Halloween 2014

The time of celebrating getting candy from strangers and dressing up like someone else has come and gone for this year yet again.  Really fast, here are some of the highlights.

Super Girl clearly stealing the picture.

The ever important school costume parade and the child refusing to look at the camera.

Ha!  I win.  I got a smile!

Again, being ignored by my evil spawn...

Then she gave in too!

Spiderman was very tricky to catch!

These two caught the reflection of the brick building in the glass and I thought it turned out so awesome!  Especially since Spiderman likes to crawl up brick buildings.

My Worst Nightmare...

I enjoyed being in orchestra, band, art club, safety patrol, choir, marching band, winter drum line and even the varsity golf team.  Yet, the thing that I was always avoiding was anything that remotely resembled a dance team or cheer leading.  So, what do my girls want to do?  Only the thing that I dread the most...  It's all right though.  I'm supportive and we tried it out and learned that they are fast learners and that dancing and cheer type things come pretty easy to them.  

One of the local high schools did a week long mini camp in order to teach some basic skills and a little routine which the girls then preformed at the all exclusive JV football game!  Yeah, it's small time stuff to most people but to my girls it might as well have been equivalent to preforming for half time at the Super Bowl!   

While dancing is something I never enjoyed personally, I almost brought tears to my eyes to watch them preform that day.  I'm so proud of my girls!

After we were done outside, we went back into the dance studio and took a few pictures.

Mid cartwheel makes this one of my favorites!  I really love being a photographer some days!

Their little sassy attitudes really came out and I could tell that their self worth and confidence was about to bubble over.  Trying out new things and finding that you can be successful at them is very empowering and you don't have to be a kid to try new things! 

Another Year

So begins another school year for our household and with it the joys of learning and productivity also begin to flourish yet again!

This guy had a birthday!

This girl started Kindergarten!  (Hooray for not having to pay for preschool this year!)

This girl started 2nd grade!

While we stay plenty busy with the many things that each day brings, we enjoy this time of year more than any other.  The Fall brings with it Football Season and the cooler weather.  The bonding time spent yelling at bad calls and cheering on our favorite teams is a very special time for our family.  Plus, nachos and chili are abounding in the kitchen and who can pass that up?

Our Michigan Trip

This summer our little family ventured across the country to the Great Lakes State and visit my nuclear family!  There are so many great pictures and stories from our trip, but here is a preview of the sheer awesomeness that is me and my "little brothers!"  Both of them are working hard in college at Northern Michigan University up in Marquette in da U.P.  I'm so proud of them for all that they've done in their crazy lives!  They work hard, play hard, and have truly grown up to be good men.

Missing May

We have been trying harder to make sure that we post each month and realized that we missed May.  We have been so busy with everything and managed to miss an entire month of updating our few faithful blog followers.

Mike was promoted at work and is now an AD (Associate Director) for his Implementation department.  With his new responsibilities he has earned a few chances to travel for work and is excited to meet clients and help to teach others what he knows!

I am still working really hard at my job and trying to find joy in photography again.

The kids finished up the school and are excited for summer!  With that comes splash pads, swimming pools, sun screen, parks, vacations, soccer, playgrounds, and so many other wonderful things.

This next month is facing us with family reunions and the day to day life that brings us joy and challenges alike.  Fingers crossed it goes smoothly!

Running and the Rewards

I recently finished my Personal Progress for Young Women's (a program for the girls 12-18 in our church that as leaders we are invited to do as well) and upon completion of it gave a talk to our Young Women about the benefits of not only working on, but continuing to work on and to actually complete this program.  I had written out a very nice talk with scripture references and quotes from prophets and other important people over the years about enduring to the end and about the many blessings that lay in store for those of us who work diligently do to what Heaven Father has asked of us.  Then, went to the meeting I was supposed to speak at and left my notes at home.

Once realizing that I was flying by the seat of my pants and walking a tight rope without a net I let me mind wander to what's really impacted me this last year while I was working hard to complete this program.  My thoughts seemed scattered, but those who heard it seemed to understand what I was talking about.  The following is along those lines, but a little more thought out and detailed just for you to enjoy.

While being a Stay At Home Mom has it's benefits, this last year I started working at nights for the same company that my husband works for.  His job is far more important than mine, but actually having a job and making a contribution to our family means a lot to me.  After a few months of not sleeping very well and being bogged down with a lot of things, I went to see a doctor to try to figure out what I could do to be less tired and irritable all of the time.  His suggestion was, "Quit your job, sleep, and just be a Mom."  I wasn't very pleased with this seemingly sexists diagnosis.  He also told me that according to my BMI I was "Overweight."  A whole 138 pounds at 5'2" put me into that bracket just barely.

