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It's quiet....for a minute...

Ok, I have been thinking that I needed to blog about some issues that I have been dealing with. I have thought about them for a few days and now I feel better about it! After talking with a friend (aka my therapist :)) I realized that those times when you are so upset over something that you can't even function, then you let a day or two pass and things seem better even though nothing changed....Well, it hit me that those times that I start to feel better is when "My burdens are being carried for me".  I am being comforted by the Holy Ghost. This brings tears to my eyes. Just another testament of the Atonement and how the Savior helps us and bares our burdens for us.

Sam is asleep at the moment and the other girls are all off with friends. So quiet right now!

Friday's have been Sam and I's day. We usually spend it cuddling in bed watching TV til about 11:00 am. Well, today I decided we were going to do something different. We got up and went to a Zumba class together. Yes, I took my 3 year old...put that shaky hip scarf thing on her and WE shook it!! For an hour we tried to make our feet move like the lady on the stage. I didn't care what I looked like! I had my buddy with me and we had fun! Can't wait til next week!

I went to a Dr. last week to get established with one after being gone from the Valley for a few years. I had an OB before hand and he wasn't seeing patients that weren't pregnant, so I had to go somewhere else. Anyway, I got my thyroid level checked again. He upped my meds and I felt a difference within 2 days! I am so glad that I can be helped and I am not stuck being tired all the time!

I am really feeling blessed the last few days. I was really struggling the first of the week. As the week went on I had random friends just doing things or bringing things to me that I needed, but hadn't asked them for. It was a good reminder that I am not alone and that there are good people that actually care about me. Their little acts of service helped me more than they will ever know!

Well, Sam's awake now...guess my quiet time is over.

New Posts of Past

I have been trying to catch up a few things on my blog. Even though I am just blogging about them now, I had them publish back around the time they happened. Click on them if you are interested in seeing any of them.

Christmas
Sam's Birthday
Same Home...New Home
Easter

I LOVE my MAN!

I don't know what I would do if I didn't have Jim. He is always there to help me finish or do what ever I need to do.

This last week was pretty crazy....pretty much like any week though.

I had started dresses/skirts for my girls to wear to Jim's brother's wedding. Jim finished them for me by doing all the elastic in them.

I started a potato salad for the wedding luncheon. Jim finished it...by pretty much doing all of it!!

I mentioned the kids needed baths before the wedding. Jim got them bathed.

Before I knew it, ALL the dishes were done.... and not by me or the girls. Once again, Jim!

I started some mini cheesecakes for the luncheon also...guess who finished them.

He also ironed his own clothes, took his suites in to be cleaned, set a tv up in the kitchen so I could watch the olympics, fed the kids along with the cousins, fed me, ran grocery errands, gave himself a haircut, bought me a dr. pepper :), along with many other things.....Plus he was at work all day too!

I don't know what I did to deserve Jim, but I am so thankful I have him.

A few months ago I was stressing about stuff to the point that I was making myself sick. I was really upset over it and mainly because there was nothing I personally could do to make it better. I had taken the kids to the local small zoo. As I was walking along with so many thing weighing heavily on my mind, I was pretty much slapped in the face with the overwhelming thought of, "You are not doing this alone. You have Jim and you will do this and get through this together." As soon as I realized what I was being told, the stress was so much easier to handle.

Thank you Jim for being my rock and supporting me in all my craziness! Thank You for choosing me.

Playing with Pictures

I Love to take Pictures of my girls....then I spend WAYYYY to much time editing and playing with different colors. For family night I had the girls go create an outfit. I tried to not choose what they put on, but I did have to guide them a little. We then went out back in the field where they had just bailed the hay into HUGE bails. I then had fun with the camera and my girls. Here are a few that I have been playing with. There are so many fun ones to edit that it may take a month!

I wish I wasn't so SENTIMENTAL!

About 7 months ago Jim and I were sitting in the Celestial room at the Temple in Reno. We were giggling because we were so excited about our decision to come back to Cache Valley. We told ourselves then that it was going to be hard. It was going to be an adjustment, but it was what we wanted and knew that the Lord was ok with our decision. We told each other we would do what we needed to do to make it work. And having to part with material things is one of those things we have to do to make it work.

I just wish I wasn't SOOOO SENTIMENTAL.

To some of you this may not seem like an issue, but it is EXTREMELY hard for me.

