NBA Update #5

Do ya really want to know? UGH!

Utah Jazz: 3, Houston Rockets: 2
Happy DH: 3, Grumpy DH: 2
Happy Family: 3, Frustrated Family: 2

Games where we got blown out and it just wasn't our game from the opening tip? 1 very long, horrible, torturous game.

So Big!

LD's "Number Day" was today. I started this tradition with K. I remember looking through photos that my parents had taken. There were always a lot at birthdays, Christmas and other special occasions, but throughout the year, not very many. I decided that I wanted to see the kids grow monthly and started with K, taking her picture every month. Then I have a special photo album for each child that just has their "number days" in it. It is so fun to quickly thumb through them and watch the kids grow.

Here are some of LD's number days and the progression. It has gone too fast. It just will be overnight and he'll be in Kindergarten, seminary, graduating from high school, mission...etc. How I want to treasure each day...I'll never get them back!

NBA Update # 4

Utah Jazz: 3, Houston Rockets: 1
Happy DH: 3, Grumpy DH: 1
Happy Family: 3, Frustrated Family: 1

Games concluding after midnight:2

It was a late night last night. The game didn't start until almost 10 at night and we and one of my Best Friend's family went up to my sister's. It was so fun. Her house is super big and the kids could easily play while the adults watched and visited. It was fun. The game didn't end until after midnight. It was a nailbiter...so good thing we one. We sacrificed enough sleep that if they hadn't won...there would've been a lot of grumpy people! We didn't get home until just after 1 am. Then we had to be at church at 8. We're tired.

6 Reasons to be Grumpy.

6 reasons to be grumpy:

1. LD was up a lot in the night. I got three-ish hours of sleep.
2. It is humid.
3. It is that time of the month. Gotta love it.
4. The Jazz lost.
5. DH is grumpy.
6. I have a ton of commitments with my new calling, my old calling, kids' activities, clinic stuff, house stuff, yard stuff, etc., etc., etc.

6 reasons not to be grumpy.

1. I love my Savior.
2. I have a great DH, K, C, and LD.
3. I have a house that keeps me safe and warm or safe and cold.
4. I live in a wonderful country.
5. My sister lives only 30 minutes away!
6. I have awesome friends!

NBA Update #3

Utah Jazz: 2, Houston Rockets: 1
Happy DH: 2, Grumpy DH: 1
Happy Family: 2, Frustrated Family: 1

Games concluding after midnight:1

Ahhh!!!!!!! Tonight was so frustrating. Exhausted as I was from all my new calling duties, I stayed up (by myself--DH and C were asleep on the couch) to watch the Jazz lose to Houston at home! It wouldn't be so bad to lose one...in fact, it might build character, but the way they lost with some sloppy plays and HORRID free throw shooting...that is hard to handle, especially with my sleep-deprived brain and grumpy DH.

NBA Update #2

Utah Jazz: 2, Houston Rockets: 0
Happy DH: 2, Grumpy DH: 0
Happy Family: 2, Frustrated Family: 0

GO UTAH! Way to take two in Houston! :)

Lessons Learned, Part 1

Some of the lessons I learned from Time Out (Part 1: not from the speakers/music)

1. Meals when mom is gone: Dinner: Wendy's. Late Night Snack: Arby's. Breakfast: cereal. Lunch: Souper Salad. Dinner (at 8:30 since mom is still not home): Peanut Butter and Jelly.
2. DH really can change stinky diapers!
3. Dads are really fun.
4. If you go to IHOP at midnight or so...you will probably feel very old if you are over 22.
5. DH must really love me to shut the clinic down so that he could be with the kids.
6. K and C REALLY missed me, but LD was just like, "Oh, Mom, you're here!" He was excited to see me, but just as he would be if I'd gone grocery shopping and came home. K and C, however, were talking non-stop about all their adventures with dad and giving me tons of hugs. I guess they recognize the passage of time more than LD.

NBA Playoff Update

Utah Jazz: 1, Houston Rockets: 0
Happy DH: 1, Grumpy DH: 0
Happy Family: 1, Frustrated Family: 0

We're BACK!

