Career path of a 3 year old

As well as being a Jeterinarian as Joseph has planned for now, I see a great future in photography for him. Yesterday Joseph was playing trains in the front room, a favorite pastime of his. I was working in the kitchen and was glad he was busy and having fun. Then it got quiet, very quiet, too quiet. But in my joyous state of getting something done uninterrupted, I did not recognize that silence for what it was. You would think I would know better, just last week it got too quiet and I walked in on Joseph finger and toe painting the hardwood floor in the dining area with an entire bottle of Elmer's glue. Perfect sweet precious little footprints leading away from the mess... to the carpet. I know these times are fleeting and someday I will miss the little hand prints everywhere, but probably not the ones made with glue!! Back to my current story...

A few minutes later I realized I was not hearing the whirring sounds of trains going around the tracks. I was hearing nothing at all. Just then Joseph came flying around the corner to tell me, "Mom, I took pictures, I took ALL the pictures". Sure enough, he had dug my small digital camera out of my purse and had figured out how to turn it on and how to make it work. Below is some of his work, see the progression? Eventually he figured out how to get his fingers out of the shots and started taking photos of his toys and things that interested him. I think he may have a future in this! Just not with MY camera!!!

A close up of a pillow on the sofa.
Quite a few close ups of his fingers, but he did finally get it....

One of his favorite things to pay with!

Yes, a box of cereal on its side...on the carpet. How grateful we are that we cannot see the whole picture!!The skylight, interesting exposure....kinda pretty!

Our neighborhood!!

Ooops, the dogs didn't eat their breakfast yet!!

Lil' Buckeroos

Today is our last full day here. They have had fun activities all week due to Spring Break. Today was the Lil' Buckeroos activity. We took Annalina and Joseph to the corral and they got to ride horses, practice roping, pet baby animals in the petting zoo, watch a branding demonstration(on a block of wood, not an animal) and we all got to ride in a wagon drawn by large draft horses. On that ride we saw an airplane crop dusting and we also saw a red tailed hawk flying circles around the valley. The kids had a blast and were both so brave! Many kids cried when they got on the horses and the ride ended where it started. Both Joseph and Annalina loved the horse rides!

Big Dark Scary Caves!!

Yesterday we drove to California to see the Lava Beds and caves. There are over 500 discovered caves and 24 of them have been made accessible to the public. We started out in the Mushpot cave, which is lit along the path with red rope lights. Every now and then there are displays with buttons you can push and lights accent certain areas and features of the cave. A few spots got a little low and my claustrophobia got the best of me. I made it almost to the innermost part of the cave, but took Annalina back to the front to wait for the rest of the family. Annalina did not like the darkness(neither did I) and she was a bit worried about slipping (so was I), and as she wimpered aloud, I was pretty much doing the same thing silently, so we decided to be cave buddies and stuck together the rest of the trip. Adrienne was very into the whole cave thing. She, Jake, Joseph and Richard were fearless. My feeling is that if you have to get on your belly to wiggle through to a deeper area, that we just aren't meant to go that far it. That is just my opinion but I was happy they had fun. And no, they did no belly crawling this trip!

Annalina, at the entrance of the cave

Next we went in the Indian Wells Cave. I loved this one. It was big and open and not very deep. There were beautiful ice formations and icicles. I am proud to say I went as far as the path would allow. Hmmm, perhaps I should not mention it was only about 300 feet to the end of the path??
Annalina and I attempted the Sentinel cave with the rest of the family. This is the only one that goes through to another cave entrance. We got a ways in and there were bridges going over deep crevices, and large holes going who knows how deep. Everything was very well done and safe with hand rails, but Annalina slipped on some ice and hurt her thumb and was just not interested in continuing on. I have to admit I was somewhat relieved to be her buddy so we both went back and let the family continue on without us. I don't like caves and I am not sure what I was thinking suggesting a day at the cave. The photos are incredible and they can be fascinating and beautiful, but I am not comfortable being so enclosed in such a dark place with water dripping on me. And when the sign at the beginning of the cave talks about collapsed areas, I tend to freak out, even though it is talking about collapses that happened during the creation of the caves.We headed back to the visitor's center for lunch. We had packed sandwiches and chips and the weather was beautiful for eating outside. Afterward everyone but Annalina and I went off to explore a couple more caves. We had fun blowing bubbles, watching the video about how the area was formed and hiking around on the many trails near the visitor's center. Adrienne was the photographer since I was not along. She got some great photos!
Richard and the older kids wanted to try a more difficult cave called the Golden Dome cave. After creeping through some pretty short tunnels it leads to a large domed chamber that shimmers like gold due to bacteria that grows on the ceiling. It sounds like a gorgeous place, but check out the ladder descending down into the earth. I was grateful Joseph was not along to try that cave.
We could have spent several days exploring the area, there is much more than just caves, but we wore everyone out and decided we will just have to come back another time! As it was, Joseph fell asleep about 5 minutes into the drive home, and he almost NEVER falls asleep in the car!

