If you read this post, you HAVE TO turn up the volume. The song playing is perfect for this. It is a bit twangy..but it has a great message and it is really cute.
I just got back from my second wonderful run OUTSIDE in the sun this week. AAAGGGHHH I have only had to run in the gym once this week so far. Yes! Is it really January??? I didn't take my I-Pod this time, and I just thought while I was running. Here are my thoughts during this particular run.
I have always known that life is full of ups and downs, but for some reason or another, I have noticed it more the past few weeks.
Last week had some major downs, and proved to be really really rough for me. The matter is personal, but it was rough. Then the weekend turned out awesome. The weather was gorgeous, church was great, we had a great few days as a family, and the spirit in our home just seemed to be on a high. We were all just walking with lighter steps. It was great! I have to make myself enjoy it though, and not wonder if we are having a great time because something bad is going to happen. (weird fear of mine that I am trying to overcome)
Then Monday rolled around. The day I dread, because Ben is gone until 10:00pm. I survived Monday pretty well though. I was actually grateful that Ben got off work early and was able to join us for an hour in a fun FHE with a bunch of friends before heading off to class.
Then Tuesday came. Holy Moly was it a horrible day!! I was soooo grouchy all day long. The worst part was, I had no reason to be. UG! Just one of those days when the kids are hard, Sam cried and wanted to be held all day, the house is dirty, the laundry is piling up, groceries to get, ect. It was just a stinky stinky day. The day ended well though, thanks to Jacquie. She watched the kids, while I ran outside in the GORGEOUS 65+ degree weather. It was heavenly!
Wednesday was one of the BEST days I have had in a really really long time. Not that all days are bad, not even close, it was just that this one was really great!
I just woke up happy, and so did the kids. I attribute it to the prayer I said the night before, practically begging for a better day tomorrow. It was a GORGEOUS day and we had a great time at play group with friends and lots of warm sun. I love my friends. I dropped Mary off at school and was able to have a fun mid-day date with my hunny. We went out to lunch. I love being able to see him mid-day. It makes the day go faster. After that, me and the kids were able to get in a 2 hour nap!!! Miracle..especially because Mary hasn't napped in almost 6 months! After the nap, Ben got home, we had dinner and then I took off for a girl's night out at DQ. It was so great! I had a killer mint oreo blizzard. So yummy! I almost have to pinch myself every time I am with my friends. It is just amazing to me that I have been so blessed with such amazing women in my life right now. They went to a movie, but I had to come home early to check on Mary (she wasn't feeling too great, but turns out she is just fine). Once I knew she was fine, Ben told me to go out and get a new shirt! Shopping without the kids...he didn't have to ask twice! I found the cutest shirt and hat.I am so excited! I came home to a clean house and kids in PJ's (Ben..you rock!) and then we snuggled in for a night of our favorite show right now....LOST. We watched Lost and munched on the big fat stick of Laffy Taffy I brought home from the store.
Seriously...it was about as perfect of a day as I could have asked for. I am still smiling about it!
The ironic thing is that on the very same day, unknown to me, one of my friends was having a horrible day...I am talking really bad here. And on Tuesday when I was having a horrible day, another one of my friends posted on her blog saying that she was having a great day.
Isn't life so interesting! I am learning to bask in the sweetness of the magical days and to try to let them carry me though the difficult ones. So many people experiencing so many things at the same time. No wonder God has given us family and friends. We can all share the good moments and help with the bad. We are all in this together. Life is quite the journey isn't it!
This Is Where It All Begins
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Before I dig in to a more serious topic...I LOVE THIS WEATHER!! It has been above 60 for a few days, and it is January!!! It is gorgeous here right now. It has been so warm and sunny. We have basically lived outside the past few days. It is great!!! Even better, there is snow on the way this weekend. Sun and snow in one week....who could ask for more. aaaggghhh
O.K., so this Sunday was really neat and really caused me to reflect on my testimony and my personal beliefs. It was ward Conference, so our Stake President spoke as well as the Bishop of our ward. AWESOME talks!!! President Woodward (the Stake President) also spoke to the women in Relief Society. He talked about overcoming discouragment and how to find peace in your heart during rough times. He talked about things a.k.a. "truths" of the Gospel that we can hold on to and find peace and comfort in.
It wasn't so much what he was saying as it was the amazing spirit that was present in the room. I love moments like that, when the spirit is so strong, I feel like I could just reach out and touch it. My heart was burning with the truthfullness of what he was saying. Not just of what he was saying, but the truthfullness of the gospel he was talking about.
As I sat there, I realized over and over again, just how incredibly true and simply wonderful the Gospel is...not just the Gospel..but the FULLNESS of the Gospel that we have as members of this wonderful church. I felt and feel so blessed to be part of something that my whole soul knows is real and true. I thrive in the knowledge that we had a beautiful life with our Father in heaven before we came to this Earth, and I thrive even more in the Plan of Salvation. The sure knowledge of where we came from, why we are here, where we are going, the purpose of this life, ect. The beautiful plan that opens the way for us to live FOREVER and ETERNALLY with our families, our loved ones, our Father in heaven and even our brother and Savior, Jesus Christ. I know, without a doubt, that I will be with my family for eternity...there is no "until death do us part." I am so grateful that Ben and I were able to be married in the temple. The only place where we are able to be sealed to eachother and to our children for "time and all eternity." That knowledge brings me more peace than any thing else I could know or have.
The Gospel brings so much peace to my heart and so much hope to my soul. I could never deny the truthfullness of this amazing Gospel. I am so grateful that I belong to a church that has the fullness of the gospel; the knowledge, the power, the authority given from God, and the way to truly be able to live in the presence of our Savior again.
I am so grateful to have this beautiful knowledge and this testimony burning in my soul.
Aside from my testimony that this Church is true, there are so many other reasons I love this church. I love the programs it has to offer. Relief Society..a chance to be with the women of the church..to laugh, to cry, to share, to serve, to learn and to make everlasting friendships. I love the love that I feel when I walk in the doors and see instant friends sitting there. I love knowing that even though I am away from my family, I have my ward family, and we take care of eachother. It is like instant friends, no matter where you go. I love the Primary where kids can learn and grow in such a loving and fun environment. I love the Young Men and Young Women programs where the youth of the church have so many opportunities to serve, to share and to grow in their faith. I love how there is no pressure to be anyone other than who you are. I love how our church is so accepting of members and non-members alike. Everyone is welcomed with open arms. We are all God's children.
Last week presented some new challenges to our family..well, mainly me. I had to deal with something I have never dealt with before. It was harder than I thought it would be, and I didn't fully understand what was going on. I went for a few days, trying to deal with it on my own. When I finally knelt down in prayer and asked the Lord above to help me, I was surrounded with warmth and love and most importantly, hope. Hope is what I needed most of all, and He knew it, even before I realized it. I have been filled with this hope since then, and the road has seemed a lot shorter and a lot brighter. I am so grateful for a Heavenly Father who knows me and loves me and who wants me to succeed.
I can't wait for the day, when Ben and I can serve a mission and share this beautiful message to all who will hear it. Maybe we can find at least one soul out there who is seeking for the truth and the fullness of this beautiful Gospel. One soul who is ready and waiting for this wonderous message of peace, hope, love and everlasting life.
