On Being Grateful....

I've been a little AWOl it seems. We've been out of town the week before Christmas and of course there was all the preparation to get out of town, and the time to unwind once we've returned. I'll talk all about our trip on the next post, but today I just wanted to share the things I am grateful for. Typically I always have a lot more to be grateful for AFTER the holidays are over than BEFORE they start at Thanksgiving time. So here goes what's been on my mind:

I am Grateful for

1. Surprises on doorsteps, you know who you are!
2. Caring neighbors
3. In-laws, I have great ones whom I enjoy spending time with, and the kids love beyond measure.
4. A wonderful family to come home to in Utah as well.
5. The magic of Christmas my parents provided us as children. Although they created high expectations in my head of what Christmas should be like that conflict with Ken's idea of what Christmas should be like. (and that's been fun to negotiate every year) Still, I love what I had in my childhood, and thank them for that, I know it wasn't easy.
6. My Polynesian heritage, I need to reach out to that more and I can't think of a better way than to go to Hawaii or Tahiti, lol!
7. The sacrifices my Pioneer ancestry went through to get us to where we are now.
8. Ken.....I still have a post brewing about all the things I am grateful to him for, stay tuned for that on a later date.
9. The kids, I can't imagine our family without a single one of them.
10. Our amazing opportunities and privilege's we have living in North America. It's amazing when you think about it really. Why us and not them? For unto whom much is given, much is expected.

I'll just leave it at that right now...Oh wait one more Bonus one!

11. Ken's starting a new job in his health field next week. It's not the ideal pay we want to move forward in life, but it's ENOUGH, and we have to be grateful for that, (and that he doesn't have to drive around the County in this snow doing deliveries)

p.s. One last thought....everyone has those "Believe" signs up around Christmas...I always thought they were in reference to the story from Polar Express, but now I realize they mean much more than that, BELIEVE in Christ, BELIEVE in yourself, BELIEVE in Miracles. That's what matters more than this Believing in Santa...

Hope your Christmas was a good one, and may the New Year be full of joy, laughter, and many reasons to be grateful!

Speaking of blog giveaways!

I have another link to share with you! I added this blog in my google reader just recently, and they are doing a giveaway each day until Christmas! Odds are good to win too, how do I know? Because I already won a $25 GC to Downeast Outfitters from them! So excited to get something new to wear!

Click right here to go to the blog!

Let me know if you've seen any other blog giveaways lately too!

Happy Holidays, gotta love them, huh!

My friends giving away an ipod shuffle!

I have an online friend named Angie, and she's giving away an ipod shuffle if you post on her blog your favorite meal or snack. Extra points if you post a link on your blog to her giveaway! So, here I go! My kids all wanted ipod/mp3 players for Christmas! Sigh.... I still remember the day I thought a portable cassette player was cool, and oh yeah, when portable cd players came out! They were so cheap back then it seems!

Here's a link to her blog post with the giveaway! So go enter, and if you win and don't need it, you always know where to send it (wink, wink ;) )

Click right here

Yeah, and that's the first time I've discovered how to share a link, so thanks Angie for the motivation!

I don't think I've shared these ones yet...

Tonight I was telling my neighbor Adhis how the hardest part about raising boys, is the way they seem to have pure joy in destroying things. Zane's favorite thing this week has been to reach his hand into our rice container in the pantry and listen to the sound of them as they fall from his hand to the floor. Kind of sounds like those rain sticks. Only this time I know I get to sweep the floor yet again! Last night I came home to it all over the stairs as well, looks like he took a cup of it upstairs with him while Dad was in charge!

Well, you haven't seen anything yet.....it gets worse! They did this last summer!






Yep, that's the flour, and yep, the damage was already done by the time I arrived with the camera! Oh, and did I mention, Zane's shorts are supposed to be green, not white!!!

50 Things

Saw this on someone else's blog, filled it out a couple of days ago, but since I only like to do one blog post a day, this had to wait!

50 things you didn't know about me until you read this...

