Keeping Up With Nathan

Derek and Justin were so proud of themselves for teaching Nathan how to open a door. Then Nathan quickly went the rounds of the house opening every door, exploring the world of each room and leaving his own little messy trademarks throughout the house. By the time I caught on to his quiet little tactics he was chewing 2 different kinds of gum, had one of Erika's headbands in his hair, a tie around his neck and was wearing shoes much to large for his little 2 year old feet to fill. I knew he had been too quiet for too long!


Needless to say, we protected each room the next morning with these handy little inventions. We all seem to like them with one minor glitch . . . Levi keeps running into his door. He thinks he turns the knob far enough and walks into the room before the door is actually open. Oh well, at least his treasures are secure beyond the door knob stopper.

Snow, Wind, Ice and More Snow

We just received notice (at 8:01 pm) that school is already closed for tomorrow. The blowing, snowing winter wonderland of Rexburg is a beautiful drifting white land. Perfect for staying in, playing games together and eating!! ** Added Friday Morning: there were 21 School Districts closed today! **

This storm is reminding me of the 'olden days' of the early '90's when we had storms like this all the time. My brother Josh even called from Twin Falls because they have been having a similar storm and it reminded him of our Rexburg days together. That makes twice this month that he has called me just to reminisce about the good ole' days. Here is a picture of Josh shoveling the snow off of the roof back in '92. - also re-enacting Fiddler on the Roof just to make the work more fun. It might not look like there is much snow there but it was shoveled off many times that winter.

Jump ahead 15 years and you have my son Derek building a snow fort during a week of heavy snowing and school closures.

Can you even see his fort? Tricky huh! There are many times that I look out the back window and it just looks like 1/2 acre of flat white. Then all of the sudden . . .

Derek pops up out of nowhere, hidden in his camoflouge hut. He quickly takes position . . . .

Ready to defend the homefront. What an imagination . . . and endurance for the very cold temperatures and wind!

Recipes

I didn't realize that it was proper blog etiquette to give recipes if I was going to drool about the food we'd had for the week. So to tempt your tastebuds further, and honor a few requests, here are a couple of recipes. It took me a while to put it together because I wanted pictures so I just made the same things again. There have been no complaints from my family!

Breadstick Pizza Pockets

(For those with the Fullmer Family Cookbook, this is mom's breadstick, pizza dough recipe)
Dough:
1 TBSP yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
let is rise for a few minutes

Add:

3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP sugar

Mix and knead for about 3 minutes. You don't want it stiff but you might need to add a little more flour so that you can handle it. Let rest for 10-15 minutes. Divide into 10 balls. Roll out each ball to a rectangle (these will be very thin). Add toppings, fold over top and seal edges. Place on a buttered baking sheet, brush with egg mixture (1 beaten egg mixed with 1 tsp water), let rise 10-15 minutes. Bake 350 for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top.

Toppings: (just use your favorite pizza toppings)

Pizza sauce -homemade or canned - when you spoon this onto the dough leave the edges free of sauce, this will make it easier to seal edges. You don't have to have these perfectly shaped, by the time they rise a little and bake they look great.

Italian sausage
Pepperoni
Canadian Bacon
Pineapples
Peppers & Onions
Mushrooms
Olives
Cheese



The 2nd time that I made these I just mixed all of my toppings together rather than applying 1 topping at a time. It saved a little time in the end and because it is folded over no-one sees how carefully (or not) you applied the toppings.

Chunky Cheesy Broccoli Soup

The soup that I made I actually got from Kara and she got it from Magirk - just to give a little recipe geneology. You can view the recipe on Magirk's recipe site. She also has some other great recipes there that you can check out.

Homemade Bread

I make this bread with a little whole wheat flour and ground flax but you can just use white flour in place of the WW and flax.


In a large mixing bowl combine:
1 1/2 TBSP yeast
1 TBSP sugar
1/2 cup warm water
Let rise for a few minutes

In a microwave dish heat for 1 minute:
1 cup water
1/2 cup milk
2 TBSP butter/margarine
Pour into yeast mixture and add:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup ground flax
2 TBSP sugar
2 tsp salt
Mix well and then add:

3 cups flour (and a little more if needed to make dough manageable but not stiff)

Knead just until mixed well, not too long or it will be a stiff bread. Let rise 15-20 minutes, punch down and shape into 2 loaves. Place in 2 large greased bread pans and let rise. Bake 400 for 10 minutes, then 350 for 20-25 minutes until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. If your kids are like mine, eat the 'heel' before the kids get to it. It is the best part of the bread!

Another Tuesday Done!

Whew! I made it through another Tuesday! I've decided to quit counting Sundays because they are actually getting better for me (all an attitute thing I think, the schedule hasn't changed) and because Sunday falls before my due date on a Monday. Instead I count Tuesdays . . . 7 left before this baby comes. Please don't anyone remind me that it really is 8 weeks from yesterday, I'm enjoying living in denial!

Tuesday is the busiest day of the week for me running kids where they need to go and this week I didn't forget 1 thing. Yeah!! Last week I forgot gymnastics for Justin. You'd think the kids would remember their own activities but there is so much packed into one day that it's easy to forget something.

Tuesday's usually mean a quick dinner that I can set on the counter and everyone just eats when they can but tonight I gave in to laziness and let everyone eat cold cereal. LeRoy went down to mom and dad's to hook up a water heater for them so with him gone and the kids and I running it seemed like a great idea. The kids were all for it! I picked up a salad for me, they finished off the gallon of milk and filled their bellies with sugar cereal. What a great mom am I! Maybe not the healthiest choice but everyone was satisfied. Sometimes I wonder why I put myself out trying to make meals every night knowing that someone will not be happy with the food put in front of them. Oh yea, nutrition :) Hopefully no one wakes up in the middle of the night from the sound of their tummy growling.

To top off the night in reward-yourself-for-a-busy-day-done fashion the kids and I sat in front of the TV for 2 hours flipping between "American Idol Auditions" and "Biggest Loser". Hey, I can only handle so much productivity in one day. Having a little reality drama to top it off only seems appropriate to reward such fine efforts!

Luv Note from Levi

While I was on the phone with Kellie, Levi slid this napkin under the door. The Gimbal's Jelly Beans are mixed flavors and on the back of the bag there are fun recipes that you make with the mixed jelly beans. I'm not a big jelly bean fan but I'll take love notes any day!

House Update

Today we took the kids to look through the new house. They were excited to wander through (or rather RUN through) all the rooms and to get the feel of a real house instead of just 2x4's. The sheetrock is now all up, they are finished taping, and texture will come next week. The siding is about 1/2 done but the rock will not come until the 1st week of March, waiting for warmer temperatures. The front porch and garage are covered with tarp tents and heaters so that concrete can be poured next week.

Each step has been interesting to see it come together. From a hole in the ground, to concrete, to a big open space, to 2x4 walls, to sheetrock. The layout matches the plans but not quite what I had pictured. I had envisioned things a little different, both on the outside and the inside and I've had to adjust my expectations to match what actually exists. It's not that I don't like it but I would have adjusted for it had I been looking at it 3D rather than on paper. Please don't read this as complaining, just learning. There are so many other things that I'm so happy with: mudroom, a big enough dining room to have a table big enough for our whole family, mudroom, a roomy kitchen, mudroom, enough storage space that I don't have to have it all piled up in Nathan's room, mudroom, and I love driving out to it where it feels a little more country and peaceful compared to the busy feel of town but with quick access to town. I can hear some of you chuckling right now that I would consider Rexburg a busy city but I have always wanted to live a more private life than one in the center of town. Oh, and did I mention my excitement for a mudroom??

