WOW! October is almost over?

I would ask where the time has gone, but I know exactly where the time has gone and what we have been doing.  School started for the boys and then it started for me.  I think that all I need to say is Psychological Statistics...right?  I knew you would understand.

Kenny had surgery on his foot.  He had a horrible bunion that needed to be addressed.  Shipping it to the Congo would have still been to close.  Luckily, Kenny has been wonderful in keeping his diabetes under control and that made it possible for the doctor to be able to do the surgery.  It had gotten to the point that he could barely walk, it was so painful!  6 weeks later, he is walking so much better, now that he can walk again.  He is finally able to put weight on his foot and walk without his walking boot starting today.  It's a very big day for him!!

Taylor had surgery #8, which should be his last surgery.  He had a countdown going for the entire month before.  His surgery was last week and he is doing so much better today and is feeling good enough to walk without using a crutch.  There for a couple days, Kenny and T were both walking with a crutch.  I am so excited for T to be able to look forward and make plans that do not include planning the next surgery.  This is a big step for him!

Kelton is enjoying the first part of his Junior year.  He is still dating Amanda and they are so wonderful together!  They went to Homecoming together with their good friends and had a great time.  Kelton is also on the swim team at school and has been loving it.  I have loved to see him reach out of his comfort zone to do something new.  I also have to thank Amanda for that as well.  Her influence on this subject helped more than anything.

Although this is starting to feel like one of those "catch you up" Christmas letters, that is not what I thought I was doing when I started.  It has just been crazy and since this is also like a journal of my family for me, I wanted to do a quick update.

I also need to add how thankful I am for my family.  They are all so wonderful, patient, and loving.  Without that support I would be struggling to survive.  We have had sisters bring us dinner, and check on our patients.  Other family members have taken the time to just stop by and say hi.  There are other family that are quietly behind the scenes praying for us (they didn't tell me, I can just feel that peace and blessings coming into our life).  We also have several friends that have been reaching out and caring for us as well.

I love you all!!!  May God Bless You!

19

This is where it all started 19 years ago today in a church in a small town with 2 young people.  We knew it all and nobody was going to tell us what to do.  With a whole four months behind us and a whole lifetime ahead of us, we set off on our journey.

There have been many times when our journey has taken us down a nice straight tree lined road.  Things made sense and fell into order.  

More often than not, our journey has taken a meandering path that would wind back and forth and even double back on us.  The trick to this has been to learn how to find enjoyment along the way, slow down to enjoy the scenery, and to laugh often.

I wouldn't trade our years together for anything!

January

January slunk in with much after Christmas cleaning, getting back into our "school" routine and COLD!

January always comes with cold temperatures (close to half the month was below freezing and in the teens for daytime highs), inversion, fog, and snow.  This is the first year that I remember having to experience freezing rain.  

On with our life and how this month has been a blur (or maybe I have just been blocking it each day) for the month of January.  I started the year off with my mom in the hospital with pneumonia.  On January 1st, while parking at the hospital, I hit a truck.  Oh, happy day & Happy Freaking New Year!  Mom got out of the hospital and has been doing wonderful. 

About the time we were starting to lose all viability from the smog, I decided to take down our Christmas Tree.  It was the middle of the month and the longest time I had ever left a tree up...ever!  While twisting myself and the tree up with my sad attempt to take the lights off the tree, I got myself stuck between the tree, wall and love seat. I was so tired that I couldn't move the love seat any more and in my ever so stubborn way, started to push myself up from the floor while wedged in my little triangle.  Just when I thought I had myself going in the right direction, I realized that I was falling and shooting across the living room.

As soon as the realization struck me that I was not going up but across the room I mumbled a quick "Oh Shit" as the truth of what was going on hit me.  I was heading straight at Taylor (he was laying on the couch) and quickly (didn't know that was still a speed I could hit) twisted so that I would land on the tote with our decorations that had just been neatly tucked away.

Taylor's first response was total shock and then he said, "mom, you broke the tote!"  After a few seconds he looked at me and asked if I was okay, followed with a "how did you not break a rib?"  He may forever regret asking me this question because I answered him honestly...my boob broke the fall!  I hurt so bad, I had landed on my right side smashing my arm, boob, and face.  I had to lay there to catch my breath and take assessment of the situation, since nothing was broken it was time to laugh (gently, I still hurt).

On the day of our infamous Ice Storm, Kenny had to drive to work (just shy of 40 miles on I-80 and I-15). We had several horrible accidents on the roads all over Salt Lake County that morning and Kenny was luck enough to be in the middle of one of the worst accidents that morning.  He was just driving through the interchange that takes you from I-80 onto part of I-15 before you can head East on I-80 again to get off on State Street.  Before he could get to far into that whole transition of his drive the accident began.  He said there were trucks and cars sliding all over the place and then all he could think of was NASCAR...when there is a wreck you want to drive low to try to make through without hitting any of the wrecked cars or have them hit you.  All he could think while watching what was occurring around him was "drive low, drive low."  