1.What color is your tooth brush? White with a green stripe
2. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Seeing Ken out the door
3. What is your favorite candy bar? Peanut butter Twix
4. Have you ever been to a strip club? Nope
5. What is the last thing you said aloud? Are you awake now?
6. What is the best ice cream flavor? Chocolate with all natural pb mixed in
7. What is the last thing you had to drink? Water
8. What are you wearing right now? purple yoga pants that I don't yoga in
9. What was the last thing you ate? vanilla yogurt with vanilla almond granola
10. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? I wish.
11. When was the last time you ran? Running, what's that?
12. Who was the last person to send you a message/comment on your blog? Rachel, my old neighbor and an inspiration to me
13. Do you take vitamins daily? no
14. Do you go to church every Sunday? yes, and now I just got called to Nursery, fun! HA!
15. Do you have a tan? yeah, a permanent one, lol.
16. Do you like Chinese food over pizza? Definitetly.
17. Do you drink soda with a straw? sometimes, sometimes not.
18. What does your last text message say? My phone doesn't get them, the screen is broken, STILL!
19. Are you someones best friend? Yeah, my husband's :)
20. What are you doing tomorrow? Book club!
21. Where is your dad? At work on the 21st floor of the Church Office Building
22. Look to your left, what do you see? My work computer
23. What color is your favorite pair of shoes? red, I guess
24. Do you use chap stick? not since I was a teenager
25. Whats your favorite thing to do in your free time? Read a book
26. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? Drive thru!
27. Do you have a dog? no thanks
28. Last guy you talked on the phone with? Ken
29. Last girl you talked on the phone with? Sister Sucher
30. Any fun vacation plans soon? I hope so, NYC a cruise, you know!
31. Do you dye your hair? Once I did, it's been a few years
32. Can you say the alphabet backwards? Why would I want to?
33. Do you have a maid service clean your house? I plan to someday, but by then, maybe I won't need it!
34. Are you jealous of anyone? Sure, wish I were a little bit taller....wish I were a baller...(yeah, that's a skee lo rap song)
35. Do you love anyone? Yes, lots of people
36. Do any of your friends have children? most do
37. Do you use the word Hello daily? Just when answering the phone I guess
38. Do you like cats? ALLERGIES!
39. Have you ever been to six flags? Yes, but had to leave early with the baby, don't take babies to Six Flags
40. How did you get your worse scar? Falling off a bicycle when I was little
41. What is your favorite smell? Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin from Bath and Body Works
42. What is the last DVD you watched? Hancock
43. Have you ever been to Disney world? No
44. What is your favorite number? 7
45. Do you toast your pop tarts? I haven't liked those since I was little
46. Have you ever waited tables? No
47. Where did you have your first kiss? I don't know
48. What should you be doing? Laying down, my back hurts
49. Do you enjoy wasting time blogging? Sure thing, and reading everyone else's too!
50. Who do you want to tag? Anyone who wants to do this too!

There are ordinary days...

Like with this picture, I was playing around with my camera while the boys were eating chicken nuggets. This picture prompted me to really learn my camera. The lighting was so much more accurate with the flash off!



Then, we do normal things like go grocery shopping, but abnormal things like let our boys do the shopping! Yeah, the cereal was on sale so we stocked up, and everyone needs an ice cream or two. And frozen pizza, that's the kids favorite meal, I can't deny them!




It's only snowed twice, and before it all melted the second time I took the boys out to play!




Yeah, so it's not always crazy, or maybe it is!

This is how it rolls in our house...

Some of you may have heard of Zane's encounter with the Crystal Light packets in the kitchen. Hey, those things aren't cheap either, too bad we're too good for Kool-aid! We all walked around with red feet that day. That light powder on the kitchen floor turned into red dye upon contact. The boys went straight up for a bath, and most of it came out. My feet weren't so lucky, since I just take showers, they didn't get to soak. Mine were red for a few days....





Here's the kids locked out of the house, HA HA! Sometimes they deserve it!




And, this is why, my friends, I don't like to cook! It seems like every time I do, it just makes a bigger mess in the kitchen, who likes that????!!! This happened all within minutes of each other. The first time I forgot to put a plate on top of the blender. The second one, Zane decided he'd like a taste of my freshly made cilantro lime vinaigrette, ARGH!!!




Yeah, it's pretty much crazy here with 5 kids, and a little monster named Zane! Come to think of it, my girls can be monsters in their own right....wonder where they got it from ;) No wonder I need a vacation!

