It Was Magical!

Monday morning we woke up at seven. Little Man was unsure if we were really going to Disney World. He wanted to believe it.. but didn't want his hopes up. We quickly ate cereal bars and applied our sunscreen and then we were off to the bus to be at Magic Kingdom early. The kids started to get really excited on the bus. But even more excited when we were at Magic Kingdom. We arrived thirty minutes early so we could wait in line.. and then beat the crowds. And I was just really excited to start the fun!

Here the kids are waiting. Little Miss didn't like the sun. She just closed her eyes a lot. It makes me giggle.

And a picture with Mom.

And with Dad. They are getting sick of pictures already.

And then our awesome family picture. You could tell the kids really cared. It was nice to have strangers help us out so we could remember this fun day!

The kids were so excited to get in the park. We started out in Futureland. We rode Buzz and then this ride. Which I don't remember the name of. But it was fun. Randy opted out. Something about getting sick.. puking.. going in circles. Little Man was thrilled to ride this ride all by himself.

Little Miss and I rode the ride together. She was excited.

And evidently I loved this ride. Who knew? But check out that excitement. Seems genuine to me.

And then we went to the Speedway. The kids were super excited for this ride. They were going to get to drive.

Little Man was serious about his job as driver.

Little Miss loved driving.

And I think I look a little scared. Is this my future face in 11 years.

After all of that excitement we went to the Winnie the Pooh ride. The kids liked it. Little Miss more than Little Man.

And then we rode Snow White. Do you think he liked it? Not so much.

Little Miss however loved every minute of it. Notice she no longer has sunglasses on. Yes it was dark.. but she had them on her shirt in line for this ride and ran into a bar. They promptly broke in two. She was devastated.

And then we went to Peter Pan. Little Miss loved riding with her Daddy. The ride was fun.

Randy was snapping pictures of Little Man and I. He enjoyed this ride much more than Snow White.

If you look close our eyes are all glowy. It is creepy.. but it makes me giggle.
After all of that fun we went to Thunder Mountain Railroad. The kids loved it. I loved it. Randy loved it. And then we had to check out Splash Mountain. Little Miss was a little nervous about the big drop. But one time on it the kids were hooked. We bounced between Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain Railroad and loving every minute. The kids were even brave enough to ride together, leaving Randy and I to sit next to each other. It was one of those moments that I loved as Mom. I loved seeing my kids running hand in hand to rides, waiting in line together and enjoying having a sibling. They were best friends. It was Magical.

And then we were off to Pirates of the Caribbean. They have changed it since I last rode it eight years ago in Disneyland. They have Captain Jack Sparrow in it. He looks real. The kids loved the ride. Little Man loved all of the pirate stuff! He loved it so much we have a whole pirate set to play with.

And then we rode the Jungle Cruise. It was a nice relaxing break. Our tour guide made us laugh. Made our kids nervous.

It was hot. Little did we know it would be the coolest day of our trip. The kids enjoyed the sprinkler park and cooled themselves off.

By the end they were both soaked.. and happy. I was jealous. But a 28 year old playing in the sprinklers would look a little odd. And I didn't want to walk around that wet for the rest of the day. So I dealt with it.

The kids saw the Magic Carpet and were super excited to go on it. Little Miss sat in the back alone. She was excited. And Little Man decided it would be okay to ride with Mom. But he was in charge of the controls.

We went back to ride Buzz Light year again. I love how excited they are to do this together this time. Mom and Dad were not invited to ride with them. It reminded me of hanging out with my brother when I was a kid. He was my favorite person to do anything with.

The kids loved shooting the targets and trying to defeat Zurg.

We walked out and had our first character greeting. We had already ridden Stitch's Great Escape and the kids wanted to capture him. But quickly decided that hugs and pictures were just fine. We weren't doing autograph books so the kids were quick, they got a picture and were happy as could be.

We went to Toontown, rode the Coaster bought each of the kids a hat and had it sent to our room and jumped on the train. We were tired. It was hot. And we needed to rest our feet. At least Randy and I did.

See we look tired. Or at least I do.

