On to Breaking Dawn

I love reading this way. It is cheating a little but I can make bread, do dishes, and laundry while I read and I did all of those things today while I finished Eclipse and moved on to Breaking Dawn.
It just keeps getting better. I am hooked and don't know what I will read after this.
I think it will be The host. Scott has already read it and he said it would be good.
Anyone out there read a good book lately?

On to New Moon

I finished reading Twilight at 1:00 this morning! I actually finished reading the epilogue by flash light after Scott went to sleep.
I had it on MP3 and had to recharge the battery twice so I was really reading it at 1:00.
I enjoyed it very much. I thought Bella was negative in the beginning, I think I just got used to it. The end really leaves you hanging and I am glad I don't have to wait for the next book to come out.
It is a little creepy to be in favor of a relationship that is kept a secret from their parents because they wouldn't approve, and for good reason.
It is a true modern day Romeo and Juliette.

I did enjoy it and am on to New Moon.

The game

Haylee likes to play this game with her dad. He gets up out of his computer chair and she steals his spot. Then she smiles and wiggles her whole little body announcing in a chanting sort of way, ever so sweetly, "I stole your spot". She also steals his spot on his side of the bed. When this announcement is made he is supposed to come lay down on the bed like he doesn't know she is there and pretend his bed is wiggly and lumpy.
Then make her his pillow until she is ready to play with someone else.
Last night I was laying on my stomach on the bed and she made herself comfortable on my back. She saw her Dad get up and it was on! She leaped off me and across the bed like a ballerina (but with the speed of an Olympic runner) in two steps she was in his chair. He saw her start for it but she was too fast. She got the chair.
Way to go Haylee!

Saved by my subconscious mind

Subconsciously I must have talked myself out of it. I was going to post a more realistic picture after the whole glamor shot photo.
I had just had Mariah, she was 10 lbs. 2oz and the labor was long and hard.
I looked as drained as I was.
Like I said I must have changed my mind because when I went looking for the picture
I couldn't find it. I must have hid it from myself.
If I find it I will try to talk myself back into it.

This is the glamor experience. On the back of the picture it said 95' so I was?
Get a calculator! It is so sad I have to go back to see who I gave birth to on or around that year and go from there. Wow I was 27!

I was 18 when I got married and twenty when I found out I was going to be a mom.
In this picture I was about seven months pregnant, she was due 10/88.
My Dr. said you look about 16 we will see what you look like after this baby. =)
Time really files. Now Heather is 20 and having a baby of her own.

This is me when I was 23. Heather was three, Nickie was 14 months and Alicia was two weeks.
It reminds me of a song my mom wrote. She said we had asked her where we came from.
This was her answer....

Three little girls sitting in a basket floating on Nantasket Beach
They were held up by a Heavenly elastic and they all had a watermelon each.
They floated around from town to town, eating up the watermelon, spitting out the seeds. Well, they got so full that the lastic wouldn't pull and they all tumbled over and they ended up with... me

Hard question, good answer.
Thanks mom

A wonderful day at the temple

Scott and I both got to go to the temple with the youth yesterday.
The temple in "our area" is in Oklahoma. We had 9 girls and I think 10 boys.
Our total group was 29, we took four mini vans since none of the fifteen passenger vans in the ward are reliable. We left the church at 9:20 am and didn't get back until almost 10:30 pm. When we got to the temple they lined the youth up in a straight line they stood still and quiet for almost ten minutes. (only in the temple)
Then everyone went into the little locker rooms to change. Everyone helped each other and took turns and were just happy to be there.
I watched them as they did their part and had the pleasure of giving them their towels when they were done. I felt a little guilty not sharing that experience so a little more than half way through I traded off with one of the other sisters.
I helped the girls if they needed anything or had any questions about where they were supposed to be and I got to help with the laundry. I say I got to help with the laundry because I enjoyed working with the sister from the temple, we had a wonderful visit and it is so organized. I know it is the temple and that there will be order in all things in the Lords house, but it is hard to imagine such order even in the laundry.
I was so busy helping rotate, fold and even put away that I didn't realize everyone else was done with their cleaning and had gotten dressed. We were off in another room away from everything. I was the only one they were waiting on. They came looking for me and informed me. =$ They didn't mind and thought it was funny and typical for me to get caught up in getting things done.
I excused my self and was ready in three minutes.
It was so fast that several in the group commented on it and on of the sisters wanted to know if I had taken a secret passage to get back there because no-one even saw me pass them. Since I had kept them waiting I was glad that they realized I hurried not to keep them waiting any longer. The next stop was Cici's pizza and they were hungry.
The competition was on, who could eat the most. I Let them know the only reason they won was because Nickie wasn't there. She has a hollow leg or something. She can put away the pizza and has managed to win every trip that I know of.
We won't mention names but on of the leaders was blowing paper wads at our youth and some of the other leaders. It was all in good fun and didn't last long, before he got caught and sweet, quiet, and not messy revenge was taken.
The ride home was quiet and peaceful.
We got home and were being filled in on the day at home, when James came into the kitchen and threw up all over the floor.
I went to get him a bucket and found that he had a trail from his room and all over his bed. I got him a bucket and he waited for us to finish cleaning up. I made up his bed and tucked him back in sure that his belly was empty. poor thing.
Thank you Scott for your help with the bed. I got done with the last of the laundry about 12:30. He didn't get sick any more and is feeling better this morning but still a little under the weather.
Joseph slept through everything last night and slept in this morning too.
That is not like him, so I kept him home too. Brooklyn and Haylee stayed home to help them fight this off and keep from possibly exposing the many older and very young they would come in contact with. Better to be safe than sorry.

