I love to see the temple...

What a beautiful morning at the temple! I went with Kathy and we did a session and then we attended Alyssa's wedding. I love going to temple weddings/sealings. I always learn something. Also, I was trying hard to really pay attention while I went to learn more so I think that helped me to hear what I needed today. One phrase that keeps running through my head that the temple sealer said, "We are watching the organization of an eternal family." I don't think I have heard it put that way before. I thought back to when David and I took Ashleigh to the temple when she was 1 month old to be sealed as a family. Did I really know that I was at the beginning of organizing an eternal family? No, I don't think so, but as I grew in understanding and have come to the place I am at now I really do understand how important it is to be organized in this way. I sat by Sis. Quinn for a few minutes in the chapel before we went into the sealing room and we were studying the scriptures for a few minutes. Actually she was and I was just looking on and then made a comment on one of the scriptures and that led to a quiet discussion. I love her insight and hope that she shared with me. I really can think of no other place I want to be more when learning more about eternal families. The scriptures are so plain when teaching principles of obedience. I thought back on all the changes David and I have made over the years as we have become more obedient while on this journey of organizing our eternal family. It has been hard and we have made lots of mistakes along the way, but with those mistakes came repentance and forgiveness and a love found that could be found no other way. We have a family goal of meeting at the temple in 2015 when Autumn is old enough to do baptisms. Right now not all of us are going to make that goal. But I pray that most of us are there at that time and that they see and feel how that special place is where eternal things are learned and felt. Nothing is more special than seeing your son or daughter making covenants in the house of the Lord. I am so grateful for the temple and that we have a place to begin our "organizing" of families. I want to work harder at having my children know and feel that the temple is where they need to go. I know I have had many many prayers answered through the power that is in the temple. What a happy Tuesday to feel that peace and love once again!

Old fashion work out

Today David and I shoveled tons and tons of snow! The city finally plowed our street and so we had to make a place for Chloe's car and for us to get out the driveway. This is the third time this week I have put some serious time behind the shovel. The first two times I worked on the sidewalks and driveway.What a great workout! This morning I ran for two miles and walked for one and did a little circuit training at the gym so coming home and shoveling snow really made for a well-rounded workout. Having only gone to the gym twice this week I needed the extra workout:).

I also am feeling a little out of sorts. I have no project to work on. Oh, I could clean the house and take down decorations - that kind of stuff - but I don't have any craft thing that needs to get done. After months of working on bazaar things, super Saturday and then Christmas stuff it feels kind of funny to not have anything going on right at the moment. I think I am going to curl up with a good book or finally get to watch a whole movie from start to finish and not feel guilty because there are other things that need to get done. I just finished a delicious salad for dinner so a steaming cup of hot cocoa and a warm blanket and movie time sound really good right now;)

Christmas 2008

Christmas 2008 was a very good year. (I have to say I don't recall a bad year:)) Anyway, we had a great time with our sweet family. Ashleigh and Paul and Seth and Paige came late Christmas eve and spent the night. David and I did not get to bed until around 12:30 I think, so when we woke up and it was 7:30 in the morning and the little ones were still sleeping I could not believe it! We actually for the first time ever had to wake people up and try to get them going. Toshia and her family and Chelsea and Dan were supposed to be coming around 8:30 and the plan was to have most of the opening done by then. But I am glad things were slow and easy. It was so relaxing. We opened all the gifts and around 9:45 Toshia and I started breakfast. Blueberry french toast, eggs and sausage and rolls. It was delicious! Then kids played and David took some of them out and built another snowman and played in the snow. Chelsea and Dan had to leave and then Chloe left to go to Brennen's for the afternoon. Paige left also. Soon after I started on dinner for whoever was staying. Part of Seth's Christmas present was the ham we had for dinner. He usually doesn't not ask for much and so when he requested a good ham for Christmas dinner I was all over it. I do have to say dinner was so good - ham, potatoes, beans, salad, fruit and of course, pies, cookies, Aunt Barb's famous pumpkin bars, and brownies. (Do you think we had enough goodies?) By the time Toshia left with her little family I was tired. I went upstairs and watched an old movie while the rest of the kids watched "Iron Man". (Not one I would care to see;)) I was so happy to have this time with the kids. All seemed happy and at least for one day we had no outside cares but what was going on in our little house.

I know this picture is hard to see but my two little sisters and I had our picture taken when we were little and we made the front page of the local newspaper. We had matching nightgowns and our stockings my mom had made. This year I made matching nightgowns for my three littlest angels and Toshia made us all new stockings (it really has bugged her for many years that our stockings did not match and I always said I was going to make new ones and never had - so she made us new ones and a cute board to hang them on- thank you Toshia)


So anyways, here are my littlest angels wearing one of their Christmas presents. I also made them each aprons (each different) and I had made the big girls aprons and bracelets and PJ's for Chloe. I thought it was funny because during breakfast Dano told me how much he would love an apron - I never thought to do for the big boys - I will add that to my list next year.