We rode the train back to Splash Mountain. It refreshed us. And then we were up for more rides. I convinced my kids to ride on the Haunted Mansion. They weren't so keen but I told them to try just once. They look thrilled right? They did great. No crying. No screaming. They didn't love it. They didn't want to go again. But it wasn't THAT scary. Right? Right.

The kids were very excited to ride Dumbo. We waited until the lines were short and waited just a few minutes and we were on. I had to sit on the outside. I think they worry little kids will jump out or something.

Little Man was proud to ride alone. He felt so big. The kids loved Dumbo!

And finalyl we finished our day on the teacups. It was fun. It was wonderful. We spun as fast as we could until we felt like we might just puke. Randy stayed off and captured this picture which I love. He wouldn't go. Something about puking.. spinning.. getting real sick.
The Magic Kingdom was Magical. We loved every minute. From the time it opened until right before it closed. We played non-stop. It was wonderful.

It Was Awesome!

It started as a surprise. And we were so excited for this great surprise. But we didn't want to lie to our children. But we didn't want to ruin their surprise also. It started when they saw suitcases. Little Man wanted to know what they were for. Randy said he had a meeting. (A meeting with Mickey Mouse.) The kids pouted. We didn't tell them they had a meeting also. We omitted a lot of things. It worked.

We were off for the airport. The kids were sad. They didn't want to be in a picture. See.

And then the obliged.. Kind of. But at least I have their pouty faces. Or one pouty face and one serious cheese.

I decided Randy and I should be in on the pictures. We were excited too.

And we didn't crash while driving down the freeway. Randy's a good driver.

We got to the airport and parked in long term parking. My kids were oblivious and even asked me why I had a stroller. I told them that a neighbor told me to take it. So I had it. True story. Randy got us checked in while I entertained the kids, took their sweet picture and just hung out. It was all I could do to not jump up and down and ask them if they were so excited. Because I was!! We told them we should go hang out with Dad while he waited for the plane. So we did. And then we should go check out his seat on the plane. So we did. And then we should just go with Dad on the plane. So we did.

They were so excited we were going. And confused why we were going. Little Man was all I know what is in Orlando.. Disney World. But I know, I know we aren't going there. That was easy.

The kids were excited.. we had finally landed in Orlando. It was the longest two hour flight of my life. I was ready to be there and for the kids to be in on the secret!!

We told the kids we needed to take a bus to our hotel. True story. We were waiting for Disney's Magical Express right here. They still didn't have a clue. And I don't know what is up with the strange rat thing my kids are doing. You will see it again, don't you worry. It repeats often.

The kids were watching the Disney World video. Or at least Little Miss was. Check out that entranced look. They still hadn't caught on. They said they wished they could go to Disney World many times on the bus ride, but that they knew we weren't going.

And then Little Man saw the Welcome to Disney World Resort sign. He started to wonder. (see him wondering.)

And then it clicked as we were pulling up to our hotel. We are in Disney World.
Little Miss was kind of over the flash and the camera so she opted to just close her eyes. Nice eh? They were excited at least they were going to see Disney World. But going to the parks they still weren't so sure.

Inside the hotel Little Miss started jumping like Tigger. She was so excited. And we told them we really were at Disney World for a whole week. We were really there. She was thrilled.
And the grin didn't go away.

Check back soon for the next day. Sorry to draw it out forever but I have TONS of fun snapshots to share. This was a fun trip for me. I loved being Mom. And Randy, strangers, and myself all took fun snapshots to remember the trip and relive our memories! It was great!

Mother's Day

There is something about Mother's. I once heard it a man say the day his mother died his world changed. Mother's are there to feel your joy, your pain. To be just as excited as you are. They know your flaws. They know you often better than you know you. There is nothing like your Mother.

My Mother is the type that I can call at any moment. She will laugh or cry with me. She will listen to me and she always loves me. She is the type of Mother I hope to be when I grow up. I feel blessed to be her daughter.

And today I feel blessed to be a mother to two wonderful children, who want to snuggle and spend as much time as they can with me. I only hope I can be the same type of mother to them, that mine was to me.