Anyhoo, the house completion date has been moved up from April 11th to April 3rd. To me it's all the same: after the baby. I do feel so blessed that it has all come together so smoothly considering all the horror stories we have heard about building. We are actually having a harder time naming this baby than we are building our home.

P.S. The picture of Erika taking a knife to the wall does have a story. The main bathroom upstairs that she will be using shares a wall with our walk in closet. As we were coming up with plans I joking said I needed a hot water shutoff valve there because Erika is known to completely run us out of hot water with her lengthy (20-30 minute) showers. Our builder has an 11 year old daughter doing the same thing and he thought it was a great idea. So at no additional cost I have a shutoff valve. We can even set it on a timer so that after 10 minutes (or whatever I set it to) the hot water shuts off and she can finish in a cold shower. Thus her frustration in the picture. Actually, she just grins about it knowing that she is guilty.

Gas and Guns

Boys, Boys, Boys! Having 4 of them ages 21 months to 16 years is quite an eye-opener, or nose-closer! Add dad to that and another baby boy on the way and any hope I've had of teaching peace and manners is out the window.

Today I took Justin to pick a birthday present for a friend. I had asked him earlier if he wanted me to pick up something but he responded "no I need to get a good boy gift". As I watched him pick a gift I realized my problem. I don't automatically go to weapons. You know, no matter how many rules I set about no guns or weapons for Christmas and Birthdays our house is full of them. Part of the problem is that since they were little, and with no coaxing on my part, they make guns out of everything. How is it that a little boy can point a finger and make a shooting sound? I don't get it. And why don't they grow out of it? Even LeRoy still gets in on the shooting wars that go on. This picture of Derek is with a gun that he found in the canal after they drained it this year. It drives me crazy that it looks so real and dangerous but I just get the rationalization "it's just a useless, broken bb gun". The other gun is one that Derek build out of scrap wood, a metal strap, electrical tape and an led flashlight taped to the end. It is just one of many in the arsenal collection these boys have built.

The other 'boy' issue that I am confused over is that of flatulation, passing gas, whatever you want to call it (we just try not to use the other commonly used word for it). Nathan has figured out that the first time it happens he gets a "Whoa, good job" response from his brothers so he quickly goes into pushing mode trying to get the same sound to come again. There are days that I enter the boys rooms or bathroom and my eyes are near watering, and it's not from the exceptional cleaning job that they have done! It's all because of the 'contests' that go on in there, as well as the wet sock smell that seems to linger even after a good cleaning. I really don't see what is so manly, funny, cool or tough about being able to make the biggest noise and grossest stink possible. It must be a guy thing.

So with this I wondered why I have always been 'one of the boys' in a sense. Most of my best friends during my school year were boys. I've always considered myself a tomboy. But gas and guns is where I draw the line. I must now confess that I love watching my daughter dance and I look at her and she is gorgeous. I wish I was that beautiful. However, I draw the line on girly things with all that hairspray, makeup, love to shop, and drama that goes on with girls. I guess I'm just a neutral being. Right in the middle. Maybe that just makes for a good mommy. I can hang out with the boys and I can enjoy spending time with my daughter.

Train Tracks

My train of thought so quickly jumps tracks that it can be a little confusing. I've had alot going on during the last couple of weeks that so little has been posted and there is so much more that I want included in my "journal". So this post (before evening starting I know this!) is going to be long, not in chronological order, going to whichever track my thought train takes me and is mostly for me. Rather than doing a whole bunch of little posts to catch up I'll just do a ridiculously long one. If you get bored or don't even start it - I'm totally not offended. This is 'just for the record'.

Temple Open House
This comes to mind first because I noticed our tickets for the dedication on my desk, I need to pick up shirts for the kids for the Cultural Celebration that they are performing in and it keeps pricking my mind that I should write about it. It wasn't a grand experience on the spiritual spectrum but it was a good family experience. I was intrigued at what impressed each child, some of which surprised me.

First I must say that there was a terrible ice storm the day we went and as we were walking through the tented area from the stake center to the temple we were being pelted with ice rain and wind. Even getting there was a little bit of a struggle because it was so cold. However, as we entered the temple all that was left behind and we were able to enjoy the tour.

Nathan was a little fussy - it being 5:30 and dinner time - but he instantly quieted down as we entered the Celestial room and just looked around kind of wide-eyed. Derek was very impressed with the baptismal font, some of that enthusiasm coming with the fact that our ward is already scheduled to do baptisms at the temple shortly after his 12th birthday in June. Erika kept noticing the wheat theme throughout the temple. This was also explained a little in the video that was shown just prior to the tour, but she noticed it everywhere and how beautiful, yet subtle it was. It was in the windows, stair rails, woven throughout the carpet and wallcovering, drapes, paintings. She was impressed with that. Justin was in awe at the ordinance room that was completely painted with a nature scene. He even walked up to the wall to touch it and make sure it wasn't wallpaper. He was even more impressed when LeRoy told him that we know the artist and he lives close by. Levi was initially bugged by the 'hideous' upholstery and carpet throughout the chapel and hallways. I must admit I was a little confused at the wild colors and patterns also but he turned it around as we entered the ordinance rooms and Celestial room. His thought was that maybe it was done to show a complete contrast and have the special rooms feel like a relief from the wild patterns and colors in the other areas. I was surprised that he even noticed something like that.

For me . . . I noticed the stairs. I was having contractions before we even got there so the stairs just caused even more. Personally, it was a nice experience to share with the kids but the feeling was totally different from when I go to the temple to do temple work. Probably because right now it is a beautiful building for anyone to tour and after it is dedicated it offers so much more. The dedication is on the 3rd of February and we have tickets for our family to be in the temple when it is dedicated. I am hoping that being in the temple then will be a more spiritual experience for each of the kids as well as LeRoy and I rather than all of us just noticing the building that we are in. LeRoy and I are also scheduled for one of the first sessions after the temple is dedicated and I'm sure that then I will feel more enthusiasm for the blessing of having a temple in Rexburg.

Natural vs. Modern
I know some family members think I'm a little odd in this way but hey - that's me. I'm talking medicine. In 2003 I gained a great appreciation for natural (homeopathic) medicine and doing all I could naturally for my health, and for the health of my family. It really helped me to manage and prevent the migraine headaches that I had been having, when the Doctors just kept prescribing stronger and stronger narcotics instead of helping me solve the problem. So naturally (hehe) I would continue to follow this method. However, there comes a time when natural medicine doesn't do the trick and I go to the modern medicine. There is a quote by President Brigham Young that helped me to feel comfort in modern medicine when I truly loved the natural methods. So when a headache is out of control and I have tried all I know with the natural - Excedrin & Dr. Pepper it is. That combination doesn't treat the problem, just the symptoms, but by the time I give in a take them I could care less about the problem just get me through the headache!! I realized yesterday that I am a little the same way with my kids.

Nathan has been struggling with a cough for about 1 1/2 weeks. This following Derek and Justin just having the same problems. With the help of my midwife, herbs, and rubs we have had it pretty much under control. Everyone still happy, even with a little snot going on. Then it gets to the point that I accept the fact that this particular case will not be solved with herbs quickly enough so we head to Community Care. I did this with Nathan yesterday. It finally got to a point where he had had a fever for a full night then day and was pulling at his ear. After all of our experiences with Derek and ears I have learned not to put that one off. He does have an ear infection and is sounding rather raspy in his breathing. So I combine the 2 medicines and Nathan had a shot to give him a boost to get rid of the raspy sound and a jump on the ear infection, then at home instead of the antibiotic - he gets double dose of the VSC from the midwife. Last year we learned that Nathan is much like Derek when it comes to antibiotics and they just give him extreme diarrhea and throwing up without really solving the problem. The VSC we have had success with, both for Derek and Nathan.

