{Winner and fun must see links:)

Winner 

by random generator 

is #22 

The Lowry's :)

Let me know where you live j/k I'll get it to you this week:)) Thanks everybody for Entering:)) For all the great ideas and fun traditions:)

Have you watched this {get some Kleenex} Great song:)

Have you read this blog post? Ever wonder what

{LDS} Mormon Bishops do? Read this...... its a fantastic read:)

 

Beautifully said. It hits close to home now being married to the bishop of our ward. I know how much they carry and never talk about or discuss ... but it shows in their eyes and countenances how much they love and care for those in their care.. I have never wanted to help, hold or comfort the man I love more then ever before in our marriage as I do now because I see what he carries ....yet never says and he hurts for so many people who are hurting. Wonders and prays often on what he can do, say and be to those that need him. 

Bishops are amazing what they have to do, how they serve, how they step up to the call when they never wanted or asked for it . Yet they are always there for those that need them no matter what time of the day. AND have full time jobs other than their callings. 

My kids miss their dad. I miss my husband. But I know how lucky our ward is to have him as their bishop and how much time he spends on his knees and loves and cares deeply for EACH person in our ward..... and for that we share him, love him and support him. I love my bishop;) 

 

Have you watched and heard this? 

Have you watched any of this uplifting and touching.

This is good for a smile and some serious because I testify of it too it is true very true and touches the inner soul like nothing in this life will...

Have a great weekend:))

"Don't waste the season of life you are in now because you want the next one to come."

{Some of my favorite things.....}

Thought I'd share some of my favorite things and thats all they are nothing of importance but just some favorites for today for right now:)

Since its almost Christmas too..... ideas right:)

Reading this series ......excited for the movie:)

{took me awhile to get into it because I hate books written in the first person...weird I know but thats kinda what I am;) } I'm on the second one now....

 

Loving these Christmas albums 

here's a listen

 

and this album its more a whimsical one but my favorite song is this one

  

 love these 

and these we all have a little addiction to scotch mints in this house but I love it because my Grandpa Mecham used to always have them handy where ever he was.....and they get us through sacrament every sunday:)

 

loving this they get us through the munchies and its good stuff:) My favorite is the lemon square kind...so good try em:)

 

Love this app just for tracking what you eat and keeping on top of things its amazing what tracking your balance between exercise and food can do for you:)

 

 Love these printables from imom and teaching our children to have manners and cultivating thinking and relationships! Found here

 

Love this stuff

 

 Love the show  biggest loser  K and I get some bonding time watching it every tuesday:) love that kid and the show

 

love these for a fresh clean bit of color I ran out of blush and had these and actually like them:) boots number 7 I can only use few things that don't make my face swell and this is one company that I can use:)

A few wishes for Christmas would be: 

My friend have a huge one of this and I LOVE it every time I see it... I want to get it for my house..... I love the caption of this which is 

"I prayed for Thee" by Del parson culture hall art home decor they used to be at costcos around the states but can't seem to find any info this year:( But I still love it!

 

a blendtec so our smoothies  can be that much smoother;) blendtec or vitamix which ever doesn't cost an arm and a leg oh wait they both do so the lesser of the two evils right:)

 

this would be fun too

 

or this would be fun too if it actually works great no cords would be awesome for running

this would be good for just cleaning up my stuff in the bathroom I guess you can get them at target or home sense neither of which I live by but nice none the less eh:)

 

 But really none of that matters I just love Christmas the parties, the feelings, the spirit of it and the joy in my children's faces serving others and just being together with all our families one house to the next. 

In all my Christmas' I've never missed going home thats kind of a tradition for me. I love it I love the memories growing up good and bad ha ha:) my spot at the table at mom and dads where I always sit every year..or our stinky Norwegian breakfast thats tradition whether I eat any of it or not:) Mom's fruit bread toast and goat cheese that I save all year to eat a piece or two and live with the stomach ache afterwards in my GF body but its worth it!