Kalel turned 5!

Yeah, back on November 22nd! I've been too busy or too tired to post his birthday pics. We had a great birthday. Ken took the kids and their cousins to see Madagascar 2. This was a big splurge for us, since normally we just go to the dollar movies, but Kalel had been saying for over a month that all he wanted to do for his birthday, was go to see Madagascar 2.

Then, the cake, of course, we had to get a Madagascar cake, no I didn't make it, Albertsons did, and they do an o.k. job. Good enough for me at least.



As for his gifts, my sister got him a Power Rangers punch bag and toy. I got him some blocks and alphabet magnets, and my mother got him his favorite, a remote control car! Those car batteries were drained within a few days! We still need to get him some more, LOL!






He already seems so much older now that he's turned the Magic 5!

Whoops, too late!

FOLLOW THESE 14 SIMPLE TESTS BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO HAVE CHILDREN.


Test 1 - Preparation

Women: To prepare for pregnancy:-

1. Put on a dressing gown and stick a beanbag down the front.
2. Leave it there.
3. After 9 months remove 5% of the beans.

Men: To prepare for children:-

1. Go to a local chemist, tip the contents of your wallet onto the counter and tell the pharmacist to help himself
2. Go to the supermarket. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home. Pick up the newspaper and read it for the last time.


Test 2 - Knowledge

Find a couple who are already parents and berate them about their methods of discipline, lack of patience, appallingly low tolerance levels and how they have allowed their children to run wild. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's sleeping habits, toilet training, table manners and overall behavior.

Enjoy it. It will be the last time in your life that you will have all the answers.


Test 3 - Nights

To discover how the nights will feel:

1. Walk around the living room from 5pm to 10pm carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 4 - 6kg, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly.
2. At 10pm, put the bag down, set the alarm for midnight and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 11pm and walk the bag around the living room until 1am.
4. Set the alarm for 3am.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2am and make a cup of tea.
6. Go to bed at 2.45am.
7. Get up again at 3am when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs in the dark until 4am.
9. Put the alarm on for 5am. Get up when it goes off.
10. Make breakfast.

Keep this up for 5 years. LOOK CHEERFUL.


Test 4 - Dressing Small Children

1. Buy a live octopus and a string bag.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the string bag so that no arms hang out.

Time Allowed: 5 minutes.

Test 5 - Cars

1. Forget the BMW. Buy a practical 5-door wagon.
2. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.
3. Get a coin. Insert it into the CD player.
4. Take a box of chocolate biscuits; mash them into the back seat.
5. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.


Test 6 - Going For a Walk

Wait
Go out the front door
Come back in again
Go out
Come back in again
Go out again
Walk down the front path
Walk back up it
Walk down it again
Walk very slowly down the road for five minutes.
Stop, inspect minutely and ask at least 6 questions about every piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue and dead insect along the way.
Retrace your steps
Scream that you have had as much as you can stand until the neighbours come out and stare at you.
Give up and go back into the house.

You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.


Test 7

Repeat everything you say at least 5 times.


Test 8 - Grocery Shopping

1. Go to the local supermarket. Take with you the nearest thing you can find to a pre-school child - a fully grown goat is excellent. If you intend to have more than one child, take more than one goat.
2. Buy your weekly groceries without letting the goat(s) out of your sight.
3. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys.

Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.


Test 9 - Feeding a 1 year-old

1. Hollow out a melon
2. Make a small hole in the side
3. Suspend the melon from the ceiling and swing it side to side
4. Now get a bowl of soggy cornflakes and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon while pretending to be an aeroplane.
5. Continue until half the cornflakes are gone.
6. Tip the rest into your lap, making sure that a lot of it falls on the floor.


Test 10 - TV

1. Learn the names of every character from the Wiggles, Barney, Teletubbies and Disney.
2. Watch nothing else on television for at least 5 years.


Test 11 - Mess

Can you stand the mess children make? To find out:

1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains
2. Hide a fish behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flowerbeds and then rub them on clean walls. Cover the stains with crayon. How does that look?
4. Empty every drawer/cupboard/storage box in your house onto the floor & leave it there.