The rest of us have been doing awesome on the herbs when taken regularly as well as the ones when symptoms show up. Derek and LeRoy are the ones who usually have terrible winter health and they have both done amazingly well. Last winter was the first in 16 years that LeRoy didn't spend most of the months fighting the same cold that held on all winter and this year he is still holding that record - completely cold free. He doesn't really know what is going on with our food storage but he can tell me how many bottles of Elderberry are left on the shelf and when we are getting low!

All This House Stuff
I constantly get the question "Aren't you so excited about your house?". To be honest, not really. I'm more in denial than excited. It doesn't feel real. I'm trying to get through this pregnancy first. Nothing has really changed with housing yet so what am I supposed to feel? Yeah, there are moments when I am excited and can't wait - the mudroom can't come soon enough! But I am not there every day checking on the progress. Usually once a week I go out to see it so because it is not a constant visual reminder it is hard to believe it isn't just another house that LeRoy wired for someone else. Since we haven't moved I'm still in the same house, officially a renter, but really it doesn't feel different. And the pregnancy. Maybe this is just my minds way of handling things. When I really think of having a baby, dealing with all the changes that come with that, and moving all in a 2 week time period, and being ready for our home to be in the parade of homes, I get overwhelmed and near tears so maybe my subconscious mind knows it is better to not build up excitement right now. Let's just take it a day at a time. I hope this doesn't make me sound ungrateful for the house. I just have to deal with each change a little at a time. I'm sure when I am moving in and it is real - yes, I will be excited!

Attitude Schmattitude!
That's how I feel sometimes! I am working so hard at keeping a positive attitude about everything and really working through everything with prayer, hope and faith. But it is not easy!! There are moments when I want to give up, run away, quit, yell, cry . . . this list could go on forever. What pulls me out of it is when I briefly give in to the bad attitude and it quickly rubs off onto the whole family attitude. Whoever came up with the saying "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" sure had it right but That is so not fair! Once everyone's attitudes are off things just spiral downhill from there and then it is even harder for me to get back on track. I truly have to have my fall-apart moments during the middle of the night and by morning be ready to be happy. I must say that this really only comes by grace because I'm not strong enough to pull out of it on my own.

Bunco Babes
Most of you know about the bunco game night that I go to once a month. It is a life saver for me. No there is not gambling involved just good food, good conversation and great company. The night really has little to do with the game and more to do with the girls getting away for a while. Many of these women are some of my best friends and on several occasions someone from the group has shown up at my door with soup or salad, has called spontaneously, given me clothes, held a baby shower for me, invited me to lunch, or watched my kids for me. My bunco friends are more like the ideal visiting teachers than my actual visiting teachers are and our relationships are not stuck within the boundaries of a ward. We actually come from about 5 different wards though most of us started in this ward and have moved on. It's great to know that even after I move I will still have that save-my-sanity night away once a month.

Not Fair
This last week before Sacrament meeting one of Erika's YW leaders asked her if she remembered that she was doing part of the lesson. Erika had forgotten so asked the topic again and was asked to share her feelings and any personal experience that she had had on the topic. Later her teacher told me how impressed she was with Erika's testimony. She had each of the 4 girls share their testimonies and personal experiences and that she could see in Erika that she really believes what she is bearing testimony of. I had mixed feelings about this because I'm so glad that she could share her testimony with such confidence but also sad because I don't get to hear it. We have tried to teach the kids that when they do a lesson for FHE that it is good to share their testimony of the topic so that the Holy Ghost can bear witness to others that what they are teaching is true. So far we only get a shy, almost embarrassed testimony. I'm a little jealous of the YW leaders and youth that got to hear Erika's testimony and of the people who will hear my children bear testimony when on their missions. All this work in teaching and I want to be part of the reward. I know, it will come. I'm just a little impatient.

On a sillier note, I had a parent teacher conference for Justin this week. The teacher told me that he has never had to tell Justin to settle down and stop talking. I asked if we were talking about the right kid! Why is it that the teacher gets the best behavior and I am constantly trying to get that kid to learn when the appropriate time is to talk and when not to. Each PT conference I hear the same about Erika. Not fair. Of course, I am grateful that they have at least learned enough manners to apply them in public. Maybe I should visit my kids classes just to see all that hard work paying off.

Food . . Glorious Food!

A food post - Yum! It has been a good few days for food around here. I was going to take a couple of pictures to post with this . . . but it was eaten up to fast!

It started with the sub zero temperatures that brought up a childhood memory of coming home to a warm wood stove, the smell of fresh baked bread and warm stew to fill our tummies. I did my best to imitate that. My kids thought they were in heaven. Don't get me wrong - I do cook regular meals. I think we were all just so grateful for the heavenly smell of homemade bread when the air outside had been freezing our noses to the point that we couldn't smell anything. And the stew meat was so tender after being in the crock pot all day. According to Levi it was "so tender it melts in your mouth". The homemade bread "mmmm . . . so good it sends chills down your spine". I love it when my kids compliment like that!

I wanted to try a new soup recipe that Kara had talked about and since we were going to have those cold temperature hanging around a little longer, I tried that one too. Oh, sooo good! Kara had told me that she added corn to hers and I added the same as well as frozen peas. It was a perfect soup - not too heavy (kind of like the stew for me because I'm not a big fan of beef), not too salty or spicy. Just right! It was a little like the 'new red potatoes and pea soup' that Mom used to make in the fall with potatoes from the garden. I've asked Mom for that recipe and I usually get: some of this, a little of that, salt it to taste. Well, mine never has turned out like Mom's so I was excited to try this one and have it be close.

A friend of mine brought me a salad - a big salad - and it was awesome! My favorite greens, homemade grilled chicken, craisins, feta cheese, mandarin oranges, almonds and apple for toppings. Even a homemade mustard dressing to go with it which was the perfect tartness with a subtle hint of sweet. It was the first salad I've had in quite a while that didn't just have a dirt taste to it (pregnancy taste buds). The salad was big enough that I had it twice yesterday and finished it off today. Perfect!

Last night I went to bunco game night and the hostest served calzones - kind of like pizza pockets. Eating them reminded me that I used to make those for LeRoy and have them in the freezer, many moons ago. I think Levi was probably 4 the last time I made them. So for dinner tonight I made them and I had not 1 complaint! The kids and even LeRoy suggested I make more next time so that they can eat all they want and still have leftovers. I was afraid that someone wouldn't be happy with the filling because they don't all like the same kind of pizza but everyone seemed happy. Even me . . . I still had some soup left from the day before. I was able to avoid the pizza sauce and Italian sausage which would have left me with nasty heartburn.

On that note I will take my satisfied tummy to bed and dream of more food. Lately I have been dreaming and daydreaming about foods that I will get back to when heartburn, messed up taste buds and lack of stomach room are no longer a problem. Sweet Dreams!

Weekend Review

Justin's Big Day
Friday was Justin's big day. This actually began Wednesday as we were working on a Mars project for him to report to his class on Friday. He spent quite a bit of time looking up information for his report and for his visual aid he made a clay model of Mars. I was so impressed that he could do so much of it on his own. After reading through his first draft report I had to explain plagiarism and we worked together to put everything in 'Justin' language (or rather 3rd grade language). He did great on his report.

