My Mom

Celebrated her birthday yesterday. And rather than telling everyone her age like always.. I am keeping it mum. How many years has it taken me to do this? Yesterday I was going to blog about it all day. But I was sad.. and it would have been weepy, and depressing, so I didn't.

Today however I want to wish my Mom a wonderful day late Birthday. I did happen to speak to her several times.. but I like to wish her a wonderful day here too. This year is the first year in my life I wasn't there to wish her a Happy Birthday in person. It felt so very wrong. I was nostalgic for last year.. I knew last year I wouldn't live near her this year so we had a fun day. Last year we shopped. I bought her some new Mary Jane Crocs.. and then her sister sent her a pair the same color, so we exchanged the ones I bought her for gorgeous aqua instead of boring brown. Last year we ate lunch at Olive Garden. Last year we made the day as full as possible knowing it might be the last time for a while.

This year I waited for hours to call her. And when I did she didn't answer. Darn time difference. But my sweet sister called me back. We had a delightful conversation and then my Mom joined in and we were all able to wish her a wonderful day. My kids were thoroughly bummed that we weren't able to go to Grandma's on her 'Special Day'. So was I. But we enjoyed time together as our own little family. And we talked to her several times throughout the day. Wishing her as many birthday wishes as we could from 2200+ miles away.

I miss my Mom. It's not a secret to anyone. My Mom was who I called to go to the mall. To help me with my kids. To just hang out with. I relied on my Mom for more than just Mom stuff. She is my friend. And years of having her be my closest friend besides Randy, I miss just doing stuff with my Mom whenever. I still talk with her almost daily.. and often multiple times in a day. I talk to Randy most... and then her. I am counting down the days until I get to see her again. I think I miss my Mom more than anything else about moving. And I keep thinking it will get easier.. but I still get that pit from time to time... those moments I wonder what in the heck I am doing so far away.. but we have been so very blessed and it is okay. I just miss her. And it has been nearly four months since I have seen my Mom. That is the longest I have ever went. And I am ready to see her.

Some of the fantastic things about my Mom.

She is a fantastic violinist. She is playing in the symphony right now as I type.

She loves music, and taught me to love music. Especially classical.

She is the type of Mom every kid deserves to have. And one the type that I hope to be.

She has a strong testimony of prayer. And she taught that to me at an early age.

She believes in the Gospel with all her being. She lives it that way too.

She is kind and selfless. She came to take care of me for 18 days after my knee surgery.

She is the type of Grandma every Grandkid deserves. She plays on the floor with my kids, reads them stories, calls them all of the time, sends them little notes in the mail because they love mail so much, and wants to know every detail of their lives.

She is strong. We have all put her through so much with health stuff in my family, and she is strong, always strong and moving forward.

She makes the best cinnamon rolls ever. And thankfully I have her top secret recipe.

She is gorgeous. And I think that goes without even saying.. but she is gorgeous inside and out.

I am blessed to call her my Mother. I am blessed that I am her daughter.

I love you Mom. I wish I could be there. But for some reason my life is supposed to be here. Not there.

Be Kinder.. To Ourselves.

Today I am going to get on my soapbox. One that I haven't been on for a while here on this blog. I need to say it.. hear it.. believe it.. live it.

It seems like so often we as women.. (and some men) get caught up in what we look like and if we were thinner, stronger, cuter, and so it goes we would be happier, our life would be better.. we would be wonderful. But guess what? We already are.

I have been reading different books lately, pondering, thinking. I hate our media. Hate it. I hate how women feel like if they don't look like the airbrushed women in magazines they aren't skinny enough, pretty enough, blah, blah, blah. And I am not excluding myself from this list of women who feels like this. And I often think why? Why do I do this? Why do wonderful women I know do this? It doesn't make sense. I look at women I know and see beautiful wonderful women. I don't see them and think oh.. you would be so cute if you were only five pounds thinner. Or if you could firm up more you would be perfect. I don't care what they look like. I care who they are. And who they believe they are.

I think we have these unrealistic expectations for ourselves.. and even others. Is that fair to us? To anyone around us? To our children? To our spouse? I don't think so. It doesn't teach them to love themselves. It teaches them to be critical of themselves. And my body, it is a gift. A most sacred gift from my Heavenly Father. Would I say such negative things about any other gift he has blessed me with? I certainly hope not. And how does a parent feel when their words and actions are being mimicked in their child.

I believe that Satan is doing his best to destroy the sacred blessing of womanhood. Destroying the blessings of Motherhood by making us feel like our bodies, the way we look isn't okay. That if we aren't the perfect size, with the perfect perky boobs, super flat non-stretch marked tummy that we aren't ok. But guess what? Heavenly Father made us each in his image. He didn't decide to make some of us funny looking so he could laugh at us. He is our loving Heavenly Father. He knew our bodies would change, but our bodies are beautiful. I wish that we could have the charity for ourselves to see ourselves as he sees us. He has blessed us with the ability to bear children. To create life. It comes at a "sacrifice" of the perfect body we had when we were teenagers. But wouldn't you rather have the imperfect body and be happy, rather than the perfect body and not have your children.

My friend Misty is one of the best examples of this that I know. She is beautiful inside and out. She gets serious stretchmarks from her babies, and she is still rockin' it. If I didn't have her I think I wouldn't get how very important this is. She is one of those people who just gets it. And I consider myself blessed to call her a dear friend. In fact one of my best friends. She believes she is awesome.. and her belief radiates and I truly believe she has charity for herself. She knows who she is. She knows the divine purpose of her body. And she sees it in every other woman she knows. She is one of my best examples of people I want to emulate. I want to have that type of self worth.

So today.. I am embracing my body. The stretchmarks.. the sagging. The 20-something body that is vastly different than it was ten years ago. But blessed many times over for all of the changes it has made. I will love my body for all it does for me. I will see my body as the gift and the blessing that it truly is. I will embrace my changes from pregnancy and wear them as a badge of honor for the gift of my wonderful children. They have enriched my life so greatly.

I am determined to be kinder with myself. Kinder with all around me. And I hope everyone can see no matter the shape or size we are all uniquely beautiful. Embrace your body. Go swim with your kids and don't worry about the crazy cover ups. Be proud of all your body can and does do.

Ready for Spring

I am so ready for Spring. I am ready for the sun to be shining. For the birds to be singing. For flowers to be blooming. For the grass to be green. I want Spring!!

I am getting ready for Spring. I ordered a ton of new plants from Spring Hill Nursery and they will come in about five to six weeks. Scott's lawn service just left after putting a nice treatment on my yard, it will be green and lush this year. And I am dreaming of sitting on my porch enjoying my yard while reading a book and drinking some lemonade. That is the life.

Unfortunately when you look at my yard it is currently a mess. The grass is horrible looking. But it should perk up soon. My flower beds have holes in them. I was asked last week if we had gofer's. Umm.. nope just really big labs. Currently I am looking for ways to stop them from digging in my flower beds. Love the dogs.. hate the digging. And the pee circles are enough to drive me batty. We heard tomato juice helps to balance their ph.. we are trying it. They get tomato juice everyday.

