With God Nothing is impossible

A lot of you know that I have taken up the challenge with a few friends to read the Book of Mormon this summer. I have also been reading 1776 at the same time and I have been so inspired by the thought that if it is God's will it shall be done. As I read a few chapters each day I see such similarities, in that, the numbers and experience do not always have to be on your side to accomplish amazing feats. I found as I read Alma 56, I knew the history behind those young boys who became known as the 2000 strippling warriors, and I became so engrossed in their story as they headed off to battle. Helaman their leader, knowing that their enemy was waiting, asked these young boys if their were ready to go to battle. Helaman wrote an epistle to Moroni stating that never has he seen so great courage. These young warriors stated that "...behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall." Helaman continues that "...they did think more upon their liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them." He states in the end that "to my great joy, there had not one soul of them fallen to the earth; yea, and they had fought as if with the strength of God;"
In reading these two books I doubt my faith will be tested in a battle with swords and shields; but more likely the battle of the adversary trying to penetrate my home and all I hold dear. May my faith be strengthened to fight with such persistence and such courage that I can teach my children the skills that they need to be "in the world" but not "off the world"

What in the What What???

I don't know what America was thinking when this guy got voted off. I know that the competition is starting to get stiff but Mark? getting to stay....even he was amazed. I don't know a lot about dance but Will was beautiful to watch. Fast forward the video to 1:12 to the beginning of the Pas de deux. Enjoy!

biking to bridal veil falls

We celebrated Pioneer Day with a little trip biking up Provo Canyon. Beckett loves riding his bike he got for his birthday and Garrett has taken over the spot behind Dad. The boys had a blast playing in the water at the base of the falls. Beckett was trying to cool off by dipping his hair in the water and ended up doing a forward roll. Luckily Juliet had the camera ready. Beckett and Dad took a hike up to the base of the falls before our

ride back down.

Round One...Evan

 

It is so funny to me how a one year old can always have the upper hand. They cry, you shove yummy food their way. They cry, and someone lovingly disposes their waste. They cry, and they receive a nice soothing cuddle with a blankie and a pacifyer. Shane today had his feet up in a recliner drinking a soda. Evan walked over and started licking the top of the can. Shane lifted the soda and put it in his other hand. Evan walked all the way around Shane's reclined feet to take a sip. Shane again put the soda in his other hand and Evan walked all the way around his reclined feet to try and take a sip. This process went on for a few rounds and Shane and Spencer were very entertained. Finally as Evan walked around his feet again to try for the soda he bent down and bit his dads toe... HARD. That'll teach ya!

Must Haves

Summertime can have so much craziness with five kids and very little in my gas tank. I started thinking about my summer must haves that have made me happy.
1. Camera in my purse. I don't know how many years, and how many moments have passed. I love the security that "I can" if I want to.
2. Shane's scooter. A lot more fun than I thought and great bribery for the kids. Also I can send Shane on errands normally he would be annoyed by, but not with Lil' Red. Just have to make sure it will fit under his seat.
3. SYTYCD. Are you are a lover of Chelsey, Joshua, Will, Courtney, Comfort, Twitch, Mark, or what's her name that almost didn't make the show? Either way it is great entertainment that I look forward to each week.
4. My pool. Glory, Glory Halleluyia! I love that my kids play outside. After how many years of "It's too hot", "There's nothing to do", "I'm bored". Yippee!!
5. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. 30 minutes of heaven for me! Evan will sit captivated for the entire show and clap and be so pleased, and think that I am the best Mom in the world. How things will change.
6. Soon to be Olympics!! I am so excited for them to start. I am a complete couch potato and feel noooo guilt.
7. My Book of Mormon reading challenge. What a better person I have become and been able to be more disciplined. Thank you Jill.
There you have it! I am sur there are more but I have jam to finish. What are your summer must haves?

"When pioneer's move to the west..."

 

My kids have always loved Pioneer Day even though we have never lived in Utah where it is a state holiday. Here is a picture of my kids recreating their own pioneer experience in our unlandscaped backyard 2 years ago. Spencer is driving the team; Lindsay and Halley are hidin' out in the wagon, Brea is...I don't have a clue.

 

I think it was about 98 degrees that day.

 

Evan eatin' a Dum Dum at this years celebration. He was unimpressed. He is sportin' a vest that was my brother's about 33ish years ago.

 

My cute little pioneers. Lindsay and Halley are wearing dresses that were my sister's about 18 years ago.

"Find a happy place, find a happy place."