To every Mother I know. Happy Mother's Day.

1 Day to Go!

This morning my kids were eating Apple Jacks.. (We love our sugar cereal) and there was an ad for Disney World on the box. My kids wishfully said Mom can we go there. Please. And not when we are 12, like today. Then they said we know.. we know.. not yet. It took all of my self-control to not blurt out, We are leaving tomorrow for Disney World. But I didn't. I just laughed and said that sure would be fun, and quickly shoved more food in my face to keep my mouth quiet.

We are so excited. Or I am. And I know the kids are going to be. And Randy is just excited to have a conversation with me other than Disney World. I decided to bite the bullet yesterday and we are doing a character breakfast. I wasn't going to, but I finally found one that will please them both!

I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they finally realize where we are. And what is really happening. In just over 24 hours we are going to be in Florida. Settling in for a nice sleep, ready to play on Monday. 1 day to go. I can keep the secret.

April Showers

March Winds, bring April Showers, which bring May Flowers.

I remember this when I was a kid. And rarely as a kid did April Showers amount too much. It was maybe half an inch all month long. We normally had a lot of wind.. and little rain. If any at all. I always wondered where the rain was. Did anyone get it?

Today I sit here listening to the rain bucketing on my house, my yard, my plants, the street. We are on day four of straight rain. Some people are over the rain. But I am totally digging the rain. I planted tons of new plants in my flower beds in hope that my yard will be beautiful. We planted a ton of new grass seed in our lawn. Hoping to bring it back to a gorgeous green, and to get rid of the millions of pee spots in our yard. Hoping to fill in the trail my lovely dogs have formed, and to have a yard that is beautiful.

Little Miss today prayed that the rain would stop. I don't want it to stop. I would like for it to be nice for the kids to play outside. But I love listening to the rain. I love seeing the vibrant greens amongst the grey and dreary sky. I love how the rain smells. (Not that I can smell, but I remember the smell.) I love how clean the earth looks after a nice rain storm. I have been looking forward to Spring since last Fall. I couldn't wait for the rain and the thunderstorms to move in.

Today I am grateful for April Showers. And I cannot wait for May Flowers!

27 Days Late

Randy had his birthday 27 days ago. I did not see him on his birthday. I was in Washington, he was in Chicago for work. We texted, we chatted on the phone, but I didn't wish him a very Happy Birthday on my blog like normal. He even checked my blog.. and he never does that anymore. I kept meaning to get it done, and then I realized I have two more days in April to do it. Because if it isn't on his day.. it should still be on his month.. right?

Here is my most recent picture of Randy. I love it! He is totally driven to support what he believes in, and I admire that greatly.

A few of the reasons I love my husband, and I want to wish him a Happy Late Birthday this year.

• He is totally hot. He makes me melt.
• He makes me laugh. all.of.the.time.
• He is an extremely hard worker.
• He is the best husband in the world, hands down.
• He is the best father in the world, hand down.
• He loves the Lord.
• He is a righteous Priesthood holder.
• He is my best friend.
• He is my better half. He makes me want to be better.

After ten years of being with this wonderful man, I love him more. Happy late birthday love.

Because I don't do it enough on my own

I like to have my children help in embarrassing me.

This past week we went out to dinner at Logan's. A nice family night out, we were all happy. Little Miss had to use the restroom. Off we go. She wants me in the stall with her, and goes in the only stall and is going to the bathroom before I can even lock the door. Oh wait. The door didn't lock. So I tried but it stayed closed, but the lock was broken. I stood there keeping it closed and then I figured since I was there, I might as well go to. (Seriously who blogs about going to the bathroom?)

I told Little Miss, the door doesn't lock. Don't touch it, don't go out, it will stay closed. I thought I had presented a great explanation. But evidently she wasn't listening. Or she just likes to embarrass her Mom. You be the judge. She leaned against the door. An open it flew. Wide open. With me, sitting on the toilet. While several pairs of eyes landed on me. Sitting there helpless. And frantically telling her to close the door, and thinking why are all these people staring at me?? I would look away. But they just stared for what seemed like an eternity. (Okay maybe it was 20 seconds.) Little Miss closed the door, and looked at me, and was all Sorry Mom. Oh gee, thanks sweet heart. I am glad you are sorry.