Friday night Justin and his gymnastics team performed at the High School for boys basketball half-time show. They did awesome! It was very motivating to the kids to hear a full gym cheering, oohhing and clapping for them as they performed. It was a little strange for the kids because they had to perform without mats and with shoes on but they all handled it very well. Way to go Justin!!

Erika's Dance Recital

Saturday was a full day for Erika as she prepared (with tons of hairspray, gel, bobby pins, fake lashes, hair nets and makeup) for her big ballroom dance recital. This is held once a year at the Civic Auditorium in Idaho Falls with teams from all over southeast Idaho. The team has been preparing this dance since October but hadn't seen their costumes yet. The dance and the costumes were beautiful!! I love this recital because it is real ballroom dancing (though one team was really pushing it with drill-team like stuff). After the recital, Erika and I did our 3rd annual trip to Subway for a very late sandwich, sat at 'our' table and babbled about the recital. It was a great girls night out.

....

Nathan's Relaxing Saturday

With all of the running around on Saturday (Derek & Justin had a primary activity, I had lunch with some girlfriends, LeRoy and Levi helped a friend wire his basement and getting ready for Erika's recital) Nathan just kind of hung out at the house with whoever was home at the time. After his nap and before I left for the recital I went downstairs and caught Nathan watching TV just like his dad does. With his finger in his cheek, a remote in hand and spacing off at the TV. I couldn't resist a picture.

Derek's Sickly Sunday
Poor Derek has been fighting a cold for a few days now and it seems to have gotten the better of him. He stayed home from church to read, take a bath and blow his nose. He is great to down his vitamins and is still cheerful even though he has expressed in a very whiny voice that his nose hurts from wiping it so much. I've done the best I can in that comfort area - his own box of Puffs Plus with Lotion.

Levi's Big Day
Sacrament Meeting was new for Levi today as he blessed the sacrament for the first time. The young men's president asked the bishop if LeRoy could do the other sacrament prayer and it turned out to be a very touching moment. As we were singing the sacrament song I glanced over at the table and was suddenly tearful as I saw LeRoy and Levi standing side by side preparing the sacrament. Then to hear them each do one of the prayers touched my heart. I can't believe that I am now watching my own son prepare the sacrament. It is a great honor for those who hold the Priesthood.

The Parentals

LeRoy and I just spent the weekend keeping up with our kids, fulfilling our responsibilities in the ward and realizing that the weekend is gone and it is time to start another week. Wow the time goes by fast.

My Sunday was good with a minor glitch of locking my keys in the Yukon (thanks to a ward member who is an officer, it was taken care of after church at no cost), a scout meeting which leaves me wondering why I'm sitting there with a bunch of men babbling about boy stuff and choir practice which really filled my soul for the day.

I love our choir!! The men have such great voices and during one of the songs I became a little teary eyed only to be told after the song that it was my fault that the entire choir was crying. One of the ladies behind me said I was the reason she started to cry, then the lady next to her got started, then 2 men behind them began to cry because the other women were. Really, I think we were all just really touched by the song. We are preparing for Easter so the songs are all about Christ and the Resurrection. The particular song that got me is one about Mary at the tomb and Christ calling her by name. The accompaniment is simple and beautiful and hearing the men sing the part of Christ speaking (taken from scripture) just really created a beautiful moment for all of us. The only sad part about preparing for this Easter Sunday program is that I probably won't be there. It is scheduled for the day before my due date. Part of me hopes that I haven't had the baby by then so that I could go but my hips, legs, and back really hope that I've had this baby by then. For now I will enjoy the practices.

So here it is still early evening and I'm ready to post, go to bed early and hopefully get a good night sleep. Here we go for another week . . .

7 Random Things

I have enjoyed Kara, Kate and Kellie's '7 Random Things' so much that I am daring to do my own. It took some real thought, as I assumed I was a very boring person. So this is the most interesting stuff I could muster up about myself.

1. I am the oldest of 11 kids. This could be a blessing or a curse. The curse: I was the first to drive and date so I was the experiment for Mom and Dad. Believe me, that created some hard times. Of course now I am using Levi for similar experiments. The blessing: I always had a buddy, enough people to play a game, and someone to blame things on. I was also the first to leave home which I think would be so much easier than Jared's position as #11 watching 10 siblings leave home and being home alone for 2 years before graduation.

2. I was there when my youngest brother was born. Not only was I at the hospital when Jared was born but I drove mom to the hospital in a terrible snow storm. Dad was at class and we couldn't get ahold of him (and he wouldn't have had time to come and get Mom) so when we finally got word to him he met us at the hospital. It was a very touching experience for me - completely opposite of what I had seen on TV.

3. I love to mow lawn and shovel snow. I love to mow the lawn and have a job that can't be messed up in an hour. I also love the smell of fresh cut grass and to see the grass look like a shiny new carpet. Shoveling snow isn't quite as rewarding (because it's cold) but I love having a big snowstorm and trying to keep up with mother nature. I find some weird satisfaction in being able to see my driveway all winter long. This winter is driving me nuts because I can't shovel at all and no one else in the family cares what the driveway looks like.

4. I am shy. Ok - to all of my family that might not seem true but really I don't like being in public. If I have stayed indoors for a few days it really takes gumption to get me to go out. I get nervous driving over to the store because I will have to talk to the clerk, or I might see someone I know. I get anxious about ward/school activities because it is an unknown who I will talk to or sit by. My response to this anxiety is to talk really fast (babbling nonsense) or I don't say anything and have been told that I seem snobby. I have been this way since I was young and I think the hardest time for me was during college. I also hate to make phone calls, even to people that I know. Being married to LeRoy has pulled me out of this a little but I still would rather be a fly on the wall.

5. I have had a baby at home. It is also the plan to have this baby at home. I have been accused by a nurse of being an unfit mother for that, had looks of disgust sent my way and also had great support and even looks of awe. Yes, I had medical attention throughout the pregnancy and a midwife who had been delivering babies for 28 years. It was one of the most beautiful, spiritual experiences of my life. I have never felt closer to heaven, or to my newborn baby, than during that delivery. I could go on and on . . . but that is another post!

6. I received a 'blond waiver' from the IRS. OK . . . so there really isn't a waiver called the 'blond waiver' from the IRS but that is what the agent and I jokingly called it. We were being penalized because I was supposed to start filing taxes monthly for our business instead of quarterly because of the previous quarters income. I have not had formal schooling to do all of this business stuff (payroll, taxes, invoicing, reports, etc) but I have had training from our CPA, I read alot and learn alot from Kara who is in a similar profession. Once I explained this to the agent she was very understanding, explained things in a way that I could understand them (all those tax instructions just confuse me) and waived the penalty. Whew!

7. I am a salad snob. I could say that I'm just picky about my salads but really, I'm a salad snob. I don't like iceberg lettuce at all, I prefer a fresh spring mix, red romaine and spinach. I really lose my appetite over greens that are laced with brown edges and I don't like the sour centers of the leaves. The toppings I'm not so picky about - though I prefer them fresh. Some of my favorite salad toppings are fruit, veggies, nuts and chicken and I like quite a variety of dressings like poppyseed, honey mustard, ginger mandarin, and raspberry vinaigrette.

Now I'm hungry for a salad! Unfortunately, vegetables have been tasting like dirt lately (a minor inconvenience due to this pregnancy) and I'm just to lazy to make one right now.

Snow Day and Grace

Well, there wasn't really any snow with it but the kids did have a 'snow day' - No school! The winds were terrible and many roads closed so school was closed as well. I couldn't have picked a better day for it - thank you school district - and as it turned out it was one of the sunniest days we have had since Christmas.