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I cherish growing up near a forest and watching the snow fall and hearing the deafening silence or a twig snap in the distance and being cold yet feeling safe and happy and running and playing and yelling to hear our echo's good memories

I love the old Christmas movies and cold nights with my kids and seeing the good old days when things were a lot simpler, or reminders of singing carols, chopping our Christmas tree down and putting it up

 

SO 

 

I know some of you haven't had Thanksgiving yet but but here its wintery cold and the tree is up and I'm feeling kind of Christmasy around here:)

{picture credits from pinterest}

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.”
― Laura Ingalls Wilder

 “Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves."
~ (1912-1992), American newscaster. ” 

For those who haven't entered the giveaway from the post below you have 2 days left to Enter :)) 

If you have let me know what your

CHRISTMAS WISH is physically or spiritually or frivolously;)  

Have a GREAT week:)

{ A Glimpse of Us. }

 

Truth be told I'm having a hard time keeping up these days and blogging gets far and few between but I'm still here..still love blogging and maybe you still like reading:)  But life does not slow down as the years go by that is for sure...I've been making more time to be with my kids, to be present and life has just been a lot of work since a few things changed around here this year, but change is part of life and 

I have a life thats Good:)  Lots to work on achieve and look forward too but its good.

Turn up your sound new song:) 

No complaints just lots of work, projects, and growing pains for all of us which require being more intune to what we all need and who needs what. Anything from a hug to a talk to making bigger efforts at scripture study, family prayer and Monday nights...thats where the life learning is the lessons we teach now that maybe pay off in the long run...early nights and a stronger effort pouring out around here. Which sometimes is hard but it will and is SO worth it.

So a few things over the past weeks....

- SO thankful for my family, great friends and my country.

- Grateful for successes and failures that drive us to try harder, work harder and realize nothing in life is free or easy.

-Grateful for the strong spirits my Heavenly Father trusted me with they are growing up and proving to understand what we try to teach them, what we try to live through our examples both good and bad because thats how we do better right..

-So very thankful for a loving husband who understands accepts and see what I need help with {or maybe when I've reached my breaking point ;) } He carries a heavy load with work and church duties, and I in turn carry a lot of home load and being alone more often than before....

-Thankful for talented, good friends who help out with projects or a listening ear or just random things I need help with or they need help with what goes around comes around....

-So very thankful for the example of both of our parents and the ups and downs and all the life hands them and what it teaches each one of us..life is short and you never know when it will be taken from us... cultivating what we have so we live with no regrets in the end is key I think....and evaluating where we are in life at all times is important...important to change what we can accept what we can't and just do better.

- My monthly allergies keep growing now its kiwi added to my list so sad :(( the older I get the more I become allergic too:( saddest part is some of my favorite things oranges, kiwi, dried fruit with preservatives and on and on

- So thankful to have a huge head start on Christmas shopping and Christmas cards and on line shopping;) is THE BEST price shop and you can find awesome deals on things....... K is done L is mostly done and its fun to get things done far in advance I am determined to not rush December and enjoy it more because I can get some things done early. 

--and  half of my Christmas stuff is up!! D got my boxes down earlier than ever before and I'm loving it! Its all a work in progress but why not enjoy our favorite time of the year even longer:)

How simple and pretty are these..... I'm not usually a gold fan but I love the simplicity of these {pinterest images} from:

- Thankful for health in our home...good work and a great company to work for have you see this exciting news in the company....forward moving and thinking always!

-Thankful for Adoption...... this month is adoption month I mean I spend most everyday anyway thinking about my four blessings..and thanking my Heavenly Father for every person who made each one possible... but especially this month makes me SO thankful for our families birth families and how much we love them....admire them and

We are where we are, because of where they've been and what they chose.

"It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how your life's story will develop." —Dieter F Uchtdorf

-Sometimes I still have a hard time wondering if there is another one but I think that just will never go away...hard to let go of a dream, a natural desire,  

.....when you don't even know what's broken, its hard to fix it.