Horsing Around in Southern Oregon

Yesterday was Adrienne's birthday! One of her gifts was the movie "Twilight" and she watched it and then we took her to dinner at Applebee's, her favorite place to eat! The little kids spent some time out on the deck in the hot tub. And we had fun tempting the huge birds onto the deck with unsalted peanuts. Some of them were fearless, others were very timid. It was fun to watch!
Later we took the kids to the lodge, dropping Jake off at the Basketball court on the way. We all picked out ceramic things to paint. Joseph chose to paint a racoon red and green. Annalina chose to paint a mother and child unicorn. Richard made a frog scrubby holder and I made a tile with Jospeh's hand print on it.
Today we went to the Meet and Greet with the Belgian horses that pull around the wagon rides they have on weekends. Their names are King (the brown one) and Rex and they are very large. The kids got to stand on a step stool and brush them. It was cute to watch! Friday the weather should be beautiful and we are planning to take the lil ones to the Lil Buckaroos activity where they get to ride horses and practice roping and other fun things.

Spring Break Getaway!!!

Well we are here. We left yesterday afternoon and after a quick 5 hour drive(for a family used to 15 hour driving days 5 hours was a breeze!) we made it to Klammath Falls, Oregon. We are staying at the Running Y Ranch in a Worldmark Chalet. Last fall when I learned we would not be working another Tax Season, I booked Spring Break here. Things have been a bit crazy at home this past week, I felt bad about leaving for a week. But I am glad we are here. I have been very sick for the past week and a half and am still not feeling top form, but the relaxation is helping already! Yay for Spring Break!!!

This is THE first Spring Break vacation we have EVER done as a family! We have been here before, mostly on short stopovers for longer trips, and it is so nice to be here for the entire week and not have to move on. We got here last night, unloaded the car and looked outside to find a group of deer eating in our yard. What fun!

This morning we awoke to SNOW!! Due to the regular occurance of snow at home this winter, this wasn't as exciting for the kids as it normally may have been, but it is still beautiful!
So, I wish you all a Happy First Day of Spring!!!

The kids have been swimming and having a ball! We are planning a morning of ceramic painting with the little kids, a day at the coral where the kids can ride horses and have other fun playing with and learning about horses and we are going to the caves just over the border in California one day as well. I'll post more photos later!

Do I even need to say anything??

Local Wildlife

Last night Richard and I were up very late and didn't get to bed until about 2am. There was an odd noise and we thought maybe Annalina was up crying, since she has been sick this past week. Richard went to check and both little ones were sound asleep. We tracked the noise out the back window. There were two owls in the woods behind our house and they were communicating with each other. Oh yes, and it was snowing! I cannot get used to the spontaneous snowfalls we have been getting! So it was too cold to sleep with the windows open. We could still hear them and fell asleep to their peaceful calls.

This morning Joseph got me up early and I took him downstairs for breakfast and it was snowing again, very lightly. It was so pretty and I fell asleep on the sofa watching it fall. It did not stick much and it warmed up enough to stop shortly thereafter. Later I was up in my room looking out our big picture window when I saw something that did not blend in with the trees. I got my camera and took a few not very good photos. It was a hawk and it was impressively big! I thought at first it was perhaps an owl, but they are nocturnal. Richard came in and saw it too and then it flew off. Between our yard and the treeline there is an open meadow and I imagine we get birds of prey watching for dinner from the trees often. I will have to keep my eyes open. Its fun to live so close to nature.
Another fun spot to check out nature is our local library. A few weeks ago we took the dogs and went exploring at the Dawson Creek Park behind the library. We all had fun and we got to see some herons enjoying the beautiful weather. They are kind of alien looking!

