{Me Thinks....}

"You have nothing in this world more precious than your children. When you grow old, when your hair turns white and your body grows weary, when you are prone to sit in a rocker and meditate on the things of your life, nothing will be so important as the question of how your children have turned out ... Do not trade your birthright as a mother for some bauble of passing value ... The baby you hold in your arms will grow quickly as the sunrise and the sunset of the rushing days." 

 President Gordon B. Hinckley 
and so... 

What a weekend getting ready for back to school, getting things done and organized and ready for a new year...so last night we had

A

They had so much fun putting on all their new clothes and somehow the hat came out too!! Then we read the kissing hand and off to bed, L was up so early ready to go she couldn't wait to go to school... we were a ready to go half an hour before we had to leave they were so cute!! Its probably the first year I didn't cry dropping them off this morning because we were all ready for it to start I guess and I'm sorry but I won't cry sending M to preschool next week love him but it's going to be a great thing for him and me!! I'm looking forward to all the new things he will learn and grow from this year!!!

First day of grade 1 wow!!

First day of gr. 3 can't believe it! 

The years are going by so fast!

And of course some fun, & crazy pics too..

 check out his pj bottoms.... he decided he was a walker last monday and pretty much walks now!!

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ME THINKS..

So I thought this quote was appropriate for today...

“If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware. The tiny
fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the
toys scattered around the house, the piles and piles of laundry lying
around to be tackled, will disappear all too soon. And, you will, to
your surprise, miss them profoundly.”~President Thomas S. Monson

.... I really feel like time is going by so fast and before we know it our kids will be gone....
and
we'll miss those fingerprints on the widows, walls and big screen,  the crusty food stuck to the floor and counters, the dirty bathtub, the wet boggery shoulders from their tears, the early morning snuggles, the late night rocks, the story time and fhe where they really listen, the I love you's mom/dad for no reason at all, the dirty clothes everywhere but where they are supposed to be 

{I suppose that won't change if you still have a husband ha ha lol!!}

all the things we get cranky about now..... what will it matter when they are gone it will be for nothing.... those clean tables we didn't want them to sit at won't matter then or now but are we losing out on what we could be enjoying and realize the  
stuff is only stuff
and its the kids that matter most and if they feel more valuable then the "stuff" in the end all that other stuff won't matter.....that's not what goes with you in the end....... its these little ones that do..... isn't that what counts?

  

"Our house is clean enough to be healthy, and dirty enough to be happy.  ~Author Unknown

so don't blink because before we know it.... it goes from this

 to this

 wow seriously hard to believe and each year just keeps going by faster and faster! 

The most important time is now teaching them helping them to  learn and grow and make choices and helping them become what they will be think about that, its a big job!!

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 So because its like the new year for me getting back into routine, starting things that are long overdue and doing what needs done 

I found this tip from the book 

"Tip a day for Healthy living"

anyway its on  

how to find out how much time we are wasting each day..

Keep track of everything you do today. write down what you do and approximately what time you do it . For example

       6:00 shower, prayers, scripture

   7:oo breakfast kids bathed 

7:30 dishes, baby bathed

           8:00 start laundry pick up house

8:10 take kids to school

and so forth....

Keeping a long of your "time use"  for just one day will help you identify potential windows of oppurtunity to find some time for yourself--to excersise to eat healthy, or to take a quiet moment to de stress. You may have to swap an activity or steal 10 minutes here or there.

This time use log will also help you realize the sheer amount of time youb likely spend serving and doing things for others. This is important. we are so hard on ourselves, beating ourselves up because we "didn't get to" this or that. Give credit where credit is due! You work hard! its okay and nesessary to take a few moments to ourselves. This helps you find the strength to do the things we were sent here to do!!!

Great advice we are to hard on ourselves!!!

HAVE a GReat Week!!