-We the Parent Council through a huge family dance/cake walk at our school and raised way more money then we were counting on so I'd say it was a success and it was super fun! Way to go PTA :)

-Excited for this movie and this one and   and this and this one

- Lately so many heartbreaks or sad stories of selfish, selfish parents especially mothers lately....... the children are the ones who pay the consequences and suffer the effects are detrimental to their entire life ...its so so sad

 I posted this on face book but I love it...

 "Be the girl you want your daughter to be, be the girl you want your son to date. Be classy, anything but trashy."

"A mother has far greater influence on her children than anyone else, and she must realize that every word she speaks, every act, every response, her attitude, even her appearance and manner of dress affect the lives of her children and the whole family. It is while the child is in the home that he gains from his mother the attitudes, hopes, and beliefs that will determine the kind of life he will live and the contribution he will make to society."
- N. Eldon Tanner

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-My {baby} turns 12 in a month.... I can hardly believe it seems like he was just placed in my arms and all those years of yearning for a baby melted away the minute I held him in my arms. So for his big 12 which in our church is a big deal I'm going to do this for him and I can't wait to do it well a variation of it anyway .... This boy is such a great kid.... he will always hold that very special place in my heart being the first.... that sacred piece that unlocked my aching heart, and made me love more than I ever ever imagined or thought I could....on a journey I never thought we'd go.

and what it all comes down to is this one thing:

 

no time to waste, no time for tomorrow.... the time is now to teach, love and be here right where I am. Because before we know it.... they are all grown up...I realize that more and more as the days go by and its kind of scary...nothing else matters, nothing else is more important then what I have right here. 

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Alright who's still reading blog land is so blah these days:) 

So if you comment 

LETS DO
 A LITTLE GIVEAWAY 

I'll pick a name and that person will get a few of my favorite things a little surprise pick me up package:)  in the mail or at your door if your from around here:) I'll pick a week from today:)) SO NOV 22:))

Tell me your favorite neighbor gifts you've received or given that aren't food:) I need ideas:)

or 

What your favorite Christmas tradition is:) or a question for me:)

HAVE A GREAT WEEK:)

{ For the love....}

Seriously hard keeping up and finding time so I thought the title was appropriate since now Halloween has come and gone and life moves into November hard to believe this year is coming to end crazy how fast the whole year went:( Wow! But look at all we've done and how far we've come right all of us... My kids are growing up and are quite enjoyable;) wanting to do things on their own like trick or treating ahhh! Not ready for independence yet we have such short years to teach them all that they need to know going out into the world.. We can only hope we've done what will help them the greatest out there!  

SO Halloween Catchup first

 Thats the extent of my enthusiasm for Halloween ;) 

BUT  the kids had fun it was a day now its over:) we had a ward party too and the kids loved it and I won 2nd in the chili cook off so that was some fun:)

We went pumpkin patching and carving 

Ward partying

I went easy Rosie 1942 girl to our ward party.. I don't dress up or like Halloween but once in awhile parties count I guess;)

after school dinner mummy dogs and veggies and ghost guts drinks;) Halloween night I simplified and didn't do school treats this year for each class and you know it was fine not one kid said anything about it and didn't ask and its okay!!

 seriously. this. boy.

A hockey dude , Tintin and his $ store find snowy:) , a granny {obviously haha} and the cutest little buzz ever:)

 and the traditional porch shot.... worst pictures ever they get to excited and every year I tell myself I'll do the them the day before but things are always crazy...

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-My K. my oldest baby is turning 12 in a month and half WHAT!! is that!! and pretty much as tall as me well in all my 5'2 glory I'm sure he'll pass me in no time!  How can it even be that in 6 years he will be leaving on his mission ..oh my.. He finished his football season and learned a ton grew a foot and learned some good sportsmanship .......We had the primary presentation at church last Sunday and he is officially the oldest in primary and had a the longest part .....all did so awesome on their parts...it was the one and only time they were all in it ...hard to see them grow up ...even harder to be into a new phase of life....

excuse the awkward photo, fast snap... I'm cold.... my ties crooked .....and I don't want to look at you almost late for church picture;) thats us real. life.