I had a wonderful day at the temple and I am glad we made it home for James when he needed us the most. I am also glad that Heather didn't have to be elbow deep in that. I know she would have and I am glad she didn't have to.
She stayed with the kids yesterday and they had a lot of fun. The house was clean and so were all the kids. She did everything just as I would have, she has been watching. Thank you Heather.

Today I am thankful for a day of rest.

This is a big week for Jordan. She got her license on Tuesday, looked for and picked out her car on Wednesday and bought it on Thursday. (Anyone who thinks that is too fast doesn't know what it takes to pass the mom test that comes before the drivers test.)
I told her if she ever feels this way about a boy he is probably the one.
She LOVES the car. She said she feels so spoiled. I reminded her she is making the payments and thus spoiling herself. She has been working for about eight months and she got her GED. I am very happy for her and if it is not a bad thing I am proud of her too.
In case you can't tell by the pictures it is a 2001 Ford Torus.
She said she is going to name it her green tortes. Green because of the dealer she bought it through and Torus sounds like tortes. She is so excited.
You go girl, but not too fast. =)
We love you!!!!!

Ready or not here she comes

Jordan got her license today!
We decided it was because she is cute. She did good but made some pretty big mistakes.
At one point he told her to turn left. She thought that was odd since she was in the right lane but she slid over to the other lane and prepared to turn. He told her to stop, there were cars coming. Then there was another time she did something and he said "don't do that again, I mean don't ever do that again." She thinks that comment had something to do with turning too.
I have to say that she was the best at parallel parking. I think she was a natural.
He told me she made a few mistakes but she did well and she passed.
Yea Jordan!

Happy Birthday Jennifer

Jennifer is almost seven. I can't believe it.
She was walking and talking before I knew her but we have been through potty training, her first day in primary, her first day in kindergarten, learning to read and write I love the way she spells. She sounds things out very well.
Learning to cross the monkey bars and she is a pretty good swimmer. She is an amazing little girl. She uses her words very well when she gets mad and instead of haveing melt downs she usually chooses to go to her room to pray.
She loves the scriptures and primary songs. Her favorite prophet is Joseph Smith.
When she was three we learned all the names and faces of the First Presidency and the 12 apostles as a family. We offered all the kids a large candy bar if they could do it before conference. (a couple of weeks away) When Scott tested the older kids he mixed up the pictures and they had to tell him who they were. When he got to Jennifer I told him I wasn't sure she would know them out of order, she was only THREE. So he started gathering them up in order...
Gordan B. Hinkley, Thomas S. Monson, James E. Fause
Packer, Perry, Nelson, Oaks, Ballard, Worthlin Jennifer was right beside him nameing them and helping him find their picture.
I said never mind, test her like the rest of them. She got them all!
Happy Birthday Jennifer! We love you.

