The aftermath

This is what it looks like after mom and four kids go outside in the snow. I should have taken a picture of the piles of stuff they just threw on the floor all over, except it was scattered from one end of the house to the other.

Of course we have to have hot chocolate everytime we go outside. Just like summer when we have to have a popsicle everytime we go outside.

I keep hearing reports that Salt Lake County has little or no snow, but I would just like to state for the record that we have about 6-8 inches of snow. Very heavy wet, snow.

At long last

Every time there is a snow flake outside my girls want to go sledding. One of the benefits of having a sloped yard is that they can just go in the front yard and sled. I've told them that when you can't see anymore grass, then you can go sledding. Well after yesterday's snow storm we finally had enough snow to go sledding.

Here are a few things I learned from yesterday's storm.

1. Whitney's school is at the base of a pretty large hill. I almost didn't make it out.

2. I bought snow boots for the wrong kid. I've been to several stores to find boots for Whitney. Turns out hers still fits her. Lindsey's on the other hand don't. Cassidy also needs gloves. Sure wish I would have figured all this out before I finished Christmas shopping. Now I have to rethink some presents.

3. When I bought snow pants a couple of years ago I should have bought neutral colors so that Grant could wear them. I don't think Aaron will let him outside in pink pants.

4. I forgot the joys of piling all of their stuff on for Lindsey to be outside for less than 5 minutes.

5. I love the snow. I really enjoy shoveling, unless it is really heavy. I love being outside after a snow storm. It is very quiet and peaceful.

Whitneyism

Whitney: "Mom, I cheated on my spelling test."
Mom: "What? Why did you cheat on your spelling test?"
Whitney: "I didn't mean to, it just happened."
Mom: "How did you cheat on your spelling test?"
Whitney: "I could see the answers."
Mom: "See the answers? Where they written on the chalkboard?"
Whitney: "No, I just closed my eyes and in my head I could see my paper with all the spelling words on it."
Mom - trying not to laugh: "Honey, that's not cheating. That is just remembering. You must have a photographic memory."

What to do when you worry to much

I am on the verge of tears tonight because of this book. It is seriously an answer to my prayers. I have been looking for a way to deal with Whitney's anxiety. To better understand her and what she is experiencing. Almost every day she has a headache or a stomach ache. She has panic attacks anytime anything new or a change happens. I have been praying to know how to help her.

I was looking for a book for Whitney for Christmas and came across this one. I decided to just check it out of the library instead. It finally came today and I read it with her. While I am reading this book it was like it was describing everything about Whitney. She kept saying, "It's like it knows that you are reading me this book." It even gave an example that said - "Pretend you are afraid of dogs and that you are going to go over to your friends house to play but you don't know if they have a dog." HELLO - we go through this exact scenario that it described every time we go to a friends house. It was incredible. There was nothing in there that she couldn't relate to. It gave her steps and ideas of what to do to deal with her "Worry Bullies." We are going to have "Worry Time" each day for 15 minutes. This is the only time that she can worry about things. One of us will set down with her uninterrupted and talk about what ever is worrying her. At first there will be a lot of things, but eventually the theory is that it will evolve into "Talk Time" because she doesn't have as many worries anymore.

The most exciting thing to me was her reaction to the book. You could see a sense of relief that this happens to other people and that there was a way to deal with it. To understand that her physical pains were being caused by worrying. (Even though I had told her that, it is easier to believe a book.) She is excited to try all of the things that it suggested. Time will tell how it works, but I have a really good feeling about it.

If you or your child is a worrier - please read this book. There are so many good suggestions that would work for adults as well as kids.

Carrots anyone?

Saturday we harvested our carrots from our garden. Crazy that it was the 6th of December and my kids are outside in short sleeves picking stuff out of the garden. I'm not really sure what to do with carrots. I had heard that carrots can over winter, which is why I hadn't harvested them yet. Let's think about it seriously though. Do you really think I am going to put on my boots and my coat and my gloves and go out to the garden dig in the frozen ground in the middle of the winter to get a carrot? No way. So we got them all out - now the problem is I have a ton of carrots and I don't know what to do with them. If anybody is in need of carrots, please let me know - I would love to give some away. Perhaps I will tie a bow around them and start handing them out as Christmas presents. Make up some cute poem about a snowman's nose and there you have it.

