Our summer just got a little busier

Christmas magic is in the air at our house

This morning I got up and took a bath. When I finished getting ready, I opened the door to my bedroom to find my bed made with this sitting on it: 

I made my way down the stairs to the family room to find the laundry all sorted and ready for washing with another one of these sitting on a pile (and my 4 magic elves hiding in the stairwell):

So I had to inquire what number two was and they quickly led me to the front room where they had cleaned up all their piles of stuff and put it away. Kiersten then handed me the note for that little act of service:

 Aren't they great?

Blahg!

I just haven't been feeling it lately. Maybe because there is SO much that it seems a little overwhelming to even try. But try I will. Isn't that what Sundays are for.

We should be closing on our lot sometime in the next week. It's been somewhat of a nightmare trying to get all our money in one spot to write that final check, but it's finally coming together despite all the holds and waiting. The seller has also been a little difficult to work with. Our first offer he countered higher than his own list price wanting us to pay the impact fees that he had clearly already paid and had said so in his listing. We did nothing and let it sit a week and then offered again. The second time he accepted. But then midstream he wants us to change title companies and close 3 weeks earlier than planned. We agreed to change companies but told him there was no way to close any earlier; we had the money but getting it in the right spot was taking some time. Anyway, I'll just be glad to have this deal closed and not worry about what else he might have up his sleeve.

As far as building, well we're up in the air with all that too. Our original plan was to build with Symphony Homes. They have a community here in Stansbury and build only higher end homes (not entry-level). We fell in love with their floor plans going to a Showcase of Homes this last fall, but after spending countless hours with them we've come to the conclusion that we really need more of a custom builder, someone who is more willing to do everything we want. Symphony is okay about changing walls, adding this or that feature to the house, etc., but they have not wanted to deal with the deck design we want to put on the house, covering the entire culvert in our front yard, running electrical wire for a sport court and pouring the cement pad for that as well. So we got a second bid from a custom builder. His bid came in almost exactly the same but everything we've mentioned doing he doesn't bat an eye and has to agreed to it all. As of today I think we're going to go with the custom builder. But that means no design center to help pull all the design ideas together for us. We're on our own as far as that and that makes us both a little nervous.

Right now I've been contemplating wood floors or tile in the kitchen. I LOVE the look of wood floors. It's warm and inviting but don't think they'll hold up as well as tile to kids coming in from outside with dirt on their shoes. Plus I've never liked being able to see footprints which you see much easier on a wood floor. Also you want to be very careful in matching wood floor with cabinets so it doesn't look like a lot of wood (at this point I'd probably do cream colored cabinets). Tile is hard and cold and we've decided to do radiant heating if we do go with tile so that will help eliminate the cold. But it's still hard and dishes break more easily on tile. You also have that nasty grout to try and keep clean. So many things to think about.

Not to mention I simply think it's too big of a house. We took a basic model and added a loft with a bedroom and bathroom so Tyler can office up there away from the commotion. I know it's fairly inexpensive space to finish, but it just adds. I can't help but think of President Hinckley's admonition to buy (or build) a modest home and pay it off quickly. I'm not feeling very modest about it right now. I'm sure I'll feel better about it as our kids get older and bring their friends home (hopefully) and our family grows up and gets larger. I know my mom loves her big house when we all come home for the holidays. Part of me also would rather pay down our HELOC (what we used to buy the lot) and pay off our home here and then think about building. Part of me also realizes that this is a very good time to build. We've seen that as both builders have competed for our business. It's also a good time to build so we can actually use the home before our kids get too much older and move away. It's just a scary decision. I HATE DEBT! But I know sometimes you just have to jump in and do it. If it had been up to me we'd probably still be living in Magna with our house paid for. It was scary for me to jump into the house we're in now because it was almost double what we'd paid for our first home. But it worked and we've paid this home off substantially and we really are in a better home and better neighborhood. Circumstances change; I just hope not for the worse.

Our lot.

 Style of home we're thinking about.

Ash's Artistic Abilities

Ashlyn Leary

November 2009

Age 4 1/2

She completely surprised me when she showed me what she had drawn. I asked if she traced it out a book. No, she just copied the different steps to each animal. I think she might take after her brother Erik.

