An attitude of happiness

I found this old picture while sorting through some pictures for a circle journal I am working on. The theme for this journal is "R U Happy?" I can remember a few years ago at education week I took a class that changed my attitude completely. I made a choice right then and there to be happy. Not that I was always gloomy or sad but sometimes I just would have my own little "pitty" party. I realized that there is so much to be happy about. Not everything is going to go like I would like so I have a choice to make when things go wacky. I am not perfect at this yet but I am a lot better at choosing to be happy when everything around me seems to be crazy. Look at the smiles on these children. They are what motivates me to be happy. For my layout I borrowed the quote off of my friends blog "Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude. " Denis Waitley. I really believe this! A few months ago I caught myself being so sad over situations I could not change. Last week I finally really came to the conclusion that my attitude of happiness needed to come back. I prayed for the strength to let things go - I in essence gave it back to Heavenly Father. What a beautiful week I had last week. I handled things with a determination to be happy. It made all the difference. I cannot change my children or their choices but I can have the attitude of happiness and live with love, grace and gratitude. Maybe through this example that happiness will rub off onto the children and they can look back and remember days like the one in the picture - all smiles!

Autumn gives her talk

Autumn gave a talk in Primary yesterday. It was so cute. She wrote most of it herself with her dad being the scribe while she told him her thoughts. She was very definate about the idea of using a picture of Jesus and one of the new Prophet. It was also very important to her that she tell everyone that Jesus is her friend. David read to me from his journal (dated 12-8-04) "I'm watching right now as our baby Autumn tries her best to no longer be a baby. She walks everywhere easily. She is so happy. It's just amazing to have such a special little girl! All of my children are amazing!" He was saying as he read this to me who she really is no longer a baby and such a gift to our family. I think so to. She certainly know her place in our family though, she can get just about what ever she wants from who ever she wants it from. I guess that is the advantage of being the youngest of 11 children. She was a little "devil" at the temple Saturday. It was so hard to keep her entertained while Toshia and Andrew were being sealed. We were so glad that they finally got to be sealed in the temple and that we got to share that with them. All of the kids came except for Paige and Chloe who had to be other places they could not get out of. Even Paul and Dan came with Ashleigh and Chelsea. It was so fun to see them all there at the temple. We have a family goal to all meet there in 2015 when Autumn is 12. I don't know how many will be there but I think it is a wonderful goal to have! So once again from David's journal - "All of my hopes, all of my dreams are focused on the future. Truely my recollections, reflections and memories of the past, recent and distant are still vivid, but the future is what currently holds my gaze. I see such joy, such promise, such hope. My faith is surely breathing new life into my body and mind! Candy and I are so blessed with such an awesome family." I know his faith combined with mine-our goal can become realized. I, like Autumn know that Jesus is my friend and He knows the desires of my heart.

A hard thing to do

Yesterday I had to do something that did not really hit me until after I had done it. It was so sad, yet when I was asked to do it I just did it. My dear friend had called me and told me that her mother-in-law had just passed away and would I go up to the church and get her son (my friends brother-in-law) and tell him that he had to get to the emergency room right away. First of all, I was shocked to hear the news but did not hesitate at all to do what she asked. I asked Dave to go with me because I did not know how hard it would be to find him. Well, right there in the foyer I saw him standing there and walked over and said you have to get to the hospital right away there is something wrong with your mom. But he did not hear me very well and so I repeated what I had said but this time said that his mother had just passed away. It did not hit me until I saw the look on his face. I have never had tell someone that before, let alone someone who I did not know very well. His wife was very near and as he grabbed her and told her she nearly fell over. Both of their responses were "No!" Well, of course they immediately left for the hospital I am sure in shock. But the look on his face has stayed with me all evening and this morning. I knew this sweet sister for a very long time. I always had wished I had known her when she was younger. She was someone I always looked up to. She supported her husband as Stake Patriarch and was a wonderful example of service for me. I know she will be missed. Their family was in our morning prayers today as I am sure they were in the many friends she had made over the years. I am blessed to have known her and I am so glad was able to help out my friend in relaying the news even though now I think about it - it was a hard very thing to do.

Friday afternoon

Hayden loves cutting her hair. It has been something she has done since she figured out what scissors could do. She tried it again, and I know in this picture it is hard to tell the damage she had done but we decided that she really must want her hair shorter. So we went to Chloe's work and Kim did her magic and now she has a very cute style that she can take care of herself! Doesn't she look adorable! She was so cute, all week she was waiting for her appointment and was sure I would forget. Friday morning when I dropped her off at school she said, "I'm so nervous about today, are you sure she will know what to do?" As you can tell from the next two pictures Kim was an expert at her profession.


After the getting Hayden's haircut we decided to take advatage of the wonderful weather and headed for "gobble" park. It was so fun for the kids to play with their friends and for me to get to just hang out for a while with my friends. What a wonderful way to spend a Friday afternoon.
When we got home we washed the suburban. Dave was so glad that his car was once again clean; even though he had to wipe it down again after we were through (our wipe down did not quit meet up to his inspection). I did finally get the fingerprints off of the inside of the back windows (you know the ones that appear when the kids have to draw on the condensation). Now when that beautiful sunshine is shining through my windows I will be able to see out!

