This is Kassidy and Sister Ollerton her very first companion. She is going ot school locally and was able to come and support Kassidy. Sister Ollerton has given me a lot of insight into how it will be fore Kassidy. She also was the one who told Kassidy the statement I share later in this post. (Check out Nathan....mid hair swipe. He spends a lot of time swiping his long hair to the side, lol)

 

Kassisdy hugging her Aunt Sherri. But I love this girl in the back ground. She was Sister Ollertons college roommate but had also served a mission and also talked with us about what Kassidy will be going through trying to adjust. I love her face because she is just looking on with so much empathy and love.

 

It was very comforting for Kassidy to have Sister Ollerton there.

 

Um....can Kassidy go back on her mission now?

She is miserable. And she thinks we are going to Hell.

And it cracked me up because she just told me her first companion told her the first week home from your mission you think your family is going to hell. The second week you think you are going to hell and the third week you don't care anymore.

Bahaha. She totally thinks we are going to hell. The poor kid. She is trying so hard to get us to do all the right things. Prayer, scripture study, Family Home Evening. She was horrified to find out tonight that I don't believe God makes all these things happen to us. I believe things happen and Heavenly Father uses them to teach us but I don't believe he is causing bad things to happen to us. Kassidy was horrified and passionately yelling at me that "GOD IS IN THE DETAILS"!!!! I know. But I still don't believe he MAKES things happen to us. She looks out the window and says "You guys are going to Hell."

Seriously.....BAHAHAHA!

Let me give you another example.

I have to go to the gas station but my little local gas station is closed. I am in pajama bottoms. The local gas station would have no one in it so I wasn't as worried I tell her I don't want to go to the big gas station because there will be a lot of people in it and I am in my pajama bottoms. She said who cares what people think. I said "I'M IN MY PAJAMA BOTTOMS!"

 She says "There's no growth in the comfort zone."

So.....her adjusting to our fighting, movie watching family has been hard for her. Which I knew and that is why I got her to go straight up to college ASAP.

Anyway, that's all for now. I am so stressed out you guys. I am gaining weight and miserable. I think I need to go back to the addiction program and start taking quitting certain foods more seriously. Like sugar. again. UGH.

Bo has officially declared this as the worst Christmas ever.

Reason number one....I got rid of our old tree and used a different one and he did not like that I changed.

Reason number two.....I put the Christmas tree in a different spot.

He can't handle change. He has also gotten so behind on his homework that he has to do two math sheets a day until school starts to get caught up again. The problem is that by the time he gets home his medicine has worn off.

I got straight A's. Sometimes I hate when people talk about that because I feel dumb like why can't I get straight A's. Well, this semester, first time in my entire life....I got straight A's. And now I am applying for graduate school. I never even knew what getting a Masters was when I first heard about one of my friends getting one. I thought she was a super hero. So I can't believe I am applying. I'm trying to decide if I should do it in one year or two. It is a one year program but I can do it part time if I want to and work as a Bachelor Level Social worker at the same time.

But I feel sad leaving my boot store. I have almost been there 4 years and once I have been there 5 I get any pair of boots I want for free. My boss said. And I also am scared to work full time every day. I don't really want to. But I hope I love it so much that I am happy to go to work.

Bo is ten. Because of his severe ADHD he is a bit delayed socially. He is such a dang sweet kid though. He does make non stop noise. And. it. gets. old. His newest quirk is he says everything he can in rolled R's. Like a Spanish person. I can't do that at all. But he has it mastered.

Today he said something using a perfect R (without the roll). I noticed it and complimented him on it. Despite years and years of speech therapy he still says his R's incorrectly. He can say them but he is lazy in his speech. I realized that this little quirk of rolling his R's just may have taught him and cured him of his incorrect way of saying it. I am pretty fascinated by it. CHEERS for quirky little habits that cure speech impediments!

I had to miss their Christmas concert. Broke my heart. I insisted Corey had to get off work and go. He did so that was great. Bo was Rudolph!