O.K., so this Sunday was really neat and really caused me to reflect on my testimony and my personal beliefs. It was ward Conference, so our Stake President spoke as well as the Bishop of our ward. AWESOME talks!!! President Woodward (the Stake President) also spoke to the women in Relief Society. He talked about overcoming discouragment and how to find peace in your heart during rough times. He talked about things a.k.a. "truths" of the Gospel that we can hold on to and find peace and comfort in.
It wasn't so much what he was saying as it was the amazing spirit that was present in the room. I love moments like that, when the spirit is so strong, I feel like I could just reach out and touch it. My heart was burning with the truthfullness of what he was saying. Not just of what he was saying, but the truthfullness of the gospel he was talking about.
As I sat there, I realized over and over again, just how incredibly true and simply wonderful the Gospel is...not just the Gospel..but the FULLNESS of the Gospel that we have as members of this wonderful church. I felt and feel so blessed to be part of something that my whole soul knows is real and true. I thrive in the knowledge that we had a beautiful life with our Father in heaven before we came to this Earth, and I thrive even more in the Plan of Salvation. The sure knowledge of where we came from, why we are here, where we are going, the purpose of this life, ect. The beautiful plan that opens the way for us to live FOREVER and ETERNALLY with our families, our loved ones, our Father in heaven and even our brother and Savior, Jesus Christ. I know, without a doubt, that I will be with my family for eternity...there is no "until death do us part." I am so grateful that Ben and I were able to be married in the temple. The only place where we are able to be sealed to eachother and to our children for "time and all eternity." That knowledge brings me more peace than any thing else I could know or have.
The Gospel brings so much peace to my heart and so much hope to my soul. I could never deny the truthfullness of this amazing Gospel. I am so grateful that I belong to a church that has the fullness of the gospel; the knowledge, the power, the authority given from God, and the way to truly be able to live in the presence of our Savior again.
I am so grateful to have this beautiful knowledge and this testimony burning in my soul.
Aside from my testimony that this Church is true, there are so many other reasons I love this church. I love the programs it has to offer. Relief Society..a chance to be with the women of the church..to laugh, to cry, to share, to serve, to learn and to make everlasting friendships. I love the love that I feel when I walk in the doors and see instant friends sitting there. I love knowing that even though I am away from my family, I have my ward family, and we take care of eachother. It is like instant friends, no matter where you go. I love the Primary where kids can learn and grow in such a loving and fun environment. I love the Young Men and Young Women programs where the youth of the church have so many opportunities to serve, to share and to grow in their faith. I love how there is no pressure to be anyone other than who you are. I love how our church is so accepting of members and non-members alike. Everyone is welcomed with open arms. We are all God's children.
Last week presented some new challenges to our family..well, mainly me. I had to deal with something I have never dealt with before. It was harder than I thought it would be, and I didn't fully understand what was going on. I went for a few days, trying to deal with it on my own. When I finally knelt down in prayer and asked the Lord above to help me, I was surrounded with warmth and love and most importantly, hope. Hope is what I needed most of all, and He knew it, even before I realized it. I have been filled with this hope since then, and the road has seemed a lot shorter and a lot brighter. I am so grateful for a Heavenly Father who knows me and loves me and who wants me to succeed.
I can't wait for the day, when Ben and I can serve a mission and share this beautiful message to all who will hear it. Maybe we can find at least one soul out there who is seeking for the truth and the fullness of this beautiful Gospel. One soul who is ready and waiting for this wonderous message of peace, hope, love and everlasting life.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Running...post-marathon life
So, a lot of people have been asking me how post-marathon life has been.
Well, right now Ben is at the gym working out, and he took the kids. There are dishes in the sink and there is laundry waiting to be folded and put away. I am sitting her blogging, eating a KitKat and petting the dog. hhhhmmmm
O.K. so this is an abnormal night, but it still feels so good to just CHILL and not totally freak out that I didn't get to the gym today. (well, maybe I freaked out a little, but I did stay home, and the peace and quiet it so worth it)
I didn't run at all the week after the marathon, and after that it has basically been running 5 miles on the treadmill at the gym 3-4 times a week. I have kept my pace the same. Good ol' 6.5 mph. I am not doing speedwork anymore, and that has been pretty nice. Sometimes after running, I will hop on the bike or the elliptical for a while to get the kinks out.
After training so hard for so long, it is really weird to run without something to look forward to though. I am going to do another marathon, most likely St. George, but not for a while. I am also looking into those mini-triathlons. That way Ben and I could do it together. I just need to learn how to swim for real...no doggy paddling. ;)
My passion will always be running though. Right now, it is a little hairy because of the slick roads. I LOVE LOVE LOVE running outside, and I can do that whether or not I have a goal in mind. I do it because I love it, simple as that. It is the dang treadmill running! BLAH! I stare out a window at the parking lot for almost an hour (that is if the window isn't fogged over with everyones stinky breath) while inhaling everyones body odor and sweat. Not to mention all those guys running next to me that drink protein shakes and fart the whole time. It is not easy to run while holding your breath. It is so gross! I guess if that can't stop me, not much will.
On the up side, the weather has been great the past few days, and if it keeps up, I am grabbing the dog, and we are doing some serious miles OUTSIDE!!!!! Fresh air, feet pounding the pavement, change of scenery, dog next to me, awesome new ipod songs ,aaaahhhh, can you feel it????
Well, right now Ben is at the gym working out, and he took the kids. There are dishes in the sink and there is laundry waiting to be folded and put away. I am sitting her blogging, eating a KitKat and petting the dog. hhhhmmmm
O.K. so this is an abnormal night, but it still feels so good to just CHILL and not totally freak out that I didn't get to the gym today. (well, maybe I freaked out a little, but I did stay home, and the peace and quiet it so worth it)
I didn't run at all the week after the marathon, and after that it has basically been running 5 miles on the treadmill at the gym 3-4 times a week. I have kept my pace the same. Good ol' 6.5 mph. I am not doing speedwork anymore, and that has been pretty nice. Sometimes after running, I will hop on the bike or the elliptical for a while to get the kinks out.
After training so hard for so long, it is really weird to run without something to look forward to though. I am going to do another marathon, most likely St. George, but not for a while. I am also looking into those mini-triathlons. That way Ben and I could do it together. I just need to learn how to swim for real...no doggy paddling. ;)
My passion will always be running though. Right now, it is a little hairy because of the slick roads. I LOVE LOVE LOVE running outside, and I can do that whether or not I have a goal in mind. I do it because I love it, simple as that. It is the dang treadmill running! BLAH! I stare out a window at the parking lot for almost an hour (that is if the window isn't fogged over with everyones stinky breath) while inhaling everyones body odor and sweat. Not to mention all those guys running next to me that drink protein shakes and fart the whole time. It is not easy to run while holding your breath. It is so gross! I guess if that can't stop me, not much will.
On the up side, the weather has been great the past few days, and if it keeps up, I am grabbing the dog, and we are doing some serious miles OUTSIDE!!!!! Fresh air, feet pounding the pavement, change of scenery, dog next to me, awesome new ipod songs ,aaaahhhh, can you feel it????
