Still giggling over Dr. Slaughter!

Camy told me when I was hesitant to go that after Dr. Slaughter was over we could all sit around and talk about how fun it was. That is exactly what we did.

Interesting how today it all seems

HILARIOUS

when I was about to have an aneurysm last night!

I am still GIGGLING over it! I am laughing about when we couldn't find the way out of a room and we were just stuck there with the monster (it was actually awkward for a moment), I am laughing about when we had to squash through this corridor that was all blown up to squash you and Melanie screamed, I am laughing about me holding onto Melanie so tight she said we could have cut her feet of and she still be held into place, I am laughing about Kassidy having so much fun and Chuckie's mom following us around, I am laughing about so much of it! I am amazed at the work and time and creativity that goes into it. On the way to take little Bo to his speech therapy today I was just cracking up out loud, in the car, over it. Like teary eyed laughing kind of laughs! Bo and Katie-Shay sit patiently use to a crazy mom I guess but it all seems so funny this morning. Next year I am going and taking the whole older part of our family! (minus probably Justine who would be dead on the floor before she made it to the first room)

Thanks Camy for the

FUN(?)

night!

Should I be concerned that my children's gym teacher is a chain saw massacrest by night?

I over came a fear tonight! Okay, I am still terrified but it wasn't as crazy, freakish, blind, terror as it was earlier. I went to DR. SLAUGHTER! Can you believe it? Last time I have been to a spook alley type thing was 16 years ago and I got so freaked out I turned to run and ran my head smack into a brick wall! OUCH.

Tonight I went with my oldest daughter and some other friends to the local spook alley. It was really well done and super scary and LONG! Too long! And Stressful! I was so thankful to have Melanie as my human shield. I literally had "pick a car off an injured person" super human strength tonight as I gripped with both hands the back of her jacket and maneuvered her this way and that to protect myself. (Melanie- Thank you, thank you, thank you! I couldn't have survived without you!) Her daughter bravely led the way the whole time. It was scary! Crazy people and monsters, aliens etc jumping out at you at every turn. I can still laugh when the walls were smooshing us and Melanie screamed the whole way through because of claustrophobia. Several times I reminded the creepazoids that they were not allowed to touch me. "You can't touch me!" (Those are the rules)That helped. I kept telling my group "they are just people, they are just people." It was scary fun. I don't quite get it but I liked it. Only one time though. I am not going again. Kassidy loved it and laughed the whole was through. I am a very PROUD mother that I have somehow manage to raise a child who isn't scared of everything like me! I am sure I can't take any credit for it but I am glad she is brave.

I was oddly proud of myself when it was over as my friend Camy said I would be! I don't understand why but I was glad I had done it.

Later I ran into my children's gym teacher and he recognized us at Dr. Slaughters. He was in the very last room playing the chain saw massacrest guy! Gotta love small towns. Where else is your teacher your teacher by day and chain saw dude by night! (and at one time your hometeacher, even!)

grody, disgusting nerve damage

A few months ago I had carpal tunnel releases done on both hands. Not a big deal, everything went smooth, but because I had "the worst nerve damage" the Dr. had seen all year we were both concerned if the surgery had, at the least, stopped the nerve decay. If it didn't stop it then I would eventually become a claw hand. If it did work then it would stop the damage and hopefully start to heal. I had pregnancy induced carpal tunnel and have had it for about eight years. When I was pregnant with Rhett (now 8) my hand would be cinched into a tight fist by morning that I would literally have to bend back out. I have had numb fingers for a long time and just have become so use to it. It drives Corey crazy because if I ever need to feel anything I use my pinkie or I will pick things up with my pinkie and ring fingers, etc... He thinks it looks like alien fingers.

After years of this problem I saw my hand start to do this.......

That is when I decided, "Hmmm maybe I should get that checked out." Dumb, I know. See where I have no padding on the "pad" of my hand... It is lots better now.

So I went to see the ADORABLE Dr. Biddulph today to get a 7 week post surgical update (wow, listen to me all technical).

Although I am still numb on my left three fingers he thinks I am making progress and so do I. It is hard to tell however since it takes a whole year to recover. But we are fairly certain it will not continue to decay. Thankfully, because I enjoy finger movement. That is a good thing to have.

When the doctor came in to see me he said, (This Dr. is a doll and I am not even kidding)

"Hi, Sus"

Warm, sweet feelings from my childhood washed over me. Love that.

Good to live in a day and age where claw hands and other ailments can be prevented!

JENN JENN

This is my best friend from High school.

Isn't she beautiful?

I wanted to cry when I saw this picture of her on her sister's Face Book. She looked so wonderfully happy with that new babe. We have been horrible "keeper uppers" (haven't talked to her in YEARS), but I still love her to death. We shared some of our best pre-children days together. This is her sixth baby.