Lindsey picked this huge carrot shown above. She was so proud. And of course if you take one person's picture you have to take all of them. So Lindsey picked the carrot, but technically it was in Cassidy's garden. Whitney found a carrot that was made up of lots of carrots twisted together - kind of cool.

Seriously - if anyone knows how to store carrots for a long time, let me know.

An Attitude of Gratitude

I am so grateful that I decided to do these posts this month. We were discussing at church today all the blessings and benefits that come from showing gratitude and saying thank you to someone. The two simple words "Thank You" can be two of the most powerful words in the English language. Showing gratitude each day keeps you humble. Seeing the Lord's hand in your life each and everyday keeps pride away. It keeps you on the right path. I have enjoyed trying to think of something to write each day. I have enjoyed seeing all the many things that the Lord has blessed me with. It has made me happier each day. It has made my burden's light.

This month's posts are probably boring to most - but thanks anyway for reading them.

Rediscovering Christmas

My children are still young enough that they don't remember a lot from year to year. This creates a new and exciting adventure every time they rediscover something about Christmas. Seeing Santa at the end of the Thanksgiving Parade. Seeing Christmas lights. Putting up the Christmas tree - looking at each ornament like it was the first time that they have seen it. Driving down the streets and seeing decorations everywhere. Watching Christmas shows on TV. Pulling out their stockings. The retelling of the story of the birth of Jesus. Singing Christmas carols.

The joy and excitement that is seen on their faces and the laughter and happiness in their voices are somethings that I wish I could capture. I know that these moments aren't going to last. As they get older and remember from year to year it will lose it magic. I am just trying to enjoy these moments while I can.

Black Friday

I am grateful for my in-laws who watched our children for us so that Aaron and I could brave the crowds and go shopping. I don't enjoy crowds so much, but it is all part of the adventure. I don't think we will make a tradition of this, but it was nice to do it once.

Thanksgiving

I am grateful for the sacrifices and hardships that the pilgrams went through to come to America. I am grateful for the Indians that helped them to settle here and teach them. They both suffered much for our nation and for our freedoms which we enjoy today.

Whitney is thankful for . . .

Cassidy is thankful for . . .

Lindsey is thankful for . . .

• Kaylin
• Ashlyn
• My sisters
• Daddy
• Granty
• That I love Kiki
• Grass
• Bathtub
• I like eating ice cream

He's official

If you can believe it my little man is officially old enough to start attending nursery. With him not talking it really doesn't feel like he is big enough to be on his own. His teachers have a kid about that same age and they have been using signing, so what few signs he does know, at least they will understand.

We stopped by his class last week for the last 20 minutes to let him get used to it a little. We dropped him off today and he did pretty good. He only got to stay for about 40 minutes because I had to take Whitney home. She was supposedly not feeling well. She had wanted to go after Sacrament Meeting but I refused to take her. I haven't been to a full block of church in over a month. I let her come to my Sunday School class with me. Half way through I started feeling bad so I took her and Grant home. I could have stayed - she is fine.

I am thankful for his Nursery Teachers. They are very enthusiastic and seem like they really want to be there. Having been in nursery not that long ago, I know that is a diffucult job. In our ward they divide the kids up by age. Grant's class is basically about 6 kids 18-20 months old. That can't be easy.

Christmas Lights

We took advantage of the nice weather today and hung our christmas lights a little early. Of course we won't turn them on until after Thanksgiving - except to take a picture. Aaron hates hanging lights on the house. Hanging off the edge of a roof or at the top of a ladder that is extended beyond its limits is not his idea of a good time. I stopped asking him to put lights on our house a couple of years ago because I know he doesn't like it. This year he volunteered to do it without me even asking. It's kind of like pregnancy you forget the pain and think - oh it isn't that bad. I am going to enjoy the lights this year because I don't think he will be volunteering again next year. Today I am grateful that my husband hung lights on my house and didn't complain even though he hates doing it.