And then I laughed. And laughed. And laughed.

9:00 AM

I have made myself a goal to get up early. And by early, I mean early for me. Somewhere in between 6:30-7:00 AM. Not crazy early, but plenty early enough for my sleepy night-owl butt. And surprisingly I have been doing pretty good. Today I awoke a few minutes before 6:30. And I have been so productive!

First thing I did, start a load of laundry.

Then I worked out. YAY ME!

Then I showered, and got my butt ready for the day. And I have curly hair today. I am undecided.. what do you like better?

And then it was getting kids ready for school and out the door.

And all while they were eating I was mixing up our bread. (Last week... so like forever ago :) I decided I should make our bread. I made 9 loaves last week.. way too much bread. Today is my first day making it this week.) And currently it is rising, just about ready to be put in the oven.

And now it is 9:00 AM, and I am feeling quite productive. If only all morning could be this good.

Before and After

Today was the day to cut my hair. I had my appointment and drove everyone I knew batty asking them what I should do with my hair. Pixie cut? Trim? Nothing? What to do? I decided the length needed to go. It wasn't THAT long, but I can't do a ponytail without a headache. And with summer coming I needed a quick fix. Today I fixed my hair. And I actually liked it quite a bit. Which I don't always. But off I went to get it cut and to put an end of the constant badgering my poor loved ones have had to put up with.

So here is the before. Curly.. past my collar bones with side bangs. And the after. I thought long and hard about a pixie..but I worry it would be a beast to grow out. And I don't want it to be THAT short forever. So I told my stylist to do what he wanted.. just not a pixie. I am thrilled. I love my new A-Line!And a few extra pictures to get the full effect. Everyone wants to see it curly. So you will.. in a couple of days.

One Year

One year ago I was up at 4 AM. I was making sure I had everything I needed. I was getting my sleepy kids up and out of bed. And then we were off to the airport.

We had our dogs in their kennels ready to fly. I was doing my best to be okay. But my insides were twisting as each second ticked by. I was wondering what is happening to my life!!! And does moving 2200+ miles really make sense? But I was calm. I was collected. I had to be. And then it was time for the goodbyes. My heart hurt. And then I saw Little Man tears streaming down his face and he just hugged me. My heart broke, and the tears came. I was no longer strong. I was no longer calm, I didn't want to get on the plane. I didn't want this to be our future. But we sadly hugged our family and our little family went and boarded a plane to move across the country.

The first night I laid in bed wondering what we were doing here. How could I survive only seeing my family three or four times in a year. IN A YEAR!!! The thought made me want to throw up. Randy slept.. I laid in bed worrying. And then we had Church the next day. I wish I could say it was wonderful. People were kind, but I was a blubbering idiot. Anyone who asked me where we moved from, or if we were new was at risk of hearing my tearfully say, Yes, we're new. We moved here from Wa*sniff*sh*cry*ing*sniff*ton.. and I am sure they thought I was quite the basket case.

A year has passed. My heart doesn't hurt like it did. We survived it just fine. In fact it has been much easier than I ever anticipated. I still miss my family. I still miss home. But where my little family is, where I want to be. I can't believe the year went so quickly. We have made many friends. We have grown stronger as a family. And our kids have learned to behave quite well on an airplane. And I have learned I can live anywhere, as long as I have Randy, and my kids. We adjust. We adapt. And while we miss our loved ones, we are okay. And we always have the next visit to look forward to.

One year. Happy Anniversary of our big move to us.

Tea Party 2009

Yesterday I drove to downtown Indianapolis. As I drove and saw the protesters, read the signs, my eyes welled up with tears. I was not alone. There were others who believe as I do. Thousands of them actually. All united. All supporting one another. All wanting to be heard. All there to be peaceful, but to make a stand. I had an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. My heart was thankful for the Constitution that was so divinely inspired by our Founding Fathers. I am grateful for the Declaration of Independence. Grateful for our rights. Our right to Freedom of Speech. And grateful I was taking the opportunity to take a stand in something I feel so strongly on.