{ps UPDATE ON  little ms INDIA }

My poor sister and her husband got sick last weekend and haven't been able to go in to see little india {until they are all the way better so sad!! my parents were able to go up this weekend to visit with them so that was good even if liv and guy couldn't see India what a journey!! thanks for the contined notes prayers and love for them!}

{Thankful Thursday.....}

I am Thankful for my little family for the all the fun things we did this summer it was a completely filled busy summer. So yesterday we spent a hot day on the lake just us 6, just relaxing,swimming, kneeboarding reading... it was so fun! 

Do you sometimes just wonder how you got to where you are and you look around and you have these four kids or whatever it is in your stage of life.... and think wow time goes by fast and the memories and all that we are doing is what LIFE is. { besides that we are shaping these little children into what they will become } sometimes its overwhelming to think about, but most of the time I just smile and think how blessed we are and enjoy each day and moment trying our best......and having so much fun along the way......

I JUST LOVE THESE KIDS!

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I am thankful for hard work and when it pays off and your little ones give you a big huge hug and say thanks for giving me a party its all worth it!! We had L's friend party this week kind of a last of summer outside water party it was a lot of fun for all!

...are the best! Don't have to organize games and clean up is easy!

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I thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the Book of Mormon cause I can't tell you how many times I've flipped open to the scriptures and there was my answer to the thoughts and questions I've had and needed for that moment, and the inspiration they provide to get me through the day, weeks and years.

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I love words like these....and miracles like these

India is digesting the milk from her mother through an IV....

....all on her own.

The miracle of life is an absolute miracle!! Those that believe in abortion and try to convince those that do it that they aren't killing a living breathing, beautiful spirit and baby miracle...  from the beginning.... makes me ill. 

Because to watch this perfect little premature baby girl of my sisters grow and develop, pee, digest milk, open her eyes, move, make noise.... tell me that isn't a miracle! Prayer is a miracle the voice of many from everywhere who have been praying for little India makes all the difference we and they can feel your prayers is that not a miracle!!

LIFE IS A MIRACLE.

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Love Life. Whatever stage your in.

Make it something worth remembering.

Remember what is important cause in the end

we only got one LIFE to live.

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You only live once, but if you work it right, once is enough.

The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want.

Life is like a hot bath. It feels good while you’re in it, but the longer you stay in, the more wrinkled you get.

God, if I can’t have what I want, let me want what I have.

And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.

Life is like an onion: You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep.

Life is what happens to you while you’re working for your future.

Love the moment. Flowers grow out of dark moments. Therefore, each moment is vital. It affects the whole. Life is a succession of such moments and to live each, is to succeed.

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Recipe of the week

6 med potatoes
1/4 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp minced onion
1/2 tsp dried dill
 1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp parsley
4 tbsp butter


mixed all the seasoning ingred in a big zip lock
cut up your potatoes into half moons with skins
**** put in crockpot and add water and butter
place on low for 5 hours or until tender in the crock pot

They are so good we love em!

Have a great week!

{beautiful.}

......my sister got to hold her baby for the very first time almost a week after she was born....... look how tiny and perfect she is.

On life's most difficult days all that we can do is simply take things Moment by Moment. Kirsti A. Dyer

Sometime the best you can hope to do during times of challenge is to take things one minute at at time, one hour at a time, one day at a time.

 

And thats what they are doing.

{ Me Thinks...}

Last Monday of the summer holidays YIPPEE {we've had a busy, fun summer but I'm ready and so are they!!} I am really excited to get back on schedule, keep the kids busy {less fighting with each other due to supposed boredom!} 

Have things to do, see my friends again and get ready for the things coming up..life is sometimes unexpected in the turns it takes but that's why we are here right --- learn grow and be tested!

Speaking of which here is the latest on my sisters Liv's and Guy's baby India...its so awesome to see the support and prayers, letters and notes for them thank you so much!!  

{And thanks to whoever it was who left the yummy treats on our counter that caused me an extra run} Thank you so much!

 

Update as of last night: 22 August 2010 

India's Jaundice is gone and the lights have been removed. The breathing issues/sleep apnea she was/is having during the past 24 or so hours (spells of not breathing for 20+ seconds at a time usually during REM sleep) is being treated with a replacement breathing monitor/device.

