{Real. Life. Thoughts..}

......THE world around us at its best is depressing

its so out of control, so disturbing, so wrong on every level of deceit and misguided individuals that Satan has a grasp on. What the world now excepts and yet half wonder where we went wrong...if even that amount..

In a world

where good is bad and EVIL is good ......say what??? 

since when??

The "Good" is the minority standing tall and standing up has become a MUST if we are going to make it even a little.....

everyday I shake my head and try to forget whats going on all around us and fortify the walls around my own house and self..and relationships around me. 

My prayers a longer these days and I'm going to say it

My dad did a lot of preaching in our growing up days and I did a lot of EYE ROLLING  

but I'm going to admit it too that

HE WAS RIGHT

and it has ONLY gotten worse

I mean I feel sorry for myself having to raise our children in this world

SERIOUSLY competing with all that is around us

trying to explain to children how WRONG certain things are because they are to instill in them tolerance,  love and a conscience of right and wrong.  Then they go out and see the world and what it holds and go what the heck ....well guess all I got to prove it all wrong..

IS MY LIFE.... MY EXAMPLE... MY FAITH......Family Home Evening......SCRIPTURES.... MY PRAYERS.....FAMILY FIRST...and FAMILY TIME ....TEMPLE......and GOALS....HARD WORK...and ... DEDICATION...... MY LOVE ....... THE LOVE OF A MAN WHO LOVES HIS WIFE.... THEIR MOTHER and HOW SHE SHOULD BE TREATED.....MY HEAVENLY FATHERS FAITH IN ME........ AND HELP WITH MY FAMILY AND I WILL NOT LOSE  WITH THAT ON MY SIDE.

and of course the lengthy family prayers of my own;) you know carrying on the tradition of my father;)

SO AS I WAS SAYING looking around its ridiculous the things that are going on .....LIKE THIS here

Feminist groups crying for attention and equality when they have no idea, obviously, of its sacred nature, privilege and right of a young man and the men within the LDS church it is a duty.... a sacred one to hold...

 I don't believe men and women are unequal in anyway we both have different roles I don't feel left out or anything because I am a women we are different and thats the way it should be:)

Adam was created and from Adam a women to be help meets, to work together to be equal ......not to dominate in anyway one above the other but we have different roles,  

responsibilities and rights of each

and maybe thats another downfall where society went wrong  trying to equalize every little thing in this life thats 

NOT REAL LIFE.

shot me if you want and if you think

I'm wrong but I don't care and this is my blog:)..........

 I like my man in charge, I like my man to take care of me, to be my rock, my sounding board and be the hard working earner, my helper, my equal in raising our children, in making our life decisions.... yes 

but there are some things that

are strictly a mans right to be a MAN

and with that and  in our church the rights and privileges of a faithful priesthood holder is a big duty and privilege.. One I know if I need help  who I can call on whenever its needed for whatever reason I know its there and I thank my Heavenly Father for that every night...

I don't need it or want it  

{I hold the priesthood every night when I wrap my arms around him to say good night and thats enough for me...}oldest joke I know but truth

 I do my best to run our house, nurture and teach our children and have the blessings that come from that and to work occasionally if thats what we decide together to help our family. I have enough duties and privileges of my own .....I believe it makes a man work harder to be better to live a life worthy to be called on at any time....for anything.

I FEEL SORRY

for those that try to change and twist doctrine so it fits their agendas, their guilt, their lacking and make embarrassing scenes in the media and church wide. How sad I am for them, sad for their lack of understanding of the sacred nature of the Priesthood and what it entitles and how it richly blesses the holder and his family throughout life if living worthy to hold it. 

Sad that they don't understand the divine roles of Man and Women because there are roles, there are differences and they are sacred if anybody truly understood it they would never dispute it.

And that is all I'll say on that..

------------------------------------------------

All of it makes me want to move to the mountains like this picture I took last weekend in Montana:) Love it ....it was a wrong turn that turned in a right one such peace and perfection we loved it!!

AND

MOVING ON to this article

Probably shouldn't even get started going on this one

but my favorite paragraph of this story which you need to read first;)

Is this

"It is how you handle that behavior afterwards that reflects on you as a parent."