Test 12 - Long Trips with Toddlers

1. Make a recording of someone shouting 'Mummy' repeatedly. Important Notes: No more than a 4 second delay between each Mummy. Include occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet.
2. Play this tape in your car, everywhere you go for the next 4 years.

You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.


Test 13 - Conversations

1. Start talking to an adult of your choice.
2. Have someone else continually tug on your shirt hem or shirt sleeve while playing the Mummy tape listed above.

You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.


Test 14 - Getting ready for work

1. Pick a day on which you have an important meeting.
2. Put on your finest work attire.
3. Take a cup of cream and put 1 cup of lemon juice in it
4. Stir
5. Dump half of it on your nice silk shirt
6. Saturate a towel with the other half of the mixture
7. Attempt to clean your shirt with the same saturated towel
8. Do not change (you have no time).
9. Go directly to work

You are now ready to have children.

I know, yet another quiz!

I do have some "thoughtful" posts to post, but that takes more time! So, I'll get to those when I find that elusive "time" For now, I thought this was interesting, I think that is me, and I DO try to leave comments on people's blogs, but not enough. I still care for them though :)

Your Blogging Type Is Thoughtful and Considerate

You're a well liked, though underrated, blogger. You have a heart of gold and are likely to blog for a cause. You're a peaceful blogger - no drama for you! A good listener and friend, you tend to leave thoughtful comments for others.

What's Your Blogging Personality?

What does this say about my vaccum?

Anyone ever been to one of those women expo's and met Don Aslett? I suppose he's the King of Clean. I have a few books of his that I've picked up. Well, I must on his email list because today he sent an email about decluttering and these books:





What I liked was the list he had to determine whether what you had was junk:

It IS junk if:
· It's broken or obsolete (and fixing it is unrealistic).
· You've outgrown it, physically or emotionally.
· You've always hated it.
· Using it is more bother than it's worth.
· It generates bad feelings.

It's NOT junk if:
· It helps you make a living.
· It will do something you need done.
· It has significant cash value.
· It gives you more than it takes.
· It generates love and good feelings.

So, let's compare that to my loser of a vacuum that keeps getting clogged every time I use it. It fits all 5 of the junk rules, BUT it does fit one of those "not junk" rules and that is that it WILL do something that I need done. So, until I can afford a new one, I guess I will acknowledge that my vacuum is INDEED junk! And it will go out to the garbage just as soon as I get a new one! I hate vacuums, I've never found one that I loved yet, they only last a few months and then KABOOM, big waste of money!

So, what # are you?

My cousin Jess took this quiz, and we're alike, so I'm curious what others might be!

You Are 1: The Reformer

You're a responsible person - with a clear sense of right and wrong. High standards are important to you, and you do everything to meet them. You are your own worst critic, feeling ashamed if you're not perfect. You have uncompromising integrity, and people expect you to be fair. At Your Best: You are hopeful, honest, and inspiring. You bring out the best in humanity. At Your Worst: You are intolerant, judgmental, and picky. Your Fixation: Resentment Your Primary Fear: Being corrupt. Your Primary Desire: To be good. Other Number 1's: Al Gore, Martha Stewart, Gandhi, Celene Dion, and Spock from Star Trek.

What Number Are You?

I had a list of goals for 2008...

The other day I found a list of goals I had for the year 2008. The plan was to do them, but what really happened is the paper got put away until November of 2008. I remember looking at the list and seeing that, "Well, I got nearly half the things accomplished so far" But that meant I had only 2 more months to finish the rest! Well, guess what, I lost the list again! And I was going to work on those things, dang it! So the other day I decided to start a new list, and this is what it looks like so far. I'm sure I'm missing some things, but this is what's on my mind right now. Here's to what's left of 2008! I bet I'll only get half done again, but that's ok, I need something to focus on, and this is it! And I can't lose it now, it will always be here to remind me!