I was talking with a young non-member girl this past week. She said that she would rather be "just Christian" and not have to try to be Mormon, that Mormons have too many rules. She said that it seemed like as soon as you got old enough to have things God just took them away. He just sucks the fun out of everything.
I thought about that and later asked her if she wanted to go to the Olympics then she would want a Gold Metal and she would need a trainer. Would she get one that let her eat what ever she wanted and exercise when she wanted and practice when she wanted or a very strict on who got results? I explained that that is what God does, he takes a way some worldly fun and danger for the results we will want... Temple marriages, forever families, eternal happiness.
I have thought about that a lot since. We have to give up coffee, tea, strong drinks, smoking, immodest dress and premarital relations for better health and long life, respect, happy and strong marriages and to have the whole truth in our lives.
The pioneers had to give up land, homes, safety and even their lives just for their membership and they knew it was worth it.
I am thankful for the gospel in my life. I am thankful to know where I came from, what I am here for and where I am going. I am thankful for a wonderful family and thankful for the blessings of the temple to know that we will be together forever.
When you love someone that much, how can "till death do us part be enough?"
I am thankful to know that we have a prophet today who leads us by revelation and for the peace that gives me. I am also thankful we don't have to give up our homes or our lives to have a testimony. I am thankful for the opportunity to share that with our children and help their testimonies grow.
These are pictures from Nauvoo, we will go back soon.

I am not tired and I don't want to take a nap!

People love to laugh. Some of the funniest people I know are Lucile Ball, Martin Short, Steve Martin... Well, I don't KNOW them but everyone knows of them because their funny.
People follow blogs because they want to know about you and because they are funny. Since we know this we try to be funny. Usually when I try really hard to do something I succeed except being funny I get the opposite effect? Can you learn to be funny?
I believe I have a good sense of humor. I think a lot of things are funny and I can find humor in just about any mess. I guess that is pretty important when you have as many kids as we do.

I was 36 when I had my last child and chose to get fixed. So my favorite joke....

Why do Mormon women stop having children at 36?




Because 37 is just too many =)

I love these pictures they bring back a lot of fond memories of blending our family.
There are a lot of people who put two families in the same house and they stay separate and never actually blend. Our family works together, plays together and yes occasionally they even fight like real brothers and sisters.
This Christmas vacation we have played a lot of games and sand together.
I love having a big family the more the merrier my mom always says.
A couple years ago we went to Florida and met up with my friend Andrea. She was pregnant with her 8th? Her husband had to fly back to Tenn to work and she was driving back solo. We decided to meet up and drive back at least part way together.
Andrea has been around my family since I was in 7th grade. I called my mom and asked if it would be ok if we all came back to her house for a couple days.
My mom being completely insane said said they would be thrilled to have us all.
the head count... Me and Scott and our twelve and Andrea and her seven, TWENTY-TWO!
We all had our own bedding and brought food. Scott and some of the kids went for fireworks and we had the time of our lives. Thank you Mom!
We have had big and little vacations and been through a lot together it really is a wonderful life.

Scott put our old pictures from the hard drive on the computer and loaded it to the picasa program.I really enjoyed looking back at how young our children were when we were married and joined our families. It will be five years in May, the time really does fly when your having fun or working hard and we have done both.

My turn

Today I have funny kid stories.
My three year old is very spoiled.





At bedtime(on weekends)I ask her who she wants to watch a movie with? She will say Mom and Dad and come watch Stargate or Star Trec or a kid movie with one of the older kids. On school nights she has to come with me.
She falls asleep and then is moved to her bed, usually.
During the day she goes from child to child playing and I keep an ear out but she is pretty independent. Last night I went looking for her... She wasn't with Mariah or Brooklyn her usual choice for winding down. Jessica and Jordan were in their room and she wasn't in there... Ok? She had asked if she could sleep with Jennifer but I said no because they would play. They play so well together. =)
They were sound a sleep in Jennifer's bed. I had to take a picture.
This morning I asked her how she slept, she said really good and said she had a dream. She said there was a good wolf in her bed,that was creepy. She also had a good dream about... Sponge Bob's tooshie. I told Scott his daughter had a dream about Sponge Bob and she corrected me, it was about his tooshie.
At breakfast Jennifer tried to explain that they had been talking about Sponge Bob and FISHIE, but Haylee insisted she dreamed about his tooshie.
Well... ok what can you say to that?

Jordan, Joe, and Josh
This was taken a couple years ago.
They are full of plans.
I look forward to looking so seeing all that they do and the friends I know they will still be.

Today is January 2nd 2009,
This is a new year time for "change" I have decided I love my life and that change is over raided. I will stick with the old new years resolutions since they are the same as every other year. Be more organized, exercise, eat better, write in our journals...

This year I am thankful for the progresses that I have made in my life and for our family and I look forward to this new year.

We don't have "new year resolutions" but we do have some goals we have already been working on. Our food storage is coming along, and we will double the size of our garden this year and I will learn what to do with it. =)

Happy New Year!