 

Have you guys ever seen my most favorite movie "Savannah Smiles"? It is worth seeing. I found the VHS version and Kate loves it. So in the movie there is a scene where the man was a little boy and he had been naughty so his family was driving away and left him. He was running after the truck and couldn't catch up and they wouldn't wait for him. It is a heart breaker. At the end of the movie it shows a flash back to the scene and the family waits for him and loads him into the back of the pick up with huge welcomes and hugs and it is so cry worthy.

Today we took Bo and Kate to Grandmas so the older part of our family could go out to a real dinner, which we never do. I had no idea Bo would react this way but when he got into Grandma's house Bo was doing everything he could to get outside because he wanted to go to dinner with us. Sometimes he isn't the most relaxing t be around, you know with that constant rolling of R's and such so we honestly wanted to leave him. He got out of Grandma's (she was hugely advocating that he should get to go) and he was trying to get back in the van. The big kids were blocking him and wouldn't let him in the van. I had a huge Savannah Smile flash back moment and was like "LET HIM IN THE VAN!!! WE ARE BRINGING HIM!!!!!" Grandpa Dale was like "That's all it takes, huh?" "Yes. Today that is all it takes."

So the airport picking up Kassidy was so fun. I made us go like an hour early because the anticipation of it all was half the fun, right?

 

My buddy Becci taking pictures for me. I have the bestest friends ever.

 

She cried, just like we knew she would, the second she saw us as she was coming down the escalators.

She gave us all real long hugs and she actually seemed pretty dazed.

 

 

They were sweet moments.

Here is a banner I was actually able to borrow from another Sister Nielsen family. Isn't it cute? I had NO IDEA it was so big. I love having Rhett around. He is like having another adult, only one I can tell what to do. That probably sounds bad. I don't take advantage of him, I promise. But he is just such a "getter done" kind of kid.

I hope to do a better blogging job for the next few weeks until I start school and my internship again...

We got our girl home. It hasn't been near as traumatic as I thought it would be. I had it in my head she was going to be SO SAD.

The air port was SO SAD. I even cried. I don't cry a lot of tears like that. The ride home was SO SAD. I didn't cry because about six times Kate spilled the beans that I had bought her her first ever cell phone as a gift. She said about SIX times... "We got you a present but it's NOT a cell phone." Thanks Kate. Thankfully Kassidy was too in her own world and didn't get it. Haha.

And it was SO SAD when she was officially released. When she took off her name tag and we got in the car she cried in the back and I cried as I drove and it broke a mama's heart. But that has been the end of the sadness. When she got home Bo hugged her and told her she would always be Sister Nielsen to him. I don't know why he said it but it was the sweetest thing ever and she started bawling.

 

 

Oh, Bo amused me so much. I am watching Rhett and Kassidy have this emotional hug. Rhett actually gets teary at times when things are sensitive. It surprises me because he is SO BOYISH, but it makes me happy. Anyway, s he is hugging Kassidy and a little verklempt and I look at Bo and he is peering around to get Rhett's attention and wiggling his eye brow up and down, up and down at him, being silly. I don't know why but it cracked me up.

 

Kassidy has been a little stressed and trying ever so hard to still be the sweet spirit she was on her mission and to not get frustrated at anything. It is sad to see her not always succeed because she wants to be "changed" so much. But it is hard when you are back in the same environment with a lot of chaos. This is why I just new she had to get to school as soon as possible. I just knew it. She goes to college in like 16 days. I think it will be perfect timing.

We have been having a good time since she got home. Kate has been clinging to her non stop and so has Bo and we have been having some peaceful days (actually Kassidy hasn't because she has two non stop little people after her, But I have been having peaceful days. haha) Kassidy ADORED the room I worked so hard to make nice for her. She even said she wanted to stay in it and not go to college. It made me happy because before she didn't have a room. She had to give it up when she went to her first semester of college and she just had a bed in a living room downstairs. I never told her I had made her a room so she thought that was what she was coming home to. She was pretty happy.

 

When Corey drove us home and pulled up to this....
 

It took a minute for Kassidy to see it because she was distracted by the neighbor's trees. When she saw it I could just see her shoulders shaking because she was laughing SO HARD. It really is hysterical. She turned out to be all that I hoped she would be!!! She was SO TALL. The kids keep thinking she is a different race though. Haha.