A new teacher

Today we received an email notifying us that Whitney will be getting a new teacher starting Monday. I'm not sure what the circumstances are behind her teacher leaving. While I feel for her teacher as a person and whatever she is going through right now, I can't help but think it is in the best interest of the students that this change occur. Whitney, however, is very sad, she doesn't like change. Today I am grateful for new possiblities and hope for the rest of the school year.

Friends

I am really grateful for so many great friends. There isn't anybody that I went to high school with that I have kept in touch with. Aaron and I have moved several times in our marriage. We were never really anywhere long enough to build friendships. This is the first time that I feel a part of something. The ward I live in is really amazing to me. There are so many great people around me. The service and sacrifice that people render make me want to be a better person. We are definitely putting roots down and it will be hard to ever get me to leave. My sister and sisters-in-law are great friends also. I love being with all of them. It is so nice to have so many people to talk to and to not feel alone. The fact that anybody actually reads my blog is fascinating to me also. I don't think there has ever been a time in my life that so many people cared. Thanks for reading and your comments, I really do appreciate it.

Become as little children

Matt. 18: 3 "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

Ever since Whitney has turned seven years old, I have noticed a change in her. She is - on her own - beginning the process of preparing for baptism. She has had several days where she comes home from church and is very somber and wants to read her scriptures. She is peaceful and asks lots of questions. She is very eager to bare her testimony, but she doesn't just want to go up there and say what everyone else is saying. She wants to write it down and have it be what she believes. We have had a couple of family home evenings to discuss testimonies and given her the opportunity to bare her testimony to our family. This last Monday night I had a migraine so I joined FHE late. I'm not exactly sure what Aaron was saying to the girls, but it was basically the plan of salvation. This concept was fascinating to Whitney. She had so many questions. She said the closing prayer and her prayer was so beautiful. I couldn't believe my ears that these words were coming out of my daughter's mouth. I wish I could remember exactly what she said, but it was a very sincere prayer, better than a lot of my prayers. She wants to have her room clean and her shelves organized so that her room can be a place that Jesus would want to be.

I am grateful that we have had Family Home Evenings in our home. It would have been so easy to give up because until now, I'm pretty sure that no one was listening. The structure that we are building with having FHE almost every week is what can lead up to great moments like this last Monday. It would have been so easy to not have FHE that night. Aaron didn't get home from work until 7pm. I, as mentioned, had a miagraine. When Aaron got home I went to bed and he said he would just throw something together for FHE. As I laid in my bed, I felt that I was missing out on something. I'm grateful that I went downstairs and joined them at the end so that I could be a part of it. We really can learn a lot from our children.

Ancestors

We are going to be talking about family history for our Activity Day tomorrow. Preparing information for this activity has helped me be grateful for my ancestors. They sacrificed a lot so that I could be were I am today. I need to get more involved in my family's history. I had to call my mom to get the names of my great grandparents. I am ashamed that I didn't already know that information. My mom should be ashamed as well, because she had to look up her own grandpa's name - who apparently has the same name as her father. :) Thanks for the laugh Mom.

Health

I am grateful that we are all healthy again. The kids are back at school !!!

The Lord's side

With so many attacks on the church right now I wanted to share a thought that Aaron's mom had shared with us a few weeks ago. I hope she doesn't mind.

"In the spring of 1976, then Elder Ezra Taft Benson presided at our Stake Conference in Bountiful. He warned that as the world continued on its course toward the Second Coming, evil would become more evil and righteousness would become more righteous. He said there would be a "great polarizing" throughout the world and a huge gulf would form between good and evil. There would come a time in these Last Days that “good and honorable people” could no longer stay in “gray areas” because they would be forced to take a stand on one side of that gulf or the other."

I've thought a lot about this. As I was thinking about what I am grateful for today, I was thinking about the Savior. I am so grateful for my testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ. I know that He lives. That He loves us. I know that the true church has been restored to the earth. I am grateful to be a member of His church. I am grateful that there is a prophet of God here on the earth to lead us in these last days. I am grateful that I can be on the Lord side.

Simplicity

This year we are starting something new. We have been wanting to simplify Christmas for some time now. My friend posted a little while ago about how her friend simplified Christmas. I showed it to Aaron and we were immediately sold. Each child receives 4 gifts on Christmas morning. Something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read. They still receive a gift from Santa Claus (in our family Santa always brings a game.) We will add that they still receive their PJ's on Christmas Eve.