Sheep Hearts, Firefighters & Polish Sausages...oh my!

Richard has had many Fridays off from work lately due to forced company wide shut downs. Some of those days he is required to take off, but also be on call. So basically he works anyway. But not today, he had the day off worry free! So he went with me to my open lab at school. We studied heart models and dissected sheep hearts. He was great to study with. We finished up the lab by working on the different types of blood cells. Richard would find them on the slide and then ask me to name them. Well there are five types of Leukocytes, two of which are very hard to find, there just aren't very many of them. Our instructor told us on Tuesday we would be lucky to have one person in the class find one, so to be sure to look at one if it was found. Richard managed to find one. I called the lab tech over to confirm the cell type and not only had he found one of the two hardest to find, he had found both in one slide view! Everyone at lab came over to check them out. It was pretty cool. I marked the slide and hope I can find it again on Tuesday to show the Professor. Who knows maybe he will use it for the exam next Thursday!

We picked up Joseph from preschool and decided to go to Costco. We stopped and picked up dad on the way and had a fun little outing. After shopping we decided to get lunch at their food counter, because you cannot beat a polish sausage and a refillable drink for 1.50. Dad and I found a spot to sit next to some firefighters who had also just sat down. When Joseph and Richard got there with the food Joseph struck up a fun conversation with one of them and got a sticker badge from him. We had fun visiting with him throughout lunch and he really seemed to enjoy Joseph. And now, Joseph will never play with matches. Even better, he has no idea what a match is!

Joseph told daddy that he was this tall, reaching one hand to the floor and the other hand up as high as he could get it. Then he said when he grows taller he will be able to do anything. A very cute attitude for a little guy to have. Right now he is planning to be a pilot and fly airplanes, jets and helicopters. Oh, and he is also going to be a jeterinarian. He will help horses feel better and then fly them home. Those are his ideas, in his own words. I am looking forward to watching him grow into anything he wants to be, but sometimes I just want to hold him tight and keep him little just a while longer.

February? Where have you gone??

So this year is off to a breathtakingly quick start! I know February is a short month, but its almost over and I don't quite know how that happened! We have been staying busy to say the least. Jake finished up his basketball season by placing third in the league. The last game was incredible. They were down by 16 and in about 30 seconds and 8 steals in a row later, they were tied. They kept working hard and won the game! Dad got to come watch the exciting victory, which of course made it all that much more fun! Jake has now started track and stays after school each day for practice. He is enjoying it so far and I am looking forward to his first meet! He is also manager for the Varsity team at Glencoe, so some days he goes to track, then the Varsity game and doesn't make it home until 9pm. He is one busy guy!!

Sunday I took Annalina and Jake over to see baby Kathryn. It was so fun to hold her and talk to Megan! It was also great to see Jake hold such a tiny little thing. He has gotten so big and she looked so tiny in his arms! On Wednesday I got to be part of our Blue and Gold Banquet for Cub Scouts and it was pretty fun. I learned a lot about Oregon along with my Bears! We woke up to more snow on Thursday morning. It was all melted by noon and my class did not get canceled, which was good. I had two huge tests this week and I have been having a much harder time this term. I did better on these tests than I did on the last ones, so that is good. I don't think I will get my grade back up to an A, but I think I can be happy with a B. And this is not just me being a perfectionist, I promise!! I need those A's to get into the affordable nursing program!

Oh, the coolest thing happened this week! I found my best friend from grade school on facebook! I got an account to keep an eye on Adrienne's online social life. But every now and then I look for old friends and its so fun to find them! Anyway, Michelle and I were best buds in Utah through grade school and Jr High until I moved to Oregon. We lost touch after a while and its been over 20 years, but it is so good to exchange emails with her and get to know her as an adult! She is such a fun person! We are hoping to both end up back in Utah someday!