Just some updates

Ashlyn can now ride a two-wheel bike. Her friend Evelyn came over one day riding hers and that quickly prompted Ash to ask me to take her training wheels off. She asks every day if we can go out and practice which we've done every day this past week. And just yesterday she learned to start the bike herself. No need for me anymore. It's such a hoot to watch little kids ride those little 12-inch bikes with their legs pumping as fast as they can go and really going nowhere. She's also learning to read very simple books.

Nate finally lost his first tooth and the other bottom is quite wiggly. If it doesn't come out this week I'm sure the dentist will pull it on Thursday.

No much with Erik. He and Nate have enjoyed playing tackle football in the yard every day after school.

Kiersten got brave and asked her orchestra teacher if she could move up to the intermediate class from the beginning. Her teacher agreed to let her try it. That means I no longer have to take her 3 mornings a week to the junior high. Intermediate is only 2 days a week and another mom and I are carpooling, so that means I only have to drive one morning a week. Very nice.

We still have an offer in on a short-sale house, but have completely done a 180 degrees. After walking through many homes and seeing things we liked and disliked, Tyler and I decided that maybe we should build. But where? Stansbury has a shortage of lots for sale and the ones that are for sale are priced too high or are small lots for what we want to build. There was a particular lot in the Ponderosa subdivision in Stansbury that was .81 acres but priced rather steep. We even went to the trouble of hiring an appraiser to appraise it just so we'd have something to back our offer. The seller came down a little but not much and so we were back to wondering where we could build that didn't need a septic system or a well dug. Lake Point to the north seemed like a good option with 1-acre lots. Our kids would still go to the same school, but they would be bussed and Ty has family out there. However, the developer was asking a lot for the land out there. It just was seeming like land in this area has not come down like other real estate properties or that sellers were willing to sit until the market turned around. We drove through Lake Point, liked what we saw (you can see the Great Salt Lake to one side and the mountains on the other), but were bummed about pricing. We gave our searching a rest for a day and then Tyler told me last Friday that a listing had come up on the MLS with 3 lots for sale in Lake Point that were significantly cheaper than what the developer was asking. This was a builder who had picked up these lots intending to build on them and is now in need of some cash and dumping some of his properties.

I was a little hesitant to move out of Stansbury. We've enjoyed living here and it is a nice community. Lake Point has a more rural feel to it and it will just take some getting used to, some adjustment like any move. I really feel that this is where we are to be, especially with the way these 3 lots showed up so suddenly. Tyler checks the MLS listings every day and we've never seen them before (even though there are for sale signs on the property that look like they've been there awhile). We are offering tomorrow. I hope all goes smoothly.

The Ultimate Oops

 Yep! We committed one of the most terrifying crimes a parent could be guilty of . . . forgetting your child.

Tyler and I have been shopping homes and looking through many model homes trying to get a feel for the different builders and layouts.

Today we were headed to Farmington to look at a model and had entered the freeway busily discussing a certain layout when Erik pipes up from the back that Nathan is not with us. We were stunned and shocked.

Unfortunately the next exit was about 5 miles down the road. We called the next-door neighbor and he kindly checked on Nate and gave him a popsicle while he waited for us to come back.

The sad thing is he had entered the garage just as the door was closing and had tried to flag us down. So he waited probably a half hour for us to come home.

Poor kid. He thought he was stuck at home til we came back later in the evening. We assured him nothing is more important than him. And if we had gotten all the way to Farmington, we would have turned right around and come back.

San Diego II

Back in January when we bought tickets for Sea World, there was a deal where if you bought the day you got the rest of the year free. So we took advantage of free and went again. As I was planning this trip I also discovered that the San Diego Zoo was free for kids during the month of October. Again we took advantage of free and discovered a very cool zoo.

It happened to be the hottest day of the entire trip and the kids didn't last very long. We did take the bus tour at the beginning, so I don't feel like we missed out on anything even though we didn't actually walk the whole zoo. I was very impressed with all the different trails and paths and how shaded it was. The gorillas were our favorite. They had a very active baby who enjoyed moving around a lot.

Our second time back to Sea World we went for a 1/2 day when we arrived and then headed back one more time on our last day. They were hosting a Halloween trick-or-treat and we planned to only spend a 1/2 day and then hit the beach one more time. And before we knew it the sun was starting to set.

