January and February Happenings

I realized today that I haven't actually posted all the fun things that we have done in the last month and a half. To be honest there hasn't been much.

Kale lost his second tooth! He lost it a couple of days after he lost the first one....I may have already shared that info with you if so sorry. The other two are growing in already. It seemed so fast but it has been a LONG time since I lost a tooth to actually remember how fast they do grow in so maybe it is normal.

Clint's brother invited him to go ice fishing. Clint isn't normally a fan of it but it was for these big fish so he went. The first time they went Clint got a bite but he lost it right at the hole. No one else even got a bite. The next time he asked me to bring the kids over. I didn't want to bring Garrett so I took him to my parents and Darc decided she didn't want to go either so I took the other two. About half an hour before we got there Clint got this one.

I don't know why I didn't get a good one of them with my camera. I swear Clint always has to be doing something goofy.

We had to get pictures of the other two with Daddy's fish too.

Clint was the only one to catch a fish that day. Scott, Clint and I went again for my birthday. No, it isn't my idea of a great time but we weren't doing anything and so I figured what the heck. Of course it would have been a lot funner if I had caught of fish but alas Clint was once again the only one to catch anything. Oh well maybe next year.

I had a great birthday. On the actual day Clint made me breakfast in bed, took me fishing, took me to dinner, then we opened presents with the kids. A few days later we had Clint's family over (mine couldn't make it) and had cake and ice cream. I got spoiled rotten (or as Clint said, I got spoiled "fresh")!! Thanks again everybody!

Clint's grandma sent up a box. It was addressed to Garrett. The kids were disappointed when I said it was just for him. Their disappointment faded fast when we got it open and there was something for everyone. This picture is about 20 seconds after we got it open. Ok maybe a little longer but they got their books and started coloring just about as fast as they could. They all love to color right now. She made the blanket that Gar is wrapped in. It is so cute I use it all the time! Thanks Grandma you are so sweet!!

We blessed our sweet baby Garrett Bill. He was a little angel while he was blessed. He had been fussing and I thought he would cry but they said he just laid there and looked like a man. It was a beautiful blessing and I know that he is going to be an awesome person. I got so many compliments on how cute he was and how fun it was to see a little older baby get blessed because they have more personality.

I was going to make his tux like I did Wyatt's but it was kind of a bad day when I tried to make it (the day before mind you) and my mom said, "Let's go up town and see if we can find something" So reluctantly I went with her. At the bridal shop here in town they had two. We both fell in love with this one. She was so sweet and bought it for him. He wasn't happy so we didn't get many good pictures of him. He loves his fingers! He has stopped taking his binky and sucks those two fingers instead. I have never wanted a child to suck their fingers but I do think he looks so cute! Anyway. Grandma Kalynn bought him some little booties that are darling too but they wouldn't stay on. He has long feet and all the white booties are meant for little little babies. The blanket he is laying on was made by my grandma. She made one for Kale and Darcy. I told my mom one day that I wanted to send some yarn out and have her make one for Garrett and Mom told me she isn't able to do it anymore. I wanted to cry. She didn't make one  for Wyatt either but I have one that she gave me for my wedding so I figure I will give him that plus his aunt made him one. After one of Mom's trips to Salt Lake she gave that afghan to me. She said Grandma had made it a while ago and it was just sitting at the house so she brought it home to me. I was so happy.

This is everyone that came. Minus KC who ditched out on dinner. It was actually really weird to be able to have my little brother stand in the circle but awesome at the same time!

I know this is not a very good picture. I rarely like pictures of myself. Least of all side profile pictures. And Dad got in the way of this one but I love having this picture just because I have very few pictures of me with any of my kids. The other day I was looking at Darcy's first Christmas pictures and there is not one of she and I but a ton of her with everyone else. That is how it always is.

And I ran out of memory so I did not get any of just my little family :(  Luckily for me Kalynn had her camera and so I will be able to get some from her :)

We kind of had a bummer Valentine's Day. Clint went up on the mountain for the weekend and was planning on coming home Sunday morning but his battery on his truck died. And then the car that went up to jump him broke down. Luckily they were able to get it to his truck and jump it. But his day consisted of coming down and then going back up to get the car. The kids and I went to church, took a nap, and then delivered our valentines. The kids thought that was so much fun and fought over who got to carry the plate.