As teenager we use to talk on the phone all the time. Those were the days when we had cords so often I was talking in front of parents. If we ever had something we couldn't discuss at the moment we had a secret code to say we can't talk about it. It was "black jellybeans". Funny. We used it for our whole friendship. We shared clothes, went to a bazillion stake dances together, wrestled her little brother Lukie till we laughed so hard we cried, and just spent millions of hours together. She was the sister I didn't have.

She had 7 siblings. I had all my children because seeing her and her large family was such a joy and I so wanted that. They were my siblings too at the time. Her sweet mama was my second mom. I remember she wrote a letter to Madonna to inform her what a strong influence she was to young people and how she basically needed to shape up. Loved her. (mom, not Madonna)


Anyways, adore and love and hold in the highest regard, this girl! Love this earth life where we can have friendships that will be eternal,... I hope. No, I am sure that is how it must work. It wouldn't be right any other way.

Love you...Jenn Jenn.

GO STEELERS!

Just kidding, I really have zero amount of interest in football.

But Corey does. Thankfully, he only watches about 4 games a year.

Corey was trying to explain to me that his favorite team was playing football against some other undefeated team so it was really an important game. I think he was trying to prep me as to why he wanted to be late to church. We were discussing Brett Farve and how he is the same age as Corey.

He says , "Susan, This is my team!"

Rhett says so cute and innocently, "So dad, are you not playing today because it's Sunday or you just didn't sign up?"

Uh.....yeah, that's it.

Cracked me up!

When Corey was in High school he actually lettered in football. He was given special recognition at an assembly and everything. Who knew! The other night he was telling me he use to throw the ball long style to himself and then run and catch it. He went in the back yard and showed me and he actually did it! Wow. Guess all that Mountain Dew hasn't decalcified his bones after all.

He started playing foot ball when he was a little boy. Enjoy some funny pictures of him and all his football moves! No wonder he lettered.

Still waiting for that time freezing machine, people!

We are going down the stairs of our annoying split level staircase to go to an appointment when I hear my sweetie little 4 year old Bo sing so cute and sing songy, "I rocka my babay, I rocka my babay". I turn around and sure enough he was!




Just LOVE that kid. Wish I could truly freeze him in time right this second. He is a delight. Last night after dinner I felt like I was the one working with Helen Keller as he raced around the kitchen yelling (because with six siblings you have to before I realize anyone is talking to me),


"What's that?" "The oven"

"two ovens" he says and points to the microwave. "That's the microwave" I say


At dinner time, "What that?" "A green Bean"


"What's that" "The bean of the green bean"



So cute to see his mind grow and expanding everyday.


Last night when I was saying bedtime prayers with him I said "Amen" to the little prayer I said that he repeated. He was unhappy and he said "Jesus". Because of his speech delay he does not say sentences all the time. He is getting better but says a lot of one words still that, miraculously, I understand.


We didn't pray about Jesus. So I said, "Bless Jesus", He repeated it and was happy with that prayer. Then he said "Jesus is my friend." So sweet.

Take a good look, I'll be eating him for dinner.

(okay, okay, I stole that from another blog but I think it is funny. You know...because he's so wonderful and delicious. Corey doesn't think it is a good idea for someone who hasn't lost their baby weight, or several baby weights, to say that. Ha!)

Faster than a speeding bullet!

It was a happy day for Lynn at the Plasma Center today. Lynn was the cute young guy who got my plasma donation started. He was very excited to see that I surpassed any record he had seen by donating 2 minutes faster. So for the quantity of plasma I donated I was done in 45 minutes. Plus I saved 3 lives. Good day. Seriously, he was really happy about it.

I have been donating for almost a year. It is good little money that you can't count on for anything (if you get sick, had surgery, don't plan your schedule right, and a few other misc. things, than you cannot donate for a while) but it is good to have for things like basketball, dance costume, misc. Christmas presents, etc... I get 50$ a week, I save three lives a donation, and I get to recline back and read. It's is great.

When we drive by the Plasma Center I crack myself up by telling the kids, "that's where I work". When they are unappreciative I can tell them, "Hey! I sold my blood so you can have that!" I can go to dinner with my friends guilt free because I'm using my plasma money.

The best part as I mentioned before is that I get to read. Almost a whole hour (unless I am breaking records) to sit and read. Glorious. It irritates me when I see people sit and do nothing. I want to yell "Do something! Read a book! Expand your mind..." Sorry that was a little haughty.

I joined a book club because my friend did and I didn't like being left out. I didn't want to join that badly because they were reading the classics. BORING. Or so I thought! The two books I have read/am still reading so far have been very enjoyable and there is just something enlightening to them. It is weird. I guess that is why they are the classics. So I am happy about that and I feel all smart. The one I am working on right now is the biography of Annie Sullivan. The teacher to Helen Keller. What a life. It is AMAZING. She really had a hard life in the beginning. So inspiring.

Anyhow, even though Lynn was ecstatic about my EXTRAORDINARY donation record, part of me felt jipped out of my last little bit of reading time.

What the Chicken? If you don't think that is funny, don't bother reading this post anymore!

