I'm Thankful For...

Today I'm thankful for Sir Spoil-Her-Highness' job.  We are quite blessed.  Tonight he is still there pluggin' along.  Well, actually they are putting out a program after hours, and working out the bugs.
This is a rare thing. He is usually here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Yes, I am very spoiled. Pin It

Preschool Pack

I have loved seeing all these theme based pre-k packs.  

Check out 1+1+1=1!

She has amazing things!

So I am trying my hand at making one of these.

I'm teaching preschool next week and the topic is mammals.

I couldn't find a mammal pack anywhere.

So here is what I have come up with:

I will work on more as time goes on and share it with you.

Have a happy Windsday!

 (It's windy here today)

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I'm Thankful For...{day 7}

I am thankful for an amazing husband.  He helps around the house.  Without being asked.  He does dishes, picks up toys, makes beds, and even picks up after me.  He runs to the store on his way home from work.  He watches kids while I run to the store.  He also watches kids while I go away for 10 days with Superb Senior (fka Cheerful Cheerleader) on choir tour.  Or while I go to AZ for a court hearing about child support.  He is very patient.  He hardly ever yells.  Maybe once or twice a year.  And only if things are very ... heated or dangerous.
I am thankful for Sir Spoil-Her-Highness. Pin It

I'm Thankful For...{day 6}

I am thankful for my right to vote.  To live in a free country where I can have a voice.  To be able to choose my religion.  Where I want to live and work (or not work) and how many children I want to have.  Pin It

I'm Thankful for...{day 5}

Today I am thankful for a washer and dryer.  After being gone for the weekend, and having super crazy, super sewing month in October, it was great not to have to scrub clothes on a rock or washboard!!  Yeah, sometimes it's the little things :) Pin It

I'm Thankful For...{day 4}

Today I am thankful for my grandparents.  I am thankful that they are around to see my children.  To see their Great-grandchildren.  To teach us and them what they have learned in their lives.  I am thankful that I could stay with my grandparents and visit with them.  I am grateful that my grandma is doing better health wise. That she is able to get around and be active. Pin It

I'm Thankful For...{day 3}

Today I am thankful for an expanding family.  I am thankful to be a Mother-in-Law.  To have a Son-in-Law.  To have a daughter who has found someone whom she loves.  It was such a great day.  (Today I am grateful that there was no snow on the ground.)  I am thankful for all the family who helped get things put together.  for those who came, and those who were there in spirit.  For their support.  For their love. Pin It

I'm Thankful For...{day 2}

Today I am thankful for a vehicle that works well enough to get us 1000 miles.  A vehicle that will fit our whole family.  When we brought the Little Misses home, we didn't have room for them.  We took a trip for Thanksgiving, and had to take 2 vehicles. 
Today we are on our way to Arizona to the wedding of Gorgeous Graduate, soon to be a Mrs. Pin It

I'm Thankful For...{day 1}

Today I'm thankful that my mom taught me how to sew.  I made 5 Halloween costumes last month.  Today I am finishing up 4 flower girl dresses.  

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Down in the Dumps

    Today I am in quite the mood.
    I haven't felt this way for so so long. 
    I do suffer from depression, but medication has helped me keep it at bay for the past one and a half years.
    So why is it that today I can feel so awful?
    I know it is the adversary.  But why can't I shake it.  I  know I'm loved and of worth.  I know I'm watched over from on high.  Why can I not shake this? 
    I know we all have trials.  We have several right now that I won't go into right now.  That usually doesn't have this profound of an effect on me. 
    After feeling this way yesterday, I decided that I would get busy.  I got  up and read scriptures, went running, cleaned the kitchen, and had a dentist appointment.  I just finished resizing a pattern for Little Miss E.  My husband loves me and is oh so kind and helpful.  I have an amazing family. 
    So what is the deal? 
I am going to keep on keeping on.  I just thought that I  would try sharing this and see if getting it out there helps me at all. 
    Love you all, and enjoy the rest of your Monday.
    Speaking of Monday, for Family Home Evening, we are watching Bill Nye teach us about fire safety.  It's gonna be great.  Then we will go over where to meet in case of a fire, and what to do.