This is what I saw. A sea of thousands of people. Holding signs. Holding flags. Cheering.

Randy was a volunteer, and was busy selling flags. He looked pretty hot while he was doing it.

And he was taking his job quite serious. He sold hundreds of flags. (But who wouldn't want to buy from him?)

The kids and I held signs and made our statements known.

Little Man and Little Miss were happy to hold signs, wave flags, and do their part to protest.

I hope that the local state leaders heard us. And that they will listen to us. I hope that those in Washington heard us also. I pray that they will listen. That they will realize it isn't an Us VS Them thing. It is about the future of our country. What we are handing off to our children. We want them to know how to work. We don't want them to be handed over a trillion dollars of debt. We want them to grow up in the USA we grew up in.

I love my Country. I cannot sing the Star Spangled Banner without tears in my eyes. I love our freedoms. This is the Country where dreams can come true. I want this country to be what is was on 9/12. They day we united, we stood as one. The day everyone believe in America.

TEA Party

I am so excited for tomorrow. We, meaning my whole family are going to the Indianapolis Tea Party. I have told people I was going and they wanted to know what it is about. We feel we are Taxed Enough Already. The main theme for this protest is we want Congress to repeal the stimulus packages now and uphold the Constitution of the United State of America or we will replace every member of Congress in 2010. This isn't a Democrat VS Republican thing. This about the good of our Country that I love so very much. About our freedoms, or rights, or privileges. If you are interested please come. This is a peaceful protest. Wear Red White or Blue. Bring signs so you can let everyone know how you feel. If you want to find one where you are go here http://taxdayteaparty.com/. Spread the word. And I hope to see some familiar faces tomorrow.

Easter

I love Easter. I love remembering my Savior. I love remembering the Resurrection. I love the Easter Hymns we sing at Church. I love it all.

I also love the candy, the new Easter clothes, and all of that good stuff. Everyone happily obliged to pictures. Randy had already changed from his Church clothes, but the kids we happy to snuggle up with him for a quick picture with their Dad.

And they even sat with me for a quick picture.

Little Man is loving his buzzed head. He looks so grown up to me. How did this happen??

These two are either best friends or worst enemies. It depends on the moment. Yesterday they were best friends. It made my heart melt.

And this girl.. this girl looks way too old. She never looks this big to me. But on here she does.

And today I am editing pictures. A lot of pictures for friends in Washington. I thought I would include one of me sitting where I am doing my thing. I am wearing my brand new glasses, and doing my best to get pictures done so everyone can see their beautiful families. Sorry it has taken a little bit longer than I hoped. Jet lag.. allergic reactions... they tend to put a damper on your plans.

But I am back on my game and busting pictures out. And I will be done.. soon. I promise!

5 Shots

In January I started Allergy shots. The hope was my allergic reactions to Indiana would get better. I received a few shots and then I got a bad cold, and then I had bad allergies, and my asthma wasn't too great to we had to wait. Finally today I was able to go in and get my shots. I had to start back at the beginning dose. I figured it wouldn't be too bad. I went in, they checked my peak flow and gave me four shots. I just had to wait thirty minutes and then I could go. Easy peasy.


My kids quietly read books in the corner and I sat there glancing through a magazine wishing the time would move faster so we could get on with our day. And as I sat there I felt like I needed my inhaler. My chest was feeling tight, and I was coughing some. I thought to myself, self, relax. Take deep slow breaths. And I coughed some more. And my breathing was getting worse. I read the sign on the door that said if you have any of these problems immediately tell the nurse. Coughing, chest tightening, shortness in breath, hard time breathing... and the list goes on and on. Surely it didn't mean me. I sat there longer. Waiting. Thinking. Being stubborn. And then finally as I continued to get worse I decided I should tell the nurse my chest was kinda tight.. like I needed my inhaler. She was quick to respond. Jumping up and whisking me back into a room. I was kind of shocked.. I could still breathe... my chest was just a little tight. But whatever.

