent me an email today and really made me smile. One that whenever she needs something trusts me enough to ask me to help her (and I am always so happy to do because she is just so cool!) Not only that but has been there for me through all my highs and lows for so many years. She has taught me so much and I really look up to her. I feel honoured to be her friend. I have another friend that I have been friends with since I was a kid. She is one of the most caring people I know, and non judgemental. I love that when I hear from her I feel like she is my sister. I have so many more friends that have blessed my life, I thank my Heavenly Father for them often. Each one has blessed my life.

#5 I have the silliest kids ever. They think that EVERYTHING is a joke, and EVERYTHING has to be funny. I am starting to realize this isn't a bad thing. They love life, and they love to laugh. There is nothing wrong with that. At least they are looking at the good in things.

#6 My sisters and my brothers are some of the coolest people on the planet. I am lucky to have a close family that is drama free. They are ALWAYS there when I need them, and are always super supportive!

#7 My mom and dad! Where do I begin to write how my mom and dad have blessed my life? I just have to say that without them I would be lost, poor, alone, hungry, confused, and much much more. They do so much for me and my family! They are great examples of true love and how to be charitable!

I think that is a pretty good list! I feel great today! I am blessed! I am loved! I am talented! I am faithful! I am beautiful! I am a daughter of God!

The Bestest Wife Ever!!!!!!

Here is an unprecedented post by Trevor aka the Hubby. Everyone better enjoy it while they can because it is uncertain if it will ever happen again. I want to take a minute of every ones time and express my gratitude for my wife. She is the most caring, loving, creative and brilliant individual I know. I thank the Lord every day that I get to share my life with her. She has so many talents. In fact I doubt that she has any idea how much I depend on her.

Lately it seems that she has been a little hard on herself. We had a conversation tonight that made her feel like she is not good at many things and all of the things that she had done in her life had been, "half Ass". Sorry about that, but it is a quote so it is OK, Right? She feels that maybe her photography skills are not that great. I know that I am very biased but I LOVE her photos!

So I guess that this is where I need your help. Please let my wife know if you like the pictures that she has posted over the years. I know that it's usually the photos that bring me back to her blog each day. I enjoy looking through them and recognizing the creativity and the way that she can capture our kids personalities. She is feeling down and I know that your comments would help to bring her back to reality where we all love her pictures.

By the way as a side note don't ever go to a precinct caucus because you get nominated and then elected to do things you know that you don't have time to do. Like the state delegate for prescient 40 something errother!!!!!!

Easter Day

Our Easter was so much fun! The kids got up and were super happy with the few little things that the Easter Bunny brought them. I even got a little visit from the Easter Bunny! He brought me a new blow dryer. I wonder how he knew I needed one? The kids had a little Easter egg hunt around the living room and found TONS of candy. I even got ambitious and made a yummy breakfast.

I had to speak in Sacrament meeting so I spent the rest of the morning working on that. And the kids watched Enchanted. That is their new favorite! It really is a cute show. Since we were kind of in a hurry to get to church after we all got ready I didn't have a chance to take pictures of their new Easter clothes until after church. They weren't interested! They wanted to "just get to grandma's already"! These aren't the best pictures, but they work. They were giving me cheesy smiles or no smiles at all. Crazy kids!

Little Man was way to busy watching the other two kids play. This was a big day for him though! He took his first 2 steps at Grandma and Grandpa's house! I was super proud! He has been practicing!
Gotta love Little Dude's untucked shirt! Oh on the socks on Little Princess! Pretty funny!
She loves her new dress! When we went to try a few on she wanted to make sure they would all twirl right. This one was her favorite! It was mine too!

I know, I know, he needs a hair cut, but look how handsome he is! I can't believe how big he looks! He thought that it was pretty cool that his little brother had on the same shirt!

Boy's Bathroom and Girl's Bathroom

We had a little situation today with the bathrooms. No, it wasn't that kind of situation. Little Princess and Little Dude were going to go outside and jump on the trampoline. Princess said to Dude to wait because she needed to go to the bathroom first. So what does Dude do? Yup! He ran to the bathroom before her, closed and locked the door. Such a mean big brother! To his credit he had to go too, but still he could have been a little nicer! Princess sat in the hallway "holding it" and just screaming how MEAN that was of him. I went and tried to convince her to go use the other bathroom before she had an accident, but she chose to cry instead. When dude was done I tried to talk to him about being a little nicer next time. Then I reminded them both that we have two bathrooms for a reason and suggested that next time instead of fighting one of them just needs to go to the other room.

Little Dude thought he was being picked on. So he came up with a solution. A few minutes after this happened he came to me and asked if I would write girls on a piece of paper. I did it and I asked him what he was doing. He never really gave me an answer. Well, a few hours later I went to go use my bathroom and I see a sign on the door that says girls. I walked to the other bathroom and sure enough it had a sign too. He solved the problem I guess.

The story gets better though. We ran some errands tonight and when we got home I needed to use the bathroom. While I was in there I heard Princess crying outside the door and yelling to daddy that mommy needs to hurry up in the girl's bathroom because she needed to go. He told her to go use the other bathroom. SHE REFUSED! There was NO WAY she was going in the boy's bathroom! Poor girl can't win!

A little vacation

I just booked a FREE flight to Houston Texas!

Last year my hubby got a free round trip ticket voucher when he went to Chicago for work. A few weeks ago my sister in law called and announced that her and her hubby are going to be sealed in the Houston Temple on April 12th. My hubby and I decided that I could use that free ticket to go and be there with them at this super awesome time! I also wanted to go so I could take pictures!

Little man and I are going to be flying to Houston in a few weeks and be staying with my sister in law for a few days! I am SUPER excited! This will be so fun for me, but I can't wait to see their cute family be sealed together in the temple! What an awesome thing!

Easter- Through the mind of my kids.

I was thinking this morning about what my kids really understand about Easter. We have talked about Easter and the real meaning of it, but I wasn't sure if they really understand. So I thought I would put them to the test.