Its treating her sleep apnea successfully Guy, says "two steps forward and one step back" is the way of things right now. Overall India is doing fairly well and Guy says that she is definitely doing the best today of any of the days since she was born. She is 3 days old. 

She is a tough one and so is her amazing little mama!!

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So I had a tantrum yesterday... 

Sunday morning rush 

we were late it was pouring rain

I was all by myself with the four 

no shoes to be found 

church bag not ready.....

so I decide to pull into the garage so the kids don't get soaked ....oh that's after I opened up my cute umbrella to find it completely inverted to a cup shape to catch all the water oh the joys!!

......anyway I backed out of the garage looked the other way and K had forgot to shut his door so we rammed right into the garage door tracking twisting the frame of the garage door, so then the garage door wouldn't shut..... so i kicked the frame to try to bend it back enough to shut it and muttered under my breath and held the button down so it would shut I'm sure my kids thought I'd lost it probably some neighbours to if they saw me....good times.... the burb door is fine but yeah not so much the garage door...
...and thus started the day of why did I even get out of bed! 

I also forgot diaper and wipes for church so I had a very stinky boy throughout sacrament {thanks emily} and another whiny, seat kicking, i'm starving, I want to go home....... four year old!! 

One of those days.

But it ended on a good note with afternoon naps for all and a bike ride with friends and ended staying at their house till almost midnight playing games, eatin peaches.... So at the end of the day it was a better ending than the start!

Some days eh!!!

Bet none of you have days like that right!

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Our babe is officially walking look at him he does prefer to crawl sometimes but is getting braver and braver!!

look at that look of concentration, he is getting way to big:(

 Eating with a spoon for the first time too!

 He is just to cute and fun and messy!

K was in soccer camp this week with the British Challenger Camp it was awesome he loved it !

 If they are ever in your area do it they had so much fun!!

 What a weekend. I even caught up on some filing, finished our
family home evening board finally

  got it hung, got the office dejunked, and it feels so good getting organized and ready for school, routine and life in the fast lane to start again. Don't worry I'm enjoying now, and I'm pretty sure soon I'll have a post all about slowing down and why we always want what we don't have, the other season we aren't in, blah blah...lol..!

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Me Thinks

So this past week got me thinking with the unexpected 3 months early birth of my niece this past week it has been an amazing and beautiful thing to watch everyone come together in our family and out of it, to do what they can for them. 

It shows me once again what life is all about, serving, supporting others doing what we can whether is physically being there or doing what we can from where we are. All the time having them know that we are fasting and praying for them. Rooting for them and doing what we can.

I came across an article that seem so fitting for the past little while and watching others go through life trials and unexpected things lately.. it says:

""Life brings unexpected twists and turns. When we stay faithful and strong in our beliefs, we are equipped to handle whatever comes our way, but sometimes we are blindsided with unexplainable tragedy, illness, injury the death of a loved one. These events can be pivotal moments that define our lives and our faith. It is during times like these that we draw upon strength from our testimonies and our faith in the Savior to help us through."

and

""We cannot control what life brings us, but we can control how those trials and challenges affect us. 

It is at these crossroads of difficulty when we make decisions that chart our course of the future. Do we embrace the changes in our lives with faith in the Lord knowing HE will guide us? Or do we shut out the love and support from family, friends and trusted church leaders and try to make it on our own?

I love these quotes because they are so true I've seen trials destroy people and I've seen people learn grow and share with others what they have learned. I've seen people dying from brain cancer, breast cancer and bone cancer all the same person and seen her positive to the end enough to make me with little trials shake my head and realize how very blessed the majority of us are, someone is always worse off then we think we are. Life is Hard no one ever said it would be easy only that it would be worth it.

I believe it with all my heart its how we take what we are given and make it a positive in our lives. Instead of letting it poison us and fester and destroy the relationships and love we have.

