Some snow & other pics

Ahh, innocence

Though he may not strike you as an innocent kid, at times, Tyler is, in many ways, exactly that. I've always had fun with him, making up imaginative stories that seem like they could be true, only they're not. He still has a great imagination....even at the ripe old age of 14.

Tonight Dave mentioned he might go to the driving range tomorrow & take Jordan with him. He asked Tyler if he wanted to go along as well. He wasn't sure what a driving range was, so naturally I took advantage of this & had a little fun with him. *insert devilish laughter*

My answer, that it was a farm you get to drive around in, didn't thrill him too much & I could see him wavering on his desire to go with the "guys" on this outing. Dave, as usual, caught on pretty quickly & added that you get to chase cows at the driving range....Ty's face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning! He was really excited to go now!

He wanted to know if he could bump the cows & if he got to pick the one he wanted to have a steak from later. I wasn't sure, at this point, if he wasn't playing a little game of his own, so I questioned him a bit. I turned to my inner-vegetarian & asked him if he would want to eat something he just saw walking (or in this scenario, running).

His answer: as long as it's marinaded. I didn't see that one coming. I mean, come on! Can this conversation get any weirder, I ask??

And he was serious, too. He's not dimwitted, should you be curious at this point. Just innocent & so much fun to mess with. ;)

Getting in to the Christmas Spirit

When the kids are sick, waking up many times each at night, I find myself having to work a little harder than normal at getting in to the Christmas Spirit. Okay, so I find myself having to work harder at everything, but most especially my mood. ;)

We had snow last week....TWICE! If I didn't have pictures (which are to come), I don't know if I would believe it myself! We really got dumped on the second time around, which was a nice surprise for most of the kids.

Tyler couldn't wait to throw snowballs at anyone in his general vicinity (except me, of course....he knows what a poor sport I am when it comes to the cold stuff on my bare parts & what a mean snowball I can throw in return so he tends not to mess with me).

Jordan just wanted to be out in it. He was the sickest at the time, so I didn't cave & let him out until the day after it snowed, but he didn't seem to mind at all.

Logan loved sloshing through it & was a total natural snowball fighting. He's always had great aim & Ty was his victim for the day. LOL

Hayleah didn't want anything to do with this white stuff. In fact, she was quite scared of it! She refused to even walk on the sidewalk until it had melted. She was perfectly content to watch Logan pelt Tyler in the head & neck area with snowballs from the other side of the glass, getting a big kick out of it all.

Ginger, our pooch, refused to go to the bathroom for most of the day. She'd never seen this white stuff in her 2 years & from the way she acted, she probably would be glad if she never saw it again!

Dave loves the snow. He said when he got his mission call to Canada, he was beyond thrilled because he knew what he was in for. It was probably more the fact that he was guaranteed not to have to deal with over-sized bugs than it was the snow, if you ask me. ;)

I like the snow, too. As long as I don't have to live with it more than once every few years. I like to visit it, but I think I enjoy leaving it behind just as much. One thing I really enjoyed about it this time is the fact that it made Las Vegas feel Christmas-ie to me, which helped boost that fading Christmas Spirit I've been looking to find again.

Aside from all tissues I've gone through in the past week, the sleepless nights, & the breathing treatments, I love this time of year. We get to spend it surrounded by the ones we love, in a home that keeps us warm, with many comforts that a lot of people don't have....all of it just makes me feel grateful to be alive & able to celebrate Christ's birth.

Merry Christmas!

Kudos to my little bro

My brother, Scottie, graduated from the Police Training Academy this past week. I'm so proud of him! My sister-in-law just emailed me telling me he was in the local paper, too!

http://www.kansas.com/news/crimecourts/story/630303.html

He's the one in the first picture, in brown, sitting next to the blond woman. They even quoted him! :)

I've always wanted to be a police officer & I couldn't be more proud Scottie's chosen this noble profession.

Though Jordan calls him the big mean guy (he!he!) he couldn't be better suited for the job. He's such a patient & level-headed guy. He was such a little hot head when he was a kid....it gives me hope for my own little hot heads, seing how well he's turned out. :)

The Terrific Two's!

Hayleah turned two last Saturday. We had a impromptu party for her while my Mom, Dad, brother & his family were here over Thanksgiving & just a few gifts & a bounce house on her actual birthday.
She loves playing cars with her brothers but man, she can be such a girly-girl! I got her a little skirt that resembles a tutu & some pink tights (she absolutely adores anything pink....if it's pink, it's hers....or so she thinks LOL) & put it on her for the family birthday party. She absolutely loved it! I found a little tiara with matching earrings at a store for cheap & left it on the table that day. Shortly after dressing her for her party, she discovered the tiara in a box & proceeded to tear it out & put it on her head. As far as I know she's never even seen a tiara, but she sure seemed to know exactly what to do with it! :)She's been singing "Happy Birthday" for a solid 6 months now, word for word, completely understandable. But when it came time for us to sing to her she didn't know what to do. She loves being the center of attention, but for some reason she wasn't enjoying the spotlight that night. She had Logan open all her presents, acting like she was too shy to even do that much! It was strange, for this very verbose & friendly little girl to suddenly turn in to a timid little thing, to watch.

Logan picked out a pair of very diva-esque sunglasses for her at the store & was really excited to give them to her. Once she saw them & put them on, she wasn't interested in anything else but hiding behind her new shades. Needless to say, I think that was her favorite gift.
My parents got her a little tea set & she took all of it straight over to my Dad, of all people, to have a little tea party with him. This is another thing she's never seen or done, but her instincts must've kicked in & she knew just what to do. My Dad, who almost never allows a picture to be taken of him, actually gladly posed with his little cup & saucer! LOL It was all very amusing. Tyler got her a little neckless with a locket with the Disney Princesses on it. She really liked it & kept screeching "my bling-bling", in her excitement, until we were able to get it out of the package. She tends to roll her L's so it sounds pretty funny when she says it.

We gave her a pair of miniature Cabbage Patch dolls, a prince & a princess. As soon as she got them out of the package, she had them kissing. LOL Funny girl. :)
Saturday we had the bounce house delivered while she was napping. When she woke up, she must've looked out the window & saw it in the back yard because all I heard were squeals & the words "my pincess", the whole way down the stairs. She loved seeing the princesses on the jumper but when it came time to go in it she wanted no part in that. She screamed her head off when Dave took her in it but eventually warmed up to the idea of getting in to it & jumped for maybe 15 minutes before she lost interest. Even still, the boys enjoyed it immensely & that made it worth the cost.
I'm so glad to have this sweet, vivacious, motherly, doting, perfect little princess in my life. I didn't always have the best relationship with my Mom but now she's one of my very best friends....I'm holding out a strong hope it will be the same with Hayleah & I. She has her Daddy wrapped around her finger, for sure. He loves his boys fiercely, but he's completely enamored & absolutely in love with this little girl. We're really grateful to have her in our little family. No matter what, she will remain my little ray of sunshine. :)

Twenty-some days, my 100th entry, Turkey day & so much more!

It's been a while since I've updated our blog. Things have been a bit hectic with the holiday & a vacation right afterwards. I can't believe I haven't taken the time to post something in this long! And this entry is my luck number 100!! :)

My Mom came in to town on the 23rd & was able to stay for 10 days. Not nearly long enough! My Dad came in a few days later & stayed for 5 days. My brother Jake, his sweet wife AJ & her daughter Kylee came on the 26th & stayed through the 30th. We had a house full, for sure! My parents stayed at the resort (it's nice to have that inexpensive hook up!) while my Dad was in town, so the house wasn't overflowing but it was definitely a busy week!