Monday, January 5, 2009
We're Baaaaack
O.K.....um...where do I start. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, our 5th Anniversary, our rockin' awesome Idaho trip, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, ect. YIKES!!!
I think that is all going to be too much to blog, and too much for you all to read, so I will just summarize. Warning..even the summary is lengthy, but still entertaining...to me anyway.
Christmas Eve....
1. I worked out in the morning while Ben was at work, and was so proud of myself for getting to the gym on Christmas Eve..go me!
2. The evening was spent with great friends and we ate great food. Mike and Mel and Tyler were so nice to let us crash their home and curb the homesickness that always ails me on Christmas Eve. We ate yummy food, had a blast talking and just had a fun time. We have the best neighbors/friends ever! We love hanging out with them. They rock our socks!
3. We came home and we all opened our Christmas Eve gift....new p.j.'s!!! Of course, the kids pajamas match..so cute! That tradition is one of my favorites!
4. We all settled down for a fun Christmas movie until the kiddos fell asleep. Soon after, Santa made his trip to our home.
Christmas Day...
1. My first Christmas EVER sleeping past 6:00am. Weird!
2. We woke up when the kids woke up and had a family prayer to thank the Lord for our Saviour Jesus Christ and all of the many many blessings He has brought into our lives, most importantly, the atonement.
3. After the prayer we let the kids and the dog go down the stairs and soak in all the glory that Santa and the family provided. Mary was so shocked with the sight that she literally froze in place and didn't say a word. It was hilarious. Sam immediately ran to the train table that was sitting out in the room and began playing.
4. We had a wonderful morning full of gifts, love, sugar cereal(very rare) and gratitude for our Savior.
5. In the afternooon, we brought some Christmas gifts to those in need.
6. Then we rented Lost and settled down for an evening of family together time and movies.
It was a wonderful Christmas for the Maynards.
Sam on his favorite Christmas gift
Mary with some stuff Santa brought her.
Dec. 26th, our 5th Anniversary....
1. This year it was Ben's turn to plan..and he did very well!
2. In August, we went on trip to the Bahamas, so we named that our official 5 year Anniversary celebration, but we still had to do something on the actual day..right??
3. We began the day at the gym working out. Rock on!
4. We then rushed home and began taking down all of the Christmas decorations. It was earlier than normal, but we were leaving for a long trip the next day, and our tree was so dry it was a fire hazard for sure.
5. We cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. We then dropped the kids off with some friends (THANK YOU SO MUCH MURDOCKS!!!) and headed out.
6. We went to a movie and then out to dinner to P.F. Changs.
7. Ben gave me the sweetest gift ever in the car. It was very special and cute. We had a lot of fun reminiscing about the past 5 years and talking about the future as well. I love Ben so much and I feel so blessed to be married to such an amazing man. Can't believe it has been 5 years! Wow!
8. We got home late and packed into the night. The next morning we headed out for Boise, Idaho!!!!
Our trip...
1. So, our 12 hour trip turned into a 20 hour trip!!! Not kidding! We left in good time Saturday morning, and planned to get there that evening...man were we in for a surprise! We had 60mph wind gusts in good ol' Wyoming. We saw 6 trucks flipped over on their sides and really messed up from the wind. Then it was on to Utah for some insane white outs and some blizzards. I drove 35-40 mph for about 4 hours. At 2am we pulled into Burley, Idaho and got a motel. They even let us have the dog in our room! Luckily, the kids and the dog traveled GREAT and we didn't really have any problems with crying or whining.
2. We left that morning and headed to Boise. We got there Sunday afternoon.
3. It was so great to be there and see Ben's family. They are so much fun to be with! All of Ben's brothers and their families were there, except for one. It was fun to see everyone again. We were also able to see some of our best friends that we knew in Rexburg. We had a blast visiting with them well into the night. Mary was showing us her gymnastics, so we all decided to try as well. Here is Ben helping Jacob attempt a bridge kick-over. This trick soon became famous on our trip. For some reason everyone just has to try it. So hilarious!!! Jacob...hope your foot is healing.
4. The next few days were full of sledding, eating, talking, shooting, going out to lunch with the girls (my favorite part), and playing hard! It is always so entertaining in the Maynard home. Never a dull moment. I love it! Jolene was such a trooper to have so many people in her home just weeks after surgery. She is amazing and so full of love for everyone.
Mary and Sterling on their treck up the hill
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Mary and Sterling LOVING the ride down the hill
Lunch with the girls....aahhh...so refreshing!
The Big Boy's day out.
5. We headed to Pocatello on New Year's Eve. Thankfully, we had great roads and weather. The kids played so hard in Boise that they slept the ENTIRE way to Pocatello. It was great!
6. We had a great time in Pocatello with my family. We really soaked in the moments, because I don't see my family very often. Especially a few of my siblings.
7. We went out to dinner, talked, watched movies, worked out at Gold's Gym (we checked out a membership option for my mom and got 4 free work out days...their treadmills are to die for...it was awesome!), visited with my grandpa, played in the snow, and had an amazing tree burning. Not to mention laughing soooo hard while playing games that I thought my stomach muscles would burst.
New Year's Eve..a little delayed....
1. My family has a tradition of burning the Christmas tree on New Year's Eve, but we waited a few days, so my brother could be there. He was driving in from AZ on his way to moving to Rexburg, Idaho for school. We still stayed up New Year's Eve, well some of us, and watched the ball drop and everything, but the real party was when Tyler and Jessica got here.
2. We all marched through the snow drifts out to the pasture (my parents live in 2 1/2 acres) and had our Roman candles ready to go. My dad had the tree all gassed up along with a bunch of other wood and tree scraps. We all aimed and fired. It was AWESOME!!!! The noise was unbelievable, and Tyler was the lucky person to nail the tree with his fire ball and sent it up in flames. The fire literally roared to life in less than a second. It was so much fun!!!! I love this tradition! Both kids ended up crying because of the noise, but they soon got over it and enjoyed the massive fire as much as we did. After that it was doughnuts and hot chocolate for the pyros and a job well done. Love it!
Headed out on our mission, fully equipped with the necessities.
This is me doing a thumbs up for a job well done. I LOVE FIRE!!!!
Ben doing a headstand in front of the fire
This is my dad talking to the police officer that somehow made his way to us. The picture is dark, so you may not be able to see them talking. The cop was more concerned about the size of the fire than the outstanding noise we made with the roman candles.(which were hidden in Tyler's coat during the "cop interview.") No harm done...I actually think the officer was pretty amused.
Mary totally showed us all up. This is me, Kelsey and Tyler all trying to do a bridge kick-over. Mary makes it look so easy! Kelsey was successful too.
Mario Cart Wii. Bop and Mary did pretty well, not too much whiplash.
Tyler break dancing...one of the more hilarious moments in my life. I was laughing so hard I was crying.
Sam trying on one of the masks Devin has hanging in his room.
Mary trying on a mask as well. I made this mask when I was in grade school. Pretty freaky huh.
Chamonix...
1.He was in dog heaven on this trip. Seriously.