This is what I did for our valentines this year. I had so much fun. I made everything from scratch.

We did have an nice day after Valentine's day. We had a nice dinner and a lesson on love and gave each other our valentines. Clint gave me spray paint. I was ecstatic. No really I was. He bought it so that I can finish painting the chairs that I started redoing. Actually, he bought it so that he could finish painting them for me. I can't wait for them to be done. He also gave me a very pretty bouquet.

This is what I gave myself for Valentine's day. I turned on the wrong burner and went in the other room. When I came back into the front room Darcy yells, "Mom, something is burning!" Nice one huh? Then a day or two later I set one of my plastic spoons on the burner while it was still hot. I was on a roll that week.

The kids want to be outside. It is still pretty cold but they don't care. This was actually one of the warmer days this last week. The snow was even melting. I am a wimp though. I had no desire to go out to even take a picture. This is as good as I could get through the front window.

I wanted to do an update on all the kids but this is pretty long and we have lots going on this week so I guess I will wait till next week!

PS have I told you how much I love that I have a spellcheck on my browser! Not because I can't spell just for the silly little mistakes I sometimes make!

Darcy's first talk

In Darcy's blessing it said that she would have the courage to bear her testimony. I remember that so well. It was said more than one time. Today she gave her first talk. I didn't know how she would do. I was actually worried that she would be too scared to do it. Wow was I wrong. She was so excited. I was walking to the Primary room to go help her and her class was waiting in the hall for closing excercises when she saw me she said, "Mom it's not time yet." Then a few minutes later she says, "Come on mom lets go give my talk." and then after they went in the Primary room she kept coming back to me trying to get me to go with her. It was so cute and made me so proud. It didn't even phase her when all the kids laughed at her and all her attitude. When she couldn't understand what I was trying to say she would look at me and say loudly and full of her sass, "What?" Oh I loved it. I had a hard time not laughing myself. She is just too cute. I hadn't even thought about her blessing until we got home and it just hit me. I know that if I can continue to raise her right she will be such a strong member of the church and be proud of it.
I am so greatful that I was blessed with such a beautiful little girl. She is so much fun to have in my life. She can be a handful at times but I wouldn't trade her for anything.

Panic Stricken Momma

I was going about my day today cleaning and trying to get caught up on laundry. I knew it was about three-thirty  and I saw the car parked on the side of the road that picks up a couple of kids off the bus so I knew it was about time for the bus to come. I went about cleaning. I started vacuuming and my vacuum stopped working. I was so mad. I have only had the thing for a couple of weeks it hadn't better be broken! So I sit and try to get it to start working to no avail when I start thinking I should have seen Kale by now. I had unlocked the front door so he could get in. Maybe he just got distracted with something outside. I sent Darc to look, pretty confident that was the case. She comes back and says she can't see him. So I go look in the garage, not there. I look all around the house, not there. Well sometimes he doesn't even try the door and just rings the doorbell. Maybe I didn't hear the bell ring and he didn't try to come in through the garage and just headed to Grandma's house. I call Kalynn. She hasn't seen him, neither has Lloyd. My heart about pounded through my chest I was in a panic. He had to have gotten on the bus. His teacher is my cousin and if there was any reason he hadn't she for sure would have called me. So I call the bus garage. They ask what bus he rides. I have looked at the bus number numerous times but I can't remember so I give her the number that they had given me at the first of the year on a paper. They don't have a bus that number. She asks if it is possibly this number. I don't think so. So she asks me what the bus driver's name is. I tell her the name Kale uses which is only the first name and heaven knows if that is actually right. She repeats the first name and gives me a last name too. I have no idea! So I am feeling rather terrible that I don't pay enough attention to even know my sons bus number.(Note, a different bus picks him up for school so I should actually know two, both of which I know have 8's in them...hey its a start right?) She asks me my address. She says a different bus number and says Robbin. I know that is not the bus driver's name. There is no way Kale would have it that far off. She radios that bus. Not it. Finally his bus driver hears the call go out with Kale's name on it. And the lady on the phone tells me that he has him and will be on his way back in a few minutes. I let out a slight sigh of relief but then my mind starts wondering why in the world he didn't get dropped off. I am terrible, I am afraid that something bad is going to happen to my poor innocent son. Lloyd had come over while I was on the phone with the bus garage and we sat and waited and waited. It was driving us both crazy! After about ten minutes Lloyd says, "I can't stand this anymore I'm going to look for the bus." Finally after almost twenty minutes the bus shows up. I go out to find out what was going on and the driver says, "I heard the call go out and say 'That's my Kale'" The lady helper got up to see if he was on and sure enough there he was. They had somehow forgotten about him. I asked Kale what had happened and he said he thought the driver would stop but he didn't. I asked if he was scared and he said yes. Poor kid. I told him next time to stand up and say "Stop! I'm on here!" I feel so bad. I am so glad that he was just on the bus though. I was so worried that he had gotten off the bus and someone had come up and taken him and I had no idea who. I had to give him a big hug. He looked at me like I was a little crazy. I might be but I'm sure glad my boy got home safe.