Tonight Aaron and I went out on a "Heather needs a break" date. We went to Barnes and Noble and began the process of figuring out what we want to get our kids for Christmas. We looked around the kids book section for awhile trying to decide what books would be best for each child. Then we went over to the cafe and had some hot chocolate/scone/cookie and mapped out what we wanted to get for each category. I have to say - so far - I absolutely love this. Each gift is so much more thought out. We can spend more money on each gift as well because we aren't trying to spend on tons of presents. Hopefully this will eliminate a bunch of stuff that my kids never use.

We are going to have the kids do homemade gifts to each other. I am going to check out some kid craft books from the library and let them choose something to make to give to each sibling. Then plan a time when I can help them make them.

We are going to tell our kids about our new tradition after Thanksgiving. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

Stay at home mom

Being a stay at home mom is one of the most difficult jobs there is. You don't get to call in sick. You don't get any days off. It is a 24/7 job. The list of responsibilities are endless. The rewards are endless as well. One of the things that I am most grateful for is that my husband has a great job that allows me to stay at home with my kids. I can't imagine letting someone else take care of my sick kids.
Many moms really want to stay at home, but can't. Many moms can, but don't want to. There isn't any place I would rather be than here with my kids and I am so glad that I can.

Happy Birthday Aaron

I fully intented to write a post for my husband, but my children need a lot of attention right now. His sister wrote a great tribute to him so I am just going to link to that. If you have a moment, you can read it.

Amoxicillin

Day 18
As the doctor told me last night that Cassidy had strep, a small part of me wanted to cry, knowing that this was one more infectious disease that will be going through our family. A larger part of me was glad because it also provided some hope. Hope for my poor little girl that has been suffering so much. There is now something I can do to relieve the pain instead of just saying "I know you are sick, but I can't make it go away." When Whitney woke up this morning with no voice and a sore throat - waving her hands around in her own form of sign language that only she can understand. I can have hope that maybe her sickness will be shorter lived because we can treat her sooner. Well, I guess that depends on which one of our infectious diseases she has - croup or strep.
Amoxicillin (Penicillin) is one of the greatest discoveries in modern medicine. To just think of the countless number of people that have died from diseases that we can now simply drive up to a pharmacy and pay $4 to cure. We are so blessed to have something as simple as this, something that we often take for granted.

Happy Lindsey

Lindsey has been so happy the past several days. She is the bright spot in my days lately. It doesn't matter what is going on around her - crying, whining etc. She is happy, cheerful, full of smiles, eager to help me, entertains herself and Grant. Her imagination is in full bloom right now. It just makes me smile to see her and the things she says and comes up with. I would be a lot more grumpy right now if it weren't for her contagious smile and laugh.

Gratitude

I've decided that I am not being very positive lately. I'm way to focused on the negative things happening around me that I am becoming a big whiner head. I started my gratitude list a couple of days ago on my sidebar, but it is too hard to write just one sentence, so I am transposing it into posts. I am going to try and add a new post everyday for the rest of the month.

11/10 - Laura - I am copying her idea on the gratitude posts. I have enjoyed each day reading the things she is grateful for. It has helped me see how negative I've been and how much happier it makes you when you think of all the blessings that we have.

11/10 - My washer and dryer. I really hate doing laundry, but I couldn't live without my washer and dryer. I couldn't imagine doing 10 loads of laundry a week by hand. I think we would be wearing dirty clothes a lot.

11/11 - My husband and my father. These are two of the greatest men in my life. They both share the same birthday - Happy Birthday!

Cassidy #5

I can't believe my baby is already 5 years old. Time has really flown by. I would love to report that she had a wonderful day and that everything went perfectly, but alas, it was not so.

The night before her birthday I was just finishing frosting the last cupcake for her party when Cassidy wakes up crying. Aaron checks on her, 104 fever. We had to cancel her VIP day at preschool. Cancel her birthday party. Cancel going out to dinner as a family. It was a pretty miserable day for her. I even made her go to the doctor. I was worried she might have the flu and wanted to get Tamaflu to shorten the life of it- but it wasn't the flu. Luckily I had finished sewing her PJ's for her present so she had something to enjoy while she was in bed all day.