I had been wondering what to do with Nathan because I needed to go meet our builder out at the new house (which is FREEZING COLD) and I also needed to pick all the flooring (translates to dragging poor Nathan around and telling him not to touch anything while I gab about floor coverings and try to make a decision all on my own). It turned out great because I spent about 5 hours yesterday taking care of new house stuff while the kids took care of each other at home. Then of course we had the Tuesday run-a-round schedule of piano, dance, gymnastics, scouts and mutual - but I should be used to that by now.

About the house: It was soooo warm, too hot in fact. Our builder is 'thawing it out' and wants it to get up to about 90 degrees inside. When I asked Why? he told me that he wanted to have all the moisture (snow and ice that came in before the roof) to be completely dried out before they sheet rock the walls so that there is no chance of mold. I could have hugged him! I detest mold, so let it be 90 degrees! The ceilings are completely sheet rocked, walls will come on Thursday.

I have been having trouble picking the flooring (mostly because I don't like making decisions like that that are so permanent and visualizing my house done in something that I can only see a small sample of just frustrates me) so I called my neighbor who is also building a house. She was having the same trouble so we decided to do it all together - LeRoy was very glad to be left out of this process. My builder took both of us to see 3 homes to help us visualize things (trims, faucets, colors, carpets, tile, wood floors) and then we went to the flooring store. I am so relieved to announce that I am dropping off all of the specs for tile, wood floor, carpet, trim, casings, faucets, counter tops and paint colors today. I don't want to see another house or see any more samples - I'm afraid I will change my mind again.

As monotonous as all of this may be to anyone reading, it wears me out. My body was really rejecting getting in and out of the Yukon by early afternoon and having fallen on the ice in the morning didn't help. By the time bedtime came I felt a little bruised and beat up. I still took a Unisom and still didn't sleep. I'm just a pregnant insomniac with spastic legs. I was totally depending on the Unisom to knock me out and nothing happened - either night. I will admit that I was only up twice each night but does that really count as a good night sleep?? My mind never goes to bed, I still feel tired when I wake up and my legs are still jumpy.

Ahhh . . . ok, this is my trial for now and I WILL make it! One thing that has helped is to realize that I was missing my greatest strength - or rather not paying attention to it. Though I have prayed more during this time in my life than ever before, I find myself whining and pleading for the trials to be made easier rather than praying that I will have the strength to endure them. A couple of years ago for an enrichment gift at Christmas time, the enrichment leader came up with a wooden plaque that we could give each sister. This could be a really long story but to shorten it, I helped to apply 100 vinyl letter sayings to these blocks. The saying: "Grace shall be as your day". It comes from the song 'Come, Come Ye Saints'. As I applied the saying over and over again to these blocks the true meaning of it really came to me and I realized that no matter what is going on in my life, there is Grace sufficient for that. That Christ has suffered all for me and that it is by His Grace that I can endure, even cheerfully endure. As I was pondering this I looked up and on my wall is a gift that a good friend gave to me. I haven't read it in a while and the verse completely applied to me. It was a good reminder the other night (during one of my many terrible, horrible, no good, very bad nights). I realized that I have been depending on "the arm of flesh" to ease the trial (herbs, vitamins, massage, baths, Unisom) rather than depending on the Grace of Jesus Christ and the Priesthood to help me endure the trial. So I am committing to cheerful endurance and dependance on my Savior. Please forgive me when I fall and post a whiny, poor me day.

This day might not be so bad . . .

So at 3am I started a post that probably would have been titled "pity party" or "I hate being pregnant" or "the top 10 things my husband didn't do right this weekend". However, when I re-read it this morning I decided that it was probably more a post for my journal than for a blog so I'll just keep that one to myself. By10am I was doing ok again - and no one in my family had been subjected to my ranting rage. Have I mentioned that I hate nights?? I can't say it strong enough without using language that I've been teaching my children not to use.

All I can say is thanks to Kellie for an honest post yesterday. I'm so sorry your day was completely off as you tried to do what is right. And to Laurie - a new friend - who's past blogs had my mind occupied on something besides myself (not to mention the good laugh I had at the Adam Sandler Happy Hanuka song). And to Kara, who I usually don't get to talk to until later in the week because of her work schedule and yet she called this morning to let me rant a little, shared in my pregnancy pains for a moment and then had me laughing just enough to realize I was going to be ok.

Then my baby boy Nathan woke up. I think God sent him to me to make it through this insane time in my life. He is a joy! His smile and hugs calm me. As I put him in his chair to eat breakfast he insisted that he do it with his kitty. At this point that over-loved creature can't get much dirtier so I allowed it this time. Then he proceeded to feed each bite of french toast to his kitty before he ate it. Each bite was also accompanied by a 'mamma, look mamma'. Even his voice is peaceful to me. Not demanding like so many other voices around me. His 'thanks' when I give him his drink is so appreciated considering I feel like the others (mostly within the walls of this home) seem to have forgotten about 'thanks' and just inform me what they wanted different or how the don't like what I'm giving them.

So to sum up here, I'm going to make it through this day and truly sigh . . . another day done. Hopefully tonight will be better. I don't think my sinuses can handle another sobbing night and my lips and eyes seem constantly puffy from the crying. Since I am going on about the 4th night with only about 3 hours of sleep each night I am giving in and picked up Unisom. I hear rave reviews about it from other pregnant women and even though I like to try things along the more homeopathic way . . . I'm desperate. Unless I get a couple of good nights sleep here and there I may truly lose my mind in the next 9 weeks waiting for this baby.

And just to remind me of a good start to my morning . . . here are the pictures of Nathan feeding his kitty.

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Levi's Birthday

I have been asked by several people why I have not posted Levi's birthday, so here it is in a nutshell - which will probably turn out to be a big nutshell, knowing me.

Levi's birthday was a typical small birthday: a few phone calls from family, a great smilebox sent by Shawn and Kellie, cake, simple gifts, Dad singing really loud and off key. He was pretty proud of his candles but still not wanting his picture taken. When we were dishing up the cake and ice cream he started to ask if he could sit in the living room to eat and then cut himself off "wait a minute, I'm 16 - I don't even need to ask anymore!" He looked quite proud of himself having his first "legal" eat in the living room.

Then his first date came on Saturday. Yes, with me, his mommy. We had a great time! He really is a hoot to hang out with! On the way to Idaho Falls I asked him where he wanted to eat. "Well, if you want me to buy, the McDonalds dollar menu will be great. If you are buying we can go somewhere else." Comments like that, and better, had me laughing so hard that it almost hurt.

Here are the highlights of our date:

* We did our first shots - 3 desserts in shot glasses that is ("Sweet Shots" from Chili's - they were totally cute! - check out the picture)

* We went bed shopping . . . for a new bedframe for him since he is sleeping on a box.

* He enjoyed walking around with his arm around me, getting quite a few weird looks from people. Just for fun he would rub my belly every once in a while and one guy gave us quite a glare.

* We went to a music store for him to look at the electric guitars because he is ordering one. That is another post all together. Just let me say that Levi was drooling and it really was fun to hear a kid in the store playing the electric guitar and it sounded a bit like Jack Johnson. I told Levi as long as he sticks to the Jack Johnson sound and not the KISS sound I could live with it.

Levi was great to get my door for me, flirt with me and make me laugh. What a great date!

Moments

I was making sure that the camera was on the right setting to take a picture in the dark while Levi blew out the candles on his cake. I faced the family room (not being able to see because it was dark) and just took the picture. This is what came from that:

Good timing Derek!!