I came up with some questions to ask them to see what they remember. So here you have it. Their answers...not mine. They were only asked the questions and not prompted to an answer in any way. I wrote down EXACTLY what they said so sometimes it doesn't make sense.

Little Princess: Age 3 years 11 months.

What is Easter? All about fun.

When is Easter? In a couple of months.

Why did Jesus die for us? Because he loved me.

What is the Easter Bunny? He looks like Santa.

What do you do on Easter? Find eggs.

What does resurrection mean? I don't really know.

What does crucify mean? That you can be safe.

How did Jesus die? Because he was in trouble.

Who killed Jesus? The breath guy. Who is that? I don't know.

What did Jesus suffer for? So we could be safe.

Why do we color Easter Eggs? Because it's fun.

Does your mommy love you? Yes!



Little Dude: Age 5 years and 1 month

What is Easter? Easter is all about having fun, being nice and finding eggs...sometimes.

When is Easter? On Sunday

Why did Jesus die for us? To suffer our sins.

What is the Easter Bunny? A real bunny.

What do we do on Easter? Go find eggs.

What does resurrection mean? We get died on the cross.

What does crucify mean? Crucify means that you could be happy.

How did Jesus die? Because he got killed on the cross. He got a bloody head and bloody hands.

Who killed Jesus? The bad guys.

What did Jesus suffer for? Our sins.

Why do we color Easter eggs? Because it's really, really fun.

Does your mommy love you? Yes, really much even when I die.



And since Little Dude's friend Aaron was over here I thought I would ask him the questions too. So here are his answers.

Aaron: Age 6 years 7 months

What is Easter? Eggs.

When is Easter? Sunday.

Why did Jesus die for us? So we could be resurrected.

What is the Easter Bunny? Nothing.

What do we do on Easter? Find eggs.

What does resurrection mean? We could come back.

What does crucify mean? I don't know.

How did Jesus die? Nails.

Who killed Jesus? Some people.

What did Jesus suffer for? Sins. Who's sins? Everybody makes sins.

Why do we color Easter eggs? I have no idea.

Does your mommy love you? Yea. Are you sure? Yea. How are you sure? Because I am.
(Thanks Aaron for being a good sport.)

So I learned that I have a little work to do, but I think that they get the idea. It was fun to see how they answered the questions. I might have to pick other topics and do this more often. Everyone should try it with their kids. It will be fun to look back on it someday and see what they understand about life.

Deep Breaths

You know how it feels to be weighed down by stress? I know, who doesn't right? Well you know how hard it is to really take a deep breath? Well I don't want to get into any details, but a few things happened today that helped me to be able to take a really good deep breath. It was refreshing. It was needed, and I feel SO MUCH better!

I will share one of the things that happened today. Only because I NEED some feed back. I want to know if I am the only one in this boat. I was able to take the kids to the library again today. For the last 4 months or so I HAVE BEEN BANNED! Why you ask? Because I had a $53 fine that needed to be paid. I paid it today and we spent about an hour there! It was awesome! Don't ask why the fine was so much! Don't tease me. My hubby has been doing that enough lately. He says that he is quite certain that I hold the record for the highest fine paid at the library. So I need to know. Do I really? What is the highest fine you have paid there?

The Cycles of Life

Today is always an interesting day for me. It is St. Patrick's day, yes, but that isn't why.

As most of you know, I had a dear friend pass away a few years ago in a car crash. Today is Kirsten's birthday.(I found this link to an interview with her family after her death. What a great person she was. Check out the link and you will see!) While her death has taken the past few years to get over I look at the fact that today would have been her 30th birthday and I have to laugh. Let me explain. Right after we had our little girls (that are 3 months apart) we complained a ton about our bodies, loosing weight, and much much more. In her good spirits she would always tell me that she isn't going to worry too much about it because for her 30th birthday she is going to give herself a makeover. A makeover that included but not limited to lipo, augmentation, and a tummy tuck (if needed). I knew she was joking and it always made me laugh. Well, here it is, her big 3-0 and I am certain that she no longer worries about it. (It was a good idea though.)

I miss her so much, but I am grateful that her husband and daughter are happy. I am grateful that Ella has another mommy that is watching over her and taking care of her as her own. I am grateful that Chad and Janae are expecting a baby in October and that Ella will have a little brother or sister. I am grateful for their friendship and example. Kirsten you were one of my best friends. If I sit and listen I can still hear your laugh, and it reminds me that even though you have left this earth, you have not left me completely. I will see you again, and that is what I a most grateful for!

While reflecting on Kirsten and her death, today, I am reminded of the cycle of life. Death does happen, and it is a sad thing. It is hard to deal with, but we are blessed with so much more. The gift of life is an incredible thing. It brings such a special spirit when a baby is born. In the last few years I have thought of this day and was saddened at the loss of Kirsten. Last year and today some things have happened that will forever shed a new, and much needed light on this day. Last year, one of my best friends had her baby boy on March 17. It was so awesome to me because he is 11 days older than my Little Man. It has been fun to see them grow together in the last year. It has really brought our families together to have our boys born so close together. (Happy Birthday Ian!) Then today some other close friends of mine welcomed their second child (first daughter) into their family. Congratulations Rob and Julie! I am so excited to meet your sweet little girl soon!

This day will no longer bring sadness. There is too much joy in this world to dwell on the sad things. Happy Birthday Kirsten, Ian, and Madeleine. You are all special people that are a part of amazing families!

Oh, and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sweet Dreams

When I was getting dressed and ready for the day I put Little Man in his walker that he loves so much. When I realized that he was being really quiet I turned around and looked at him. There he was SOUND asleep.


I had to go get my camera. While I was taking a picture I startled him and he moved his head. He didn't wake up though. This way he actually looks more comfortable.
I just think he looks so cute sound asleep in his walker. He did have a hard time sleeping last night, but he has never done anything like this before.
Roxy, the kitty, even came and licked his nose and he still didn't wake up. I was so happy to have caught a picture of that!
See, still as peaceful as you can get. It reminds me of how I might of looked when I was asleep every day in school, sitting at my desk. With my face in my arms and oblivious to the world.