Baby Kathryn Makes her Appearance

The highlight of the week around here was the arrival of sweet baby Kathryn! My sister Megan went in to St Vincents on Tuesday morning. I had the pleasure of making it there after my lecture class to be with her. It went quickly and Kathryn arrived at 2:42 in the afternoon. I took tons of pictures and got to watch her get to know her family! What a sweet baby girl she is. She is so tiny and has a head full of lovely dark hair, perhaps with some red in it, maybe some waviness? Its hard to tell. She has sweet little dimples and is perfect in every way! I am grateful to Megan for allowing me the experience of seeing her baby come into this world. I was there when Leila and Nathan were born as well and they are all experiences I will treasure forever. Megan makes the whole process of birth look so easy! She handled everything incredibly well and I am so proud of her! We will be going over later to spend Sunday afternoon with the Conser family! I can't wait to get my baby fix!! I am including my favorite photo that Megan put on her blog. Doesn't she look great for one who just gave birth?? And isn't Kathryn so cute with her dimples and the way she is looking up at her mommy?

Happy Valentine's Day

We had a nice day. We spent the morning cleaning the house and playing with Becky Castillo's cute kids while they went to a memorial service. Abe is a little younger than Joseph and they had fun playing trains. Sol is a little over a year old now and is so cute! I was cleaning the kitchen floor and he started crying so Jake went over, picked him up and played with him for a while. Jake does not babysit, except for the occasional 15 minute stretch, but he has a definite natural ability with little ones. It was sweet to watch.

Weeks ago I signed up to have the missionaries over for dinner tonight. What could be more special than sharing valentine's dinner with two great guys in suits?? The little ones have been so excited about this. We made a special dinner, pan kabobs with rice and even splurged on ice cream, hot fudge, bananas and brownies for dessert. Yum! They didn't come at 5:30 as is the usual time. So Richard called and they did not answer. By 6 we went ahead and ate without them. Annalina was crushed, she was so looking forward to dinner with them! They called shortly before 7 and apparently they had called the night before and left a message, but did not hear back from us. So they ate at their apartment! We never got their message, I can only guess they had the wrong number! So sad. We will take them a big dish of dinner tomorrow, so they can eat it for lunch next week. We will try again soon. There is something very special about having them over for dinner. They bring a wonderful spirit into our home and its so fun to get to know them!

After dinner we played some games, I was trying to cheer Annalina up. First was the I Love You game. We each had to go around and tell everyone one thing we love about them. It was actually very fun for a last minute thought up game. It was fun to hear what the little kids had to say. Annalina loves Dadddy because he makes the best Sushi, Annalina loves me because I am the best mom ever(really, that is what she said, I didn't make that up!!). Annalina loves Joseph because he is funny, and Jake loves Joseph and Annalina because they are crazy. Joseph was last and he said, "I love mommy, because...because...just because!" Adrienne missed out on this fun tonite, she spent the evening at Tim's house. They have been best friends for a while now, but last week they decided it was more serious than that. Tim is a very nice guy, I liked him from the start when Adrienne first told me about him. But don't tell her that, I understand it never lasts once the mom approves!! Check out my previous post for Winter Formal if you want to see a photo of them together.

Since it is Valentine's Day I just want to say how much I love and adore my husband. He is such a good, strong, loving man. He is a wonderful father to our children. He sees their needs and he is always there to offer his love and support to them as well as me. Thursday was a rough day and that night I was so so so very tired. He had Friday off, so he told me to sleep in and that he would get the kids off to school. I wasn't sure there were even clean clothes for them to wear, but he said he would take care of it. What a rare treat for me to get to sleep in!! I woke up shortly before Joseph left and I could hear Richard playing trains with him in the front room. Shortly after that Joseph's ride to preschool arrived and I heard my sweet husband tell my son that he loved him and to have a great time at preschool. When my little ones got home from school, much to my surprise, not only were they in clean clothes, but both were dressed in red for their valentine's parties! Isn't that awesome?? My husband is such a support to me. We have had some very difficult trials lately but I have never felt alone. I know we are in this together and I am so grateful to be loved by this wonderful man! Richard, you are the love of my life and I know we will be together forever!! I adore you!

