How 'Bout Them Chiefs?!

Here are some pics of Halloween. We went to Greg and Jackies. First we had a little Halloween party with yummy food, games, and playing. Then we went trick or treating in their neighborhood. The funny thing is that each year we always have an "incident". One year Greg almost lite a house on fire. Another year we had a lady give the kids a package of sliced cheese. Well, this year didn't disappoint! At one of the houses there was a big Chargers banner outside. Greg dared all the kids (8 of them) to say, "How 'bout them Chiefs?" instead of "Trick or Treat!" (I am assuming that the Chiefs just beat the Chargers in a game). Greg told the kids that whoever said it he would give them 3 full-sized candy bars. Well...... they all did it!!!! bwahahahaha!!!! They came skipping back to us and wanted their candy bars. Funny thing is that at the next house they each said "How 'bout them Chiefs?" They figured they'd get 3 candy bars EACH time they said it!!! Smart Funny kids!!

Playing Musical Chairs

Even Ellie drank some Party Punch (out of Andrea's cup)!

Primary Program Parts

Tonight after Scripture reading and prayers we had each of the little kids practice their parts. We all had a good chuckle at Livvy; "Prophets guide us through inspiration and respiration." bwahahahaha!!!! Prophets do a lot of breathing I guess. :)

Our New Puppies

No, we aren't crazy!!! We just fell in love immediately! A friend of mine has 3 mastiffs and the female had puppies. 11 puppies that they have been bottle feeding for the past 9 weeks. Wow Terry, that's a lot of patience.

Well, as we looked at all the dogs we decided on 2 girls. Lily is black with a white chest and paws. She's the biggest. And Ginger is brown with a white chest and bits of white on her paws. She's the runt.

They are such sweet little girls. We have a lot of fun with them. Potty training is a little frustrating, but that's ok. They really are good dogs!

Heavenly Father MAKES You Have Friends

I am a loner type of person. :) Most people wouldn't know that about me. I can have fun with people, but I truly just like being home with my family - alone. I never really got into playdates or game night with "The Girls." And I think my kids are starting to get frustrated with me because they don't have friends over very often.
Recently I've wondered about this quirk of mine. I am sure I have even hurt feelings or offended others because of my lack of desire to "do things." I don't even like the phone.
Now don't get me wrong, I truly LOVE people. I have so many friends and family that I feel blessed to have in my life. I can't really understand what my problem is, but I have decided to make a concerted effort to be a better friend.
Things brings me to my main point....
Heavenly Father has placed me in a wonderful pickle. :) I have a friend who has been going through some yucky stuff. I think we both felt that we wanted to be closer but just never had the time. For some odd reason she felt impressed to come to me with her struggles. We have become very close and I treasure her friendship.
Now as I look back at the whole situation, I feel so grateful for a Heavenly Father who sometimes throws things at you that you need. I didn't even know that I would need my friend so much. Or that I would learn so much from her.
Strength!!! She is an amazing source of strength.
Love!!!! She truly loves her kids. They are her friends!! I have seen the power of such a love. It heals and smooths the horrible things in life. The love she gives those little monkeys is 100% Christlike!
Peace!!! She wouldn't say that she has any type of peace in her life right now; but she has it. She is the one who brings it into her home.
I have also learned how much I need to open up again. I didn't used to always be so closed. So watch our world, here I come!!!!!

Elijah and Jake

As most of you know, our Ward was split a few months ago. We were put into a brand new Ward and in the shuffle, Elijah and Jake weren't up to date on their Scout Awards. This was our first pack meeting as the new Pack so they received quite a few awards. Elijah has since moved on to Boy Scouts but he received the rest of his stuff for Cub Scouts. Except for his Arrow of Light. He will be getting that in a few months. I guess the Pack Leader is trying to get the higher-up Arrow of Light people to come and do the ceremony. I will post pictures when that happens. :)

You know, growing up my mom had 5 kids to work on different things with. Scouts, Personal Progress, Faith in God, Duty to God..... it is really tough to make sure you aren't cutting corners on their goals and advancements. It has gotten a little bit easier with Elizabeth because she will take the initiative and do things, but with the boys it's harder.