And hopefully in May my yard will start to look like what I am envisioning with beautiful flowers. A lush yard. And Spring will be on in full fledge. I am so ready for it.

The Baking Truth

I would love to be that Mom who bakes for her kids. The one who has fresh cookies in the cookie jar. The one who always has fresh treats for anyone who stops by. But the truth is every time I make cookies I decided to make a double batch. And every time I hate it. HATE IT. The dough is all sticky. I don't have cookie ball maker thingy. My hands are all gooey.. and it goes on for hours... and hours.. and hours. Blech. Sadly I am the Mom who buys the frozen dough already in nicely formed balls, and my children are thrilled when I 'make' cookies.

I am always envious of my friends who are the Mom's who can just whip up a batch of cookies like that and it is no problem. I am not like them. Not at all.

I have hope though that things might be turning around. The other day while at Beth's for Cub Scout's she had cookies for the kids. And I ate one.. and it was quite possibly the best chocolate chip cookie I had ever eaten. It was crisp. It was chewy. It wasn't flat. Or hard. It was good. I asked her for the recipe.. it was much better than any chocolate chip cookie that has come out of my kitchen.. from frozen dough or my own attempts. She kindly pulled the paper out of the trash.. thankfully it was on the very top and told me she got the recipe from Smitten Kitchen. I was thrilled and happily brought it home. And then quickly forgot about my desire to make these cookies.

This morning the kids and I were cleaning the house. And I saw the recipe. I told them if they worked hard I would make them cookies. And then I wondered why would I agree to do this after I had already scrubbed my kitchen.. but they worked hard.. and earned their reward. And so I began the cookie making process. And things went well. I didn't get flour everywhere like normal when I double my batch. (I think I am incapable of making a single batch of cookies.) And then it said to use either a 1/4 cup or 1 tablespoon to scoop the cookies, depending on the size. I never ever make big cookies. I am about how many I get to eat. I would rather have 3 small ones than one big one. Strange eh? I never use my measuring spoons, I have tried before, but they are always sticky, messy and I am cursing the spoon amongst other things. It is not a pleasant time at my house. But today I figured I should try the spoon. And it worked. The dough fell right out in a nice round ball. They looked perfect. I keep scooping and it kept working. And my heart was light. My attitude had changed. This was fun. Could making cookies really be this great? Even a double batch has been fun. And I wonder is this what it is normally like? Maybe my kids will get cookies more often? I am sure they would like that.

And thanks to this recipe and Beth for showing me the light my family now has a full cookie jar with over five dozen delicious cookies with the best chocolate chips I can find. The carmel chocolate swirls by Nestle. I was proud I didn't just eat a bag of them like normal I made them into cookies. And maybe now I will make cookies more than four times a year.

We Surround Them!

I am so excited for THIS tonight. I know I have been more politically minded on my blog lately.. and also with those I talk to. But I feel the need to be even more aware of things that are going on and to be up to date on all of the current events. Especially when it comes to my freedoms, the Constitution. And this Country that I love. I believe our Founding Father's were truly inspired by God to organize this country in a way that would allow men and women freedoms and liberties. And that the government was there to work for us, not us work for them.

Tonight I will watch Glenn Beck. I believe in these 9 Principles.

1. America is good.
2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.
3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

And I believe in these 12 Values
Honesty
Reverence
Hope
Thrift
Humility
Charity
Sincerity
Moderation
Hard Work
Courage
Personal Responsibility
Gratitude

If you believe these things please tune into Glenn Beck. He is on Fox News today 5:00 Eastern Time. If you aren't home TiVo it. Tell those you know. And if you don't have it call one of your friends that does.

And I can't promise I won't have more to say about politics. I believe in our Country. And I believe no matter what party you are part of we all want a nation with better values and morals.

Shh... it's a secret

A BIG secret! And I don't know who is going to be more excited me.. or my children. We are going to go to Church on a beautiful Sunday in May, come home, eat lunch, and then jet off to Orlando for a week. And we aren't telling them any of the details. We will pack their stuff and be as discreet as possible. And then we will be off for a week of fun and family time in Disney World. We are excited and I cannot wait for their reactions when they realize we are going to spend a whole week at the happiest place on earth. As long as no one spills the beans my dream for last 4 years will happen. I can't wait! And even better we get to meet my fantastic brother and his family there for one day.

Tornado Watch 2009 #1

Today I was looking at the weather forecast like I always do, and it said there was a possible tornado today. Exciting huh? I casually mentioned it to Randy, and scoffed at the idea, we aren't getting a tornado today. My kids overheard our conversation and are now on tornado watch, and that is the ONLY thing they can talk about.

Things they have said or done.

They are currently running around with umbrellas at the current moment waiting for the breeze to pick up so they can fly away with the tornado.

Each child is now in charge of watching one door to see if it is coming. (Obviously we only have two doors that go directly outside. Good thing.. we don't have enough kids.)

Any slight change in breeze they are sure a tornado is coming.. or as Little Miss says the Twister is coming.

Little Man really wants to see a tornado. But he doesn't want it to blow away our home. We would lose all of our money then.

Little Man has been explaining to me that "it takes a little while to Breeze up in Indiana. Once it breezes up we will get a tornado. But if there is a tornado our house will fly off the ground and be spinning, and we will be in a new place where we don't know anyone."

The kids are anxiously awaiting the tornado.. and want to see it.

Little Miss is sure that we could move back by Grandma if the twister came.

Little Man is currently leaving a message on Grandma and Grandpa's answering machine that will probably alarm them. This is what they will hear. "Hello Grandma and Grandpa. It's me, Little Man. We have a chance of getting a tornado.. I am sure we will. But I said a prayer that we wouldn't. But I am pretty scared we are going to get one. And if we do it will scare me. Okay. Bye." Awesome message to get when you get home from Church. He knows how to guarantee a call back from them today. (Smart boy.)

We have tried to explain that we aren't going to have one today. The sirens aren't on. We aren't on a watch.. we just happened to see there was a chance of a tornado today. But I am sure this won't be the end of Tornado Watch 2009.

Real Quick

A little promo on my photography. If you are thinking of booking a session act fast. My big package, the one everyone wants is on sale for the next ten clients that book only. Instead of $500, the next ten people will get it for half off. Tell your friends. Email me at photographybyleeann@gmail.com and book your session today.

And now back to your regularly scheduled day.

Best Buds

Lately my kids have decided that they want to get along better. This makes me happy. Them happy. Randy happy. It is good all around. It isn't that they get along poorly, but better is nice.

Little Man wants to help Little Miss in the night when she has a bad dream. He has offered up his room for a place for her to come to for comfort. More than once I have found her snuggled up in his bed happy as a clam. And he is loving that she needs his protection, and takes his job quite seriously.

Little Miss and Little Man have been trying to quit hitting each other. This makes me happy. I know some parents don't have children that hit each other at age 7 and 5 that hit each other, but let's keep it real. Mine do. Such is life. Once they can go a whole month without hitting they each get a really cool kite. Some days they are fantastic at this. Other days.. well, let's just say Randy and I might be flying the cool kites all by ourselves.