You never thought someone could go on so long about such a simple short event did you?
PS. I wrote down the bus driver's name (Kale was right) and the bus number just in case something like this ever happens again.
PSS or is it PPS? Little miss handy dandy me got the vacuum working after Kale got home...just in case you were wondering. :)

Do you think I'm crazy?

Someone posted this on Facebook. It makes me smile every time I watch it. I am not really sure why. My little brother actually thinks I'm a little crazy. It kills me that they are singing a love song but the looks on their faces would suggest they are very angry. I don't know. I can't help it I just like it! hahaha

PS. Admit it, it made you smile right? If not you can consider me crazy too!

Blogging

It is official. I am addicted to blogging! You probably wouldn't have guessed that since I don't really post that much but trust me I AM! I can't even tell you how many different posts I have written and not actually posted. Whenever I have a bad day or have something on my mind  all I want to do is run to the computer and write about it! And I do frequently write about it but almost as frequently I don't publish the post. Why you may ask. Well, because most of the time I probably make very little sense and the things I am writing about are generally no one else's business even though I do want to share them with someone in hopes that someone could help me or even more that I could help someone feel like they are not all alone in these things. I read a few blogs that are so up front and candid about their lives. Those are some of my favorite blogs to read. I wish at times I had the guts to push the publish button and then walk away and not have a second thought about what I had just written. But I will be honest I will probably never be able to do that.
Recently I have had a few people ask me if I have ever thought about being a writer (You know who you are and this is my little shout out to you...I think you are my only faithful readers). I used to LOVE to write. I made up numerous stories, I even illistrated them. Yeah, that was only about 15+ years ago when I was in elementary. I don't really remember enjoying writing through the rest of school. Then just over a year ago my sister-in-law told me about blogs. She told me everyone was doing it. I didn't believe her because I didn't know anyone doing it besides her. I decided to start one of my own anyway. At first I thought it was a great way for family that lives far away to be able to keep track of us and see my darling children I had no idea how much I would grow to love it. And I will admit my sister-in-law was right. I can't believe how many people I know that DO blog or have started since I started mine. Thank you everyone for blogging because not only am I addicted to my own blog I am addicted to reading other people's blogs. Anyway. So about this writing thing. I have been thinking about it quite a bit. A few of those blogs that I love to read are doing it professionally...I think anyway. They go to blogging conferences and they partner up with all these cool places and get to do some awesome giveaways and they quite often get the products too! Can you say jealous? All they are doing is writing about their lives. Well jeez that's all I do. But then the reality hits. Do I have any idea how to get started in that? Absolutely not. Am I as whitty as they are? Heavens no. Am I as classy as they are? Are you kidding me? If I were to set foot into one of those conferences that they do I would stick out like a sore thumb (they post pictures of themselves and their friends they meet there that's how I know)!
So I will continue to day dream about having hundreds of followers and doing fun giveaways. And I will continue to write to the few of you who do actually take the time to read this...


PS Thanks for reading! Maybe someday I will do my own giveaway where you will get some cool thing I have made just for you but probably not!