We did our first turkey for Thanksgiving this year. I'm a borderline vegetarian & refuse to touch anything that looks like it once had a name, so I've never cooked a turkey. Dave & my Dad filled up a turkey fryer with some oil & went to town. The first one came out more like turkey-jerky (lol) but the second one was pretty good. Luckily we had 2 turkeys thawed & ready to go. One cannot survive on stuffings, twice-baked potatoes, & green fluffy stuff alone! At least not on Thanksgiving.

We stuffed ourselves in the early evening & later had a pie eating contest. My brother Jake, the one who looks like he just stuck his face in a newborn babies diaper, won first place. Tyler took a close second & Kylee came in third. This was our first year with the pie eating contest & it was so much fun I'm sure it'll be a tradition from now on.

After getting my mom, brother & his family off Sunday, we started gathering our things for our Monday morning departure. We were headed for Flagstaff, AZ, one of our favorite places to go. There's a gorgeous resort down that has rooms that are more like a large condo with private hot tubs on the back porches & everything. We were lucky this time & got the condo right next to the park & directly across the street from the activity center.
The activity center had everything from pool tables to computers to mini-golf....you name it & they had it! We got to play mini-golf a few times & the kids really enjoyed that. Jordan's been begging Dave to take him golfing for a while now, so this gave him a small taste of it & he really wants to play more. Tyler enjoyed the free games & spent a lot of time being one of the big kids, playing & making new friends. Jordan was constantly searching for more pinecones while we were there....he's such a little collector!
We had some local cats that kept coming to our back door, which the kids absolutely loved. There were at least 3 of them & they were pretty timid but let Jordan pet them at one point.

Wednesday night we got to drive down to Williams, AZ, & rode the Polar Express. This was the highlight of our trip, for sure! We weren't really thinking about the weather, just that we were all going in our PJ's. When we got there the thermometer read 27 degrees!! Luckily we thought to bring blankets so not everyone froze.

Once we picked up our tickets, we headed down the train depot to the area we would be boarding. Once we were off & running we were served hot chocolate, all the while listening to the song "Hot Chocolate" from the movie, & cookies. Our train's chef held up the story book while a voice from the speakers read The Polar Express to us, as we sipped on our warm cocoa. Hayleah had never had hot chocolate before but quickly decided she loved it. The recognition on her face of was priceless!

Once the book was finished & we sped through the time warp that pushed us closer to the North Pole, the train was rockin' & rollin' & Jordan was looking kind of green. I had to try to distract him from the way he was feeling which worked out nicely because it distracted me too. I was starting to feel a little off myself.

We started seeing the lights of the North Pole & before we knew it we got to see Santa's village, his reindeer, a helper elf & Santa himself! It was all lit up with Christmas lights. Once there, we didn't spend much time checking things out before the train was headed back to Arizona. As we all waved goodbye to Santa & the lights became distant again, our train's chef lead us all in song. My favorite was The 12 Days of Christmas, where the everyone in our train compartment had a part. We were near the front, so we had the 2nd day of Christmas. All the boys & men had to stand up on the 5th day with their hands in a circle over their heads, which was very amusing.

Soon we were surprised to see that Santa had caught up with us & had boarded our train car! He came through the aisles, greeting each child, & gave all the kids their own bell. Last year seeing Santa was a huge ordeal (classic kids screaming picture) so I was a little worried about it this year, but they all did great!

Overall this was a great trip. I would totally do the Polar Express again...it was absolutely worth it.

The illegal haircuts

I could spit nails right about now. Hayleah came down stairs a little while ago, her favorite "baby" in her arms, crying. She explained to me, through those big crocodile tears she manages to produce at the least things, that Logan cut off her baby's hair. Sure enough, just moments later, he comes bounding down the stairs (scissors pointed up...ugh!) with the offending scissors in hand.

I wasn't very happy about what he'd done, obviously. I asked where the scissors came from. See, we're pretty careful to keep all the scissors put up above the stove where even I can barely reach them, so I was pretty surprised to learn he'd gotten hold of a pair. He told me Jo-Jo did it.

Of course. My most mischievous child. He goes through spurts where he's really good & doesn't get in to anything so I let down my guard a little bit. Until the next time, that is. And there always seems to be a next time. You'd think that by the age of 6 he'd have grown out of it by now, but no.

Anyway, I ask Jordan where they came from & he begins to studder, struggling to come up with a story fast enough. It didn't really matter where they came from at that point because that's when I noticed a nice chunk of Hayleah's hair that was considerable shorter than the rest.

#@%&***!#^$@#!?!?

I know this is bound to happen some time in almost every one's childhood (I'm pretty sure it happened more than once in mine....sorry about that Mom.....I was always pretty scissor happy; ask all my barbies :-O ) but I was hoping we'd manage to get by without it happening to my kids.

Not only did he cut Hayleah's hair but he got a chunk of Logan's too. Logan's isn't so bad because he kind of needed a haircut anyway. I guess Hayleah's isn't too bad either. He didn't cut it down to the scalp at least.

Ugh! Maybe I'll take pictures later when the kids wake up from their naps, so we can one day laugh about this. No laughing today though....only a lot of cleaning going on around here. :-/

What a deal!

Right now restaurant.com is running a deal where you can buy gift certificates to some of my favorite restaurants for CHEAP! I was able to get a $25 GC for only $3!!! The code to get the deal is DESSERT.

Such a bright, hopeful message

I know you can't regret what you never knew, but the message in this video is so inspiring & uplifting I know I would definitely have missed out on something great had I not taken the time to watch & listen.

Family Home Evening

It's something I struggle with, having FHE faithfully each week. I love it when it happens, though it never really just "happens", does it? I have no problems planning them. It's the follow-through that always gets me. Something seems to come up almost every week. I like to have them on Sunday nights but last night I was completely drained & felt like I'd been ran over by a truck. I think I was coming down with something, based on the all-over body aches I was having, but I popped 4 Infection Fighters (herbal miracle worker - it works every time!) & I feel better today.

I got a chance to have a lesson with Tyler after the other kids went to bed. It seems like all the FHE lessons are geared more towards the younger bunch in our family, so I don't think Ty gets much out of those lessons. This is why I like to have a separate lesson with him after the kids are all asleep & we have some time to talk.

We read Alma 40 & talked about spiritual death & what home means to us. We also got to talk about how being a forever family doesn't mean we'll always be together if we don't all make the choices to keep our baptismal & temple covenants....that just because we're sealed as a family doesn't mean we can automatically have those blessings if some of us don't live a life of righteousness in order to receive them. We talked about life choices & how the can affect us all in an eternal sense. It's really cool to talk to him about this kind of stuff because he's very well versed & knows almost all the scripture stories. He brings a fresh, new perspective to things & I really feel the Spirit when we take the time to have these lessons.

I love it when I find something we can connect on. Being 14, it seems to get harder & harder to find those subjects & moments, so when they come along I really enjoy them. And what a great thing to connect with! :)

Some Halloween pics

There were several Halloween events last week I was able to take pictures of the kids at.


The first was Trunk or Treat, held at the chapel. Only Ty, Jordan, Logan & I went since Hayleah was still sick with a cold. We had some delicious chili & lots of fun seeing all the different costumes. One of these years I'll actually plan ahead for myself & dress up. Kudos to the adults who did!