Joseph gave me a wonderful Valentine's gift tonight. After the games we watched an episode of Firefly on Hulu and Joseph fell asleep on me. He rarely goes to sleep unless he is in bed, so I got the rare pleasure of snuggling my sweet little guy for a while, while he sucked his bottom lip in his sleep. I cannot believe he is almost 4! My baby! He is getting so big, but when he laid there asleep in my arms, he seemed so tiny. I am grateful for times such as these, they truly are priceless to me. Richard took some photos, and I will get them added tomorrow.

I'm a good gril (not a typo)

My dear sister Megan was so kind as to take Joseph for me this morning while I went to school for three hours. My last minute scramble to get someone(I forgot all about it till yesterday) to take him was not successful and the last thing I wanted was for my super prego sister to have to listen to TWO screaming, running, sweet but LOUD boys for the morning, but she graciously offered and I love her for that! I picked Joseph up after class and on the way home I told him how much I love him and I told him he was such a good boy. He said, "Mom, you are a good gril, and I love you too". My heart melted! He has always said boys and grils. I don't know why he says it that way, but I have always thought it was cute and only tried to correct him a time or two(he ignored me). Perhaps its time I work with him on it. ::sigh:: It was a fun conversation!

I haven't blogged in a while. I have missed it, but its been a rough few weeks and I kinda thought "if I can't blog something nice, I shouldn't blog anything at all". My second Anatomy and Physiology class is not going as well as the first and my turbulent roller coaster of a personal life has not helped with the concentration and attention this class requires. My instructor last term was great, she actually cared that we learned and wanted us to succeed. I get the feeling this term the instructor secretly delights in the struggles his ambiguous questions cause! Perhaps its entertaining to watch us struggle so with things that are second nature to him. Or maybe I am just a perfectionist who does not like the fact that she cannot seem to do A work! Grrrr! This week starts the last half of the class, so its time to stop whining and start studying!

I am blogging while watching the snow fall. I will never tire of it and have actually enjoyed the many episodes of snow we have seen this winter. We so rarely get snow more than once that it is a beautiful treat to wake up to snow falling from the sky! A couple of weeks ago it snowed pretty hard. Everyone headed off to school and it was the day of my first big lab exam. I drove carefully all the way to PCC, only to hear they had JUST closed the campus for the day(the directing guard was posted near the buildings, NOT the entrance). So the next 45 minutes were spent getting turned around and getting in line behind EVERYONE else who was also leaving. What a mess. And honestly, the streets were fine, they truly did not need to do that. But it was not up to me. Our test was postponed, but as it turns out, I probably would have done much better taking it that day then waiting. My concentration levels were zero, but what can you do??

Basketball...A Game in the Life of Jake

So Jake started basketball in December. This year has been quite different from last. The league did not have enough boys to do a Freshman/Sophomore team, so Jake is playing with ALL high school ages all the way up to Seniors. He is the youngest on his team and has had to struggle to get equal play time. It is hard to prove yourself when you can't get a long stretch out on the court. But he has persisted and tried his best and has learned a lot. They have won some and lost some and tied a couple of games.

Tonight they lost by 18 points, but at halftime they were down by about 36, so they worked hard to shorten the gap. Jake played the best I have seen in a long time. He was all over defense and he made two baskets, one of which he drew a foul and got to make a free throw, which he sank beautifully for a three point play! And he got many rebounds, even taking the ball down the court himself once. His coach high fived him and he turned to see if we were watching! We were! In his last game he made 3 out of 4 free throws, so his average is up there pretty high!

They lost by quite a bit, but it was one of Jake's best games. He finally has the feel of his team and knows where to be and what to do most of the time. I am very proud of him and look forward to his next game! I am so grateful he is playing. I have been very overwhelmed with studying as my first two big exams are next week and I feel very unprepared. It was nice to go watch him play and forget my troubles for a while! I'd venture to say I am still Jake's most enthusiastic fan!

Dinner Conversation...

My kids crack me up. I realize I tell lots of stories about them, many of which I find hysterical. I also understand that not all may see the humor of my kids, but my main reason for creating this blog is a history for myself and my children. I KNOW that I tend to forget things just hours after laughing so hard over them that milk comes out my nose. I have already enjoyed going back to May and June of last year to read what we were doing and what antics the kids were up to. For me, this is my reason for blogging. Oh, and to keep relatives far and away up to date on our family. Yes, I said FAR away! If you are within driving distance, then we really should keep up with each other in person rather than relying on blogs, but that is something I need to work on as well!