    Treats?  I think just the chocolate cookies we started yesterday and never baked.  Maybe add some ice cream.  Pin It

My Patriarchial Blessing

    So today I was on pinterest and came across a pin about studying our Patriarchial Blessings.  I have been reading in the Book of Mormon about when Nephi was trying to explain to Laman and Lemuel about what their dad said concerning the "natural branches of the olive-tree".  I thought that I needed to study my patriarchial blessing and see what help and comfort it can give me today, since I have felt like I am failing at a few things. (One being how to parent our kids.)
    So this website was saying that we should copy our blessings and then highlight in different colors the different aspects of our blessing.  Well, there were things on their list that weren't in my blessing.  So I went to lds.org and found a lesson given to young women about Patriarchal Blessings.  There are three aspects that every blessing has: "a patriarchal blessing always confers promises upon us, becomes a warning against failure in life, and a means of guidance in attaining the blessings of the Lord."
    I grabbed my colored pens and clear ruler, found my patriarchal blessing (where did I have it last?), and went to the printer.
    After reading and re-reading my blessing, underlining, and re-reading, I think I now know where I need to focus my energies.
    Now off to read my scriptures some more. Pin It

Teaching Nursery

     Sir Spoil-Her-Highness and I have been called to work in the nursery with the 3 year olds who will be Sunbeams next year.  This is NOT one of my choice callings.  But it is Sir's= dream calling.  Today we were talking about it, and he wonders why.  Especially because I LOVE kids.  And kids love me.  I am not sure why I didn't like the idea.  (Now I do, just so you all know) 
     So, here are a few things.  You are totally disconnected from the rest of the ward.  You see adults when the kids are dropped off, and sometimes when they are picked up.  (The older siblings will usually pick them up, which is a good thing.)  I also feel like I don't grow spiritually in Nursery or Junior Primary unless I go completely out of my way to do so. 
     Well, I didn't like this attitude, so I have changed it.  Luckily it didn't take me more that half a day. 
I reminded myself that I love children.  I also want them to love primary, and that starts in nursery.  All of our children have hated going to church except Little Miss E.  So I am making it my mission to help these little ones to look forward to going to church.  I became so excited to get the calling, that I started making plans for what I would do to make it fun.  Play dough being one of them.
     As a mom, you want to know your children are doing okay in nursery and are being taken care of by someone who loves them.  Today I was holding one of the girls in our class.  And after that I ended up with three others who would come to me and have me hold them.  There is also one in our class who doesn't want mom or dad to leave.  So today we had her help pass out crayons and papers, and paper towels for snack.  Hopefully this will help her feel better about being left. 
     The other thing I need to focus on is keeping myself spiritually moving forward. 
     Today as I was preparing next week's lesson, there was a link to the Teaching, No Greater Call manual.  I read a few things that helped me realize that if I want to teach these children that Heavenly Father loves them and that they are His and He has given them many blessings, then I need to know these things for myself.  “Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men”  D&C 11:21
     I also am making sure I read the lesson and scriptures for the next week's Sunday School and Relief Society lessons.  Plus I am still reading the Book of Mormon on my own.  This way I am not being stagnant. Pin It

Picnic in the Canyon

We went up the canyon Thursday for a picnic.  We were going to do a cook out, but with the fire danger, we decided just a picnic would be fun.
While we waited for cousins to arrive, I took a few pictures of random things.

crazy lookin yellow bug

Then the kids played with cousins before sitting down to eat.

They played and had a fun time afterward.

It was a great evening.

Not too hot, not too windy.

I love being outdoors.

And family makes it even better.

Miss K climbing down the hill. Don't ya love the shoes?!

Ragin' Reader's funny face

Misses A and K

The Little Misses D, S and E

Little Misses D and E "rock climbing" 

Shoes, who needs 'em?

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Gran's 75th Birthday

This year Gran turned 75.

We all traveled to Round Valley to celebrate with her.

It was so great to see family.

Many of whom I haven't seen in 10 years or more.

I can't believe how somethings have changed in the 10 years.

And then the things that haven't changed much at all.

 Gran with her sisters, Ailene and Thelma

 We and yummy pulled pork or sloppy joe sandwiches.

 All the children and their spouses/significant others.

 My mom and dad.

 It was Kout's birthday so we celebrated her as well.

 Miss D aka cupcake face.

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Growing Up!

All the children are growing up.

I have not been one to be sad about this fact.

I get so excited for new milestones.  I love them to walk.

I am so excited when they go to Sunbeams.

I am super happy for them to go to Kindergarten.

When Gorgeous Graduated graduated, I was ecstatic!

So the other day, when it was Cheerful Cheerleader's last day of school, I was so excited for her (she has one more year of HS).

Then it hit me, hard.

She only has one more year of HS.

Then the Little Misses will start Kindergarten the following fall.

Wahhh!!!

The beginning of the year when the Little Misses went to sunbeams, I was quite sad.  

I was excited for them.

But I was also sad.  

I'm not sure if I am feeling the approaching empty nest.

Or if with having one graduated, I am sensing the next faze coming.

Everyone said I will be sad when they leave home.

I will be sad to not step on legos or barbie shoes.

That it will be hard not having walls  with crayon on them.

I'm now sure that it is true.

Not that I didn't believe them.

I just could see it.

So here is one of the things the Little Misses are doing that prove they are big.

Pumping on the swing.
 

This is one of those things that make me happy.  Now that I don't have to push for hours and hours.  I use to do yard work and push in between.  The yard will get done so much faster without having to stop every couple of minutes. Pin It