2. He had so many playmates and so much land to run free on. He was as happy as could be.
3. I took him running with me up on the canal. The canal is my old running route that I ran every day when I lived at home. It is the perfect 6 mile run and the view is so pretty. Chamonix loved it and begged the rest of the trip to go again. It was a lot of lot of fun having him on the trip with us.
Chamonix and Champ. They became best friends while we were there. I have never seen Chamonix so happy and excited. They ran around ALL day! No chains, no fences and no harnesses. They were elated to say the least. They even split their garage Hotel (made by my dad) with each other and shared food dishes. Champ howled and cried after we left and Chamonix laid around in a depressed slump the day we left. Poor puppies. They will be together again soon...hopefully.
Back to normal life... So as all good things must do, it all has come to an end. However, I am actually excited to get back into the groove again. It amazes me how living in a place we love can make the transition so much easier when we leave family. In California, I would cry every time we left and mope around for days after we got home. I would be so lonely I would almost go crazy. I would literally, go into the closet and bawl my eyes out. It was truly horrible! My heart would just ache so much.
Now, I feel like we are happy where we are, and I like our little routine. We have great friends and a fun ward. We love our home and feel at home in it. It is so nice to feel like I am home after being home.
Of course, I am always homesick and my heart always aches for family, but it isn't as horrible as it was just less than a year ago. I always have a hope in my heart that someday we will be closer to family and those we love so dearly. For now though, I am striving to be happy where we are and live life to the fullest. I am just so thankful that we obeyed the voice of the Lord and moved our family to such a wonderful place where our hearts can be at peace and our spirits can soar.
I think that is all going to be too much to blog, and too much for you all to read, so I will just summarize. Warning..even the summary is lengthy, but still entertaining...to me anyway.
Christmas Eve....
1. I worked out in the morning while Ben was at work, and was so proud of myself for getting to the gym on Christmas Eve..go me!
2. The evening was spent with great friends and we ate great food. Mike and Mel and Tyler were so nice to let us crash their home and curb the homesickness that always ails me on Christmas Eve. We ate yummy food, had a blast talking and just had a fun time. We have the best neighbors/friends ever! We love hanging out with them. They rock our socks!
3. We came home and we all opened our Christmas Eve gift....new p.j.'s!!! Of course, the kids pajamas match..so cute! That tradition is one of my favorites!
4. We all settled down for a fun Christmas movie until the kiddos fell asleep. Soon after, Santa made his trip to our home.
Christmas Day...
1. My first Christmas EVER sleeping past 6:00am. Weird!
2. We woke up when the kids woke up and had a family prayer to thank the Lord for our Saviour Jesus Christ and all of the many many blessings He has brought into our lives, most importantly, the atonement.
3. After the prayer we let the kids and the dog go down the stairs and soak in all the glory that Santa and the family provided. Mary was so shocked with the sight that she literally froze in place and didn't say a word. It was hilarious. Sam immediately ran to the train table that was sitting out in the room and began playing.
4. We had a wonderful morning full of gifts, love, sugar cereal(very rare) and gratitude for our Savior.
5. In the afternooon, we brought some Christmas gifts to those in need.
6. Then we rented Lost and settled down for an evening of family together time and movies.
It was a wonderful Christmas for the Maynards.
Sam on his favorite Christmas gift
Mary with some stuff Santa brought her.
Dec. 26th, our 5th Anniversary....
1. This year it was Ben's turn to plan..and he did very well!
2. In August, we went on trip to the Bahamas, so we named that our official 5 year Anniversary celebration, but we still had to do something on the actual day..right??
3. We began the day at the gym working out. Rock on!
4. We then rushed home and began taking down all of the Christmas decorations. It was earlier than normal, but we were leaving for a long trip the next day, and our tree was so dry it was a fire hazard for sure.
5. We cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. We then dropped the kids off with some friends (THANK YOU SO MUCH MURDOCKS!!!) and headed out.
6. We went to a movie and then out to dinner to P.F. Changs.
7. Ben gave me the sweetest gift ever in the car. It was very special and cute. We had a lot of fun reminiscing about the past 5 years and talking about the future as well. I love Ben so much and I feel so blessed to be married to such an amazing man. Can't believe it has been 5 years! Wow!
8. We got home late and packed into the night. The next morning we headed out for Boise, Idaho!!!!
Our trip...
1. So, our 12 hour trip turned into a 20 hour trip!!! Not kidding! We left in good time Saturday morning, and planned to get there that evening...man were we in for a surprise! We had 60mph wind gusts in good ol' Wyoming. We saw 6 trucks flipped over on their sides and really messed up from the wind. Then it was on to Utah for some insane white outs and some blizzards. I drove 35-40 mph for about 4 hours. At 2am we pulled into Burley, Idaho and got a motel. They even let us have the dog in our room! Luckily, the kids and the dog traveled GREAT and we didn't really have any problems with crying or whining.
2. We left that morning and headed to Boise. We got there Sunday afternoon.
3. It was so great to be there and see Ben's family. They are so much fun to be with! All of Ben's brothers and their families were there, except for one. It was fun to see everyone again. We were also able to see some of our best friends that we knew in Rexburg. We had a blast visiting with them well into the night. Mary was showing us her gymnastics, so we all decided to try as well. Here is Ben helping Jacob attempt a bridge kick-over. This trick soon became famous on our trip. For some reason everyone just has to try it. So hilarious!!! Jacob...hope your foot is healing.
4. The next few days were full of sledding, eating, talking, shooting, going out to lunch with the girls (my favorite part), and playing hard! It is always so entertaining in the Maynard home. Never a dull moment. I love it! Jolene was such a trooper to have so many people in her home just weeks after surgery. She is amazing and so full of love for everyone.
Mary and Sterling on their treck up the hill
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Mary and Sterling LOVING the ride down the hill
Lunch with the girls....aahhh...so refreshing!
The Big Boy's day out.
5. We headed to Pocatello on New Year's Eve. Thankfully, we had great roads and weather. The kids played so hard in Boise that they slept the ENTIRE way to Pocatello. It was great!
6. We had a great time in Pocatello with my family. We really soaked in the moments, because I don't see my family very often. Especially a few of my siblings.
7. We went out to dinner, talked, watched movies, worked out at Gold's Gym (we checked out a membership option for my mom and got 4 free work out days...their treadmills are to die for...it was awesome!), visited with my grandpa, played in the snow, and had an amazing tree burning. Not to mention laughing soooo hard while playing games that I thought my stomach muscles would burst.
New Year's Eve..a little delayed....
1. My family has a tradition of burning the Christmas tree on New Year's Eve, but we waited a few days, so my brother could be there. He was driving in from AZ on his way to moving to Rexburg, Idaho for school. We still stayed up New Year's Eve, well some of us, and watched the ball drop and everything, but the real party was when Tyler and Jessica got here.
2. We all marched through the snow drifts out to the pasture (my parents live in 2 1/2 acres) and had our Roman candles ready to go. My dad had the tree all gassed up along with a bunch of other wood and tree scraps. We all aimed and fired. It was AWESOME!!!! The noise was unbelievable, and Tyler was the lucky person to nail the tree with his fire ball and sent it up in flames. The fire literally roared to life in less than a second. It was so much fun!!!! I love this tradition! Both kids ended up crying because of the noise, but they soon got over it and enjoyed the massive fire as much as we did. After that it was doughnuts and hot chocolate for the pyros and a job well done. Love it!