I'd never been called "Overweight" before by anyone, ever.  Especially not some one who's opinion mattered remotely.  I was totally shocked.  I left the appointment confused and drove to Wendy's where I promptly ate a huge bacon cheese burger and debated what my next step was.  After thinking about it and praying about it I decided that it was time to join a gym and take a proactive step towards better over all health.  Weight loss not really being my goal, but having more energy and endurance was important to me.  I was comfortable with myself enough that the numbers didn't matter but the over all performance was lacking a bit, so it was time to do what I could to improve.

I started slow and on the Elliptical machine.  It's a very fluid motion of jogging that is low impact and incorporates your arms as well.  Going a few days a week for awhile really helped me feel much better.  I am disgustingly sweaty and red while exercising, so those around me probably thought I was near death.  After awhile of doing that I was noticing that I did lose a couple of pounds and that I was able to go a little faster and a little farther each time.  I was talking about my accomplishments at work with a few friends of mine and they suggested pushing myself even harder.  It was time to challenge myself just a little more.  I did.  I went faster and further still.

Feeling pretty accomplished I started considering running a race outside.  While looking into that started to realize that running outside in the real world was far different than running on a very comfortable low impact machine.  It was time to advance to the treadmill and work a little harder on real world running.

That first trip to the gym where I moved from the Elliptical to the Treadmill was one that I will never forget!  I had been going about 7 miles in about an hour on the elliptical and feeling like a rock star doing it.  My first treadmill day I barely broke 2 miles and suddenly felt like I was going to collapse.  My knees were sore, my breathing heavier and struggling, pulse racing, I was even more sweaty than before (if at all humanly possible) and I kept feeling as though I was about to vomit at any moment.

Why was this so much harder for me?  I'd been working hard on the elliptical and taking care of myself with eating good foods and drinking lots of water.  I should have been ready, right?  I was completely shocked and utterly confused as I drug myself out of the gym and to work that night.  Once there I started talking to a friend who told me that even though I felt the way I did, I was taking the next step in running and it was a good thing.  I looked at him like he had three heads and just shock mine.  How could this terrible feeling and struggling be a good thing?  I just wanted to go back to feeling amazing about myself on what I'd been doing.  I wanted to run back to my comfort zone.

The next day when it was time for the gym again I debated not going at all.  I talked myself into going and I was just going to go back to the elliptical.  I could do that and be just fine with it.  Then, I remembered that I really did want to progress.  I didn't just want to stay with what I knew was safe and good enough, I wanted to be better.  I wanted improvement.  I wanted to run and not be weary.  So, reluctantly, I took my place at the treadmill for day 2 and turned it on.  Thinking back to when I first started on the elliptical I realized that I needed to start slow and build up to it again, so I did.

While I was frustrated and feeling like I'd taken a step back at first I did realize that I was taking a step forwards.  The steps were just much harder to take and did not come as quickly or as fluidly as they had previously.  Realizing that I could not just go back and had to keep moving forward helped me to accept that I wasn't as fast as the guy next to me and that I didn't look as amazing as the girl down the way doing it either, but I was there and I was doing it too.  Slowly, I have been working to go a little faster and a little further.

One of the biggest helps to me was a comment from a guy who was running next to me.  I speed up super fast and was struggling to keep up with it stomping super hard and taking fast little steps to try to catch up until I had to slow down.  He started talking to me about how when you go faster you need to lengthen your stride so that the impact is easier and that way you can go faster with less strain, especially on the knees.  When I tried this the next day it was insanely different!  I felt like I was running in slow motion.  The motion seemed easier and more natural and even though I was going nearly 6 miles an hour I really did feel like it was in slow motion.  Even though it's easier, I still only go that fast in spurts for a 1/4 mile here and there rotating with going slower and even walking.  This lengthening of my stride helps me to put more ground behind me with each step and make each stride matter than much more.  The key to endurance seems to be pushing yourself when you're ready and knowing when to slow down and regain control of yourself when you realize that the run is getting to be too much for your body.  Now, let me begin my comparison to enduring to the end and to living the gospel.

From the time we are small children or when we are spiritually small children and just learning about the gospel, our Heavenly Father, and everything that being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ is about it seems a little overwhelming, but when taken in small doses it is easier to handle and to get a firm grasp on how it works and who you really are by starting slow and learning along the way with what you are comfortable and what comes easily and naturally to you as you progress and gain strength and knowledge.