My good friend Camy told me a little while ago that her kid's new slang is "What the Chicken?", you know, in place of "What the Heck?".

I can't help it! I love it. I think it is a funny little slang even though I know we are only suppose to say yay and nay. "What the Chicken" is just a little too catchy not to take advantage of. Let me show you a few examples of how it may be best used.

You may say it when people try a little too hard to be snazzy!

What the Chicken?

That is like... her jewelry! This is Beyonce for those of you who don't know. She is a singer. They can get away with being bizarre, I guess! I think she is nice though, you know, the whole Taylor Swift thing.

You say it when you spent two years loving Jon!

What the Chicken?

Jon Gossselin! What the chicken! What in the world is going on? I loved you. Where has your brain gone? Who are you now? You were like this perfect little dad. I admired you for years on your show! I was ready to trade Corey in for you! WHY?????

Kate is right! Aliens have taken you away. "Nanoo Nanoo" bring Jon back to us.

You say it when you go into the garage and you see this!

What the Chicken?

This is Corey's toilet he made for when he goes out into "the mountains of nowhere" camping! His last one caved in. We WON'T go into that story! I'll spare you the details. This time he made it sturdier and with a little box for his toilet paper! You know, so the squirrels can't get to it. Great job, honey! The front peice of wood was our son's idea... so nothing can splash on you...hmmm. Any questions as to why I hate camping?

You say it when when you son CRASHES on his face with his birthday bike on his birthday!

Honey, What the chicken?

Nice one!

You say it when you find out your brother had to eat bees on a business trip to China.

What the Chicken?

And chicken feet!

What the chicken, chicken?!

And when you dad eats squirrels! On a regular basis. As in regularly.

Which coincidentally he calls: chicken of the tree!

What the Chicken?!

This is him dressed up for our annual spooky dinner. It's okay, I don't get it either.

You SCREAM it when you come home from a fun evening with friends, your baby wakes you in the night, you go in to feed her and........your husband has

CUT

her bangs! Need I say more?

What the chicken?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He was so busted over that one, I can't even tell you. He knew he was in huge trouble too. Otherwise why wouldn't he have told me. But just to let me wake up in the night and discover it? I was more mad than the time he secretly bought a motorcycle off eBay! GRRRRR.

And last but not least you

FOR SURE say it when

people can't understand your profound and sincere love for ...

HIM-

What the CHICKEN?

I just love him! I had to add him! In the future I must devote a whole post to him. Maybe after I buy season 4 from ebay I will. You all know it is Dog the Bounty Hunter, right? Saves the world from evil and carnage. Love him.

Anyway, there is a breif summary on how to use the catchy slang. Enjoy it's future useage! I hope you appreciate it since I wasted my whole afternoon teaching you the ART of saying it.

Also special thanks to Camy's son. Good kid.

Is it just me or...

SHOULDN'T DRIVER'S ED TEACHERS BE PAID MORE??? (not that I want to pay more. but still...)

Isn't it scary to let a kid drive 40 MPH who has only driven in the parking lot twice? I really like the Drivers Ed Teacher, she is very nice and she is doing a great job. BUT, I would think she'd be a little scared for her life! I know she has breaks on her side of the car and all but does she have some special button to prevent... oh I don't know... total freak out of a 15 year whose brain isn't even completely developed yet? My kid said she was so scared her hands were shaking as she clamped onto the steering wheel. What if she lost it and just swerved like a crazy person! I asked one of the cute boys I drive home if he drove that fast and he was all smiles. "I drove 45!" "Were you scared?" "Uh, Yeah!" Cute. Everyday when I see the teacher she is just calm, and quiet, with a smile on her face.

If you ask me,

driver's Ed teachers have GUTS!

I never had drivers ed. My mom taught me in the church parking lot. I had to learn to drive the stick shift of our old white Datsun. It literally took me two weeks! I thought I was doing great until my friend learned in like an hour but it was still fun times. I don't ever remember my mom getting mad at me, not one time, either.

When I went to take the test I stalled the care three times! The guys said "You gonna have to do better than that!" No pressure there!

My parents bought me this car. I loved it! It was crazy. I called it the "squash mobile" because of it's color. It was a Plymouth Duster and was groovy in it's day. It drove great. The dog was my sweet little dog named "Licorish", loved her.


When I first got my license I hit two parked cars and received a ticket all at age 15 and 16. Since then though, no accidents or tickets. Although I have been pulled over about 4 times when the speed ohmmeter on our car was broken. Just warnings though. I almost freaked out when I had a sleeping baby in the back of the car and he asked me if I had been drinking! What the Chicken?(I'll explain that in a later post) I was indignant! "NO!" Then the other time I was on my way to Arctic Circle to get us shakes at 10:30 at night. I wish I was able to lie when he asked me where I was going. Lets face it! When you haven't lost all your baby weight it just doesn't look so great to be heading to Arctic Circle at 10:30 at night.

My husband made me do it.

For reals!

