Win or Lose, I Tried!!!

The room was silent, so silent you could hear a pin drop. The judge read out the word, "simultaneously." The room seemed to get even quieter as the tall fifth grader leaned nervously down to the too short microphone for his tall legs. He took a deep breath, repeated the judges word and began slowly. The young girl sat behind him with her hands wadded nervously into fists, wanting him to mess up, and get it right, all at the same time. The young boy finished with a nervous shaking in his voice and looked up at the judge. "That is correct young man, you are our first place Spelling Champion!" The boy turned around as a smile slowly broke across his face, the judges words sinking in. He had done it! He had won the Spelling Bee. His parents smiled and clapped with so much pride for him showing in their eyes, and a little embarrassing tears showing in his moms eyes. He saw now what his parents were trying to tell him. It is not how hard or impossible a task may seem, it is about attacking it head on and just doing it because you will be happy, win or lose, that you tried!

A Dozen Years

It is so hard to believe that it has been 12 years since Mark and I were married in the Jordan River Temple! Mark celebrated it by taking me away ALL day!!! It was soooooooooo nice!!! Some of the things we got to do was go have delicious dinner, see a great movie and finished the evening off with some incredible cup cakes!
We have seen so many places and done so many things in our twelve years of marriage. Although it has not been a simple ride through the years, we have been side by side and that makes it all worth it!

My Sweetheart's Special Day!

This past Monday, my sweetheart turned thirty-four! He was not too excited about that and the fact that he had 5 meetings at work that day but we tried to live it up when he got home!

When he got home, he was greeted by an all out paper heart attack!! There were hearts everywhere that told him reasons why we love and appreciate him.

He got some fun gifts and just lit up our home with his excitement! He got to do a few things that usually take the back burner with all of the things our kids always need to get done so I hope he had a very special day!




There are far too many reasons why I absolutely love and adore this man to list on this post. Here are just few of the major things I Love about him:
*Mark is a happy person and he can light up whatever room he enters.
*Mark makes my hardest times seem so temporary and fills me with hope and a happiness I wouldn't have otherwise while going through the pressures and trials this world constantly throws at us.
*Mark is such an amazing dad! The kids look forward for him to get home! He really relates to them and they know and love that!
*Mark has such a beautiful testimony of the Gospel. It is straight forward without all of the fancy frills some people feel they have to stick into a testimony! He knows who he is, where he comes from, where he wants to go someday and he makes no secret of the fact that he wants all of us together with him forever and he pushes us to attain that, no matter how difficult, when it comes to his forever imperfect wife who likes to push his buttons a lot!
*Mark works hard! We have had some very low times and some high. We have had times and still do, when money seems stretched so thin it seems non-existant and Mark has always made sure that we are okay! He has worked jobs he would never go back to again unless he HAD to; however, he worked just as hard for those as he has to get a degree and he does now at his current job! I am so grateful for that and he will probably never know how completely I am indebted to him that he has done that for us!
* Above all, Mark still loves me despite the twelve years of flaws he has seen, the melt downs when times got too tough, and my constant craving to compete and tease with him about everything. He loves me for it all and has been so good to me. I love you Mark more than I could ever say in words! Happy, happy 34th year!

My Nine Year Old!