He has been watched over by many angels this month and has been very blessed.  With the ice storm, the horrible fog (mixed with the inversion) and now snow, he has not been involved in any accidents.  I am truly thankful for his safety!

Looking back over this month we have had so many adventures that would be difficult to mention here without turning one blog post into a novel.  I should have blogging as one of my new years resolutions :)

We have had many trips and falls, one accident, much sliding (mostly on feet) on the ice, attended a car show (no we are not buying a new car, at least for now) and fell in love with the Mini Coopers, went to the movies, I started college again, lots of homework for me and the boys, new semester for the boys, celebrated my moms birthday, watched lots of football, and spent lots of time together at home curled up in blankets watching movies and just spending time together.

Now that January is over I can say that we survived!! 

My 2 stories and little list of things above might not sound like a lot but I'm pretty sure there was more, I just can't remember.  I did find out 2 big accomplishments for my boys:

Kelton finished his make up credits in 2 weeks for 2 of his classes that he struggled with and is now in a theater class in school. He is going to be in a play!!

Taylor was moved into Honors Science with the new semester.  He didn't tell me until yesterday!

I am so proud of them and all their hard work.

May we all stay on our feet (haa haa) as we head into February.

May it also warm up a little as well :)

New Year

Now that we are a few days into 2013 I have to take a moment to stop and reflect on all that I have been blessed with.  I need to take a moment to say thank you for having a wonderful and supportive husband.  He is so loving, patient and overall the best person for me.  I need to say how very honored I am to have Kelton and Taylor as my sons.  They both are so strong in their beliefs and opinions, I am very proud of them for that strength, they add that strength to me every day.  Both boys are so smart. Like any mother of teenagers, I wish they could see how smart they are.  I want them both to know how much I love them and how proud of them I am. (someone, please tell them I wrote this. They are teenage boys, they won't read their moms silly blog)

I am thankful that Kenny is such a hard working man.  He takes care of our family and provides for us so well.  When I think of this I think of all the families out there that are struggling and or don't have what they need, I am reminded of how blessed we are that we have our needs met and even get to enjoy some of our wants.  We have a roof over our heads, food to eat, clothes to wear, dependable cars to drive, and even got to go to the movies this weekend (which was entertaining in more than one way if you saw Facebook). Having someone attend the movie with you is, as one person said it, " shit ass drunk" always brings extra entertainment.  Now if you hear one of ask if you were S.A.D. you will understand (I hope).

This is also the perfect time to reflect on all things that I hold dear to my heart.  Along with family I am taking this time to ponder on all the things which the Lord has blessed me with.  I keep these things close to my heart and often struggle with them but I know that these precious truths are, well, true.  I am thankful that I threw myself together and went to church yesterday.  I don't always like to attend fast and testimony meeting, but it helped to remind me why I make the choices I do and to remind me how important God is in my life.  And, yes, I know I swore in the previous paragraph and am now talking about my faith.  I'm having a hard time being too serious this morning.

I am also trying to learn how to use my new laptop and I keep hitting something on the mouse pad that is moving my curser all over the screen.  It has made typing this a little frustrating and slightly comical.  This is why I can't get to serious, not with my curer bouncing all over what I'm writing.

With this new year has come some hard parenting moments, lots of comical moments, reconnecting with loved ones, me becoming a student again and lots of hope. I hope that all of you can look at this new year that can bring whatever it wants, with hope.  I hope we can all find some humor in the things that come to us this year. 

I think my theme for this year will be HOPE, HUMOR, & LOVE!

Laura Diane

Our first baby was a girl, we had her premature due to multiple birth defects.  We named her Laura Diane (after both of her grandma's) and this past week she would have turned 18.  I can't even believe how fast the time has gone by.  Every so often Kenny and I will stop and think about different milestones that she would have past during this time but for some reason I felt like I needed to share this special milestone.  She would be an adult!!  I don't think I'm really old enough to have a child that old.  Obviously, I am, but still...18?!

When Laura was born she only weighed 1 lb 1 oz and was 20 inches long.  Her grandparents (grandpa LeRoy and grandma Shauna) were able to see her and her grandma Shauna held her wrapped in a yellow afghan that she crocheted for her on our way to LA. According to grandma Shauna, Laura looked just like Kelton when he was born.  She had the same face and hair.  She also said that Laura was just beautiful.