I guess I need to say that I am proud of US, as a family, for achieving these fun milestones. :)

Just a few Pics

Camping in Sedona with RAIN, 6 adults, 9 kids, and tons of FUN!!!!

A boy and his dog. Jake LOVES Dozer!!!

Elijah turns 11!!

Our paper bag laundry room floor! (Very proud of us)

Elizabeth turns 12!!

School is in

Well, it's official - I get ME time!!!! The kids have been in school for a week and a half and Bret went back to work this morning. I am sitting in my house, playing on my computer and listening to country music. And as I sit and contemplate my first day alone, my mind struggles with the age old question....
"Do I do what I SHOULD do, or do I do what I wanna do?!"
I guess technically I could do both. I need to go to the store and clean the house. I want to go to the Library and take a nap.
I do know one thing for certain - I will be spending more time posting on my blog. I have been enjoying Facebook, but you can't really share a lot in the little comment section. :)

I Love My Son

Has it really been since March till I last posted on my blog?!!?!?! Oops!

Jake is so cute and fun! Today I was laying on the couch taking a little nap and the kids were watching cartoons. As I was dozing in and out, I could hear Jake laughing at things on the TV. He's so funny! I love it that he still laughs out loud at things. :)

Blessed

Sometimes in life the planets align, the cards are stacked right, and all the pieces fit in the puzzle. That is today for me. :)

It all started as I walked into the Primary room and realized that I had set up the rooms yesterday. SCORE!!
Then as the little ones came walking in I prepared myself for the usual cryers. Those are the ones that I get to hold and cuddle and comfort. But today - no tears!!!! :)
Then I checked for teachers and what we were missing. All accounted for or subs already in place. Cool!!!
Nursery - check!!!! No tears their either (which is VERY rare)!!!

Now don't get me wrong - there were a few hiccups. It wouldn't be Primary without something. But I rolled with it easily today. My counselor who was suppossed to do sharing time called this morning with a sick family member. So I pulled something together. It went amazingly!!!!! Especially with the Junior Primary. I turned down the lights, put on some church music, and sat on the floor with them. Those spiritual, tender moments are the reason I love Primary! Those children are so special. Now I know to some extend what the Savior felt as He gathered the little ones around Him and blessed them.

I came home - took a little power nap and then made dinner for our neighbor teens. I love these kids SO much!!! They are really good kids. We ate, laughed, and had loads of fun!

Now I get to go and spend some time with the YCL's.

Gush, Gush, Gush. I just realized how totally mushy all this sounds!! But for some odd reason things look really good today.
By the way, did I mention that my kids go back to school tomorrow? :)

Simple Women's Daybook

Outside my window...
it is dark. 7pm. I also see the freeway lights in the distance.

I am thinking...
about how much I've enjoyed this week of spring break with my family. Bret is off and we are sleeping in, playing games, riding bikes and working on other crafts around the house.

I am thankful...
for my talents. It's not often that I feel blessed for who I am, but at this moment - I am. :)

I am wearing...
jean shorts, bare feet, and a green comfy tshirt that says, "I used to have a handle on life, but it broke off." :) What can I say - it's comfy.

I am creating...
a flannel blanket for Bret.

I am reading...
I am about to start a book called Mary and Joseph on CD. I need to download it onto my phone so I can listen to it while I work on blankets.

I am hoping...
that I can do the things I need to for my callings. Primary Pres. and YCL leader at Girls Camp. Both are tough and I feel overwhelmed at times.

I am hearing...
the kids having a rematch with Daddy on Halo.

One of my favorite things...
my new quilting frame that Bret made for me. I LOVE it LOVE it LOVE it!!!!