The rest are from Halloween night. Dave & I took Jordan, Logan & Hayleah out around our little neighborhood. There weren't too many houses with their lights on, so that was a good thing. I was worried about taking Hayleah out because I got rid of my stroller & I was afraid she'd get tired of walking while we were out & want to head back before everyone else was ready.

As it turns out, I had reason to be concerned but it wound up being Logan who was tired of it all before everyone else. I ended up taking him back home while Dave took Jordan & Hayleah to the rest of the houses in our area. Hayleah absolutely loved it & was not ready to be finished when it was time. She wouldn't let anyone carry her candy bag....she was very much in to the whole thing. :)

Jordan was such a good big brother the whole time we were out. He was constantly holding Hayleah's hand & leading her to each house. SO sweet!!

Tyler, his friend Randy & I went to the Adventure Dome after everyone returned from Trick or Treating around the neighborhood. They had several haunted houses & the kids could ride all the rides too. The boys had a great time & we wound up staying until it closed at midnight. I was wiped out by the time we left. Ty dressed up as a basketball player that night, as you can see from one of the only photos I was able to get him to stand still for. He doesn't like having his picture taken. I don't know where he gets that from. ;)

Our president elect

It's something I thought would happen but I still didn't want it. It's too bad but I guess we just make the best of it & hope for the best.

The Dentist

Jo, Logan & Hayleah had dentist appointments today. Logan was mad at me for something & kept repeating that he didn't like the dentist, over & over, on the way there (this somehow punishes me in his mind, I think) until Jo started saying how much he loved going to the dentist. He even made a song out of it, in his own creative little way. Logan enjoyed it so much he joined in & for a little bit "loved" the dentist, too. Too funny!

Once we got there they did fine (the waiting room is a kids paradise; train tables, video games, big screen TV's playing fun kid movies, etc.) until we were called back. Jo did great the whole time & let them take x-rays & do a cleaning on him.

Logan cried the moment he sat in the big chair but I was able to distract him fairly easily until he was a little more comfortable with being there. Eventually he was proud to show off his teeth to both the assistant & later the dentist, giving them no problems at all. He wasn't down with a cleaning, though. Still, it's a huge step from 6 mo. ago when he screamed his head off & refused to even sit still or open his mouth.

Hayleah loved sitting in the chair & watching her brothers calmly have their teeth "counted"....until it was her turn, that is. She screamed & wailed like someone was torturing her. I'm used to this, since she does it every night as I brush her teeth. She just does not like anyone messing with her mouth. Six months ago Logan acted just like she does when it's my turn to brush her teeth but he does fine now, so I have hopes she'll eventually stop giving me such a hard time about it.

The best part of all of it is each one of them were cavity-free (!!!!!!!!!!!!) & they got to spin the "cavity-free wheel" to win a prize. They really liked that. Hopefully the next visit will go smooth for everyone. This office is really great & they are so good with the kids.

Ty has his appointment on Wednesday. I'm crossing my everything in the hopes that he can have an equally great check up!

Time change = weather change + a new Bishop

I think it's finally time to suck the air out of all the space saver bags in my room that are holding the kids' summer clothes. I've been putting clothes in, as they make their way through the laundry, for about a month. They keep making their way out of the bags because it's been so nice outside.

Today we had a high in the low-to-mid 70's. Nice. I love fall. It's my absolute favorite time of year. Though we don't get all the beautifully colored trees here in Vegas, we do get great weather. This fall has been unusually nice. Usually it's pretty cold the night of Trunk or Treat but this year it was in the low 80's!

The kids get to break out their little jackets & are starting to want to keep their clothes on when they go outside (this is very rare for them....I run a nudist colony here, dontcha know ;) ), & lately they aren't putting up too much of a fight when I tell them to wear shoes outside.

So I have a few guesses who I think our next Bishop will be. If I started a pool, taking faux bets on who's the next Bish, would I need to repent for it afterwards? LOL Kidding.

I think it's either going to be Bro. Combs or Bro. Taylor. The thought came to me a few weeks ago that Bro. Combs would be the next Bishop before I knew our current Bishop would be moving on soon, so that's why I think it might be him. And Justin Taylor seems destined to be a Bishop. If not this time around, some time in the future. I don't know very many of the husbands in the ward, but I've had some experience with Justin through Tyler & he's such a great person.

Should I even be saying all of this?

Will I be eating my foot soon?

We shall see....

Halloween Party

Today was Jordan's class Halloween party. They were allowed to wear their costumes to school, sans anything that could be construed as a weapon. Jo was the black Spiderman but decided at the last minute (literally...we were parked in front of the school to drop him off) he didn't want to wear it. As we pulled up he asked what he would do if he needed to go to the bathroom today, since his costume zips up in the back. I could tell he'd been thinking about it & didn't press him to change his mind when he decided to take off the costume & just wear the clothing he had underneath. Poor kid was really worried about it! I can imagine the thought of having an accident in your costume would keep most kids from wanting to wear one.

He had a good day, even without the costume. He wasn't the only one not wearing one, so it wasn't too bad. I got to go see them walk around in a little parade & bring some treat bags, which was fun.

Logan came with me & really enjoyed himself. He entertained several parents while we were there waiting for the parade to end & the party to begin. He really is a little entertainer. He's shy yet he says & does some of the funniest things when he doesn't realize people are looking.

I managed to get a few pictures, which I'll try & scrapbook in the next day or so.

My friend Cherry had her baby last night. Thank goodness all went well! I always worry when I hear some one's going in for an induction. So often they "fail" (aka dr's don't want to miss dinner/soccer game/whatever with the family & a c-section becomes "necessary"), so I was glad to hear both momma & baby are doing great. I really want to go see them, but I don't want to be a burden so I think I'll wait until she's more rested.

It's been a year already??

It's hard to believe it, but it's been a year since I shaved my head. I've never shared the pictures from that night so I thought I'd throw something together to help remember that night. Tyler played photographer & Dave the "hair dresser" while the kids & the dog got to run around wild out in the back yard.


What a surreal night!

Ty's shoulder update

I took Ty to the orthopedic surgeon today for a follow up. He said things are not healing perfectly straight but that it wouldn't be a problem. Then he said the magic words, in Tyler's eyes....no more sling! Ty was pretty happy to hear that. He's sick of wearing it every day.

The only "bad" news was that Ty still has to refrain from any sports for the next 4 weeks. He was pretty bummed about that. I guess they just started flag football in P.E. this week & he was really hoping for the green light to play.

I don't think I'll be taking him to any more follow up appointments. I don't need a dr to tell me what I already know, with his hand out waiting for me to pay him to tell me the obvious. A lot of dr's visits (especially for younger children) are so unnecessary. They're really just an excuse the vaccine makers have to put together to get the kids in the office so parents can "immunize" their children. Ever notice how the "well-child checks" coincide with vaccine recommendations? Yeah, me too. ;)

Ah....that's another story all together. I digress....

Halloween costume time!

Today, both Logan & Hayleah wanted to try on the costumes I ordered for them. Hayleah, at least once a day, walks/crawls around for a while with her tongue hanging out, occasionally drawn back in to let out a loud "meow" (she's our family cat/dog....we don't have a cat so she acts like a dog but thinks she's a cat....funny kid LOL). So this year I got her a kitty costume. It's really cute & she was very happy with it when she saw herself in the mirror, alternating between wide-eyed staring & smiles.

Logan, being the little stinker he is, is going to be a skunk this year. After he put on his costume I wanted him to go show Dave so I told him to sneak up on him & scare him with his "scary" skunk costume (I know....not scary....but he loves to try to scare Dave whenever possible & he wasn't loving the costume yet so I had to come up with something). Anyhow, he snuck up behind him & just stood there. When Dave finally turned around & saw him he just ooh'd & ahh'd at him & said how cute he was.