Instead of sitting little Johnny down and reminding him that what he did is not acceptable and then dragging him by the collar to apologize to Mr. Holloway, you chose instead to harass and threaten the victim. 

Let's not forget here, your child victimized this man by destroying his home. How dare you respond with anything other than regret, embarrassment, and a sincere apology instead of righteous indignation, threats of violence and lawsuits.

Parents like you are responsible for an entire generation that expects the world handed to them, 

because you have given it to them all along. Instead of teaching your kids to work hard and earn things, you give a trophy to every kid in youth sports  

and then hand them an iPhone in middle school. 

You are the parents screaming through the fence at the Little League umpire instead of teaching good sportsmanship. You are the ones criticizing the teacher instead of realizing they just want to help your child learn.

Can you please just step back and look at what you are doing to your kids? 

This is the generation that will grow up to lead our country and make decisions regarding our lives. I hope none of them are YOUR children.

and we wonder what is wrong with society,  a society who thinks they are ENTITLED To EVERYTHING  without working for anything

and we wonder why there are so many handouts and freeloaders well if you raise 'em to be thats what they will become

WHEN

every feeling 

every evil 

every I don't like that

every sore loser

Every lets get rid of GOD from everything case thought or hurt my feelings... so I don't have to feel guilty and courts pass foolish laws 

and governments have agendas 

there is so much deceit and corruption and 

PEOPLE believe the twisted stories called media 

WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO BELIEVE AND SEE

and people blindly falling for it look around its so so sad

 SOCIETY is falling apart

WHAT ARE WE DOING TO STOP IT?

when a child can take something to court because they don't like the Lord's prayer being said so they the courts throw it out?

WHAT? 

or a businesses goes out of business or are slammed for their OPINION for their RIGHT to say no......  a right!  free SPEECH because they didn't want to take a picture or make a cake for a same sex wedding or whatever guess what

 THAT IS A RIGHT   

{that is being taken away before our eyes if we have a different opinion then ADAM AND STEVE then we are discriminating or racist against a group of people}

THERE IS SOMETHING VERY WRONG WITH THAT!

GUESS WHAT

I am one of a lot of people who still STANDS FIRM in traditional values and ways and in GOD 

I HAVE morals values and standards

ANYBODY REMEMBER WHO WE ARE??

Hard to remember when you look around and wonder what the heck is happening all around us!!

I don't have to like, 

accept it  

and I have the right to say I don't 

doesn't mean I hate you or what you do 

BUT I HAVE A RIGHT TO STAND UP FOR WHAT I BELIEVE IN TOO

Because if we don't who will?? 

--------------------------------------------------------------

 "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
-Abraham Lincoln

(and were doing a great job of it)

 --------------------------------------------------

Okay I think I've unloaded all my me thinks for the day/week/month;)

Onto more uplifting more exciting my real life things:) 

WEEKEND FUN

So Friday my awesome sister in law and my good friend watched my kids and I stole D away for the weekend to Montana an early birthday present/need to get away:)..... just to spend some time together it was so fun just to talk and no phones ringing or meetings to go to and just US:)

 

 

Fresh Fall Mountain Air uninterrupted dinner , and of course some shopping:)

 

 Amazing what a gondola ride and fresh autumn air and just being able to talk and spend time remember who you are together despite all the many things we have going on...its important find the time:)

....and then Sunday nights at grandmas have been far and few between with our new Sunday schedule but the kids love going to grandpa & grandma's houses so we are going to try harder to be better in that area:) It was another beautiful sunset night:) at the farm:) 

Sometimes we get so busy the things that mean the most to us get neglected we have to make time these days for the things that matter most or we will lose what matters most if we don't cultivate it.

and to sum it all up:)

 

Have a great week..

{Me Thinks...and a few other thoughts:)

Life is hard some days more than others 

and some lives more than others

were all trying to Keep it together...

some days we fall apart

some days  we get back on our feet and it takes

being strong, teaching our children 

and remembering who is in charge that helps us through each of those hard days....

 I'm also finding more everyday that more and more there is 

no middle ground

we have to decide where we stand, what we stand for and what we want out of life and we HAVE to work for it

Where do we want to be in the future?

and how do we get there?