Headed out on our mission, fully equipped with the necessities.
This is me doing a thumbs up for a job well done. I LOVE FIRE!!!!
Ben doing a headstand in front of the fire
This is my dad talking to the police officer that somehow made his way to us. The picture is dark, so you may not be able to see them talking. The cop was more concerned about the size of the fire than the outstanding noise we made with the roman candles.(which were hidden in Tyler's coat during the "cop interview.") No harm done...I actually think the officer was pretty amused.
Mary totally showed us all up. This is me, Kelsey and Tyler all trying to do a bridge kick-over. Mary makes it look so easy! Kelsey was successful too.
Mario Cart Wii. Bop and Mary did pretty well, not too much whiplash.
Tyler break dancing...one of the more hilarious moments in my life. I was laughing so hard I was crying.
Sam trying on one of the masks Devin has hanging in his room.
Mary trying on a mask as well. I made this mask when I was in grade school. Pretty freaky huh.
Chamonix...
1.He was in dog heaven on this trip. Seriously.
2. He had so many playmates and so much land to run free on. He was as happy as could be.
3. I took him running with me up on the canal. The canal is my old running route that I ran every day when I lived at home. It is the perfect 6 mile run and the view is so pretty. Chamonix loved it and begged the rest of the trip to go again. It was a lot of lot of fun having him on the trip with us.
Chamonix and Champ. They became best friends while we were there. I have never seen Chamonix so happy and excited. They ran around ALL day! No chains, no fences and no harnesses. They were elated to say the least. They even split their garage Hotel (made by my dad) with each other and shared food dishes. Champ howled and cried after we left and Chamonix laid around in a depressed slump the day we left. Poor puppies. They will be together again soon...hopefully.
Back to normal life... So as all good things must do, it all has come to an end. However, I am actually excited to get back into the groove again. It amazes me how living in a place we love can make the transition so much easier when we leave family. In California, I would cry every time we left and mope around for days after we got home. I would be so lonely I would almost go crazy. I would literally, go into the closet and bawl my eyes out. It was truly horrible! My heart would just ache so much.
Now, I feel like we are happy where we are, and I like our little routine. We have great friends and a fun ward. We love our home and feel at home in it. It is so nice to feel like I am home after being home.
Of course, I am always homesick and my heart always aches for family, but it isn't as horrible as it was just less than a year ago. I always have a hope in my heart that someday we will be closer to family and those we love so dearly. For now though, I am striving to be happy where we are and live life to the fullest. I am just so thankful that we obeyed the voice of the Lord and moved our family to such a wonderful place where our hearts can be at peace and our spirits can soar.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Happy Birthday Little Girl
Today is Mary's Birthday...the big 4.
For some reason or another, this has been the most sentimental Birthday she has had, for me.
All day, I just keep pondering on her birth, her infant life, her toddler years and now her cute little preschool years. I guess it is just shocking to me that she is actually growing up...and fast...too fast.
Because of my reflective mood today and in light of her Birthday, I guess I will write a few of the things I have been reflecting on about Mary.
She was born in Rexburg, Idaho on one of the coldest days that year. I think it was in the negatives. My snot literally froze when I walked from the car to the hospital doors.
I labored for 14 hours with her and pushed for 2 of those hours. Mary went into distress and so did I. We fought together and made it through. She was a BEAUTIFUL baby! She came home on Christmas Day in a cute red dress. What a gift!
Mary was the most energetic infant I have ever seen to this day. She was CONSTANTLY moving her head, her arms, and her legs. She was very very alert. She had dark brown hair for about a month, and she was a CHUB! Oh man, she was adorable!
Mary had 8 ear infections (no tubes), strep, thrush, and so many horrible colds that we couldn't tell one from the next, in her first year of life. We later learned that mold under the carpet in our appt. was the culprit. We moved soon after. We went to the doctor a lot. We also discovered her allergy to penicillin that year as well. She is a fighter. She was also allergic to milk, which we didn't know until she was 9 months old. Like I said...she is a fighter.
As an infant, Mary LOVED rides in the car and the stroller. She also loved her swing. As long as she was moving, she was very happy. She also loved to be sung to. I made up a song for her that was so fun to sing. Kind of dorky, but cute. I loved to just hold her close and sing to her.
As a toddler, Mary was soooooo dang cute, and also incredibly strong willed. She LOVED to be outside and moving all the time. She got a sense of humor really fast and had us cracking up all the time. She is a very fun-loving child. She loved to just play, play, play. She was such a good sport with Ben and I both being in school and Ben working. She just rolled with the flow and had a good time.
Mary is now in gymnastics and preschool, and is growing up fast. I am shocked every day with the tricks she learns in gymnastics and with the educational things she learns in school. She has a big love of learning and trying new things. She accomplishes what she sets out to do, but she also has a lot of fun along the way. Such a great quality.
Mary has grown to be a beautiful, fun, happy, smart, athletic, and precious little girl. She lights up our lives in so many ways. She is such a sweet big sister to Sam and she has a big heart. She is very determined and is as quick as a whip in that head of hers. Nothing gets past her. She is so full of love and sunshine, and is the first one to spread the love around to those she comes in contact with.
We love Mary so much. Our lives have been so blessed and enriched with her in them. She is such a precious gift from above.
Love you baby girl!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
The adventures of Mr. Ribbit
Some of you that have been following our blog, may remember my post about Mr. Ribbit, our bullfrog. We didn't know he was a bullfrog at the time we got him. We just figured he was an ENORMOUS tadpole.
By the time we discovered that he was a bullfrog and watched the sickening mutation from tadpole to frog (nasty), it was too late. We aren't allowed to sell him or give him away...it is illegal. We can only donate him to a school lab once he is full grown. Bullfrogs ruin entire ecosystems, because of their huge appetite.
Right now, he is up to eating about 5 crickets a day (live crickets), but sooner than later, he will be moving on to mice and then birds. After three months, I finally got up the guts to feed him the crickets last week..out of necessity. Ben was gone. I really don't think I will be able to stomach the mice or the birds.
I cleaned out his little tank today, and realized that he is already getting so big, and he has only been an actual frog for three months. He is bigger than any full grown frog in the pet stores!!!
Supposedly, he will grow to be the size of a dinner plate. Hooray for us. Does anyone know where we can get a 10 gallon tank for free???? He needs a bigger home pretty quickly here. I was told that we will actually need a 30 gallon tank, if we want to keep him alive when he is full grown, but for now, I am just looking for a 10 gallon tank.
Anywhoo...somehow this frog is beginning to grow on us, and we kind of like him. He is quiet so far, and just does his own thing. I can only imagine what it will be like when the croaking begins.
I am wondering if our Christmas lights hypnotize him, because at night, when I plug in the lights, he just sits on his rock and stares at the lights. He doesn't move an inch. It is hilarious.
So there you you have it, two adults, two kids, a dog and a bullfrog. Can't get much more all-American than that...right?
Here is a picture of him. I took it while he was in a bowl waiting for me to clean his tank, so the background is all white. Hello Mr. Ribbit.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
My Grandpa is 90 today!!!