P.S. After I wrote this post I dropped Kassidy off for more driving with her teacher. Corey was with me. He is home sick from work. As he saw the teacher and driving students walk off together, he muttered "Poor soul." HA! I never even told him about my blog either.

10 things to be thankful for today!

1. Getting to stay in bed to read! I HEART that with all my HEART! It is so nice to have a baby that sleeps in!

2. A water heater that is too small for our family size but astonishingly almost never really seems to run out of hot water. I LOVE my hot shower.

3. Mysterious phone calls that include pistachio bread and non-story police chases.

4. Three early morning phone calls that did NOT include asking me to say the prayer at church.

5. Leftovers for breakfast.

6. Helping my son give his talk at church. I just love doing that. I feel so motherly and loved by them.

7. Cheap labor! I got Justine to put both little kids to bed with stories and everything for three bucks.

8. The Sunday night Pepsi Corey surprises me with once a month.

9. Nephews who are too old to play with annoying younger cousins but do so anyway, and sleep over in the top bunk! Now that is a nice cousin!

10. Being able to find a seat for Sacrament.

Remember when Oprah had everyone write 5 things they were thankful for every day in a gratitude journal? Although I didn't keep up with it (big news flash there) it really does help improve your quality of life when you are thankful for the little things.

I absolutely love the book by Corrie Ten Boom called the Hiding Place. It is a life altering book. Truly!
I have to share this story. Corrie and her sister Betsy were living during the time of the Holocaust. They were sent to a concentration camp for hiding Jews in their home! Can you imagine that time in history? They knew the consequences but they helped anyway. I hope I would be that kind of a person. When they were sent to the concentration camp they were able to sneak in their Bible. Their Bible was a great source of joy and comfort to them. They had to sleep in bunks where everyone was just squashed in together. They had terrible fleas. For some reason the guards never checked on them and they were able to hold Bible study and teach the other ladies about Jesus Christ and the Bible. The guards routinely checked on the other bunks. On a discouraging day Corrie's sister said that the Bible teaches to give thanks in ALL things so they needed to pray and give thanks. They listed numerous things they were thankful for including their Bible and having each other. When Betsy suggested that they needed to give thanks for the fleas Corrie protested that she would not give thanks for fleas! Betsy reminded her that God said to give thanks in ALL things. They gave thanks for the fleas.

Later while doing their assigned work in the concentration camp Corrie over heard the guards fighting about checking on the different bunks. They refused to check on Corrie's bunk. They refused to do so because that bunk has fleas!

Without fleas those ladies would never been able to spread the good news of the Bible and Jesus Christ with the other ladies. Think how much hope they were able to spread in that desperate time. I so love that story and try to remember it so I can give thanks for all thinks as well, understanding that we know not everything.

AND SO IT BEGINS...

I am not sure what is up with this trend of taking pictures of yourself while pouting but it seems to be the new thing. I find these pictures of Kassidy all the time. They crack me up.

Kassidy started a cute blog called "Kassidy's life". I had to smile at her last post which was :

" I started drivers ed yesterday!!!!! I am so excited!!!!! And tomorrow I start driving a car!! A real life car! And it is only the second drivers ed class!!! I can't wait till I start driving it is going to be so cool, so much fun, so scary, and crazy, and......... nerve racking!!!"

Cute, huh?

Then yesterday as I was driving her to her hip hop dance class (smiley face, she has to do a headstand!) I hear this:


"Mom, your doing it wrong...

Before you drive walk around the back to make sure no toys, children, or anything behind you

lock your door

Adjust your seat

Put your steering wheel down so you're wrist is hang over the steering wheel

Keep your thumbs to the side so the air bag doesn't blow them off (really?)

You didn't look both ways

Do you have your seat belt on?

Hold the steering wheel at 3 and 9

No crossovers (don't cross your hands while your turning)

Your windshield needs to be clean

Speed limit! Mom

Hold you key between your middle finger and your index finger to injure car thiefs "(as she puts the keys in position for me)

WOW! Not so cute anymore. Suddenly she's the instructor!

It's great to be eight!

Rhett was baptized by his dad on the 10th of October.

(I made this fancey smancy invite on my cool Creative Memories program)

What a neat evening. I love Baptisms and I was so proud of Rhett for being baptized and just "getting" that that is what we do in our family. No questions ask. Just simple Faith. We gave him a book to learn about Baptism and we read about it so he would understand. He loved it. It is always so great to be reminded of the promises of baptism. I found these on the Internet. I hope to remind myself and remind my children of them.

Alma (from the Book of Mormon) taught that when we are baptized we make covenants with the Lord to—

1. Come into the fold of God.
2. Bear one another’s burdens.
3. Stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all places.
4. Serve God and keep his commandments.

When we are baptized and keep the covenants of baptism, the Lord promises to—
1. Forgive our sins.
2. Pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon us.
3. Give us daily guidance and the help of the Holy Ghost.
4. Let us come forth in the First Resurrection.
5. Give us eternal life.


Good stuff!

In our family I made a chart with hearts on it and it is our "eight days to baptism" chart.



