5 years old

10 years old

and so happy to finally be in double digits!

A family birthday party at Golfland.

It's a good thing we were almost the only people playing.

We were having quite a time!

More than once we found the water hazards

and were scrambling to save our golf balls from

a watery grave.

I think the kids secretly loved this part.

After 18 holes we were a bit giddy.

Family portrait by Maddie's unseen hand.

And who doesn't like to give gifts to someone who reacts like this every time!

Happy Birthday big D.

You've had my heart for 10 years now.

I wish I was more like you.

You feel our lives with so much goodness.

We are proud of the way you are learning and growing.

You are an example to your family.

Thank you for your big and hearty laughter, your easy smile, your quick forgiveness, your hard work and determination in school, your desire to choose the right, your creativity and artistic mind, your respect and thoughtfulness of others, and your ability to make a decision that will result in some else's happiness. Which really means, thanks for riding home with me tonight when the other kids wanted to ride home with Dad.

I love you '17'.

yeah, right

I was going to thoughtfully post about some of our

recent great family times together but then I came to my senses.

So here you have it people. . .

some really fun times but without all the prose.

Dad's oranage rolls!

Backyard project.

Perfection people!

And we found the tree!

Tis the season

Oh how I wish I was this clever!

Please check this out for some darling Christmas fun.

getting into the spirit early ~ literally

6:15 a.m. and cooper wants breakfast and his santa hat!

He is already proving to be at the perfect Christmas lovin' age.

goosebumps

I just got the goosebumps reading through this and had to share!

The Young Women General Presidency just sent this out:

A Return to Virtue

"Now is the time for a return to virtue!"

The attribute and value of Virtue has been added to the Young Women theme.

"Virtue is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards. It encompasses chastity and moral purity."

The time has come for the young women of the Church to lead the world in a return to virtue. This is the time to be pure and to qualify for the guidance of the Holy Ghost. In the coming year, it is our desire that all young women and their leaders focus on the meaning of virtue, what young women can do to accept and act upon this value, and how this attribute can strengthen young women as they prepare to be worthy to make and keep sacred covenants and receive temple ordinances.

"I believe one virtuous young woman led by the Spirit can change the world."

Things to study:

Elaine S. Dalton, "A Return to Virtue," Ensign and Liahona, Nov. 2008, 78–80.

Elaine S. Dalton, "Stay on the Path," Ensign and Liahona, May 2007, 112–14.

Elaine S. Dalton, "Look toward Eternity!" Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2006, 31–32.

New Era, Oct. 2008

What does it mean to be virtuous?

Doctrine and Covenants 4:6.

Doctrine and Covenants 46:33.

2 Peter 1:3–8.

Doctrine and Covenants 121:45–46.

Doctrine and Covenants 38:24.

Doctrine and Covenants 49:26–28.

Topical Guide, "Virtue, Virtuous," 557.

We invite young women and Young Women leaders to immediately include the addition of Virtue as they repeat the Young Women theme. —The Young Women General Presidency

All the details of how we will implement this into the Personal Progress program is on its way. I just got a much needed boost of happy!

Here is the link to the church's website:

http://www.lds.org:80/pa/display/0,17802,8449,00.html

searching for the right word

have you ever filled a glass to almost overflowing?

you know, where you fill it to the point that the liquid is above the actual rim of the glass.

it looks like it is going to spill over.

but it doesn't.

somehow that little bubble just hangs above the rim.

like some magical force keeps it contained.



i'm searching for the right word,

this feeling of my past few days.

melancholy?

at least I think that is the word I feel.

i'm going to check.

yes, a dictionary confirmed it.

melancholy is the perfect word.

if you only think you know it's definition, it is worth looking up.
it might come in handy one day.

is this too personal?
probably.

is this my blog?
absolutely.
and there are many reasons why i post.

i'm going to pour myself a glass of water and watch that suspended bubble of liquid.

whoops

It seems I forgot to post my grateful moment for yesterday.

We were up to our ears in a tile project that was coming to an end that day.

I was actually helping and running the tile saw ~ yeah baby!!

So I'm sure that my grateful moment yesterday would be that

I'm grateful Brent or I didn't lose a finger (chop) or an eye (flying tile pieces) while we worked.

And now that the month of November has come to an end, I'm grateful that I made the effort to post my moments of thankfulness.
There is,
and always has been,
and always will be,
so much to be thankful for.
My blessings overflow.