It is necessary to progress to a higher level to pull yourself from your comfort zone and truly stretch yourself and be challenged far beyond what you first thought possible, but then realize that even though it's not as easy as you thought it might be that is it more rewarding than you'd ever imagined.  This step in the next level can include pushing to complete Personal Progress, earn an Eagle Scout Award, go on a mission, or even to one day be married and start raising a family with the love and knowledge you have of our Heavenly Father.  For many of us our comfort zones are sufficient, for the Lord they are not.  Simply doing what we have been doing continually and then feeling a little too much pride in what we are doing is a dangerous place to be in.  We need to take the next step to push yourselves, to challenge ourselves, and to try just a little harder to be a little better.  Once we do this, we will in turn learn that life is not easy, but the rewards of pushing ourselves will far outweigh the pain of trying just a little extra.

While I am not a Marathon runner yet, perhaps one day I will be.  Until then, I will continue to work a little more towards my goals and to push myself towards the glory that my loving Heavenly Father has in store for me and for each of us.  I'm not perfect and neither are you.  The point of this life is to learn, to fail, to be forgiven, and to work harder to not fail again.  The challenges of life paired with the Savior and his beautiful Atonement are the purpose of this life.  One day through a lot of blood, sweat, and tears we can and will all be forgiven if we ask and if we honestly try to improve ourselves.  You might not be ready for a marathon yet either, but are you on a casual stroll through the garden, speed walking through the hallways at school, jogging through temptations, or flat out running towards the light and love of our Heavenly Father?

I know it's a lot to read, so thanks to anyone who finished my tangent.  I really do have a strong testimony in this beautiful gospel and a very deep love of my Heavenly Father.  No matter what comes at me in this life and what challenges I am asked to face, I will always know that I am not alone.

April Coming To A Close

April is coming to a close so that means that the school year is winding down and the crazy summertime activities are about to start. In April we celebrated birthdays for Eryn and Valerie. We also celebrated Easter and the resurrection of our Savior. I also had the opportunity to play the organ in sacrament meeting that day. It's been a busy month as usual. I am looking forward to the nicer weather and being able to enjoy the outdoors more. Oh, and I can't forget that I renewed our season tickets for BYU football.

Hair Donation

Our Rapunzel like princess has always had exceptionally long and beautiful brown hair.  It's been a pain and a pleasure to have a daughter who suffers with thick and beautiful hair just like her Mommy.  Property Solutions (the company we both work for) participated in a donation drive for funds and head shaving for St. Baldrick's Foundation a charity that helps raise money especially for children who are cancer patients.  

My friend Loren was a very big part of making sure that our team raised money and participated with this event.  Her love of others and passion for bringing people together for a purpose is one of her best traits.  In total we raised over $500 and she shaved her head!  Ben and Caleb both did it too!  It was great to see my coworkers and friends joining together for a good cause.  Plus, our department head Trevor even came and we talked him into shaving his head!  

They were shaving everyone's hair very very short and then announced that they would accept donation cuts from the ladies who might not be ready to be bald just yet.  Eryn had been begging me for a short haircut for a few months now and I saw it as an opportunity for her to get what she wanted so badly and to teach her the value for charity and the chance to do something very selfless for others in need.

I got down on my knees and looked her in the face and asked her if she wanted a short haircut.  She was suddenly tense (and after seeing a bunch of people running around bald it makes sense why, right?).  I let her know that they would only cut it to about her chin and that they would use her hair to make a wig for kids who's hair fell out because they were so sick.  Her nerves eased a bit realizing that bald wasn't her fate and she asked me if it would be the right thing to do.  My eyes welled with tears and I told her that it would not only be the right thing to do, but the best thing she could do would be to help other people to know that they are loved and looked after.  After a few moments of realizing that I was teaching my daughter the importance of real charity, the pure love of Christ, I took a deep breathe and we went to talk to the people in charge about getting it done.

The smiles on her face were amazing!  While she was having her hair cut 2 other little girls just older than her came up and also joined in the donations.  I took the opportunity to point out to her that others were following her example.  At the time I just thought it was a good way to reinforce the positive, but later while talking to Loren realized that those girls had been there for a long time and weren't really going to do it until they saw her and knew they could.  My daughter makes me so proud as a parent sometimes.  She helps me to know that what I do each day is sinking in here and there.

I saved the pictures for later because I wanted you to READ  my bragging about my friends and my brave little princess!

The skeptical look as the cutting began...

Then the smiles really started knowing it was going to be super cute!

So different and grownup instantly!

It wasn't as traumatic for the guys though.

Ben, a freaky bird mascot, Loren and her nephew, Trevor, and Caleb all showing off their new baldness!

The final product all curled and washed the next day!

Christmas if Coming

So, Christmas is coming right around the corner and the excitement of the holidays and spending time with friends and family is wonderful and a bit overwhelming all at the same time.  The vacation that Mike is taking from work will (fingers crossed) prove to be a time for me to get some much overdue blogging done, along with the mass amounts of housework and rest that I sometimes require.