Once in the room I was joined by three nurses and a doctor. Apparently everyone wanted to hang out with me today. I was quickly given a breathing treatment, and had my blood pressure, and my O2 stats checked constantly to make sure I wasn't dying on them. And then came the 5th shot, some epinephrine to open my airways even more. It worked. I shook. I tried not to laugh.. and be completely embarrassed. Seriously I had the weakest dose of my allergy shots they could give me and my body couldn't handle it. With all of the outdoor allergies so strong right now I can't handle anymore, even with three allergy medicines in me today. I believe Indiana is slowly trying to kill me. One allergy at a time.

After thirty minutes things settled down. And I was sent on my way. I go back next week to discuss a new plan of action. Evidently shots are now out of the question. At least those shots. And now I sit here rubbing my arm from my epi shot.. it hurt like a beast. And I am giggling at the strange adventure that happened today. Who knew?

Jetlag

Tired. Exhausted. Sluggish. These are great words to describe me today. I finally peeled my body from the sheets this morning at 9:15AM or so. I heard Little Miss pitter-pattering around so I decided I should get up and be Mom. Little Man is still blissfully sleeping. And we are happy, yet sad to be home. I checked my email to find hundreds of emails. Google reader had nearly 200 unread posts. I quickly deleted emails.. and skimmed over my google reader, and then just marked them all read. I have over 1300 pictures to go through. The kids and I enjoyed every minute we had back home. It was wonderful. And I will blog it. But not today. Today we are going to recover.

Not sure I am ready for this..

Today after being chastised for not going to an eye doctor in eight years I went. They think they know why I have headaches.. almost daily. Ready for it? I need glasses. But not all of the time. I need them for the computer.. (I love my computer.. no wonder I always have a headache.. between editing and blogging!!) I need them for reading. I need them for piano. Three things I do daily. Hopefully in 7-9 business days once I have them back my headaches will cease. I see 20/20. (Hence the reason I didn't ever go to the doctor, I see just fine.) But I have an astigmatism. And a very slight one at that, but enough to strain my eyes. And since everyone wants to see pictures.. here they are. An extreme close up of me makeup less with hot red glasses. Excited? I'm not. But I will manage. If my headaches cease, I will be thrilled. And if they don't. On to plan B.

4 days..

But whose counting? Me. I am totally counting down the days until I go back home to Washington. And while I am excited about this.. I thought I would mention I have two last minute spots open for pictures. And if you are interested leave me a comment or drop me an email at lee1201 (at) msn (dot) com. I will do my best to work with your schedule. And if they stay open I am just going to live it up with my family.

My sister in law keeps asking me what do I want to do while I am home. My response is simple. Have fun. Hang out. Talk. Spend time with family. And lastly hit the Church Bookstore. Really my requests are quite simple. I am excited for the kids to play with their cousins. Excited to see some of my friends. And just be in my favorite state. Washington.

I hope these next four days fly by. And the following eight drag on forever.

The End of Basketball Season

Little Man had his last game of the season three weeks ago. And I am finally blogging this. I meant to do it sooner.. but life gets busy.. and I took well over 450 pictures.. so I have been procrastinating doing anything with them. I finally went through and kept my favorites of everyone on the team. And I am refusing to edit them. They are snapshots, and I want to just enjoy them as that. I have a hard time not editing every pic.. but I am leaving this alone.

Back to basketball. This time Randy was the coach. He did a stellar job if I do say so myself. He was very patient with the kids, and the kids loved him. They learned a lot and it was a wonderful experience.

This was the last shot at the very end of the game. They were all so excited!!

I love how he is ready to receive the pass. He loved every minute of playing basketball, and cannot wait to do it again.

Over the course of basketball this year his skills improved greatly. His dribbling is much better. His passes are firm. His shooting has improved a ton from where he was at the beginning of the season. We are so proud of him! Great job Little Man!!! You are our Basketball Star!

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

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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?