Today is my Grandpa Hanks' 90th Birthday. My mom's side of the family had a HUGE birthday bash for him over Thanksgiving weekend. We weren't able to make it...big bummer. I am so blessed to have lived by and grown up close to both sets of grandparents, and I feel like I know and love them all deeply.
Grandpa Hanks (Wright Capner Hanks) is the last living grandparent I have. I have so many awesome memories with him. He always told the story of The Little Match Girl on Christmas Eve, and always cried. It is so touching. He made it to soooo many of my cheerleading performances, piano competitions, sports events, church events, and everything else under the sun.
My grandma was pretty big about Birthdays and always made them special. After she died (unexpectedly), grandpa kept the tradition going. He has never forgotten my Birthday and always sends the best cards. He came over to our house for dinner at least once a month and would tell so many stories about working a farm and herding sheep up in the mountains for months on end. His dad died when he was very young, and he had to do A LOT at a very young age in order to keep up the family farm.
He is a hard worker, and I have never heard him complain. He is very devoted to any and all church callings he has had, and he is a great example of doing your best in whatever situation you are in.
I love and cherish my grandpa so much. He is a really big influence in my life and I am so grateful for him. Happy Birthday grandpa Hanks, I love you!
This is one of the tables set up at his Birthday Bash. This quilt has all of his kids and grandkids photos on it. Pretty awesome!
This is my grandma's wedding dress and my grandpa's Navy uniform. He was a medic. during WWII. He sure saw a lot of crazy things and helped so many soldiers.
Grandpa Hanks at his 90th Birthday Party.
My mom and my grandpa (her dad)
Grandpa Hanks (Wright Capner Hanks) is the last living grandparent I have. I have so many awesome memories with him. He always told the story of The Little Match Girl on Christmas Eve, and always cried. It is so touching. He made it to soooo many of my cheerleading performances, piano competitions, sports events, church events, and everything else under the sun.
My grandma was pretty big about Birthdays and always made them special. After she died (unexpectedly), grandpa kept the tradition going. He has never forgotten my Birthday and always sends the best cards. He came over to our house for dinner at least once a month and would tell so many stories about working a farm and herding sheep up in the mountains for months on end. His dad died when he was very young, and he had to do A LOT at a very young age in order to keep up the family farm.
He is a hard worker, and I have never heard him complain. He is very devoted to any and all church callings he has had, and he is a great example of doing your best in whatever situation you are in.
I love and cherish my grandpa so much. He is a really big influence in my life and I am so grateful for him. Happy Birthday grandpa Hanks, I love you!
This is one of the tables set up at his Birthday Bash. This quilt has all of his kids and grandkids photos on it. Pretty awesome!
This is my grandma's wedding dress and my grandpa's Navy uniform. He was a medic. during WWII. He sure saw a lot of crazy things and helped so many soldiers.
Grandpa Hanks at his 90th Birthday Party.
My mom and my grandpa (her dad)
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Party Time!
Tis' the season of parties and we just scratched two off the list. Both turned out great, both were a lot of work, and both were for VERY special people.
We started the day out yesterday with Mary's party!!! We have had a lot of fun together picking out the theme, choosing games and crafts, picking out what kind of cupcakes to make, ect. Mary had an opinion on it all...and I must say, she has good taste for a soon-to-be 4yr old.
Her party turned out AWESOME!!!! We invited 10 kids and 8 were able to make it...well, 9 including Sam. The party was a Jungle Safari theme. The kids made their own binoculars and camo. vests. and took off on a trek, with Ben as the leader, to find the animals in the jungle.
Getting ready to go on a jungle safari...fully equipped with vests and binoculars
The kids all showing eachother the animals they found
They also played pin the tail on the lion (Ben drew an awesome lion!)and a jungle version of hot potato. It was all really cute to see these little kids having so much fun. My heart melted to see my little girl feel so special and to see her having so much fun with her cute little friends.
Mary getting ready to blow out her candles while we all sang Happy Birthday to her.
The party was a great success, and Mary was so happy, even when her hair caught on fire while blowing out the candles. No worries, just a few black hairs, one flame and some smoke. Sure scared me, but it didn't stop her one bit!
This was taken after blowing the fire out of her hair. She blew them all out this time around.
Here are a few of the cupcakes before they were devoured. They aren't the prettiest things, but they had animals on them and they tasted great. I am way more concerned about the Little Mermaid cake that needs to be constructed for the actual Birthday.
When all was said and done, we were pretty wiped out, and of course, had some party clean up to do, but Mary was grinning and we had a really fun time.
After we cleaned up from Mary's party, it was off to the ward Christmas party. Ben was in charge of setting up tables chairs and I am on the activities committee and had stuff to do, so we all headed to the church.
Ben and his buddy set up approx. 26 tables and enough chairs to go with each one. They also moved some other stuff and got the building ready to go for our committee to come in and decorate. Good job guys..way to work those muscles!
As the activities committee (all five of us), we cut LOTS of paper for the tables (about 48 large rectangles), decorated them with the centerpieces of pine cones, paper bags and crayons for the kids to color with, we taped the paper onto the tables (rectangular paper on round tables), helped get food ready, and just did what people do to get ready for a ward party. The party was a success and all went smoothly. We had a good time.
I was able to grab some food before helping in the kitchen and refilling the water cooler about 50 times, moving the drink table down the hall, taking down tables, refilling food trays, setting up the dessert room, ect. The food was soooo good! We had the right man for the job on that one. He is a great cook!
When the party was over, we cleaned, washed a TON of dishes, got the food donations taken care of and came home. Few!
Before coming home, we rented Lost, and are now totally hooked. Great show! We were up WAY too late watching it, but it felt great to sit back and relax a little. Love it!
It was a really fun and eventful day for our family. Both parties were full of good friends and good people. It makes it all worth it.
We have more parties this week, and this time we are not in charge, so we get to sit back and relax and savor the moments. Yippee!
We started the day out yesterday with Mary's party!!! We have had a lot of fun together picking out the theme, choosing games and crafts, picking out what kind of cupcakes to make, ect. Mary had an opinion on it all...and I must say, she has good taste for a soon-to-be 4yr old.
Her party turned out AWESOME!!!! We invited 10 kids and 8 were able to make it...well, 9 including Sam. The party was a Jungle Safari theme. The kids made their own binoculars and camo. vests. and took off on a trek, with Ben as the leader, to find the animals in the jungle.
Getting ready to go on a jungle safari...fully equipped with vests and binoculars
The kids all showing eachother the animals they found
They also played pin the tail on the lion (Ben drew an awesome lion!)and a jungle version of hot potato. It was all really cute to see these little kids having so much fun. My heart melted to see my little girl feel so special and to see her having so much fun with her cute little friends.
Mary getting ready to blow out her candles while we all sang Happy Birthday to her.
The party was a great success, and Mary was so happy, even when her hair caught on fire while blowing out the candles. No worries, just a few black hairs, one flame and some smoke. Sure scared me, but it didn't stop her one bit!
This was taken after blowing the fire out of her hair. She blew them all out this time around.