Time Out was a blast! We had so much fun. The only thing even semi-negative or not-like-imagained was that we were kind of rushed much of the time. Otherwise, it really lived up to the expectations I'd been building for months. In a nutshell: no kids, uplifting and inspirational music and speakers, and great company. What more could you ask for in a weekend out. I am EXHAUSTED! Due to that, I am posting a couple pictures, but will probably post more tomorrow about all the wonderful things I learned.

Friends, Hail, and a few more Hours! :)

Today, the kids had many of the neighbors come over to play in their "park" that they'd set up. It looked like a tour of the backyard to me...but I wasn't out interfering, so who knows what it really was. It turned into a boys versus girls "fight," from which no one got hurt (amazingly, since it seemed pretty intense).

Then, tonight...the sirens started going off. There weren't tornadoes in our area, but there was hail the diameter of a nickel. It was coming down so hard that I couldn't even see an inch out of the window. We did go to our "safe place" for a little while, as there was a possibility of tornadoes forming. DH was still at work and his car really got hit. It was too dark to check for damage, but without a doubt there will be some. He is so depressed about this. Here they are in the bathroom waiting out the storm:
Finally, there are just a few more hours until my friends and I leave for Time Out for Women! I am so excited! This is what DH gave me for my birthday. We leave in the morning, drive to another city, grab a quick dinner, go to Time Out (a religious seminar for women), go back to the hotel (hot tub? dessert?), talking until we're exhausted, sleep?, breakfast at the hotel, more Time Out all day long, leave and come home to see how the husbands fared with all the kids! I was a little stressed today with all I needed to do before I could leave, but now that the kids are in bed...I am so excited. And, they are, too! C, especially, can't wait to have Daddy time. He almost couldn't eat or sleep tonight since he is so excited. LD doesn't understand and I think he will miss me the most, but he will be just fine. I'll have to post pictures after we return!

Bad Rash

Poor LD. He has a bad, bad diaper rash. Both K and C never got rashes at all. LD is much more sensitive. If I don't catch a messy diaper immediately, he might have a little redness and if he eats certain foods (like grapes) it causes him problems. But, I use Desitin and it clears up within hours.

Not this time. I think it began with eating a few raisins last week so his little bum was already sensitive. Then, we had a babysitter on Friday and I don't think she changed him right away. Then, I've had a pretty bad cold and cannot smell anything...so I just check his diaper every hour or so, but I can't just go by smell to alert me of a problem.

Now it is really bad. The poor guy cries when I get ready to change his diaper. Last night I got a couple different kinds of ointments..including "Butt Paste" and some new Organic wipes. I also got him some underwear (cute boxers, huh?) to give him a little more air, but not completely exposed. He loved them. He even sat on the potty a couple of times. I am NOT training him yet, but since I bought him underwear...I thought we'd go through the motions. (Oh..in the picture...yes, he has pen on his belly. He is so mischievous! He is my only kid that writes on things...walls, books, himself...the little turkey!)

I just hope the rash is cleared up before I go out of town this weekend. DH hardly ever changes a diaper and dealing with a rash and a squirmy baby who doesn't want to be changed would be a challenge for him.

New Calling

Gee. It doesn't seem so long since I last posted about a new calling...less than a year. For those of my blogfriends that aren't members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a calling is like a "job" at church. All teachers and leaders in our local congregations are non-paid volunteers. We are asked to perform a certain job by the leader of our congregation. We have the option to accept or decline. If we accept, we are then presented to the entire congregation for a sustaining vote. No position is sought after or campaigned for, but most choose to accept, no matter how difficult the "job" might be.

My new calling is 2nd Counselor in the Relief Society Presidency. Again, for those not of my faith..the Relief Society is the women's organization in our church. Every sister (woman over the age of 18) is a member of this organization. Our mission is to serve others and bring each other closer to Jesus Christ. This organization, like all others in our church, is led by a President and two counselors.