Blisters through the mind of a Kindergartener

This morning during breakfast Cooper noticed Brent has a few blisters across the palm of his hand. He asked why he had blisters. Brent said that the tool he was using yesterday to spread and work the grout into all the little tile spaces had caused them. Cooper gave his Dad a totally curious look and then said "That's weird. I thought you could only get blisters from playing on the monkey bars."

I love his five year old way of logical thinking!

Day 30

I'm grateful for sourdough waffles.

The story goes that our sourdough start came across the plains with Brent's mom's family all those many, many years ago.

I don't doubt it for a minute.

I know you can make your own start but when you have one with such a great history it's worth keeping it alive. We sadly lost our start some years ago and so during a trip to CA to visit Brent's parents we got another start from Joyce's. Then we took our small cooler and carefully packed it with ice to keep the family start safe during long drive back home. It warms my heart to think of all the hands that this yummy family tradition has passed through. Hands of family, hands of grandmothers, mothers, sisters and aunts. We treasure this small part of it.

Really what this post comes down to is that I'm grateful for plenty of yummy food to eat and a wonderful and rich legacy of family heritage.

Day 28

I'm grateful for our home.
Not our house ~ our home.
And that when my little family is gathered safely within its walls
all is well,
all is well.

Day 27 ~ Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving day dawns rainy and wet but the clouds clear and the boys play!

A beautiful morning in our desert.

The boys came home wet and tired.

Brent is so good to indulge his kids in this ward family tradition

even when his knees, back and senses scream

NO THANKS!!

We enjoyed our delicious feast with five other families in the neighborhood. A huge hug and thanks to Cody and Carolyn Thompson for opening their home to a big brew of hungry tummies and giving us 'familyless' families a happy and warm memory for years to come!

"May we be found among those who give our thanks to our Heavenly Father. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues. Despite the changes which come into our lives and with gratitude in our hearts, may we fill our days—as much as we can—with those things which matter most. May we cherish those we hold dear and express our love to them in word and in deed." --Thomas S. Monson, "Finding Joy in the Journey", Ensign, Nov 2008, 84–87

Day 26

I'm grateful for a hard working husband
who is not afraid to learn new skills,
to get his hands dirty,
to break his back,
to destroy his knees,
to pop a few advil,



and create something beautiful.
And save us a lot of money to boot!





And best of all. . .
wherever dad is, you can find these two

working beside him, learning beside him and just wanting to be beside him.

Day 25

I'm grateful for the example of my mother.

If you look up 'charity' in the dictionary, I'm sure you'll find her picture there.

Your mansions await Mom.

Today I love you for so many reasons.

Day 24

I'm grateful for friends!

Here's a shoutout to all you lovely ladies that have filled my days to overflowing. Whether you have been a part of my life for 41 years, 14 years, 4 years, 4 months, days or minutes...

I am so blessed.

(and this is getting posted so late because a couple of these friends just went 'round 2' with me and Twilight!)

He has a way with words

I had to record this one.

Maddison was having a serious 13 year old meltdown this morning. The tears, the sobbing, the sadness/madness seemed as though it might never end. She finally exploded with a bunch of words all jumbled together that sounded something like "I woke up late. Spanish test. Hour and a half on my hair. Not working. Changed my outfit. I'm so mad. So mad!" Then the final cry "I look like crap!" (sorry about that 'C' word but fact is fact.) Her voice was rising with each blurt and sob and she stomped to the bathroom and loudly shut the door behind her. Cooper sleepily stumbled from his room and snuggled up in my lap. He immediately asked about his sister. I just explained that sometimes girls just get crazy. They need to cry and lose their minds once in awhile. He nodded and said "girls and moms?" I agreed with smile. Then I said at times like this, brothers just need to think of something nice that their sister would like to hear. Cooper nods his head and then sits down to breakfast. Maddie comes out of the bathroom and proceeds to gather up her backpack. Cooper looks up at her and with all of his five year old sweetness says, "Maddie?" He waits for her to acknowledge him and then he says, "you don't look like crap." Maddie thanked him with what I think was a little smile on her lips.

You gotta love the total honesty of a child trying to do the best he can.

so fun. . .

I was having so much fun on this website.
Here is just one picture I was messing around with. You must try!!

Day 23

I'm grateful for Arizona sunsets.

Truly they are this awesome.