What I love the most though about the time of year is the spirit of Christ that giving and sharing brings to each of us. We read the "Christmas Jar" this year for a family home evening (thanks Jen for lending me the book) and we have a plan and our own "Christmas jar" has started filling up with our change. We are looking forward to serving even more next year with this jar filled with love and I plan on making it a monthly topic during FHE this year. I also have some ideas for more making and loving for next year. I will blog more on that later but for now let's just say that putting Christ in the center of our activities has brought the true meaning of the holiday home for us. Now on to bringing in the new year and setting new and lofty goals!

"Artic Blast" and Noah's birthday

Can you believe all this snow! Not since David was in college can I remember this much snow. The kids have had a blast playing in it - but I think the novelty of it all is wearing off. Now that we have to shovel sidewalks and try and get around in it.

These pictures are on our deck. There was at least two feet of snow pile on the deck. I did shovel most it off after I took the pictures of course!

And then there is Noah. Today he turns 13 years old. Officially a teenager. We are not doing any big thing this year to celebrate although turning 13 is a big thing. He has done so well this last couple of years in school. He loves Science and Math. But he also like Social Studies because of all the facts. He does like to keep busy which sometimes gets him trouble. Look at that cute face - He really has blessed our family and taught me patience in a way no one ever could. I love you Noah - Happy, Happy Birthday.

Meet Walter

Meet Walter. A couple of nights ago when David got home from work he took the kids outside to build a snowman. Hayden had made a couple of small ones, but they wanted to build one that was really big. So they took her two little ones and added more snow and made Walter. Why is he named Walter you might ask. Well, Autumn said that because he was wearing a tie he was a business man. And of course, all business men are named Walter. He works in "You Nork" (that is how she says New York). The girls had such a great time building Walter but I think the biggest kid out there was David. He had been waiting all day to come home and play in the snow.

I just thought I'd throw this picture in because I don't think I have ever taken one when the lights are on. It is a little orange but David did a great job with the lights this year!

Back to the late night play in the snow. David also wanted to go sledding and so when Walter was done he took the girls out front. (Sorry for the blurry picture it is hard to get them while they were sledding) Up and down our hill they went. Autumn finally wanted to come home because her fingers were so cold. She told me as we were walking back down the street to the house that "Dad was taking to much turns anyway and she just wanted to go inside." The other girls piled on and had a blast sledding with their dad. After a while I went and asked if he was ever going to come in and when he found out it was 10:30 he said "What am I doing out here - I need to get to bed". He has worked until after eight every night this week. Tonight he got home after 9:30. When you are one of Santa's elves you work late hours this time of year:)

FHE moment

Yesterday was so beautiful! I could not believe that it could be so cold yet so sunny! The kids played out in the snow and ice all day. Today I was glad for the late opening as the children were tired from such a hard play day yesterday. Last night I tried to do some of the Christmas story for FHE. Autumn just amazed me with her knowledge of the story. She could almost tell it perfectly. But she did have a different ending - Joseph had to go to Bethlehem to get more pepper. This had everyone giggling a bit. So out of the blue. Later I asked her why he had to get pepper and she said, "That's what he needed for his eggs. That is what dad puts on his eggs - duh!" Her imagination never ceases to amaze me. She has watched the movie the Nativity more that a few times. It is one of her favorite Sunday movies. I had a felt nativity to use for telling the story last night. Autumn supplied all the sound affects for when Jesus was born. We were just rolling by then and she did not like that we were laughing. She just said, "What, all ladies make that noise when they have a baby." I am just sorry David missed this FHE. I tried to tell him about it but it just was not the same without Autumn doing the sound affects and story telling. I love these moments in time - everyone getting along and love on everyone's face. Note I said moments - not all FHE's are like this:)

A few December moments

Last Saturday while I was at the coast David took the kids to get our Christmas tree. We have gone to the same place for the last few years and it is now a tradition to go there and get hot cider or hot cocoa after finding the perfect tree. He did a fabulous job! I think it is the nicest tree we have had in a while. Although all the trees from here have been beautiful, this one just fits the space perfectly. I am glad it was a nice warm day for them. I remember last year we got snowed on.