I have so many thoughts and feelings about this calling. First of all, I KNOW it was from the Lord. Before I went to meet with the Bishop on Wednesday night, I knew who the President was going to be and I knew that I would be called as her counselor. No one told me. The Spirit just bore witness to my heart that that was what would happen. Isn't that awesome?

I am so excited to serve with the president and other counselor. They are both amazing women that I love so much. I do feel overwhelmed, but my main feeling actually is that I should be more overwhelmed than I am. Am I doing something wrong to not be too stressed or overwhelmed at this new call?

This is actually what is bothering me the most...that I'm not too bothered. I guess it is because I was Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment Leader for two years just recently so...while it is a lot of work...I sort of know the expectations of this aspect of the calling. Then, I have been Compassionate Service Leader for the last 11-months or so...so I have been working closely with the Relief Society President to fulfill the needs of the families in our ward. Also, I have complete faith and trust in our new president. I love her so much. She has always been such an example to me and I have longed to get to know her better. This is my chance! In addition, I have really been working hard at keeping my "houses" in order. I feel that I have the other aspects of my life under control enough right now that I can serve and spend more time doing it. Finally, I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers (even mine!).

Perhaps it is okay to feel peaceful about this call. I do worry some about coming up with ideas for Enrichment. The counselor that got released today was outstanding at doing that. I know I will spend more time in meetings than I did. Hmm...it still worries me that I don't feel completely overwhelmed. Is something wrong with me?

Footprints

I've been missing (from Blogland) during the last few days. I'm not sure why. Life is always busy and this week wasn't nearly as busy as some. I've had a silly cold or allergies that is causing me a lot of congestion. We had huge storms a couple of nights in a row, including a 7-8 hour power outage and a 45-60 min outage. In fact, here's a cute picture of our breakfast by candlelight. Other than that...who knows why I haven't blogged lately. Oh, and it was symphony night again last night! It was so beautiful...the best one yet. I LOVE going and I LOVE having a set date with DH. It is the best!

A couple of neat things that juxtaposed themselves, though.

First, LD decided one morning to dump the baby power on the floor. Then he walked in it. At first, it annoyed me as another one of his messes. He just is so destructive. But, then K brought it to my attention how very cute his little footprints were and I realized that I will certainly miss those little feet as they grow. (It also reminded me of the first book in the Spiderwick Chronicles!)

Then, C had to do a timeline of his life for school. It turned out really neat. I guess those footprints are already bigger for him. Ahhh! It goes too fast!

Profound Lawn Mowing Thoughts

Sometimes I find that mowing the lawn gives me ample time to think and really ponder. There are basically no distractions and I can just pause and ponder life. Today, I had a really profound (at least to me) insight. I am so proud of my backyard right now. I have been working on it for approximately an hour a day and it has really been paying off. Today, I realized that practically no one else would feel that it was anything special or anything to be proud of. You only feel that if you know where it has come from.

When we first moved into our home five years ago, we took good care of the yard. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was well-maintained, mowed, watered, edged, etc.. Then, about three years ago, we started the tedious process of opening our own business. If you have never opened your own business, you have NO idea how much work it is. We thought we knew...nope. It is a 24-hour-a-day process. So, three years ago, it started to get neglected. Then, two years ago, we had a brand-new business and I was pregnant with LD. More neglect (something just had to give). Last year, the business was more stable (still a TON of work), but I also had a newborn (also a TON of work). During all this, DH worked approximately 65 hours a week out of the house. This meant the yard (along with the kids, the house, and my duties for the business) was left to me. Long story...short point: the yard was a mess. It was full of weeds and very neglected.

Now...can you understand how proud I am of the nicely trimmed grass, the freshly weeded vegetable garden, and the new storage bench for all the basketballs?

I realized, though, as I was mowing, that this is very much like people. Sometimes we only look at where they are right now, not knowing how far they've come. If we could just see where they were five years ago or two months ago or whatever, we would probably be so proud of them for how far they've come instead of so judgmental for how far they have to go.

There you have it: Profound Lawn Mowing Thoughts by me.

