Spinning once again!

Thanks to a wonderful Father in Law, who throws nothing away, I have a washer! He had kept their old washer when Linda bought a new one. So we hauled it home and it is up and spinning! I couldn't be happier. And it was FREE!! This morning I was telling the kids to get dressed and they all said,"We can't, we have nothing clean!". So I have been doing laundry all day. This has been a busy week. I went to Mesa for a day and half with my friend Megan. We did lots of fun shopping, eating, and watched a movie. Had a nice relaxing time. Now I have to get busy with my lesson for Sunday and lots of other RS stuff. It seems like some weeks I have nothing, then others it is all going on! We went up to Graham Mountain last weekend and I have a bunch of pics I will post soon. We had a ton of fun!

Life Happens

So, far a while Jeremy has wanted to get a truck. Nothing new, but a truck. He has been driving around his blue blazer from high school that was made in the 80's. It doesn't have air conditioning or a heater. He has driven it for over a year. Well, finally last week he found a truck on Craig's list and decided he wanted it. So I didn't want to get a loan and go into debt so we paid cash. I don't like our saving low. It makes me nervous. So I told him, what if the car breaks down, or the washer breaks, or something else. Truth....I hate living on a tight budget, I get nervous I will make a mistake counting. He said it will be fine. So we buy the truck. He loves the truck. Well this afternoon I go to put the clothes in the dryer I washed for my trip tomorrow and guess what I find? The clothes are sitting is dirty water. So I put them back through a rise and spin cycle, only to hear a REALLY LOUD sound and to smell smoke! I open the lid and a bunch of smoke puffs out. Great! So I call my sweet neighbor to see if I can put my clothes in her washer and thank goodness Pattie was home! So now I sit without a washer on a MONDAY morning!! Too bad I can't wash clothes in Jeremy's truck!! Gotta LOVE life.

Fun Family Weekend

Last weekend was such a special time. Loralie's baptism and Graham's blessing was wonderful! We had so many friends and family members there. Loralie was just glowing with excitement and the spirit. She looked beautiful in her white dress. We all had such a great time. I love occasions where the spirit is strong and Jeremy is able to use the priesthood to bless our little family. It is still hard to believe that two of our kids are baptized! Time is flying by. I have had so much fun making Loralie a baptism book for all her memories of her special day. It was such an exciting time for our family!

Today I Feel Joy

{In my motherhood journey}



This morning as I was going about my tasks, I stopped and had to laugh at what was going on around me. First off you have to picture what I look like. I have my fuzzy bright pink robe on and a purple turbie twist in my hair. I had to sneak in a shower this morning before it got crazy. While I am in the shower Hunter asks if he can have cereal for breakfast. Well, about one minute later he comes in crying that is bus is already here. They are 15 minutes early! So he won't get breakfast! Hopefully they will feed him at school. Then Savanna comes in fussing that her dress is bothering her. So we fix that. I get out, put on my robe because they baby is crying. So I change him and come into the living room and check my emails. I get an email that my neighbor is in the hospital. So I call her sister to check on her. Well, during this Graham's diaper leaks all over my fuzzy robe. So I go and change him and then I find Fisher need a diaper change. My house is a wreck, but in the middle of it all I am joyful! To you, this may seem like no big thing. But I am usually a stress case in the morning. With all my daily task laid before me and the pressure to get them all done. But today I am calm. I am enjoying motherhood. Carlee stayed up last night after I had gone to bed and cleaned the kitchen and living. She is such a sweetheart. But I do have to post a picture of the bathroom. I was cracking up when I went in there and saw it. Life has been wonderful lately. The dedication of the temple was beautiful. I can not express enough my gratitude for the blessings of the temple to be at my doorstep. I love the temple! I love the service that is given, I love the way I feel when I step out of the Lord's House, and I love my covenants. There is no other place on earth to gain the renewed strength we need to carry on in our families, work, our service to the Lord and this crazy world. Even though life has been crazy, busy, and most time stressful, I am grateful for today and the joy I am feeling.

Ever wonder what goes on in there??

Baptism and Blessing

It's About Time

I decided today that it was time to post something. I have been putting it off for many reasons. But I am missing a lot of journaling moments with my family. Especially our newest addition. My pictures are not wonderful. I have nothing scrapbooked. But I am getting to spend a lot of time holding the sweet little guy. He is such a wonderful baby. He is sleeping about 6 hours for me at night. So I feel pretty good in the mornings. He only cries when he is hungry. I am really trying to enjoy each moment knowing he is our last. Things are pretty crazy around here. Lots of laundry, the floor is a mess, and dishes piled up. My routine went out the door. But I am trying to tell myself in a few months he will be older and things will get back to normal. I want to enjoy each day while he is so tiny. Spreading my attention out has been somewhat difficult. Fisher loves the baby and wants to kiss him all the time.