Everyday the child picks a heart which has a surprise written on the back such as motorcycle ride with dad, pick out a new book, (can you believe that was the first time Rhett has ever gone into a book store and picked himself out a book! It was a thrill!), go get ice cream, ect.... We have eight hearts and do eight things until baptism. The day of the baptism they wake up to a heart attacked room!



I have been reminded this week that not every thing goes as planned and it still turns out just fine. I am such a PLANNER! I look at my date book, I make lists, I plan everything in advance. However, life was so busy this week between his birthday party, the awesome cup cake tower, making his foot ball cake (ignore those crazy teeth, sad stage of being 8) ,


a bazillion meetings and appointments, and everything else that we didn't get his hearts done every single day and we didn't get his room heart attacked because he spent the night at grandma's. I was discouraged because we didn't get them done on the right days. I decided not to beat myself up and we just did them late. He still loved them just the same. Boys are nice that way, nothing is too big a deal.

The day he was getting baptized was STRESSFUL. Why are spiritual times always like that? It hurts my heart. I don't know if it is just us or what but there was lot and lots of ciaos, arguing, and craziness. No time to feel the spirit of the day.





I was beginning to feel terrible because I had been fussing (nice word for yelling) at the kids about the messy house. We just can't keep up. I turn around and messes just keep happening. I rushed Nathan up to my bedroom to fix his Zac Efron hair which has just become so long and no longer looks cool. He had decided to slick the whole thing down with gel and it was beyond repair. As I was trying to fix it, getting ready for pictures before the baptism I wanted to cry. Sometimes I am just doing a terrible job. (not with the hair, with managing the home, husband, and children)


Now my son, Nathan, is going to be THE BEST HUSBAND in the world. Line your daughters up because he is a doll.


While fixing his Fonzie do suddenly I was desperate for some validation. Any mother knows how terribly wrong this could go. But my sweetheart would not fail me. I knew it.


Me- "Do you think I am a mean mom?"

Nate- "No"

Me- "Do you think I am a good mom?"

Nate- "Yes"

Me- "Is there any other mom you can think of you'd rather have?"

Nate- With shock and amazement at such a question, "No!"


SMART, SWEET, BOY. He pulled it off with all sincerity too! I think he was just glad to leave the room and escape my codependency attack. He is on the right of this picture with his sticky gelled hair. That is my mom and dad also.

So we go to the baptism and Rhett was happy and proud and it is so beautiful to see him and my husband all in white by the baptismal font.

One of the men running the program asked if I would say the opening prayer. I had a traumatic experience with that once and I get so scared. He could see the fear in my eyes and said he could choose someone else. I let him. I was heart sick. How could I not pray at my sons baptism. I want my son to remember me praying on his day. I want him to know that his mother knew! I went to find him and chickened out again. I was so scared.

During the opening of the meeting I was sitting by my dad, upset,telling him what had happened. He said unsympathetically, "get over it. Don't dwell on it." Note to self: When having codependency crisis do not whine to dad.

I was fighting crying the whole time. I felt like I gave up a most precious opportunity. A cute little mom gets up says the opening prayer. It was beautiful and she taught her son that his mom "knows". Do you understand what I mean by that? "Knows"= has a testimony, knows Gods lives, knows the church is true, knows that Jesus is the Christ, is proud of her child for being baptised ect.... And in a heart beat I had given that chance all away to some other mom.

I know I am a little over dramatic but it is hard to be the mom! Hard to have all these little people counting on you!

When cute, skinny, mom was done with her great prayer my dad says "that could have been you." Gotta love it. Thanks dad.

So the meeting went on, by some small miracle I didn't cry over the prayer thing , and I vowed to never say no again and move on. Not to make this into a huge deal. At the end of the meeting and after the beautiful Baptism and Confirmation of my sweet (yet admittedly naughty) boy, the Bishop got up and realized he hadn't asked anyone to say the closing prayer. He addressed one side of the room and no one volunteered. My heart was beating so fast. When he addressed our side I flew out of my seat to say the closing prayer. And it wasn't traumatic either.

I am so thankful for Heavenly Father and the tender, simple, mercy He bestowed on me. All in the Bishop forgetting to ask someone else to give the closing prayer.

He does know me, doesn't He!

This odd picture is Corey buttoning Bo's shirt back up. When he saw Rhett come out all in white he starting stripping down to get baptized also! He said "I'm eight" We just eat up every word we can understand!

Medusa lives in our garden!

Just thought I'd share with you mine and Corey's amazing gardening skills!

I normally don't grow carrots because I hate thinning them and in fact,never do! This year I grew them and they were delectable! Still didn't thin them though. Why bother.

A big thanks to my mother in law who took all my carrots home and froze them for me. That was a relief. She also did my beets. So nice.

She also gave me this recipe that is supper yummy on carrots if you like to make vegetables unhealthy (my dad would kill me if he knew I was not eating them with their natural flavors). After you cook them you put in equal amounts of butter and sugar and about 1/8 tsp of nutmeg. Super "tasty" as my horticulturist friend,Christina, would say!