It was hard those first few years when I watched friends buy cute little dresses and worry about piggy tails and braids.  They were getting their girls started in dance or other sports.  Then the time came when puberty would have started and I was incredibly thankful to not have to explain or deal with any of the emotions that start with that time in life.  However, looking back, I would go through it all willingly.  Our budget was saved by not having to buy formal dresses, professionally done hair and nails that are "required" for all the school dances. We didn't have to teach her to drive. We also didn't get to throw her a sweet 16 party.  This would be her senior year of high school.  There will not be a graduation party.  If she chose, she could be getting ready to serve her mission for the LDS church in a year.  Sometimes it is weird to watch my cousins get their kids ready for their missions and know that I would be doing the same thing.  There will not be any planning for a future wedding, no wedding dress and Kenny won't be walking her down the isle.

With all of the things that we didn't get to experience with her, there are other things that I do know we have had.  We still had a small time with her while I carried her.  She is doing other more important things with her life right now than worrying about clothes or boys or if she is safe at school.  She will never have to face the hardships of this world.  I know that there have been times in life when I have felt her close by and have cherished those small fleeting moments.  I have also had quiet moments where I have felt the Lord's comfort and reassurance that Laura is where she needs to be, that she is doing work that she needs to focus on and that she was purposely spared from having to worry about or deal with any worldly things.  With all the things that I see other girls going through, this has given me much comfort to know that she is protected, cared for and safe.  What else could a mother ask for?

I have often wondered if I would be able to see her and have her as part of our family one day and I can honestly say that we will.  I know that our family will be together and united as a whole one day and that I will get to spend many special mother daughter moments with her.  I feel so blessed to not just have this knowledge but to also have the faith that this is true.  Your family loves you very much, Laura!!

Happy Birthday Sweet Baby Girl!

Albequerque

Two weeks ago I had a wonderful but hard visit on the phone with my best friend from Jr. High and decided that I needed to go for a visit.  On a very impromptu moment, I bought plane tickets to go to Albuquerque to visit.  I am so very very glad that I did.

My flight left on Dec. 7th at 6:45 am....this meant that I had to be up at 4 am to get ready and get to the airport.  It also meant that Kenny had to get up with me.  In reality, he got up and then woke me up.  I really don't do mornings well.  That might even be an understatement.  Either way, we made it to the airport and Kenny went to work and took a nap on one of the couches before he had to open the shop.

I couldn't help myself, I had to be a nerd and take a picture from the plane. This is the sun coming up Friday morning.  It was beautiful....until it blinded me :)

Let me add here that I have only flown one other time and that was 18 years ago. I have never flown on my own nor have I ever had to change planes.  I did both in one weekend.  I flew from Salt Lake to Las Vegas on a very crowded flight. Enjoyed a one hour "layover" if you can count it as a layover when it is only an hour long.  Once I landed in Albuquerque it was so wonderful to see Nikki.  She took me to lunch and it was so good. The best Mexican food I think I've ever had! I have a sneaky suspicion that she did that to soften the blow that I would have to be up at 4 am again the next morning.

Here is how the rest of the weekend went:

After our relaxing lunch we began the marathon that is called Nikki's life.  We picked up her oldest kids and dropped off my luggage, picked up their lunch for them to take to work with them. Dropped one off and then picked up one daughter from High School, picked up another daughter from Jr. High, dropped her son off at work, picked up youngest daughter at her Elementary School.  Ran home to pick up a few things for cheer practice and headed to practice that went from 5 pm to 7:30 pm.  We ran during that time to pick up her other daughter from basketball practice and then went back to finish watching cheer practice. After a couple quick stops we got home and Nikki made dinner for us.  How amazing is that?!  We ate at about 9:30 and finally settled down around 11.  Nikki still had to pick up one daughter from work at midnight.

Saturday started at 4 am...I pressed snooze, so I started at 4:30, we had to be at the gym by 5:30.  Domoneque did her 2 sisters hair for their cheer competition and once we were all ready (of course they were waiting on me, I was the slowest) we went back over to the gym for hair, make up, and another quick practice.  We left the gym at 7:30 to head downtown to the convention center so that we could get in as quick as possible when the doors opened at 8.

Here we are at the convention center waiting to get in:

Me, Domoneque, MyKayla, Nikki

I had to get a picture of the two amazing stars of the day:  Kaija and Natalya

This part is when both Kaija and Natalya were competing...Natalya is the one lifted right before being thrown into the air on the right.  I am still in awe at what both of these girls can do!