We also tried out Legoland. I'm glad we did it while the kids are the ages they are. It really is a place for kids ages about 4 to 11. There were only a few rides that Ashlyn couldn't ride on because of height restrictions. For that reason alone I give it a thumbs up. Miniland, where they're reconstructed entire cities out of Legos, was very cool. It was so intricate it looked very real.

Our favorite place to eat was a place called Ruby's Diner, located at the end of a very long pier right by our hotel in Oceanside. In face we ate there two nights in a row. The food was great and Ty discovered a new way to eat fries . . . with lots of garlic. My brother Matt joined us for an evening at Ruby's and totally made Kiersten's day when he told the waiter, "I'll have whatever she's having" which was a child-size grilled cheese and a Sprite. He made her glow.

And then of course there was the beach. I definitely feel like we didn't get enough beach time. I'm sure we'll go back again and the beach will be number one priority now that we've visited most tourist destinations. And the zoo; I would love to spend more time at the zoo.

My Firm Foundation of Testimony

I had the opportunity to attend the General Women's Broadcast last night in the Conference Center and thought it a bit ironic that we would sing verses 1, 2, 3, and 7 of the hymn "How Firm a Foundation". Last week was our Primary program and the children sang verse 1 and then the congregation joined in on verses 3 and 7 of the same hymn.

1. How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled.

3. "Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

7. "The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never, forsake!"

I can't even begin to describe the power of singing with 20,000 other women that we will never forsake the gospel of Jesus Christ. I felt a little like one of Helaman's 2000 stripling warriors going into battle. It also brought back to rememberance the talk Sister Beck gave at BYU Women's Conference this last spring. In her talk she brought up the plague of pornography that is inundating the homes of good Latter-Day Saint homes and families throughout the world. She paused and then very forcefully said, "Fight!" "Fight pornography and defend our homes." It was very moving and actually brought the audience to spontaeous applause.

So I reaffirm Sister Beck's words to fight! Fight against all that is unholy and ungodly. Fight for goodness and virtue. Fight vigilantly for the family, for more time with our families, for less media and distractions.

My dad once told me the story of Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young. They were both called on a mission to England in September of 1839. Heber C. had just finished his new log cabin for his family that measured 14' by 16', and they left for their mission so sick and weakened by disease "that both of use could not take a common trunk two feet long and ten inches square and put it in a wagon." Brigham then said, "The Devil meant to afflict us to see whether he could not back us out; but he had two hard fellows to deal with."

Well, the devil has got a hard gal to deal with in Melissa Seamons Leary. I'm a fighter. I fear not what the devil can do, neither am I dismayed by the world in which I live. I will never desert to the other side, and I will never, no never forsake the testimony I have that God lives. His church is on the earth today, restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that God is in the details of my life and is very interested and concerned about me. HE KNOWS ME PERSONALLY BY NAME. Of that I declare with certainty.

Please refer to this blog post --

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

I regret to say I grumbled and complained A LOT even though I vowed last year I wouldn't do it. I had no ambition to do a Primary program this year and procrastinated very badly. Our theme this year was My Eternal Family and I knew I wanted the program to be presented in families instead of classes. In the previous two years I've decided not to have everyone "say" a part. This year I knew everyone would need a speaking part if we were going to have it presented the way I wanted it. I tried writing a program and got as much as a 1/2 page and finally consulted the internet where I came across a program that was written much better than I could ever hope to do and was basically what I wanted to accomplish. Some people just have a talent for such things. I am not one of them. Thank you lindblomaubrey on the Primary Page at Yahoo Groups.

It really did go well. The kids sang great, the program flowed fairly smoothly, and we ended on time (even with almost 100 kids speaking). And I'm breathing a little more easily tonight thinking there will be no more nightmares of chaotic Primary programs.

We ripped the strip. Does that mean it's time to move again?

While living in Magna, our project one spring was to rip the parking strip in front of the house and get rid of the grass. We didn't have a sprinkler system and I was tired of making sure it got watered. Plus the weeds were starting to encroach. Well, as soon as that was done, we put our house up for sale and moved.