The conversation:

Dave: Oh look at you! You look so cute!

Logan: Yeah (with the typical head/full body nod)

Dave: (as Logan turns around to walk off) Oh look at your little tail...you're a skunk! That's really cute!

Logan: (in his best angry voice) Me not skunk Dad, me Logan. (stomps off, mad)


It's funny but Logan gets very mad when anyone calls him anything other than the designated name & nickname we've given him. If you have spent any time with us, all of our kids each have many, many nicknames/pet names, except Logan. He won't have it. He's told us several times only to call him Logan or Loga-Bear. That's it. He's very defensive about it for some reason.

Funny kid. :)

My favorite Sunday's

Yesterday at church we were able to have one of those Sunday's, when the messages were so clear & the stories so fascinating & the speakers so inspired....it was a great day to be able to witness. One of the Ivie boys came home from his mission in India & gave his homecoming speech yesterday. It was a great talk & as he spoke it was very interesting to look at the congregation & see how intently they were listening to his story. He had a very different experience than most missionaries have, which is why I think everyone was so keen to listen. I don't know of any missionaries that have been held in jail & beaten for just being missionaries in a foreign land, other than this young man.

The Bishop got a chance to talk, too. He's running for county commission & has had a string of attack ads against him on TV this week. I know it has to be hard for him & his family to swallow that bitter pill. It's sad what our political atmosphere has turned to, just to try to get someone elected. What happened to the ethics of our founding fathers? There seems to be little integrity left in politics. So little that it's hard to see it when it's actually there. It's nice to actually know someone in the political arena who is ethical & tries to live a righteous life, otherwise I don't think I could hold out much hope for any of it at this point. I'm really disgusted with politics at this point in my life!

Another great event of the day was the opportunity Ty & I had to go to Standards Night. The people who put this together really did an amazing job. I was really impressed with the team-talk the Burt's gave (which I've never seen done before, but they managed to pull it off nicely) & the testimonies of the youth that were shared were very moving. It was really nice to be able to feel like we were able to connect with them on a personal level, even though I don't know most of them. And it's so much more powerful, hearing a testimony from a face you recognize.

The theme was F.R.O.G. ~ Fully Rely On God. The whole room was decked out in origami frogs & stuffed frogs & green treats....they just did an awesome job.

The Bishop spoke for a bit & had a few great stories to share & related them to how Heavenly Father helps those he loves by refining them & allowing their gold (the best within them) to rise to the top. It made me think about the muck I'm not truly letting go of & made me realize what I need to do to allow my inner gold to shine through.

It's always a good day when you're able to look from the outside in & evaluate where things are & where they should be. It's a great day when you know what you need to do to get things to where they should be. Yesterday was a great day. Today is a day of action. :)

House hunting ~ what a pain!

We're trying to find a house in our ward boundaries but it seems like everything we find is either outdated or just not right. I really want a single-story home on a decent size lot but to find that we have to look at the custom homes in the area. I don't have a problem with this since I love the space but they're hard to find. I don't mind an older home either, as long as it's been updated since it was built. I just want a big back yard for my kids & my dog so we can keep the play ground.

Luckily we're not in a pinch for time, so we are keeping our eyes peeled for the right house to come along. I'm expecting it will, too. The wait & the let-down after seeing homes we had high hopes for is kind of disappointing, but I figure it's all worth it to find the right house.

The sweet & the funny & the field trip

Logan & Hayleah, though they're 14 months apart, both speak at about the same level. They both pick up a lot from Jordan, some of which is very funny coming out of a little person's mouth.

The other day, after spending the morning with a friend while I went on Jordan's first class field trip, Logan was amused with something I said or did. Between laughter he tells me "you make me yo, yo happy, mom" (he doesn't pronounce the 'S' sound very well). The little man knows how to melt my heart. Lately he's taken to flirting with me during scriptures. He'll catch my eye & start winking at me & blowing kisses. Funny kid! He's always had such a big personality.

Today was Dave's first day off in what felt like forever & we went out to lunch. On the way back we see a little carnival going up & Hayleah spots the rides. She doesn't know what it is but she manages, in her excitement, to get out the word "awesome". Coming from a little girl whose not even 2 yet, this is a big word to use & what's even funnier is she knows how to use it properly. I've been saying for a while she's a smart kid. *Ü*

I mentioned a field trip a bit ago & wanted to write down a little about that. Jordan's class had their first field trip on Wednesday & I was one of the lucky parents who got to go with them. We went to the farm festival way out in east Las Vegas. The kids all had a really good time. They got to pet all kinds of animals, get in a tractor & have their picture taken, learn some things about farms & farmers, etc. Their only complaint was the fact that whomever brings the pigs left them at home this year. They were really looking forward to petting the pigs.

Overall it was a good trip. The bus ride was bumpy & the driver seemed to think taking the round-about way was better, but we had fun & no one got lost. On the other hand, Logan screamed & cried the entire time he was at Jade's house. :( Poor kid. Poor Jade.

My babies

I was looking at my 3 youngest this morning & I realized how much they really do look alike. It's harder to see it in Tyler because he's so much more grown up than they are, but he used to look very similar too. I see a lot of Dave in Logan but then I think they all look like me.

My babies are growing up so quickly. Last night I realized Hayleah will be almost 4, Logan will be 5 & Jo will be 8 by the time the new Harry Potter theme park, at Disney World, opens up & we get to go. That's just crazy! And to think she's the last of our babies....I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that she's likely our last. It's even crazier to think Ty will be 16 by then.

CRAZY!

Crocheting

I have very little experience with this. My m-i-l taught me how a few years back & I haven't picked it up since. Recently I decided to pick up some yarn & try to get in to it. I have a tendency to snack when I'm bored (obviously) & I'm trying to stop that so I can take off those pounds I lost but then found again, plus some.

So far it's turning out really cute. It's a baby blanket & I know just who I'm going to give it to when her baby comes. :) Jordan is very fascinated with the whole process & is asking when he can do one too. Tyler laughs at me & says something about knit one, pearl two....punk is trying to call me old, I think. Logan & Hayleah can't seem to leave the balls of yarn alone. They keep laying their heads on them & telling me they're going to sleep now.

Funny kids.

Ever get tired of clutter?

I do. I wish there was a way to make it disappear without having to follow everyone around in this house. My bedroom is the worst part of the house for this right now. It seems to be a magnet for everything that doesn't belong, unless I really work hard at staying on top of it. I'd love to have a showroom home one day. Today is not that day, however.

It seems like just when I feel I'm caught up on decluttering/organizing/cleaning, I turn around & it all needs to be done again. What's that about!? Where's that easy button or fairy godmother when I need them?? Maybe a housekeeper would do.

I swear having a two-story house is more like having 2 houses when it comes to cleaning. I'm really hoping our next house will be a single-story home for this exact reason.

WARNING: Rant ahead.....may be offensive to some.......

I think certain family members think I'm lazy for not keeping my house as spic & span as they believe it should be. While it's definitely not as clean as their house (with zero kids in it) is, what's wrong with paying more attention to the kids & a little less attention to the things that will still be there later? Maybe those people should check their own motes instead of being so focused on mine. It's hard to hear they've been whispering behind your back about it & not feel upset about it. I think I have every right to feel upset when someone says kind things to your face but makes negative comments about you behind your back, though I know I shouldn't let them hold that power over me.