Although this is not my photo , I'm glad there are people out there talented enough to capture something as grand as this through the lens of a camera. My friend Jo-Anne titled a similar post on her blog 'God Paints'. I'm blessed to see these paintings often here in this land called desert.

Day 22

I'm grateful for laughter.
Here are a couple of those laughter filled moments:

Cooper looked at a picture of himself when he was 5 months old. He turned to me and with a very big sigh said, "I sure miss being a little baby 'cuz I getted anything I wanted back then." I couldn't help but laugh because now at five and being the baby of the family, he leads a very rough life and never gets anything at all.

And this one still makes me laugh when I get the visual in my head. It just might be one of those 'you had to have been there' moments but none the less, I'm sharing it.
Brent has recently lost 25 pounds. He looks great and I'm jealous. Working around the house one Saturday we were putting away some holiday decorations. Brent was putting the boxes back onto a high shelf in the garage. With the large box lifted high over his head and reaching for the shelf on the ends of his toes, his pants fell to the ground. Yes - fell straight to the ground and I just stood there for a minute. I was taken by surprise. I mentioned the garage door was wide open then I busted up laughing. Then I said "I'm so blogging about this." He couldn't drop the box and grab his pants so he heaved the box onto the shelf and then he took care of the dropped pants. He was a great sport, laughed along with me and indulged me the rest of the day when I'd suddenly start giggling long after the incident occurred.

Laughter feels great - especially when it's shared with your family!

Day 21

I'm grateful for time with my daughter!

It was fun to sit beside her tonight and enjoy something together.

And having our darling Hannah along, just sweetened the deal.

A Volturi vampire, Afton, was a creepy addition to the night.

Thanks for a fun night girls.

It is a happy thing when thirteen year old girls don't mind

sighing, ohhing, ahhing, laughing and cheering

beside a 41 one year old mom.

Day 20

I'm grateful that for one day there was NOTHING on my calendar!

Day 19

I usually get my news updates on my computer homepage. I saw a headline that caught my eye and so I clicked on the link.

This picture opened up before me and I couldn't pull myself away.

Photography is such a moving art medium.

Stories like this absolutely suck me in and then it consumes my thoughts for hours. The safety of my children and the thought of ever seeing them hurting so deeply and being so scared just puts me at a standstill. So that I can function today, I need to move on so I'm posting my grateful moment now.

Today I am grateful that my children are safe, that they know where to find me and that I'll never have to see pain and desperation such as this on their little faces.

It must be Davis' time to shine

We received a letter from the District Office that Davis had a piece of art that was being displayed at the offices for a couple of months. Brent took a day off early this week and so we went to check it out.

They had to create a piece of pottery that the Zuni Indian tribe might have crafted.

I think he did an fabulous job.

Driving home he asked if it was possible to get an art scholarship.

I LOVE that he is thinking ahead and thinking about what he might want to do with his education and talents. We had a great conversation about all the possibilities that lie in front of him.

It's time to get out one of my favorite books and read it to my kids again!

Day 18

I'm grateful for the Cub Scout program and that Brent is as dedicated to it as my son.

I am not cut from a cloth that is capable of dealing with these squirrely boys. I did it once and am sure the boys thought they were in some sort of 'Scared Straight' program. I'm really no good at it. But Brent is and I soooo love that about him. Davis received his religious knot tonight and I
don't think any boy will wear it as happily as Davis.

This is the Bishop, not Brent, in case there was any confusion!

A love song. . .

I had to add my playlist back onto my blog, starting with Bella's lullaby. What woman doesn't want the love of her life to compose a song only for her?? I'll just have this one and take the pressure off of Brent. : )

Day 17

I'm grateful for Visiting Teaching and the concept of having a companion. Mine shared peace and comfort with me today.

Day 16 ~ continued

I'm grateful for fall recipes.

You know the ones that you only pull out this time of year. This one happens to be Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and boy oh boy did they hit the spot. Warm and gooey with a glass of cold milk. Simple pleasures people!

Day 16

I'm grateful for the Hymns.

I love the power, peace and emotion that washes over me when the Hymns are sung. It is one of my favorite parts of the Sabbath Day.

Day 15

I'm grateful for yet another responsible child.
Davis had a big project due at school. If you know Davis, he is a project machine. He had a clear vision of what he wanted to accomplish and with little help from his sometimes project interfering parents - did an amazing job on his Papago dwelling.

You can hardly see it in these pictures, but there is a knife and slingshot that he crafted as well. I love this kid!