While Justin has been away on a business trip, we've been trying to stay busy and happy. While we're not in the ER we play hide-n-go seek. The girls couldn't not find me to save their lives in this silly spot. They walked by me EIGHT times before I strated yelping to give them a clue. They found me under my bed, in their closet, behind the shower curtain...all places that took a small amount of effort. But when I was in the middle of the floor and large parts of me giving me away, I was invisible to their little eyes.

I have to thank Alice for the picture. She thought my hiding spot was pretty funny, once exposed, and she wanted a picture. It was her first time on the business end of a camera.

Femininity

 

As I have been enjoying my baby boy and all the boy things he does like throw balls and drive cars. It caused me to reflect on how I am different from Shane. When we go for a walk I love to stop and smell flowers..he comments on the weeds that are growing around them. When we get ready to go somewhere I am matching shoes to my outfit and searching for just the right shade of lipstick...he is hoping to dress as casual as he can get away with. I don't know if some of my quirkines is just me or if it is relatable to all girls. I hate the smell of my kids after they have been playing outside. I hate ants, earwigs, spiders, etc. especially in my kitchen. Some name brand foods are worth it ie: Best Foods Mayo, Oreo cookie, Honey Maid Graham crackers to name a few. Telling me that I look "fine" is not a compliment. It doesn't matter how many times I have seen Dumbo, Rocky II, and Apollo 13 I cry every time!!! Is it just me or did every girl want to marry Gilbert Blythe? I don't care who calls it a chick flick, "Message in a Bottle" is not a flick for this chick! Okay girls, what do ya think?

Just Pretending...

 

I know I am an adult, but sometimes I like to pretend. As a child when I would have to do my chores I would create elaborate soap operas in my mind to help me get through the drudgery. I find myself still "pretending", to trick myself into trying or doing things "not me". This picture was me pretending that I am a photographer with a fabulous camera trying to capture on film what I saw. Sometimes when I clean my house I pretend I am ????(anonymous friend who is a fabulous house cleaner) and I take care of the little junk piles that normally I am immune to. I find that I use this technique more times than I will share (can't give away all my secrets)probably because I am surrounded by such fabulous women each with their own unique gifts. Do you have any secrets or tricks to becoming a better person???

Hot Potato

I guess this means that I'm supposed to answer these questions now. I'm sorry in advance for that the lack of interesting things to report.

1. What were you doing 10 years ago? Ten years ago I was in college at Ricks and was just about to meet the person I would marry and spend forever with.

2. 5 things on your to do list today? Take Justin to the airport, nap:), church, email some reminders to Primary teachers, and make a countdown calendar for Alice. Justin will be gone for two weeks and Alice wants to cross off each day until he comes home.

3. 5 snacks I enjoy? Swiss cheese on Wheat-Thins, almonds, peanut butter on apples, anything salty, and my Dad's baklava.

4. What would I do if I was suddenly a billionaire? First, I would pick my self up off the floor. I would buy our perfect house for our little family. Then save the rest for gas money.

5. 3 bad habits? I watch way too much tv. I don't clean the dryer vent each time I dry a load...or even ever five loads. It's drives Justin crazy. I buy way too many hand bags, I love them.

6. 5 places I've lived? Littleton, Colorado; Thousand Oaks, California; Delafield, Wisconsin; Plano, Texas; Woodbridge, Virginia

7. 5 jobs I had? My first job was in fast food, Arby's. I was also an elf that took pictures of kids sitting on Santa's lap during Christmas time at the mall. I was a delivery girl for a dental lab. During college I was a Resident Manager for a company that supported mentally handicapped folks living on their own. And now I'm a mom.

8. 5 things people don't know about me? I'm not sure I can think of much here, but I scrape the barrel. I danced ballet when I was a child. In my gymnastics class when I was young, I held the push-up record for a very short time. 68! Now I can't even pump one out, it's sad, I know. I hate to pay full price for anything. My heaven is a great thrift store. I've never cooked a turkey. I've never traveled out of the country...unlike little miss Jessica over there. Humph!

I tag...Breanna, Mary, Jeff, Naoki, and Wendell.