While driving the other day they were deeply involved in conversation, and when I went to add I was informed that Little Miss was not talking to me. She was talking to her Big Brother. I remember things like this with my brother. And those memories still make me smile.

Little Miss had a girl on the bus who wasn't being very nice to her. Little Man was quite upset when he found out and promised her over and over he would take care of it. And he did. He immediately informed the bus driver that his sister was not being treated kindly, and she needed to be moved. She could even sit by him, that would be just fine. Little was promptly moved, but sitting with another sweet girl. Little Man is okay with that, but informs me he is keeping an eye on her.

These two each day are becoming closer. Becoming better friends. And each day my heart swells a little more. How did I get so lucky?

Create

I loved President Uchtdorf's talk when I heard it. And today watching this. Listening to this, I love this more. I am a Mom that struggles with my balance. I want to do everything I can to play with my kids, to be the Mom they remember and love and want to be like. I want to be the Mom that plays with her kids. Makes fun treats. Takes time to listen to them.

I also want to be the Mom who creates beautiful images. Who paints pictures. Who embraces the arts that I love. Balance is hard for me. I struggle to keep a proper balance of my creations, and being the Mom I want to be. This simple video reminds me that it is okay to create. My photography is a gift from my Heavenly Father and it is a talent that I can embrace and do. As I create I teach my kids also.

I am often one who says I am not crafty. I don't feel creative. But when I look at things like art, I love art in all aspects. But I love to create art above all us. And I love to sew. I love to make fun new foods. I realize I do like to create. And my children are my best creation to date. President's Uchtdorf's simple message is one that helps me to remember it is okay. My creations are part of who I am. And balancing along the way. I do my best.

Me Vs. The Scale

I have a love hate relationship with the scale. Mostly I hate it. I have this NUMBER. This magic number that I think I should weigh. Do I weigh it? No. Have I weighed it in years? No.

Randy recently said to me that my relationship with the scale determines my day I am going to have. I scoffed at that this. Whatever Randy. I am so not that worried about it. And then I started to watch myself. And as the numbers went lower I was more excited. I walked with an extra spring in my step. My hard work was paying off. And soon I would be at my magic number. It was going to happen. And then one evening I weighed and was excited at how low my number was, and was even more excited that tomorrow I would be much lighter. I called Randy in to show him and I stepped on the scale and it went up nearly 5lbs in that instant.

I pondered how did this happen? I didn't magically gain all of this weight in one minute. It wasn't possible. The next morning it stayed true to the almost 5lb weight gain. And guess what my mood was like? I was irritated. I was upset that my hard work was gone in an instant. The numbers were higher and I was not within pounds of my goal. The scale had robbed me of my hard work. Randy found he was nearly five pounds heavier also.. hmpf.. at least it wasn't just me. I pondered had my scale just been going lower and lower as an error? Was I in fact not changing my body with all of my hard work? What was I doing wrong? How did this happen? And what was I going to do about it.

Darn Randy and him being right. I thought on this more. And I know in 1 minute I didn't go up five pounds. I know that. But darn if it didn't drive me crazy. I started a new workout regimen nearly 4 weeks ago. And when I started I decided I was going to take weekly pictures of me in my swimsuit. And finally this week after my scale battle I pulled them off of my card and looked at them. And to my surprise the difference from the first day, until the end of week 3 was quite noticeable. Things were tighter. Things weren't as squishy. I didn't sag as much. The dimples were less, and my body looks like I do in fact weigh what it said I weighed and then reneged on. And I keep reminding myself and looking at the pictures it doesn't matter what the scale says. It doesn't. Because pictures don't lie. I am smaller than I was. I am less squishy than I have been. I have muscle in places I wasn't sure I could have muscle in anymore. And I am in better shape.

I still have my scale. But I think it is a liar. I will continue to keep taking my weekly pictures to see progress. Seeing progress motivates me to try harder. And today I am determined to let the scale rule me less. To have a better outlook. To see my body in a healthier better way. Instead of seeing my flaws, look for the good. Sadly lately I have only seen the things I do not like about my body. And I don't like that. This is one of my struggles in life. To see my body and be okay with it. Sometimes I do better. Sometimes I do worse. Today I am recommitting to do better, to have a better out look. For me. For my Daughter. For my Son. For my Husband. For my Heavenly Father.

And with that I am issuing a challenge blog about one of your battles. Link a comment back here for others to see. Our challenges we face whether big or small make us who we are. They change how we see others, how we see ourselves, how we view the world. Today I am determined to only say nice things about myself. Because if I don't like me, who will?

More Good News

In 5 weeks from tomorrow my kids and I will board an airplane. And we will fly across the country, home to Washington for eight wonderful days. We are excited to go home. To see our family. To see our friends. And just be home.

While we are home I will take a few photo shoots. I will be there March 31-April 8. If you are interested in a shoot either leave a comment, or send me a email and you can get all of the info on my Special for you.

I am anxious to come home. We are counting down the days.

Happy Monday.

Thankful

Today I am thankful. Thankful for prayers, love, concern, kindness, and all of our wonderful friends and family who support us.

Today we still have a job. We made it through, and life will continue on, and we are very thankful.

Today

I am feeling hopeful. Our date for the job announcement has been moved to Monday. 9:45AM EST to be exact. And since I like to be more correct I have to put it to the exact time. We will be waiting by the phone for the call to find out if we still have a job. Three days to go. I can do this.

I am feeling happy. It is Friday. It has been a great week, and I am excited for the weekend. We are puppy-sitting a little beagle. The kids are thrilled. We are going to a gymnastics competition to watch the great gymnasts. (Not our gymnast.)

I am feeling strong. I have been doing a great Jillin Michaels workout for nearly three weeks and I feel great. I am stronger, and I am enjoying my workouts.

I am feeling the need to buck up. I too often get caught up in what is wrong with me.. my body.. blah blah blah. It's stupid. And I am committing to do better. For me. For Randy. For Little Man, and Little Miss. I can do this.

And lastly I am feeling hungry. I am celebrating a friends birthday tonight with delicious ice cream cupcakes from Coldstone. I am anticipating eating said goodness.

Happy Friday.

My Valentine

A few reasons why I love my Valentine:

1. He makes me laugh.
2. He loves me.
3. He makes me feel better about myself everyday.
4. He is my best friend.
5. He is every bit as good as he thinks he is. (And that's pretty good, just ask him.)
6. He puts up with my craziness.
7. He completes me.
8. He is my best friend.
9. He works hard to support us.
10. He chose me.

Happy Valentine's Day. I love you more each day.

Ready for the Party

Today my kids had their Valentine's Parties at school. They were thrilled. I didn't catch a picture of the two of them together, but I did happen to get them individually. The kids each had clothes picked out for today making sure they were wearing at least some red.