SO many times those that have raised their children say to me "oh I'm so glad I don't have 

to raise children in this day and age" 

{thanks for the encouragement eh;)

I for one want happy, honest, goal driven  faith filled children

who know how to lead, work and stand up for what they believe in

to serve missions

for the boys to find great strong wives 

and L an amazing husband and 

have the blessings of eternity.

I want them to feel & understand that Happiness is through obedience.

That there is a plan for all of us.

There is nothing better out there.

That life isn't easy

The world is a scary place but this home is ours

and to keep on TARGET we have to

always be looking forward to our goals and to do that 

we have to do the things that get us there now...

Sometimes that means choosing what is most important to us 

and DOING IT. 

Whether its the cool thing to do or if everybody is doing it.

And hopefully in the long run it all works out with a little help from up above:)

I have great kids, strong kids and a great husband. and for that i am so THANKFUL...

There are no guarantees in life but I can do the best I can with our children and live with no regrets.

thats all:)

"Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are." 

-Maryanne Williamson

This and That Thoughts::

1. These look good to try if you like candy corns from here

 2. Love this   

3. Great list from here Since I have a few boys I think these are a great reminder:

Ten Basic Manners Boys Must Know
Always shake hands firmly when meeting an adult and look them in the eye when doing so.
  Never wear a hat indoors.
  Always allow a woman to enter a door before you do.
  Always hold the door for the person behind you.
  Wait until everyone at the table has been served before eating.
Put your napkin in your lap while you eat.  Don't wait until the very end of the meal to use it, don't crumple it, and don't blow your nose in it.
  Always offer to give up your seat on a bus to a lady, an elderly person, and especially a pregnant woman.
  Opening the car door for a lady is always appreciated.
  Helping a woman put on and take off her coat is also a lovely gesture.
When a woman enters the room, stand to greet her.  When she leaves, stand to say goodbye.

 ---------------------------------------------------

4. Looking forward to days like these.... meaning cooler weather:

 

 via pinterest

5. We got family pics done on Friday night:) It's that time of year again:) Can't wait to see them:)

6. Saturday D got the deck stained,  and I went to Kolt's football jamboree and then we ended the day with a wiener roast .....a perfect, beautiful day.

7. This made me laugh 

"Everything happens for a reason. But sometimes the reason is that your stupid and you make bad decisions." 

8.

"We can change the course we are on. We must begin with parents. We must provide, to every man and women, an understanding of the eternal purposes of life, the obligations of marriage, and the responsibilities of parenthood. Then we must teach our youth of all races, languages and cultures that there is a better way than the way so many are now going. It will take persuasion. It will take the counsel of wise father and mothers. It will take inspiration and a spiritual guidance that reaches beyond our own wisdom."

and

Ezra T. Benson

"One great thing the Lord requires of us is to provide a home where a happy positive influence for good exists. In future years the costliness of home furnishing or the number of bathrooms will not matter much, but what will matter significantly is weather our children felt love and acceptance in the home. It will greatly mater whether there was happiness and laughter or bickering and contention."

---

"As a twig is bent, so the tree is inclined."

" Children are like trees. When they are young, their lives can be shaped and directed, usually without much difficulty. "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it," Proverbs 22:6

And finally

"Our outlook or attitude can sometimes restrict our ability to enjoy life's greatest opportunities."

Make everyday count and make it a good one!!

{10 thinks I'm thinkin;)

 

 What I think:

1.  I really didn't like dropping my baby off at his first day of preschool...

{Though he was SO super excited to be a big boy and go to school}

I cried because he's my last and I don't want him to be

BECAUSE 

he's got a VERY special spirit about him that draws him to people

he see's things in people who need some love, a compliment, a smile, attention

and brings people to tears with his thoughtfulness and insightful comments.....

