"RETURN TO VIRTUE"

"NOW IS THE TIME FOR EACH OF US TO ARISE AND UNFURL A BANNER TO THE WORLD CALLING FOR A RETURN TO VIRTUE"

This October at General Conference I was really touched and impressed with Sister Dalton's talk on Returning to Virtue. As a young women leader I felt that her talk was so important and that all the young women need to hear her words, to heed her call and RETURN TO VIRTUE. So this last week we decided to do just that. We took our girls on a hike over looking our town. It was beautiful! The weather couldn't have been nicer. The trees and mountains were amazing with all of the leaves changing colors. When we reached the top we sat down together and watched the Sister Dalton's talk. After it was over, we all took turns signing our own banner and held it up as our own Standard to the Nation as a sign that we are willing to be light to this world that is in so much need of light and that we will heed Sister Dalton's call and Return to Virtue.





"IT WAS OUR ENSIGN, OUR STANDARD TO THE NATIONS--OUR BANNER CALLING FOR A RETURN TO VIRTUE."

"COWBOY TAKE ME AWAY!"

OK THIS IS A RANDOM POST, BUT TONIGHT I WENT TO A GOLF BANQUET WITH MY HUSBAND AND WOULDN'T YOU KNOW...AN OLD BUDDY FROM RICKS COLLEGE WAS THERE. JUST WONDERING IF THE WORDS... "COWBOY TAKE ME AWAY!" BRING BACK ANY MEMORIES. IF YOU LIVED IN PERKINS YOU MIGHT REMEMBER OUR BRITTNEY SPEARS SING ALONG TO LANCE TAYLOR OR YOU MAY EVEN REMEMBER K "SWISS"(SAY THAT SEDUCTIVELY) OR MAYBE EVEN BO "DOG" BUT OF COURSE THIS WAS THE COWBOY THAT BROUGHT THE DIXIE CHICKS SONG TO LIFE! THOSE WERE THE DAYS. GOT TO LOVE RICKS!
LET ME KNOW IF YOU KNOW WHO THE FRIEND I RAN INTO WAS! :)

YW/YM HALLOWEEN PARTY!

We had the funnest Youth activity this week. We had a Halloween party where We played Donut tug of war and murder in the dark. It was really fun. The tug of war was a hit. We tied ropes to each kid and they had to be the first to take a bite of the donut on the opposite sides of the room it was so funny! Everyone really got into it and they would cheer each other on and lots of the kids wanted to try it. Here are some of the pictures from the night.

Motherhood is not for WIMPS!

Ok, YOu have all heard the saying Motherhood is not for WIMPS. Right?! SO WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING HERE??? Sometimes I feel like this...
The days can be rough and my three year old loves to make the most mischief possible! She is too smart for her own good and for my sanity as well! Sometimes I find myself singing the words to a song my mother made up when I was little...
WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR MOTHER IN A LOONEY BIN?
WHERE YOU COULD GO FOR A LITTLE RIDE AND SEE HER NOW AND THEN,
HOW LOVELY SHE'D LOOK ALL DRESSED IN WHITE WITH HER ARMS ALL STRAPpED DOWN TIGHT,
IN A ROOM THAT'S PINK AND PADDED WITH HER HAIR SO NICELY RATTED.
oh those were the days... when my mother was going CRAZY and not me!!
I hate to admit it because by telling this story you will all know what a TERRIBLE MOTHER I AM!!! Katelin won't go to Nursery by herself as soon as Clay or I try to leave she throws horrible fit and She screams and yells. To top it off she learned a new word so a couple sundays ago I shut the door to try to escape and immediately I heard her began her trantrum... " You piss me off, you piss me off" Yes, she really said that and I was totally embarrised. I looked in the little window and could see all the leaders look at each other in Shock and mouth something to the effect of... " did she say what I think she said?" I love my little Katelin, but she is definately a hand full! Clay put it this way... " She is lot of fun, but sometimes, fun is a lot of work!" Last time we went to church we bribed Katlin like crazy to get her to go to nursery and through some great miracle she went and without using any profain language might I add. But she has been soaking it for all it is worth ever since. I can't tell you how many times In the last 2 weeks I have heard the words "Please! I been good at nursery!" Ok, now that I have complained a little about how hard it is being a mother! There is nothing like it in the world. I know that I am truely blessed to be a mother. Yes, there are those days when I am going crazy and then there are the wonderful days when my children are angels and Katelin say things like "I lub you so much mommy" Or all the times she make me laugh at the funny things she says and does or makes me tear up at the sweet, profound comments she make. I loved the talk at conference by Pres. Monson where he said... "If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly." I have to admit I don't alway love those little finger prints every where, but I am going to try harder to "FIND JOY IN THE JOURNEY NOW" and enjoy moments like these...