I do apologize to those few but loyal blog stalkers that there has not been a post since September, but there are more to come!  With that, I will let the suspense drive you insane until I post again.  Muhahahahahahahaha...

Out With The Old, In With The New...

So, we finally gave in and replaced the Grand Am (Blitzen as we called it). Fearing that it may not make it through another winter and not wanting to pay to fix it up at this point, we figured it was time.

Blitzen when we bought it February, 2004.

As old as Blitzen was, it was a great car. It was surprising how hard it was to trade it in. After owning it for nearly 10 years, it has been like a member of the family. They say stuff is stuff, but it was still hard to say goodbye to it. It had taken us on so many adventures and to different parts of the country. We also brought our first 2 children home from the hospital in it. Up until the need for a larger vehicle, it was our primary means of transportation for a long time.

After searching around for a new car, we decided to go with a Hyundai Elantra. We first bought a blue one and we loved the color, but we were just not feeling the beige interior as much after driving it a couple days. So, we took it back and picked out a gray one with gray interior. The dealership was great in making sure we had the one that we wanted.

So here it is. We haven't decided on a nickname yet, and we're still getting used to the idea of having a new car.

Stress

It's not a big secret that life is stressful.  There are so many demands on each of us for our time and energy.  The real key to handling stress is...  Yeah, that would be good to know, right?

I'm certain that at some point in my life I will be able to fully complete that statement.  I'm just not quite there yet.  Being a working mom now and still trying to find time to do everything else has not been the easiest transition in the world.  When I finally began to realize that the balance of everything was off, I began to ask for help.  The usual call to a friend, Facebook status with a bunch of suggestions (some of which are helpful and some of which are not), and then the prayer.

The moment when you realize that you can't do everything on your own no matter how hard you try is the moment when you find yourself muttering words in the dark at your bedside and pouring your heart out to the Lord along with a lot of well earned tears.  Well, at least that's how it was for me.

What's my brilliant answer to relieving MY stress?  For right now it's setting small goals for myself and completing them.  I can't do everything, but I can do something.  Doing something and completing it will help me to build back my knowledge that I can, in fact, accomplish things and do them well.  Once the ball gets rolling, the items start flying off of the check list!  I had a successful day today and accomplished many things.  I did not get everything done that I might have needed to, but I tried my hardest.

Ears

Once upon a time my parents told me that I couldn't have my ears pierced until I was 18.  Then, it was until I was 16.  I'd talked them down to 12 and then something magical happened.  My Grandmother bought me a fancy nice pair of earrings for my birthday and I did not have my ears pierced.  Fearing that I'd offend my grandmother by not wearing the lovely gift I was given, my parents promptly took me in and I had my ears pierced just after I turned 10. 

A few of my nieces have had their ears pierced and I've sort of put it off.  It's more work for the parents then most people think it will be and it's actually quite expensive given the cost of everything including a bunch of earrings to wear later!  Mike and I talked about it and decided that when she started asking for it and when we thought she would be ready for the responsibility of it, we would give in and do it.

We'd promised her that we would do let her have her ears pierced.  Then, like any good set of parents would, we delayed and put it off and made excuses because WE just weren't quite ready yet!  Low and behold, the waiting period is over and the ears now have sparkly little pink diamonds stuck in them.  She was super excited and did a really good job listening, holding still, and being brave! 

The nervous anxious smile...

the marker dots to place it in the right spot.

She took this big anticipation breath and it totally reminded me of myself when they take blood!

The finished product!  There will be many more pictures of her with her new earrings in the future.

Someone Had a Birthday

It's only a little late, but better late than never, right?  Ha ha!  I finally found the pictures from Eryn's birthday!!!!  They managed to get copied into a folder and since there was all ready images with the same numbers on them they became images with the names like "IMG_8725 (2)" which made them hard to find and camouflaged them with the others so well that I was convinced that I'd lost them.  Finally, I got lucky and found them while searching for something else!

Prepare yourselves for the Pink Nightmare...   

The birthday girl.

The sparkly super pink cake she wanted.

More than anything she wanted her cousins to come over and play and make bracelets with her!  She really love to make things.

The candles bring out the glittery sparkles on the cake better than I'd expected.

I tried to make a cake that was white, light pink, and dark pink so that it faded into the color.  It photographed a little red on the bottom, but it looked really great!

The little sisters made some bracelets too.  The older girls were pink and sparkly and the younger ones were purple and sparkly.

Pretty easy craft that wasn't very expensive either.  Thank you Pinterest!  Here's a link if you'd like to try making one yourself.

http://kerraftycreations.blogspot.ca/2012/05/easy-bracelet-tutorial.html

1 year older and about 10 years bossier!  Ha ha.  I'm so proud of my little stinker who reminds me all the time of what's great and terrible in myself all at the same time.