Woman to Woman: Is it Really Family Night Out?

This installment's topic: "Is it really a family night out?" in which you may share your views regarding children under age 5 attending formal events (such as funerals, concerts, weddings, even church services). We hope that those of you who have "tried and true" tips and tricks up your sleeve will share those as well.

No one wants their child to be the one that is screaming and that you have to drag out of the room. Or disturbing people at a peaceful dinner, or while they are listening to a concert, attending a funeral, or wedding. As I talked about yesterday, no one wants to be judged for the way their children behave. Easy way to avoid that, don't take them. BUT.. is that how we want to live our life? My kids are both 5 and under.. so I am 100% in this stage of life right now.

When my son was 5 months old we took him to the movies for the first time. He was quiet he nursed, and slept. We took him for about 5 more months, he would eat popcorn, or cheerios and silently sit there. Then we tried another movie, and about 20 minutes into it, we left. He was being noisy and did not want to sit, and we didn't want to ruin it for everyone, we decided either a babysitter would be good, or we would wait to rent it.. or even buy it for the same price as attending the theater.

I have taken my kids to funerals. Just recently Little Miss went with me to a friend's funeral, we were traveling a great distance and I didn't have anywhere for her to go. I took color crayons and a coloring book, and thankfully she was reverent and sat there quietly enjoying her crayons. It helped that the funeral was short. Also many loved ones of my friends, her sibling brought their young children. I didn't take Little Man, the two together I would have been out numbered and it would have ended in chaos. Funerals are not something I like to take my children to, they are sad, and my children do not fully comprehend what is going on, and I don't want that taken away from them yet. I try whenever possible when I am attending a funeral to find a place where my kids can go, so those that mourn can mourn in peace without the screeching of children.

Church, being LDS our children go to Church and are expected to sit through a 70 minutes Sacrament Meeting, and once they are 18 months they go to nursery, but until then they go to Sunday School with us, and to Relief Society. Some days at Church it is a GREAT CHALLENGE. I have had many days wondering what is the purpose when I am out in the hall trying to calm a child who is screeching and tired, and will not give up. But then you see your child reverently fold their arms, and pray. They ask about Jesus, and what to know more about their Heavenly Father. And even though it is work it is worth it. We have a Church Bag. It has greatly blessed our lives. I go to Wal-Mart and get the cheap little toys for under $2, and a new coloring book and crayons, and they get them only at Church after the Sacrament has been passed. Every six months I go and restock it so they do not get bored with what is in there. They don't get them any other time except at Church. It helps them greatly. Are they perfect, no. There have been several embarrassing moments, but thankfully we have all been there.

We on occasion will take our kids to restaurants for dinner. A while ago we went to Red Lobster, we took our two kids and told them where we were going and talked about behavior. I was sure it wasn't being listened to, but I prayed it was. Our kids were angels that night. Now before you think I have angel kids who behave perfectly everywhere, or that I am this magnificent parent, I assure you, neither is true. I have found when we are taking them to dinner that night, feed them a sandwich at noon, and nothing until dinner. It is best if you go to dinner by 5:00 though. And I am not talking little, little kids. Age three and up. My kids are always so hungry and ready for dinner they sit their quietly and enjoy their dinner until their plate is clean. We have done this several times, and like that day at Red Lobster, we were complimented on our well behaved children. No snacks, it is a magic trick. And I think only have two makes it much easier for us than those with larger families, I don't know how they do it.

Also, we are not above bribery. It works wonders. What kid doesn't want to get ice cream, or a yummy treat or a balloon? Everyone likes a reward. It always seems to work wonders for us.

There are many times that kids are better off home. I try to be considerate of others. But I also know that when it is just Randy and I out and we here kids shrieking that the parents are doing their best, and sometimes you just need to get out. Even if it means your kid will cry, or fits will be thrown. We all try to gain a little bit of sanity in our lives.. one way or another.

If you’d like to share your views on this topic add your name to the Mr. Linky here or here.

My Life Monday- My Personal Philosophy

How often do we see someone and judge them? Judge them by their looks, they way they behave, how they talk. I know I am guilty of this. Not something I am proud of either.

I was talking with a friend today, she is 36 weeks pregnant with her 3rd boy, and she had to make a trip to the Doctor last week with her almost 2 year old needing 20+ stitches on his eyebrow. She had one of THOSE days, you know the ones where your kids have colds, they aren't looking wonderful, and you haven't showered yet and have a variety of hodge podge clothes on. She rushed out the door wearing her husbands shoes that were too big so she could get her bleeding son to the Doctor. She was relating the problems and how some of her clothes were to small and she felt like she looked like some crazy crack momma. If you knew her, she is anything BUT that. She worried she was judged.