I finally had her birthday party yesterday. We've all been sick for the past couple of weeks, so it took a while to find a day when we weren't sick. I did something to my back before her party so I could barely walk. I was in so much pain I just bluffed my way through the party. (Thank goodness my Brother in law is a Physical Therapist and fixed it) I only forgot a few minor things like, having the kids sing Happy Birthday, serving the ice cream with the birthday donuts, taking pictures. I think the kids had fun despite my low energy. We made some fairy wings that they could wear. We painted fingernails with a touch of glitter. We played a cakewalk type game. They danced around like fairies with their new wings. Hopefully Cassidy had a little more fun on her birthday party day than she did on her actually birthday.

Do you notice anything different about Cassidy in these last two photos? On the way home from my brother's wedding last week, Cassidy broke her glasses. We replaced the frames so that we could keep the lenses. Aaron picked up the glasses on his way home from work Thursday night. Friday morning at preschool Cassidy breaks her brand new pair of glasses. It was all I could do to not be furious at her. There goes $60. I think we are going to try a different frame this time.

Finally I would just like to apologize to all the parents of the kids that came to our party yesterday, to all the people at church and to my family. Cassidy is sick again. We had to leave church early because she came down with a fever again. She seemed to be better after a nap so we went to my mom's for dinner to celebrate my dad and Aaron's birthday. She threw up all over my mom's floor. Luckily she made it to the tile and not on the carpet. I didn't have any medicine with me at my moms and her fever had come back. I was trying to get her is swallow half of a regular ibuprofen. She didn't like that. I crushed it up and put it into a spoon full of frosting, but she gagged and threw it all up. I would just like to say to Mary Poppins that a spoon full of sugar does not help the medicine go down. And sorry to everyone that we may have infected with our nasty bug.

My baby brother is married.

My brother Jeremy is 3 years younger than I am. My mom started working when he started school, so we would spend a lot of time together when we were off track and during the summers. One of our favorite game to play was boat. We would pretend the couch was the boat and the carpet was the water. (It is so funny to see my kids come up with the same game). There weren't a lot of girls on the street we grew up on, so I would play cops and robbers with Jeremy and all the boys on the street. Our yard was also nicely set up to be the baseball field. There were many evenings spent in our front yard. My dad always made sure that his girls didn't throw like girls. I also remember playing a game when it was starting to get dark outside. It was sort of a hide and seek game, but it had a little chant that had something to do with bears coming out. That is all I remember about it, but I remember playing it a lot.

Jeremy has always been such a great brother, we never really used to fight that much. I have my dad's memory - so maybe we did and I just don't remember it. Maybe that is a good thing, because when I look back at my childhood and memories with Jeremy I can only think of happy times. I remember sitting at numerous little league baseball and Jr. Jazz games. Watching him, and of course all the cute boys around. He returned the favor by having to come to all my choir concerts in Jr. High and High School. I do feel bad for making him always sit in the very back of our 4-runner. I have become so strict about seat belts now that I feel horrible that we let him sit back there. Of course, seat belts weren't stressed like they are now, but still, I am so grateful he was never injured by being back there.

Jeremy never reads my blog, so it is easier to say things, because he will probably never read this. I'm very proud of him. Seeing him in the temple getting married was a great moment. You know that he has made the right choices and done the right things to be at that place at that time. I am so happy that he was able to find someone to share his life with.

I just have to write down the funniest moment at their wedding luncheon. We were going around introducing ourselves. We get to my aunt Karla. I don't know how old she is now, but at least in her 70's. She gets all teary eyed and says "Jeremy, I just want you to know that your grandma and grandpa would be so proud . . . (looks at my dad and says, was he born yet? My dad nods yes) . . . would be so proud of you right now." Maybe you had to be there or know my aunt, but it was all I could do to restrain myself from busting out laughing. She was trying to pretend like she knew my brother, when in fact she didn't even know if he was alive when my grandparents were alive. Aaron agrees with me, it was funny.