The parties were awesome. They received several Valentine's. And Little Man even received some from friends and family from around the nation. Thanks to all who participated in his surprise. He loved it. He even got a Valentine from his best buddy from Kindergarten back in Washington. Little Miss was most excited about her outfit. Red and pink. Her favorite colors. Hearts. Her favorite shape. Sparkles. Her everyday necessity. She helped to choose her clothes, and I was more than happy to oblige.

The kids are anxiously awaiting tomorrow hoping that Mom and Dad shower them with Valentine's. Maybe they will get delicious pancakes in heart shapes, or at least tinted pink. Maybe. And really the purpose behind this post. To show my kids. Because I don't do it enough.

First 5

So I got this from my friend's blog, I think it's such a great idea and can't wait to do it.
{Lucky you!}

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you.
This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2- What I create will be just for you.
3- It'll be done this year.
4- You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be photography or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may sew or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!}

Kentucky

I live close to Kentucky. I still find that funny and weird. All at the same time. Last week we wanted to go the temple. And we decided we would take the kids with us and trade off. Thankfully Saturday proved to be a warm day. And I brought my camera with us. My kids were excited to go on their first trip to Kentucky. Little Miss has been telling people we went to California.. (I wish.)

To pass the time I brought my camera, and my kids were terrific sports and we had a photo shoot around the temple. We took over 500 pictures. Kind of insane. And I didn't take one of just the temple. I pulled out my 85mm lens, and that baby produces the best images. I love my prime lenses and really should pull them out more often. This lens always leaves me drooling.

We made the kids dress up. Here is Little Man. He is in desperate need of a haircut, but we just don't seem to fit that in lately. Hopefully we will soon.

And a quick shot of Little Miss. I love how sweet she looks. Little Man wanted to be the photographer. And being the AWESOME mom that I am gave it to him. I love this picture he captured of Little Miss and me. And I was brave and even gave Little Miss a chance to take a few of Little Man and I. Well.. they are blurry. And crazy. We need to practice a little bit more with a lighter, more manageable camera.
We finished our day off downtown Louisville at the Hardrock Cafe. My kids could barely sit still. They wanted to rock out and show off their mad air guitar skills. My kids baby. My kids. Do they get much better than this? I don't think so.

In 16 days..

We will know if we have a job. Isn't that delightful. I have been on this countdown forever. Knowing that the New Commercial Model would be rolling out. Knowing that Merck was doing a much needed layoff with reps, and having less reps out there. It needs to happen. In fact Randy has said this about the Pharma industry forever, just as long as he is part of it. So in 16 days we find out if we are in fact part of the "New Commercial Model" (we better be.) Not like I am counting down or anything.

Today I am feeling very optimistic. Randy is among the top reps in the nation. He is rocking his numbers. And really he is pretty darn awesome at his job. We are anxious for February to be over. Very anxious.

And my poor friends have had to hear me whine and worry for the last several weeks.. months.. forever as we have been anticipating this day. They are true saints for listening to me. I haven't been the most pleasant. I think every other sentence is :"we can do...... if we still have a job." Sounds super fun to be around right? Not at all. I promise I will be a more enjoyable person. Really. I will.

31

Today my big brother turned 31. And I doubt he will ever read this, but I miss him today. I miss living next to him. I miss hanging out with him. I just miss my brother.

Growing up he was my best friend. I was not always his best friend.

I wanted to be just like him.

I always wanted to kiss his friends.

He taught me how to play basketball.

He taught me to not be afraid of the ball.

He taught me to pitch a baseball as good as any boy.

He pushed my big wheel up the big hill.

He always kept me in line. I am the loud obnoxious one. He is the quiet conservative one.

He didn't get mad at me when I ran him over on the tube and he got a concussion.

He didn't hit me with a stick when he was given the opportunity. Or a belt either.

He let me be part of the secret club. And let me in on where all the booby traps were.

He let me tag along with his friends and him.

He stuck up for me.

He calls me just to say Hi sometimes.

I cried my eyes out when he went on his mission.

I want my daughter to have the same relationship with her brother, that I had with mine.

He married a great girl. (I got a great sister.)

His little family is perfect.

We lived by each other for the first time in ten years for two year. It was the best. Now I live way far away from him.

He is the type of brother every sister should have.

I miss him.

I wish I was there to say Happy Birthday.

But instead I called him. And called him. And called him. Because I miss him that much.

And I left a message on his facebook page.

And I thought about writing a card. But I didn't. But he doesn't care, he knows I love him anyway.

Happy Birthday Bro. I hope your day is wonderful. I hope you get all your birthday wishes. And I hope I get to see you soon. Love your sister who still thinks you are pretty RAD.

Contemplating

If you don't want to hear me be all right winged, and political go now. Run far far away.

I like Glenn Beck. I like his radio show. But I LOVE his TV show. I find it to be so interesting, informative, and it makes me laugh. And contemplate. I watched tonight's show, after watching President Obama's speech tonight. I was grateful to hear what Glenn Beck had to say.

I worry that our country which is heading towards a socialist nation will go even farther and become a communist nation. I worry about what my children are being taught in school. I worry about these stupid bailouts. I believe the companies should be allowed to fail. If the government keeps bailing them out they will not learn, and the government gets more and more control of our nation. I worry about where our future is headed. I worry about the world my children are growing up in.

I don't believe in the SCHIPS bill that was signed today. I do not believe it will help our country. Health Insurance is not a right. We are not entitled to it. It is a benefit. I do not believe that allowing states to allow illegal aliens health insurance is the right route. I do not believe that taxing cigarettes up the ying yang is the way to pay for this. And I do not support smoking. I do not believe that children should qualify as people under thirty. If that was right since I am under thirty I could get this. I am a grown up. I have children of my own. I have a home, I can do things. This isn't the government's responsibility. Not at all. It is mine.

I feel like the drive to do better, work harder is gone. Why don't we all just go sit on the system? What are we teaching people if we keep giving more and more handouts. I believe these programs are there for a purpose. They are there to help, to provide relief when it is needed. They are not there to sustain people forever.

I get so irritated back home everyday at the park they served free lunches through the school district. My tax dollars hard at work. How is that even right? The kids aren't in school in the summer. And can't people feed their own families? Or do we need to rely on the government for that too? What happened to being self-reliant? To being a capitalist nation.

I believe in the America our Father's founded. I believe in being God-Fearing people. I believe in our Constitution. And if you believe these things send a picture of yourself to wesurroundthem@gmail.com and Glenn Beck is going to put pictures up of those who believe these things.

And lastly I know not everyone who reads this will agree with me. That is fine. I still like you. And the great thing is we are able to believe what we choose. And it is okay. I know people are down on their luck right now. And they need help. But it shouldn't be a way of life.

Last Year

I was holding my girl who was very sick. She had had her tonsils out and it was horrible for her. She lost seven pounds, which on her frame was a ton. She had trips back to the hospital and her speech was even worse than before. I remember thinking this is worth it right? Her speech will be better.. right?

And I am happy to say that her speech while still not perfect, is better. The "L" is not always clear, but she is making progress. And we are almost 100% on everything else. We still have the "R" and the "TH" to get down and then we will be all done. She has speech every week, but the improvements we have seen in the past year make last years month of hard times very worth it.