Maybe things will be better in time. Until then, I guess the silence will remain. It's just hard allowing them in to your home, allowing them to see your vulnerabilities, knowing this gives them ammo to use against you, & not knowing when that time will come when they inevitably will use it against you.

It's been weeks & it still bothers me. I've never been one to hold grudges, but this one is still stuck in my craw. I guess I just expect more from the ones I love. Is that so wrong?

I think I'm just going to decide to not allow them to hold any more power over me & move on from this. They can be whomever their conscience dictates they will be & I'll do my best to rise above that. I'm letting it go now.

RANT OVER

Praise the Cox Cable guy!

He fixed my internet! It's been in & out for at least a few weeks now. It took sacrificing a play date at the park to get him here, but now we can get online & actually get phone calls! I love the price of Vonage, but it sucks if the cable is out. I was able to forward the home phone to the cell phone but it's been acting funny the past few days too. Not in the funny "ha-ha" kind of way, either.

When the cable guy left I got a knock on the door not 30 seconds later. It was him again, letting me know Hayleah was out front. Great! Made me feel like a good mom, not knowing my 1 year old was outside....out FRONT....by herself. :( It's my fault for not telling the cable guy to lock the door each time he came in & out. Our front door sucks & won't shut completely so it has to be locked all the time.

She was safe, which is all that matters now. That & I learned a good lesson about her. I've known she's sneaky & slick for a while now....I now have a better idea exactly how good at it she can be. Thank goodness we go out there every morning & she knows to not step foot off the curb.

The summer of BUGS!

I don't know about others here in Vegas, but MAN has there been a lot of bugs! We finally got the bug guy out today for the first time in a few months & it's been needed for a while now. You just can't go 2 months between services in the summer time. At least not this summer. It's been alright in past years but I'm ready to start finding some dead or dying bugs around here, instead of getting freaked out about the live ones!

I always hate letting them come in & spray, just because I don't want the stuff where I eat & sleep, but this time they did the downstairs & upstairs. I'm just tired of seeing bugs all the time.

If I find a bug outside, I'm always cautious not to kill them but when they step foot into my territory they're no longer granted immunity!

Speaking of immunity....I miss Big Brother. I can't wait for the next one!! This year we got 2 seasons. I don't think we'll be as lucky next year. I can hope for another writer's strike. ;)

I got a chance to talk to my brother Travis today. He had gastric bypass surgery last week & had a few stories to tell me that were really gross, yet fascinating & hysterical all at the same time. I told him he needs to write a book about this experience. He's such a good writer & has an incredible sense of humor. And after hearing what I heard today, apparently he has no shame either & is willing to share even the most embarrassing, intimate details of this ordeal. LOL

Back to school tomorrow!

After a 3 week break, Jordan goes back to school in the morning. He's been counting the days & is excited to see his friends tomorrow. I'm happy for him. He's really loving first grade. I think we'll probably go through another breaking in phase, where it seems like the day will never end & each day seems to be longer than the last, but overall he'll go back to loving it pretty quickly. :)

His teacher this year seems pretty nice, as I've said before. I'm looking forward to getting to know her a little better & see what her teaching style is. She has at least one child in her class that's a big challenge (he was in Jordan's class in K) & I'd like to see how she does with him in her class. She's young, which is always a concern for me, & has no kids of her own, which is yet another big concern, but so was Ms. Harper & she turned out to be great. I'm hoping for more of the same.

Anyone want a hormonal, grumpy 14 year old?

Cause mine is driving me nuts today. He thumped Jordan on the head for annoying him & is now copying a few pages from the dictionary. I figure if he's going to be a bully at least he'll be one with a large vocabulary. ;) Seriously though, I'm so done with this kind of behavior. I really hope he's able to get it under control before he really hurts someone. :( I understand how annoying little brothers can be, but come on!! Grrr!

I needed to go to the store today so I decided to go right after dropping Dave off at work, to try & miss the crowd. I swear my kids are out to get me today. That probably sounds a little paranoid, but it's really how I felt this morning. Luckily I have my head on straight (so far today, anyway) & I'm not letting them bug me too much. They thought it would be fun to play tag through the aisles this morning while Hayleah, who was very tired, would cry as loudly as she could if I wasn't holding her. Between keeping everyone at my side, a crying baby & no sling in sight, I was so ready to get out of there!

I need to rethink the whole early morning shopping trips thing. Although I don't really know anyone who enjoys taking their kids grocery shopping, this particular trip to the store was more difficult than usual.

Hayleah's hair cut

She looks so cute, I must say. Thanks, Jamie! :)

I took a picture of her this morning, being goofy as usual, to show the difference. The before pic really shows how wild it would be if I didn't have it up all the time. Cute stuff!

This next sb page is of Logan on his 3rd birthday, a few weeks ago. Everything he touched was followed by this deep breath in & the word "OH" or "Holy Moke". He enjoyed himself, to say the least. :)

What is it with doctors offices & social security numbers!?

Man this irritates me! Several years ago, we stopped giving out our SS#'s to doctors offices. They just don't need it. The insurance company swears they don't ask for anything more than the last four digits of the social. So why in the world are doctor's offices still giving me a hard time about this?? I had a woman on the phone with me today, totally frustrated with me because I wouldn't give out my social or Dave's, who thought she could get the numbers out of me through her not-so-tactful threats & rude behavior. She even had the balls to say "screw it" to me after she realized she wasn't going to bully me into seeing things her way.

If you know me at all, you'd know threats don't work well with me. It makes me dig my heals in more. This kind of stuff happens all the time in doctor's offices, unfortunately. My skin is much thicker than it once was & I now know I'm the employer & I don't have to put up with that kind of mistreatment.

Her threat was that she could not make me an appointment without first getting my social. Why do people have to make things so difficult? I bet she's asking herself the same thing. I'm really not trying to be difficult, but when you hear about doctor's offices going out of business & all their patients records....SS#'s & all.....being deposited in the dumpster out back for anyone to take, you can't be too careful.

I called back & spoke with someone in the offices administration & explained what had happened. I rarely complain about people's behavior but in this case I really felt someone should know patients are being treated this way when they're not 100% "compliant" & maybe have a few more questions than the average bear. She was nice about it & I can see where it could be frustrating, but the entire conversation after her yelling "screw it" at me was really snotty & rude.

Girlfriend needed to be checked! At the time I was ready to bust out a can but I've figured out a way to let those kinds of frustrations go fairly quickly.

Why is it easier to let frustrations with strangers go more quickly than frustrations with family? Is it because you love them & expect more from them? Want better from them, maybe?

More of life's tough questions.....

Why do I always need a title??

I don't title my regular journal entry's, yet I feel the need to come up with something for a title on each blog entry. What's that about!?

My older brother, Travis, will be having his gastric bypass surgery on Thursday. It's something that's been needed for a long time. I just hope all goes well. All prayers & positive healing energy are very welcomed & appreciated. The surgery is being done at a hospital 2.5 hours from where they live, so my parents are renting a van for the week to get him there & back.

Speaking of my parents, I know there have been things about them that I've looked down on in the past, but as I sit here on the eve of my 34th birthday I feel like I need to express how appreciative I am of them. They are the most caring, giving people you will ever meet. Sometimes to a fault (when it comes to their kids, at least), but their generosity & charity have given me so much to build off of. It's amazing how these two people who knew absolutely nothing 15 years ago are the ones I turn to for many things. They are some of my best friends & I wouldn't have it any other way!