Natalya is on two teams and this is when she competed the second time. I watched her stretch and practice several times over 3 days but am still in awe at all she can do.  This is her "pulling a bow"....yes, that is her foot over her head while lifted up by those girls.  She would say, "I'm scared" while she was practicing and then she would go out and do this like it was nothing.  So brave!!!  Both her and Kaija are amazing and strong.  Not just physically but mentally (performing in front of all those people) and spiritually.

The strength and love that I saw in Nikki's family was inspiring.  They all work so hard to work together and her children show such selfless love toward each other.  There were so many stories shared and acts that I saw over the weekend that show how they all love each other.  I am so impressed with all of them!!

Once we were done with the competition, one team got first place the other team got third, we headed home and most of us got to take a nap.  When I woke up Nikki had dinner done and we all sat down to enjoy her wonderful cooking.  We had time to sit back and spend the evening talking and laughing and sharing stories.  It was so much fun and relaxing.  I was serenaded by Nikki and Domoneque, they sang a song about how elephants have wrinkles.  It was hilarious.  Soon Natalya joined in and every time she said a place that an elephant had wrinkles she wiggled her eyebrows.  It was so cute.  I shared many stories about my boys and family and now Nikki's family has some new fun sayings from our family (none of the bad ones, I promise). We stayed up until one in the morning laughing so hard.  Kenny said that they may not let me back.

Sunday we got up and got ready for another busy morning.  I had asked Domoneque to do my hair and she agreed.  I was so excited   I never get to have my hair done and spending a weekend with all girls and one who can do some amazing braids, I had to ask.  I had fun watching her plan with her mom what she would do with my hair. She did an amazing job, as you can see!

I loved my braided headband so much that I left it in to see if I could still wear it on Monday. It worked!!! I got to show off my hair to everyone I saw on Monday.  I'm sure if any of you saw me more than once you were very tired of hearing about not only my weekend but of my hair.  I'm kind of a nerd that way but I loved my hair!

Natalya had tumbling practice on Sunday afternoon, so we stopped by a store for me so I could get some things that I needed and then we went to Popeye's for lunch. I had never eaten there before.  Silly thing to get excited about but it was one more first to add to my list. 

While at tumbling practice I was finally able to get a picture of me and Nikki together.  Here we are, the whole reason for me to jump on a plane (4 times).  Some time together with a dear friend.

It was a wonderful weekend and one that I will never forget.

Thanks to all of the Quinones family to opening your home to me and showing me such love.

I can't wait to come back with my family so we can all have fun together.

Midnight Movies

We went to the midnight showing of The Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey last night.  We took our boys, Seth and Kelton's girlfriend, Amanda.  We just went to the theater in Tooele so that we wouldn't have to drive so far at 3 in the morning.  It was so much fun and we all loved the movie. Past that I'm not going to say anything because I am under strict orders from several people to not say a word....but it was really really good!

Part of the deal for us going was that we all had to get up this morning and go to school and work.  Everyone did just that, with the exception of me.  I am very proud of my boys for getting themselves up and going to school. I know Kenny is tired (he has already texted me and said he is going to try to leave early) and I'm sure my boys are exhausted.  I knew I was tired but I always here my alarm.  I couldn't figure out how I slept through it until I finally looked at my phone and realized that I had left it on silent from the movie. Ooops!!  I'm kind of chuckling that I did that but feel horrible that I got 6 hours of sleep and everyone else got less that 3.

Kelton & Homecoming Week

It is Homecoming week in Grantsville!!!

My wonderful and quiet son Kelton was talked into being part of the male dance team, called the Harriettes (hope I got close to spelling that right.  The dance team is called the Larriettes) for the powder puff game last night.  They have been practicing since Friday and having tons of fun.  I am so glad that he has met so many good friends since moving here and am thankful for his friend Ben who talked him into dancing.

They not only had boys for the dance team, they also had boys as the cheerleaders.  I know none of this is new, I'm just talking my way through the night.  I didn't even go to homecoming when I was in high school let alone any of the football games.  The "cheerleaders" were even doing lifts and I thought it was hilarious that during one of the lifts it was a girl spotting them.  One of the cheerleaders came late and just dropped his pants right in front of us to change into the cheer outfit.  Just as an FYI, white Under Armour is see through.  I feel it is my civic duty to get this warning out there so we are now all prepared to warn our children to not drop their pants if that is what they are wearing.  Also, if you see this happening you now know to look away or you'll see a butt like we did (and we are very happy that we were on that side and only saw his butt).

 I loved seeing these brave boys get dressed and ready for their dance.  They are really wearing the tops to one of the girls outfits.  Kelton told me that he would be wearing this black top with gold sparkles on it and that it hit him just above the waist.  As you can see the top was black and the gold sparkles are the sequins along the top and it did hit above the waist but it was a little higher than a simple crop length, you can really tell on the boys that wore white underneath.

