staying the course

My baby is getting so big. He is going everywhere, but still needs to keep me in view to be happy. Our family is trying to tweak a few everyday life things, just trying to be a little kinder, get a little more sleep, eat a little better, keep the house a little cleaner and just plain stay out of trouble.

post-it creativity

So, this month has been crazy... but mostly good. Husband has been working a LOT so I've barely been able to stay afloat and with cards and presents and gingerbread houses and snowflakes (real and paper) and school...we've had some fun--(that's what I'm gonna call it.) Anyway, yesterday the kids were quite creative, so I took a picture. Both are chickens...see if you can tell why.

Let me sum up

We are coming to the end of very eventful year, not just at my house but in the world at large.

All I can think about is all the things I should be worried about, but am not.

I think I've actually grown this year or something.

I'm not worried about whether I'll get all my Christmas shopping done or not... Christmas will come anyway and all the material stuff seems so unimportant.

I could be worried about the economy and all the stuff people are going through... but I'm not. We'll all get through it and we might just learn what really matters most is not the stuff we may sacrifice but the people.

There are so many other things I will not list to worry about. But...

I'm so grateful for my enchanted life, even so grateful for the really hard things my family has been going through this year. We always seem to have major changes occur right after we have another baby. Always big adjustments, huge joys, huge stress and mind set changes. I'm glad I'm getting older, I'm glad to be facing my weaknesses, I'm glad Heavenly Father lets me see new perspectives and calms those seas in our lives.

I feel blessed to know and love such good people, to have grown up in such a great home with tremendous educational opportunities. The friends I keep make me and my life great, and I feel so grateful they regard me enough to be my friends.

I know Thanksgiving is this week, but even if it wasn't I'd still just feel grateful.

I wouldn't change a thing... 

and here is us all stepping up to the plate and showing how good we can be, even in difficult times. We can do it.

Election Day

There is something about an election that makes me feel all patriotic. So many emotions, who will win? How close will it be? Anger over the government and yet excitement and pride for those whom I feel do a good job. I enjoy taking my kids to see me vote and talking about how lucky we are and how many died for this freedom.

New subject... Granty is growing, sitting, almost crawling. Ackk.. I thought I had more time.

Eli and Wyatt have been playing house. Eli is the dad, Wyatt is the boy.

Anyway, here are some pics.. halloween too.

one of the longest weeks of my life

So I know you think I've fallen off the face of the earth, and I don't know how to say everything there is to say, so I'll sum up.

7 trips to the doctor.- do the math: 2 for Grant, 1 for Eli, 4 for Wyatt

$105 worth of co-pays

3 bottles of ibuprofen

1 five month old with croup= no sleep for mom

1 ear infection for Eli- bubble-gum medicine - he likey.

104 degree fever for Wyatt with no understood cause

SO... then we get blood tests, antibiotics in shot form, more blood tests, wondering if he had appendicitis, but right before we head to the hospital we get an x-ray and find out it is....Pneumonia! (never even a cough). so, more antibiotics...

Now we are recovering and figuring out what needs to be done.. and to think Jason even had a birthday last week. Happy 29 babe! 

My fun

I've been taking an online class at big picture scrapbooking. I'm so excited about the results. My favorite scrapbooker of all time is teaching the class- Cathy Zielske. She is totally hilarious and very simple about her layouts. The class is about design. Anyhoo... here are the layouts so far.

Finding my inner chi

Ahhh... I really just don't know where to begin. My life has been super busy, but I can't honestly say with what. I can think of 5 times in the last week where I have done something stupid, let someone down, forgot something, or been late. And I can't let go of it. Its not like I believe I'm perfect, I just expect to be able to run my life, and now I'm worried I may never have my sanity back. So I'm spending the afternoon remembering what is important and moving on from disappointments. The best way I've found to do this is to write down some of my blessings. So here it goes...(not in order of importance).

Showers on most days, a body that works, a Heavenly Father who listens and answers my prayers, a great husband, great kids, very supportive parents, my friends, good-for-me food, a car that runs and is cute, my iMac, my printer, my scanner, my camera, my cell phone, my general intelligence, this beautiful world...

I'll just leave it at that for now.

(the above picture was taken on the Oregon coast by my step-father, in slide form, probably circa 1980ish.)