I am wondering if Little Man is starting to get another tooth, or starting to grow again. This is all that he has wanted to do all day. I wish I could take a nap too, since I was up with him all night.

A super silly joke

My hubby told me this joke the other day. He heard it and can't stop laughing about it. So I thought that I would share it.

How do you catch a polar bear?


Now that I have given you all day to think about it, here is the ANSWER!

You dig a hole in the ice and put peas around it. When the bear comes to take a pee you kick him in the ice hole.

Fresh Air

It has been so nice the last couple of days! We spent an entire afternoon outside the other day. I just couldn't bring myself to step into the house to do the dishes, another load of laundry, sort through the kids winter clothes, clean the bathroom, or scrub the floors. Instead we played with chalk and bubbles, rode bikes, played on the swing set, jumped on the trampoline and just enjoyed the sun. I couldn't resist taking some pictures.

Little Dude loves to color. With the entire driveway and the sidewalk as his canvas I thought he would spend all day here. He surprised me though. He wanted to do something else. Something that I thought was really sweet.

He wanted to teach his brother how to color on the sidewalk. He put the chalk in his hand and showed him how to do it. As soon as Little Dude let go, the chalk went right into Little Man's mouth.

Little Princess did decide that she was going to color her masterpiece. She was really into it. Literally! She had it ALL over her. Can you see the yellow chalk on her nose?

Maybe you can see it better here. She has it all down the front of her too. I didn't have the heart to tell her that it was there. I love it when she is a mess sometimes. That just means that she is having a good time.

Since the chalk was of no interest to Little Man we thought we would try the bubbles. Guess where that ended up? Yup, his mouth!

Since all Little Man wanted to do was eat everything. Little Dude thought he could just play with him. He is such a good big brother. He really likes to help Little Man out and really likes to be around him. I hope that they grow up to be good friends.

He still likes to do his thing though. Like riding his skateboard down the street. He makes me laugh cuz he totally digs Tony Hawk! All he wanted for his birthday was a skate board. He will learn to ride it one day, but for now this way is safer.

He couldn't resist for long. He wanted to give his brother a ride. Little Man finally found something that he LOVED! And that he couldn't eat.

Every time I would turn around to see what the Princess was doing I got this look. All those that think she needs a hair cut raise your hand. Yea! Me too!

I hope everyone else is enjoying the sun! It has lifted my spirits and helped me out of my bubble that I have been living in all winter. Last night I did pray for rain just for today. My house needs to be cleaned really bad and I was afraid that if we had another nice day then my house would go another day messy. Looks like my prayer was answered and that I need to get to work.

Morbid? To some. Normal to my family.

I found out the other day that EVERYONE in my family reads the obituaries every day.

Except me.

I actually thought this was really strange. Then I remembered that it is probably because my Great Grandpa was a mortician and the family still runs the business. I guess that it is just in the genes.

Except mine.

There is a part of me that still thinks that it is a little strange.

I still love you guys though!

Does anyone else read the obituaries everyday?

Being Hunted - Another Mt. Biking Story

Right after Little Dude was born we thought that we would take a much needed break and go on a little weekend trip with my sister and her husband. We went up to some property that my brother in laws family owns in Fairview Canyon. We took our bikes and wanted to spent one day biking around. We hadn't been on the trail for long and he hear gun fire. It shot a couple of time then all of the sudden we hear the bullets zoom right past our heads. We all jumped off our bikes and some of us (ok maybe just me) ducked behind our bikes. Who ever it was shot a couple of more times with the bullets zooming around us before they stopped. My brother in law actually rode his bike close to where they were and yelled for them to stop. It was just some people target shooting and not being safe. They were shooting out into the open and it just so happened that we were there. I have never been so afraid in my life. Even thinking that someone is coming into my house in the middle of the night doesn't compare to being shot at. I remember not having any idea exactly where the bullets were coming from or how far away they were but they sounded close. I didn't know which way to duck or how to hide. (I am a bit of a baby!)

It ended up being a good day though. It was so beautiful up there. Here we are from left to right me, my hubby, my sister, and my brother in law. (Thanks Sis for the pictures! I am glad that you had some. Next time I will have to pack around my camera.)

Easy ride. Just what I needed after being shot at!

I knew Daddy was smart, but I didn't think that I was that dumb!

We were on our way to take Little Dude to school the other day and he says...

"Daddy almost knows everything huh?"

Me: "Yes, your daddy is really smart."

"Is daddy smarter than you?"

"Yes, daddy is smarter than me."

"How did daddy get so smart?"

"He has spent many years in school."

"If I go to school for a long time too will I be smart too?"

"Yup!"

"If I do I will be smarter than you too!"

I really think this little conversation was really funny! He was just being so innocent and I loved it! I love that I have a LONG list of things that he has said to me that I would punch any adult for saying to me. Remember the muffin top? Yea, like that comment. But this one didn't bother me too bad because my dream is that my kids will grow up to be smarter than me! I just hope they don't realize it until they are 25!

I am tough!

Spring is coming up fast! And boy am I grateful! Every spring I start to think about mountain biking. We used to go so much. I miss it a lot and hope that we will be able to go this year. When I start to think about mountain biking, two trips come to mind. One that was a totally awesome experience (you can read more about it here.) where we went on the Wasatch Crest Trail. It is a 26 mile long trail that started in Big Cottonwood canyon, went over into Park City, then across the peaks into Mill Creek Canyon and out. It was amazing! The second ride was just too funny and one that I wanted to share.

Mill Creek Canyon is a quick and easy ride that we used to do all the time. It was good for getting your mountain biking trip in on a busy Saturday morning. We would park one car at the bottom of the trail and shuttle up to the top. The trail is actually pretty flat even though you are riding down the canyon. That is until you get to the last part of the trail called Rattlesnake. It is called that because there is nothing but switch backs that wind down the mountain to the parking lot at the bottom. It drops something like 750 feet in 3/4 of a mile. It is a little bit intimidating for your first time, it seems pretty steep. Actually in most of the reviews I have read about it everyone agrees that it IS pretty steep.