Our spring project this summer was ripping 90 feet of parking strip, so we offered on a home several days ago. However, this doesn't mean a permanent move since we won't be selling our current home. We're looking at this as an investment opportunity.

Tyler's been surveying the short sale market for awhile and came across a house in Stansbury that was in desperate need of a yard. It's a 4000 square foot home on .68 acres (cul-de-sac) of weeds and a few bushes with a four-car garage for . . . you know . . . those people who only have one car :) We've deduced it was a young, first-time homebuyer who built the home, thus cutting corners (although they felt the need for a BIG garage). There are no vaulted ceilings, laminate counter tops, and the deck is okay but we would be taking a huge step back in terms of the deck and the yard. We're interested. It has potential. A lot of exhausting potential.

When Tyler first broached the idea I said no way. I didn't even want to entertain thoughts of starting over again. I've slowly warmed to the idea, but have not had any strong feelings either way. When we where living in a one-bedroom apartment, I knew it was time to move when we were expecting our second child. After walking through the Magna home, we sat in the car and I told Ty, "We found our home, didn't we." It just felt right. And it was. It was a good place for us. There was no urgency to move the second time around. I had just delivered our fourth child and didn't really want to think about moving, but we knew we were going to start feeling a little cramped. We went house hunting and I fell in love with our current floor plan walking through a different home. So when we got the flyer on this one and it was the same, those same feelings came back, "We found our home, didn't we." And Stansbury has been a good place for us.

Short sales are a funny business where the sellers are basically upside down in their loan but the bank doesn't really want to deal with a foreclosure. The bank, therefore, lets the seller try to sell it at a discounted price so they dont' have to. There is already an accepted offer on this house at the bank. But a myriad of different things can happen for it to fall through (buyers don't want to wait and back out, bank doesn't like the terms of the loan or the purchase price). The seller is also allowed to accept multiple offers. So technically we are in back-up status. The odds are not in our favor. We give ourselves about a 10% chance of getting this home, which won't break my heart. Short sales take a long time, anywhere from 3 months to a year. Time is certainly one commodity we have lots of. Patiently waiting it out just might make us the proud owners of a second home.

(Don't let the picture fool you; there is no good grass in the front. It's basically weeds.)

Salsa Jargon

Tonight we had salsa and chips.
Nate commented on how hot the salsa was.
I told him it was medium.
Erik said, "Does it come in small?"
I told him there was mild which wasn't as hot.
He asked if there was a hot one and I told him it was called hot.
"Is that like large?"

And now for the rest of the story

How do you put into words . . . feelings?

Today's sacrament meeting speakers spoke with such power. Several years ago a young man by the name of Kyle Copeland bore his testimony in sacrament. He was leaving home to go to college and he said with such tremendous power that I remember it still today, "I just want this ward to know that Kyle Copeland has a testimony." And I thought he's going to make a great missionary.

A couple of months later he got married . . . outside of the temple, and then I thought how did that happen.

Today I got the rest of the story. He's moved back home with his wife and they were our speakers today. She gave many examples of the times and places she has experienced reverence in her life. He spoke about the mistakes they've made in the past two years and how he desperately wished he had served a mission. When he was contemplating a mission he thought of all the pros about a mission: he'd be a better husband, a better father, etc. It wasn't until recently that he realized a mission isn't about the missionary, it's about service. Service to Christ.

Kyle had several experiences where he felt he was being knocked over the head by "spiritual angels." It was those ah-ha moments that led him to realize the lack of the spirit in his life. Last fall they decided to go through the temple and be sealed. After that decision was made, he said how he never felt the power of the adversary so strong in his life. Satan is very real. On the day they were to be sealed, they both overslept, finally got on the road to have their tire blow out. A brother stopped and picked them up, and halfway to the temple (which was 1 1/2 hours from their home) they realized they had left their marriage certificate in the car with the blown tire. In anything could have gone wrong that day, it did. But she relates the peace that enveloped her when she finally made it to the temple and sat down for a breather. "There is nothing more important than families." And that is why temples are so important because it unites families . . . for eternity.