My little boy turned 9 this week!! It never ceases to amaze me how fast time really does fly. He wanted to know the story of when he was born, again, this is an annual story telling with all of my kids when their birthdays come around and I have to say I really enjoy telling them their story!! It makes me think back to that day I finally got to hold those precious babies in my arms for the first time and what a wonderful time to remember! Matthew is such a fun kid and he had a total blast on his birthday! I am thankful for him in so many ways.
Here are nine things I love and am grateful for about this precious little boy:
1. Matt is HILARIOUS!!! He can make us laugh without trying! I can't believe the sense of humor on that kid.
2. Matthew works hard! It doesn't matter what a project is for, he will work his buns off until it is complete...not a usual thing for most kids as well as many adults!
3. Matthew has an imagination! He can design something in his head and he will build it, draw it, or whatever it takes to get what is inside his noggin out for him to play with or see. It is incredible.
4. Matt is clean! As a mom who has to make cleaning a part of her everyday life, it gets really hard when I have to beg the kids to tidy up and I do not have to do that with Matt, he loves things in order and cleaned up and I appreciate that more than he will ever know!
5. Matt is such a guys guy! He loves all things that have to do with large machines, farm equipment, motorcycles, etc. The funny thing is, that is usually what he is constantly designing in his head and it is so fun to watch his eyes light up when he sees something big that makes some serious noise!
6. Matthew makes no excuses when it comes to doing what he thinks is right. He isn't perfect and will let a whine or excuse slip when he knows he isn't being the nicest brother but when it comes to the gospel and what he knows is right, he doesn't let things get confused or try to justify behaviors. I admire that because it is hard for me not to justify my behaviors sometimes.
7. Matt loves his family! He gets so excited when Friday nights roll around and it is family movie night followed by the kids' sleepover. I know this might change as he gets older but I love the excitement in his eyes as he helps to get it all planned out for us!
8. Matt has a soft heart! It doesn't always show, he can really put up a hard little shell if he doesn't want you to know he is feeling something but when he lets his guard down he sure is a big softy, it just melts my heart!
9. Matthew still doesn't mind that I love to be with him as much as I can! I am so grateful that he lets me be a mommy and hang out with him. I know he will probably grow out of that too a little bit but I hope he never minds having friends come over to our house so I can be a part of their lives and know the people he is with and the young man he is becoming!

My Little Girl

This little girl in my life is a wonderful blessing! Makenna is growing up so fast and becoming my number one helper! She always has a smile on her face and if for some reason that smile slips, she lets us know why she is upset and then quickly bounces back to being a super happy girl! She has an opinion about everything, including her clothes and hairstyles. I am very lucky to have her in my life and I know that she was sent to our home to keep happiness and joy here. Her brothers don't quite know what to think about this very girly intrusion in their lives but you can see the love that they have for her on their faces when she talks to them and it is so fun to watch and be a part of.

Life's Interruptions!

You know, I have wondered sometimes when the phone is ringing off the hook, my oldest is ranting about having to work on yet another merit badge in scouting, my other two boys are fighting over who can get their jobs done faster so they can get down to play the Wii, my three year old has suction-cupped herself to my side on a mission for some toy or snack or drink that she wants and is tired of waiting for, I am going over and over in my head a check list of what needs to be done before I have to leave for my not-so-loved part-time job at the hospital, and I am trying see to some semblance of dinner for my family while going over my bank budget to make sure I am going to make it to the end of the pay period with a couple of cents still left in our account; why life seems to be so hectic and full of these crazy, constant interruptions!!! My heart is sinking as I watch Mason try so hard to accomplish that requirement and know that he really does need my help. I want to tease my other two boys and race them down to the wii just so they can see that life really doesn't have to be so dramatic and that mom really can joke. I am doing good to pick up the telephone most days, if I can even find it...yes, that's right, I can rarely find the darn thing and when I do it is in places no phone should ever go. It is in those moments however, that something usually happens...I will start to get that out of body experience where I really can detatch myself from the whole situation and I see it as though I am just there watching this chaos unfold. I can see that things really are rather comical and that although crazy, it is not the end of the world! Life really will go on, and I somehow should be grateful for all of this. These moments, however crazy now, are what make up the tapestry of our family. Each of these moments are what create memories and laughter for later. I know now more than ever, that I want to cherish all of life's interruptions because I won't have these kids in my home forever, they will grow up and go out on their own and I will be left in a home that echos of those crazy times that I didn't let myself take for granted!