Put away Halloween stuff
Gather things to take to Kid to Kid
Finish past Halloween and Christmas albums
Keep working on Childhood album
Start working on Ancestors album
Gifts for Christmas
Download camera software to laptop
Learn how to shoot in manual (I've been saying I would for 2 years now!)
Download photoshop to laptop
Learn how to use photoshop
Order prints at Costco with newfound photoshop skills
Write out kids birth stories
Find plan for exercise and losing weight that will work for me, ha!
Wash face daily
Hang curtains in Kei's room
Gather more stuff in basement to go to DI
Sell stuff on Craigslist
Giveaway things I don't need anymore
Clean out other half of garage in anticipation of second car to come some day!
Find old recipe box
Buy a scale and start watching my weight

My book reading has reached ridiculous heights!

So,

I've been keeping track of what books I want to read on Goodreads.

Well, I had different files, some books I wanted to buy, some books I wanted to borrow, some books I wanted to get at the library. They were all in several different folders, but today when I combined them, I found I had....guess how many books to read? 50? Nope, higher than that! About 100? That's what I thought! Well, I found out I had 143 books on my to read list!!! Umm...hmm! If I read one book a week, it would still take me........almost 3 years to read them all! I posted them on my sidebar.... couldn't get them all to fit in my post ------>

This little French girl....

is the cutest thing! I love hearing people speak in French. First, you have to scroll down to the bottom of my blog and turn off the music, sorry! Then, come back up and push play. You'll love it, even if you don't understand French! Marie...show this to Teva and Noa and let me know what they think! My kids all loved it, and they don't even understand it! I learn my French best from kids, they speak more at my level :)


Once upon a time... from Capucha on Vimeo.

Thought this was interesting!

I always thought I was a book nerd like Belle.....but this makes sense too...


You Are Pocahantas!

Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

To Keilani's future husband:

I just found this piece of paper that Keilani wrote about you when she was 12! I'll be watching for you!

nice
athletic
cute
beautiful
my type
reads
handsome
has fun
steadfast
happy all the time
good personality
says I love you often
mormon
immovable
happy with me
responsible
comforting
no smoking
helps out
agrees with me
good temper
rich
service
have a family
same age
gospel
loves me
a good chef
good values
same standards
wants to get married in the temple
likes to go to the temple
has testimony
finances are good
interests
compliments me

I just love these plates!

I came to my computer when my screensaver was running a bunch of old pictures, and I saw this one I had saved. I just had to come share it. The collection is called Provence by Lesal Studios. The colors just make me happy! Wish I had the $$$ to get some, since they are being discontinued! Oh well, I don't know what I'd do with such pretty dishes. With my boys in the house, they always get plastic! Now if they could just make such pretty dishes in plastic, that would be great!

A really useful TIP!

I picked this idea up from another blogger, and love how it works! So, really, honestly, I haven't been blogging all week long. Nope. In fact, what I did was on Sunday I posted all my posts, and saved them to publish later. I had a lot to say on Sunday, but didn't want to do several posts in one day. I like this idea much better than trying to find time each day to post on my blog.



All you have to do is at the bottom of your post, click on Post Options, and then put in the time you want your post to publish. Click on publish post and it will automatically save your post to publish at that time. Isn't that cool! And easy too! I'm all about something being EASY!

Veronique Vienne post #2!

I have some more quick quotes I want to share with you from her same book:



These were my favorite quotes which were paired with the black and white photos in the book, of mothers holding their children and around the house with their babies, just beautiful artwork, which, by the way, we get to live every day with our own children!

The only thing he expects is that you will be there to catch him.

To wait -and hope-is a creative act.

The only certainty is that we don't know who, when, and where.

Vase, vessle, jar, chalise, mother.

With a name, a newborn becomes a person.

He'll be safe if he knows that you trust him.

That flutter inside? It's a future in a state of becoming.

You want a child because you want to experience pure joy in your lifetime.

Like birds, kids love to survey the world from a safe perch.

Always a charge, never a burden.

Hold them tight as they wiggle their way into your heart.

Give them a childhood worth remembering.

They spill, you clean, that's the way it should be.

Two sleepy people at peace with the world.

Happiness is the smell of melting butter in a warm kitchen.

The will of a child is a force of nature.

A face as irrestible as a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

If only you could turn off the phone for the next decade.

Some great thoughts!