I have held off posting our trailer on KSL now for a week just because I am being so emotional over it. I know it's what I (we) need to do, but I keep hoping something will happen so we can afford to keep it.

I have thought several times that it would be alot easier on me to sell my house and I keep wondering why. It finally hit me yesterday. When I had to leave my house 3 years ago, it was one of the hardest things I have had to do. I didn't know if we would come back at that point. I remember crying and being so upset about it for days. But guess what, I got through it and was ok about it. Knowing that I have gotten through the house thing....which should mean more than the trailer....is helping me know that I can do this. As I have heard my mom say several times, "I will always have my memories. No one can take them away."

*****************

We have had many FUN camping trips in the trailer. And living in it will never be forgotten.

Here we are in Silver City RV Park in Carson City, NV. Home for 3 months.

 When we first arrived and were just moving in.

 Just after we bought the trailer. Deer Hunt 07'. Monroe Mountain.

I'M GOING TO DO IT!

This is SOOO not me to share this, but I feed off of encouragment so I am doing this! Plus there are only like 6 or 7 of you that are invited to view this blog, so I guess I am not making it totally public, but in a way I am!

MY weight has been such an issue with my confidence my whole life. I still remember being made fun of in Elem. school. Because of that I struggle going back home and seeing those that I grew up with just because I worry what they would say or think now.

Back in Oct. I was finally diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease (Thyroid). I say "finally" because over the years I have watched others around me, my age, my activity level and realized that I wasn't normal. Something was wrong with me. I never had any energy....even with exercising 5 days a week. My hair had been falling out for 2 years. I would sweat through my clothes after two minutes of showering. I was a zombie (zoned out) by the time the kids got home from school and I couldn't even function at being their mom.  I had gone to my family doctor, had blood work done and was told I was normal. NO I WASN'T!! I knew something was wrong with me. After talking with a friend, she gave me a name of another family doctor. I made an appointment, went to him, and came home with so much more hope! He was going to do some more blood work and check my TPO levels. After doing the blood work, I waited a week for the call with the results. The call came. My TPO levels were high! YES!!! I knew there was something wrong!! I cried happy tears! I met with an endocrinologist, had an ultrasound of my thryoid and was diagnosed with Hashimoto's. I now take my synthroid daily. It has made a HUGE difference. While visiting with the endo doc, I found out other symptom's of Hashimoto's. Symptoms that I have been dealing with for years! So many things are now tied together and make sense to me!

SO THAT WAS A BIG HUGE LONG TANGENT!.....

I decided back in Oct. that I just needed to be happy with my weight because trying to diet did not make me happy! So I have just accepted it. I have loved not having the guilt when I eat an extra cookie. I told myself as long as I physically felt good, then I needed to be happy. Physically feeling good required exercise which I was ok with because I do like how I feel after I exercise. My problem is, I am not finding the time....or dedicating the time to exercise. SOOOO this is why I am putting this out there. I have had to exercise my whole life....and most of the time it doesn't help me with the weight, it just helps me feel physically better (AND EMOTIONALLY).

I have fallen off the exercise WAGON! GRRRR!! I don't think I have ever been in worse shape than I am now. My goal is to run a 5k....sometime....I told myself that 2 years ago. I was ready for it. I was in shape and knew I could run it, and then I got a "RUNNER'S" injury! I haven't been able to really run since! I still have the pain from the injury. I still have the goal to run a 5k....and now I want to participate in one of those mud runs! But I have to be in shape first.

Now to commit to exercise....I have stuggled getting out of bed in the mornings to exercise. I have a couple daycare kids so if I don't get it done before they arrive, then it doesn't get done. By evening I am ready to put my feet up, so there is no exercise there either....so, today was the day to start! With Brindley home from school for the summer I decided I would have her help watch the boys while I did my exercises. We will see how this works. Today was great! I did Jillian's 30 day shred along with 10 minutes on the treadmill and 10 minutes on the eliptical. That's about 45 minutes!!! More than I have done for awhile!

So here is where my blog is going to be involved. On my side-bar, I am going to record what I have done for my exercise for the day. I feel like putting it out there kinda holds me accountable. I do not have a scale to weigh myself. I haven't weighed myself in 7 months. I think this is another reason I have been happier too. I don't see those numbers! I just want to feel better physically with exercise.

So, here I go!! LET'S DO THIS!!