Kelton was "blessed" to have family there to support him in his dancing debut.  My sister Becca came, Grandma Susie was there along with Kenny, Taylor, Seth and me.  I love the pictures that Becca took of her with Taylor and then of the two of us.  I don't have nearly enough sister pictures.

This was an evening full of some of the best people watching.  We laughed so much and had so much fun watching all the high school kids.  It reminded me of my time in high school and (unfortunately) how much I haven't changed since high school.  I sat back and watched the boys showing off for the girls and the girls walking back and forth flipping their hair trying to catch the eye of the boys.  Sitting back and watching was what I did in high school only it was with Michele.  It was so much fun to have a chance to spend that time with my sister this time.  We both had so many fun little moments.  

You could tell all of the boys were anxious about dancing.  None of them could stand still while waiting for their turn to get out and perform.  I loved watching them do their last minute practice moves and see them try to move their hips.  Not all country boys are good at swinging their hips :)

I didn't get the end of their dance.  I thought they were done and stopped filming and then they did their final move.  They all lined up and yelled, "Harriettes (grunt)" and did a final pelvic thrust.  It was great and done only as boys can do it.

They then gathered and stood aside while the "cheerleaders" did their dance.  They were hilarious but not as good as the Harriettes.  I may be biased a little though.

The whole night was so much fun and the girls did wonderful at playing football.  I guess I should at least point that out since it was their game.  I'll admit that I could barely have caught the ball let alone run for a touchdown.  There were some amazing girls that caught the ball and did run the length of the field for a touchdown.  There were others that would just dive to grab the flag and flat out face plant it onto the field.  They were amazing!  

Kelton will be performing again on Friday for the pep rally before the big homecoming game.

Good luck Kelton....I hope you do as good on Friday as you did last night!!

T's Crazy Hair Day

It's time for time to repeat itself and now it is Taylor's turn to have his own crazy hair day.  He wanted to have his hair done in lots of pony tails like how we did Kelton's when he had his crazy hair day a couple of years ago.

Taylor's hair is so much thicker than Kelton's so his pony tails are longer, bigger and look like little palm trees.  He was such a good sport this morning while I was pulling and tugging to get all the little rubber bands in.  He looks CRAZY!!!  hee, hee :)

Taylor Crazy Hair Day 9-26-12

The top view of T's hair for Crazy Hair Day.

A Great Empire

Taylor just got home from school and somehow got on the topic of his hair and how thick and curly it is.  He insists that he has a worse time than any girl trying to do his hair because it is just full of knots and his comb is always getting stuck.  He then started to talk about who is to blame if he goes bald. He is going to blame his dad for one type of baldness and Uncle Steve (Kenny's Uncle) for a different type.  I didn't have the heart to explain that he can't blame Uncle Steve because he is related by marriage, therefore genetics don't come into play.

Either way, Taylor announced that when/if he does lose his hair and start to bald he is just going to shave it off and not try to hang onto "this once great empire" that he has.

What 13 year old even thinks about losing his hair let alone calling it a great empire?

You gotta love this kid!!

Retiring a Flag

Our Stars and Stripes!

We had the opportunity to attend a flag retiring ceremony the other night and it is one night that will stay with me forever.  I have always thought of myself as a patriotic person. I have great pride in our country and insurmountable pride for our members of our armed forces.  I find myself realizing, every so often, my own ignorance of what is going on around me and have to take a moment to appreciate the safety and blessings that I enjoy by living in the United States of America.

Before this week the only time that I have been part of any kind of flag ceremony that has been emotional for me was when they took the flag off of my father's coffin, folded it, and presented it to me.  It was one of those moments when it truly hit me what he did for our country and what others do every day.  

When I was in elementary school we learned about the flag and how to respect and care for it.  It is a lesson that has always stayed with me and one that I will act upon.  Right after having that lesson I went to the store with my mom and the flag flying out front was tattered and had rips in it.  I complained to my mom what a disgrace that was and that it was wrong for them to keep flying a flag like that.  She told me to tell the store and took me over to customer service. I did tell them how I felt and by the time we were done shopping there was a new flag flying.  Over the years I have done this many more times and have never been afraid to share my feeling when it comes to this great symbol of our country.

This week when we attending this ceremony I wasn't prepared for the feeling that would assault me.  It was such a solemn moment watching each flag be folded and then reverently placed upon the fire.  The closest way of explaining the feelings that I felt while watching them burn was like losing a family member.  The man leading the ceremony was Kenny's 1st Sergeant when he was in the National Guard and he had Kenny be one of the ones to place one of the flags in the fire.  I think that was a special moment for Kenny to have that connection with someone from his Guard days again.