Well, right after we were married (seriously it was like 2 months) we decided to take a trip up there one Saturday morning. This was one of the first times I had been on the trail. I had done the first part just fine, but when I got to Rattlesnake I wasn't doing so fine. At the switchbacks I had to get off my bike and walk around each turn. After that we came to a place that has tree root steps in the ground. One going down right after the other like a staircase. Before I knew that you have to clench your cheeks (ah hem) and sit as far back on your seat as you can when going down hill, I would get pretty scared. Since we were JUST married I wanted to impress my hubby and just go for it. I watched him go down. He stopped at the bottom and turned to watch me go down. I started to go. I don't really know how it all happened, but after the first step I lost control and went head over handle bars and went down the rest of the tree steps on my head and shoulders. When I stopped I was pretty entangled in my bike. I caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye of my hubby running to me. He didn't just run over and ask if I was ok. He ran over and drug me out from under my bike like my bike was on fire. He sat there and just held me and asked over and over if I was ok. I was REALLY banged up, but I was fine. I had scraped up my entire arm from my wrist to my elbow that was bleeding pretty good (I still have a scar) I had two scraped knees, bruises every where, 7 out of my 10 well manicured nails had been totally ripped off my finger tips, dirt from here to there, and my ego was totally shattered. What a moment.

My hubby's main concern was how was he going to get me down the rest of the trail (in no way were we done with the worst of it). I was more worried about how I was going to get my nails fixed for my very important job interview that next Monday. I got on my bike and conquered the rest of the trail. When we got back to the car my hubby said that it would be ok if we decided to never go down that again. I don't remember how I responded at the time, but it had become my favorite spot to go. I can't tell you how many times my hubby has told me that he is proud of me that I got on the bike and have conquered that tree staircase. Not just that once but MANY times since. And every time we talk about it I tease him that he drug me across the trail like my bike was on fire! What a great guy!

And in case you were wondering...cuz' I know you are...I went to my interview TOTALLY banged up and with my 3 remaining nails. I didn't get them fixed. I did get the job though.

Quotes from Marie Ricks

I did get a chance to look over my notes from my House of Order class that I took. Some nights I took better notes than others so there may be more quotes in some categories than others. I really enjoyed most of what she said.

Every night had a different topic, but occasionally we got a little off track so some things may over lap. I hope that this all makes sense. If not please feel free to email me and I will give you more input.


Topic: Clutter
~ If it is not being used it is burdening your life.
~ Part of being a woman is we will never be done, but we can be done for today.

Topic: Getting to Work/Getting others to Work
~ As long as you are nagging YOU are in charge of getting it done.
(Just a side note, she says that we should stop nagging and give the kids (or your spouse) the responsibility to get things done. Email if you need ideas on how to accomplish this.)
~ Never raise pitch or volume when mad. Use normal voice.
~ Always offer a child a choice, but never a "no" choice.
~ Do things in the Lord's Order or the Order of Firsts. (this is a topic that I need to blog on sometime. It is something that changed me.)
~ The less there is the less there will be.
~ Make things easier to put away than they are to get out.

Topic: Time Management
~ Slow down to get more done.
~ Learn to live in the center of the storm where it is always calm.
~ Life is the Lord's way to teach us and to help us serve.
~ What is the best use of my time RIGHT now?
~ Saying no to something you are saying yes to something else. Saying yes to something you are saying no to something else.
~ Distance helps you be wiser. (This is referring to when you are asked to do something. She says to tell them that you will have to think about it so you can make a wiser decision.)
~ If you say no do not explain. Enemy's won't believe your friends don't need to know why.
~ If the Lord calls accept.
~ Move things that are important to timely or away from urgent.
~ Give yourself permission to play every day.
~ Figure out the game of life.

Topic: Finances
D&C 104:78
~ The Lord will provide the blessing of getting out of debt.
~ Begin now to learn to live next month on what you made last month.
~ Don't live on credit on live on cash.
~ Gain control.
~ "I never again will borrow money."
~ Balance out your accounts every week. Have a financial review every month.

Topic: Cleaning or Chores
~ Don't put things down- put them away.
~ A house becomes a home when we work on making it so.
~ Get ready for the day (aka shower) before anything else.
~ Spend 1st hours of the day to make things neat.
~ Make it fun for the kids.
~ Have 3 hours a day of "focus" time. (the time that you focus on specific chores)

Topic: Organizing Kids
~ Kids believe they are an adult in too small of a body. Start treating them as an adult.
~ Give kids the chance to be obedient.
~ Always give them a choice.
~ Always have an adult to adult (when treating kids like adult) conversations. Never an adult to child conversation. It is demeaning to the child.
~ One way to move to motivation is isolation.
~ Go slower to get things done.
~ Decide to be in charge again.
~ Parenting is not a popularity contest.
~ We must suffer consequences sooner than later.
~ Kids must work every day.
~ It is every one's work not just ours.
~ Discipline = Consistency
~ Nagging is not mothering.
~ For every child under 20 imagination is more fun than anything else.
~ When WE help they learn to help others.
~ Children never do what you expect, only what you inspect.
~ Your children want to please you. Move them to the place that they can do that.
~ The more the person has past what they need, the harder it is to be attached.
~ Children have a hard time cleaning because they are not attached to what they have.
~ Make it more miserable to be messy than it is to be clean.
~ Your home MUST be a haven.
and lastly
~ Don't get discouraged when your kids fail you. Be consistent and creative. Don't give up. They are pushing against you to see how far they can push.

It's me again

This is starting to be a habit. Sorry, it's time to post again (it's been too long) and I just can't think of one thing to post. I can think of 5. In order to get myself caught up I need to do another post like this. I promise it will be the last for while.

#1 My hubby started his job and so far he really likes it. The branch that he will be the manager of is not actually open until next week (I think). I guess they are going to have a big party and have a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Mayor of the city and stuff. It sounds like it would be fun. There are so many good things about this new job, but the one that I love the most is that he doesn't come home super stressed and unhappy. It is nice to see him not weighed down anymore.

