Miss Amy

So, it is time to do another one of my little spotlights on the wonderful people around me. This one is on Miss Amy. She is an example to both me and my family. She spends much of her time during the week teaching children their letters, how to pour juice, and what they have the potential to do and become. Then, when Sunday rolls around, rather than stating that she needs a rest because she has been with kids all week, she continues to teach the most impressionable children in our primary, the nursery kids. She says she likes this job because she doesn't have to do much during the week since her husband is the Bishop and so it is "easier" for her. How many people do you know that can consider nursery a break. I have heard many more people tell me that they can't serve in nursery because they go home too exhausted and have to spend the remainder of the day resting. Not Miss Amy.
Anyway, a few days ago I got up in the morning, logged onto my e-mail, and found a message that said something like, "Check your front porch. I'm serious, check your front porch." So I did. And this is what I found. She didn't put these there because it was my birthday, because I had shared a difficult trial I was going through with her, or for any other reason than that she likes to make people's day. She wanted me to know someone was thinking about me and that they hoped I had a good day. Isn't that cool? I wish I was more like this. They even came in a Spider man cup that Brigham loves and uses every time he gets a drink.So, Miss Amy is another person that I have found to be an inspiration. Thanks Amy!

The Baby Has Arrived!

I don't have pictures but LeShel has had her baby! He arrived at about 12:45 Wisconsin time weighting 7lbs 15 oz. and 19.5 inches long. He is said to have hair and he is "perfect" according to me, his mom and his dad. And yes, my super woman sister, went natural! I rejoice for her only because it is something she wanted to do. I, of course, secretly mourn for her and all the pain she went through as well but that is over and done now. I have already instructed daddy to send pictures ASAP and I will post them as soon as I get them.

In the meantime, here is a picture of our new "GIRLS ROOM." We have a now have a girls room and a boys room! It is fun and Julia of course loves it. Here are some pictures of Julia's side, and Martie's side. Julia loved seeing the bedding that was made for her by her mom and grandma. I was just glad we had it so we didn't have to make a whole new set.>
And here is a picture of Peter. I cut his hair last night all by myself. If you want to laugh, Peter doesn't mind. Apparently the guys at work called him Q-tip all day anyway. He just smiled and said, "It's all good because I am $15 richer than I would be otherwise." Does that mean he doesn't like his haircut?
And these are pictures of my kids and Peter putting together "game kits" that will be handed out when our neighborhood has it's "trial evacuation."

Quickie Spotlight

This is kind of fun. The next person I have to mention is someone I don't really know very well. It's Lisa Dutton. She is in my ward and I actually don't know her very well. I had her daughter in my Laurels group when I served there and she was really nice and her husband is way nice when you see him in the church library (He is one of those people that make you want to return your stuff because he is always so nice every time you stop by.) But I haven't really had a lot of contact with Lisa BUT she makes my list of awesome people because about a week ago I was running into Wal-Mart, without my hair done and without makeup, when I saw her. She stopped me and asked me how much longer until the baby was born. I told her I still had about three weeks. She looked shocked. She went on and on about how great I looked and how she only would have guessed that I was 6 months. I have no idea if she was lying or serious and I don't care. Frankly, I may even give her more credit if she was lying because I needed it! I have had everyone I don't know ask me how much longer and then respond with comments like "Oh you'll never make it that long," or "Oh WOW, that must be a big baby." I hate those comments. I've already thought that I'm not going to make it and I have already had dreams about birthing a small beluga whale, but I don't need other people to confirm my thoughts and fears. Fortunately, we can receive 20 poopy comments and it only takes one Sister Dutton to make us feel better. I am truly grateful to her, liar or not.

Spotlight

Ok, cheesy title but I am starting something new. Amy Kelley mentioned me by name in her blog, which is bigger than you think because she never blogs, and I was on cloud 9 for several days. Shauna Eccles also mentioned me as a gaming friend once and that gave me quite a high too. For some reason I felt like I was famous. I was so flattered that someone would write what I said! Silly I know. I don't care. Anyway, I started thinking that I should write things about people on my blog. Not because I think they would necessarily be flattered, but so that I can remember all the awesome people that I am surrounded by. So, I have a whole list of people I want to write about but I am going to try and do this slowly.