Witnessing such an emotional event brought very vivid images to my mind and I wish at times like this that I was more poetic and able to share my feeling better.  I am not even doing justice to the evening that we had with my simple thought that I have shared so far.  If you ever have the opportunity to attend a flag retiring ceremony I would recommend you do so.  It has helped me to remember again how dearly I love our Stars and Stripes.

Swimming at Grandmas'

 We were invited to my cousins' Grandmas' house yesterday to swim in their pool.  It was so nice to have the pool to ourselves and be selfish and not share.  It's one of those things that I enjoy and do well, that not sharing part :)  There isn't much to add to these pictures other than maybe who is in them.  I do want to note that I did jump into the pool (3 times exactly) for the first time since I was in Jr. High. I forgot how much fun it is. Plus, when I teamed up with Jessie we totally splashed the boys ;)  We all had a ton of fun!!  I was also reminded that I am not young anymore and am totally feeling all that jumping today.

All the boys...Kelton, Taylor, Chase, James, Seth, Jackson

James, Chase, and Jackson

Kelton chilaxin'

Kelton and Seth relaxing by the diving board during one of the few moments it was not being used.

Chase as he enters the water.  Not the best picture but I thought it was fun seeing him just as he enters.

Seth..."I am not a crook" (Richard Nixon) jump :) Seth didn't say that, it's just what it reminded me of.

Jackson jumping in...kind of has a nice Karate Kid look going.

Chase jumping off the diving board...I can't even imagine what it felt like to land on his knees like that.  To be young again :)

Taylor catching some good air and doing a nice karate kick.  He also did a nice belly flop that has his tummy still hurting today.

Kelton catching enough air to pose as the "thinking man" before he straightened out to glide into the water.

Porch Sitting

One of my most favorite things during any weather, but snow, is sitting out front on my porch with a cold drink and visiting with family and friends. This is the first home that we have had where we couldn't sit out in a yard and have a place to visit.  These last few days with thunder storms reminded me of our last home we had in Tooele. We had a great covered front porch that we could sit out on and watch it rain.  We had a few good thunder storms where we sat out and watched the lightning and listened to the thunder. For us, that was so relaxing after a long day at work and it gave Kenny and I much needed time together to just enjoy being together.

It's kind of funny that I am thinking of this now and had just been telling my boys that this is one of the things that I remember most from my childhood.  We would go spend our Saturdays at my Aunt and Uncles house.  Our parents would sit out front under the tree in my Uncle Joe's yard and visit.  There was always a pitcher of tea sitting in the sun for my Aunt Joan. Joe usually had a beer. I have no idea what my parents drank while there but it was probably soda.  My cousins, my sister and I would run wild and play all day.  I remember those days so vividly that it could have been yesterday that we were all together.

Having that family time is something that I wish my boys could enjoy and have in their lives.  It is one of the few things from my childhood that I haven't been able to pass down to them.  We have family time for just the four of us but not with their cousins or Aunts and Uncles.  We are all so busy now that one of those bonding and sharing times that were so important to the generations before us is now almost gone.  I hope that once we are settled in Grantsville and around their cousin's we can somehow make the time to just spend time together and visit.  Those times with my family didn't always mean that anything important was discussed, it was just time together to share how things had gone that week and to basically sit around and bull shit (sorry, but that's just what it was/is). Even if it isn't time spent with our family, we have many good friends out there that are like family that I would love to share that time with.  


Here's to getting back to a simple life and bringing back one of the most basic things in life; making time for your family and friends and spending that time doing something other than watching T.V. or texting!

Ducati's and Dingy's

I'm reading a book right now where the lead character doesn't know what a Ducati is.  How does someone not know what that is?  Okay, maybe it's not that obvious that it is one of the supreme motorcycles out there.  Kenny would love one and is very jealous of my cousin's "very sexy redhead".  My cousin just got his baby, a beautiful red Ducati.

Kennys dream "red head"

There was just something about thinking about my husbands dream bike and then thinking of some of the things that I dream of and it just made me realize how high I have my sights set.  I really shouldn't think of things that are so far out of reach.  Some of those things are just normal things that most everyone has and others are out there with the Ducati.

My dream car is this:

Reality:

Still a very nice car, but no Mercedes :) However, I was told that when you pull up in this car you can look very bad ass!  I'll take that.