I wish I could describe the feelings that I had during sacrament today. The spirit of Christ was definitely there. In fact at the end of Sister Copeland's talk she sang a beautiful rendition of "Where Can I Turn for Peace." It wasn't part of the program but part of her talk. After she sang the congregation sang a rest hymn "Hope of Israel" which is a rousing song designed to awaken the crowd for the next speaker. It just didn't feel right after her number.

I testify the spirit works through feelings. The whisperings of the spirit are felt with the heart and today I felt I could have floated out of church. Isn't there some way to capture it and put it in a bottle for those days when I feel so void of the spirit? It is definitely something to be seized every day, which isn't easy.

Anyway, I loved, loved sacrament meeting today.

Chewy Chex Mix

This is my latest addiction. I should never make this when I am alone. I can eat the whole batch myself.

Chewy Chex Mix

8 cups Chex cereal (any variety)

1 c. slivered almonds

1 c. coconut

1 c. Chinese noodles

1/4 c. butter

6 cups small marshmallows

Mix cereal, almonds, coconut, and noodles in a large bowl. Melt butter and marshmallows and pour over cereal mixture. Pour on wax paper and let set up. If you store in a storage container, don't store too tightly.

I did come across another recipe that uses 1 cup sugar, 1 cup corn syrup, and 1 cup butter. It also added 6 cups Golden Grahams and cut the Chex cereal to 6 cups. I'm going to have to try that one and see which one I like better. Do I dare?

I'm grateful for . . .

mountains so close to where I live.

the beauty of the earth.
the wondrous smells of nature.

It whispers to me that there is a God, a master designer behind it all. It's awe-inspiring to look at the flowers and trees that just grow and produce on their own, for mother nature who keeps it all watered. I simply cannot believe that a cosmic crash in space could produce something as beautiful as this earth. It takes more faith to believe in the Big Bang than to believe that this world is Someone's handicraft.

I just returned home yesterday from my first backpacking trip ever. Our little entourage included my brother-in-law Jason and three of his boys, Scott, Jeremy, and Porter along with our crew of Ty, me, Kiersten, Erik, and Nate. Since we had little hikers with us, the men decided on a relatively simple hike of about a mile to base camp. The lake we hiked to was Wall Lake. It was breathtakingly beautiful!

After arriving home, we set up the tents and put everything outside to air out and get the smokey smell out. Sometime around 2 am I awoke to hear something banging against our fence. Our backpacking tents (that are known to weigh hardly anything) had decided to take flight with relatively little wind. The 4-man tent was in the neighbor's backyard and the 2-man was hitting the fence even though Ty used rocks in place of the stakes. So at 2 am we were sneaking into the neighbor's yard (hoping their dogs were in the house) and gathering up our gear. Now we know why they advise using the stakes :)

She finally figured it out

We have a very obstinate child who goes by the name of Ash.

Today she refused to ask nicely for anything and simply demanded everything of everyone.

We are no longer putting up with it.

On the way home from the store she screamed at Erik for not sharing the M&Ms he so kindly bought for her with his own money (he took them back when she demanded he give them to her). And she screamed the entire way home giving us all a headache.

I immediately put her to bed and told her she could get up when she could ask nicely for some lunch (again, on arriving home she demanded lunch before putting her in her bed).

A half hour later I had to leave to go with Kiersten to a Mom/Daughter Stake Activity Days function and since she had continually come out of her room refusing to say please, I put her outside on a bench where Tyler could supervise the little stink while he worked on sprinklers.

When I arrived home, she had indeed finally said please and gotten some lunch AFTER TWO HOURS.

Tonight while I was washing her hair I asked what she learned today about saying please. She replied with "I FINALLY figured it out sitting on the bench."

Hallelujah!

Two great stories I heard this week on integrity

My definition of integrity is doing the right thing even when no one will know or see it. It's choosing the right in the dark. It's being a good person because you want to be, not because of a set of rules or commandments or because someone tells you to.

Erik

Several weeks ago Erik was grounded from having pop for a week because he got himself a rootbeer float and left a mess all over the counter. However, several days later he went to Grandma's for a week and she didn't know about the punishment. She asked if he wanted some pop one day and he told her how he was grounded until the first of August. Later that week on July 31 she accidentally poured him a glass of pop for lunch. He reminded her that he couldn't have pop to which she responded that she had forgotten. He decided that he would go ahead and drink what she had given him, but the next day (which was August 1) he would go without.