So I finished my semester with STRAIGHT A's! NEVER has that happened before. I did get one A- but that is okay. I still got straight A's. So exciting. I loved that semester to death. It was the best ever.

I am very grateful for the group class that I had. I can't talk about it much because we actually held group with each other and everything is confidential. But it was a beautiful experience. There is something about sharing your core and having others share their core that is very healing and very bonding. Our group made it the very furthest as far as trust and sharing and success that our teacher had seen school group go. It was a sweet experience. I am very grateful for it. Our teacher was only a bystander at the group. We were taking turns running group on each other. And then he would evaluate us and grade us and teach us what we did good and what we could have done better at. Every week we would write him notes as our homework telling him what we thought and what we might have done differently. I was all over that as you can imagine (the writing part). At first I would add little sentences in to test him to see if he was really reading it all. At the VERY first I was actually assuming his TA read them until he told me he did. Then I had to test him to see if he read it ALL. He actually would respond with good jobs or things like that. He finally was like "WHY WONT YOU BELIEVE ME! I AM READING THESE!" Anyway, because of that I shared things that were very private and very therapeutic for me to share and it was therapeutic for me to know that someone was reading them and I have had a lot of confusions and stress and hurt the last few weeks and he has read about them.

The sweetest things happened. Our class decorated his office with sweet notes and Christmas decorations. His cancer has come back and he is starting treatment and hasn't felt well. He responded by kindly cancelling our final which was good for us and good for him. Another class gave him the gift of going to our temple with him in mind, sending love and strength his way. He didn't know this. I snuck him a little email letting him know what his students had done for him and that he was loved. He sent me an email back saying he had the best students and that he had just got out of the Temple himself and had written my name on the prayer log. It was such a blessing to my life. It is no little thing to feel supported and thought about. And to be buoyed up by prayer. Really really special.

 

I have just been gaining and gaining weight. It scares me because I feel like I am where I once was which is STUCK. Like I can't control it or fix it. but then as I type this I remember the answer. I need to quit or SUPER cut back on sugar. When I do that my cravings our much more controlled. I feel STUCK because I am caught in addiction of the food I am eating. When I quit eating those thihjgs (okay I spell checked this word, it is supposed to say things and spell check told me "thighs"!!!!!! Figures!) I get unstuck. That is a huge little revelation for me just now. I have learned it fifty times but I needed to remember it!. It is hard right now because of Christmas and we have all these plans to make goodies. But I am MISERABLE heavier. MISERABLE. I tasted being thinner and I am MISERABLE. I have some work to do. I have 20 pounds to get off and I have to quit pop. Maybe I will quit the pop. Again. Yes, I know. Again. But I can't do it all right now over Christmas break but I bet I could do pop. That would be one huge thing to go back to school free of. Okay, that will be my goal.

Oh! Kassidy made up pray today in a public restaurant. I admit I was highly amused and uncomfortable. Is that bad? But she just rolled off her prayer and didn't care who saw or heard. That made me proud. I'm obviously not as strong or mature as her! Justine, who is SO shy about stuff and not interested in showing any sort of outward emotion was texting me last night because Kassidy made her say companion prayer before they went to bed. And apparently they prayed at Burger King as well. Justine said she just kept shoving fries in her mouth. (She gets so embarrassed) So fun. Life can be so fun.

SO SAD.

This semester is almost over. I have loved almost every minute of it. It was such a great experience.

I had a class about Ethics with one of my very favirot teachers. Paul Roberts. He is so funny and does such an excellent job really teaching us and driving the concepts home.

The other class I had was group. The whole class was actually a group like we were in group therapy. The class was three days a week. One day we would learn about a new method of running the group. Then next day we would do activites to teach us more about that method and the next day we actually had group with that method.

I had heard some yucky things about past groups not getting along, not having trust, not every actually getting the group to mesh. Our group from day one was a beautiful group. We were kind and accepting and we were safe and felt safe to share and it was honestly a beautiful experience.

One day we learned about giving strokes which are giving compliments. We talked about how we all need them but sometimes we hold back giving them and sometimes we need them and should just ask for one. For the activity one person was picked and we all were told to write strokes to this person. Then one by one (30 of us) we went up to this person and faced them and read to them our stroke. The person cried. They needed to hear these strokes so desperately. I sat there and told my cute friend I sit by that this was the best day ever. It was a really beautiful and special experience.