Because when it comes down to it its why we are here to be tested.

Life isn't easy but it can be easier depending on our attitudes and reactions.

What's yours?

Have a great week...

{Update...}

{I stole these from my sisters blog but here is an update.}

{They really need to have a hand or something beside her to tell how really tiny she is!}

BUT

".....Both are doing well.

The massive tube holding the baby's mouth open has since been removed and a different breathing tube has been put in her nose instead. Now she can express herself in some faint/quiet cries and probably feels a whole heck of a lot more comfortable. 

It'll be awhile before she breaths on her own. 

BUT she has gotten milk/colostrum through the feeding tube successfully.

AND she did pee within the first 12 hours. 

Things are functioning and she remains in stable condition but will stay in constant and critical care in the Neo-Natal Unit of the for at least another 2-3 months, maybe more."

Thanks so much for the messages and those with advice from  you who have had a premature baby and for all the love to my sister and her family your contined prayers and hope. They are so appreciated!
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“No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God … and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire.”

{ BIRTH days..links and prayers} Thankfulness...

 

This morning my little sister {and her husband}

 had a

2 lb baby girl

who they named

INDIA LAMORA

she is born three months premature

she is thriving and so far doing good and healthy as expected

but if you can say a little prayer for them 

that would be awesome!

The poor girl and her husband have had a fair share of trials since they got married if you remember she is the same one who met with an "I'm having a bad day and I'm going to make an example of you" angry immigration officer in England when going over to be with her husband for the summer after being married 2 weeks before that..... GOT DEPORTED then finally after a year of being apart with a few visit's in between.... they got back together in march, got pregnant and 6 months into it she delivers this beautiful baby girl who we pray will fight and grow and thrive!

so my little sister is a mommy today with a fighter of a princess.... who needs all the prayers we can send their way...

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L turned 6 this week! My baby girl is 6 that is crazy...

we spent the day with a family party and her friend party will be soon

she wanted ice cream cake so that's what she got: she wanted a tea set and a doll....

The doll came in the mail I ordered it from and amazingly talented girl Christine here is her link she makes them to look like your little ones 

L loves her doll!

She had a fun birthday and  the first thing she said when she woke up and came into our room was

"dad and mom it's the weirdest thing I feel like i'm taller its so weird" we had a good laugh!

and here is the recipe for her 

ice cream cake 

graham crust {2 cups crumbs/1/2 cup icing sugar and 1/2 cup melted butter cook for about 8 minutes at 350 cool completely}
gallon of vanilla ice cream {softened}
can of lemonade

...mix ice cream and the can of lemonade till smoother and blended

then pour over cooled crust save some of the crust for the top sprinkle that over top and I happened to have a lemon in the fridge so I added some finely grated rind to the mixture and top

then freeze over night or for the day cut in squares and serve 

our family loves it!

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and for some links

LOVE THIS POST HERE

great post!

Nice to know there are parents out there standing up we need more of them for this day and age especially!!

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and most amazing hair product ever! made for back combers everywhere!

its awesome you don't even need to backcomb it with this seriously amazing!

its called DUST IT

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then.... I love give aways especially if I ever win this time I won this necklace from sosobella designs..... a day after I placed an order to vintage pearl after debating for like a year! what are the chances!But the best part..... my skin didn't have a reaction to it and I wore it the whole day!

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and then onto awesome things like these for school lunches I really want them for my kids! From here thanks for sharing terisa!

and to go with lunch talk here are some fun free downloads for notes in there lunches I love sending notes and the kids look forward to them one year K's grade one teacher made a book with all of them in it at the end of the year it was awesome!

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 and I have to add this babe

he may have slept for a year not quite but over the past month and half he has developed the sweetest little personality that we all can't get enough of!! 

-He waves and says nite nite {when he feels like it of course} 

-he said "up" to me yesterday 

he loves the phone and says hi hi and is fascinated with whoever is one the other end usually he says dad dad!