Nick

I don't know my cousin Nick at all, other than the time I babysat him and his siblings at Grannie's for my Aunt Lisa and he pooped all over my pants. He has just graduated from high school and is going on a mission in December. Financially, hard times have come to his parents and they are having a difficult time making ends meet. This kid works in a law office doing menial work I suppose.,When he gets his paycheck he immediately turns it over to his mother (probably after paying tithing on it). What 18-year-old kid would do that with his hard-earned money?

Inappropriate Invective

Driving home from the grocery store, I happened to get behind a small SUV with an F word phrase plastered all over the back window. I had two kids in the car with me who could read, and I didn't really appreciate the advertising. Thankfully neither Kiersten nor Nate acknowledged it. Gradually I reduced my speed and let him get far enough ahead that I couldn't read his back window. What did I do to him to receive that kind of upbraiding?

It got me thinking. Can a cop pull over a car tattooed with indecency and fine them? Or is that crossing the freedom of speech line? Is it the same for a school educator? Can they make a student change clothing if it is deemed inappropriate?

So I looked up the guidelines for our school. "Any clothing with vulgar words or inappropriate pictures will not be allowed at school." I only wish we had such a rule in force for the roads, especially since I didn't go looking for the smut. I don't mind bumper stickers; I find some to be quite comical. But this was no inconspicuous sticker, rather a blatant reminder that some people have no propriety.

I wonder what his neighbors think?

As a kind of comical side to this, Nate came to me the other day wanting me to spell this particular word being referenced so he would know when he saw it and wouldn't accidently say it. I told him there was no need for me to spell it; he would know it when he saw it.

Confessions of a Binge Reader

Information does not necessarily equal truth or goodness. With a wealth of information now so easily available at our fingertips, we must be careful and even prayerful in our pursuit of knowledge.

• Will this help my children and I grow closer to Heavenly Father and His Son?
• Will we appreciate God's creations better after reading this?
• Will this help my children and me to understand and love our brothers and sisters more?
• Will we be better children of God because we've read or studied this?

Perhaps the most important question we can ask as we seek learning in our homes is this:

• Is the gospel of Jesus Christ at the center of our learning?

I found this passage in a book titled Mothering with Spiritual Power by Debra Sansing Woods. I agree with her that we have to be selective in the things we read. The litmus test I give those things is whether it is "virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy," this is the reading material I seek after. I'm not afraid to put down a book if it doesn't meet the criteria.

The book for book club last month was The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. I had started a book by her before and couldn't get past the language. I was torn with this decision. Do I read the book so I can contribute to our discussion or don't I? I struggled for a few days and eventually decided to not read the book. And I feel like I made the right choice after hearing my book club's views of the book. Nobody liked it due to the subject matter which wasn't very "virtuous."

One of our favorite pastimes is the library. I believe so strongly in reading and wanting my kids to be readers and learners that we decided to pay the out-of-county fees at the Salt Lake County Library just to have more variety. In addition they each have their own card and library bag. I, myself, might be considered a binge reader. I've loved to read ever since I can remember. I would hole up in my room downstairs and read and read and read when I was a kid. My family called me a hermit. As a mother, some days I wish I could hole up in my room and read and read and read. But only if all my other motherly duties magically got done. Below is a picture of several books I'm currently in the middle of. I'm not one to read one book at a time.

I love Ty because . . .

he has my exceeded my expectations for the parking strip we've taken out.

Ninety feet of grass was just too much to mow (and edge every now and then). And the weeds were starting to encroach from the neighbor's yard. And the sprinklers weren't installed very well; therefore they didn't water like they should.

In the spring I announced that the summer project was the parking strip and that if it took me all summer to complete it, that would be okay. I didn't have high hopes to complete it quickly.
Ty helped get the grass out by renting a sod cutter. We put several signs around the neighborhood offering free sod and within three hours it was gone. What a blessing to not have to haul it away because it was HEAVY. I didn't expect Ty to help with much more. But almost every day he's been at it, moving dirt around, planting trees and bushes, rearranging the sprinkling system. The rain has also been a welcome blessing. I assumed I would be chiseling layers of clay until we had taken the entire strip down about four inches. Alas, the rain has kept the dirt soft.
What a great guy. He really stepped in and saw this project through to the very end. The finished masterpiece is just beautiful and I'm so excited about how much less I have to mow.