Anyway, this semester is practically over. And then I am on to my first internship at the Adult Parole and Probation. Ha!

Kate got her face painted at the Halloween Carnival at school. Ummmm.......Yeah.

 

I thought it was pretty hysterical.

 

Nathan can NOT get up for early morning seminary. Look how many alarm clocks he has to have. And he still can't get up. The one is a literal siren. UGH.

 

Hi friends,

Our dog has taken over the house. He is SO HAIRY. I HATE it. I need Ceaser the dog whisperer

When I come home from school he knows he is in trouble. I know when he has been naughty because he will slink over to me. I don't even have to say anything to him he just already knows he is bad. He sits in my chair! And gets it all hairy. And he knows.

So yesterday I had to go have a drug test for my internship. it was an experience already! I couldn't flush or run water and the lady was waiting right outside the door to make sure I didn't tamper with the results, and I learned a new term that apparently will be helpful in my intern but that I can't even repeat on my blog! This is going to be so interesting I can't wait.

Only eleven more days till this darling comes home. I can't even believe it. I am so nervous. So many changes!!!

Tonight I went to a party with the Social Work group at school. Love those kids. Love that they accepts me as one of them. Cept when one girl who was talking about her OLD father..... He is 42.....I am 43. Nice. But I love that they forget that I am really not one of them.

I like my job.

It's like I have four pesky little brothers and sometimes a few pesky brotherly customers that are added in too. I am a non stop tease target. They have convinced me it is because they like me but they torment me non stop. But I can hold my own.

We are moving our store today and tomorrow. Our cute little mom and pop store. I tried to convince my boss (who is also one of the pesky brothers) to let us have a shop dog but he would never go for it. He has done such a great job on the new store and really made some cool creative things. Here are a few pictures.

I am going to have to wear a pedometer to keep track of my walking because I have so far to go just to get to the shoes!

My boss totally made this wall. It is like rough cut wood and then he stained it all different colors. It looks dang cool.

The boys did not have even ONE sentimental moment about the old store. I made one of the boys take my picture behind the desk. I have grown in width!!!!! My shoulders are wider. So disappointing. But I am still fighting.

Today Justine and I went to Target and I found a few little things from the dollar section to go into Kassidy's package. She has two left. WEIRDEST THING EVER. I have sent her a little doo dad every week since she left (practically). Usually like a candy bar for her and her companion or this time I am sending her canned dehydrated snow....just silly stuff because I worry so much if she is ever in despair, I want her to have massive love in the middle of the week. I don't try to say that all braggy. I actually find it a little obsessive and a little "much". But I just did it. I am pretty organized and it was never a burden but only a joy so I did it because of that. Anyway....the thought that she only had TWO left. It is so weird. I am HIGHLY concerned she is going to be in mourning. She will get through it but selfishly, I don't want to hurt that much with her.

Today a customer came in who works at one of the places I wanted to intern. This person wasn't overly nice to me when I told them of my career plans. They weren't mean, just not especially nice. I went back to find their shoes and I reminded myself and I vowed to always be kind to the new people or the underdog or the people who are still trying to get where maybe you are in your career. I want to never pull a power trip on them just because I am already established and not scared anymore or in a higher position. That's all.

Justine bought herself a new camera. She loves photography. She does a really good job also. She got herself SUCH a deal. And it takes beautiful pictures. And now when I look at my pictures I think how much better they could be. But whatever.

So these are my Thanksgiving Day salt and pepper shakers. I seriously get so much ridiculous joy from seeing them up there.

Creepy faceless pilgrims

Ummm..... best ever....turkey on the roaster

Someone gave me these little stoves and I was so thrilled when I realized how great they went with the Thanksgiving theme.

So Sunday I have t take them all down and put up the Christmas ones. :)

I LOVE Memes. They all crack me up. I don't know who thinks of these things.

You guys. I can even walk towards the door without at LEAST two kids asking me where I am going. It is like tiring. And it is the older kids too!

And this one. Cause it's funny.