I have been the mother in the store with my children screaming that I am so mean, and they don't want me. Bawling on the floor, and I silently pick them up and carry them outside, trying hard to bite my tongue so my kids won't react even more. I have felt judged that I cannot control my kids. That I let them run wild without a care. That I am not a good mother.

No one wants to be judged, and I think in this world we are often quick to judge. I saw this story, which you should watch.. with a box of kleenex. Those I have judged are always different than I first thought they were. In this world, we so often are in a hurry. We are quick to assume, assume that people are not kind. That when things are said they are said out of spite, not out of love or concern. I often wonder what the world would be like if we took a step back and said maybe they are trying to show love and concern. They aren't trying to judge, to be hurtful. People aren't intentionally that mean are they? I think not. I think we as in everyone should look for the good. To the Child who is hurting, offer them help, love them. To the Mother with the screaming Children, smile, don't frown and glare. To the Mother who isn't put together, realize she sacrifices so much for her children. To person who speaks to you and leaves you feeling uncertain, believe in who they are, give them a chance.


I will try to be kinder, speaker softer, look for the good, and realize we are all trying on this long road. We are all growing, and learning. And we are all working to return to Him. He who loves us, and does not judge us.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name..

Remember Cheers? Okay, how could you not remember it? I love the theme song. I mean don't we all want to go where we belong? We have lived in 4 wards since we were married. The ward we are in now, is home. More than any other ward I have been in since I was married, now don't get me wrong, I have liked every ward, I have had great people I was friends with there. I have friends that are true wonderful friends, they are real, they are kind, and they make me feel like I matter and they care.

I have pneumonia right now, and I was picking up Little Man from pre-school today and one of the other Mom's offered to take both of my kids... (okay insisted) so I could get some rest. I was so grateful. I thought I might cry because I was so exhausted and just felt like crap, and the fact that she was so willing to help me out meant so much. Another friend has called and told me she is taking my kids for a few hours tomorrow. I am feeling very loved by my friends, and feel like the for the first time in years I really belong. It is home. It isn't that I haven't had friends, I am outgoing and make friends along the way always, but I have such a strong support group, I feel very blessed. The Cheers theme song seems to really be fitting for me. I feel like I am somewhere where everybody knows my name.

It is funny when we moved here almost a year ago I had certain areas I was looking at for a house, and this was not one of them. But I kept being drawn to this area. The Lord knew where I needed to be for me. To have the love and support of great women who like me for me. Where my husband has great friends, and my kids do too. I have great friends in all the places I have lived, people I cherish and love. But for the first time I finally feel like I am home.

My Life Monday- Embarrassing Moment

My Life Monday- My Most Embarrassing Moment. We all have moments of embarrassment. Some greater than others. I have thought about mine, and I am not really that sure of the most. I don't think anything has been that tragic, or maybe it is because I laugh it all off. I am thankful that my friend Emily's story wasn't mine though. I am not sure I would have come back to Church. I still think about it and giggle, thanks Em!

Do you remember Beck? I love Beck. They have a great sound, and my brother being so lucky back in the day 1996-97 era while at BYU got to go to a Beck concert. I was jealous. Very jealous. He got a cool shirt while he was at the concert and I coveted it. I was anxious for him to leave on his mission so I could add that shirt along with a few others to my wardrobe. I loved guys T-Shirts then.. what was I thinking?? He left and about two days later I wore the beloved Beck Shirt. Remember the song Where It's At!

Where its at!I got two turntables and a microphone..

That line specifically. Here is a picture of the shirt.. or at least one like it. It was pale blue, but whatever. Can you see the problem with this shirt? It looked great on my brother. I wore it to school.. I was 16 and thought I looked pretty good that day. After lunch I walked into English and my friend Jared looked at me and said hey did you know you left your headlights on? I looked confused undoubtedly, and said I didn't drive today I got a ride with a friend, but thanks. And he said nope, they are on. I figured he was just messing with me like always and trying to confuse me. I ignored him and he continued to tell me they were on and was I sure I didn't want to do anything about them. Confused I said Jared, I didn't drive! My headlights are not on, my car isn't here. No one even has a car like mine, I am not that dumb, but thanks. Being the great guy he said did you look in the mirror before you left today? I said umm... of course. Why wouldn't I look in the mirror? He asked did you notice anything? Umm.. not really, my hair looks good but whatever. I was naive.. what can I say. He then pointed out that my shirt looked like boobs, and was placed in an area that was strategically placed to draw attention. On a boy this looks fine, on a girl like me, not so much. It was May, it was warm, I didn't have a coat with me. I was embarrassed but laughed it off, what do you do? Needless to say that was the last time I wore that shirt. Every time I see it on my brother now I giggle.