And this week she said Little perfect. My heart soared for her. A small accomplishment, but one we all cheered for. It is coming. Slowly, but surely.

And Yes I do have Little Man still. You will hear all about him soon.

One Year Ago

We found out we were moving. We had no idea where, but our lives were flipped upside down. We dropped everything in our life to go to the Temple that night, and we knew that it would be okay. We would move, and we would be blessed. The feelings from that day still feel fresh. The fear, the unknown, the worry. I felt like the rug was pulled out from underneath me. I had no idea what to do next, and we didn't tell people what was going on. And I wear my feelings out for everyone to show.. and I had many people wondering if I was okay. And I was, I was just scared of the unknown.

It began a month of prayers, of fasting, of waiting, of believing. And as we waited we were blessed. Randy flew all over the country interviewing for jobs in different parts of the country, and I was praying to go where was right, but if I got to choose Austin, Texas sounded great. We had looked at the job for Indianapolis many times and decided to throw it in the pile, all the while not giving it much thought, and constantly trying to pull it out of the running, but not being able to. So we waited. We had faith. And I about drove myself crazy with the waiting game. The adventure was exciting, but my heart was sad to leave family, friends, and Washington. It had always been my home.

Today I look back at the year we had. The year of taking a leap of faith. Believing our Heavenly Father had a great plan for us. Believing it would be okay. Adjusting to Eastern Time Zone (which I still hate.) Adjusting to living over 2000 miles away from family. Living in Indiana has brought us many blessings. More than I ever would have imagined. We have wonderful friends here that I couldn't imagine not having in my life. We have neighbors that are among the best in the world. We have grown as a family, and Randy and I as a couple.

And I continue my mantra, I can do hard things. Because this year was hard on so many levels. But I did it. I have lived in Indiana for over nine months now. I have not been back to Washington in seven. I have lived without seeing family weekly, if not more often. And I am not crying or hurting from missing them. I did cry a lot that first month. I missed my home so much it hurt. I would lay in bed at night just wishing I was home. Wishing I could change the past, and feeling hopeless. And after one month I decided I couldn't do anything about it. I was here to stay so I better figure out how to deal. And nine months later I am here. And I am trying to make sure I am finding the joy in the journey. I don't know how long we will be here, but I need to enjoy it. For me, for my husband, for my children.

And on a completely different note if you haven't checked out my website recently you should. http://www.photographybyleeann.com/ I have a brand spankin' new logo, and it is awesome. And check out Kimber, she is the awesome graphic designer who did my Logo.

In Honor of my 3 Year Anniversary....

Three years ago I started blogging. And this is the most consistent journaling I have ever done in my life. And it is random, it is quirky, and it is me. It took me forever to tell people I blogged. And I still hesitate a little, and many of my close friends/family still don't know. Weird huh? It is like my alter ego, but not really. I just don't know how to be like, so want to read what I write on the Internet. And in honor of this being my Blogiversary I am sharing what I did this morning. (Really I just wanted to announce I have done this for three years, and I wanted to show off my kid. But whatever.)


Little Miss started gymnastics two weeks ago today. The first week she did quite well for her first time. Her cartwheels left her on her bum that first day, and even last week. But check out today, those legs are getting up there. Not perfect but definitely going in the right direction!

And I love Miss Kim, she helps her to do it right! And get her legs straight and then land it right. And Little Miss was thrilled to see these pictures so she can practice doing it PERFECT!

And one of the best parts about watching her is her huge smile that she has on all of the time. Even when waiting her turn. Do you see this form before doing a frontwards roll? Arms up, legs together. It makes me happy.

She is learning to do headstands. I love how hard she tries. (Personally they hurt my head, I have been doing all sorts of gymnastics stunts with her since she started. Trying to relive the glory days when I did gymnastics a very long time ago.) And with a little help from Miss Kim she has it. And she thinks they are fun to do! And isn't she the cutest gymnast ever?

Let it Snow!!!

Last night it snowed. And then it snowed some more. And then a little bit more. (Sadly it isn't snowing right now.) This is our home covered in snow. Our driveway all snowy. We never shovel the third bay that is the "sledding hill" which happens to be one of the biggest sledding hills in Indiana. (Thanks Jen for the first three pictures, I stole them from her facebook page.)

While the kids played us Moms worked. We shoveled driveways and laughed, and figured we were burning way more calories than we would have at the gym today, and doing it with friends even better! Have I mentioned how much I love my neighbors! I think I am blessed with some of the best neighbors anyone could ask for. And of all the things I don't love about Indiana, they make up for it. And we are on a slope.. I am on the lowest part of the slope. I didn't think I would be quite that tall. And check out all that snow we shoveled.

And Jen captured this picture of me being oh, so graceful. I went to sit on the huge mound of snow, and it succumbed to my weight and I fell but hey it was all fun right?

And I only took a few pictures. It was snowing part of the time. And I don't want my nice big cameras ruined. I mean I fell while trying to sit on snow. We all know I could easily break one my nice cameras, so they stayed inside. And I took out my old, old, old point and shoot, my first digital camera. And I snapped a few pictures, and quickly remembered why I want a newer better point and shoot. I really think it is a need.

Little Man was less than thrilled I was taking his picture. He started out in a bit of a funk.

Little Miss was digging all of the snow, and didn't mind that it was all over her face.

Little Man, still having a rough day. And I totally captured it, because that is what we do right? He was mad that his sister was sitting on the snow hill. It was going to be his snow fort. But whatever. My thoughts.. really it is snow. There are big snow hills all over from our shoveling, get over it kid. (But I didn't say that, I don't think I said much, I just took a picture.) Nice huh?

And Little Miss was dying for a few more, and her she is all bundled up and thrilled that we finally got the snow she has been praying for for days. Finally we had a snowstorm like I think Indiana should. And I am hoping we get another foot on top of the foot that came last night. Hopefully Little Miss will have her prayers answered again.

Not in Indiana

It's not secret that I love sugar. When I was a kid I loved to help my Mom make things if we were using brown sugar, I wanted to eat the hard clumps. (Okay I still do.) Pretty much if it is sweet it has my name on it. And thanks to a special treat from Beth, I am now wanting my favorite indulgence more than ever. And it's NOT IN INDIANA. For reals. It's not. And right now that is all I want. A delicious Blueberry Truffle from See's Candy. Rich butter cream with blueberries. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I really thought that See's was everywhere before we moved here. I mean it is only the greatest candy company ever. And I am not a die hard chocolate fan.. but their chocolate, theirs is a different story. See's you need to open a shop in Indiana. I promise I will visit it lots.

Dear Iron, I hate you.

I don't mind most of my household duties. It has to be done, and you just do it. But one I truly loathe is ironing. I love cute shirts that need to be ironed, but I do not like to iron said cute clothes. This may be why I buy clothes 90% of the time that aren't always what I think is the best style, it is what I can wear that I don't have to iron.