Tonight at the dinner table Joseph said he was finished eating, this is what came next...

Me: Joseph, you haven't eaten much of your dinner. You need to eat five more bites.

Joseph: I'm all full up Mom!!

Me: You need to eat five more bites, then you can clear your spot. Here, I will help you count. Good, that's one bite, and that's two bites...

Joseph: No, no I want to count by myself, stop counting.

Me: Fine, go ahead and count for yourself, you can start at three.

Joseph: No, I want to count all by myself.

Me: FINE, then eat five more bites if you want to!!! (Sounds a bit like reverse psychology doesn't it? No this is purely Joseph psychology)

Joseph: One....Two...Three... Is this a piece of chicken Mom?

Me: Yes Joseph, that is chicken.

Joseph: OH, One...Two...Three...Four...Hey, it's all gone, I can't count to five!

Me: Good, you finished your dinner, you can clear your plate now.

And he did clear his plate, happily and then he ran off to play. How did five bites turn into his entire meal being gone? Well, now that is the question. Could I maneuver this kind of situation again? Most likely not! KIDS!

Winter Formal

Adrienne went to winter formal tonight. Here she is in her beautiful floor length dress. Sorry about the spots on the photos, last time I took pics it was raining and some of the drops seem to have dried on the lens! Anyway, Adrienne and about 10 friends went to dinner at Red Robin then went to the dance together. She got a ride there with her friend Tim, so that is who is in this photo below. I am told someone took a photo of her with her date, so I will post that at another time. I am glad she had fun and I really like her friends!

Choose the right, when a choice is placed before you...

I've been a teacher in primary for almost four years now. This is a good thing. I feel very comfortable in primary with all the kids and the great leadership we have in the primary in our ward. But our new ward was formed two years ago, and I find myself still feeling a stranger to many of the ladies of the ward. I know their children well and I love their children. I feel I have missed out on knowing and loving them as well. This year I was given a class to teach with Melissa Brue, whom I do know and love already. Our class is small, only seven kids, so on Sunday she asked if I wanted to go to Sunday School and Relief Society for the day since she was teaching! This was heaven to me! My husband's eyes lit up when I entered Sunday School and I really enjoyed the lesson. It was also fun to get to go to RS for the first time in years! This was a break I really needed(thanks Melissa!). The lesson taught was all about me and all for me, and I am sure everyone there felt the same way(that it was about themselves, not me, hopefully everyone wasn't thinking, "wow, this lesson is all about Amy")!

You see, lately I have been having a hard time with life in general. I am overwhelmed by responsibility, worried for the future and have had deep feelings of depression that I have been unable to overcome for any great length of time. I spent the Saturday before milling about the house, not accomplishing anything, not wanting to go anywhere, but to climb in my bed, pull the covers over my head(figuratively, I am claustrophobic) and stay there. Not for the day, but forever. I was feeling on the brink of a total break from society. It may sound stupid, immature, and a little dramatic, but what can I say, that is how I was feeling! Sunday morning I awoke and told Richard I needed the day off(as if wasting Saturday was not enough). I would not be leaving the bed. He said that was fine, he would take care of getting kids to church, dressing, feeding and loving them all. He was kind and supportive of me. As he showered I thought about it, I thought of the example that would set for my kids. The gospel is so important to me, it really and truly is and if I stay home because I am having a hard time of it, am I showing my family how much the gospel means to me? No. So I got up, showered and dressed and off we went. So back to the lesson Robin Mann taught...

Our lesson was about finding joy in life. Sometimes our lives become so mundane as to feel like drudgery. Often as mothers and wives and homemakers we are made to feel that we do not make a difference, that our toil is for nothing, after all , the laundry is never really done is it, tonight's dishes covered in spaghetti will just be covered in meatloaf tomorrow! But we talked about finding joy and peace in everything we do, whether its scrubbing dishes, or the toilet, we can take pride in our achievements. No matter how great or small. I am sure I have totally mangled the message, but this is what I took from it and it made a deep impression on me. This week I found myself happily loading the dishwasher, knowing how great the counters would look when there were no dishes piled on them, rather than thinking angry thoughts about who was responsible for leaving so many dishes unrinsed on the counter! Oh, and Robin brought us all big cinnamon rolls that she had happily labored to make for us. Could a lesson end any better?