-he is getting braver walking everywhere and getting into EVERYTHING

-he loves bathing or swimming with his brothers

-he is beyond ticklish and has the best laugh

-he loves to eat {and now smears his food in his hair all over his face the tray the floor ahhh} 

-he loves trucks books and story time

-he is such a handsome fun baby that we all can't get enough of we sure LOVE him!!!

and my favorite quote of the year probably....

“There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one” 

--Jill Churchill

Have a great weekend 

and don't forget to send some prayers my sisters way!

{ Me Thinks Monday...}

It was such a fun weekend we left town and went camping, it was nice to relax and and the kids had so much fun, we all did!

...and with that here are our weekend memories.....

we rode over Logan's pass get to Kalispell, Montana {{and this picture isn't as bad as it looks he was laughing and the drop off wasn't to bad right there j/k!}} We had to stop for construction so we took some pics and enjoyed the beautiful scenery!

As soon as we got to the KOA we were camping at {including free hot breakfast and showers nice nice!} the kids found a huge toad..a great start to camping they were in heaven!

lots of random food they don't usually get .. lots of swimming

and chilling this boy is so awesome he loved it too.

 

...lots of bike rides

 

and paddle boats and pool time...a petting zoo...all at the campground we stayed at. We used to have lots of connections and always stayed at Echo Lake but not so much anymore.

The second day we spent at lake five with friends there and went boating D skied and barefooted so we all had fun between the periods of rain....campfires, smores lots of shopping and just relaxing...was so fun! The third day we shopped! Lucky D his favorite thing!

Oh through in a huge rain/thunder storm that lasted about 2 hours and a night with some drinking groupies in the next site over... up most of the night...fun times  

         

no phones kind of, no ranch, no stress, so worth every minute!

I love memories in the making!!

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Me Thinks

Summer is almost over and truth be told I can't wait.

Can't wait for the routine.

Can't wait for school to start.
{does anybody love the smell of new school supplies or am I just weird or maybe don't answer that lol!}

Can't wait for the kids to learn new things. Make new friends. Can't wait to see some of my own friends again.

For the kids to have things that keep them busy and tired.

School helps makes them more obedient.
Probably cause they have to listen to their teachers all day! Both my all dayers have male teachers this year and I think they will both love it!

Its been a fun summer completely filled and busy.

I just love routine and being busy with things. I'm pretty sure K does to cause I've had to put him to work alot for bugging his sibs!!

All the power to those that home school I have alot of admiration for you I just could never do it unless I absolutely had too! I'm not patient enough and I kind of like a little free time to regroup and feel energized!

I like that they learn so much and really blossom throughout the year I love to see them learn new things all the time!

I'm liking that I get to spend 2 mornings a week with just one little K2 and me 

really looking forward to it...
because M will be right were he needs to be having fun, learning and growing ..I'm looking forward to what school will do for him..he is so fun so busy and so independent it should be fun...

for his teachers ha ha...

So ....I really can't wait for fall 

for sweaters

for football games

for fall scents

 for burning leaves i know weird but I just like it reminds me of my childhood I think...

 and thanksgiving For the beauty of the changing seasons..

 to feel the cool air once again....

 I do enjoy where we are right now and until its over we'll enjoy all of but i'm just saying what i'm looking forward to!! I kind of think a few of you might be too!!

Here are some things the changing seasons have taught us about life…

* Nothing ever stays the same.

* Whether we are prepared or not, the changing season will come.

* Whether we are prepared or not, the changing season will go.

* Every season brings with it some form of sadness and joy.

* Every season brings with it a lesson to learn, if not many.

* We may make new friends when the changing season comes.

* We may lose friends when the changing season goes.

* Seasons seem to come upon us really fast, sometimes even instantly, without any warning.

* Yet, strangely, seasons often seem to stay a bit too long.

* This is where Faith perseveres, for God always has a purpose. 

To be aware of the seasons changing… is to live.

To enjoy and appreciate them… is to live well."

Have an awesome week.

..stay turned for L's 6th bday post..coming up..