So, I just got done reading this book:



And had to share some of my favorite passages here by Veronique Vienne:

ON HOLDING YOUR CHILD

Perhaps one reason birds build their nests in high places is to familiarize their brood with the sight of the earth from the sky. Likewise, we give our newborns an incentive to grow tall and stand upright each time we scoop them up in our arms.

Indeed, it will be the best of times when your child tightens his grip around your neck and says he never wants to let you go. Don't be in a hurry to pry his little fingers apart. To hug and to hold-this sweet burden of parenting-lasts only a short decade.

ON LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

First smiles, first words, first teeth. And as soon as we reach these markers, we are already looking forward to the next stage-first haircut, first steps, first sticky little kiss placed on Mommy's cheek... Maybe we shoud refrain from celebrating our kids every new accomplishment and let the little devils know that we like them just the way they are. If only for a second, we should stop looking forward to the next thing, the next chore, the next phone call, the next weekend...In this nonexpectant state, we could begin to enjoy the child in front of us, from her plump fingers trying to grab an apple to the determined expression of her tiny pinched lips. And before the ticking of the clock could reclaim us, we would be able to share the present moment with her-every drawn-out minute of the day as precious as every inch of her radiant being.

ON BEING THERE

You are your child's best educational toy, the only one that's not age specific. You come fully equipped, with no assembly required, no complicated operating instructions, no manufacturer disclaimer, and no chance of recall. Judged by a panel of experts as having the highest play value, you are guaranteed to stimulate and delight your offspring for years to come.

All you have to do is be there-and automatically your baby, your toddler, your preschooler, and your spunky preteen will feel secure enough to boldly explore the world...For children and parents, doing something together is what matters.

And finally my favorite one, my AHA moment, reading this book! I'm always trying to negotiate why I should have to clean the toilets, and what I should get in return for having to do such chores!

ON HOUSEWORK

Instead of thinking of your endless bustling duties as time-consuming drudgery that takes away from the baby, think of them as a way of making your reassuring presence felt throughout the house.

You bring peace on earth as you pad about, forever putting things away, clearing out the sink, picking up the toys, wiping the counter, and mopping up the mess. All you need to do to enjoy these repetitive chores is to stop thinking of housework as a task oriented venture.

The secret of surviving housework is simply to do it. Pull the plug on the part of your brain that always wants to negotiate everything. You need to change a diaper, rinse a bottle, clean a spill, fluff a pillow? Consider it done. It's a no-brainer. End of conversation. End of story.

Not postponing chores-and not spending any mental energy equivocating, temporizing, or stalling-is actually a lot more restful than worrying about what needs to be done. You can breeze along, nonchalantly dispatching external clutter and internal chatter as you go.

Before long, you reach a zone of inner quietude where chasing dust bunnies can actually be as effortless as watching TV and eating bonbons.

Make your bed, see how easy it is to feel on top of the world. Trek to the laundry room. The humming of the washing machine in its spin cycle is as relaxing as the whooshing of a Tibetan prayer wheel. Do the dishes. The sound of running water is the next best thing to peals of laughter.

Housecleaning while a baby is resting is a mindful ritual in thanksgiving. You are not only sending germs, mites, and microbes scurrying away, but you are also turning an ordinary home into a consecrated family sanctum.

I voted for McCain, but I'm reading Obama's book!

It's ELECTION DAY! Who knows who's going to win by the end of the day. I went in on Friday, yes, Halloween day, and did my early voting. I'm not afraid to tell everyone that I DID vote for McCain. I HAD to vote for the person who's values more closely resembled mine. But that doesn't mean I'm going to be afraid if Obama wins. In fact, if he does win, I'd like to get to know the man he really is and not the man people are trying to tell me he is. I'll be the judge of that myself. I told Ken I should have taken the book in with me to read while waiting in line, LOL! Bet I would have gotten some good looks there!


On a funny side note, I get home from voting, kick off my shoes, and what do I find on the bottom of my shoe? Someone's discarded sticker! Tell me what that represents, hmmmm! Maybe nothing, just thought it was funny!

Kalel decided to take off my sticker and put it on my other shoe to make them match! He got a kick out of it too!

Vivian's had a busy month!

First off, let's see, it was her birthday! She turned 8! We had a Halloween birthday party for her with a rat cake, mummy wrap,we made little mini albums, and lots of other fun Halloween games giving away lots of candy as prizes!