#2 Little Princess had her gymnastics performance the other day. It was the cutest thing ever. She was super proud of herself. We got some video of it that I will have to figure out how to post on here. She seems like a natural. I was really proud of her.

#3 So our car broke down. We are not really sure what is wrong. We had to have it towed home the other day. I hate not having two working cars. Because it isn't working that means that my hubby took my jeep and I am stuck home. Little Princess can't even go to school today. I hope that we can figure it out soon.

#4 The snow is starting to melt and what a good thing it is too. I have always loved the snow, but this time of year I always get excited for the warm weather. The kids have been playing outside more, which means they have been happier kids. We are going to take a walk to the school today to hand in Kindergarten papers. I honestly can't wait to get out!

#5 I have completed my organizing class last week. (See House of Order or www.houseoforder.com) There are so many things that I learned from taking these classes. I really want to start all of the projects that I need to do to get my house in order. There are things that I want to start doing to just get my life in order too. I am grateful that I took these classes so I could learn to be a better homemaker, wife and mommy. Today I plan on sitting down and writing out my plan to tackle the things that I want to start on. There is no better time to organize your home than NOW! If I get a minute today I think that I am going to look over my notes from the class and post some of the quotes that I wrote down during the class. There are some pretty awesome ones that I just have to remember!

Olson, Dot and Mack

Let me introduce to you Olson, Dot and Mack. These 3 guys are really part of our family! They are loved as though they are anyway. Since they are an essential part of all of us getting a good nights sleep, I thought that I would write a little about each of them.

First we have Olson. Olson is a monkey and is Little Dudes favorite.

Olson was given to Little Dude when Little Princess was born. My grandma gave it to him (his great-grandma). Since then he has slept with Little Dude almost every night. At the beginning of winter we couldn't find Olson. I thought he was buried outside under the snow. It would make me sick to not know where he was at, and Little Dude was having a hard time with it too. A few weeks ago, Little Dude wanted to ride his bike. While searching through the garage he found Olson stashed in the back of the Barbie Jeep. Who would of thought that he was spending the winter in there. I brought him inside, gave him a bath, and we have all been sleeping better at night. I do have to say, Olson is a trooper. He has been tossed around, thrown up on, bounced on the trampoline, and like I said, spent the winter in the back of the Barbie Jeep.

Now here is Dot. Little Princess got her by my same grandma (her great-grandma) when she was born.

For the past 3 (almost 4) years she has been sleeping next to Little Princess. She is one LOVED bear! Little Princess will not go to sleep any where unless Dot is with her. She has been through alot too. Nothing like spending the winter in the garage, but she is almost always needing a bath.

Here is Mack. Little Man got him when he was born, and yes it was from grandma.
Mack hasn't had much time to be loved like Olson and Dot, but he is still very much apart of the clan. Little Man was carrying him around in his walker today and chewing on his arm. I have a feeling that he will end up just like the others with needing to be slept with EVERY night. A little story about how he got his name though. When Little Dude was little and learned what a duck said he couldn't say quack. He just said mack. So every time he saw a duck he would call it mack. So when my grandma gave Little Man this cute duck we just HAD to call him Mack.

Best $6.00 EVER spent

As some of you know, Little Man doesn't really crawl. He scoots. He actually can scoot really well. He even goes forward now! But we felt that he needed to be a little more mobile. My hubby had the idea to check out the DI to see if there was a baby walker that we could get for him. He found this for $6.00. (Gotta love the thrift store!) When we got it home and cleaned up we realized that it was the BEST $6.00 EVER SPENT! This kid LOVES his new freedom. He cruises all over the place. He gets going really fast and will cruise down the hallway with the other kids. He loves to be chased in it, and even chase the cat.



He has learned that he can get into more things like, the blinds, my sock drawer, and things on the coffee table. It cracks me up to watch him in this. He feels like such a big boy now.

Little Dude is 5!

It has been awhile since I had gotten out my camera. I wanted to take a few pictures of Little Dude because of him turning 5 and all. He is just so silly. It is so hard to take his picture sometimes. But occasionally I get a few that I really like. Like this one.



He was a good sport though. I bribed him with making cookies today. That made him really happy.



He was starting to get bored. He really can't contain his silliness for long. So I told him he could give me a silly face.



This is what I got! Always such a joker!

Dinosaur Birthday Cake

Well here it is. I never said I was a pro. I just try to do what my kids ask for. This year Little Dude wanted a dinosaur birthday cake and I delivered the best I could.

Here is how it was made:

I bought the dinosaurs at Wal Mart. The volcano is made out of a ice cream cone with the end cut off of it. The pond is blue jello that was added to my cut out just as the jello was starting to get set up. The trees are made out of pretzels and fruit roll ups. The green grass is just green sugar.

The poor writing looks terrible. I was busy with Little Dude and his friends (they were watching me) and I actually spelled birthday wrong. When I tried to fix it, it just made it look really bad. I should have just left it birthdy. No one would have even noticed!

Back with the living.

I hate to do another post like this but I just have so many things that I want to get caught up on.



~ We are finally better now. It was amazing, the minute my fever broke I felt better. The few days after I felt like I was totally rested. It sucks to get sick, but I loved the extra rest that I got.



~ It was a good thing that I started to feel better too because I had a birthday that I had to plan for. Thursday was Little dude's birthday. I am still in shock that he is now 5 years old. He had a great time and loved all of the attention. I survived the dinosaur birthday cake (pictures to come) and I was actually pretty proud of it. He celebrated from Wednesday at school, Thursday at home, Friday we took him to lunch, Saturday he had a party with his friends, and Sunday they sang to him at church. I am all birthday-ed out.