Tyler had a follow up appointment with the doctor about his shoulder & things are moving right along. He's dying to be out of the sling. I got a call from the school nurse last week telling me Ty was "caught" by one of his teachers not wearing it & was sent to the nurse to have this miracle healing confirmed by his mother via a phone call. I love that they seem to care about him at this school. It's such a different experience this time around!

Jordan goes back to school on Monday. He's dying to go back. The other day I gave him lines to write for hitting his brother & when he finished he begged for more. LOL Silly kid, doesn't even know a punishment when he sees one. ;) He's been asking for more lines every day since. :P

Logan has been in need of some extra attention apparently. The other night he woke me up a few times to kiss owie's that either didn't exist or had been there for a week & were invisible in the dark. It's funny how even at 3 a.m. I still find his sweet face irresistible!

Hayleah has a hair cut scheduled for tomorrow morning. I love Savannah Burt's hair so I called Jamie & asked her to give Hayleah the same cut. I'll try to actually scrapbook pics of it soon & post it. I'm excited to see how cute it looks!

Lastly, I'm dealing with some health issues (nothing too serious, just distressing) & will explain more later. For now, please keep me in your prayers.

Death & decisions

I got a call yesterday from Candlelighters to do an emergency casting. A 3 year old baby girl had passed away, quickly & unexpectedly, at St. Rose that morning & the family wanted to get a casting of her hand & foot. It's always heart breaking to see the families of children with cancer, but none more so than the family of a child who lays dead right in front of them. These castings are the hardest on me. They leave me bursting out in tears at any given moment for days afterwards. I can't imagine the pain this family must be going through. Even with my knowledge of the Plan of Salvation & what has been prepared for my family while we're here on earth, my heart hurts at the thought of losing one of my children. It's these castings that make me appreciate what I have so much more.

My heart goes out to this family. I've never met them before yesterday but today I ache for them. I know they must be hurting so much.

I am so grateful for my family's health.

One of our fish, Gus, died the other day. We've had Gus since we first moved to Vegas 5 years ago. He was a big, fat gold fish that the kids loved to watch & feed. He's been through 3 moves with us & has withstood a long list of attacks of a 2, 3, & 4 year old (all Jordan), including the vitamin B incident where all the other fish "hitched a ride on the porcelain express", & a few different incidents where he jumped out of the water & landed on the floor several feet below & still managed to survive!

We will miss him.

Dave was offered a position as a Manager at his work for the umpteenth time last week. It was for a team that had a few really good producing sales agents, a few so-so ones, & a few new people that needed some serious work. After getting down to the nitty-gritty of it all, it came out that the top producing agents had plans to move to other managers teams, leaving the new manager to take over a group of sales agents with no more than 5 months experience under their belts. Of course it takes time to build a good team, which is why Dave hasn't taken on the role of manager thus far. Time is money & if you aren't making it you're in jeopardy of losing your job, not to mention the lack of money! Naturally, he has turned it down.

That leaves us with the decision of whether or not to go to Durango. It's a lateral move, which is starting to make less sense because he can do here what is being offered there (which is nothing more than something to put on a resume) & it pays more here. It doesn't come down to the almighty dollar, but that does play a part in things. We want our kids to be able to go to college & have their missions paid for....all things that need money. Do we go somewhere that pays less but is prettier? There's still laundry to be done, no matter where you are. It's more beautiful there, but our core issues will not change even if the scenery does (laundry being the bain of my existence, hence the laundry comment).

So, it looks like Las Vegas is where we will stay. :) We are headed to the Temple early next week & plan to plead our case there, but I think we already know the answer.

I may have spoken too soon...

We may not be moving to Durango afterall! We have some big decisions to make & Sunday can't come soon enough for my Temple Recommend interview!! It expired last month & I missed my last appointment to get it renewed because of Tyler's shoulder incident. I need it now more than ever!

Keep us in your prayers, if you would....

Our big wooden playground

We can't take it, for obvious reasons, unfortunately. I'm bummed about this because the kids play on it literally every day, but it just doesn't pay to move it so we have to sell it.

I listed it on Craigslist today so here's a link if any one's interested in it: http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/bab/837288817.html

If you've ever been over here, you'd know it's in great condition & the play house on top is the most fun place for the kids to pretend all kinds of fun stuff in. I'm sad we have to part from it but I'm sure it'll get much love from other kids.

So it looks like it's a go!

We're packing! Dave hasn't officially been given the go ahead, but we're moving forward with this move as though it could happen soon. I'd rather go before winter hits, for sure.

I have several things to sell before we move, our play set being one of them. I posted it on Craigslist the other day & almost immediately got a call on it. They came out & looked at it but I haven't heard back from them yet. We're going to sell the air hockey table, as well as the crib & whatever else I come across that I don't want to move again.

If anyone is in need of boxes, moving or otherwise, I found a few really great places to get them for free. I went to Borders yesterday, looking for boxes, & spoke with the manager. She said she used to work for Pier 1 & would hold boxes for people all the time. They're sturdy, come in various sizes, & best of all FREE! I also hit up a pet store while I was over that way & they had a bunch of boxes in every size.

We spent the entire day out yesterday, running around & going to this doctor & that doctor. Logan & Hayleah were such good sports about it. Tyler not so much, but I know he wasn't feeling too hot so I'll cut him a little slack on that one. Ultimately, the orthopedic surgeon said it won't need surgery & to come back in 2 weeks for another set of x-rays to make sure it's healing properly.

He went back to school today. I don't think I could've kept him home if I tried! He was bummed about having to stay out of school yesterday. I don't know whose kid he is when he gets like this, but it doesn't seem as though he's mine. I can't complain though. :)

I really dislike HMO's

I called the pediatric orthopedic surgeon this morning to make an appointment & am told they need a referral from Ty's pediatrician before they can even make an appointment. Okay, fine, I know all about Cigna's hoops. I'll deal with this, no problem.

I call Dr. Bakerink's office (I love Dr. B, btw...he's great, his staff, other than Candace, not so much) & am told they won't refer him out until they see him. Apparently it's not good enough to be seen at the hospital, they want to dip their hand into our pocket's too. Grrrr....

We opted for the low coverage this year, taking a gamble that nothing major would happen. Nothing really ever does happen, so the odds were low. I guess you get what you pay for, eh? And boy do you pay for what you get, should you actually need anything!

Rant over....I'm letting this go now & am making the choice to have a happy day, no matter what. :)

Ty's arm

I forgot to mention he fell from the 4th or 5th step onto the floor below, but if you see him he has informed me this incident will now be referred to as the time when he rode his BMX bike off a very high ramp & crashed & burned. He said it sounds cooler than falling off the stairs. LOL

He amazes me by how well he's able to keep his sense of humor through this. Either he has a high pain tolerance or those big white pills really do their job! ;)

Tyler, Tyler *sigh*

I swear that kid will do anything to get out of doing work! Last night he managed to break his humerus, just below the shoulder. OUCH!! We spent several hours in the ER last night, waiting for them to tell us what we had already surmised. We heard it crack when he hit the ground. :(

The kids were all very worried about him. He'll be fine in time. It's pretty rare there's any nerve damage with this kind of a break.

Tomorrow we get to go pay an ortho to tell us it's broken (again). They don't usually cast an arm when it breaks in this area. He'll probably be in a sling/immobilizer-thingy for the next 6 weeks.

Poor kid....it has to hurt! He's been very funny throughout this. He found the silver lining right away & is very happy not to have to do any more dishes for a while, as well as getting out of having to help with the move. Brat. :P

Looks like we might be moving!