A Sneak Peek

We painted, it looks great. We moved her furniture in, and I love it. The curtain hasn't been hung yet, and there are a few things that need to be done before you get to see the finished product, but you do get a sneak peek. Aren't you thrilled? I told you we painted it vivacious pink, and here is your sneak peek. The lovely pink that covers all of the walls in Little Miss' room. She loves it. I took a couple of pictures hoping to show what color it really is.. I think these two are the closest.. Actually more like the 2nd one.. not as dull as the first. Until it is finished more.. this is what you get!

Need to laugh?

I am blog plugging for my husband. Go visit Randy's blog, he has a funny video.. It had me laughing. And leave him a comment if you don't mind!


We painted a new bedroom for Little Miss last night. Pictures will come when it is all the way done, with furniture in it. Her old one was purple, she wants pink. The old one was small, this one is much bigger. Last night Randy and I painted the new one pink. And not just any pink, it is Vivacious Pink from the wonderful Sherwin Williams. The only place to buy paint! They know me when I go in. Always nice to be on a first name business with the paint store, they are more than willing to help me get the right color and have yet to steer me wrong. Little Miss is quite excited and hopefully this weekend things will come together and if I can get a few more things it will be complete.


Happy Friday!

Woman to Woman: In this skin...

27 is rapidly approaching. I don't want to get old. I still think I am 19, and newly married, not almost 27 and married almost eight years ago. My body looks nothing like it did eight years ago. It has changed, dramatically. Not only from giving birth to my two great children, my body has endured much since I said Yes to the man I love.

It began shortly after we were married, two weeks in fact, my lupus attacked my appendix, and they were taken out. It was the first surgery scar on my body. Little did I know what my future would hold. I look in the mirror and my body is no where near the same, there are tell tale signs of surgeries, and the scars that are covering me.

Each of them have a story, they have molded me to who I am. My body has fought to be here, it has fought to live. It has fought to breathe and to make it through some of the battles.

I have resented the stretch marks, that things are not what the once were. That things are not as tight, and after nursing two children I need to lift things more than ever. But recently I can look at it and say my children have greatly blessed my life. My scars all over my body have blessed my life greatly in many spiritual ways. I have learned and grown and have more compassion for others. I have prayed many times to feel comfortable in my own skin, and while I don't love everything I see all of the time, I do most of the time. It is a process... Something I blogged about the other day. I am slowly feeling like I like my body. When I take time to reflect on all my body this skin has done for me, and all it has went through I love it. I love how strong it is. The brute strength that was inherited from my Dad. I take pride in it. I am different than I was 8 years ago, but different is good.

I am a mother, a wife, a daughter of God. I do not have the perfect body for the world, but I have the perfect body for me. I can look at the scars the distortions and I remember many events in my life who shaped me to become the woman I am today. No longer the girl who I was when I was married, but a woman.

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For more Woman to Woman please visit the creators of this Seeds From My Garden, Morning Glory, and Lei of My Many Colored Days. Also feel free to join in!

My Life Monday-The me not many people know.

My Life Monday, the me not many people know. Thanks Rachelle, I think this is harder topic for me. I am pretty much an open book. I tell more than most people want to know. I am pretty much what you see is what you get.

I am a country girl at heart. I love the outdoors. I love animals and doing all of that stuff. I showed steers in FFA, and I loved it. I won Grand Champion in fitting and showing and first blue in Confirmation.Now it wasn't that I was great at showing, I was just kindly reminded by a great lady, Janice, to make sure I smiled at the judges and keep eye contact. I did and it worked. Not only did I get that, I also won Carcass Champion, awesome huh? Are you jealous? I won a HUGE belt buckle with it. Carcass Champion means that my dead steer hanging, his body was better than the others, more marbling, bigger rib eye, just all around better. I was proud, heck I still am.

I had horses as a kid, I sold them when my parents moved here 8 1/2 years ago. It broke my heart. I sold my mare Gypsy, and her son Jinx. I have only seen them once since I sold them, it rips my heart out to see them, I miss my horses, and I miss having the steers out in the field.

I miss country life. The open starry nights, the smell of fresh hay, which ironically I am severely allergic to. I am a true country girl at heart. I love going to the Fair every year and seeing all of the animals, I especially love seeing the cattle. I know all of the little grooming tricks to make the rump look bigger, and I love watching the grooming. I secretly wish it was me doing the grooming and the showing. It is hard work but it is fun.