Yesterday I made homemade soup and bread. I got the bread all made and left it sitting on the table while I started melting the butter to make a roux for the soup, turned around and Nathan was poking in the dough. I thought it was great of me to notice this and prevent a big mess by moving the bread, then I went back to making the soup. Nathan kept saying 'wow' and I just babbled along with him, not looking at him because I was busy. When I did turn around this is what I saw:

My first reaction was to be upset but his grin and dimples were too irresistible and he was so proud of his mess that I couldn't resist a picture. The only truly annoying part to this was that I had to bend clear down to the floor to clean it up (no older kids at home to pass it off on). We managed and I was glad it was only a cup of flour that I left on the table and not the whole canister!

Biggest Loser - Employee Edition

As a result of one of our employees calling in "sick" today, I have been sitting here in my office working and reminiscing about the pathetic excuses we have had from employees. In the 5 years since we have had our own business we have had some real losers (sorry if that is too harsh). Wanna meet a few?

Contestant #1 - This is my all time favorite excuse. It was so lame that it actually left LeRoy speechless when the guy told him why he had to hurry home from work in the middle of the day. This guys wife would call LeRoy on his cell phone at least once a day to talk to her husband because they didn't have a cell phone. This one particular day she sounded very frustrated as LeRoy handed off the phone. After the phone call LeRoy was informed that he had to hurry home to his wife because their son (just a little older than 2) was jumping on their bed and had just peed all over and his wife couldn't get him off the bed.

This guy was not meant to work in construction (more like in the church office building) but he was a good worker. His biggest downfall was his wife. She lived more like she was the babysitter and he was the full-time breadwinner, cook before and after work, did the laundry and tried to maintain the house which she managed to really make a wreck of during the day and she would call him home from work usually once a week. Then she would come to me (and yes, I write the paychecks) and complain that he didn't make enough money and at the same time complain that he wasn't home enough. Make up your mind!! I should be more kind but having been with a work-a-holic husband for 17 years and not once calling him home when a kid was sick or out of control, I was a little disgusted . . to say the least. So this prize should actually go to the wife!

Contestant #2 - This excuse was a new one for this guy today. His usual excuse is "I stayed up to late playing games online". LeRoy has really had to bite his tongue and not give an earful after hearing that one. However, today's excuse was new. "I had a big fight with my mom last night and we were yelling at each other for about 2 hours. Now I feel a little nauseated so I won't be coming in." Are you kidding me!!! He is 23 years old and his mother lives in California! Great thing about this kind of employee (and we have had 3 of them like this) is that we don't have to worry about firing them. Every one of them have quit - this guy let us know last night. At least he gave a 1 week notice. The other 2 just didn't show up for work and then called in to say they had better offers (like sleeping in!).

Contestant #3 - This guy was an excellent apprentice, even tho' he was a little accident prone and was our first workman's comp claim. His main fault was trying to avoid paying past debts and as time went on we kept catching him in lies. After being with us for about 3 months we were contacted by the sheriff's office and had to start garnishing his wages because of a court ruling in favor of a credit card company. All right . . . I can do that . . . not really my business.

So the saga begins. He was on a job with LeRoy when an inspector showed up and he happened to be the only one that couldn't show a current license. He had told us that it was current but the state had no record of him attending school. That same week I got a phone call from the hospital asking for work verification because he had put us as PAST employment and they wanted to know what kind of worker he was. What do I say to that . . . hardworking, accident prone, deceitful? Then we realized that he had been missing quite a few afternoons of work telling us it was for medical reasons for his wife and son. We later found out that he already had another job that he was working in the afternoons and the reason he didn't quit was because I would have to report that to the sheriff's office and they would find out his current employment and garnish wages there too. The really stupid part is that I knew how much more they had to pay for the garnishment and if he had continued working for us getting the kind of overtime he was he would have had it paid off in 2 months. Instead he went to a part-time, minimum wage job just to drag out the garnishment even longer. Oh, and about the schooling . . . he hadn't attended during the entire year. Yet he took off early every Tuesday and Thursday to get to school on time!

Contestant #4 - Also a current employee who is a great worker and will do well in construction - it's a wife thing again. They have been married about 5 months and she is 5 months pregnant. About a month and a half after they were married he called in to say his wife couldn't quit throwing up and he was taking her to the Dr. Ok - I'm alright with that. They were told she was pregnant and it was all normal. A week later: "She has been throwing up all night, this can't be normal so I'm taking her to the Dr." Oh please! We have had this excuse several times now. I still haven't figured out though if it is really the wife asking him to stay home, because she doesn't seem to be that way, or if he is just trying to be the perfect husband and she just wants to puke in peace.

The good thing about these employees with the high-maintenance wives is that LeRoy praises me for taking care of things on my own. Yeah, there are times that I wish he was a little more involved but I appreciate his confidence in me. Having situations like this just make me look even better!

So - I don't want you to think we have had only duds for employees. We actually have had some great ones and we really miss them when they move on - our brother John being one of them, and Levi another (to bad he has school) . Here are the ones that didn't make the loser cut:

Our first employee ever - we didn't have employees for the first 8 months or so that we were in business so we were a little warry of the whole hiring process. Luckily we were blessed with a great start. This guy had actually helped train LeRoy when he worked on campus and now he was looking for other work. Poor guy had to start with us. When LeRoy rolled and totalled his truck, Ron was with him. He was about 45 at the time and this was not a little accident. LeRoy and Ron both ended up at the hospital with minor cuts and bruising, after having crawled out of the truck which was upside down and cleaning up all the tools and materials that had been scattered all over the road and field. The awesome part about Ron was that he was back to work the next day. Both guys moved quite slow for a week and joked about their aches and pains but Ron was great. Actually, it has been about 3 years since he worked for us (he found a job that offered insurance, and probably a better driver to ride with) but he called LeRoy to see if they wanted to travel to Boise together this last November for some training to take their Masters tests. His only hesitation . . . LeRoy was driving.

LeRoy's Competition - Daniel is the only employee that we have had that could really keep up with LeRoy - both the long hours and the cheerfulness. He was one of LeRoy's favorite employees because he didn't get offended with LeRoy's joking around - he just gave it right back. I think Daniel was the first one who really taught LeRoy to lighten up and not be so defensive in some situations, even to see the humor in a stressful situation. He was also great to go the extra mile. He made a pouch for one of LeRoy's tools and surprised LeRoy with it one day and LeRoy still uses it.

Alltime winner - John is one of our current employees, 55 years old, and is awesome. He reminds me alot of Dad in his dedication. He shows up at least 5 minutes early, has only taken off work for 3 days in the 9 months that he has worked for us (once for a funeral, once for a wedding and once to go fishing) and really knows his stuff. He has taught LeRoy a few tricks of the trade and does quality work. He is also great with the kids and is almost like the grandpa of the company. The day he took off to go fishing he quickly caught his limit (and these were big fish!), brought us 3 fish to grill and took the long way home through Idaho Falls so that he could do a service call that LeRoy wasn't going to have time to get to. We give a Christmas bonus each year to our employees but we have been saved so much by John and his work that we gave him a "Busy Season Bonus" in October and it looks like he'll probably be getting another one this spring.

My last thought on this: I really hope we are training our sons to be workers like Ron, Daniel and John. I am shocked at the laziness that we have seen so much of and the habit of doing the very least to get the most (I also hope they marry supportive women!). I'm glad the kids have had a chance to work with John and we try to praise him when the kids are around hoping that they will see that hard work and dedication is appreciated. And now I better get back to real office work - and quit talking about the other employees - before Nathan wakes up from his nap and kids get home from school. I wonder what kind of employee I really am . . . hmmm.