-our crazy man 7 yr old M thinks he's 20 already and knows everything;) I assure him he's not...but he is becoming a super reader which is really exciting to see him learn and grow and have some hard days, some real lesson learning days but  the good days the light bulb moments make it all worth it..

- our big 9 yr old L is becoming aware of things and understanding cause and effect a little better which makes us happy, she is loving the piano and has actually caught on so well so proud of her...she's loving basketball and really catching on this year....

-and our 4 yr old K2 who is learning how hard it is to be around so many people {which he highly dislikes} and sometimes choses not to play with friends and gives himself  hours of quiet time after school. He's such a smart boy and loves learning, music and making a few new friends.. He is still my snuggler and such a joy...... hoping that always stays around:)

And me not sure if I mentioned it one here but I work with the YW again in our ward as secretary and I am loving it. I do personal progress too which I enjoy getting them pumped up to do and get it done:) Some days its so scary watching what these kids have to go through but there are some amazing youth out there strong, steadfast and immovable:) Which we could all stand to be a little more of right:)

-then there's the bishop .....I admire him so much he technically has two full time jobs.... everybody needs him and some days are hard for all of us just goes with the territory I suppose...its hard being "the bishops wife" sometimes people expect things from you, or think you should be a certain way all the time and its hard. 

I'm me were all human, we make mistakes, we have a normal home, four pretty awesome kids they even fight sometimes;)  we get impatient some days...we just do our thing just like everyone else busy here and there. But at the end of the day I thank my Heavenly Father for every blessing I have because there are so many horrible, sad things that could just as easily befall us thankfully they haven't and won't ever. WE all have our own trials some nobody knows about, some everyone knows...but none of us have an easy life. Its what we do with it...

I try to do my job the best I can ..... of supporter, mother, wife and friend sometimes thats super draining but it doesn't help anything to whine about it and it won't last forever.  I'm really sorry for the areas I fall short in some days it feels like a lot but I can't be everywhere or do everything....

Sometimes I'm a crappy sister, daughter, mother, friend, wife but I'm just like everyone else trying to fit it all in..

Some days more successful than others. 

I do know that D is an amazing man and truly cares for each one in our ward and each person he works with at work. But he's human too and has his days too we are all working on it...it being..... making it through each day and each year closer to where we want to be in the end.

He's a good man and I learn a lot from him everyday..... life is constantly changing, constantly getting busier and constantly what we make it. So we chose to simplify the things we don't need to be doing or buying or wasting our time with.. I guess it just makes us value the time we do have together to keep us together. strong. all of us.

Doing the best we can:)

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

  This is what it looked like around here the past week:) Cold and snowy so since Halloween is over now onto the most wonderful time of the year -CHRISTMAS I love Christmas.

-Found a few new recipes this is super easy and SO good!

Easy Kettle Corn

Recipe from here Fair warning though its addictive:)

-Had a trade show on the 26th worked hard to have lots of supply and it wasn't a very well attended trade show not sure what else was going on but attendance was way low... oh well live and learn but I guess now I have lots in time for Christmas and Saturday open houses here;) Its all good:) Making it closer to my goal and thats exciting:)

-  this is an interesting article not sure when things got so turned around its SO sad but one of my favorite lines is the very end.. and think about this...

"Shaming and isolating someone for a viewpoint that has always been considered mainstream should alarm everyone who values freedom, whether or not they share the view. It is akin to the old McCarthy era of blacklisting--and make no mistake, it is also another assault upon religious freedom,

If you are gagged and labeled for giving voice to a value that has always been mainstream--as traditional marriage has in all times and all places, then America may become an unfamiliar place for the religious. We may become strangers in a strange land."

It's only the beginning. and its scary.
we need to do our part.

Favorite Quotes lately

 "Motherhood is not a battle against other mothers. Motherhood is YOUR journey with YOUR children." 

-Love this quote I think if we all realized our value and quit comparing to everyone around us we are better mothers for it:)

 and this one

"Don't worry about what other people say behind your back, they are the people finding faults in your life instead of fixing the faults in their own life."

Make it a good one:)