Also this post is dedicated to my other friend,Camy,whose favorite food is carrots. Go figure.

My Testimony of the Book of Mormon, and Jeffrey R. Hollands...

Twice a year the leaders of our church hold a world wide conference where Latter Day Saints receive counsel, guidance, and hope. It is a time of great excitement for us as we nestle into our homes with our children and listen to the words of wisdom our leaders have for us. I am sure around the world not everyone is nestled in their home, some are at church buildings having it satellited to them, but for my family it feels like a little break from the world as we spend Sat and Sun listening to the literally awesome counsel. I do my best to listen amidst the ciaos of six children and we usually have some snacks or some conference packets for the children to take notes and play games with. This year I was especially proud to see my 15 year old take conference VERY seriously as she was given an assignment in seminary to take notes ect... She listened to EVERY speaker and it was neat to see her learning to embrace the things that are so important to me. In fact today I realized we forgot to fast. (As Latter Day Saints we set aside one Sunday a month for fasting.) When Kassidy realized we had forgotten she seemed a little upset. I told her we should fast next week. (HELLO! I don't know about you but sometimes when I forget it is a little relief because being hungry is just not that much fun!) But my sweet, dutiful, faithful, daughter in all seriousness agreed that we should fast next week. What a great example to me! So we are going to!

I have been thinking how neat technology is these days and that we have so much of the world at our finger tips through the Internet. I was so in LOVE with President Hollands talk from conference that I wanted to post it for all to see and bare my testimony, along with his, for Heaven and all to read, that I know the Book of Mormon is a true book. Elder Holland said that he wanted it on "record with men on earth and angels in heaven" and so do I. He said he wants it known when he goes to the "judgement bar of God that I declared to the world in the most straight forward language that I could summon, that the Book of Mormon is true. That it came forth the way Joesph said it came forth and was given to bring happiness and hope to the faithful in the travail of the last day." I want that known for me as well. I want it known that I believe in the Book of Mormon. I believe Joseph Smith saw Jesus and His Father. I believe Joesph translated the Book of Mormon. I also believe in the Bible. Elder Holland said in his talk that the Book of Mormon supports the Bible and that the Bible is the word of God. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon is about Christ's teachings in America.

I loved his talk so much. I love how Elder Holland spoke with such conviction and power. Hearing his talk increased my testimony and made me think "Yea! That is so true" over and over. I loved the power. I love Joesph Smith. I am amazed at all he did for the truth. How does he do all he did and I barely can get my scriptures read daily? It is shameful. I will do better.

I love Jesus Christ as my Savior. I am excited for this earthly journey and my chance to prove to Him my love and grow as a person and be able to partake of all the Redemption He has to offer me. I need it.

I have taken the scriptures far too lightly I am ashamed to say. What a gift we have. I am about 1/2 way through the Book of Mormon. I won't even dare say how long it has taken me to get THAT far. It is my goal to finish reading it by Christmas. I will start tomorrow. If I can do two chapters a day I will make it. My kid reads 10 minutes a night dutifully! If she is doing it how do I dare not to! Then it is my goal to read it personally once a year for sure if not more. I would also like to read it once with my children every year. I have a slight compulsion with comparing my life to Little House on the Prairie. I think of the Ingals and their "no electricity" issue and what they filled their time doing in the evening. Sewing, listening to pa play the violin, school work, reading the Bible. How simple that would be. How difficult it is for us to get our lives that simple that we can sit around the table at night and study scripture. How do we do that? I pray that I may declutter my life so I can accomplish that goal. I do believe that it is one of the most important things I can be doing with my children. Why does EVERYTHING else come first? I just get blinded by all the other things in life that SEEM important.

I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love the Book of Mormon. I pray that my testimony will grow stronger as I study.

Please enjoy Jeffrey R. Hollands talk and feel the power.




To learn more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or to receive a free copy of the Book of Mormon click on the link to the side with the picture of Christ. It will take you to our church site. Thanks for your interest and time.

Also WAY to go Kassidy! She must have been born with some genetic computer ability coming from Corey because she knew how to get this youtube video on my blog without much trouble at all. She can figure these computer things out so easily. How embarrassing that I am already a fuddy duddy with technology!

I didn't know I was so quirky! ...Okay, I lied, I did know that.

25 random things about me!

(I wrote this about 6 month ago on facebook but since my blog is going to be my journal I wanted to have it on record)

1. I love to play games and am very competitive. Some people don’t like to play with me. I hate when people only play for fun and don’t want to do important things such as, oh I don’t know … keeping score!

2. My idol is Mrs. Duggar, that sweet home schooling mother who never yells who just had her 18th baby. I always and still do want to be like that!

3. I am always way jealous and super jealous when I see pregnant people. Even if I just had my own baby I am jealous. My most favorite time of life is when you just have had a baby and you have those two days in the hospital alone with them. I love that. One time I took 7 rolls of film!

