Has it been that long?

Okay, I think by now everyone has stopped checking up on us. We are not dead, we have been really busy. We've had a birthday for Jeff, Josi, and Cami. I am so excited to be 30! I just think the 30's will be awesome. Most of our family has been born and we can raise our kids and make memories and I just think that the best is yet to come. I also feel like a validated adult now too. I know that sounds stupid, but I've always felt a little embarresed to be 20-something, like that;s too young to be capable or experienced. Dumb I know, but I feel like a big girl now. Pony-panties and all.

We've been busy with our callings too. Jeff was released from the Bishopric and called as the new Young Men's president. SOOOO FUN! We were sad for about 24 hours - we've been so blessed these last 2 1/2 years. He didn't quite feel like his work there was done but then we got really really excited. It is so great to see Jeff leading. He takes getting these boys on their missions very seriously - plus he's a blast. Girls Camp is getting closer and I get a little flutter in my stomach a couple times a day - I think I'm on track but I also know how much there is left to do.

I've been sick this week - like ALL week. I don't think I've ever been this sick this long. My body is just trashed and it is actually driving me crazy becasue my mind won't stop and all I can think about is what isn't getting done. My in-laws are the best. I don't know what I would do with out Annette, Val, and Lins. I am so lucky to share a special sisterhood with these women. After day 5 in bed on Monday, I told Jeff "I've gotten so much done today" he looked at me kind of wierd and I said "Yeah, I've built shelves in the storage room, re-modeled the laundry room and kitchen, landscaped the front and back yard, painted the house, packed for camp and reviewed it minute by minute. I've done all of that today - at least in my mind." It's funny how well the Lord knows me. In my patriarchial blessing he mentions that he "will open doors to help me accomplish all my righteous desires and ambitions". He knows I want to do it all. But it's also my Achelies heal. I can do it all, but not all at once. I have to remember that. And I also have to look at those desires and ambitions and see which qualify as "righteous"

For some reason I have been an avid reader since January. I think I've read more books in the last 5 months than I have in the last 5 years. Here is what I've been reading and how many stars I give it:

Host *** made me think about opposing sides of humanity that both feel morally justified.

Fablehaven books 1-4 ***** one of my most favorite series ever. fun and adventurous

Leven Thumps * I know alot of people who love this series but it was slow for me and I only read book one

Percy Jackson and the Olympians books 1-5 ****** this series gets 6 out of 5 stars goes down as my favorite! Way fun, can't put done and I even have the guts to put it above Harry Potter, really.

Warrior Heir **** I really loved this book. not as fast as a read as Percy but just as exciting and you really fall in love with the characters

Wizard Heir ***** sequel to Warrior, even better than the first. the third book is Dragon Heir and we'll see if I make it through the day without going to get it.

Favlehaven, Percy, and the Warrior series all have the common idea of a young boy who discovers they have powers and are lead through a world unseen by most human eyes. I love this idea, even though fictitious it speaks to me of the readiness of the world to accept Joseph Smith. Plus they are so exciting and fun you just can't wait to put the kids down for a nap and ignore the laundry and excape to an amazing other world.

Road Trip

Here are 3 things that I had to tell Sami while driving home from Rexburg today:
1- Put all of your clothes back on, Samantha!
2- Don't pour your water bottel on your hair.
3- No Sami, you can't pee in a cup

Seriously, So Blessed

I just discovered the "mock" blog "seriously so blessed." It is hill-arious! I have a button on the side bar is you want to laugh.

Do you ever just feel stupid?

 

So, sometimes I just feel stupid. I started attending a parenting class at the Nampa Institute taught by Carleen Tanner (who definately has the gift to teach!!) Anyway, we had a lesson where she talked about the "4 legs of a table"- how a table just can't serve it's purpose without all 4 legs being strong. Her 4 legs for our "family table" were 1- Prayer (not just once a day. If you add up all the prayers we are supposed to be having: 2 family prayers 2 personal prayers 3 mealtime prayers 1 couple prayer = 8 prayers) 2- Scripture Study (personal and family) 3- Family Home Evening (gospel teaching not grocery shopping with an opening prayer) and 4- temple attendance. So I was really honest with myself and looked at where we are. I felt good about our prayers and FHE. Our temple attendance could use a little help but were on the path. I felt a big "Uh - oh" when I realized that we really hadn't been doing family scripture study since before Christmas. You know the story: the holidays were crazy and nights got late and we just threw our kids in bed and called it a day. Now, it's been months since the holidays but we still haven't started back up. What really got me was this quote (which I've read a hundred times, probably even used it in a lesson or talk sometime - ahhhh, how soon we forget)

“I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness” (Ensign, May 1980, p. 67).
These promises—increased love and harmony in the home, greater respect between parent and child, increased spirituality and righteousness—are not idle promises, but exactly what the Prophet Joseph Smith meant when he said the Book of Mormon will help us draw nearer to God.
Ezra Taft Benson

So Jeff and I talked and we committed to the Lord that we would do what he asked and to PLEASE send the promised blessings. I mean, who doesn't need more peace and love and LESS CONTENTION. So we did it. And so did He. I mean you can't even beilieve the difference in out homes atmosphere. After just a few days, Jeff was sitting up on the stand watching our family (we were having an unusually easy sacrement meeting) and the thought just struck him "They don't lie. The prophets do not lie". We have been so greatful for the Lords IMMEDIATE blessings.

So that's where the "I feel stupid" part comes in. I mean we profess to belive so many things that we just arent' making happen. I soon began to wonder "what other blessings does the Lord want to give us that we aren't letting him becasue we aren't doing our part?" So many wonderful and simple changes have come about in our home as a result: couple prayer is back, the TV is off (again), I haven't had a Dr. P in 10 days. These are all little things but they have such wonderful blessings attached to them that we are binding the Lord by doing what he's asked and know full well that the blessings ARE being poored upon our heads.

A little help from you

Okay - I have had 5 responses to my last post (yes Amy- you are in) so what I need now it your guys address so I can mail it to you. You can email me or send it to my Facebook inbox so it's all private and stuff. This will be fun!!!!

5 Things

So, I saw this on my sister VAL's blog - I responded as #6 but noticed in the rules that you have to re-post it to be elligable and I'm hoping that some of those people who responded didn't actually post and that I will actually get something made by her. I like to find loopholes that work to my advantage - hee hee.

OK! So this is how this works...the first 5 people to respond to this post will receive something made by me for you. my choice. made especially for you.
of course there are 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 will be done sometime this year.


4 you have no clue what it will be... it may be a story. It may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may draw or paint something. I may bake 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? The catch is that you must repost this on your own blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on their blog.The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did will 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!

Spell it out Loud

Check out my new blog www.spellitoutloud.blogspot.com to see my mom-prenuer ventures.