kids kids kids!

OK, all this week I had the joy of having LOTS of children in my home. I have been watching a little boy (Nathan) for about 2 years a few times a week and have really enjoyed it. well a few weeks ago I got a call from someone looking for a new babysitter for her 3 kids for the summer. I also have Nathans older brother in the summer. SO i started with all the kids this week. It was a little crazy but fun and better them I expected. I had Monday off since it was a holiday, then Tuesday I had 6 kids at my house. Now I don't have a very big house so 6 kids all day is a lot. The kids did great though. I have a 10 year old, two 7 year olds and three 2 year olds. I Was very worried how the little ones were going to do and how I was going to keep the older ones from getting too bored and how to keep my house from falling apart, etc. But really it went great. we played, watched a movie, the older kids went to the park across the street while the little ones slept. It was good. I had the three girls on wed afternoon and then all day Thursday too. We made cookies and watched a movie, went and played at the park and had a great time. Then Friday I watched Sariah Franklin. Tolson was soo done sharing his toys and his mom but he did great. My Good friend Brandi came with her two boys and we played at the park and talked. It was so fun. SO this week I have had lots of kids at my house but the kids were great and the money always helps. (especially cuz jason only worked two days this week, ugh! )

so that's my week in a nut shell. I am getting very excited about the cruise coming and can't wait to get packed and head out. It will be hard to be away from Tolson for so long but I am sure he will have a great time with Grandma and aunt Shanna! He will get to go see his best buddy Brady for a few days too so that will be a treat.

Well I better get off here and go write in my other Journal.

This week I am soooo grateful for...
1. Spencer and the amazing blessing he has been in my life!
2. A home that is clean and welcoming for friends and family.
3. Jason and his mad landscaping skills! he is the MAN!
4. My sister Michelle and the relationship that we have.
5. Yummy Neman Marcus cookies!

I hope that you all have a great week. Kiss your kids everyday!

New Hobby!

So for mothers day my sister gave me a jewelry making kit, well two actually and I also went to Joann's and got some things. so I had alot of fun this week making bracelets. I have made four adult ones and I made three baby ones today. It is so fun to create something. I can see why people get so into hobbies like scrapbooking and such. I hope that I can use this talent to make fun things for friends and family and maybe make a little money too. Holy cow people sell these thing for lots of money. I have been looking on-line for sites that can give me ideas and patterns to copy and man some of the baby ones are pricey (like $50-100) We will see how mine turn out but I figure if nothing else I can practice and have some very fun gifts to give out when friends and family have new babies.

We also started to work on our back yard this week. This has been a tough decision for us since we don't really have the money to do it right now but we feel like we need to get started. So Jason priced out all the stuff we would need to get started and then when he went to get it it was almost $100 less then he thought. Blessings! We also rented a rototiller (sp?) and rototilled the back yard yesterday. I am sore and tired and I only did like 30 minutes. I am sure Jason is far worse off then me so I am trying not to complain. It will be fun when it is done but there is a lot of work a head of us. Maybe that is why we need to get started. We don't really know what our future holds so we need to be as prepared as possible right?

Well also this week in YW's I taught a lesson on personal records (journals) and the Bishop issued a challenge to our youth for the summer. there are five things they are to do. 1 Smile more 2. Read the Book of Mormon every day 3. Pray every day 4. Write in your journal everyday and 5. Bear your testimony at least once this summer. He didn't know when he issued the challenge that we were teaching the lesson on journal writing. SO I am going to try to be better at keeping a journal. I am not sure yet how I am going to do that, but I will.

I hope that you all have a great week and enjoy the weather wherever you are!

1. The wonderful family I came from and the one I am blessed to be a part of.

2. Rototillers!

3. Creating beautiful things with my hands

4. Hearing Tolson say "I love you daddy" and seeing Jason's face light up.

5. Good Friends , food and blackjack!

Stake Conference

Ok so we just got back from stake conference. It was soo cool. WE got a new stake Presidency and I am sure they will be awesome. The new President is Cole Theis, 1st councler is Pat Trayner, and 2nd is Brian Kemp. I don't know Brian Kemp but I have heard wonderful things about him and I know that they will all be awesome. I can't even imagine what they and their families are feeling right now. I mean they just found out yesterday and then today here they are! Crazy but I know that its the way the Lord wants it so it works.

It was so cook to be able to hear from two general authorities today and last night. They really encouraged us last night and today to get our houses in order. Money , food storage, cleanliness, temple attendance. I am feeling very blessed to have received another offer for childcare this summer that will make some extra money. It seems that the Lord wants us to be able to find a way to care for our family and also remove our debt. We don't have much but I still feel it hanging over us. I am soo Grateful to be a member of the Lords true church. I know that we will be taken care of, even during this troubled time in the world, if we will keep the commandments and follow the council of the Prophets.