I'm sure we all have those moments where we just dream so big that it feels like we are falling short of even reaching the basics.  There are days when my family feels more like this:

Honestly...take out the beer and cigarettes and it really is like this :)

When in reality we really are closer to normal but not quit like this:

Could you just imagine Kenny in a bow tie? hee hee :)

One of the things that I always think of is that we are all in the same boat, relatively speaking.  Some of us get to cruise around in this:

While others are blessed with this:

 For the most part, I think most of us are somewhere in the middle. I know the trick is being happy with what we have and I am truly happy with my family and the many cars that we have owned (except for the 2 minivans, did not like those).  I love having dreams and goals to reach. I love that we all have fun together as a family and it doesn't take lots of money or proving anything to anyone.  We just can love each other and enjoy.  But, there are those times when it would just be nice to pull up in that Mercedes (Maybe at Lego Land).  

I guess my point in all of this is that we all need that moment to take a step back and take inventory of where we are at and what we have.  That moment came for me and I have to say that I am really happy with what I see.  I may not be super mom with the chocolate cake (at least not everyday) and I might not get to pull up in my little 2 seat-er sports car but I do have an amazing family that I get to spend everyday with bobbing around through this life.

New Blog

This may not be new to many of you and I have been using many of the suggestions and recipes on this blog for a while, but I just added it to my list of blogs and wanted to share how amazing this woman is.  So far, all of the things on this blog that I have tried have worked wonderful and has made me excited to do laundry, has saved some of my clothes from being thrown out (which has saved me money, always a good thing) and even made me excited to try the cleaning suggestions.  I just got done going over some of the suggestions and can't wait to go scrub my bathroom, of all things!

I know that "One good thing by Jillee" is already very successful and I'm proud to help further that success by maybe adding one more reader.  She is wonderful and puts so much work into her blog.  If you don't already know about her blog, please check it out.

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/

Our Ever Increasing Family

Three years ago my mom was blessed with reconnecting with one of her best friends over Facebook.  Ruby had grown up with my mom and over the years they had lost touch, like most of do.  Not only did this connection bring Ruby back into my moms life, it also brought her Godmother, Helen.  Helen was also my grandmas best fried and was the person who introduced the Catholic religion to my grandparents.  They all did many things together and now with my mom and Ruby getting back in touch we have had this whole other family come into our lives.

Up to that point I didn't even know my mom had a godmother.  I didn't know who my grandma had been friends with.  I had heard stories that it was a good friend that introduced grandma and grandpa to the Catholic religion but didn't know who it was and that was the reason they had been baptized.  Now not only do I know who it is, I also have a face and stories and pictures.  All priceless things for all of us.

Last week Helen passed away peacefully after a short battle with her health and dementia.  Here is the link to her obituary:

Helen Katherine Garcia

Tonight is her viewing and Rosary and then tomorrow will be her funeral mass.  With the sad also can come some happiness.  This happiness has been meeting all of Ruby's family.  I have finally been able to meet her wonderful husband and her children.  I have heard so much about everyone for the last few years and it was wonderful to meet everyone last night.  One of Ruby's grandson's birthday was yesterday and we all met at Chucky Cheese for his birthday party.  I can't even express what a blessing it was to be able to go and meet such an amazing family.  Ruby's son is Tony and he is married to Veronica and they have 3 of the most amazing and beautiful children.  Ruby's daughter is Brittany and her partner is Melissa.  

I have to say that at such a difficult time in their lives, they were so loving and wonderful and we are so blessed to have them in our lives.  I feel like my family just grew by leaps and bounds to now include not just Helen and Ruby but all of Ruby's family.  I want to tell you all thank you so much for being so gracious and welcoming us so openly into your family.  

I am so thankful for my mom for teaching us that family does not just include our blood relatives but all the amazing people that are lead into our lives and bless our lives.  I am so thankful to have this connection with such a wonderful family and that that connection also has such a rich history with my grandparents.

Summer is Here!

School is officially now over and Summer has begun.  Yesterday Taylor spent his day sick as a dog, my poor boy.  I was so happy to see him feeling better today and when I said that I would take them down to the swimming pool, he was even better.

I can't believe that we all survived this last year of school.  No more homework! No more asking if they have done their school work period!!  I feel like I can just enjoy my boys now and not have to nag them all day every day.

We invited 2 of their friends over and I took them to our swimming pool and they played in the water for 2 hours.  I sat in a lounge chair enjoying the sunny day.  I'm not supposed to be in the sun and I even wore my sun hat that I bought for when I go out doors but I just wanted to feel the sun on me. So, I wore my swim suite and laid there reading my new book that I started last night.  I'll do my book report later :)

Watching the boys play with their friends was so fun and I enjoyed seeing them be so carefree.  They were laughing and playing and for whatever reason trying to climb on top of each other.  They had the idea to have each of them on the back of the person in front of them.  One of the friends is a girl and the put her at the front and then tried to climb on top of her.  I thought about stopping them several times but then I decided to see if they would figure out that there was no way for her to hold all of them.  After a couple tries she finally stopped it and they moved onto something else.  It was hilarious.