Our Baby's Home in Progress

I've been told that I need to post some pictures of me pregnant. Ok, I'll show the belly but I'm choosing to not show my swollen hands or my puffy eyes. Every week I feel more and more oriental because my eyes just turn into slits when I smile due to my puffy cheeks. So now you know my least favorite pregnant physical features but please also know that I love my belly. I find myself rubbing my belly in a very endearing way and I love to feel him move.

I don't know why the December picture looks bigger than the January picture. Maybe it's the way the baby is sitting. He was head up during December and has since flipped so that could be one reason. Or it could be the way I'm standing or the shirt. Whatever the reason, here is my cute baby belly.

Levi's Dilemma

Levi (very serious): "Mom, I already talked to my seminary teacher about this but I thought you should know. He said that if I repent now it will be ok for me to sluff 1st hour tomorrow."

Me (trying very hard not to laugh or smile): "Oh really, so why do you need to sluff 1st hour?"

Levi (with a tone of disgust): "Because the orchestra teacher forgot to call the photographer on the day of the concert and now we all have to wear tuxedo's and formal dresses to school just to have a dumb picture taken for the yearbook."

Me (with quick wit, giving way to a small grin): "But doesn't that mean you can stand next to your stand partner looking all 'hottie' and then have photographic proof of how cute she is and remember that moment forever."

Levi (with visions of hit 'hot stand partner' running through his mind, trying not to break into a puppy-love sort of smile): "Well, alright, if your gonna make me go I guess I have to but I'm only doing it for you Mom."

Outcome: Levi went to school yesterday looking dashing as ever with the promise from Me that I would pick up his tuxedo immediately following 1st hour. Later in the day I found out that the 'hot stand partner' had worn his CTR ring all day. He will not admit to giving it to her and is placing full blame on her for wanting to 'look' at it and forgetting to give it back. Ahhh . . . the days of high school. And to think he will be 16 - of legal dating age - tomorrow!

We get this alot around our house :)

Levi and Lindsay (aka - 'hot stand partner') at the concert in December

New Beginnings

Sunday night I received a call from the Hibbard 5th Ward YW President. That will be the ward we are in when we move. She was inviting Erika and I to go to New Beginnings tonight. I must say I had a little Jr. High moment wondering 'will they like me? who will I sit by?'. Yeah, I know, grow up already.

Then today I got a phone call from the mom who will be our next door neighbor. She just wanted to introduce herself, ask how I was feeling and when the baby was due and she didn't even know we were invited for tonight. So after talking with her I got to meet her. It will be a little easier to go to a new ward having already met a few people and I'm a little comforted knowing that when I move in I will have a friend next door that maybe I can take my baby to while I help unpack stuff. She also has 6 kids (all girls) and seemed like an immediate friend. Our phone conversation was so comfortable.

So, Erika and I went to the church out in Hibbard and we were immediately lost. There were 4 wards meeting for mutual, more youth than we sometimes see at stake activities here in Rexburg, and there were 6 hallways that we could get lost in. Finally, Erika saw someone she knew and we were led to the gym for the Wizard of Oz. We were immediately welcomed and so many people came to say Hi. The program was awesome. The theme seemed kind of odd at first and I wondered if it would be just a silly program but they tied it together so well with the end of the yellow brick road being the temple and they had this huge temple with a silver Moroni on top. The program, songs, everything led to the temple and was centered around the theme 'steadfast and immovable'. It was awesome!

The bishop gave some remarks afterward and it was . . . interesting. Not a typical Idaho bishop I must say. At times I felt like if I looked away I would be listening to Joel Ostene (some of you know who that is - a preacher on TV) and it was a wonderful message, put across by the spirit but with much gusto. He was emphasizing that when we are miserable it can usually be traced back to selfishness. I will elaborate more on this in my own copy but for the post I will just say that it was cool to hear him talk about focusing on the needs of others and the examples that he gave directly related to the girls and actual situations that they would be in. It was great, and even when we got home Erika applied it directly to me. I hope it continues and it was also a good reminder for me.

Afterward and during refreshments we met even more people. There were several that when we said we were building a home in SageHill they were excited because they live in SageHill also. One that Kara would know is Brother Huff (I worked for him at the Foreign Language Department on campus 17 years ago). I was a little worried (and this is a very judgemental comment) but I was a little worried that the people in our subdivision would be a little snobby. If you see some of the houses they are BIG and brand new and I didn't want to fall into the 'people on the hill' category. I will say, these people were so welcoming, down to earth, and sincere. It felt great. I felt that throughout the program and from everyone we met. Whew! I just really don't want to live in an area that tries to keep up with the Jones's - we are not good at that!

The only 'off' thing is that we are in an older church. I love that because the new churches all seem the same to me and I like the character of the old buildings. Unfortunately, in our area an older church means it probably went thru the flood. As soon as we walked in the building I caught that musty flood smell. However, it wasn't as strong as the building we meet in now so that should be ok too.

Afterward, Erika and I were starving because neither one of us had had dinner because of all the Tuesday stuff that goes on so we went to Hogi Yogi for rice bowls. Now I am stuffed and ready for bed.

The Rexburg Temple at Night

The east side of town - the front of the temple.

After posting tonight I needed to run some tools and hot cocoa out to LeRoy (he was doing some final touches on our house before the inspector comes tomorrow morning). As I was taking a couple of pictures inside the house I looked out and was surprised that I could still see the temple, even with it snowing and a little foggy. I drove up on the other side of the temple to take this picture because the one from our back windows is a little hard to see. Isn't it a beautiful temple!

This picture doesn't show it near as well as the naked eye but you get the idea. This is the view from the back of our new house!

The Glad Game

Last night was a terrible one! I couldn't sleep for more than about an hour at a time because my legs were twitching so bad and this baby seems to be doing sommersaults (I was told after church that several women were watching my stomach and laughing as I stood at the back of the room during sunday school. They could see my belly moving through the windows of the door as they were out in the hall.) So this morning I decided that instead of being grumpy about my lack of sleep I was going to play the Glad Game. Here's what I found:

* I'm glad that even though I missed water aerobics I was able to sleep from about 5:30 to 8:15 when the kids came and got me to take them to school. LeRoy had shut the door, read scriptures with the kids and told them to be quiet so that Nathan would sleep longer also. They even had the Yukon warmed up for me to take them.

* I'm glad that Levi is flexible enough to laugh and tease about a situation instead of complaining. I made french toast last night so that everyone would still have breakfast this morning while I was at water aerobics (or still in bed). I forgot to make more syrup though and Levi really does not like store syrup. This was his comment as I took him to school: "Thanks for the ride and breakfast mom, even though the syrup was thicker than 10 thick things and I had to chew it just to get it to go down." He always has a way of making me laugh.

* I'm so glad it was Derek's week to do dishes. He is the BEST! He doesn't complain, doesn't take an hour to do the job (like Justin and Erika) and he is good to really clean it - countertops, table, highchair, stove and many times he even dries the handwashed dishes and puts them away. It was great to wake up to a clean kitchen this morning - for some reason that really does make the day brighter.

* I'm glad Nathan loves books. As 11:00 rolled around and my body was telling me I should take a nap, Nathan wasn't ready since he had slept until 9:30. So I flopped down on the couch (looking more like a beached whale than a mommy in my grey sweatsuit with my big belly sticking in the air) and as I layed there Nathan kept bringing me book after book but didn't even require me to read them. He flipped the pages and 'read' to me instead.