This year I did four trees. Noah's tree of course, but I decorated it this year. He usually has this one in his room because it technically is his "birthday" tree. But I had found quite a few ornaments to add to his tree last year and wanted all of us to enjoy it. (He was born on the 23rd of December so from his first Christmas on he has had his own "Noah" tree). Next is my Santa tree. This tree came about a couple of years ago when I noticed that I had quite a few Santas in my collection. I decorate this with more detail to the accessories added not just the ornaments and lights. It is in my living room which I try to keep a little more formal than the rest of the house. (Really most of the time it is filled with kids and toys:)). Next is our family tree which I do not decorate but the rest of the kids do. This has not always been the case but a few years ago I decided that it did not matter that the ornaments were on the tree perfectly but that they had good memories of decorating the tree. This I am sorry to say probably is not true for my older children. I usually was kind of "grouchy" about having the "perfect" tree. I must say with age definitely comes wisdom and so with that the last half of our crew gets a "nice mom" when decorating the tree instead of the "Grinch". I think this letting go came when I decided to do more than one tree. My last little tree is my doll tree. I have always collected dolls and three years ago my mom gave me a box of porcelain doll ornaments. They are beautiful and so this year I put them on a small tree all by themselves.

Last but not least today we had our first snow fall. It had been predicted by the weatherman but many times when they say it is going to snow it does not. There is not much now but this week is not supposed to get above freezing so I think there will be more and definitely it will be icy.I love the photo of the budding rose. I did not even realize I still had any flowers still out there. We have had an unusual warm fall so maybe that is why. But it just touched me to see that little bud with snow falling all around. Kind of the merging of winter and spring but at such an unexpected time of year. Snow always makes me want to curl up in front of a fire with a good book. But today I will be sewing a little more and nursing sick children back to health. I know it seems like we have been sick a lot but it just has gone through everyone including me and with 8 people left in the house it takes a while for everyone to have their turn. At least it is the older kids now and they do not require so much from me. I love this holiday season and am very grateful to all that I have been blessed with and also grateful that I recognize who has blessed us! Merry Christmas!

Crazy week going to be OK

What a crazy week so far. I have been hustling around here trying get everything done before the Relief Society dinner tonight, part of which takes place here at my home. I have had sick children all week. I have lots to do to finish my holiday presents. So even though I had a great weekend of relaxation I have really been feeling out of sorts trying to get everything done on my list. (All will be well after tonight - I can just work on my gifts and I have no more calendar events that I am in charge of.) But still, I am sort of feeling the stress of things this week. This morning as I was studying my mind wandered back to Sunday. I had a great Sabbath. I had been studying last week about the sacrament. So when I went to Sacrament meeting at the coast I was really able to feel and participate in a way you can do when you don't have little ones crawling all over you and older ones being silly. I have to say I felt the spirit in a way I had not in a very long time. I was thinking this morning how grateful I was to have that time to ponder and feel things of a spiritual nature. My heart aches so much now for Paige as she has chosen once again a path that is not going to be good for her. I have been studying a lot so that when I need to use the spirit to help her I can. The meeting I attended was not any more special than my own ward - it was that I was prepared. Prepared to feel the things Heavenly Father wanted me to know right now. That is what I am trying to do so that when I need to deal with things Paige throws at me I am prepared. Not just physically but spiritually. Even though I have tons to do and feel like my plate is full right now I am grateful that I take the few minutes to study, ponder and pray early each morning. When I provide opportunities for Him to teach me then I can handle all the craziness of my life. It helps me to LOVE all the craziness of my life. When my heart begins to ache and I feel bad I can pull out that part which comforts me and I can get back to what I need to be doing and not stay in that sad place. What a blessing this gospel of peace is! To think a small babe came to this earth so long ago so that I can feel the peace and love I need when I need it is sometimes overwhelming to me. I really feel that this holiday season is going to be one of the best ever - mostly because of my attitude and the sweet people I get to share it with!

Retreat with friends

This last weekend I spent at the coast with my wonderful friends of about 20 years. Some I've known longer - some shorter but for the most part 20 years of friendship. love and I must say service to one another. We usually do a cookie exchange every year and this year thought it would be fun to spend a few days making the cookies together. It was a great idea but with only one kitchen and 8 cooks (Tracie could not make it she had a sick child) it was a little tricky. We spend a lot of our retreats at the coast. It really is a great place to renew and get the much needed girl time that we need. We all have very busy lives - with 45 children between us and now grandchildren entering the picture you can imagine that when we are together it is full of lots and lots of entertaining fun! It is a time to just "hang out" and not be on any ones schedule but ours. If we want to eat, we eat. If we want to go play, we go play. If we just want to sit and do nothing, we do nothing. But usually there is not time to just do nothing. I was thinking on the way home how wonderful these ladies are and they are my sisters more than friends. We have gone through a lot of ups and downs together and I can not imagine my life without them. It was just a wonderful way to start my holiday season.

Now that I am home decorating needs to get done, cards finished and mailed, gifts to finish making, gifts to mail and lots of loving and laughter to be had with my family. I am rejuvenated and up for all that this month holds. I just love all the hustle and bustle, especially when the hustle and bustle bring joy and love!