When we got home, the kids made a snack for themselves and then my boys decided to gross out their friends and turned on Hoarders.  Of all the things we have available for them to watch, that is what they picked.  I loved hearing them analyze each situation and their ideas on how to fix things.

Over all it has been an amazing day!!  Being out in the sun and just relaxing was good for all of us.  I just wish I would have thought to take some pictures but I was to busy reading and just watching them.

Motherhood

 

 With this weekend being Mothers Day weekend I thought I would write some of what it is like for me as a mother. In the past I have written about how wonderful my mom is and how wonderful Kenny's mom is.  They are both amazing and strong women who have (and continue to) give so much of themselves to their families.  As mothers, we all have to give and be strong for our children and it is one of the hardest yet most rewarding jobs that I have ever had.  After working outside of our home for many years I am happy to be home right now with my boys and to be able to focus on our home and our family.  Working only at home or working both at a job/career and at home can bring so many challenges.  After thinking about this for the past few days I thought that maybe if I share some of my mothering moments that it can help me and anyone else out there to realize that we all face challenges and that none of us are alone.

Loui Toffoli Mother and Child

I'm not sure if anyone else out there has to face two polar opposites in their life while raising your children, but I do.  I am raising my children to know of the things of the world and to be aware of what is out there.  I want the to be well educated so that when and if they are ever faced with challenges they can make good choices using the knowledge that we have taught them.  They know about alcohol and what types there are and what it will do to their bodies as well as what it can lead to (addiction, etc).  They know about drugs and what they can do and lead to.  They know about sex and birth control. They have been taught about these and many other subjects and there really isn't a topic that is off limits because I want them to know that they can always come to me or their father and ask anything that they don't understand.  It may not always be comfortable for us to answer and it may take some time and many prayers to get the words right so that we are staying at their level but they have always gotten an answer to all of their questions.

Picasso Mother and Child

With all of that said, I have had a family member tell me that I am a horrible mother because I am raising my children according to my beliefs and teaching them from the Bible and other religious resources from our religion and therefor according to this person I am teaching them to hate.  I can guarantee that I am only focusing on what I know The Lord wants us to know and I don't ever remember him teaching hate. None-the-less, I am still a bad mom.

From another family member I was given the feeling that they think I'm a bad mom for teaching my children.  After sharing a story about one of my children and how we will joke around with each other I also shared a touching moment when that same child got up in church and shared one of the strongest testimonies that I have ever heard, especially from a child.  This family member then shared their opinion that if my child can know about certain things (nothing serious, it was about coffee) and joke about it then it was amazing to them that my child could also have a testimony of our faith.

Now that I have faced criticism from more than just these two people and many more I would like to take a minute to remind everyone that there isn't a training course or an owners manual that comes with parenthood.  We all have the right to raise our children to our best ability and according to our conscience.  I alone will be the one to appear before God to answer for how I have treated His children and how I have loved and taught them.  If any one of us were to stop and think about that fact alone, I think we would realize that we have enough on our shoulders and that taking time out to be snarky toward another mother is just one more thing to add to our own lives let alone to another mother.

Because of these moments, I am also one who has taken a step back and reevaluated how I look at other parents.  There are still moments when I will shake my head but for the most part I would rather help than be judgmental and take the time to be negative and make someone who may already be having a rough day feel bad.  This is not a perfect world and there may be times when I will still make mistakes and not take the time to think before I act, however, if we could all take a moment to try to see the other mothers side of life we could help instead of tear each other down.  I have carried these negative thoughts with me of being a bad  mom for years.  How many of you have been carrying these thought with you as well?

Chikanobu Mother and Children

Life can be hard enough as it is and when we add in the demands that are placed upon women, not just in our society but in all societies, we really need to try to help each other and lift each other instead of making life harder for each other.  I truly believe that we are all sisters and daughter's of God.  The strength that we each carry within us, if used right, could make this world amazing for our children and for ourselves.

On this Mothers Day I want to wish all women a happy Mothers Day and thank them for all of their hard work!  Keep holding your head up and continue to be the strong mother that you are no matter what may be in front of you. Let us all work together so that we may embrace motherhood and have the strength to face the challenges with grace.

Afternoon at the park

We went to the park again yesterday and had a picnic...we really needed to get out of the house.  The boys and I have spring fever so bad!  The only problem was that everyone else in the Salt Lake Valley had the same idea that we had, it was so crowded.  Why aren't these people at work? What are they doing at the park on a Wednesday afternoon? We still had tons of fun and enjoyed watching all the ducks in the river.  Also got some good pictures of the boys, here are just 2 of them.