Dave's old boss was given the VP job in Durango, Colorado recently & we've been kicking around the idea of joining him out there for about a month now. I'm fairly sure we'll be looking for a new home soon! I've already started trying to hunt down free boxes where possible. If anyone has any they're willing to part with, I'd be glad to take them off your hands. :)

Durango is a small town, with only around 15,000 residents. The nearest temple is in Monticello, Utah, about 2 hours drive away. It's located up in the mountains....way up in the mountains. It's about 4 hours to Albuquerque & 6 or so hours to Denver. Even better, it's only about 12 hours from my parents in Kansas! :)

From the pictures we've seen, it looks a lot like Lake Tahoe without the lake. ;) There is a river, though, & tons of things to do.

I'm starting to allow myself to get a little excited about this. If we do actually make the move, I really think it'll be good for our little family. The job opportunity is really good for Dave to boot!

Back to School

This week was the first week of school for both Tyler & Jordan. For the past month I've been trying, without success (so far, at least), to get Jordan changed over to track 1 instead of 2. I met Jo's teacher, Mrs. Johnson, & she seems nice enough. I'm just not in love with track 2. They're in school barely long enough to get them used to being in school the full day & then they're on break. They go to school next week & the week after & then they're off for 3 weeks! How ridiculous is that!? Grrr...

We made it through our week of parties, though. :) Ty had a neighbor friend stay the night last night. They were very respectful & quiet, which was nice since we already had a few extra bodies sleeping in the house. Hayleah slept in our room since Vickie & Keith were sleeping in her bed (she sleeps on our old queen bed in the play room....she won't sleep in a crib) & she managed to wake up 6 times last night! That's not counting the times she woke me up with a little foot to the my face. Needless to say, I'm exhausted today.

We got all the present opening on video & Logan was really funny. He got excited about a pair of Batman socks Vickie gave to him & started hopping around & whooping it up & running around the house in excitement. You can imagine the response when he saw the remote control car she got him! LOL

Thursday night, amidst all the chaos, Dave & I made it to the Temple. What a nice experience. :) We dropped the kids off with Vickie & Keith so they could watch them while we went, which was nice of them. I love the staff at the Las Vegas Temple. They really make you feel safe & loved. It's probably that way at all LDS Temple's, but this one is especially dear to me.

While at the Family History Center last week, a lady told me about a program called PAF Insight that is just amazing. It's one you have to pay for, but it automatically links up to Family Search & will search the IGI for you with just a click of the button, instead of you having to type it in. HUGE time saver!!

Happy Family History hunting! :D

Taking a breather

We've been trying to prepare for company this morning & I'm ready for a break! There's always more to do than you originally think, it seems. This time is no exception. That's alright though. My mother-in-law, Vickie, & her husband Keith, are headed down this way from Reno tomorrow. We haven't seen them in a while, so it'll be good to see them.

Next week we have 4 birthday parties to celebrate! Tyler will be 14 on Tuesday, Jordan will be 6 on Wednesday, & we'll also be celebrating Logan's birthday (he'll be 3 but not until Sept. 14th) & Vickie's birthday while she's here. To top it off, school starts on Monday, which is a bummer because there's just so much going on already. I certainly enjoy life at a little slower pace than this, but what a nice way to stay busy. :)

Casting SALE!

If anyone is interested in doing any castings of their children, or even the whole family together, I'm offering a special deal for my fans (see, I haven't lost my sense of humor ;~) ).

For the next month, I'll be offering 40% off all castings for parties!!

I'm trying to raise enough money to take some classes next month, so every little bit helps.

If you want to have a casting party with 4 or more participants, I will come to your home at no extra charge & you will receive a free casting (up to a $40 value) for booking the party!

If you aren't able to get a party together, you'll still be able to receive a 25% discount on all castings!

I'll also be offering the same discount on gift certificates. These are perfect for wedding, baby shower, & birthday gifts, as you can imagine.

If you know of anyone who might be interested, please pass this along.

Lots of love!

Education

Do you ever want to go back to school? I thought I did. Well, I still do, I'm just put off by the cost of doing so. I really want to learn energy healing. I have had my foot in the door for years, I've just never really pursued it. Lately I've felt a fire for it again. I called one of my favorite LDS mama-run, local shops, Well Rounded Mama, earlier to see if my Diva Cup had arrived yet (yes, I know...tmi) & their resident Reiki Master happened to answer the phone. We had a good, long conversation & it seems she's willing to work in trade with me. :D How cool would that be, I ask myself!? :D :D

I've always been drawn to energy healing, I didn't know it had a name until about 5 or 6 years ago when my sister-in-law introduced me to it. This would be the kooky one with all the crazy ideas like home birthing, home schooling, education before vaccination, etc....most of which I've since come to accept & appreciate & even implement in my own life. I guess that kind of makes me the kooky one now. ;) I've always been one to try to swim upstream, so to speak. I've always tried to fit in (sometimes too hard, when I was much younger) but never quite did. I was always a tree hugger at heart. LOL

I've learned, over the years, to stop trying so hard & to take those names I'm sometimes called & embrace them. I really believe it's a compliment to be called a tree hugger now. :) I find I'm still pretty reserved, not letting too much of "me" be known by very many people. This little snippet puts me pretty far out there, I'd say. That's alright. This is cyberspace, after all...it's so much easier to be open here. I'm sure one day I'll be completely comfortable in my own skin. ;)

Las Vegas

I got to thinking tonight about the people I've had the opportunity to get to know here in Vegas. The few in particular I had in mind are Las Vegas natives....born & raised here.

Now it's no secret this is not my home, nor will it ever be. But after some consideration, I think I need to start looking at things from a different perspective. I'm always so focused on the things I wish were different here. For instance, I hate the fact that there is a billboard or four on every corner in this town, advertising everything from when & where Donny & Marie will performing to when & where the upcoming auditions for some new strip tease show will be held. Not to mention scantily clad women, if they're even clad in anything! That really gets under my skin!!

Okay, I can see I'm headed in the opposite direction of where this was meant to go, so I think I'll go back to where I started with this thought....the people.

The few people I know who were born & raised here are some of the most amazing people I have ever met. They are talented, smart, faithful, kind, helpful....I can't say enough good things about them. They are the kind of people I am proud to associate with. So, in a place where sin is so prevalent, how did they wind up this way?

Two of my children were born here. Whether or not they're raised here is up to the Lord. I find myself thinking about how these friends were raised here & managed to stay on the right path in their lives.

It makes sense that where there is much sin, there is also great faith. I think our valley is overflowing with it....faith, that is. I've lived places where the atmosphere is so different from here. Small town, mid-west, USA. I can see how the lack of sinful opportunities can sometimes lead to apathy. Thinking about it, it seems like a place like Las Vegas can be an opportunity to grow ones faith. There can be no fence-sitters here. Either you choose to follow our Savior, or you don't.

I like that about Las Vegas. As for the rest, I still wish things were different, but I will take what I can get. And stronger faith isn't a bad trade off for a few offensive billboards. :)

My sweet neice

Ariel, my brother Scottie & his wife Steph's daughter, is turning one this week! She's such a little doll!! It seems like she's always been here, yet too soon to have been a year. I wonder why babyhood works that way. :)

Here's a page I did of her last night, with her one year pic. She has the most blue eyes & really long, dark eyelashes. Such a beauty!

I did finally decide to put Hayleah in another nursery at church. Today was her second day of it & she seems to do wonderfully, I'm pleased to report. :)

Logan is still going strong with the potty training. I'm really proud of how well he's doing!