~ Remember that thing that I mentioned that I was getting impatient about? That thing that was going to change our lives? Well, I can now say what it is. My hubby quit his job at Chase. He was starting to be unhappy there, and things were getting a little hard on our family too. He had been praying about things and what would be best for the family, then one day the answer came to him. (He didn't know it at the time, but we now know that it was totally his answer) He had a feeling that he needed to look at another bank's website to see if they were hiring. They were so he took just a few minutes to fill out the online application. 20 minutes later they called him and set up an interview. The next day they met with him, and set up another interview for the day after that. Within the next week he knew he had the job. He had beat out like 60 something other applicants. He put in his two weeks and they told him to just take the time off. So for the next week he will be at home, then starting his new job next week. This really will be better for our family and for his carrer. He will be in a biger branch, they will be teaching him some things that he couldn't learn at Chase, he will be making more money, and he just feels that he will be happier. I am excited for him and so happy that he listened to the promptings of the spirit.



~ Since my hubby was at home on Friday we thought we should take the kids somewhere fun for lunch. We took them to the Mayan Restaurant so they could watch the cliff divers. They thought that it was really cool. They gave Little Dude a silly hat and gave him ice cream for his birthday. It was so fun to spend time as a family. The kids really got a kick out of it too.



~ Today is our 8th wedding anniversary! I can't believe that we have been married 8 years all ready! I am more in love with my hubby than I ever have been. Every day I love him more and more. I am so blessed because of him. He works so hard, and I am so proud of him. Happy Anniversary Honey! I love you!

This Cop is Mental!

This video just makes me sick!

I wonder why he was asking.

I overheard this the other day when I was trying to make dinner.

Little Dude: "Daddy who created Heavenly Father?"

Daddy: "He was created just like us honey."

Little Dude: "But who did it?"

Daddy: "His daddy did."

Little Dude: "Who is that? Moses?"

Daddy: "No, Moses isn't Heavenly Father's daddy."

Little Dude: "Who is it?"

Daddy: "Heavenly Grandfather."

Little Dude: "Who is Heavenly Grandfather's daddy?"

Daddy: "Heavenly Great-grandfather

Still sick ~ Yuck!

I take it back. I don't feel like I was hit by a bus. It's really more light a freight train.

In fact the baby and I had a really rough night last night. He is really sick too. We got up and went to the Instacare this morning. We fell asleep on the half bed thing in the office together. It was a sweet moment. The doctor took one look at me and said that I am suffering from Influenza and a Sinus Infection. Then he looked at the baby. He still has the croup and has an ear infection. We really are a mess.

My hubby has been holding us together. Let's just hope and pray that he doesn't get it.

Google Search Key Words Part 1

I recently signed up with a new site counter that gives me more information about how people come to my blog and who is here. I knew I got tons of hits from Google searches and I have always wondered what they were searching for that brought them to me. Well now I know. I have been very entertained by the key words so I thought that I would share a few of the funny ones.

~ Crazy Pee (You and I both know that I have had a little too much of that in my career as a mother)
~ Something that I will never understand (Me either! This one is really funny to me!)
~ Miley Cyrus' Deep Dark Secrets (Come here to get all the dirt! LOL)
~ Vaseline Uses (Remember this story? So do I!)
~ I am going crazy (You and me both!)
~ Career time line for the next 10 years (Ummm, ok.)
~ 3 year old peeing all over (Yup! Had my share of this)
~ How to get a truck unstuck (Call me! I am an expert!)
~ Master Bathroom remodel (Mine looks TOTALLY awesome!)
And lets not forget the one that has made me famous
~Lightning McQeen Birthday Cake (Oh, do I get TONS of hits every day from this one!)


Thought these were funny! Hope you enjoyed them as much as I did!

Just thinking....

It has been a few days since I have posted, but I have had a few things on my mind still.

#1 Little Dude's birthday is in less than a week away. My kids always put my cake making skills to the test every year. This year is no exception. Little Dude wants a Dinosaur cake. If anyone has any suggestions then let me know. I just don't know what to make.

#2 I have been feeling like I have been hit by a bus. My lungs are so tight and I have this cough that has been giving me a headache. On top of that every inch of my body aches and I have had the chills. I really wanted to make cookies with my kids for Valentine's Day, but I sat my butt on the couch almost the entire day.

#3 My hubby brought me home the most beautiful flowers, a box of peanut butter cups, and the silliest card yesterday. I just love him to death.

#4 I have really been enjoying Roxy (the new kitty). She is the sweetest little thing, and really likes to cuddle. The only problem that we have found in her so far is that she likes to sleep in the baby's crib down by his feet. One night he woke up scared because she was sniffing at his face.

#5 Even though this blog is just for fun and to write down what happens to me every day, it is still fun to get comments. I wonder why I get so many hits on my blog every day but not very many comments.

#6 There might be something that will change in our household really soon, and I am getting a little impatient about it. I just can't wait to see what happens! I would be so good for us.

#7 As much as I love the snow I am getting a little tired of it dumping 6 inches at every storm. I swear we will have snow until the 4th of July.

#8 I love my church calling. I love the young women that are in my ward! They are all so special in their own way, and it hurts to see some of them struggle. I wish that I could take each one of them by the hand and guide them through the hard times in life.

#9 We are VERY blessed that out Jeep didn't die on us the other day. There was a strange noise coming from the engine and when my hubby checked it out there wasn't any oil in it. I am totally embarrassed that this happened, but I am grateful that it was caught before it was a huge problem.

#10 The other day the baby fell off the couch and hit is head on the coffee table. He hit is SO hard that we thought he had a concussion. We took him the ER and he was fine but with a HUGE bruise on his head. The next day Little Dude was trying to take him outside to watch me put away some outside toys and he cut his head open on the brick by the front door. His head is a mess! He looks like we have been beating him. Poor kid!

#11 My 8th anniversary is comming up and I wonder if I get to do something fun with my hubby. The last time he took me on a date was our anniversary last year. Life has just been so busy, but I hope that we can go out this year!

Well that is about it. I am hoping that I will be feeling back to normal soon so I can get to some of the other things that I have been wanting to post. Have a great weekend everyone!

Roxy!

Little Princess it happy to introduce to you HER little Roxy. Roxy is about 5 months old or so and came to live with us late last night. When daddy got home and woke up Little Princess to show her that mommy and daddy got her a new kitty she was THE HAPPIEST I HAVE SEEN HER IN A LONG TIME! That smile is something that I wish I could have captured on camera. This picture just doesn't do it justice.