 I suppose a part of me doesn't want to have that every leave him or hurt or destroy that huge part of who he is if you know what I mean....

he is a peaceful, peacemaker child

he can look at you like he's so disappointed in you, you want to melt

he gives the best hugs says the warmest kindest things

because he seems so small

because he's been my constant little buddy for 4 years

because I can't believe the years went by so fast

because I'm not ready for my kids to go out in this disturbing world thats so twisted and maimed ....

because I want them to be innocent that much longer

because I'm scared to lose them....in any way

because I'm not ready for him to be the last....

because I felt older this time.....

Because I love my kids and just want to keep them little and innocent that much longer...

seriously look how cute he is in his new glasses

This was orientation day last week:)

And the big kids on their first day can't even tell you how much I love these faces how blessed I am to have them in my life::::

2. Started our school lunch boxes its fun to surprise them with different things....even D wanted one thats big:) thinkin its kind of fun right now:)

3. thinkin..... sometimes I feel kind of lonely or left behind left behind what? not even sure?? not sure what to do and where to start or what direction to work harder on....... things are changing............ the world around us is changing......and the greatest place I can be right now is right here in my home... 

but sometimes it can be a lonely place too maybe because D is so busy now, maybe cause the kids have stuff all over the place and finding deep inside myself 

what matters most is the biggest goal 

and how to get there and feeling important, loved and cared about in probably the most thankless job there is right 

MOTHERHOOD

finding joy in the journey everyday
whether you have to work, want to work, be home or whatever it is

 whatever it is it is our now and its what I've all dreamed of doing and I'm doing it....

SO it doesn't even make sense does it? 
DOING THE GREATEST WORK THERE IS RAISING THESE LITTLES? 

YET feeling unappreciated and underpaid ;) unimportant..... like what your doing doesn't matter 

yet inside I know it does and it will all come full circle someday......confusing myself ? but you get what I'm trying to say right??

and I guess truthfully I suppose some days I still feel like this:

 Maybe its just going into a new phase of our lives

maybe its just something that NEVER goes away..

Maybe my baby just went to preschool

and that would mean he's not a baby.....

4.thinking I'm really just missing my super early morning runs outside fresh air does that right:) so I started on the inside ....treadmill early morn ...but its my time to think, and 

LATELY a little to many me thinks:)

 i keep reading things about people, or people always make comments about me because I get ready for the day..... early anyway that those who get all ready do their hair makeup and 

get dressed are fake or aren't real moms who get dirty??spit up on etc

because they are done up or get ready for the day whatever....

i don't really care what you do....each to your own..... but for ME 

I am ME.

I get up at 5:30 am {gasp i know but remember this is me not you it works for me}

so I can get the things done that make me feel better about ME thats sweating my head off for an hour 

showering 

getting ready 

reading my scriptures 

{or rather listening to them on my phone I love it! Multitasking right:) 

 and saying my prayers ready to face the day ahead

BEfORE my kids get up and need all my attention 

for me I am calmer that way 

ready to face whatever

I've already had ME time hours to think about what needs done, where and what I have to do that day who needs an extra bout of love attention or help............ before they get up

and YES i still/{did} feed, carry, & change diapers 

{i know how to change my clothes;) not a big deal

and make breakfast lunch dinner 

run a hundred errands 

mop the floor vacuum 

do the laundry over and over and over again EVERY single day

and all the same things you do in 

your yoga pants 

GUESS what its fine you do it that way.....
I prefer for me my way

not because i feel like I'm better than you or perfect or whatever you want to slant it with but

BECAUSE then I devote my day to my kids totally ready to face the world, my house, my family WHATEVER i need to do and feel a little like I accomplished something in my day already

Because thats how i do it and thats what makes me happy....
we each have our own happy what matters most to you 

so don't apologize to me when you see me just because I get dressed  and ready everyday.....I'm not judging you ..because we are all different ......

It's personal preference....... I sacrifice sleep and its okay.

Because thats me.  And you are you.

{this pic was from the other night late! just so you don't think I wear makeup in my basement in the early morn judge away;)

so movin on...

