January 31, 2009

The Fire Station


On Friday Keaton had a fieldtrip to the Fire Station. He was so excited. He had been talking about it for a week prior to the fieldtrip. All the kids from his class showed up and they were all so cute to watch. The firemen showed the kids a video about fire safety and then they took them back to see the fire trucks. They really liked that. They were alittle nervous when he started putting on all his fire gear, but soon after they got used to it. Here are some pictures from their little fieldtrip. Then at the end of the tour they gave them some firemen hats and stickers. That was the best part Keaton thought. Now they just wear their hats all over the place. Keaton wants to be a firefighter when he grows up.


January 29, 2009

We love school days


We love Thursdays! We love them because Keaton gets to go to school. He waits for it all week long. He wears his back pack around the house as well as Andrew anticipating when he will actually get to put it to use again. This morning as we were getting things ready for Keaton to go the boys were playing so nicely together. It has been awhile since that has happened and this morning I was so thankful for it. I was in the bathroom getting ready and I didn't hear anything. I thought something is wrong, someone is dead or something else going on. I peeked my head around the corner and they were already in their coats and with back packs ready to go. I had to take some pictures of them. They were just so cute! I love days like today when it is just Andrew and I. Don't get me wrong, I love Keaton very much too but on days like this, it just seems little bit easier to get things done or to just relax. Plus I get one on one time with Andrew too and I think he really likes that. I try to make it special just for him. He has his "school" too.

January 24, 2009

You will fly again


I KNOW how to fly. I used to fly fly fly all the time both day and night. I don't need anyone else to show me how to fly or how to find my wings....I have them....they are just broken right now..... that's all.
Lately I have been experiencing the "refiner's fire" so to speak. When scripture study gets behind and personal prayer seems to slip away, that is when I began to slip and fall away.It is a falling away from that connection that makes you feel loved and cared for. Someone to tell me that its ok to fall, all you need to is pick yourself up again and try harder.
Mind you, I haven't fallen away from the church or any of its teachings, it is more like a personal balance in my life. I have felt distant from the spirit and I often times find myself really really cranky with my children and my husband. Why is that? I have neglected the most important things in my life.....my wings have been clipped and I can't fly.
Last night was hard for me. My oldest son just won't sleep. It has been a struggle for me to find ways for him to fall asleep and stay asleep. He used to sleep so well and through the entire night. Last night he was up 2 hours after he had finally fallen asleep and then he came into our room and was just up all the time. I was very very frustrated. I laid in bed crying and pleading with Heavenly Father to let him sleep and to let me sleep. I have not slept well for a long time. It has been almost a year since I have had a full nights rest. I know it is expected when you have children but I need this for me. I don't do well if I don't get sleep. No one should. So last night I laid wide awake until 3 a.m. just praying. I have only done that once before in my life and that was my first night on my mission.
I have been very teary eyed today. I can't seem to hold them back. We went to the grocery store and I just felt like hiding behind the racks so no one would see me. I locked myself in the bathroom so no one would see or hear me. Maybe this is all because I am 7 months pregnant and I am starting to feel overwhelmed with the responsiblity of three children, I don't know. All I know is this, I am tring to mend my wings so that I can fly again. I need to fly again. I will fly again....but it will take some time and when I do, I won't stop.

January 22, 2009

Book Club- The Book Thief

Tonight was our first night of Book Club. I was so excited to have gotten the invitation from my good friend Aryn. My sister Rachel came along with me and it was fun to see some familiar faces there. Most of them are from my ward and neighboring friends. I am excited to do it. I have always wanted to do it but had never been invited to one. Our first book that we are going to read is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Has anyone read this book yet? I am excited to start reading some good books. Any other suggestions for some good books? I am open for suggestions.

January 20, 2009

Girls night out


On Saturday me, my mom and my sister Rachel went out to see a movie we had been wanting to see for quite some time. The Secret Life of Bees was the movie we went to see. We had read the book and just loved it and we saw that it was in the cheap theater so we left all our kids at home with our husbands. It was a lot of fun to get out with the girls. We had a fun time together. The movie theater was packed with hispanic kids. They were running everywhere. My sister and her husband just recently moved out to Namap, which is known for high hispanic population. All the parents must have taken their kids to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua, because our movie was the only other one playing.
There was hardly anyone in there for the movie so it was nice. Then some family sat in front of us and the dad kept saying weird random things out loud and then towards the end a bunch of teenaged girls were running in and out. Really annoying to us adn everyone else in there, so some lady told them to knock it off.
The movie was good. It had some different twists then the book, but we liked it. Then afterwards our good friend got married so we stopped in to their wedding reception on the way home. It was fun to see some old faces. It was a fun night out. Thanks girls, let's do it again soon!

January 15, 2009

Glucose Testing

I don't understand why some many pregnant woman complain about the Glucose test. I have always heard someone mention that they couldn't stand the drink, the taste or the results. Well either way I guess I don't understand.
I have never had problems with the test. Only that my appointment wasn't until 9:40 this morning and I couldn't get anything into my stomach before than, but other than that, it was smooth sailing.
Today was a really long day for me. Keaton didn't get to go to his pre-school this morning mostly due to my bad scheduling but I could tell that he was disappointed. They got to spend the morning with my mom which was very nice of her to take them for me.
After that, the boys were wild. They were just bouncing off the walls. It was one of those days where you just want to yell and scream and kick until someone understands you. I just wanted to cry. In fact I did, I had a good cry on my way to the bank. I had my boys in the back with me but I turned Tarzan up enough so that they couldn't hear me.
We battled the stores again. I am not sure why I take my boys. It is so hard to get anything done with them running, and pulling everything off the shelves. I must look like a mom who does not have it all together to most of the other shoppers in the store.
The groccery store, they both wanted down and once I put them down they both took off in different directions. So here I am with a cart full and two kids just running like crazy. I had to tackle them both, no mind you I am almost 7 months pregnant and trying to handle two boys who were yelling at me when I tried to put them in the cart. After about 15 minutes we just packed the rest up and went home. I didn't even get everything I needed but I guess enough to get us through the week.
Has anyone else ever felt this way? Or is it just me because I am pregnant and lately everyone has been telling me, "Wow, when are you due?" or "You are huge!" These are things I don't want to hear right now and they just make me want to lock myself in a room and cry. I have just let it fester inside of me and now I am just trying to release it.
Now you have it. I am done! No more! I just have to live with it and move on!