Here are a few of the cupcakes before they were devoured. They aren't the prettiest things, but they had animals on them and they tasted great. I am way more concerned about the Little Mermaid cake that needs to be constructed for the actual Birthday.
When all was said and done, we were pretty wiped out, and of course, had some party clean up to do, but Mary was grinning and we had a really fun time.
After we cleaned up from Mary's party, it was off to the ward Christmas party. Ben was in charge of setting up tables chairs and I am on the activities committee and had stuff to do, so we all headed to the church.
Ben and his buddy set up approx. 26 tables and enough chairs to go with each one. They also moved some other stuff and got the building ready to go for our committee to come in and decorate. Good job guys..way to work those muscles!
As the activities committee (all five of us), we cut LOTS of paper for the tables (about 48 large rectangles), decorated them with the centerpieces of pine cones, paper bags and crayons for the kids to color with, we taped the paper onto the tables (rectangular paper on round tables), helped get food ready, and just did what people do to get ready for a ward party. The party was a success and all went smoothly. We had a good time.
I was able to grab some food before helping in the kitchen and refilling the water cooler about 50 times, moving the drink table down the hall, taking down tables, refilling food trays, setting up the dessert room, ect. The food was soooo good! We had the right man for the job on that one. He is a great cook!
When the party was over, we cleaned, washed a TON of dishes, got the food donations taken care of and came home. Few!
Before coming home, we rented Lost, and are now totally hooked. Great show! We were up WAY too late watching it, but it felt great to sit back and relax a little. Love it!
It was a really fun and eventful day for our family. Both parties were full of good friends and good people. It makes it all worth it.
We have more parties this week, and this time we are not in charge, so we get to sit back and relax and savor the moments. Yippee!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
SHE DID IT!!
In gymnastics, there is a rope the kids try to climb as part of conditioning at the beginning of class. It is approx. 25ft high maybe higher. The picture is not of the rope in her gym, but it looks similar. Most of the 5yr old girls are just starting to make it to the top.
Mary made it to the top today (a few weeks shy of her fourth birthday)!!!! It is very amazing. Go Mary! It was so awesome.
The red card that I took a terrible picture of (yeah yeah, I need a new camera), is called a "wow" card. The coaches give it to the kids when they complete a hard thing or do a new trick. Mary got this one today. It is her first "wow" card since she has been moved up to this class. We are excited!
Mary made it to the top today (a few weeks shy of her fourth birthday)!!!! It is very amazing. Go Mary! It was so awesome.
The red card that I took a terrible picture of (yeah yeah, I need a new camera), is called a "wow" card. The coaches give it to the kids when they complete a hard thing or do a new trick. Mary got this one today. It is her first "wow" card since she has been moved up to this class. We are excited!
Some info. and a question.
Wow, I am feeling MUCH better...few! It wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it wasn't too fun either.
I am chipping away at my to-do list, and I think I am actually making great progress! Thanks to a rockin' awesome husband who hung up the last of the white Christmas lights at 10:00pm last night (the red ones have been up for a while, but the white lights make it all come together). Come by and see them some night, they are pretty cute...just ignore the strands that aren't working. ;)
He also came home from work in the afternoon and picked up Mary from preschool and took her to the store, so I could sleep. He also helped clean our VERY dirty house. Now it is all nice and clean and Christmasy, just the way we like it. Thank you Ben! You deserve a gold star and a cupcake!
Ben's mom left the hospital yesterday and is now home. The tumor they removed was low grade cancer, and so far, she is all clear of any remaining cancerous issues that can be found with the tests they have done up to this point. She still has a long way to go with recovery and we wish her the best. We sure love her so much and have CONSTANTLY been thinking about her and we will still be thinking about her as she continues on in the whole process.
Now for my question...
Does anyone one know where I can get pictures (like family pictures) put on mugs for REALLY REALLY cheap! Wal-mart is the cheapest I have found, and they still charge $9.00 per mug! I need like 12 mugs done, so that won't work.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know if you know of anywhere that does it cheaper, or any way I could do it myself.
Thanks!
I am chipping away at my to-do list, and I think I am actually making great progress! Thanks to a rockin' awesome husband who hung up the last of the white Christmas lights at 10:00pm last night (the red ones have been up for a while, but the white lights make it all come together). Come by and see them some night, they are pretty cute...just ignore the strands that aren't working. ;)
He also came home from work in the afternoon and picked up Mary from preschool and took her to the store, so I could sleep. He also helped clean our VERY dirty house. Now it is all nice and clean and Christmasy, just the way we like it. Thank you Ben! You deserve a gold star and a cupcake!
Ben's mom left the hospital yesterday and is now home. The tumor they removed was low grade cancer, and so far, she is all clear of any remaining cancerous issues that can be found with the tests they have done up to this point. She still has a long way to go with recovery and we wish her the best. We sure love her so much and have CONSTANTLY been thinking about her and we will still be thinking about her as she continues on in the whole process.
Now for my question...
Does anyone one know where I can get pictures (like family pictures) put on mugs for REALLY REALLY cheap! Wal-mart is the cheapest I have found, and they still charge $9.00 per mug! I need like 12 mugs done, so that won't work.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know if you know of anywhere that does it cheaper, or any way I could do it myself.
Thanks!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
My To Do List this week...look familiar to anyone else??
This week is soooooooo full of fun things and so much to do! I LOVE the holidays and being so busy with great things. I tend to get bored easily, so I love it when I have a lot going on. This particular week is pretty crammed.
To Do:
1.Finish hanging Christmas lights on house, now that Ben is back and can help
2.Plan Mary's Jungle Safari Birthday Party...buy stuff and put goody bags together
3.Find a way to make a princess cake for Mary..and make it
4.Buy family gifts and ship them
5.Ward party stuff...I am on the committee..party is this weekend, same day as Mary's party (only free day we could do Mary's party)
6. Enrichment stuff..I am on that committee too (plan, coordinate and make calendar for 15 mini-groups every month)
7. Mary Kay skin care class
8. Find games to play at Mary's Party and make stuff for them
9. Get Christmas cards ordered and printed off
10. Address and mail Christmas cards (this is actually a big project)
11. Clean the house...it is filthy after our weekend without Ben
12. lots and lots of laundry
13. Make cupcakes for pre-school party
14. order some last minute Christmas gifts online
15. Take care of a toll payment that is WAY overdue..lots of time on the phone for this one
16. Get back into a normal running routine. I have been going 2-3 times a week since the marathon, but now I am feeling totally recovered. Better start 4-5 times a week again, especially with all the holiday goodies coming our way.
17. craft group
18. Babysitting
19. Make and deliver Christmas goodies to friends and neighbors. This one is a favorite for me, and a fun FHE activity for our family.
20. Package and ship out Mary Kay product to some customers.
21. And all of the other normal day-to-day stuff that we do here in our home.
To some, this list may seem like nothing, but for me, it is pretty busy. I really like it this way though. All of these things...well most of them...are fun.
Yet another reason I love the holidays!!!
