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.

Battle of the Sexes

I really need a bigger house! Levi and Erika have each had a friend over for most of the day which has left our home feeling a bit like Jr. High. The girls secretly have crushes on the boys (3 of Erika's good friends have a crush on Levi if my girly monitor reads right) and the boys play it for all they are worth.

Erika and Jenneka were minding their own business, playing music loud enough that they couldn't hear the rest of the house, curling their hair and yes, still in their pajamas when Levi and Chad decided to start sneaking stuff under the door. When the girls caught on they put a blanket in front of the door so the boys used a tape measure (stiff enough to go under the blanket) and still managed to bug them. As the girls quickly swung the door open Chad yelled "ahhh" spitting cracker all over the hallway and into Erika's room. Suddenly they all sounded like a pack of hyenas rolling on the floor and laughing hysterically, all the while the girls insisting they were "totally grossed out" and Chad still spewing ABC cracker all over himself.

Next step for the boys was stealing stuff from Erika's room - nothing of value, just a slipper, Jenneka's clothes that Erika had been borrowing, jewelry - all just fun and games. The girls proceeded to run down to Levi's room and steal Levi's remote control car. I couldn't help but laugh as Levi and Chad went running through the kitchen to save the car, Levi wearing a tall purple witches hat, and Chad clutching his shirt which was stuffed with who knows what. The girls quickly retreated to the girly room and the boys decided to sneak outside and bang on their window. When the girls left the room the boys knew they were in trouble. The girls quickly locked the back door, then the front and high-fived each other as both boys slid around the side of the house (straight ice out there) and Levi pushed Chad into the snow (about 4 feet of it). Once again the hysterical laughing.

This story could go on all night (as it feels like it already has having lived it and now typing it) but I will jump to the dramatic win which the boys took over the girls causing me to step in and rescue the girls - at least their emotions before the crying started.

Levi found Erika's stash of letters from her friends - including those from boys - while hiding in her closet waiting to scare her. He stuffed a handful of letters into his pockets, ran out of her room and retreated to the boy zone (Levi's room). As the girls were outside his door Chad started quoting from one of the letters and wow - this was no longer fun or funny . . . the boys had crossed the line. After hearing the girls banging on the door, yelling threats and stomping for a few minutes I could tell I better step in. I sent the girls upstairs, went in to talk to the boys (they know better than to not open the door for me - I feed them) retrieved all of the 'stuff' that had been taken and banished both teams to their kingdoms for a time out.

Shortly after the time out and enough time for the girls to remember they like the boys and could forgive them, they all got together and decided to walk to Hollywood to get videos. We have had peace for the space of 2 hours and soon they will be home. Then another battle will begin as the foursome works out which movie to watch first - the chic flic or the action movie. Once again I will probably have to intervene - just so that Nathan will be able to sleep. At least we have chips and salsa, cookies and drinks keep their mouths full and hopefully quiet during movie time.

Water Aerobics and Pizza

Today was my first day back to water aerobics. I know that some people think this is a wimpy way to exercise but at 6 months pregnant it is anything but wimpy to get up at 6am, warm up a vehicle at 7 degrees (no garage mind you) put on a bathing suit, and work out with water working against you. (Dad could also give testimony that it is a good workout - way to go Dad!) My favorite part of 'pregnant' water aerobics is first getting into the water and feeling my belly lift off my legs and hips - ahh the relief. I also love being able to do a workout that I feel somewhat normal doing, not waddling or trying to do things that a pregnant body just can't do (like the pilates that I also love).

When we first started this morning, one of the guys (who is in his early 30's and just got engaged over Thanksgiving) informed us that his family - consisting of 8 people - all pitched in $100 and they all have 8 weeks to see who can lose the most weight. The person who wins gets the whole $800 and he really wants it so that they have the money for their honeymoon in March. Once the instructor heard that, as well as 2 others who are in competitions to lose weight, she really upped the workout. Though my arms and legs were tired and a little sore afterward it felt great to stretch and work my muscles without aggravating my hips and knees.

Later in the day Nathan and I made a quick trip to HomeDepot in Idaho Falls to pick up materials, another trip to the bank about our construction loan, another visit with the CPA and we were both wiped out. I turned off all the phones and we both had a much needed nap.

For dinner tonight I decided to surprise the boys. They have wanted to make homemade pizza's for quite a while and I kept putting it off. I decided to get the Pillsbury Pizza Dough so that I didn't have to make it (yes, lazy I know), and all of their favorite toppings. I set it all on the table and told them they were in charge of dinner. I couldn't believe how excited they were about making dinner - I should try this more often. Justin was quite good at stretching out the dough to fit the pan, he cut all the pineapple and stuck with the job the whole time - he was focused on getting to the eating part. He was also good to let me have a corner of his pizza to make mine with green peppers, onions and zuchinni. Nathan helped by stealing most of the pineapples and picking in the cheese. Derek and Levi made a mess of their dough though they seemed to have fun doing it and snitched in all the toppings while making their pizza. I don't know how they could still be hungry for pizza after eating a pizza worth of toppings. When theirs was finished cooking they took it out, ate immediately and both burned their mouths. In the end it was more expensive to make these pizza's (mostly the cost of cheese!) than it would have been to pick up Hot-n-Ready's but the pictures wouldn't have been nearly as fun - or the kitchen as big of a mess. Sometimes the mess is worth it!