The first awesome person I will mention is Treasure Hatch. She is a friend of mine who works at the school Julia attends. She spent countless hours doing procurement (finding things like $50 chairs for $3 and then going and stuffing 20 of them into her midsize car). I have heard stories of her strapping a bulletin board to the top of her car and then have it fly off as she drove down University Ave. in Provo. She is one hard worker who is willing to do crazy things.

Ok, so in addition to being an insanely hard worker, Treasure is a magician every two months. She takes my hair and makes it look good. Now I know some of you are thinking, I haven't ever seen it look "good." Well, that is because it is only when she styles it that it works. She knows how to do it and while she tries to teach me how, I don't have the same skill. So, while it looks better after a cut, if you ever see me on the day it gets cut, you'll be impressed.

Lastly, Treasure is a lady of service. She claims that she is trying to teach me how to receive service but she is insane kind. A few days ago, I was wasting time at the computer wondering if cereal counted as dinner and I heard a furious knock at the door. I went to answer it only to see her jumping in her car and a pizza, salad, and cookie dough on my porch. I'm not sick anymore, (she already brought me dinner when I was). I haven't had the baby. I couldn't figure out why and she tried to say that as a huge pregnant lady, I needed to learn to accept service. She even knew that I was trying to think of a way to "get back." I try to give service on occasion but not just for no reason. She is impressive.

Oh, one last thing, she still speaks to me after my daughter tried to teach her son piano notes in the back of her car. Apparently Julia spent multiple days working on the seat with her son. Needless to say, Julia had to spend all of her money to buy cleanser and will be scrubbing it clean. We aren't going to tell them about magic erasers until they have been out there for a good hour. Anyway, she still speaks to me, and my artistic daughter as if we hadn't done anything wrong. That is pretty forgiving.


So, while I am sure I am missing several other things that I should tell you about "Sister Hatch" as Julia refers to her, I am going to end my first "spotlight." It's kind of fun and while I am overwhelmed by the number of people I want to write about, I plan to do another ASAP.

Long Time No Blog

It's been a while. Well, I guess it has by some people's standards and it hasn't been long enough for others. But, I feel like it has been a while but it has been for good reason. I have been miserably sick. About two weeks ago I got sick everywhere. My whole body hurt and I felt like I was dying. I went to the doctor and they said it was viral and gave me some cough suppressant. Two days later, I was in the hospital and they were checking out the baby because my pulse was 150 and wouldn't slow, I was having a difficult time breathing, and my chest hurt. Fortunately everything was fine with the baby but I had a bruised rib and would just have to work through it. The next day, said bruised rib became cracked rib. So, I have been wearing massive female items because I pee every time I cough, and sleeping in a love sac because I can't lie down flat. I realize this is a lot of complaining, especially if you knew what I knew about what other people are going through but I thought I would excuse myself from the lack of blogging.

There are a few things that I should update on though. My baby time clock jumped up six days! The doctor said if I was progressing (too bad he didn't say dying) then he would induce me 6 days early. So, I will now be having the baby on the 12th. I think Peter may be mildly disappointed but I have tried to natural three times and I just can't. I have labors over 12 hours at the hospital and I hate it. So this time, I am going to go in knowing where my kids are, that my house is clean, and exactly when I will come home. I want the epidural before I feel any contractions and I want to relax through the whole labor. I have nothing but complete admiration for people who can go natural but I am not one of them. So, if all goes as I envision it, Marti will be here on the 12th. The only unknown is if the birth certificate should say Martha, Marti, or Martie. We are open to suggestions.

The other fun thing I want to mention is our trip up to a cabin by Park City. We were invited by a wonderful couple in our ward to go up (without kids) and spend the night playing games and sleeping over. Thanks to my sister Katrina, we left the kids, went up, and had a great time. The cabin was awesome and the company couldn't have been better. We were there with the Evans, the Kelley's, and the Harmon’s. It was really great.