* I'm glad that my part time job can be done in my jammies with no bra on. Good thing the guys don't see what I'm wearing (or not wearing) when I do payroll!

* I'm glad I have 4 sisters that can brighten my day. Talking to any one of them - or mom - seems to make it all better. Thanks for talking today Kellie and Kara!

* I'm glad Justin really can be quiet if it is completely necessary. For a kid who can't stop talking, and only does it on high volume, I was glad that he could recognize that Nathan and I were asleep when he got home from school and just did his homework and read until I woke up. Though I felt a little guilty for being asleep when he got home I was so grateful that he could take care of me when I really needed it.

* I'm glad my kids are old enough to do put together a quick FHE.

* I'm glad it is bedtime again . . . I think I am so exhausted (I actually did clean the storage room - which was in desperate need of it, did laundry - which required trips up and down the stairs, worked in the office for a bit and made dinner) that my body should sleep no matter what. At least that is what I am hoping.

Tidbits

This Sabbath day has been very enriching for me. I sense that a lot of it comes from this being the first Fast Sunday following the start of the Rexburg Temple open house. I must say that there were true testimonies shared in our meetings today, not just the usual travelmonies that we are prone to. Some of it also is that I was ready spiritually to go to church today and to my surprise it doesn’t take a whole lot of time on my part, rather it seems to take a dose of commitment and I must admit I haven’t been very committed where I need to be.

Since last Sunday I have tried to do more reading, less busywork and less worrying. I have in no way turned away completely from my lazy ways, just made small adjustments and have been blessed for that ten-fold. So today I thought I would share some of the tidbits that I have learned throughout this last week (among the meals, laundry, diapers, teenagers, office and construction). I can truly feel my Heavenly Father gently nudging and trying to ‘lead me, guide me, walk beside me, (and) help me find the way’.

Disclaimer: I am not a true studier of the scriptures, nor do I spend hours reading or listening to past conferences. My lessons truly come here a little, there a little in small doses of 10-15 minutes that I am learning to fit in among the motherly travels of the day. As a family we read the scriptures for 10 minutes at 6:30 in the morning and most days I don’t really get back to it. I have been reading a couple of different books (Press On by Joseph B. Wirthlin, Peculiar by Mary Ellen Edmunds, Teachings of Joseph Smith) during the 15 minutes before bed when LeRoy is showering instead of trying to get more ‘stuff’ done. I listen to KBYR devotionals while I’m running kids to and from school. Though all of this sounds like a lot – it’s not, just small adjustments to my normal routine which are benefiting me so much!

Dispute Not

As I was running errands I caught the end of a talk by Boyd K. Packer and had to sit and listen to the end because it caught my attention:

"We once had a major decision to make. When our prayers left us uncertain, I went to see Elder Harold B. Lee. He counseled us to proceed. Sensing that I was still very unsettled, he said, “The problem with you is you want to see the end from the beginning.” Then he quoted this verse from the Book of Mormon, “Dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:6). He added, “You must learn to walk a few steps ahead into the darkness, and then the light will turn on and go before you.” That was a life-changing experience from one verse in the Book of Mormon. Haven’t you felt at times like Nephi, who said, “I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do?" (1 Ne. 4:6). (Boyd K. Packer, “Another Testament of Jesus Christ . . . )

I felt that the message was just for me. I truly fall into the category of worry wart and I don’t like starting something without knowing all the details. I have really felt this a lot lately with building the house and even having more children. I know in my heart that it is right – there have been too many evidences of Godly intervention to not know that it is right. However, I have to admit that I felt more of a sense of security when my youngest was already in school and we were just a few years away from paying our house off. Now I am close to having another baby, with a toddler already here and soon will move into a house with a new mortgage. I waver between feeling that Heavenly Father is leading us and the thoughts in the back of my head concerning our family if something were to happen to LeRoy. I am trying to have more faith, less fear and more trust in my Heavenly Father. Testimonies of others have also been a true comfort this past week (thanks Sisalee!)

How Merciful the Lord Hath Been

In our Sunday School class today a friend shared this comment and it really struck home with me and how I need to me a more merciful parent and also to recognize how merciful my Heavenly Father is in my behalf – even on a daily basis. I will try to paraphrase her comment. She read Moroni 10:3 . . . "remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things". She told us that one of the times that she was reading the Book of Mormon that she started to have this constant sarcastic thought: “why does God keep blessing them when they are just going to fall away again”. Then she came to that verse and realized that God does that for her and she then shared her testimony of His tender mercies.

Oh, how true for me as well. I’m sure my Heavenly Father gets frustrated with me knowing that He has blessed me so much and I keep letting myself fall into the comfort zone of this world and forget the basic principles that I need to be better at – or maybe more consistent at. I am so grateful that I have a merciful Heavenly Father and I need to be more like that with my own children – merciful and kind even when I can see the mistakes they make. I am reminded of the scripture in Lamentations 3:22-23 “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning”.

Not Just My Prayers

LeRoy and I had a great discussion this week concerning our blessings. We are both so touched by the fact that Heavenly Father didn’t give us what we thought was best a year ago (when we tried to buy the other house). It seems to both of us that He needed to have a few more things in place before He could answer our prayer. Here are a few prayers of others that we are seeing answered as ours is being answered.

John (our builder) didn’t feel good about starting 2 other spec homes for the winter but he still needed to provide for his family. When we asked him to build for us his question of what to do for the winter was answered.

We knew last year that if we were to leave the ward it would really make things more difficult for the Bishop. We are a ward that changes every semester and is nearly 70% students so finding someone to replace LeRoy as the 2nd Counselor in the Bishopric would inevitably affect other presidencies in the ward and cause a ripple effect. Not that LeRoy is the only one for the position – it is just hard to fill leadership positions in this ward. This spring, around the same time we are scheduled to move, the entire stake boundaries as well as those of 2 other stakes are being changed to accommodate the growth, and University, in Rexburg. The Bishop has already commented on how the timing seems much better than it did a year ago.

LeRoy and I feel that moving last January would have been quite hard on the kids. They were all doing great in the ward, at school and other activities and in the last year things have changed considerably. Not that they are miserable by any means but this time around the talk of moving is positive from the kids – instead of one of dread. We believe that they have even been prepared to make the change to a new stake and ward and they are willing to branch out a little. Whether the kids offered those prayers or not, we can see Heavenly Father meeting their needs.

We don’t know what other prayers are being offered and how our upcoming changes cause a ripple effect to also answer their prayers but we are finding that there are a lot more people involved in this than just us.

A Record of This People

In our family reading we have just read about Ammon and King Limhi and the records that were found by Limhi’s people. As I was reading this I thought it was so interesting that we were learning from 3 groups of people: Mosiah in Zarahemla; Zeniff’s people from Zeniff, King Noah and then Limhi; the Jaredites (from the records that Limhi’s people found).

I had a thought that one of the greatest ways we really learn from other generations is if there is a record kept. Maybe that’s why I like this blog thingy. I have been printing each post and it is becoming my journal for the year. Today I felt that I wanted to share some of my spiritual thoughts so that even as my kids read the blog “perhaps I might persuade them that they would remember the Lord their Redeemer” (1Nephi 19:18) and see how blessed we are as a family. Of course the rest of you are welcome to read as well, but I must admit that my posts are more for a selfish reason than to share our daily silliness – that’s why they get so long – they are a record of our family.

I have also had a couple of ah-ha moments while reading "Press On" and "Peculiar" but I think I will save those for another time. This enough for one post.