As for Erika she is at a friends house probably giggling, running around in her jammies and doing all that girly stuff (stinking up the house with fingernail polish, daydreaming and gabbing about "oh my gosh, so hot" boys and listening to music that I'm "to old fashioned to like"). The boys were glad she was going to be at her friends house after having all the girly giggling going on for several days at our house over the Christmas vacation. I must admit I'd rather watch the boys make a mess of the kitchen doing pizza's and wrestling around than monitoring the girls. I never did like all that teenage girly stuff - even when I was one - so putting on a smile and pretending to understand because I am female is just more work. I'm so glad my mom understood me in this area when I was a teenager (she was a little the same way) and she let me hang out with the guys. It's a good thing Erika and I have a love of books and piano music in common - I wouldn't know what to do with her otherwise.

LeRoy is staying late to help our soon-to-be neighbors wire in their house. He played basketball the last 2 nights (2 hours each night) and is walking a little sore now, almost waddling just like me. He keeps telling me he is getting old but he sure doesn't slow down any. I wish I had his energy and constant, positive, cheerful attitude. I'm so blessed to have him!

Well, the boys finally have the kitchen cleaned up so we're going to go watch a movie. It is a 'no-girls-allowed movie night'. I love it that I'm still invited.

Ahhh Sleep! (and other stuff)

This morning deserves a happy post! After almost 3 weeks of ending up on the couch by 2am I made it a full night in my bed. Ohh, did I wake up feeling great! I did have a brief potty break at 1:30 but went back to bed and slept until time for scriptures this morning. Sleep, scriptures, breakfast . . . it's going to be a good day. The stuff that I can get done before 10am is great when I am well rested! I'm showered before noon, have 3 loads of laundry done (2 of which are folded!), the kitchen is cleaned up and Nathan and I have had reading and cuddle time. Ahh sweet sleep!!

There are a few other things going on in life though . . . here's a quick review:

We hadn't seen our dog for a few days so the kids went out looking for her, and found her - frozen. Last Labor Day a good section of our back fence burned in the shed fire that we had so she has kind of been the neighborhood dog since then. Originally we thought someone called and had her picked up by animal control but it looks like she was hit by one of the big construction trucks that are constantly going in our back field. They are building 6 townhomes back there and she (the dog) had no trouble wandering around there while they were working. LeRoy didn't want to put the dog on her chain all the time so . . . we no longer have a dog. I thought I would rejoice over that but I must admit I had a little sad moment. It wasn't for the mess in the backyard, the holes she dug, the vegetables she stole from the garden, the hoses she ate or the barking but because Nathan was really cute with her and I guess she was kind of a security for me. Nathan would stand at the window and call her name and make jumping motions to her and she would run in circles to chase her tail and play with him. Anytime a car came into the driveway she was like the pre-doorbell to let me know someone was there and when LeRoy was gone overnight it was nice to know she was out there. So I guess this is a little dedication to Sadie the dog - who will not be replaced. There could be a couple of meanings for that and I'm thinking we are not getting another dog! Enough of the obituaries. (** so wierd that while I was typing this paragraph the neighbors black lab walked past the downstairs window - it kind threw me off a little thinking it was Sadie - they always wandered around together and looked just alike**). OK - really no more dog stories.

Yesterday was very productive for me even tho' I was so tired. With it being a new year I had to close out one year for our business and start all new folders for a new year. Also the taxes come with that, W2's for the employees and really making sure everything is in order. Long story could be told here but the short of it is that I spent about 6 hours in the office yesterday, called our loan officer (for the house) 3 times to clarify stuff, and talked with our CPA twice. I really felt like I was at work and then I had to run Levi to Idaho Falls to the orthodontist and the day started to feel really long. (A great surprise came for me when I got home and Erika, Derek and Justin had done a spectacular job cleaning the house and a neighbor brought me a bowl of my favorite homemade soup.) I do love what I do in the office and get great satisfaction when I have all these files in order and figure out stuff that makes me stretch (even tho at the time the stretching is just stressing).