Life for us in the past couple months has really changed. Some things are really hard, but we have had a lot of joy too. I miss Jeremy's mom more than I can express. She loved me unconditionally, she encouraged me and always told me what a wonderful person I was. Even though I am not as wonderful as she would say, it made me want to be. Now I am striving to be the best I can and help my family to be so we can be with her again. How blessed I am to have the knowledge and testimony of the gospel.

BYU TV just aired BYU Women's Conference for 2010 and I have really been enjoying each talk. They uplift, encourage, and strengthen me as a wife and mother. To know that what I can trying to accomplish each day is really worth all the hard work and tears keeps me going. I am so grateful for this little family I have been blessed with. What a privilege. I am also so grateful for Jeremy. He puts up with me and listens to all my life's trials and a mother. He not only listens, but he strengthens me. I am so blessed he honors his priesthood and we can partake of its blessings as a family.

I am so excited the temple will be dedicated and open soon. Jeremy's dad was called to be a temple worker. I am so excited for me. What better place to feel of Heavenly Father's and Linda's love for him. To have the temple 5 minutes away seems unbelievable. The temple has always been a place of peace and strength to me. The kids really enjoyed going to the open house. The loved how everything was so sparkly and clean, and so quiet and peaceful. I hope my children never forget that experience. Everything we are here on this earth for is found within the temple walls.

35 Weeks

It is really hard to believe that this pregnancy is almost over. In some ways it has gone by fast and other not so much. But this is our last baby and it seems kind of crazy. But we feel our family is complete. I am looking forward to all the upcoming stages in life with the kids. I thought I would be really sad to know we were complete. But I guess that I don't means we really are. I am so excited to meet this sweet spirit coming to our home. All my children are so unique. I loved all the conference talks about teaching our children in the home. It gave me the hope that we can raise righteous children in these crazy last days. Some days I want to completely pull my hair out, but it is all worth it. And listening to conference gave me the reassurance that the path I am on is the right one despite what the world says. Being blesses with children is a miracle in itself. I have 5 weeks to go and Jeremy is really praying that his mother will be here to see the baby. I know in my heart even if she is not here she will still be blessed to see that grandchild. The temple dedication is around the corner. So many things we want to share with her. But we both know it is in the Lords hands. So on one hand I am ready for the baby to come. But then it will probably mean we have lost Linda. But I think the birth of a baby will help heal our hearts. Something so sweet coming right from our Father in Heaven.

This is a picture taken at night by one of my cousins. I took it from his facebook! Thanks Dusty for sharing! I love to see the Temple. I can't wait to take our children through it for the open house. We are so blessed to live 5 minutes away. The kids have really enjoyed watching it be built. An experience we will probably never have again.

Life

{General Conference}

This was such a wonderful weekend for me. Before conference started I wrote down things I was struggling with and worrying about. It felt like each talk was just for me. I heard the council, comfort, and exact plans to better myself and my family. I love my DVR. It made watching it with interruptions so easy. It took me 4 hours to get through the Saturday afternoon session. But being able to pause it and keep going makes such a difference! I can't wait till it comes out in print.

{Easter}

Easter was pretty different this year. We didn't do the big Easter dinner, and not having church made it seem different too. The kids did dye eggs Saturday and have a hunt. Sunday Jeremy's mom wanted everyone to come to her house for sandwiches and potato salad. It was nice to be with her and feel of her sweet spirit. This was very bittersweet for me.

{Life}

Life for us has changed in many ways. For about the last month I am finding out to a little extent what it feels like to be a single parent. How grateful I am for a husband! To all single mothers out there, I am not sure how you do it. But you are some of the strongest women I know. Jeremy spends early mornings and evenings at his parents being with his mother. This is something that has really brought us a lot closer. This experience has been one of the hardest things we have really gone through. I lost both my grandparents to cancer, but they were older. I feel like I am loosing a mother also. She has always loved me just like a daughter. She has been not only like a mother to me but a dear friend. I have had a hard time wanting to blog lately. My emotions are very tender. But I do have to say, this has really changed my perspective on life and family. All the petty things that once seemed a big deal are no longer even an issue. Life is so fragile. Enjoy each day. Tell your family how much you love them. How grateful I am for the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and for my temple covenants. In the last month I went from my temple covenants being something I knew to be true but that mostly seemed the blessings would come in the future, to now they are what keeps me going each day. How blessed we are to have the Holy Ghost in our lives as a comforter. How blessed we are that our families can be forever!