To Do:
1.Finish hanging Christmas lights on house, now that Ben is back and can help
2.Plan Mary's Jungle Safari Birthday Party...buy stuff and put goody bags together
3.Find a way to make a princess cake for Mary..and make it
4.Buy family gifts and ship them
5.Ward party stuff...I am on the committee..party is this weekend, same day as Mary's party (only free day we could do Mary's party)
6. Enrichment stuff..I am on that committee too (plan, coordinate and make calendar for 15 mini-groups every month)
7. Mary Kay skin care class
8. Find games to play at Mary's Party and make stuff for them
9. Get Christmas cards ordered and printed off
10. Address and mail Christmas cards (this is actually a big project)
11. Clean the house...it is filthy after our weekend without Ben
12. lots and lots of laundry
13. Make cupcakes for pre-school party
14. order some last minute Christmas gifts online
15. Take care of a toll payment that is WAY overdue..lots of time on the phone for this one
16. Get back into a normal running routine. I have been going 2-3 times a week since the marathon, but now I am feeling totally recovered. Better start 4-5 times a week again, especially with all the holiday goodies coming our way.
17. craft group
18. Babysitting
19. Make and deliver Christmas goodies to friends and neighbors. This one is a favorite for me, and a fun FHE activity for our family.
20. Package and ship out Mary Kay product to some customers.
21. And all of the other normal day-to-day stuff that we do here in our home.
To some, this list may seem like nothing, but for me, it is pretty busy. I really like it this way though. All of these things...well most of them...are fun.
Yet another reason I love the holidays!!!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Twilight....for real.
This is what poor little Sammy went through in nursery today. The question is...do I send him back????
You got it folks, that is a bite mark. And no little nip in the arm mind you. It is a full blown, cut through the skin, bleeding, bruised and swollen chomp in Sam's shoulder. The camera obviously didn't get the best picture, but you get the idea.
You got it folks, that is a bite mark. And no little nip in the arm mind you. It is a full blown, cut through the skin, bleeding, bruised and swollen chomp in Sam's shoulder. The camera obviously didn't get the best picture, but you get the idea.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Update on Jolene (Ben's mom)
We spoke to Ben's dad a few hours ago. Surgery went well, but there was a lot more happening than first thought. Some pretty serious stuff. Please keep her in your prayers.
Looks like Ben, and possibly the rest of us, may be making an unexpected trip to Boise in the next few days.
We love you Jolene..see you soon.
Looks like Ben, and possibly the rest of us, may be making an unexpected trip to Boise in the next few days.
We love you Jolene..see you soon.
It's Beginning to look a LOT like Christmas!
IT IS SNOWING AGAIN TODAY! HIP HIP HOORAY!!!!! LOVE IT!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
"Random-ness"
Sometimes it seems like there is nothing to post about...so I don't post. But other times, it seems like there is way too much to post about. This is one of the times there is a lot going on and I want to record it all. So, I am just going to make one giant post of random-ness. Enjoy.
First of all, I found two great things while blogging the other day...and they made my day..so I will share. Thanks to Jessica and Bethany.
#1
I laughed so hard at this video that I almost fell off the chair. It gets better and better as it goes. Maybe you should finish reading the post and then come back to this.
#2
Have you ever stuck your head out the window to see what side your gas tank is on? Well....from now on, all you have to do is look on your gas gauge. You will see a picture of a gas tank. The side of the tank that shows the gas hose, is the side of your car that your tank is on.
"Where's the tank?" Is your head out the window? NO LONGER!!
Thank you Bethany...I cannot tell you how many times I end up re-pulling up to the gas pump because the tank is on the other side.
So, according to this picture, the hose is going into the right side of the tank, so the gas tank is on the right side of the car. Genius!!
Another bit of news:
Ben's mom was taken to the ER last night with horrible stomach pains. She was put on morphine, had some tests done, and then later sent home. Pretty nerve-wracking for everyone! Today she was admitted to the hospital and they have found some blockage in her intestine. (horribly painful) They will be talking with the surgeon tonight. Our thoughts and prayers are with her...please add yours.
More info:
Sam now has pink eyeS (yup, both of em') Meds should start working soon. Poor little fella.
And more info:
Chamonix gets his "lamp shade" off and his stitches out tomorrow!! Hooray! I am so happy for him. He will be feeling GREAT! Can't wait to take him running again.
Last tidbit:
I FINALLY talked Mary out of a princess, strawberry shortcake, or my little pony birthday party. (she loves all of those so much) Maybe next year. I would totally let her do it, and I really wanted to let her, but the friends she will be inviting are almost all boys. Looks like we will be having a Jungle Safari Birthday Party (with a princess cake). Mary found the Jungle Safari decorations at a store and got all sorts of excited. Few!
First of all, I found two great things while blogging the other day...and they made my day..so I will share. Thanks to Jessica and Bethany.
#1
I laughed so hard at this video that I almost fell off the chair. It gets better and better as it goes. Maybe you should finish reading the post and then come back to this.
#2
Have you ever stuck your head out the window to see what side your gas tank is on? Well....from now on, all you have to do is look on your gas gauge. You will see a picture of a gas tank. The side of the tank that shows the gas hose, is the side of your car that your tank is on.
"Where's the tank?" Is your head out the window? NO LONGER!!
Thank you Bethany...I cannot tell you how many times I end up re-pulling up to the gas pump because the tank is on the other side.
So, according to this picture, the hose is going into the right side of the tank, so the gas tank is on the right side of the car. Genius!!
Another bit of news:
Ben's mom was taken to the ER last night with horrible stomach pains. She was put on morphine, had some tests done, and then later sent home. Pretty nerve-wracking for everyone! Today she was admitted to the hospital and they have found some blockage in her intestine. (horribly painful) They will be talking with the surgeon tonight. Our thoughts and prayers are with her...please add yours.
More info:
Sam now has pink eyeS (yup, both of em') Meds should start working soon. Poor little fella.
And more info:
Chamonix gets his "lamp shade" off and his stitches out tomorrow!! Hooray! I am so happy for him. He will be feeling GREAT! Can't wait to take him running again.
Last tidbit:
I FINALLY talked Mary out of a princess, strawberry shortcake, or my little pony birthday party. (she loves all of those so much) Maybe next year. I would totally let her do it, and I really wanted to let her, but the friends she will be inviting are almost all boys. Looks like we will be having a Jungle Safari Birthday Party (with a princess cake). Mary found the Jungle Safari decorations at a store and got all sorts of excited. Few!
Guess who has Pink Eye?????
The picture doesn't do it justice. Maybe because he was eating grapes at the time, and I had just cleaned all the gunk out of his eye for the 10th time. ;) I actually haven't seen a case this bad in quite a while. Amazing! At least it doesn't seem to really bug him much. With the flu going around like wildfire, I am grateful it is only pink eye.
What an amazing person...he will be missed.
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, the oldest living apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died last night, December 2, 2008, age 91.
Elder Wirthlin had gone to bed at his Salt Lake City home, and died peacefully at about 11:30 pm of causes incident to age. His oldest daughter, Jane Wirthlin Parker, was present. A member of the family had been staying and caring for Elder Wirthlin, whose wife, Elisa Young Rogers Wirthlin, died in 2006.
He had continued to work at his office right up until the Thanksgiving holiday.
To add my own note: I am soooo grateful we have the gospel and the plan of salvation where we KNOW that we will all be together again. Death is only a short period of separation before life everlasting with those we love.
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