And then, we always tell our girls they can decide when they are 8 if they want to get their ears pierced. That way they are accountable for their decision and responsible enough to take care of it themselves. Vivian decided she was ready, and this was our birthday present to her!


Another thing that happens when a child turns 8 in our church, is they decide if they would like to be baptized. Again, it's the age of accountability. We had a beautiful baptism last Saturday as you can see. It was the day after Halloween so of course she had to pose in front of the pumpkins at our house!






Afterwards we went out as a family to celebrate at the Mayan! I love their Cilantro Pesto Alfredo pasta, their hamburgers, and the kids meal mac and cheese are some of the best I've ever tasted. They've really improved their menu selection to make it one of my favorite restaurants now! Service was great, but a little slow....





My gift to Vivian was a little mini album where I included this talk I heard in our Church a long time ago, in fact, when I was pregnant with Vivian. The words just spoke to me, being the mother of 3 little girls, who now are not so little anymore now that time has passed! It's long, but worth every word!

The Joy of Womenhood by Margaret Nadauld

It is a remarkable blessing to be a daughter of God today. We have the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are blessed to have the priesthood restored to the earth. We are led by a prophet of God who holds all of the priesthood keys. I love and honor President Gordon B. Hinckley and all of our brethren who bear the priesthood worthily.

I am inspired by the lives of good and faithful women. From the beginning of time the Lord has placed significant trust in them. He has sent us to earth for such a time as this to perform a grand and glorious mission. The Doctrine and Covenants teaches, "Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men" (D&C 138:56). What a wonderful vision that gives us of our purpose on earth.

Where much is given, much is required. Our Heavenly Father asks His daughters to walk in virtue, to live in righteousness so that we can fulfill our life's mission and His purposes. He wants us to be successful, and He will help us as we seek His help.

That women were born into this earth female was determined long before mortal birth, as were the divine differences of male and female. I love the clarity of the teachings of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve in the proclamation on the family, where they state, "Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose."1 From that statement we are taught that every girl was feminine and female in spirit long before her mortal birth.

God sent women to earth with some qualities in extra capacity. In speaking to young women, President Faust observed that femininity "is the divine adornment of humanity. It finds expression in your . . . capacity to love, your spirituality, delicacy, radiance, sensitivity, creativity, charm, graciousness, gentleness, dignity, and quiet strength. It is manifest differently in each girl or woman, but each . . . possesses it. Femininity is part of your inner beauty."2

Our outward appearance is a reflection of what we are on the inside. Our lives reflect that for which we seek. And if with all our hearts we truly seek to know the Savior and to be more like Him, we shall be, for He is our divine, eternal Brother. But He is more than that. He is our precious Savior, our dear Redeemer. We ask with Alma of old, "Have ye received his image in your countenances?" (Alma 5:14).

You can recognize women who are grateful to be a daughter of God by their outward appearance. These women understand their stewardship over their bodies and treat them with dignity. They care for their bodies as they would a holy temple, for they understand the Lord's teaching: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Cor. 3:16). Women who love God would never abuse or deface a temple with graffiti. Nor would they throw open the doors of that holy, dedicated edifice and invite the world to look on. How even more sacred is the body, for it was not made by man. It was formed by God. We are the stewards, the keepers of the cleanliness and purity with which it came from heaven. "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are" (1 Cor. 3:17).

Grateful daughters of God guard their bodies carefully, for they know they are the wellspring of life and they reverence life. They don't uncover their bodies to find favor with the world. They walk in modesty to be in favor with their Father in Heaven. For they know He loves them dearly.

You can recognize women who are grateful to be a daughter of God by their attitude. They know that the errand of angels is given to women, and they desire to be on God's errand to love His children and minister to them, to teach them the doctrines of salvation, to call them to repentance, to save them in perilous circumstances, to guide them in the performance of His work, to deliver His messages.3 They understand that they can bless their Father's children in their homes and neighborhoods and beyond. Women who are grateful to be daughters of God bring glory to His name.