But you know what I loathe as much as ironing. Clothes that should be ironed, that aren't. I hate seeing people in unironed clothes that are all wrinkled crazy from the dryer. I won't wear them, which comes back to why I wear t-shirts 90% of the time. I hate seeing sleeves all wrinkled crazy, shirt collars that don't lay flat. Hems rolled up all wacky.

And I am grateful for the wonderful people at Nordstrom's who make Randy's Smart Care dress shirts, that look freshly pressed when pulled from the dryer. They are worth every penny.

Williams Sonoma

If you go here you can buy the lovely sprayer previously mentioned. And their dish towels and wash cloths are quite lovely too. Going into their store makes me want to go back more and more and spend all of Randy's hard earned money on things I don't really need. But I am a believer that going to the store is ten times better than online on any store.

A new love..

I am not the type of girl to love my kitchen stuff. I personally think if we didn't have to eat like would be so much easier, and we would have a lot more time to get the things done that I find much more entertaining. However I am currently in love with this. My Sister-In-Law had one at her house over Thanksgiving and my Mom and I both drooled over it. We wanted one. It is way nicer than using Pam or something of it's nature to spray your pans. It puts a mist of pure olive oil on my baking dishes or in my skillet, and I can add herbs to it to change the flavor. This gets like a million thumbs up in my book. I love this new kitchen toy.

5

5 minutes doesn't sound very long does it? In fact normally it doesn't feel to long. But today running on the treadmill 5 minutes was more like 5 hours. Yes I know I am whining about running 5 minutes straight. I know lots of people run way longer than that, but today 5 minutes=1/2 a mile=Jell-O legs=really hard, and really long. I am on week four of my running! YIPEE! And the positive of the day I didn't fall off when my legs felt like Jell-O. YAY ME!

December.. January..

It's still cold so really it doesn't matter that I am finally blogging Christmas Morning pictures in January right? I mean we have snow right now, so I can pretend we are celebrating our White Christmas that we didn't have this year now. I made the kids pose in front of the tree before we touched anything. This is the only full picture of the tree from this year.

And a close up just for good measure.And the family shot on self-timer. Randy had showered.. putting me to complete shame, but hey that is what it's all about right? Family and keeping it real. I had to jump in in a hurry so I could be part of the family.

Santa brought him his Radio Control Hummer. He still loves it!And the Littlest Pet Shop Gym. I am not sure if she could actually see it, or me but she smiled anyway. Gotta love the morning hair.And that is about the extent of the pictures I took on Christmas Day. The rest of the day I chilled out and enjoyed time with our little family, and with friends.

Things to be grateful for

I had a post written and published, and then I deleted it. It was sad and crappy. And I don't want to be sad and crappy. So I decided I should be grateful.

Today I am grateful for:

• Good friends who love me even when I am emotional, and are always there for me. And let me know it is okay to have a hard day.
• My kids happiness this morning before going to school, they were delightful.
• Randy working so hard to provide for us.
• All of my pictures through 2004 in an album.
• That is has been snowing ALL.DAY.LONG. Seriously does it get any better?
• My Dad and all he goes though.
• My Mom for all she handles so strongly.

Loser

I am a loser. In all my married life I have not had a real photo album. I have had a few small ones that hold 5-15 pictures. And I did a REALLY GHETTO scrapbook once. Today I finally broke down and bought photo albums. And I have pictures from the time Randy and I started dating until right before Little Miss was born now in an album. I am feeling quite proud of myself. For someone who loves pictures as much as me, you would think I would have albums all over, pictures hung all over but I don't. I am not that good at all of the details. And I am finally figuring our my resolutions for this year.
1. Don't have surgery.
2. Get all pictures in an album or frame.
3. Be better, do better. (That encompasses everything else.)

They're Back!

Last night I received the most delightful message on our answering machine. Little Man's shoes were returned. He was thrilled, my wallet is ecstatic, and my faith in people who go to the YMCA is back. And thankfully the shoes still look new. I have no idea what happened, we are just grateful to have his brand new shoes.

I'm sure they needed them more...

Friday we went to Dick's to buy Little Man some new shoes. He was in desperate need his New Balances that he loved were getting too small. We went to Dick's, (it happens to be one of his favorite stores) and he chose the shoes he wanted, these nice Adidas. They fit well. He was sure he could run faster in them, and they were on sale. I was happy, he was happy, we bought them in a whopping size 3. My kid totally has big feet, and he can thank my side of the family for that.

He wore them everywhere we went and was positively thrilled to have new shoes. And then Saturday Randy and I decided we needed to go get in another run this week. (That's right I started running this week! YAY ME!) The kids went into the YMCA child watch while we ran. They were excited to play, we were excited to work off all of the Holiday food we had been eating.

After our workout we went back to get the kids and Little Man discovered his shoes were gone. No where to be found. Randy I was irate. I was scouring everywhere sure that someone didn't walk off with my kids BRAND NEW shoes. Little Man was so sad, he hid them because he thought they were so cool and didn't want them to be stolen. And the YMCA lady was not-so-helpful. She finally promised to call everyone who was at the gym that day and see if by chance they took home our shoes. We found another pair of Adidas that had red stripes on them, but not the same shoes, and they looked like they had been ran over by a truck, dunked in mud, and chewed on by the dog. I have no idea if they were the shoes of the kid who took Little Man's shoes, but there was no mistaking. But seriously wouldn't you notice if your kid had on a brand new pair of shoes on that you didn't take them in? I would.

Tonight I am hoping that we get a call tomorrow telling us they have our shoes.. which I am not too hopeful on. Or that they really needed shoes and we are helping them out.

Lesson learned, by the cheapest most ghetto shoes you can find before going to the YMCA. Then when your kid has his shoes stolen it will be okay, because you paid $1. Don't take their new fancy kicks.

Tomorrow if we don't have them back I am going to do my job to stimulate the economy and go purchase yet another pair of shoes for my boy.

January 1st... January 2nd.

January 1st and January 2nd are special days to me. Not because it marks the New Year, or because of resolutions. (Remember I don't really do those.) They aren't because of your typical reasons.

January 1st is my Grandpa's birthday. This year marked 100 years since his birth. He passed away when I was pregnant with Little Man, June 23, 2001. I think of him on January 1st every year. I wonder if my Dad feels old knowing his Dad is now 100. I have reminisced about my Grandpa and some of my favorite memories.

My Grandpa was bald. Like maybe 100 hairs graced the sides of his head. He was bald and had a shiny head. He always loved my thick hair. Whenever I would go visit Grandpa he wanted to brush my hair, brush my hair, and brush it some more. He would blow it dry and ask if he could cut it off to glue on his head.

Grandpa fed my dog food when I was four, I ate it willingly. (I still remember this.)

Grandpa always gave us money to run to the candy store to get us all sugared up. It isn't my fault I love sugar so much, it is his. He started me out young.

Before leaving Grandpa's house we would get a handful of change, sometimes with silver dollars, and often it would add up to more than ten dollars, I always loved my handfuls of change.