Amazing Session

I typed up the last post between sessions of General Conference and I meant to just add a couple more quotes at the conclusion of this session to that last post. But, this session was so awesome that it deserved its own post! The spirit was so strong. The speakers bore such powerful witness. The counsel was so inspired. How wonderful that I got to see and hear this session! While the spirit felt is intangible and unable to put into words, I can share a few of the truths that touched my heart during the last two hours:

• Elder David A. Bednar: "Simply saying prayers is a far different thing than engaging in meaningful prayer." We are full-time "finders." Prayers should not be a wishlist.
• W. Craig Zwick: "Do I need to lower my standards to keep my friends?" "Are we willing to fight the unpopular battle?"
• Lance B. Wickman: "Life is a time for giving and becoming not getting and accumulating."
• Elder M. Russell Ballard: The informative years of a children's life is about 1/10th the lifespan of their parents. Focus on CHILDREN during the short time they are with us. If the simple things are being attended to, a mother's life is more rewarding.

And...isn't President Monson awesome? It is true that he now has that mantle of prophet.

Hooray for General Conference!

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved General Conference. I literally look forward to it for six months! This time has been no exception. In fact, I have been looking even more forward to it as it will be my first time to hear President Monson speak as prophet of the Lord.

How very grateful I am for the gospel. I am so grateful to have a living church where the Lord speaks to prophets and where we have a 12 apostles just like in the bible. How lucky I feel to be able to sit at the feet of the prophets and listen to the words of the Lord.

Even Little Dan has been enjoying it. I captured him during the sustainings raising his hand, too. The cool part is that you can see President Uchtdorf in the background on the TV. It was so cute. And, he loves to say "Amen." That is his favorite part of a talk or prayer.

This conference I was feeling like nothing was jumping out at me as dramatically as it has in the past. As I pondered this, I was touched by the Spirit's answer as to why. It is because I don't NEED anything right now. Life is relatively good and I am, in general, choosing the right and striving hard to be on the right path. So...the only thing the spirit needs to tell me at this conference is that I need to work a little harder, be a little kinder, and be a little more diligent. But, unlike some other conferences, I am not needing major comfort, I am not needing inspiration over a major decision, and I am not needing to make major changes. I know it is true that the Spirit touches each of us with what we need. What a wonderful blessing to have the Gift of the Holy Ghost to know this!

Nevertheless, there were many things that still touched me from conference, including:

• Sister Cheryl C. Lant: "Are we consciously creating righteous traditions or is life just happening to us?"


• Elder Joseph C. Worthlin: Speaking about how the church is full of imperfect people..."The Lord knows we will make mistakes-that's why he atoned for our sins."


• Elder Dallin H. Oaks: We have a duty to speak out and declare our doctrine when there are misrepresentations.


• Gerald N. Lund: The spirit carries things UNTO our hearts, not INTO. We get to choose what we let in or keep out.


• Elder L. Tom Perry: Create a clear picture of Eternal Life and that will help us want to do what we need to do!


• President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: Peter said of Jesus, "He went about doing good." Can it be said of me?


• Elder D. Todd Christopherson: "Don't retain some disposition to do evil."


• Sister Susan W. Tanner: "When we delight to serve Him, our Heavenly Father delights to bless us!"


• President Boyd K. Packer: "My shoes are like my life, worn out in service."


• President Thomas S. Monson: Each of us can feel the Lord's inspiration. "Take literally the Lord's invitation to 'Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden.'"

I guess there is actually much that I gained from conference this year! Six more months until the next one! :)

Haircut

Today, I got my haircut. It always feels good to have it done so nice and cute. I am lucky to have one of my best friends that cuts hair. I don't think this picture is the best representation, but considering that we had to hurry really fast since I had a meeting at the school, so she didn't even get to style the cut, I have been working and wrestling with the kids, etc....it looks pretty cute. My sister got her hair done at the same time and it looks so super cute. Way cuter than mine even. My friend is so talented. Amazing, though, how long a day can get with two highlights, two haircuts, and four children three and under. I am exhausted. (I don't think it has anything to do with the fact that I was up quilting past midnight, went shopping before eight this morning, and mowed the front and back yards before we left for our 11:00 haircuts!)