Another Day with Sam

Samantha came in to me as I was sitting at the computer. She was still in her jammies. I told her to go get dressed and she told me she was still tired. So I told her to go get back in bed but she couldn't come out til she was dressed. Pretty soon I hear her holler, "Mom, Mom! Come turn Backyardigans on while I'm relaxing!" I go in to see what she is doing and she is in my bed. She tells me, "I don't have a TV stuck to my wall in my bedroom."

I looked at her and said, "And?"

She replies, "And I don't have any clickers!"

I know, I know....She is SPOILED!

This following picture was during dinner when she was REALLY tired. Her head was bobbing. I told Jim that she was going to face plant it in her food. She heard me say that so she decided to pretend that she was going to put her face in her food. She gets her face really close to her food then would sit back up. The next time she did it, "someone" (it was not her mother!) helped her get her face in her food with a little nudge on the back of the head.....resulting in this picture!! Ofcourse I grabbed my camera!!

Karissa's first Wellsville Mile

It was so fun watching Karissa run the Wellsville Mile. Her class had been practicing for a few months before the actual event. There were so many kids participating that it was hard to find Karissa, but I did! She did awesome!

Some high school cross country members were there to run with the elem. kids and help keep them motivated. This girl helped Karissa... 

FINISH!!! 

 I just have to share...The girls behind Karissa are other 4th graders. They are another 1/3 of her. Yeah, she is small, but she can compete with the best of them!

 You can see in her eyes that she is excited that she did it! Love this girl!

 Her biggest cheerleader!

Karissa and her friend Anna.  

Now bring on next year's Wellsville mile!

Tender Mercies

Thank you to those that are actually reading this. You are my support alot of the time. You are the ones that have lifted me up and made me feel better about myself. And that's why I feel like I can write more personal things and you will understand.

Towards the end of last week I had a Big Long EMOTIONAL post typed up. I decided to hold off on posting it for that moment. I then went and got on the treadmill and ran....and I ran...and it felt good...then I got off the treadmill and cried...ALOT....and it felt good....and I felt relief from alot of things...issues that I have been dealing with. And today I do feel better.....

I have heard the phrase "Tender Mercies" alot over the last couple of years and the last week all I can think about is the Tender Mercies that the Lord has blessed Jim and I with along with our beautiful daughters. I am amazed at each little "coincidence" that has come along in the past 6 months. (WOW, HAS IT BEEN 6 MONTHS!)  And to know that they ARE NOT COINCIDENCE! They are TENDER MERCIES from the Lord.

As our new journey started several months ago, we were blessed with such a calm, and peaceful assurance that everything was going to work out. Jim was without work and our money was running out and we weren't freaking out!!! WHY??!! I started to worry about the fact that I wasn't worried. I kept saying to Jim, "Why are we not freaking?" We knew we could make it through March with the funds we had, but after that....then what?! We both still felt ok about our situation.

And now, here I sit on the 7th day of May... Where just three days ago I went and took $250 of our last $400 in savings and paid bills....and today is Jim's first real payday with his new job.....tender mercy.

I CAN NOT deny the hand of the Lord in our life. I can not deny that Heavenly Father knows me, Jim, and my girls. I can not deny that this is His plan and things will happen on His time and we will be better and stronger because of it.

HMMMM...What to do First...

The house just suddenly got quiet. It hasn't been like this for awhile. The 3 oldest are off to school. Jim just left for his first day at Wasatch Properties. Sam is sitting in the office chair next to me spinning in circles.

I'm really not sure where to begin or what to do first today.

For almost three years Jim has been working at Aaron's. It was a very stressful job and he was gone ALOT. It hurt me to see the stress he was going through. And he was doing it for our family. Finally...enough was enough...We both knew that he couldn't go on like that, so we called it quits. He was done with Aaron's on the 1st of Dec. We stayed in Carson City til after Christmas, then loaded up and headed back to Utah. We were planning to stay with Jim's parents til we found a job. Funny coincidence, our renters gave their notice the first of January. You would think that we would have panicked knowing we didn't have renters or a job to make the house payment, but we didn't. We both were ok with the situation and what was happening.

After many long days and hours working and cleaning up our house, we finally moved back in on Feb. 25th. Still no job prospects at the time, but we still felt OK. It's amazing how our Heavenly Father has blessed us with peace. We are enjoying being back in our house. Jim and I sit on the back porch often and look out over the valley to the south and tell each other how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful place.