A few plans for the rest of the week...
Finish Bret's blanket; start on the boy's blankets; Girls Camp things; Pinewood Derby; PTA stuff; and start making plans for a new thing we are doing with PTA.

A picture thought I am sharing...
This is one of my alltime favorites. I've been feeling a little melancholy about my little ones getting big. Sometimes I really miss the old days. :(

Simple Womans Daybook

Outside my window...
I see the school hallway.


I am thinking...
about how sick I am of kids. I am doing the Book Fair at the kids' school all week!! Soooo done!!!!! It makes me grateful for the teachers and all they do for my kids.


I am thankful...
Mt. Dew :)


I am wearing...
blue capri's, white top, flip flops, and my school ID tag.


I am creating...
nothing at all!!!!


I am reading...
I was reading the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins which was a TOTALLY awesome book!!!!! LOVE it!!! Now I'm back to a series by Tamora Pierce.


I am hoping...
that I get to sleep in late a lot next week - Spring Break.

I am hearing...
the pitter-patter of little feet. School just let out.

One of my favorite things...
Hard Salami. Just had some for lunch, it was yummy.


A few plans for the rest of the week...
Book Fair, work on PineWood Derby cars, clean my house, take a nap.


A picture thought I am sharing...
again, no picture. sorry!

Ok, I'm Private

Just so that some of you know, in a previous post I had the name of my childrens' school. After a friend of mine reminded me about safety measures I deleted the name and I decided to make my blog private. I've been thinking about it for a while now, and I just decided to do it. :)

Suns - Close Up

Helping at your childrens' school really is rewarding!!! Well it is if you have the best school in the world!
My school bought tickets for my family to go to a Phoenix Sun's game last night! We actually got to go early, sit in the front row, and watch the team warm up. It was a LOT of fun!!! The kids really enjoyed it and I am so glad that I got to experience it with them. :)

My Little Biker!!

Before I continue further into this post let me start by saying that I know J really should have learned to ride a bike earlier in his life, but he just wasn't interested. Well, this week Hubby MADE him learn. The kid was a full rider in about an hour!!! He has been riding his bike all over the place. But J is J and he always has to take everything to the next level.... It wasn't even 24 hours after learning to ride his bike, and he was pulling bits of wood and rocks and anything he could get his hands on to make ramps and things for him to ride over. :) The final straw was when he insisted that he needed to use the mattress in the garage! Guess what Daddy is doing tomorrow - building a small ramp. I am tired of my son trying to make his own - he's not very safe.

Lent

I have to admit that in my ignorance I never really knew what Lent was all about. The other day Hubby explained to me how Catholics will give up one thing from their lives in the time period before Easter. This is what Wiki says about it:

"Lent, in Christian tradition, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Conventionally, it is described as being forty days long, though different denominations calculate the forty days differently. The forty days represent the time that, according to the Bible, Jesus spent in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, where he endured temptation by Satan.
This practice was virtually universal in Christendom until the Protestant Reformation. Some Protestant churches do not observe Lent, but most, such as Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Anglicans, and Episcopalians, do."

Self-denial - that's the part that I'm referring to. My friend is giving up sugar for the 40 days and she's doing awesome!! But it got me thinking.... what would I give up and could I even do it? I'm sad to say that I don't think I could. I admire the practice. I can imagine such strength and closeness to the Savior by participating in Lent.
Now hold that thought and go forward a couple of weeks in my life and it brings us to yesterday. The kids have been fighting more and whining about video games more. So on the spur of the moment I decided that we were going to be a video/computer free house for a week. Blogging doesn't count. :)
This afternoon as I sit and "veg" I think back to my conversation with Hubby about Lent. And it really puts it into perspective for me about how difficult Lent would be. My thoughts continue on to the Savior and His 40 days of Fasting and Temptations. My little week of "lentishness" doesn't even compare. :( I am struggling with it and it hasn't even been 24 hours. "Natural Man" is VERY strong in me......