I know that when I am doing what I am supposed to be doing I am truly blessed. Just knowing that I would be teaching every other week and going to RS in my off weeks bouyed me up. The message in RS made a lasting impression on me, I really feel it has made me happier, and perhaps even a wee bit of a better person. What if I had gone with my first feeling of the day and stayed in bed? I'd have really missed out!

But it doesn't end there! I got a call on Wednesday to go meet with Steve McNeil. This told me I was getting a new calling at church. I said to Richard how much I would love to be back in Cub Scouts. It was one of my favorite callings ever. When I got to the Church, Brother McNeil sat me down and asked if I would be willing to be the Bear Den Leader. My mind was racing, of COURSE I was willing. I had never mentioned to anyone besides Richard that I wanted to be back in Cub Scouts. What does this tell me? My Heavenly Father knows me. He knows my deepest desires and he knows what is best for me. I love primary, but the longer I was a teacher, the harder it was for me to prepare lessons and to find joy in teaching(it was certainly not the calling, but my attitude that was the problem). I loved my class and all the kids in my class, so please do not misunderstand and think I hated primary, because I truly did not. But it was time for a change and I am grateful that for all the possibilities of callings I could have been given, half of which terrify me to no end, the Lord decided to put me somewhere that I could be somewhat comfortable and happy for a while.

Happy New Year!

We planned a nice quiet night at home for our New Years Eve. We got makings for won tons and had the kids all help in rolling them up. We ate and then got an invitation to the Stimpson's house for a family style party. Then we got another call inviting the older kids to a sleepover at the Dowd's house. They've got kids the same ages and they all get along great. So at 7:30 we dropped them off and headed to our party with the little ones in tow.

First off I have to say that I just adore the Stimpson family! Beth is such a sweetie. We got to team teach a class together a while back and it was so fun working with her. Plus she shared her delectable coconut bread recipe with me after bringing us some for Christmas! YUM!!! Marshall is a kind and generous man. Despite having so many projects going on at home with the home addition, he took time off to come help Richard get the Rover running a couple months ago. The guys stood out in the rain in the dark together trying to get a stuck piece off of Rover. The Stimpson's are the kind of family who will gladly sacrifice for others and I am grateful we know them!

The Stimpson's have been remodeling and adding onto their home for a while now. It is BEAUTIFUL what they have done, and a lot of it they have done themselves. We had fun touring the house with them! They have four kids, two of whom are similar ages to Joseph and Annalina and they had a bunch more kids there as well, so the kids had a blast. Several other familes arrived shortly after and we had fun playing some games and visiting. Around 10:30 Joseph needed to go potty. He still has a thing about potty's not in his own home. We tried to talk him into it, one bathroom had only been finished earlier in the day, what could be better than a brand new potty?? Donal even tried to bribe him with a dollar, but he looked at her warily and slunk away. The new carpet was far too beautiful to allow an accident on, so we took the kids home to celebrate the last hour of 2008. Joseph used his buddy the downstairs toilet and then curled up in a ball next to me and fell asleep, I mean DEEPLY asleep. Richard lined up a bunch of fun music and he slept right through it. After a while I slipped away from him and we played a fun domino game we got for Christmas. We decided to let him sleep downstairs till after midnight, then he wouldn't feel like he missed anything. Annalina loved the attention, since she was the only child home and concsious!

Shortly after midnight we all went to bed and Joseph slept in till 9 this morning! Which meant that I got to sleep until 9, and I was so tired even my earlybird bladder couldn't wake me, it just waited patiently for me to wake up! Annalina got up at 11:45. I teased her and said she was just like a teenager and she said, "no way, when I am a teenager I am going to get up early and get stuff done!" There!! I have it in writing, although I should probably get a video recording of that, huh?

It was a fun night! The older kids got home today and they had a great time last night too. The year of 2008 was a full and happy year. I am grateful my sister got me into blogging so I can so easily go back and reflect on many of the great times we have had as a family. We are truly a blessed family.