Grandpa loved ice cream. He loved to dish us up our ice cream. If we had a cone and ate all of our ice cream out of it we could take it back and get a refill. This was one of my favorite rules at Grandpa's house. Grandpa loved ice cream so much that when I was in High School I watched him dish my ice cream up for me. He scooped it, and then licked the spoon before each scoop. I still giggle about this. Only Grandpa.

Grandpa had the longest prayers, and being the irreverent child I was I timed them a few times, they went over 6 minutes often. But Grandpa prayed for each of his children, their spouses, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He loved each of us so much.

Grandpa had a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He did his best and served the Lord until he passed away. He devoted his life to God.

Grandpa loved to garden. He always had beautiful flowers, and the best garden in town. The year he passed away he killed his front yard with round-up. He had ordered 1000 Gladiola's to be planted in his yard. My Dad went to his house and tilled the ground and planted them all. Sadly Grandpa passed away before they bloomed. But the Church had flowers from Grandpa's yard all summer long until they sold his home. Grandpa's flowers were always the biggest and the prettiest.

And Grandpa loved Grandma. And it broke his heart when she died. He missed his sweetheart everyday.

January 2nd was my Grandma's birthday. And she too would have been 100 this year. I love that their birthday are just one day apart at the beginning of the year. It couldn't have been more fitting.

Grandma was an amazing woman who was driven and worked hard.

Grandma could give the look over the glasses when you were being naughty that stopped you in your tracks. My Dad does it now. But now I almost giggle, because I see Grandma.

Grandma would eat anything that we made her, good or bad. And she would say on those dishes that weren't quite so wonderful Mmmm.. this is extra good.

Grandma crocheted blankets for all of her Grandchildren for their wedding day. She had an amazing talent and could make the most elaborate afghans, I think I have the best one she ever made. But I don't tell my cousins that.

Grandma always had the best treats in her cookie jar, and she would let you eat as many as you wanted.

Grandma always made comments on my crazy socks or shoes, especially when I was in High School. She would look at them and say those are sure nice. Maybe I should some for myself. I loved that even though times had changed she made a huge effort to know me, and to be interested in what I was interested in.

Grandma loved her pretty jewelry. She was always wearing her earrings, a broach that matched and possibly a necklace. She wanted to look her best. And now I have some of her jewelry that I wear. I always think of her when I put things from her on.

Grandma was a wonderful cook. You never left her home hungry. She made sure you knew where food was and that you were welcome to eat it.

Grandma knew the Church was true. She lived the gospel fully in her life. She was always an example to me of the way I should be.

Grandma passed away my senior year of High School, February 22, 1998. I saw her that day. I was able to hug her and tell her I loved her. I knew I wouldn't see her again in this earthly life and my heart broke. I love my Grandma and it was hard to say goodbye, but we knew she needed to go, her body was tired and she needed the rest.

January 1st and January 2nd are special days. I get to remember my Grandparents, and I am so grateful to have them. Grateful to be part of their posterity.

Thanks Santa!

Santa visited and brought the children wonderful toys. Little Man received the Radio Control Hummer he wanted, Little Miss received the Littlest Pet Shop stuff she wanted. Randy received the range bag, and me a Laminator. What could be better? And then there was one more for Randy and I. I have to say this might be my favorite gift, and I am shocked. We got Guitar Hero for our Wii, with two guitars. Who knew it was so much fun? Not me. Who knew I liked to play Wii so much? Not me. Thanks Santa. This is one of the coolest real toys I have had in a long time.

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Or the day. And I realized that the Christmas Jammies due that night were not yet cut out. I grabbed my scissors, I grabbed my fabric, and cut away. I cut some for Randy, Little Man, Little Miss, and me. I cut them quickly not wanting to waste anytime. I was rushing the clock to get them all done. I pinned and I sewed. And I hurried some more. I hurried so much that I cut them too small for my rear, and made them look like M.C. Hammer for Randy. The kids will fit but for now I will scatter. Off to the mall to fix this matter.

Merry Christmas from us. We hope it is well. Merry Christmas.

The Naughty Children

Today during Church we had gorgeous music. The Sunday before Christmas is one of my favorite Sunday's of the year. We get to listen to Christmas Music and feel the Spirit of Christmas, and remember the true reason for the season. I love every minute of it. This year I was accompanying the choir for two numbers. Randy joined in singing with the choir and that left my two sweet children to sit alone for two songs.

We talked about sitting quietly and reverently. We talked about how we act and what we should do. We talked about it a lot. I was sure I got it through their cute little skulls. And I think I had succeeded. The first song went off with out a glitch. I went and sat with them and they were sitting quietly and I beamed. They were so well behaved. I thought I could hear the angels singing and rejoicing with me. I felt like Mother of the Year. My five and seven year old were sitting so quietly, and they snuggled up to me and were so sweet, it was blissful.

And then it came time for song number two. I figured this song would go just as easily without a glitch and all would be well. I was wrong. Oh so very wrong. I sat on the piano bench only to have two adorable children join me. I looked at them told them to sit still and we started, what else do you do? And I believed they would sit there looking angelic, I mean they just wanted to be close to their dear Mommy right? And then I started to play, and Little Miss told me to scoot over, and Little Man said he was squished, umm sorry kids, I am in the middle, and my butt doesn't get any smaller. Little Miss wanted me to move, and I shushed her and kept playing. Then Little Man sat down on the floor. She quickly followed suit. And then the real fun began. (At home they often climb on me, and are trying to do it all while I play.) They grabbed my feet and tried to get them off of the pedals, and succeed at times, and tried to do the pedals themselves. They grabbed my hands, my bracelet, anything they could. They played the low bass keys, and the high treble keys. They undid their shoes Velcro growing louder by the second. The bumped and wiggled the grand piano and shook my music. They tried to get me to stop all together. I gave them the best discreet dirty looks I could. I told them to stop, and I even tried, but failed in my attempt to kick them to stop them. I wondered how the children who sat so wonderfully moments before could now be terrorizing me at this very moment. The choir sang almost a full page a capella thanks to my children. And Little Man took my shoes and stuck them at the far end of the piano where it was hard to find and reach.

When it was done, I gathered my shoes, I gathered my music, and I gathered my children and we sat as far to the side as we could on the stage. Little Miss sat on my lap, and I kept my arm around Little Man as the tears came. I can handle mistakes and screw ups when I play music. I am normally giggling all the way as I play when I make mistakes. And today would have been the same if it had just been me making the mistakes, not my children sabotaging the choir. As I sat there thinking of the drastic things I could do, crack their little heads together and knock some sense into them. That seemed just wrong. I could send Santa a letter telling him they were naughty. I could take away all of their Christmas presents. I could ground them, take away their toys.

I had all of these ideas and then our Bishop spoke. He spoke and I think it was just for me. To soften my heart, to open my eyes to see my children they way I normally do, and to see them the way our Savior sees my Precious Children. I am their Mother. They are my children. My children love me, and want to do everything I do. They are happy to follow me, to copy me, to spend all of their time with me. And today they wanted to be near me. And they were okay until they forgot where they were, because at home they do that and we play around. At Church however during a program is not the time to do such a thing. I am grateful for words to remind me how precious and sweet they are so quickly. For the Spirit to bring me back to a place to be able to see that. Grateful to be their Mother, and to have the blessing of having my two sweet children.