More Words From Livvy

So there's this other Kindergartener that likes to chase L and her friend Celeste around the playground. His name is David. We have now come to realize that a "good day at schoow" is when David is absent. :)
The other day L gets in the car and says, "My day wasn't so good."
I asked why and she said, "Because David swaved other kids ot catch me and Cewest." (Yes, that's an exact quote).
I had to think for a minute to translate in my mind......

David slaved other kids to catch me and Celeste. :)

Simple Women's Daybook

Outside my window...
it's chilly and windy. It was raining earlier today. I love the rain. There are swing cushions all over the yard.

I am thinking...
about how blessed I am. My children are behaving and I'm sitting crocheting a blanket watching the Olympics while dinner cooks. I am a simple simple person and I love the quiet moments of joy.

I am thankful...
for crockpots!! :)

From the kitchen...
it's actually clean. I can see the fridge with art projects all over the front.

I am wearing...
jeans and a "Riding Dragons - 1968" t-shirt.

I am creating...
a baby blanket for Preston. :)

I am reading...
"Dear John"

I am hoping...
that the kids continue the peaceful niceness!!

I am hearing...
well, it was the Olympics and now it's Dr. Phil - messed up family.

One of my favorite things...
Phoenix winters. :)

A few plans for the rest of the week...
mostly the normal stuff. But next Monday we are going to see the Sun's play!!! I am very excited!!!!

A picture thought I am sharing...
actually, I'm not sharing a picture right now. I'm not on my computer. I'll add one later.

Conversations on the Ride Home From School

E - "JACKPOT!" (a game we play by calling out every yellow car you see)
J - "Mom, what will you give me if I win? Candy?"
Me - confused "Win what?
J - "If I win at Jackpot - A dollar or candy or something?"
Me - "No Jake, I won't give you anything." mental sigh
J - "Well, then I'm not playing. What's in it for me?"
(yes, he actually said that) :)
E - "Jake, you can't always play for money and things. What if you are playing against a HoBo? He doesn't have anything to give you if you win."

Did that conversation really just happen?! Yep, you bet your bottom, it did!!"

Will the REAL Stephanie please step forward?!

I don't want to clean the very messy house, I don't want to go to the appointment that I have for Livvy's speech, and I don't want to put real clothes on. I just want to lay around the house and read a book. :) Can I please??!!!???

I feel sad today. I feel lost in so many aspects of my life. Have you ever had a time in your life where you are a completely different person than from who you've always been? I am going through that right now. I don't know what caused the change and it's very foreign to me. I really do feel odd - like I'm not myself.

For example, I used to enjoy being creative. I wasn't ever extremely talented, but I had fun creating things. Not now. I can't stand the hassle it takes to create. I want things simple.

Also, I used to be a friendly person. I have ALWAYS loved other people and found joy in my friendships. Now I don't let anyone get too close. I don't like the hassle of dealing with people. I can never do the right things for them. Things I say or do are misunderstood.

I used to be more organized in my callings. Now I'm a scatterbrained, teary-eyed mess. I can't seem to formulate a concise thought to save my life and I don't wear mascara to church anymore. It ends up running down my face.

It is such an odd feeling to not recognize yourself. And the frustrating thing is that not all of my new "traits" are bad. I just don't understand why I'm so different and how can I get some of "me" back?

Bang! Bang!

Look @ what we did today!

Shooting

Something From My Sister

Ok, this posting idea is something my sister does and I LOVE it!!!! So, I am going to copycat.

SIMPLE WOMAN'S DAYBOOK
Outside my window...
it's a nice chilly Phoenix morning. Something like 55ish (no snow). My grass is mostly dead and my birds are gone. I need to fill the bird feeders.

I am thinking...
about what I need to get done today vs. what I WANT to do!

I am thankful...
for my calling in church (Primary). We have a Teacher Inservice this Sunday that I'm working on. The title is, "Teacher, Do You Love Me?" I LOVE those kids!!!

From the kitchen...
i see no dirty dishes, but I do see random things on the counters. Primary Binder, jewelry, and Cody (Livvy's stuffed animal).