I managed to get some family history stuff done this week, though not as much as I had hoped. It's hard to spend any length of time on the computer during the daytime & I try to reserve my evenings for my sweetheart. I'll try harder this week to find more time, though.

My scripture studies are right on track. It's amazing the difference makes, when I take the time to read each morning. We've also been successful with making family scripture study part of our day, which also helps a lot. It's not something we've ever been consistent with, I'm sorry to say, but for the past few months we've done really well....even on vacation! :)

This week ought to be a good one. I'm expecting a letter from the school, hopefully saying they'll change Jordan's teacher to Mrs. Bartlett. And the best thing about it all is all my kids will be home from school. The grocery shopping is done, no one to run anywhere, the library is calling our names.....just relaxation from here! :D

Babies & GRADUATION!

It seems like there are a lot of pregnant mama's I know right now. I always forget to load up on business cards before I leave the house & inevitably I see new babies & very pregnant mama's everywhere I go!

My best friend, Onala, is expecting again. They moved to Idaho this time last year but stopped & spent the night while driving through town. We got to spend a little time with them, which is bittersweet. I miss having them around! I got to go to an ultrasound with Onala (one of those entertainment-purpose ones) & found out she's having another girl. :) Girls rule. At least in her house. LOL That was so exciting!

It makes me have baby fever SO BAD when I see babies! I absolutely adore babies & I love being pregnant, too. I even love the whole birth experience. Crazy, I know....it's just all so amazing & beautiful & spiritual, how could it not be something to love, is my take on it! It's not in the cards right now, though, so I try not to spend too much time dwelling on this.

We had Kindergarten graduation yesterday for Jordan. It was so neat, the little show they put on. Once I figure out how, I'll upload the video to the net & post it on here. I am so proud of Jordan! I didn't get too many pictures (it was a mad house in there!) but the few I did get were good. I'll scrapbook them as soon as I get a chance.

I can't believe he's going to be in first grade! We couldn't be happier with the teacher he had this year, Ms. Harper. She has been amazing & such a breath of fresh air. I can't speak highly enough about her. We're definitely going to miss seeing her every day!

A Logan Funny

This morning, as we were all just waking up, we were laying in our bed with Logan & Hayleah. Dave called Hayleah his little cupcake when Logan piped up to say he was Daddy's BIG cupcake. He then revised it so he would now be know as Daddy's big BLACK cupcake. LOL What a funny kid....he doesn't even know it. It gave us a good chuckle, anyway. It was a good way to start the day. :)

I'll be taking a hiatus from blogging & scrap booking for a while. Probably not too long, though. I love doing it, so I'll probably squeeze it in somewhere in my day. I'm going to be focusing on another love of mine....family history. There is SO much work to be done! Just recording it all is a HUGE effort! I have neglected it for far too long.

I'm also beginning to plan a family reunion for the Gillespie side of our family. It won't be until next Spring, but from what I can gather there is a lot to do. If anyone has any suggestions for locations or ideas for themes or any tips, please contact me. I'm really green at this, being my first one & all, but I want to do it right so I'm sure I'll need some pointers along the way.

Much love to you all. :)

Woohoo!

Thank you, April! :) I love this blog customizing stuff! :D

Between tweaking our blog today, I managed to squeeze in a scrapbook page to share.

I can't tell you how proud of Logan I am. He decided a few months ago he wanted to start using the potty. After a few weeks of doing pretty good, he started demanding to wear diapers again. Not wanting to push it & cause future regression, I just let him make the choice. I haven't been too worried about it since he's still only 2 years old & kids will do this when they're ready. In the past couple days, he has been a super star about going to the bathroom without needing reminders or having accidents! Woohoo!!!

I figured out the trick is he views Pull Ups as diapers & won't be as conscious of when he needs to use the bathroom when he has them on. So, I went out & bought him several pairs of "big boy" underwear & this seems to do the trick. The fact that he needs no reminders & really no rewards other than some high 5's is amazing & that's what makes him my little boy wonder. :)

Man, I love that kid. :D

Julia...we will miss you

I just found out an old friend of ours passed away. She had non-smokers lung cancer &, after an 18 month battle with it, lost the battle. She & her dear husband, Brent, were some of our first friends after Dave & I married. They were our neighbors up in Reno & I served in the Primary Presidency as Julia's second counselor for a year before we moved to Las Vegas.

She was a high school teacher (bless her heart!) who was very intelligent & witty & easy to be around. When I first met her, though, she had so much depth as a person....I was a bit intimidated by how well rounded she was. I came around quickly to enjoy her company, though, & I was inspired to be a better person because of her example.

Julia had a great fondness for shoes. She wore the same size as I do & I must admit it was tempting to raid her closet the first time I had a look at her "collection". As a final request, she wanted everyone in attendance of her funeral services to wear their favorite shoes. She was a unique, beautiful person whom I will miss very much.

Not so cool events & a few SB pages

So I neglected to mention some not-so-cool happenings from our trip. First of all, it's amazing how many people leave stuff behind at amusement parks. It's also amazing how many people are there to prey on those who either might accidentally leave something behind, or just happen to turn their backs on their things for a moment.

I was approached by a man at Magic Mountain, asking me what size diaper my daughter wore. Since he didn't have a child with him, offensive, negative thoughts immediately filled my mind, along with a few choice words about this strange guy. Thankfully, I managed to refrain from sharing my thoughts long enough to ask him why he wanted to know. It turns out he had family visiting from Germany who had a daughter that was a little older than Hayleah. They had turned their backs on the diaper bag for a minute when someone stole it. It had a camera in it but, as this man expressed to me, the diapers in it were far more valuable than the camera at that moment.

I try not to make snap judgements. At least not negative ones. I failed this day, for certain. I gave him a diaper & he thanked me. It seemed I saw him everywhere I went that day....a reminder of my harsh judgment & how quickly I was humbled.

I found someones wallet while we were there, too. I can't count the number of times I've left my wallet somewhere. It only happens when there's a change in my routine, such as a change in handbags. This is partly why anyone seeing me with a handbag will usually see that same one for a good six months! Well, it's mostly because I'm too lazy to switch them around all the time & well, frankly, I'm just not that fashionable. LOL

It seems like every time I've ever left a wallet or purse behind, I've always received it back with everything in it. This is a huge blessing & it was nice to be able to return the favor given to me so many times over.

Lastly, we had an interesting experience outside our hotel on the last night we were there. It was fairly late, around 10 p.m., & we were walking back from having dinner. While waiting at the crosswalk for our light to turn green, a man comes running up behind us, closely followed by three police officers. Just before they caught up with him, not 15 feet away from where we were frozen in our tracks, we watched him fall on the street, sliding to a stop on his face (ewww!).

He was clearly drunk & belligerent & the police officers were high on adrenaline. A beating commenced, along with a bloody face full of pepper spray, & a lot of verbal abuse from the cops. There were several new words my kids picked up that night, none of which I would ever want them to repeat, let alone hear it from a (supposed) "peace officer". I love cops....just not these three at this moment.

A few days later I hear Jordan playing "cops" in the other room with Logan & Tyler. Having forgotten the incident with the crazy guy on the street, I hear him use a phrase with a choice word in it....I was shocked! His reason for saying that was he just wanted to be like the police officers. (insert mama bear growl here) *sigh* Hopefully future contact with the police will be a more positive experience for Jordan. I know I'm sure tired of him arresting everyone in the house! ;)

Here are a few more layouts I've done.

Some beach pics

There are many more to come....I'm just warming up! ;~)