Maybe you knew I was a country girl at heart.. maybe not. Given the chance and if I wasn't allergic to it all I would jump at the chance to be a real country girl again. But until then I will live happily in my suburban neighborhood. Enjoy that even though I don't have big farm animals, I have two great labs that my kids adore as much as I do, and even if my kids aren't learning to love the bigger animals they do have my love for the furry warm creatures.

Here are my girls.. since I haven't shared in about a year. Sage is 2 on Friday! And Izzy she turned 1 December 29th.

It's midnight, where do you want to be?

At home in your bed asleep right? That is where I prefer to be. Snoozing away and getting some much needed rest. Last night I went to bed early for me 10:30, I was quite proud and realized I would get close to nine hours of sleep. Jealous? Well don't be.

Shortly before midnight I hear this awful noise followed by I *gasp* can't *gasp* breathe. Nothing like those words to jolt me out of bed. Thankfully while I was sleeping Randy was in with Little Man. I go running in and he has a horrible bloody nose, (he gets them often, just like I did when I was a kid.) And he is wheezing horribley. It was awful. I could hear his chest just rattling and his cough sounded awful. I am asthmatic and he has never ever shown any sypmtoms of being asthmatic, but I was worried he was showing them now. After listening to him and trying to get the bleeding to stop I decided we needed to go to the ER, NOW! Randy got him loaded in the van and he stayed home with Little Miss while I drove like a bat out of ... a cave to the ER. I was flying down the road and figured if a police officer stopped me he could just rush him there himself. His breathing sounded so bad. And honestly I was feeling panicky.. I was trying not to, but it scared me. I know how awful it feels to not get enough air and it was breaking my heart. I didn't want to see my baby boy struggling. I was terrified he had asthma. Or that he was choking on the blood from his horrible bloody nose.

We got to the ER and I grabbed him and ran in and pushed the little doorbell button they have for people who are having chest pains or trouble breathing. I didn't even take time to read it until later I just pushed the button and was like someone help me now. He got checked and his 02 sats were at 88, not good. She listened to him and assured me it was very smart to bring him in. They had my sign him in and we were taken back to a room. Poor Little Man was so sad and his cough was getting worse. Thankfully the Dr came in quite soon. He came in and said Hi Momma, it sounds like a bad case of croup. I looked at him and I am sure I looked quite shocked but I said really, croup? He hasn't been sick at all, are you sure? He said the cough is the give away, but we need to do an X-Ray to make sure that is all. They gave him some oral-prednisone and then off to X-Ray. I could hear his breathing greatly improving. Prednisone while it is not my favorite drug sure works great. The X-Rays were good and it was in fact just a bad case of croup. After 2 hours at the ER we headed home with a little boy breathing easier and my heart beating less rapidly and offering many prayers of thanks.

Little Man woke up at 5AM, he ended up with about 6-7 hours of sleep as opposed to his normal 12. He is doing much better, and is currently napping. HALLELUAJAH! Cue the angels singing.

So What!

As I have previously admitted I watch the Tyra Show. I saw her show last week and it rocked. I am participating in her SO WHAT campaign, and I am challenging everyone to do it.
So here is my So What.

I weigh 160lbs, so what! I am not fat, I am not model thin but I am not fat. My stomach has so many stretch marks it is like a Shar-Pei, So What! I have two great kids to show for it!

I think there is so much pressure to look a certain way it will destroy us as women. We need to unite say So What! and embrace who we are. We are women, we are mothers we are daughters of God. It is huge for me to post my weight on here. Anyone who knows me knows that. I have issues with it. But I can eat whatever I want and stay at this weight, I have for most of 7 years minus the pregnancy times. It is time to get over it and say so what! I am freaking six foot tall. I don't have the stomach I once had, but I have something much better, the most precious kids in the world.

Join me in this! Leave your link, and post about what your So What is, I want to hear it!

Thankful

This week it seems I have heard of so many people having heartache. Loved ones dying, people falling ill. I attended the funeral yesterday of a childhood friend and her daughter. Tragic how quickly life is over. I heard of a death of five children in the Emmit, Idaho area. Heart breaking. There are so many more. With all of the sadness I am thankful. Thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for His eternal plan. Thankful for a Loving and Just Heavenly Father who created a plan for us to return to live with Him. Thankful for his peace and comfort He gives to us in times of sorrow. Thankful for the restoration of the gospel, and for the blessings of temples. Thankful for the sealing power. Thankful for all of my blessings I have in my life, my family, my health, all that we have. Thankful I am able to hug my children every night. Thankful for every second I have with them, and my husband. Thankful for life itself.