So far Roxy has been a great little kitty. She has entered into this home with so much love that it really makes it worth it! When we first started talking about getting Little Princess a kitty it just seemed like fun, but the more I thought about it the better the idea got. I realized that it would really do her alot of good to have a little friend. This is something that is all hers. Not her big brother's, not her little brother's, HERS! She has felt a little picked on lately, and sad that she doesn't have friends in the circle that she can just go play with. We have been giving her a little extra attention lately, but we thought this would be something that would make her feel REALLY special! I am happy to report that I have seen the side of my Little Princess that I haven't seen in awhile! I think that she does feel special! I love that she is so happy today!

When I was 3 years old, I loved cats! So much so, that I would take the neighbor's cats and hide them in my room. I would close the door and play with them until my mom would knock on the door. I would hurry and hide them in my dresser drawer and lie that I had a kitty in my room. For my birthday that year, my parents got me a kitty. I remember going to pick him out. I was SUPER excited! I brought him home and named him Tigger. I felt so special when I got my kitty too! I remember taking him everywhere! Playing with him, and having so much love for him. When he would get into a fight and get sick I would call my mom at work and just cry and cry about my worry for him.

When my parents got Tigger for me they thought that he would last just a couple of years. They didn't know that he would be around until just after I got married 17 years later. Even though I know that Tigger was really sick and really old, I still get sad when I think about him not being around any more. He was a big part of my life growing up.

I don't know how long Roxy will be a part of this family, but what I do know is that I know that my Little Princess feels special just like I did when I got Tigger. That is what is important to me!

I really thought we were under attack!

The baby woke up this morning at 5:15. I woke from a very sound sleep to feed him. I stumbled my way to the couch and started to nod back to sleep while I was feeding him. When all of the sudden our un-monitored alarm system goes off. (If you have one you will know how loud they are. Of not let me just say that I wouldn't be surprised if a 2 mile radius around my house heard it.) I jumped off the couch not totally sure what it was. Remember it wasn't monitored so that means that it couldn't be set. I ran SO fast back into my room where I see my hubby trying to get the covers off and yelled at me "WHAT IS THAT?" Here is where the story gets funny so let me paint the picture for you:

Me: Still not totally awake yet, scared out my mind, baby in arms, shirt still open and running into my room.

Hubby: Not totally awake yet either, trying hard to get the covers off, but having a hard time getting out of bed because I was trying to climb all over him for safety. He yells "WHAT IS THAT?"

Me: Remember that I had been sleeping so sound just 20 minutes before! Well, I don't know about you, but when you dream that something terrible happens and you try to yell, but you just can't? And it comes out all mumbled? This wasn't a dream it was very real, and I wasn't totally sure, but almost sure that we were in real danger. I also wasn't totally awake yet either so actually in my mind we were UNDER ATTACK! I tried to yell back to my hubby "I DON"T KNOW WHAT IT IS!" But with my sleepy toung still not cooperating this is how is actually sounded like "WI DONTH DTHOW WATH ITH ITHS!" It was all mumbled like it always is in a dream.

Hubby: In all this mess he yells back "WHAT?" Then he got it! His wife was too scared to talk! (Add sleepy to the mix and I was a wreck!)

At this point the kids were running down the hallway and trying to figure out what was going on. They were in much better shape than their mom!

In the end, my hubby remembered that while he was hanging sheetrock in the basement last night he unplugged the system, and that the battery must have run low. He ran down stairs and plugged it back in and it turned off.

My heart didn't stop pounding until 9:30 this morning, and I have been on high alert since then. Even this night a few years ago wasn't as scary to me as this morning was!

I guess he didn't read my sign!

Does anyone else think that it is funny that snow plow that I requested is having so much trouble driving in the circle that he had to radio for a bigger truck? He even got a little sidways at the end of the street! When I said it was bad, I meant it!

If you drive a truck for a living I am talking to you.

I am going to make this sign and post it at the end of the street!

I can now add Fed Ex truck to my resume. It wasn't near as eventful as the garbage man though. Here is what I have learned in the last week of having to help get two BIG trucks unstuck from my circle:

#1 Don't drive on the North East side of my circle. For some unknown reason that is where everyone keeps getting stuck.

#2 The companies of these two trucks are too cheap to replace tires that are as bald as my dear grandpa. (Love you grandpa!)

#3 One set of chains, (or none in the case of the garbage man) is not really going to help if you don't have it on the tire that is stuck! (Go figure!)

#4 You just can't push these trucks no matter how tough you think you are. (Yea you scrawny little delivery guy. You are smaller than me and if I don't think I can do it I am SURE you won't be able to do it either.)

#5 Now plywood might be a great idea to stick under the tire, I am still going to squint for fear that the tire is going to shoot it across the circle. (it's like waiting for a firework to go off.)

#6 The average time that it will take 2-3 guys and a clueless girl to get big trucks unstuck from the North East corner of my circle is about 45 minutes. (Good thing I started charging by the 1/2 hour)

#7 Watching their clueless mother try to help get the garbage truck, and the Fed Ex truck out of the circle has been better than tv for my kids.

#8 Maybe it is better to just not pull into a circle that has several inches of snow on top of the same amount of ice. There HAS to be a better way if you know you have bald tires and one or no set of chains!

#9 Next time this happens I have to have my camera near by so I can get proof that this keeps happening.

#10 When the other truck says that it is coming to help, count on getting that truck unstuck too! Thankfully this hasn't happened yet, but we were really close with the garbage man!

Thank you!

I am feeling much better. I can't begin to thank you guys enough for your sweet comments, your love and your ideas! I LOVED all of them. Some of the issues are not gone and will take awhile to be gone, but I feel the guidance of my Heavenly Father every day. I am blessed to have wonderful people in my life such as my awesome husband, family and friends. Even you blogging friends! Thank you so very much!

My hubby and I sat down and talked the other night and set some goals for us and our family. I am so excited about these things becasue I know that they will make the difference in our lives, and will make the changes so much easier! I have the most fantastic husband in the world! I am grateful for him and I love him dearly!