A Few Random Happenings

Look at this sweet girl! Could you believe that anyone would forget her? Well, Tuesday was not good for me after school. It was raining, I had a million things on my mind, I had lots of things to get done in a short amount of time and then to top it off I locked my keys in my car. (Autumn locked my keys in my car, let's lay blame where it goes;)) Anyway, it was pouring rain, I left my phone at home. So, Hayden, Autumn, Adrian, and Maika all ran home (and we did run). I left the kids with Paige, ran back to the school and called ONSTAR! Thank goodness for them, my car was unlocked in a matter of minutes. But in the meantime Taylor had called me and said "Where are you?" "The keys are locked in the car" "Oh, my friend Paige's mom says she can take me home" "Oh, great. You won't have to wait, tell her thank you". Well, by the time I got back home it had been at least an hour. Did I mention it was raining? I thought to myself where is Taylor? But thought maybe she stayed at Paige's house because my car was not here. Just as I was going to start looking for her (not planned in my afternoon activities - hunt down Taylor) she called again. This time a little teary sounding. "Mom where are you?" "Where are you?" I asked. "I'm at the pool." "What! I thought Paige's mom was bringing you home." "You said, wait and tell her thank you." Oh, did I feel bad. She had been waiting by the school for now about an hour in a half in the rain! I got there as fast as I could and boy was she glad to see me. I just held her and loved her. She was not very happy. She said that every time a car passed by she just prayed that it would not stop and steal her. For the whole rest of the afternoon where ever I was she was right by my side. She finally went to softball practice and was happy by then. Now on to last night.
We had a cake decorating class at enrichment last night. I decorated my first cake ever! I think it turned out really good. I won't let anyone eat it yet - we just sit and look at it. Or should I say I just sit and look at it. Good thing there were a couple of extra cakes that I could bring home for them to eat! It really was not as hard as I always thought and it was lots of fun to do. Last of all, little words of wisdom from Autumn.
"Mom, when Toshia has her baby you will be the grandma and she will be my mom."
"Mom, I just made you a billion dollar bill, lets go to the store and buy stuff."
"When it rains that means Jesus is crying, when the wind blows it means he is sneezing, when the sun is out he just has a smile on His face."
"Mom, I know that the prophet died, who is that old man talking to us now?"
"Why do I always have to be the last one to go to school, when I am bigger I am going to make everyone walk - then I will beat my teacher to school every day."
"When I grow up I think I will marry Luke - when Toshia is my mom then I won't be his aunt anymore."
"Mom, I had dinasour chickens and teeter toters (tater tots) for dinner tonight."
"Mom, move over I just had a bad dream, you were eating your cake!"
I love this kid! How could anyone not love the stress and hard work of motherhood when you have such payoffs as this!

Conference

I know it has been a couple of days since conference but I wanted to just do a little post anyway. I loved conference (I always d0) but this one started for me right with the opening prayer. With all that we have been through with Paige there was something in almost every talk to help me and comfort me. It is interesting to me how we can all hear the same talks but they all have such differenct applications for each of us. After studying Jacob this last couple of weeks I was so ready to hear from the brethren. I am so glad that I live here and now when I can have the words from our apostles and prophet. And by the way, wasn't President Monson just so sweet. I told David he was the same but definately different. (In a good way of course). My testimony just grew even stronger about the purpose of the gospel and it's purpose in my life. I can hardly wait until October when David and I get to go to the conference center. We have done this now for several years and it is so special. Last year we met several of our friends from our old stake and it was so wonderful to see how we all come together to hear the words of a prophet. We used to go in the spring with all the kids and those were just as special. Any time we can sit at the feet of our prophet and listen to his counsel brings me great joy!

My Seth

This is my son Seth. His picture is the wallpaper on my computer, every time I open to my space on my computer I get to see him. He earns the place there I think because after three girls, then two more after him he has always had a special place in my heart. He has always been such an easy going kind of guy. A little frustrating for me when he was a teenager. He never seemed to have a worry or care. He does not get upset very easily. David and I always tease that the house could be burning down and not until it got right up to where he was sitting would he run out. He always tells me "don't worry, I got it". He went to San Francisco for Spring break last week. He went with some friends and they had a great time. Until the ride home, then one thing after another happened and it ended up taking him three days to get back to Portland. I called and talked to him a couple of times and he kept telling us everything was OK. Today when he called and finally was home I could tell he was so glad that the last few days were behind him. Then he told me he lost his charger for his phone and "oh, by the way I have until the 12th to be out of my apartment but don't worry I am working on it". Of course, I have to worry but with Seth I know it will be OK. His school started Monday and he's looking for a job as well you would think he would be very stressed out. But unlike the females in this house he seems to always just deal with what comes his way. I know that he does not tell me lots of stuff so I won't worry or be upset and at times I am grateful for that, but I don't think he realizes that even though he may not tell me I still worry and pray for him everyday! I love that kid - there are so many things we did together that I did not do with the other children that give me special memories of his growing into the young man he is. He might not like that we moved his senior year of high school and will probably not understand why we needed to do that, and hopefully can forgive us for doing so. I think our moving was the hardest on him than anyone else. I just wanted to let him know how proud I am of him and I know how hard it is and it's OK to let me worry once in a while;)