This may seem a little weird to some but for me it has been exciting. At age 35 I must have hit a midlife crisis and for the first time in my life I had highlights done in my hair. I did it without LeRoy knowing because he is a little opinionated on the subject. I felt like I had shiny hair and that even pulling it back it looked cute because of the highlights. LeRoy didn't seem to notice for the first day so Erika pointed it out but he didn't say much. Then the 2nd time I had thicker highlights with a bit lighter color so that it was a little more noticeable. When LeRoy got home that night (warning: no long G rating) he said "I love your hair, you look so hot I want to attack you right here, right now". As the kissing started our kids were all grossed out and I had to get back to making dinner but it was a great uplift for me. So that really isn't what I meant to write about but it leads me to say that I really like my hair stylist and she has helped me to find products that really do tame the frizz that I suffer from. (I suddenly feel like my sisters who inherited the same said frizz just perked up for more info). She gave me 'Big Sexy Hair', which Levi gives me a bad time about, and Matrix Sleek Look #3. I can even leave my hair wet and then blowdry it later and I don't have the frizz. You can't imagine how great this is for me when I need to run kids to school and I haven't had time to blowdry. So at 36 I have finally discovered how to take care of my hair. If you want to know how I use the products give me a call - I won't bore the rest with the details.

Books, books, books - only I haven't started the book that I should be reading for Bookgroup.

Book #1: I got a late Christmas surprise from LeRoy's sister Robin. She sent me a book in the mail (Daughters of God by Michael Wilcox) and I was quite excited about it. I have borrowed the book from Kara a couple of times and had considered buying it so when it came in the mail I was excited. The interesting part is that Robin has had it for quite a while and I don't know why she chose now to send it. It actually belonged to LeRoy's mom who passed away 7 years ago.

Book #2: I am proud to report that my daughter (who seems to be nothing like me) just finished Celia Garth last night. She loved it and wanted to stay up last night until she finished it. Boy was she surprised when I told her she could, even on a school night. So to Grandma and all of my sisters (who I think each own a copy, including myself) . . . Erika is officially one of us.

Book #3: As I was browsing Deseret Book I found one that I am going to give to a friend for her birthday. It may seem silly that I would give her a children's book but we have kind of a silly relationship. It is actually a great book and I'm going to use it for FHE one of these January weeks. Oh - maybe I should tell you what it is. The Quiltmakers Journey. There is also a 2nd one (that was actually written first) called The Quiltmakers Gift but I haven't read that one - just the reviews that it is also very good.

Book #4: I just finished Anne Frank Remembered. I was looking for baby name books at the library and this was stuck in the wrong place so I brought it home. I really can't tell you why other than it interested me that it was written by the lady that helped to hide the Frank family and that Erika had just read the Anne Frank Diary for school. I couldn't put it down. It was very simply written and left me feeling like there are really good people in this world. I was amazed at what humans can do when they care.

Wow - this is getting alot longer than I intended it to be. Maybe I better quit for today.

Where can I turn for Peace? (or at least quiet)

I think this little guy had a growth spurt over night! Suddenly my belly seems to be crawling up my chest and I feel like I need to lean back even more when sitting. I am also constantly reminded that I can't bend over. Today all I can think about my elephant size is that I'm glad I don't have an elephant length pregnancy!

After having everyone home for the Christmas break I realize again that my house is too small and crowded for a family of 7 with two 6' guests, my family is very loud, and I am a person who needs a little quiet time now and then. Today I went to Deseret Book to use my gift certificate from LeRoy and ended up just sitting in a comfy chair to read and soak in the quiet, calm atmosphere for a while. Then I got home to walk in on alot of noise, a toddler that should have been down for a nap but was woken up only 20 minutes into it, a kitchen that looked like a tornado had hit and had popcorn all over the floor. The popcorn actually came from Erika and her friend who 'blew up the bag when it opened' and they were also the ones who woke up Nathan. Amazing how you can put two 14 year old girls together and they run around the house giggling and making a mess like they are 4 year olds again.

To give Nathan and I a little peace I am sending LeRoy and the kids (as well as the 24 yr old who is staying for a couple of daysand happens to be louder than LeRoy) to see the "Bee Movie". That should give me time to get Nathan to bed, clean up this disaster house a little and maybe do a little reading. If all I do is get Nathan to bed and then sit and listen to silence it will be well worth it.

Now on to my New Year's Resolutions. I did make a few and they are very realistic. For example:

1 - Lose weight . . . I should be able to accomplish that around March 21st and shortly after

2 - Build a house . . . there is a whole crew working on that

3 - Move . . . inevitable

4 - Not lose my mind/temper/sanity . . . taking meds from the midwife

My physical body and spirit can't handle much more. I do have a couple of things written down but I also decided with that to not beat myself up trying to get it done so I guess my goal for 2008 is to survive.

As I just read through this post I realize that I really must be tired. Sleep deprivation and lack of solitute is leaving me in a little cloud of . . . hmmm . . . I don't know, just a little grey, moody cloud.

I guess today the blog title fits. Another day done . . . "Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it". Thank you Anne Shirley. (I guess I could have tried the "Glad Game" but I was too tired to play).