Making my "story"

I have been thinking lately about how our memories become our "stories". I have been thinking about this more because of an on-line writing class that I recently participated in. I have not done all of the writing assignments as of yet, but putting the book together and working on a few of the assignments I realized my story is full of memories and thoughts not thought of in a very long time. As I try to look back and remember moments in time and memories of days gone by some of what was reality has disappeared. Mostly because time has gone on and I now live in this moment. What I did do was go back and look at journals I had kept off and on over the last 30 years. I am not as good at recording my thoughts as David is but there were times that what I needed to put down on paper I found the time to sit down and write those thoughts and events down. As I read back through them I was amazed at how much I had forgotten. Not because what had happened was not important but more because after they were written down I went on living my life. So, more events and memories were created. So over time my memories have become marked by an event or picture I have. But the feelings that moved me somehow are lost a little with time. I think I really finally understand why we're commanded to record our lives and keep our journals. Somehow, the stories that we create of our lives become lost to not only our children and families but lost to us as well. Don't get me wrong there are many things that are around me that spark the feelings and emotion that I felt at the time the event happened - but the day to day things get lost in back of my mind. As I have been reading and typing up David's journals I see how some of those day to day things are the foundations for the stories he tells. I have always wanted to be this great writer. I have worked on two different "books" over the last five years. They are far from finished and as I look back I think - wow, I really had something good to say. But being a writer is more than just putting words to a page. Being able to draw the reader into what you are feeling as you write is just as important to the story as the story itself. The books I love reading the most are the ones I get emotionally involved in. They stay with me and make me think. Recording "my story" is important to me but living my story is just as important. I think about this as my children have gone through different stages in their lives. What they loved and thought was the best at one point is soon forgotten and replaced with a new "toy" or item and becomes their favorite thing. When you remind them sometimes they can't even remember that they loved this or that. I think that is what I do. I move on and what was is no longer and replaced by the new. I have a renewed desire to hold on to those memories and be a better recorder of my life. I have a passage from a journal I kept when Ashleigh was a baby and it really helps to bring this point home. "Today while you were playing with me - you realized if you crawled away I would chase you. It was so cute. We went all around the apartment lots of times. You give me kisses now just out of the blue. You just crawl over and kiss me. It s so special...Tonight I looked in on you while you were sleeping. You looked like a beautiful angel!" I just love that I have that recorded to spark my memory on that night when I peeked in her and the feelings that swelled in my heart. So many moments have passed since then and this would have been long forgotten and probably never remembered if not for the journal I kept at that time. Ashleigh is now 27 and a beautiful young lady. I am glad that I wrote down those feelings about her. It is important for her to see that she is part of my "story". I am making it a personal goal to write more and as I do so my story will be written and I won't lose those feelings and thoughts.

Thanksgiving week

So my mom and John went home yesterday afternoon. They spent the last week celebrating the holiday with us. It was so much fun and we really enjoyed their company. My mom is wonderful to have around when there is cooking to do because she knows all the things to do. I am a "modern" cook. I don't do much totally from scratch. She on the other hand, loves to cook (or at least I think she does because she does it so well) so we did a lot of cooking Wednesday and Thursday. We had done all the shopping for food on Tuesday. What was really fun is she doesn't mind all the little helpers we have around here. They each were given a task and worked hard together to do what needed to be done. We had enough food to feed an army - oh wait we are an army - and everyone enjoyed the food as well as the company of each other. We did miss Ashleigh and Paul as they were Arizona for a wedding with Paul's family. On Friday mom, John and I ventured out to do some shopping. We did not get up early - but Toshia and I did a little shopping on line at midnight if that counts. Saturday David took the kids and went to his brother's house to watch the civil war game. While he was gone I cut out some of the presents I am going to be sewing this week. Sunday was a beautiful day. We were lucky to have little Jonathan blessed at our home and family and friends came to watch the event. Papa John wanted to participate and with Andrew's and our families let alone their friends there was a houseful! It was so neat. Of course, we had lots and lots of brownies and ice cream and pumpkin pie and some left over cheesecake. I think everyone enjoyed themselves. I sure was happy to see everyone. Monday night we had FHE at Toshia's house and she did a great job with the lesson. Afterwards everyone got a turn on the WII (I think that is how you spell it - ). Tuesday we just cleaned and got ready to go to the airport. This morning was really quite as everyone got up and ready to go to school. Autumn and I were quite lazy and took a while to get up and get going. (I had been up of course, but it was fun to lay back down with her after everyone left and have our girl talk). I have a meeting this morning and this evening. I miss my mom around. The sweetest thing Chloe told me yesterday was,"I am really going to miss grandma, last night we were talking and I realized how much I miss having grandma talks. You know things that you can only tell your grandma." I am glad that the kids get to spend as much time with her as they do with her living so far away. It is wonderful to have phones and computers to stay in close contact. We talk at least three or four times a week. We love you mom and John. Thank you for coming to our part of the world to share you Thanksgiving holiday with us.