Thanks Life

You know those times when it seems life is throwing you in a direction you don't want to be going? Well, it seems that all too often lately I am being hurled in directions that quite frankly I do not wish to go. So life, if you would just allow me to go the direction I would like to I would greatly appreciate it.
That being said. I do realize that there is a reason I am going down the paths that I am. I think some are a consequence of choices I have made and others are just because I need to learn something. Already I have learned I need quite a bit more patience. Why is it that you have to have things happen to try your patience to teach you to have more? Anyway. Through all of these experiences I am having I am very greatful that I have a Lord who knows me better than I know myself. He knows what I can handle and what I can't. And I know that he won't give me anything that I can't handle. I may not be able to handle it alone but if I put my trust in him, he will get me through. That is such a comfort to me.
I am also greatful to have a temple so close. I haven't gone nearly as much as I should (which may be part of the reason I am having some of the trials that I am) When I do go, I have been given so much peace and reassurance that everything will work out. Sometimes that lack of patience gets the best of me and I wonder why isn't it happening now.
Another thing I am learning, is not to judge other people. I am far from mastering this. But I know that I do not want anyone elses judgments cast upon me or my family. I am sure everyone feels this way. I know that I do not know or understand everyone else's situation. I don't know what kind of trials they are facing. There is generally a lot more to people than just what you can see. This has been a hard lesson for me but I have been forced head on into it. I know how easy it is to say well she should do this or she should do that...well until you are in that situation you have no idea what she really should be doing. And there are those times when you think well if that was me I would do this. Then when it is you in that situation maybe you will be just like that person you were saying shouldn't be doing that.
I would like to say that in this I have learned to automatically put my trust in the Lord but I haven't. At times I question why and want to throw in the towel. I want to just  say I'm done I give up this isn't what I want so I am through. But that is why we are here right? To learn and to grow.

Update

Ok I wrote this post almost a month ago probaby but then I didn't get the picture on and now I am just getting around to it. I will have to write another post soon so you can see what we've been up to the last few weeks.

Well my little family is growing up so much lately it feels like. I thought I would give everyone a quick (or maybe not so quick) update.
Kale is so glad to be back in school after the Christmas break. I actually kept him home one extra day because he had been sick the day before and you would have thought it was the end of the world. I guess I should have just let him think school didn't start until Tuesday. He even has a new look.

On Wednesday when he came home I thought one of his teeth  had fallen out. Further inspection revealed that it hadn't fallen out but it was leaning forward. I asked him if I could pull it out and he said no. I asked if he wanted to pull it out, he said no. I asked if we should tie a string to it and to the door knob and shut the door, he said yes. I told him that we should wait for Daddy to come home to help. Of course I couldn't stand it. I told him to push it forward as far as he could then push it back as far as he could. Then he was off to play. I don't think he could stand it either and kept playing with it and a few minutes later out it came. He was so excited! He called Clint to tell him to hurry home and he wanted to go show Grandma and Grandpa. He has been carrying it around almost nonstop since it happened. I think he put it under his pillow for the ToothFairy on Wednesday night, but Wyatt was throwing up and had a fever of 103 so I think the Toothfairy stayed away so she didn't catch his sickness.
Darcy is getting to be quite a handful. She squeals and she whines and she laughs and she cries. She is such a girl. My sister gave her some of that play make-up (the kind that doesn't really show up on your face is more like putting vaseline or something on) for Christmas. Oh my has she been in heaven. She likes to take it with us whenever we go anywhere. She doesn't know that it is called makeup though. She calls it "the stuff my aunt gave me." Its actually pretty cute. And surprisingly her dad didn't take it away. I figured as soon as he saw it, it would be gone. She has been surprising me frequently with things she knows. I haven't worked with her on her shapes or anything and the other day we were reading a book about shapes and it asked where different shapes were and she pointed them out to me. She loves to help me.  A lot of times she is just too much help but you can't help but love and appreciate her effort.
Wyatt has decided he can talk. Since Christmas, he talks all the time. He loves to repeat what other people are saying. We think that he spent so much time over Christmas with his cousins and everyone else talking that he finally decided to start. Hallelujah it's about time. Last night he saw the deer in the backyard and ran and grabbed Clint's binoculars. It was so cute. You could totally tell he didn't know how to use them but he knew that was what Daddy uses them for. He had them upside down and pointed almost at the ground. Oh well.
Garrett feels like he is so much older all of the sudden. Just in the last few weeks he now can roll both ways, talks a ton, reach for things, he found his toes, laughs, push himself around on his tummy (he's not doing that a lot mostly when we leave him on his tummy and he gets mad)