4. I worked at a pet store for 5 years. I had a great friend named John who worked with me. One day he says “Hey! Want to smell my snake?” They were vipers and supposedly smelled like cucumbers. So I say “Sure!” I smell his snake and get bit right between the eyes. Is that not the stupidest story you ever heard! A few days later he came to work with his arm swollen like 10 times the size. That could have been my face. Someone was definitely watching over me. I still do love reptiles a ton though. I can kill a mouse with my bare hands to feed to snakes.

5. I helped found a charter school that truly changed the course of my child’s life forever.

6. Must mention Glenn Beck! Got to meet him and get my book signed and stare into his eyes while we had this whole hand holding thing with all four hands going on. Very funny.

7. Hate camping. Corey and I always fight because I am stressed. I am scared of the wild or having an emergency or seeing animals or being lunch and I much prefer the city and people. Corey says the city is when I NEED to be scared.

8. I LOVE DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER and his whole show. I truly honestly think he is a really special person.

9. I knew Hugh was sexy before People did!

10. I cannot, not dance when Neil Diamond is on. He rocks! I am a horrible dancer but I don’t care. Me and my kids…we dance.

11. I chat with my dad about nothing almost every day. It is fun.

12. I hate that part about me that has to tell people everything about my life that is on my brain. Why can’t I just keep some things private or lie a little, or make things sound better. I don’t know why I have to say too much.

13. I secretly want to be one of those super in shape people who are training for one of those things were you swim, bike, and run. Someday seriously I want to get all muscular.

14. I use to volunteer at a place that taught disabled people how to ride horses and have their therapy on horses. I worked with a man who had a brain injury and helped him ride. I loved it! Love the smell of horses and helping people. No one else wanted to work with the grownups so I did.

15. I love math! I can hardly do it but I love it so much. I want to go back to school and really learn how it works.

16. I am super proud of the fact that all my kids will eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables (including beets) and like them! My toddler will eat a whole green pepper himself.

17. I am scared of everything the least bit scary! I can’t even sleep towards my husband because then my back is facing the door and I don’t want to be snuck up on. I had to quit watching scary movies because I would just be sick afterwards. (Why am I sleeping closest to the door anyways…Corey?)

18. I can’t stay up late. I get so tired and get super grumpy. Corey says Zelda (or some crazy name he calls me) has come out. When I stay out late with my friends he always wants to call them and warn then that I might get mean.

19. I love to plant the garden but then don’t want to do anything else with it.

20. My favorite thing about face book is my farm! Send more trees!

21. I stink on the computer. Corey has to show me everything. He says he has to come home from work and then work more with me.

22. Sadly, I must admit, I am an airhead. I hate it but I am ditsy. One time I was screwing in the drain stopper and was getting all mad because it wouldn’t screw in. I told Corey it was broken so he came to help and I was trying to turn it the wrong way even though I had done it a bazillion times. Stupid stuff like that happens to me all the dumb time!

23. I would love to be a labor and delivery nurse.

24. I want to open an orphanage or help start a program to help get orphaned kids adopted better and faster, or go do baby massage on orphans. Or go join the Peace Corps. I really want to go do something huge and meaningful and save part of the world. I always wanted to adopt older orphaned children. But now I am getting tired. For about 10 years now on my night stand table in a frame I have had a picture and a quote from Mother Teresa that I cut out from a magazine. It says “Maybe if I had not picked up that one person dying on the street I would not have picked up the thousands. Although I am not helping in that extreme it gives me hope that my daily (or weekly) acts are adding up and mean something.

25. I have a whole shopping for food ritual. Every two weeks I make a food menu of what we are going to eat for the next few weeks. I write down every ingredient I need to get at the store and approx how much it will cost so I don’t overspend. I clean my fridge and my pantry so I can put away the food in a clean organized fashion. I CAN”T STAND a messy fridge and I will not keep food around if it is the least bit old. I am not wasteful but I have this mentality it will give me food poison. Even though he hates it Corey always shops with me and bugs me to the hurry the whole time but it is worth it because he bags the groceries and carries them in the house.

Note to self,

Seven year old boys do not appreciated the fabulousness of a cup cake tower!

P.S. Mom- cupcake towers are at Wal-mart. Oh- Wait, you can borrow this one that I am not returning. (glad you learned to comment)

P.S.S The table cloth is awesome but unfortunately it is a plastic dollar store one and was ripped before the party started. I might have to sew something equally as cool.

P.S.S. Mom's who throw b-day parties for whole classes of kids instantly go to Heaven. I learned that last night at book club. Cool Huh!? Almost not worth it though!

Dear Tiffany, I really like you however...

You will NEVER see your cupcake tower again! I am holding it for an unachievable ransom! It is just too fun! These are for Rhett's spooky birthday today!. I'll post a better picture later but I am in a "get ready for 12 boys to destroy your house" frenzy!

IS THIS EVEN LEGAL?