I want to share one thing that we have decided to do as a family. That is to do the Hinckley Challenge. It is to read the Book of Mormon in 97 days. I decided to do this on my own too. You can see my own progress on the side of my blog. I am convinced that this will help so much in my life! I hope that anyone else that is struggling with anything right now will also take this challange. I have seen it help me, I am sure that it will help others too!

Middle Child Syndrome

I was going to do a post about my Little Princess and how much she LOVES her overalls. I was thinking this morning about how excited she was to wear her "silver-alls" (still not sure why she calls them that) and I had to laugh. I have always loved them too. There was even a time when I worked at Muzak that my boss had to tell me to stop wearing them to work. I was pretty upset then, but I think that it is really funny now! This girl would wear them every day if she could!

But, while I was taking her picture to go along with the post that I had in mind, I captured this moment. I saw it an fell in love with it. This picture captures HER, who she is, the mischief in her eyes and smile, also the sweet and loving side of her shows through too!

I think that lately she has had a little bit of the "Middle Child Syndrome" where she feels that she is left out, picked on, not heard, and more. I have been trying to give her a little extra attention, and trying to help her and attend to her needs (they are so different than the boy's needs). I think that the small steps have been helping her to feel how special she really is.

We got to play on the floor in her room tegether last night. It was fun! It really helped us both feel better! While giving her some extra attention I remember the lessons that she had taught me in the last few years. I see how alike we are. I realized something of great importance. She learns to love herself from my example of loving myself. Maybe I haven't been the best example to her lately. I have decided on a few things that will help change that, that will help her realize how amazing she is and how much her mommy loves her.

She really is amazing! She makes me laugh, she makes me smile, she makes me think and sometimes cry. I can tell that the battle of right and rebellion (something that I have faught my entire life) has already begun. It is my duty to show her the importance of caring and loving yourself, and most of all the importance of doing what is right. She is so special to me, and I would hate to look back on this time and not feel that I did my very best! I love her so much!

In a slump.

Sometime I go through life just feeling like I am surviving, not really LIVING. I wake up, get kids ready for school, take kids to school, come home, shower, check my email, put baby down for a nap, pick kids up from school, make lunch, have a little down time with the kids, put baby down for another nap, try to get things done around the house (this is the time that I find myself most lazy actually) then I try to get some dinner done because hubby comes home, then we hang out for a bit and everyone goes to bed. But me. I don't sleep well these days. This is what I do every day. It rarely changes.

I have been blogging so much because it seems that it is my connection to the world. My phone never rings unless it is someone telling me that I forgot to pay a bill. (which has been happening too much lately) My hubby might call once a day. He is really busy at work. I check my email, but I rarely have any.

Where am I going with all this you ask? Well, I don't really know. I was feeling pretty crappy about myself and thought that I needed to get some of this out of my head. It has been a really hard couple of months for me. I have tried really hard to put on the happy face and pretend it is all just going to go away. Well, it isn't going anywere. I have the lowest self asteem that I have had in a long time. I feel that I am slowly loosing control of my surroundings.

I think about the things that I need to change to make things better, and it seems overwhelming.Where do I begin? I realize that without change we can never learn, and that in my case it is crutial that things change. I guess all I need is for someone to hold my hand and guide me through it all.

Spring? Um, not till 2009!

When I was a kid, growing up here in Utah, I remember getting so much snow that we had to shovel the roof of the house a few times. There was one year that we got on the roof of the house and jumped off into the pile of snow in the back yard. We had times that the snow would get so bad that they would cancel school even. And for some of you that live in a place that only gets a few inches and the entire town shuts down, let me remind you that you have it easy! It has to snow like 8 inches or more in a 24 hour time in order for them to shut anything down. There was just that much snow!

It has been many years since that has happened here though. I thought that it was just going to be a thing of the past. Until this winter. Almost every day in the last month we have had a snowstorm. Some have been little, but there has been some pretty good ones that has dropped 4-6 inches in one storm. I didn't think that it was possible to get any worse of a storm that we have already had, but when I woke up this morning to probably 8 inches or more, I was SHOCKED! You can't even see the steps to my front porch. My neighbor's van was stuck becasue the snow went right up to the bottom of his bumper. My brother's church was cancelled today because people couldn't get to the building. The wind is blowing so bad that there are snowdrifts that are a couple of feet high. And get this IT IS STILL SNOWING REALLY BAD!

My husband got a call today to bring his snow pants, boots and shovel to church so the Elder's can go dig out those that need help during church! What a cool thing!

There are other places in this valley that usually get more snow than we do. I can't begin to imagine how much snow they have now. This is a crazy storm, but honestly I wouldn't have my winters any other way!

It's a stinky job, but someone had to push him out.

There was quite a scene here in my circle yesterday morning. My hubby had shoveled the driveway before he went to work (nice surprise by the way) but because we got so much snow I had to do it again before little dude went to school. So while I was out there doing it the garbage man came. Usually they slip and slide all over the circle while they pick up the trash, but this morning was different. He got my neighbor's trash but got stuck. He wasn't going anywhere! He got out and tried to shovel some of the ice infront of the tires, he put down some ice melt, he tried to back up, go forward, back up again NOTHING! So my neighbor and I went and tried to help. You can't push those stinky heavy trucks anywhere. We tried to shovel more ice. 30 minutes later still he isn't moving. He calls another garbage truck they come by and help him out. Everything they tried wasn't working either. At this point I thought it was going to be a perminant fixture, well until spring anyway.



Finally, after 45 minutes of the garbage truck still sitting there, they got the idea to lift up the back of the truck like they were dumping it. I saw visions of the circle being filled with piles of garbage and I thought that would be worse than the truck being here until spring, but I had to trust them. Good thing I didn't protest out loud because it was what did the trick. It shifted the weight just enough that he could get out. BUT he still had the rest of the garbage to pick up. So guess what I got to do? My neighbor and I gathered all the rest of the garbage cans placed them in the grabing arms of the garbage truck one at a time. We got the rest of them emptied and he got out ok, but what a fun morning it was yesterday!