5. thinkin my big football boy ....got off lucky we had a scare this weekend first game of this season he got stepped on by a big kid on the opposing team and his thumb and palm got swollen up really big.  So we took him in, got an xray done ..and the Dr said it was just a bruised bone and could keep playing ....but yesterday the same DR called and said the radiologist sent back a report saying it was broken and should be cast....so our Dr wanted to check it out so we went down and he immediately started pushing on it and pressing before saying anything to K but K didn't shout out or wince so he concluded it was just as he said and it was fine:) So we all were happy:) The Dr said score one for the family DR:)  So thankful that didn't spoil his season that would have been sad:(

ps he'd be really mad if he knew I put this on here;0

6. thinkin september is THE most expensive month of the year! feel kind of like I can't keep up with the cheques going out! or my head above ground yet....

7. thinkin i really love surprise packages in the mail i have some of the sweetest friends i've never met :) yet out there ...thank you thank you for making my day!! gives me the pay it forward feeling there is good still in this world and everyday we can find something...

8. thinkin this was a keeper recipe the kids loved it so did D:)

Greek Yogurt Parmesan Chicken

• 3-4 chicken breasts
• 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
•  1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• cooking spray 
• All you have to do is mix the Greek yogurt, cheese and seasonings together in a small bowl to create a paste. Coat a cooking dish with cooking spray. I just put my chicken in and spread the mixture over all of it...

Bake uncovered at 375 for 40 minutes and then turn the oven up to 425 and continue baking for another 5 minutes to make it nice and golden brown. You can just do 375 degrees for the 45 minutes but it will not be a golden color.

 

9. Ready for fall weather.

10.  .....If life and its rushed pace and many stresses have made it difficult for you to feel like rejoicing, then perhaps now is a good time to refocus on what matters most. 

~Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I'm thinkin I love that quote

Anybody still reading out there? This blog feels like a lonely place sometimes too;) thoughts .......questions ?

Are you doing what matters most to you?

Have a great week make it count:)

{ Good bye Summer.... Me thinks}

Well it wasn't quite all the summer we planned .....things got neglected around the house, our summer projects put on hold, with D being called to be the bishop and long long days for me with D trying to get things juggled between work, home and church.....it caused a lot of adjustments to our life, its been hard some days.... but we got away and spent time together and it was fun.  Now I think we are hopefully ready for some routine and settling in....Summer is fading away its already cooler in the mornings and my garden is done except for the tomatoes and carrots.....

......to the start of the 2013-2014 school year!! 

We officially have a preschooler...2nd...4th...and 6th..graders in the house this year wow I think I must be getting old:(  

{I know that some of you follow me on instagram and facebook you've seen some of these but my own mother has neither so she loves to read and see them on here too:) so deal ha ha:)

---------------------------------------------------

So we already started Football ....look at my baby:( finally his uniform fits him and not the other way around)....and wearing contacts for the first time...can we just bottle the innocent, kind, loving boy he is who loves his mom;) and skip ahead to mission age please .....so not looking forward to the years in between in this crazy world but one day at a time we'll get there:) right:) Lots of fun new exciting milestones coming up this year too:))))

 ....and scenes like these when we go to tuck our kids into bed give me hope and nothing makes my heart happier then my kids reading their scriptures learning for themselves, marking them and loving them!! This may be my favorite picture of the year that I've taken:)

 and so continuing on in the exciting life of us;)....

We've been to the eye Dr and found out ALL of our kids will be wearing glasses AHHHH! Thank goodness for good coverage!! So K2 gets glasses this week and M will get them before the year is over..I think the Dr felt sorry for me and M was worse then the last time and on the line to wait so we are waiting for a bit..but seriously could there be a cuter glasses wearing 4 year old:) But seriously who said he could grow up!! :(

Next we finished swim lessons for the three younger ones and they all passed this year and did AWESOME!! YEA!!!!

We had our annual Back to school night complete with fashion show and dad time:) um yes M thinks he's the coolest kid on the planet and loves to dance and move;)

 

 they may be a little excited for school too ;) 

 j/k but I like this picture of my crazy boys!

 love these kids..

.....and today for the holiday we went on our labor day hike with the kids usually we do bears hump but decided on Bertha lake hike in Waterton:)

and with that 

GOOD-BYE SUMMER..... 

its been great:) and here's to another school year lots of lessons, back to routine schedules and life as we now know it:) Life is good. 