I am sooo grateful for ...

1. The Holy Ghost
2. being in love with my husband
3. Being a mom
4. yummy food
5. the ability to learn new skills and talents.

I hope that you all have a great week!

Home again!

Ok sorry that it has been a few weeks since the last post. I have been busy getting things ready for my Parents to get home. It was so fun to be there at the airport with a lot of their kids and grand kids. They are such a great example to me in my life. It has been fun to plan the get togethers that happened after they got back. I love spending time with my family, especially my sisters. I was very sad that Ida and Juli could not be here but We will get to see them in a month when we go to Alaska! I had a very fun week this week. I got my hair cut.... I got to go shopping with my mom and sisters, I spent a lot of someone else's money on food and things for this weekend. I got a new dress for the Cruise. It doesn't have sleeves yet but I am hoping that my friend Jill will help me out with that part. I got to spend time with my husband and son and we had a great Sunday together with cousins, aunts and uncles, and each other.

Being a Mother

Ok so I love that Mothers day is all about honoring Mothers but what about being grateful that I am a mother. I really am soo grateful for the blessing it is to be a mother. I know what its like to ache inside for the longing to be a mother and hold a baby of your own. I think about all the people that cannot have children for whatever reason and my heart hurts for them. I know sometimes it feel like a sacrifice for all that we give up of ourselves to be a good mother but think of all the we gain in return. I think that mothers day should also be about the Joy it is to be a mother and we should thank our Heavenly Father for that blessing and privilege.

Ok so here are my top five for the week...

I am sooo grateful for

1. Being a mother

2. a husband that lets me stay home and grow and learn and cherish the time I have with Tolson.

3. My parents and the great example they are to me and my family.

4. a sister who knows me and loves me and is my best girl friend!

5. the Talents Heavenly Father has given me and allowed me to improve on.

I hope that you all had a great week too. If not Make this next one the best it can be.

Snow in April!

OK so this week was great. lots of wind and craziness. On Friday Jessica Gray and I went up to the Church Cabin for an early day at the ward camp out. WE let the boys play and run around in the trees. It was very fun but windy and a little cold. We set up the tents and I put TOlson down for a nap. After trying to set the Grays tent up it was so windy that it wouldn't stay on the platform so we ended up carrying it (set up) over to the ramada where it was blocked from the wind. Other people started coming and we just hung out and helped where we could. That night it got really cold and windy so we had the BBQ inside and built a fire in the fireplace. Jason and Aaron took down the tents and we decided to sleep inside the lodge up in the loft. It was cold but we had lots of blankets and had a fire going for a while. we stayed up with the Grays and the Bradshaw's and played games and huddled by the fire. Needles to say I didn't get much sleep but at least tolson slept well. We woke up the next morning to a couple of inches of SNOW!!! so we packed up and headed down the Mountain. It was a little scary sliding on the road trying to get out of organization ridge but we did ok. It was cool to see the snow and a fun adventure but when you are not prepared for it, it is COLD! so that is my story for the week. We are watching my brothers kids this week so it should be full of great adventures!

Here are the top 5....

The Beauty of Snow
Warm Jackets
a husband that is willing to let me try crazy things (like camp in the Snow)
Easter and all that it means
a home that I can welcome friend and family into

well have a great week!

Windy!~

OK so whats the deal with the wind! Oh yeah, its April. I seem to forget that this happens every year. So lets see... Last week was great. I can't remember too much except that we got to see Jason a lot (good and bad) and we got to watch General Conference. It was so nice to just stay home and be with each other while we listened to our Prophet and Apostles teach us and guide us. I love being with my little family. I also got on Face book this week. It is very fun top catch up with long lost friends. Some you do want to keep up with and some you don't! Its fun though to be connected to friends a world away(Australia).

So here is my top five for the week.

Good Health and the ability to keep it that way.
technology - to listen to conference from home
Friends
Face book
My husband! yes again!

This week!

I missed my sunday of e-mails and reading updates so I decided to catch up today! WE spent a wonderfull weekend with friends and family. Friday night we had dinner with some friends and had REALLY good fondue. I am not a big fondue maker but it was sooo good. then saturday we went to safford to be with my neice for her baptism. it was so cute and sweet that she was so excited and nervous. Then we just hung out with family. I made my (famous) enchiladas for dinner and got some cooking tips from my aunt. We stayed for sunday and just hung out all day. It is so nice to be close to family. I am really going to miss it if/when we move.

well here is my list for this week:

1. Family
2. Really good food
3. my husband
4. being a member of Gods true church
5. my parents are coming home soon!

well I hope that you are all having a great week.