I am wearing...
jammies - striped pink bottoms and a Tinkerbell "Feisty" shirt. I also have on my jacket still from dropping kids off at school.

I am creating...
Magnets with the Primary Presidency's contact info.

I am reading...
A series by Tamora Pierce (LOVE her)!!

I am hoping...
that my med.s kick in soon. I hate being so angry! :)

I am hearing...
Price Is Right. In-laws are in town and LOVE it. So do I, it reminds me of being home sick from school. :)

One of my favorite things...
texting!!! I have recently gotten Unlimited Texting and I now wonder how I ever did without it.

A few plans for the rest of the week...
shopping and planning for Sunday evening; cleaning house (expecially the bathrooms); putting the deadbolt back on the door (don't ask); plan a meeting with the other YCL leaders; and lastly, hug lots of kids on Sunday!!! :)

A picture thought I am sharing...

I made "Squid" for the kids and their cousins last week. This is how it SHOULD have been made. I didn't take a picture of mine, but it wasn't made like this. That's what I get for hearing of the idea from my mom who heard it from my sister and I didn't go straight to the source. :)

Bye Bye Facebook

I have been thinking about taking a break from Facebook when last night Bret tells me that he thinks we should do a week without it. I'm sure his comment has something to do with the condition of the house. :) But honestly, it's not a bad idea. I spend too much time (unintentionally of course) on that darned website. Soooooo, my first morning without Facebook and trying to be more effective with my time and where am I? On Blogspot!!! LOL

Things are good for us here.
The kids are all well and happy. So am I. Bret too.

There, simple and sweet!!!

Miss me?

Well, again - I've let my blog fall by the wayside. Today I don't want to move off the couch and as I sat and read my sister's blog I felt inspired to update mine. :)

When I was a kid we were suppossed to write in our journals often. I'd go for a few weeks without writing and then suddenly a lot would happen and I'd try put down my feelings and frustrations. Then I would spend a large amount of time just updating and never getting to a truly heartfelt entry.
So quick version: I was called as Primary President in our church. I am the PTA Secretary @ school. I was also recently called as a YCL Leader over Girls Camp. I am BUSY!!!
Bret is still teaching at Phoenix College. He was just put on the Stake High Council @ church. He is still serving as Stake YM Secretary too. And he is still enjoy Judo and will be receiving his brown belt this week. He is BUSY!!!
Elizabeth is in the 6th grade. She is also in the GATE program and Student Council. Her biggest excitement recently is Show Choir. It's a program that they started at school and they performed during the school's Christmas concert. They were AMAZING!!!!! Just like mini"Glee's". They were asked by the District Board President to perform during the big rodeo that we have here in Buckeye. Feb. 1st and 7th.
Elijah is in 5th grade. He recently got glasses and has been very responsible with them. He is on the Principal's List with his grades at school and he is doing well in Scouts.
Jacob is in the 3rd grade and such a joker. He keeps his teacher laughing and is Mr. Popular! :) He is also doing well at Scouts and really enjoys going.
Livvy is in Kindergarten. She loves her teacher and her mamma. She thinks it's the greatest thing when she sees me at school and often tells me, "Mommy, Will you come and say hello to me when you are at school today?" She's our deep thinker and often has some amazing concepts. Last week she told me why our bodies grow bigger. "When we are borned; our big, huge spirits are squeezed into our little, tiny baby bodies. Then little bit at a time our spirits stretch out our bodies." What fun thoughts!!!
Dozer is Dozer! He's almost 12 years old and still acts like he's 3. I don't know what we'd do without our dog (small horse). I almost found out when he got lost a couple of weeks ago. But he was found and returned. The lady at the pound was amazed at how "young" he acts. It didn't surprise me - most of us women know that all males have an inner childishness that come out when they are excited or happy. :)
That is the quick update. And again - I'm done with this "journal entry." I'll add some pictures in a little bit too.