Posting by Proxy

Quite a while ago I tagged a few people to answer 8 questions about themselves. Dad responded but he did it as a comment. I am sure my extended family would like to read it but are not blog savvy as to find it. So hear goes... I am supposed to tag 5 people at the end of this. Instructions:
1. Post the rules
2. Answer all the questions about yourself
3. After you are done posting tag 5 people

1.What were you doing 10 years ago? Ten years ago I had moved up here to Alaska and was waiting for my family to join me. I was living in the Marine View apartments, where we had a great view of all the marine traffic up and down the Narrows. Julie was the first to come up here and join me and we went Orca whale observing out in the Narrows and had a pod of Orcas pass right under our boat -- with Julie sitting out on the bow.

2. 5 things on your to do list today? Finish the hospital budget; have family home evening with someone other than just Jeanne and me (Jessica arrived yesterday); finish the King Salmon we were given yesterday, but it was way too big to eat in one sitting; plant some more spring flowers; enter something in this blog.

3. 5 snacks I enjoy? Jeanne's chocolate-chip cookies, pickled hearing on crackers, summer sausage on Ritz crackers, Fritos and Coke, V-8 juice (how did that get in there?).
4. What would I do if I was suddenly a billionaire? Set up an endowment that would help this poor, financially strapped hospital; buy Jeanne a new car; retire and learn how to fly fish.
5. 3 Bad habits? Writing in "blogs" when I should be working; falling asleep in sacrament meeting; being too critical of others.
6. 5 places I've lived? Layton, Utah; Logan, Utah; Heidelberg, Germany; Indianapolis Indiana; Des Moines, Iowa.
7. 5 jobs I've had? 1. meat cutter at Smith's Grocery; 2. laid railroad track at Free Port; 3. painted girls dormitories at Utah State University; 4. painted dairy barns in Logan; 5. worked in the computer lab at Northwestern University.
8. 5 things that people don't know about me? Secret #1, Secret #2, Secret #3, Secret #4, Secret #5.

I tag.... Jeanne, Justin, Jenny Bringhurst, Spencer, Justine

Faraway thoughts

 

Dear Mom,
My thoughts have been on the Johnson family this week as they lost their mother to a long battle with cancer. My thoughts then shift to you who lives so far away and who I long to see again. I am saddened thinking of Jennifer, Heather and Amber who no longer have their mother close to watch movies with or share childhood stories with or to call when no one else understands. I have such gratitude in the knowledge of The Plan of Salvation that our loving Heavenly Father has put into place in all of our lives. I know that I lived before I came to earth and that my existence is not by chance. He sent me here to be a wife and a mother and prove to Him that I love Him before all else and someday I can return to live with him. I miss you Mom but I am grateful that the Lord has seen fit to keep you on the earth so that I may still watch Enchanted April with you and can tomatoes with you and bake a berry pie with you. Just as the Johnson's did not expect to live their adult life without their mother I don't know how long I will have you for. Mom, I am blessed to have you and I miss you. I baked this three berry pie today from berries I picked with my boy yesterday. I baked it in honor of my love for you. I wish we could enjoy a slice on this beautiful Sabbath Day....

Cricket

Happy 4th of July

 

I know that I am a day early but I am headed out of town. I love, love, love, this holiday. I have always been very patriotic. Different experiences in my life have contributed to my ever increasing patriotism. One such occasion was a trip with my dad to Boston. We saw several historic spots that made history come alive...Boston Harbor where the tea party took place...Concord where the shot heard round the world happened...and you can't feel more patriotic than watching the Sox play on their home turf. Later I spent the fourth with Shane in Germany and Austria. I remember very distinctly we were on a bus in Germany headed for Austria where there is no evidence of it being an important holiday to us. As a choir we began to sing in four part harmony our National Anthem. Tears welled up in all of our eyes because of our deep love and respect for our beloved country. I know our country has a lot of problems and we are so far from perfect but I also know the freedoms which we do enjoy had a high price tag on them and I am forever indebted to those who have and continue to preserve those freedoms. God Bless America!!

Your tax $$$

You can rest easy knowing that your tax dollars have been well spent on my 8-day paid vacation! I just got back from an amazing trip to a place called Tebenkof Bay. My partner, Karisa, and I spent 8 days exploring various islands, inlets and bays around the area in order to monitor solitude. That's right, solitude. We work within wilderness areas which have very specific guidelines for human activity. So I paddle along and count boats and planes, record the various wildlife, check out known campsites and recon archaeological sites in the area. I saw a ton of humpback whales, sea otters and pups, seals, black bears... The only downside was perhaps digging your own 'ladies room' every time you gotta... you know. Also, body odors seem to exponentially rise each shower-less day. But, overall it was an unreal experience! The beauty of the outdoors and the solitude of the wilderness invite some real soul-searching opportunities.