{so my iphone broke again after a week of getting a replacement got the white screen of death out of now where!!! Its amazing how many things we do with our phones isn't it I really miss it!! Do you know long it took me to get pictures on here i mean I had to download then send them then .....ha ha easy life we live isn't it!!}

-------------------------------------------------

ME THINKS

I Love this recent article by Richie Norton .....I got to hear him speak at Time out for Women this year and loved his words.... he is right on....

 full article here  

All of us need to cultivate our marriages and if not that .....our relationships to those that matter most...

#11. Lighten up, laugh it off, and live it up.

Life’s too short not to.

#10. Slow down, relax and take vacations…lots of them.

Long vacations are awesome. Short ones are too. Schedule time to take breaks. Take a weekend off, a day off, an hour off and just hang out together. Take time off alone, together, whatever, whenever. You need both alone time and together time. Whatever you do, take time to rejuvenate your soul. Spending time just doing nothing together has done a world of good for our marriage. Few things could be more important (and rewarding) to your relationship.

#9. Be here, not there.

When you’re talking to your spouse, be present…don’t let your mind be off in another world. This one’s hard for me because my mind is always racing from one idea to another. Sometimes I get so caught up in my thoughts that I actually don’t hear people talking to me. True story. That said, I’ve asked Natalie to help me out when she notices that I can’t hear her or I don’t appear to be fully listening by using my name. From there, I do my best to focus on her and only her. I’m nowhere close to good at this, but when I refrain from thinking of what I’m going to say next and simply listen, our conversations seem to be way more productive.

#8. Express deep gratitude.

Don’t let a day go by without expressing sincere gratitude for the little things (and big things) your spouse does.

#7. Don’t be right.

How many fights start and end with whose right, when in the end, being right only pulls you apart and leaves you alone with your rightness? Does anyone really win in that situation? Next time you’re caught up in the “I’m right, you’re wrong” trap, remember the words of Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock, “It takes two to make a thing go right.”

#6. Give each other courage.

I’m scared of a lot of things. I’m not talking about the dark. I’m talking about art. Creating. Business. Family. Getting out of my comfort zone. Being human. I need Natalie to give me courage. No man is an island and boy do I know it. Nat encourages me and helps me move from one stage of life to the next. We all need a boost. There should be no one better than you to give a boost to your spouse and vice versa.

#5. Confide in each other.

Don’t keep secrets from your spouse. Share secrets with each other. Be best friends. The key word here is trust. If your friends and coworkers know secrets about you that your spouse doesn’t know about, you’re on a slippery slope.

#4. Challenge yourself.

Everyday has the possibility of being the best day of your life. Everyday has the possibility of being better than the next. Gently challenge yourself to be a little better. Don’t nag your spouse or be self-righteous in your efforts. Don’t point out your spouse’s flaws. Simply be a little better spouse yourself. Look for specific ways you can improve your relationship and watch the magic happen.

#3. Celebrate with each other.

Why wait to celebrate? Celebrate the small wins, the big wins and everything in between. Celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate!

#2. Forgive each other.

Probably the single best advice any couple could receive.

#1. Experience life TOGETHER.

The key takeaway from the last 11 years is this: We experience life TOGETHER. We celebrate successes TOGETHER. We suffer losses TOGETHER. We share our dreams TOGETHER. I don’t mean we are always physically together, what I mean is that we don’t lead separate (or secret) lives with separate dreams and separate goals. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have different lives, dreams and goals. It means that we share in one another’s lives, dreams and goals.

They say that an airplane is off course 90% of the time. I have no idea if that is true or not, but the principle is that when a plane is off course, the pilots realign to get back on course. In a happy marriage, the husband and wife are co-pilots on this big airplane called Life; realign your lives together so you arrive at the same daily destination: happiness.

--------------------------------------------------

The small things matter. 

And maybe that will be my motto for this school year: 

Not only in my marriage..... but with my kids

Really Listen more.

Take time for each one.

pay attention.

know who their friends are.

sense when they need to talk.

praise more.

hug them more.

forgive, but teach.

celebrate every milestone.

make them feel important.

pay attention.

The small things matter.

 

So here's to a new school year and a great week ahead:)

 

Make it a good one:)