Happy New Year!

goodbye vacation...I will miss you

When I was in school I was not fond of Sunday nights. My stomach would ache with worry and anticipation about the upcoming week...would I remember my homework? Would I get to school on time? Had I forgotten something I was supposed to do for such and such a class? ( I have a knack for being a good worrier.)

Tonight as I sit here surrounded by so many things that have been put on the back-burner the last two weeks I have that same sick-to-my-stomach feeling. I'm not ready for real life to hit again! This whole vacation/Christmas/New Year thing has slipped out of my grasp way too fast.

But man alive, I must say we sure have soaked it in and haven't let any spare seconds go to waste.

I must say I'm so excited for a new year...there's nothing quite like a new beginning to work on new things and start over on old ones.

Too bad one of those new things I get to work on is not eating treats and chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A Little Christmas

We got the chance to go and be with my family for Christmas! We had so much fun, ate good food, played great games, and were in general, very spoiled!! We got to spend a week down there and it was badly needed! It was time for a get a way!! We were even more spoiled because Colorado this time of year should look like the first picture I have posted but because of the warm air coming up from Hawaii, called the Pineapple Express, we got to bask in very beautiful weather, that felt more like the second picture I have posted. That, is a badly needed break from the below zero weather we have been having here in Idaho!My brother and husband got to play the Shepherds in our Christmas story and they made the show rather personality filled! We loved being there and sure appreciate my parents and my brother and his wife Heather and their girls, for putting up with us and making our 2010 Christmas a wonderful memory!!

Eleven!!!

I am a little behind but I wanted to get this posted! Mason celebrated his eleventh birthday this past December 15th!! I am still wondering what happened to the time...one minute I am holding this sweet, tiny baby in my arms and the next, it has been over a decade and he is almost as tall as I am and experiencing so many wonderful things in his own life. Mason was sent first to our family for a reason! He has always been patient with us and his siblings and I know that it was not a mistake that he came first in our line of children. In honor of Mason's eleven years, I thought I would list eleven things that I love, appreciate and admire about him:
1.He is VERY Patient!! I don't understand that type of patience because I do not have any.
2. He is so very happy! Rarely does he have a scowl on his face or is he negative!
3. He is so stinkin' smart!! He figures things out in his mind long before I have the answer a lot of the time.
4. He enjoys a challenge. Whatever it is he is doing, Mason attacks it head on and wants to get it done.
5. Mason knows who he is! He makes no apologies and expects others to accept him the way he is! What I wouldn't give for that kind of strength!
6. Mason loves sports and because he is related to me, I am surprised at how shockingly coordinated he is and that he seems to pick up on sports without a whole lot of effort! That is not inherited from me!
7. Mason enjoys his friends but I have started to notice that he really does look for the kids who aren't playing with anyone and he really tries to get them involved in whatever his group is doing. Once again, another trait he did not get from my shy personality.
8. Mason has a testimony of the Gospel. He shares it and I wonder how he is so strong so young, then I thank my lucky stars as I look at the world today and what he and my other children have to face, that they want to be strong at such a young age.
9. Mason has a very soft heart but he knows how to joke around and be fun! He doesn't bruise easily and he helps us to laugh when things get hard!!
10.Mason takes such good care of his brothers and sister! If I have to leave for a few minutes, I know that things will be fine if I leave Mason in charge. What a relief it is for a parent to know that someone responsible is there in case of an emergency or a quick errand!
AND #11: Mason is such a cute kid, who loves to be a kid! He is no hurry to grow up and still loves when I pick him up at school or spend time in his class. He hasn't outgrown having a mom around sometimes and I appreciate that more than he will ever know! I love him tons and am so glad he came to our family eleven years ago!

Happy, Happy Holidays!!!

You know the season is in full swing when the school puts on it's annual Christmas Program! It always amazes me how much work goes into these programs and makes me grateful for the hard working teachers and staff who teach and lead our children everyday! The children are amazing and it is so fun to see them act and dance. Their personalities shine through loud and clear!!!