How does this happen? I seriously can't understand it. The three boys share a room so I guess that is a lot of kids in that room but let's get real here! We can have it clean one night and then the next day- POOF! - DISASTER-! I always say the house threw up because that is what it looks like. The house has turned it's stomach inside out. WEIRD. It couldn't possibly from lack of parenting. Who knows.

When I was a kid I had a horribly messy room as well. It was a disaster much like my boys. I have very fond memories of my mom helping me de-junk the whole room and starting fresh. I loved those times. Sadly, it would quickly become a mess again. My lovely mom let me keep every little animal you can think of in my room, including three pet rats who were truly beloved little pets. Danny, Clay, and Beau. Good rats if you can believe it. Cried my heart out when they died. Shortly after my son's birth I realized I had named him after one of my pet rats. Oopsies.

Nonetheless, I had a very messy room. I went to college and had a roommate who was wiser and more mature ( she was 21! wow) and she always kept her room clean. I decided I loved that and was forever changed into a clean room keeper. So there may be hope for my sons yet. Except the one I named after the rat. That is just something you don't recover from.

Below is my room.

I get great joy from it. It is my little safe haven from the world. (Six children, one husband, one jerkish cat.)

Sometimes I lock myself in and will read for 10 minutes. If

someone knocks I can pretend I was using the restroom. No one

has to know.

I will clean this room before any other because it is my reprieve and "they" can't mess it

up again! That is because I got smart and put a child lock on it. (SMILE)

Why does my husband need so many huge pillows? It is a mystery. and it makes my bed look lopsided.

See his sad little nightstand? It is lonely for books. The only thing it ever has on it is Cabela magazines. Yes, it is missing a leg. Corey refuses to get a new one.

I adore my little night stand table. The screen in the back was in my beloved Grandpa's shed. I HEART it to death. My dad doesn't get why we like to put all these old things in our house. I am really not an antique person but I love a few chabby chic things.

When I see all my books stacked crazily there it gives me hope. I love having them all waiting there for me, like friends, ready to call upon in my time of need. I must have at least six messily scattered there or I start to fret. I make sure to read a great mixture of church books, educational books and novels.

This is my "baby in the womb" paper weight.

Actually it goes this direction.

Corey thinks it is really demented. It fills me up with joy, symbolizing my pregnancies. My mother in law worked for an OBGYN and the drug rep gave it to her. She gave it to her husband as a paper weight. They thought it was a joke. My "step" father in law gave it to me because he knew how much I loved it. He has died since then but it gives me happiness remembering how he gave it to me. I know its weird but it is "me".

More of my room...

Corey finished this dresser for me for our wedding present. Love it. Has a mirror on top but after six babies... won't be needing that.

My mom made this awesome quilt and my cousin in law snagged me yet another old piece of junk that looks awesome! It actually has a rusty nail coming out of it. All the cooler!


This is Rhett when he was one. He was a handsome little guy. Wouldn't smile.

This shelf was the first thing I did in my room. I love shelves. I decorated with 50 buck I had been giving for switching phone companies. Nothing else had been decorated in my whole house but I had dreams for this room. The dresser is temporary until we get the baby out of my closet.

Up close of my shelf

My little kids brought me in this beautiful nest one day. It is made with like little feathers. It is so sweet and soft, and orange!

This little mama represents everything I feel about myself. I love being the mama. Corey calls me big mama but that is besides the point! For the longest time I referred myself as mama. "Let mama help you." What am I? On Little House on the Prairie? Whatever. I love this little faceless, slightly odd, would sculptury thing.

There is the cutest little book on my shelf with all these illustration about wildlife. The drawings are so true to life.

In high school I had a boyfriend and one day we went to his house and his mom taught us how to take apart these owl poops and there are like whole little mice skeletons in there with all the bones. So we actually dissected the thing and glued them on cardboard just like the picture below. It was cool. You know, if you don't mind playing in poo. But here it is all drawn out right in this book. It is just a fun book.


I knew I must buy the book though when I saw this:

That little mom nursing her baby rabbit was just to wonderful for words. Then when I read that the baby is getting a "cup of comfort" I was sold.

Also on my wall, our wedding day. That is one huge bouquet! I just thought it was the best thing ever.

And behind the door, mushrooms my dad painted. He wasn't happy he was behind the door but I think mushroom are lucky they made the cut at all! Actually I really like it and think its cool.

I have had this picture framed for probably 10 years now. It inspires me. I can't do everything but the little things I do are adding up! Some day I would like to go run an orphanage. I love it when my sweet friend Terri remembers that about me and always adds that in her comments when we are face booking and such. I was ALWAYS going to adopt. Then came my own six and now I am tired for a while. But I do dream of a service mission of some kind with orphanages or something. We shall see. Thank Heavens for Mother Teresa though.

Well, that's all for now!

There is your proof that at least one room in my house is clean.

Also that I know how to write freakishly long blogs about nothing.

I'll try to control myself next time.

Actually it was a little window into some of the things I love!