You can recognize women who are grateful to be a daughter of God by their abilities. They fulfill their divine potential and magnify their God-given gifts. They are capable, strong women who bless families, serve others, and understand that "the glory of God is intelligence" (D&C 93:36). They are women who embrace enduring virtues in order to be all that our Father needs them to be. The prophet Jacob spoke of some of those virtues when he said their "feelings are exceedingly tender and chaste and delicate before God, which thing is pleasing unto God" (Jacob 2:7).

You can recognize women who are grateful to be a daughter of God by their reverence for motherhood, even when that blessing has been withheld from them for a time. In those circumstances, their righteous influence can be a blessing in the lives of children they love. Their exemplary teachings can echo the voice of a faithful home and resonate truth in the hearts of children who need another witness.

Grateful daughters of God love Him and teach their children to love Him without reservation and without resentment. They are like the mothers of Helaman's youthful army, who had such great faith and "had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them" (Alma 56:47).

When you observe kind and gentle mothers in action, you see women of great strength. Their families can feel a spirit of love and respect and safety when they are near her as she seeks the companionship of the Holy Ghost and the guidance of His Spirit. They are blessed by her wisdom and good judgment. The husbands and children, whose lives they bless, will contribute to the stability of societies all over this world. Grateful daughters of God learn truths from their mothers and grandmothers and aunts. They teach their daughters the joyful art of creating a home. They seek fine educations for their children and have a thirst for knowledge themselves. They help their children develop skills that they can use in serving others. They know that the way they have chosen is not the easy way, but they know it is absolutely worth their finest efforts.

They understand what Elder Neal A. Maxwell meant when he said: "When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses?"4

Daughters of God know that it is the nurturing nature of women that can bring everlasting blessings, and they live to cultivate this divine attribute. Surely when a woman reverences motherhood, her children will arise up and call her blessed (see Prov. 31:28).

Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity.

Oh, how we pray that every young woman will grow up to be all the wonderful things she is meant to be. We pray that her mother and father will show her the right way. May daughters of God honor the priesthood and sustain worthy priesthood holders. May they understand their own great capacity for strength in the timeless virtues that some would scoff at in a modern, liberated world for women.

May mothers and fathers understand the great potential for good their daughters inherited from their heavenly home. We must nourish their gentleness, their nurturing nature, their innate spirituality and sensitivity, and their bright minds. Celebrate the fact that girls are different from boys. Be thankful for the position they have in God's grand plan. And always remember what President Hinckley said, "Only after the earth had been formed, after the day had been separated from the night, after the waters had been divided from the land, after vegetation and animal life had been created, and after man had been placed on the earth, was woman created; and only then was the work pronounced complete and good."5

Fathers, husbands, young men, may you catch a vision of all that women are and can be. Please be worthy of God's holy priesthood, which you bear, and honor that priesthood, for it blesses all of us.

Sisters, regardless of your age, please understand all that you are and must be, all that you were prepared to be in royal courts on high by God Himself. May we use with gratitude the priceless gifts we have been given for the lifting of mankind to higher thinking and nobler aspirations, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

You know it! Halloween pics!

It took me awhile to get these all uploaded. First we went up to the mountains a week before Halloween. I have a few witches, a lion and a pirate! Oh wait, Keilani was a devil angel! SCARY!

So, here you go!

Who's that tiger, picking up a pumpkin?


Why, it's Zane! ROARRRRRR!


And what do pirates say?


ARRGGGHHHH! Yeah, my boys are made of many words!


Then there's the Sparkle Witch!


She's gonna take a ride!


Natasha's not just a vampire!


She's a "Renaissance vampire, which translates into, "I HAVE to have THIS costume from Partyland!"


Then there's my Devil Angel!


The name is quite appropriate for this moody 12 year old girl!


I'm not done yet, we still haven't hit Halloween yet! So, my sister and her kids came up to our neighbhorhood, the kids had fun trick or treating while the moms made a deluxe dinner of macaroni and cheese with Polish sausage! I had some nice hot apple cider going too, but I'm the only one that liked it!



Zane decided to come back early. I think he had more fun passing out the Halloween candy than out in the rain trying to get some!


Then, the day before Grandma and Grandpa came with these huge pumpkins for us to carve. It pays to wait, they were only $1 each, what a deal!



And last but not least, my favorite Halloween decorations in my house!