Oh, I have to share another quick story. While we were up at the cabin, "Miss Amy," as she is known to Brigham, commented on my good parenting. I asked what she meant and she explained that she was impressed that I would stick to my guns and send Brigham to school without shoes when he couldn't find them. I told her I had no idea what she was talking about and then learned that apparently when Brigham couldn't find his shoes last Tuesday, he left in just socks and told everyone that his mom said if he couldn't find them then he would just go without them. He went and returned without me even knowing he had no shoes. Now I agree that sending a kid without shoes would be a good consequence if they actually cared about appearance, I know my Brigham better than that. He has no concern for what the norm is and if he fits it. I was even told that he didn't seem to mind when one of the girls asked if she could sit somewhere else because Brigham's socks were stinky. That's my boy, not a care in the world. Half the time he wears his shirt inside out just because "it's OK, I like it like this." I know what you are thinking, he gets it from his Dad. Peter usually looks pretty nice but if he doesn't, he's not concerned about it so why should anyone else be? And you wonder why we don't do more family pictures?

Oh, Julia and Peter both performed on Friday. I had to miss because I was barely able to stand but Grandma Linda and Grandpa Jim took Nathan, Joelle, Timothy and Amanda to the talent show and then they went and saw Peter's concert. I felt terrible missing them but I am so glad that we have so much support. She will be playing the same song at her recital but it is the day after Marti is born (Julia said she wanted us to have the baby before the recital instead of after) so I will miss it but Peter will record it so we can post it. Below are some photos Grandma Linda took. I stole them from her blog.

Lonely

I'm so lonely. I am feeling sorry for myself because LeShel left for Wisconsin today. I was thinking today that I would get more sympathy from people if we were actually related. Then I had a realization. God didn't have to make us sisters because he knew we would find each other, help each other through rough times, and stay friends regardless of any blood relationship. He gave me sisters that I love as well but in all honesty, I am really different from them and they aren't as needy as I am. They don't want to talk to me on the phone three times a day, drive over and run errands with me just so we can talk, and pretend that everything in my life is as important as everything in theirs. But LeShel did. And now, in large part, I am going to have to learn to entertain myself and find someone else who has silly errands to run and needs someone to talk to about nothing.

I also have to mention, not that it makes my self pity any more justified, that one of the things I know I will miss most is the way she loved my kids. She didn't just tolerate them, or even just like them. She loves my kids. She attended long recitals, went to preschool programs, watched every new "trick" they came up with, and would just hold my baby when he was too much for me. She did it to support me but I know she also did it because she really cares about them. They were always so excited to see her and there was more than once when she would call them just to see how they were doing.

I'm starting to cry again (baby) like I did last night but I'm going to try and remember what I heard when I attended a session of conference with her. I can't remember who was talking but they pointed out that it isn't simply that the Lord won't try us beyond what we can handle, He won't try us beyond what is actually good for us. Though I can't imagine how, he is doing this because he knows that somehow, this will be good for both LeShel, my kids, and myself. I am going to keep that in mind and try to look for ways that I am growing from this experience. Maybe I will rely more on my husband and he will have to listed to me even more than he does at present. Yikes! I asked him the other day if he had read our blog lately and he said no. I invited him to sit down beside me and read for a while. He started to read but then he looked at me and said, "I don't want to read it. I already live it." He can be a goober.

Now that I am thinking of happy things, I should tell you what Bugs said today. Peter was feeding them brownies (out of the pan) and he would take turns putting a bite in Julia and Brigham's mouths. Well, when he paused for a second and Bugs didn't think he was moving fast enough, Bugs stared saying, "I'm open, I'm open! Dad I'm open." and then standing there with his mouth wide open for his next bite.

Then Peter was reading Porter a story about a cat and Porter started meowing. He did it over and over on each page just so that Peter wouldn't forget what the story was about. It was pretty cute. How can we sit and complain when we are surrounded by so many wonderful things? I don't know but I am usually pretty good and it and I'm going to work on not being quite so.

Lots of Nothing

My mother-in-law called today while I was in a 45 minute line to vote early. She told me she was glad I was there because Obama needed all the support he could get in Utah. I laughed and said, that's what I'm here for. :) Then she asked me what we have been up to lately and I explained that I have been running around like crazy but not really doing much or accomplishing anything.