Another thing that I feel truly blessed about is daycare. I know I have been blessed with the peace of mind to do it. I also have been blessed to watch 2 really good boys. They behave really well and mind alot better than my own kids.  They both are home sick today, so another reason that my house is so quiet. I think it will be a long day, but I am excited for the new changes and schedules.

I am also very blessed to have Jim. He is going to do AMAZING with this new job! I am excited for him and for what he will be learning and doing!

Now, What should I do first? Clean my toilet? Clean Sam's bedroom? Clean the Playroom? Mop the kitchen floor? Organize the Office? Vacuum? Fold Laundry? Exercise Cross that one off because I got up early to do it before Jim left!! :)

Easter 2012

We spent Easter in Koosharem. Cory and Angie were there with their kids. Cory did alot of work in Dad's yard by cutting down some trees.  It was fun to watch as they all worked together to get them down and make them fall where they wanted them to fall.

It started snowing but the sun was still shining....only in Koosharem.... 

She's 12.....!!!

I'm not sure if I am ready for her to grow up....but I do love having a daughter as a best friend.

Brindley is now in Beehives in Young Women's. She Loves it!

 She is a great help around the house and with her younger sisters. She is very sensitive to me and my needs and is willing to help without even being asked.

She is getting quite the sense of humor. She Loves to crack Jokes....she's getting to where her jokes are quite funny too. 

Another Update

To see our Christmas Tree Hunting Pictures Click HERE!

Same Home...New Home

I wanted to share some of the pictures of what we did to our house before we moved back in.

First thing first...We scrubbed the kitchen! It was filthy. Actually the whole house was filthy. I didn't dare lean against a wall. With being landlords, we discovered that renters don't try as hard at taking care of the place they are in. I'm assuming because they aren't paying the mortgage. We put in well over 50 hours just cleaning.

***Funny side story. Before the renters moved out, Jim and I walked through our home. We could see how filthy it was. Jim said to me, "Maybe you should contact the Relief Society President and see if she would help get some sisters together to help the renters clean." I just laughed it off. Well, the next Sunday while sitting in Relief Society, the president came over to me and let me know that they were passing around a sign up sheet for volunteers to go help my renters clean "my" house. She didn't want me to be surprised or caught off guard. I smiled and told her that was just great! When they passed it around, they totally avoided handing it to me. I had to laugh at this. Thanks to some great sisters in the ward. I didn't have to wash the walls downstairs!***

We decided that we would try to redo the wood floors and replace the carpet that I don't think had been vacuumed in several months. While the carpet was out we also thought that we should paint those rooms that needed paint.

Jim rented a sander and went to work. He sanded for several hours and was getting exhausted....to the point of giving up. Just then, in walked his dad and brother. I honestly wanted to cry at this point. They came just at the right time. They both took over the sanding and with in a couple hours we had the floor how we wanted it....until the next day.

When we got back the next day, with the sunlight shining on the kitchen floor, we could see so many grooves. So Jim went and rented the sander again and worked several more hours. We finally decided that we were just going to leave it how it was. (I think doing it ourselves, we were being very picky). Jim's dad and brother returned that night along with some friends. They helped us wash and vacuum all the sawdust up. So glad that I covered the cupboards and doorways with plastic. That sawdust was everywhere.

New Carpet!!

We didn't get new carpet downstairs (except Brindley's room). Picking out carpet is hard! I knew what color I wanted and I knew that I wanted to be able to run my toes through it. We went to about 8 different places looking at carpet. Finally we found a place that answered our questions, made suggestions for us, and even let me come to his house to see what the carpet was like. I'm am so happy with our choice!

The carpet on the stairs is a shorter cut so it doesn't mat as easily. 

Front Room 

My bedroom! I Love the colors we choose! 

Lexie and Sam's room! There will be white trim covering where the two colors meet.

Putting the polyurethane on the floor. So beautiful! 

I REALLY LOVE how the colors go with our bedroom set! 

Jim did such a great job on the floor. He worked so hard.

Brindley got a whole New Room too. Her room had mold in it so we had to tear out the wall and carpet. I don't have pictures of it. Guess I had better have her clean her room now so I can get pictures.

We still have a few projects that need to be done, but I honestly feel like we have a New Home!