Jeremy and Alicia are going to have a great life together. I am very excited to get to know the girl who finally won my brother's heart. I love you Jeremy.

Halloween

Here we have Hannah Montana, Belle, Pocohontas and Giraffe Man. Hope everyone had a great Halloween.

I couldn't resist taking a picture our giraffe in front of the zoo sign.

One of those nights . . .

Last night the Universe seemed to be against us. As I was going to bed at 12:30am last night Aaron said - "We are going to regret going to bed this late." That was an understatement.

• Cassidy comes in our room at 1:00am with a bad dream - I send her back to bed.
• 1:30am I wake up suddenly thinking I needed to go check my kids, I talk myself out of it for a while then finally just get up and check on them so I can go back to sleep. I must of been having a bad dream. They were fine.
• Somewhere in the 2:00 area Whitney comes upstairs and says her stomach hurts, tries to throw up, but can't and I get her back in bed with a bowl.
• Shortly after that Grant wakes up. I went in there a couple of times, but he eventually goes back to sleep.
• 3 or 4:00 Whitney comes back upstairs and starts throwing up. I hold her hair for a few minutes then Aaron takes over - he is in charge of throw up in the middle of the night. He gets her back in bed.
• 6:00 - Grant wakes up. There is no way I am getting up at this point, so we give he a cup of milk in his crib and go back to bed. Terrible I know but desperate times . . .
• He cries off and on for the next hour. I am too tired to get him out of bed and have him up for the morning. He eventually falls back to sleep.
• 7:00 Whitney's alarm goes off and she runs upstairs and throws up again. She then stays on the couch in our room watching TV.
• At some point the rest of them came up to and then we begin our day.

If you were to ask me this morning who my favorite child was - I would say Lindsey. What a good little girl to sleep all night long and not disturb her parents once. Bless her. So, now I have to rearrange my plans and stay home all day with a sick child. Good thing I don't have anything going on this week - oh wait - I have a crazy, busy week. I have Cassidy's birthday on Wednesday for which I have to create a VIP poster for her preschool, I have to figure out what to do for her birthday party - it is a Tinkerbell theme - any ideas? The new movie is coming out tomorrow, so that is going to be a large part of it. I just don't know how long the kids will want to watch a movie. I am sewing her some PJ's for her present. I have them cut out, but haven't started to sew yet. I still need to figure out what else to get her. We have Halloween on Friday. My brother is getting married on Saturday. I have preschool at my house on Monday - so I need to figure out what I am doing for that. I was supposed to go into Whitney's class this week and talk for 15 minutes about our family history. Luckily my mother-in-law is taking over that for me and going to her class (Thanks Jean!)

Last week was a horrible week. I think my stress level is at an all time high right now. Last Sunday morning started off with a phone call from my mom at 7:30am. I knew immediately something was wrong for my mom to be calling me so early. My mom took my dad to the American Fork ER the night before with chest pain. They took him from there by ambulance to the new hospital in Murray. There were no signs of damage at that point, but decided to do an angiogram on Monday to make sure. They found four blockages in his heart/arteries. Thank goodness for modern medicine that they were able to repair them right then. He spent last week recovering and is now back to work. Tuesday my friend Tamsen went to the hospital. I feel bad that I was already emotionally drained from being at the hospital for the past few days with my dad, so I wasn't much of a friend - I'm sorry I wasn't more helpful to you Tams - I'm glad that you are feeling a little better. I won't get into the rest of my week. Let's just say that on Wednesday my sister says to me - you aren't looking so good, maybe you need to start taking iron or something. That same day my friend stops me in the parking lot at Smith's and I guess I didn't convince her I was fine because she emailed me later wanting to know what was wrong. I must look really bad.

Anyway - I didn't mean to get into all this - my point was just going to be that I had a long night. I feel bad complaining because there are so many people with a lot of problems right now. Mine are very small in comparison. I will gladly keep my own trails for as much as others are suffering right now.

Will cast spells for Chocolate

We went last week to Gardner Village with our cousins. If you have never been during Halloween time you need to go. They have animated witches all over. The kids love it. They also have added a petting zoo and pony rides since I was there last.Here are a few (ok, it is more than a few) photos of the kids and their cousins enjoying the village and the witches.