January 11, 2009

Ward changes

Last week in sacrament meeting our bishop made the announcment that our ward was going to be split along with all the other wards in the Star area. This whole week has haunted me because of the fact that we had absolutley no idea what would happen. I was afraid of something big happening but I wasn't sure if we would stay or go. Well tonight confirmed it all, we are going. Most of our ward stayed the exact same, only a few of us are being put elsewhere. I was so sad the new boundaries. The Star area has been growing so fast that I knew a big change like this was going to happen. The Stake pretty much changed all 4 existing wards and organized a whole new ward, which happens to be our ward that we will be attending. But the good news is we will be going back into a ward with old friends that I grew up with. Our bishop will be awesome. We love Bishop Firmage a lot. He was always in a bishopric while I was growing up so we know him well.
We will be traveling all the way into Eagle to attend church, which is weird since we only live down the street from where we attend church now. Oh well, what do you do? Change is good right? I have never been used to change. I have always had a hard time with it.
I have been in the Young Women's and have really loved it. It has been my escape during the week and I love serving with all the great girls and leaders. Sad to know that it will all go on without us. I just hope that they keep me out of a calling for awhile now that I am almost 7 months pregnant. I would be nice for awhile.
We are so sad to be leaving behind so many great friends that we have made. Although most of them just live down the street it is not the same.
Wish us luck in our new ward.

January 9, 2009

In 2009 I would like to........

I am not the best at setting New Year's Resolutions because I either get too frustrated with all the things I have dedicated myself to do or I just become to lazy to do anything and I will procrastinate it to the very end. So this year I would like to Try and accomplish a few things like.......

1. Be a healthier eater: I love to eat and I have never really taken into consideration all the sugar and junk food I have been eating. I am striving for a healthier body. I am starting now to do that. Wish me luck.

2. Exercise more: I thought battling two crazy, very active boys was enough for me, but no, I need more than just that. After this baby is born I am rededicating myself to working out more. Get back down to size and get rid of all 4 baby fats I have accumulated.

3. Personal Scripture Study:: I have not had much time to sit down and really "feast upon the scriptures" like they admonish us to do.

4. Find time for myself: I need "me" time. I have neglected myself so much that sometimes it is a shocker to look in the mirror. I used to really get ready for the day each morning and now I am doing only a half of the job routine. Take better care of myself, from the inside out.

5. Be Happy! What does that mean? I used to think I knew. I sometimes get so caught up in what doesn't matter instead of what does and that has been causing me so personal anguish. I just need to love myself, my children and my life because I have it pretty darn good. De-toxify my body of all the unnecessaries and move on with life. Live for the now instead of what could have been yesterday.

6. Be a better mother/wife: I find myself losing my patience quite often with my children. It is always putting someone in time out, wanting to pull my hair out and arguing over really stupid stuff. My children pick up on it and I see them doing the same things. It hasn't been healthy. So that is a major change we are working on. I have neglected my husband also. We are both so busy with our callings we haven't found time to be by ourselves. There needs to be more time for that.

and last but not least

7. Temple attendance: I used to attend quite regurarly but lately I haven't been. Just been "too busy" to attend. I need to make it more of a priority in my life. Maybe that will help out with all of this balance.

I hope this doesn't sound depressing because this has just been a wake up call for me. I am not sure how many Oprah fans there are out there but this week has been a pretty good one. I can't say I am a fan, but some of her shows are worth watching and this week's challenge has been how to have a better life. It has been an eye opener to what I need to do to get my life in order. I like to use Elder Joseph B. Worthlin's last conference talk as my new motto: Come What May and Love it! I encourage all of you to step back and take inventory on what you need to do to have a happier, healthier life.

January 5, 2009

Snow Day


We woke up this morning to snow. I thought we were over that but we got some more. The boys were so excited to go out and play in it. That is pretty much what we did all day today. We stayed outside until they got too cold to play anymore.
It snowed almost the entire day and I am sure we got about 5-6 inches out there. It is so pretty. I love snow days.
The boys were itching for some 4-wheeler rides and when Lance got home that is what we did for Family night. We hooked up two sleds for the boys and they played for almost an hour. Lance drove them back and forth out in the street. It was so much fun to watch them get into it. Here are some fun pictures from our snow day.






I loved this one. He reminded me of Ralphy off of The Christmas Story. Don't you agree?

More Ralphy

January 2, 2009

Grandpa Beard


My mother had my name for Christmas and she gave me the greatest gift. She has had a picture of my grandfather up in her house forever that I have always wanted. It is a picture of my grandfather playing the guitar in a parade that the fireman of Boise were in. I am not sure the whole story behind the picture. All I know is that he is playing the guitar with his buddies. There is something that I just really love about this picture. I have been waiting for find the perfect place in my house to put this picture, but for now it is in my office so I can see it often.