And tonight the children practiced being reverent. They sat quietly with their arms folded and learned what is appropriate behavior for Church. And amazingly everyone said it sounded great, and no one admitted to hearing the blunders provided by my beautiful children. And people didn't realize the drama my children were causing. They all thought they were being sweet and angelic, sitting with their Mother. They had them fooled.

Happy Birthday to my Daddy

Today my Daddy is 66. And I don't blog about my Dad often enough.

A few things about my Dad.

-He is a hard worker.

-He loves the Gospel.

-He can build or fix anything.

-He is one of my favorite people.

-He is always there when we need him, and will do anything he can to help.

-He will kill spiders that are scary.

-He taught me to water ski.

-He laughed when I got cow poop all over me.

-He is a wonderful Dad.

-He gave me my stubbornness, and strong-will.

-He is the best Grandpa I know.

-He can't carry much of a tune, but sings anyways.

-He is one of my heroes.

Happy Birthday Dad! I wish I could be there to celebrate with you. Love you!

Dear Weatherman,

When we moved to Indiana everyone told me the winters were cold, and bitter. We would have snow, and a lot of it. I am feeling like I was lied to. Everyone I know has snow, even Las Vegas has snow, and three inches at that. Why can't we have snow? Please. Pretty please. I want snow, and I better have a white Christmas. (Demanding, I know.) And I guess technically we have snow, if you want to count the millimeter we have plus the ice on top of it. But I want snow I can build a snowman in, snow I can play in, snow we can sled on. Real snow.

Yours Truly,

Lee (Dying for some snow!)

Our Family Pics 2008

This is the picture we chose for our wall and for the Christmas cards.

And here are a ton more of some of my favorites.

And many of these are decorating my walls. And some are waiting for the right frames.

Have a wonderful Tuesday.

Girls Night!

In this picture we have Nedra, Tara, Jennette, Amy, me, Lyndee

And then Amanda, Kellie, and Beth! What a great group! And Nedra, you totally need to blog.

Last night we had a girls night. It was much needed and so much fun. I am stealing pictures from Amanda's blog, because I didn't take my camera. Shocking I know.

We have had several people move into the ward and we had just a fantastic time hanging out, visiting, and getting to know each other better. With the holidays upon us it is nice to take a little bit of time to relax, laugh, and enjoy one anothers company.

Hopefully we can keep this up every month and have an awesome time getting to know each other and just having fun. Good friends, Good food, Good night. I think I have a pretty awesome group of friends, and I cannot wait to get to know everyone even better. And next time maybe even more people will come! The more the merrier!

Let's be real..

There is nothing like those phone calls you get before surgery or a new doctor appointment from the nurse wanting to go over your medical history. The ones that go like this:
Do you take any medications?
You reply, Yes.. I do. Want the list, and then rattle off several medications spelling, explaining, listing the doses and frequency in jargon they totally get. Verifying that yes you do really take that many allergy pills a day.
Have you had any surgeries?
You rattle that list off and you hear a gasp and a slight oh every now and then.
And then the medical problems.
Cue rattling off the problems you might have.. say Lupus.
*Gasp* Which comes with a sigh, oh honey, are you ok?
To which you reply if you saw me walking down the street you wouldn't have a clue there was anything wrong. I look fine, I act fine, I am fine. I just like to freak nurses out and have them wondering what type of patient they might be getting.
So let's be real. On paper, I look like a mess. A total mess. But when you see me in 3-D you get that while on paper I am a mess in real, I'm me. The girl running crazy, doing the Mom thing, and not allowing anything wrong to define me. I am me.

Hmmm..

I remember when I first started blogging I had all of these things I wanted to write about. And now I am not sure. I sit down and I stare at the blank page and I wonder what should I blog about? Do I have anything interesting or worth while to say? Does anyone care? Do I even care? I keep thinking I could do some Photoshop Tutorials, but then I am not sure what anyone wants to learn. So I don't. And then I think I could show some pictures, but maybe people are over seeing my kids. I'm not, but maybe others are. Not that it matters, because this is my blog. Not theirs. And then I think I could divulge into some great topic. Or write something funny, but that isn't really me. I don't know how to be all humorous. And I think I could write about the fact that I went to my first Cub Scout Activity, and it wasn't bad. But maybe that is because all I did was sit there and chat it up with my girls, while we had Alan teach them basketball. And when it comes down to it you get me. Raw, pure, and me.

The Parents.. and the Sista

My parents wanted a new family picture. They wanted one that was outside, and with just the right look. I told them they could go somewhere in Washington, but it wouldn't be as spectacular as one would be in Indiana. Thankfully that idea persuaded them to come to Indiana just for this reason. They realized that Indiana would be the best place for their family picture of them and my gorgeous sister. And just their luck it even snowed lightly during their picture session. (I should charge extra for that!)

We had a delightful time the past week and a half shopping, laughing, visiting, and just being together. My parents went home today. We offered more pictures if they would stay longer, but something about needing to go home, feeding the cat, paying bills, not living here made them choose to go home. Rather than spend the rest of December here. The kids loved having their attention non-stop, and just having quality time. We loved seeing family, and we miss them already. And I am already planning the next time we get to see each other.

Seven

This boy is seven.

This boy looks like this when you talk about the girl he is crushing on.
This boy loves his sister.

This boy makes me laugh.This boy made me a Mother.
This boy made him a Father. Seven years ago I welcomed my son with great anticipation. He was my son. I became a Mother. My life changed. Happy Birthday Sweet Boy. I love you.

I Shoulda blogged this..

two days ago. But life has been busy. Tuesday we took my parents and sister with us to a Pacer game. My Dad saw an NBA game back in the 70's, and my Mom and sister had never been to one so they were excited, we were excited. The Pacers were playing the Lakers. Randy told me it was going to be a blow out the Lakers would beat the Pacers. I silently hoped that would not happen. I wanted to have OUR team beat the Lakers, and show my parents a fantastic game.

At the end of the third quarter I was sure the Lakers were going to win. And my heart was sinking. But then at the beginning of the fourth quarter something happened. The Pacers came alive. They took on the Lakers and rallied back. It was exciting to watch. My heart was racing, I cheered and jumped and whacked my head on the concrete wall. My kids cheered and were on the big tv four times with their great skills. The game intensified and my heart raced. And at the buzzer the Pacers won. 117-118. It was amazing. It reminded me of the NBA days back when the Chicago Bulls ruled the court, it was that kind of game for me. I was in awe. I was there, I watched them beat the Lakers. It was inspiring. It was the way the NBA was meant to be. Games that are down to the wire, where your heart races, you jump, you yell, you go hoarse from cheering, and your hands hurt from clapping.

Go Pacers!

Nothing says Christmas

Like snow on December 1st, and 2nd. And predicted for much of December. Here is hoping for a White Christmas.