Tytan at 4 months!

Can you believe that my baby is 4 months old today? I can't! Seems like it was seriously a couple weeks ago that I was seeing him for the first time. He wasn't small for very long because now he is just HUGE!! He has been a pretty Strong and wiggly guy from the get go. I don't know when the first time it was but I caught him rolling over and pushing himself to stand when laying on my chest when he was just tiny. And now he is so big. He can sit up against things and he rolls over all the time, but then he doesn't like being on his tummy and can't get to his back again so as soon as I flip him over he is back on his tummy. He gets quite the work out. I love this little guy. He is such a happy boy. He smiles at me all the time and sleeps through the night (he has been doing that for a while YAY! I need my beauty sleep that is for sure!) Katelin is sweet with him, but he has been through allot already with his mischievous sister on the loose... One day Katelin even tried to make him prettier by painting his eye with nail polish. DArn girl! I had to take him to insta care and everything. He is ok... Thank heavens! He loves suck on his hands and chew them like crazy, he drools like a saint Bernard, but maybe he will grow out!:) I just am so blessed! Heavenly Father couldn't have sent me a sweeter Angel!

HEY BUNKERS WE FINALLY DID IT!!!

So for the longest time I have been saying that I was going to paint my wood paneling. NOW IT is finally all finished with the tile and carpet and No more cottage cheese ceiling And I LOVE IT YAY!! So here is a look at before and after.
BEFORE
Kitchen/family room and Katelin on the kitchen floor..



AFTER

Somewhere My Love

I just want to say Thanks to all of you for the kindness, love and support shown to me and my family for the loss of my Sweet Grandpa. I really appreciated it. His funeral was beautiful and everything went really well. It has been hard getting used to the idea that he is really gone. I know he was 84 and that's old, but it is still so hard to loose someone you love. It has been weird for Katelin. She doesn't really understand, but she knows something is different. One day she told my Father in law over the phone. "My mommy's praga (grandpa) died and thats why she is sad and has been crying." And at the the viewing/funeral she kept wanting to see grandpa and so I took her to my dad and she said "NO The other Praga!" She really loved my Grandpa and I love the picture at the top of this post. One day we went to visit my grandparents and Grandpa was out mowing his lawn (something he loved to do) and he lifted Katelin up on his lap and took her for a ride. I actually just had my phone and snapped a picture because it was such a fun moment. I really hope that my little Katelin can remember my Grandpa. At the funeral my Aunt Teena played "Somewhere My love" It was beautiful. Grandpa always loved that song and I remember this little music box that my great grandma had that sang that song and had little birds flying on it. As I have been trying to think of ways for my little children to be able to remember grandpa I decided I wanted to be able to sing that song to them as a lullaby so I looked up the lyrics, They are beautiful and very fitting and this how it goes....
Somewhere my love, there will be songs to sing.
Although the snow, covers the hope of spring.
Somewhere a hill, blossoms in green and gold.
And there are dreams all that your heart can hold.
Someday we'll meet again my love.
Someday whenever the spring breaks through.
You'll come to me, out of the long-ago.
Warm as the wind, soft as the kiss of snow.
Till than my sweet, think of me now and then.
God's speed my love, till you are mine again.