So, I had Peter download our pictures from the camera tonight and I realized that we have been up to a few things.

Friday was opening day for High School Musical 3 and I went with three of the funnest people I know, LeShel, Bugs, and Julia, to see it. A sister in my ward got us tickets and there were four or five other families there with us. It was awesome. The theater would cheer when the basketball team won, whistle when we saw Troy for the first time, and laugh when they kissed! Brigham tried not to let me see him but every now and again I would glance over and he would be dancing. He stopped really quick when he saw you looking though. Anyway, I took some pictures but they didn't turn out very well. When LeShel sends me hers, I will post some more.

Then Friday night I went to see "Into the Woods" with Peter. It was really good. He played in the orchestra for it when he was in high school and his family left during intermission. I used to think they were terribly mean but having seen the play, I see why they left. The play is great but it feels like it ends at intermission. You have no idea that they are going to address the after happily ever after part of the story. Anyway, it was great, if you get a chance, see it.

Saturday, I played with LeShel as much as possible because she is leaving for Wisconsin on Sunday. Then, we went to our ward Halloween party. It is always a great dress rehearsal for the kids costumes. Julia is a black widow, Bugs was a skeleton, and Porter is a pumpkin though he does look an awful lot like a troll doll.

And tonight for family home evening, we carved pumpkins. Brigham wanted a bat and Julia drew her own picture that Peter carved out. Just curious, who would you want to do yours? I think that was Peter's approach so that he doesn't have to do Porter's (his didn't get done because he missed nap and had to go to bed early. Peter said the dark pictures didn't really turn out but I think that seeing our pumpkins in the dark only helps them.

And between all this, we have bee working on the primary program, getting a school meeting ready, and planning a Christmas party for Xlear. Life is full, life is good. Sometimes we don't realize how much fun we get to have.

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

Even when we are over 30! After I finished 12 hours of cleaning on Nathan's 6000 square foot house that he rented to a bunch of college students, (he's paying me and the details are a whole separate story), I left the kids with Peter and headed up to Park City for 29 hours of kid free fun!

I went with my great friends LeShel, Cristy, and Lynn to Park City. We stayed in a nice hotel (on my scale), and went lunch at a place called Souperman, then went to the outlets and did the top half and left to have dinner at LaCasita. We chose these places because we got gift certificates for $25 off a $35 purchase on line for about $3 each when we used a coupon code from Pinching Your Pennies. Anyway, the lunch was awesome and the dinner was good too. After dinner, though we were stuffed, we walked up to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and got desert. That cost us quite a bit but the raspberry stick was so good, I had a dream that night that I was eating one the size of a loaf of bread. It was incredible! Fortunately when I woke up we went and got strawberry pancakes for breakfast and they filled the hole.

But the best part of the weekend wasn't the food, though it did rank right up there, it was the company. LeShel, Lynn and I used to be in a primary presidency over three years ago and I started spending more time with them and Cristy when we started up a book club. Lynne, who is an awesome writer, wrote a story (which we sqished in the bathroom to read so we wouldn't wake baby Jack up which we did anyway) about our book club and how it wasn't really about the books but the bonding that took place after most people had left. The four of us, and a few others, would sit around and chat for about three or four hours after everyone had left. We got to know each others personalities and quirks and felt completely comfortable around each other. You have to love people that you can be completely yourself with. So, the best part of the weekend was talking with these ladies and sharing our lives. We are all fairly different, where we live now, our ages, our families, and such but we just click. We can laugh, cry, joke, tease, uplift, and learn from each other every time we get together.

I know this doesn't sound like me, cheesy and sappy, but I love being female. I love having emotions that are strong and having the desire to bond with other women. I love the life I get to live with my kids and the fun I get to have every day. Of course all of this is possible because of my hard working, lovable husband whom I love beyond measure, but I believe that being a female gives me a desire to be with other people that men just don't have. I am so glad that I have met so many people in my family, my old neighborhood, my new neighborhood, at my kids school, and in life that I have been able to bond with. It just makes life more fun.

So, enough of the cheese, I'm getting nauseous too. My point is, it was a great weekend. I hope everyone else had a great one too, (I know my extended and immediate family did because I have already talked with them).