I'm grateful for . . .

1. Water. When that little stream into your house refuses to give of itself it makes one a little more grateful for the days it flows freely and abundantly. Last night no water came out of our taps. It happened suddenly and without warning. After an hour we got our water back when it was discovered that our sprinklers worked. Simply turning on and off a zone loosened whatever was causing our water difficulties. It sent me into emergency preparedness mode when I realized all the things we use water for. Thankfully I've got a little in storage, but maybe I could use some more.

2. Great neighbors who selflessly gave of their time this week in helping us move 11 tons of rock. There were 3 massive piles and within several hours we had it moved.

3. A healthy body that carried me up and over 6 miles of hills. I completed my first 10K that included part pavement and part trail. The last couple of miles I had a phantom runner behind me. She would catch up to me and then fall behind, catch up, fall behind. She literally kept me going that last mile. I did not want her to pass me. And she didn't. At the end of the race she told me I was her inspiration to keep going. We went camping to East Canyon and this race happened to start a 100 yards from our tent. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity and loved, LOVED running in the mountains early in the morning. There was no better way to start the day than to enjoy the beautiful, peaceful creations of God.

Laura Leary - My Amazing Mother-in-law

This is Laura when I joined the family:Then she was diagnosed with prediabetes and knew she needed to change her eating habits. She began eating more healthier and eventually started exercising. One day she told me she was running almost 3 miles every day. Her daughter, son-in-law, and I all persuaded her to sign up for the Ray Barrus Memorial 5K run on the 4th of July. So she did and completed the race without stopping. She came in first, being the only runner in her age division. WAY TO GO! She is a tremendous inspiration to me that when you set your mind to something, anything can happen. I sure do love her.

This is Laura today, after her first 5K:

"I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee . . . "

Oooh, he stung me!

I was rushing to get the lawn mowed before it rained . . . again. And in my hurry I decided to forgo the shoes and Mr. Bumblebee introduced himself to my foot.

I was rather rude and quickly made my exit to the house. Ty took care of the stinger for me and then he said goodbye to Mr. Bumblebee and obliterated him.

I haven't been stung since I was a kid and thought the pain would subside rather quickly. The pain went away eventually, but now I'm dealing with an itchy, swollen foot.

I hope it goes away soon. I've got a race to run next week.

Chocolate cake, for breakfast?

Bill Cosby Narrative

My wife woke me up 4:00 in the morning. She said, "I want you to go downstairs and cook breakfast for the children." And I looked at the clock and I said, "Dear, it's 6:00 in the morning." She said, "Exactly. Go down and cook for the children. They have to go to school." I said, "Yes, but to eat at 6:00, isn't that bad for your stomach? I mean, they just ate twelve hours ago." My wife said, "Bill, get out of that bed and go downstairs and cook breakfast for your children!!" I said, "Well, I don't know what they want to eat." She said, "It's down there! Now you get out of the bed!"

The first one down was the four-year-old. The child looked lovely. Cute little face, clean. Hair in little braids, little things, you know. "Good morn', Daddy." And I said, "What do you want for breakfast!?" The four-year-old has the ability to see through and find the wrong thing. The child saw through my body what was behind me. She saw the chocolate cake. She said, "Can I have the chocolate cake?" And I said, "Chocolate cake, where?" She said, "Chocolate cake behind you." And I looked... and there was chocolate cake! The child wanted chocolate cake for breakfast! How ridiculous! And I said... and someone in my brain looked under chocolate cake and saw the ingredients: eggs! Eggs are in chocolate cake! And milk! Oh goody! And wheat! That's nutrition! "What do you want?" "Can I have some chocolate cake?" "Chocolate cake coming up." Sliced it for her and served it. "Now, you need something to drink with the chocolate cake, something breakfast... grapefruit juice!" So I give the child a glass of grapefruit juice and chocolate cake --- nutrition. Eggs, milk, and wheat in the chocolate cake. And... I didn't have to cook. And the other four came downstairs. And when they came downstairs... Those of you who have children, you've seen them come downstairs for school. And they got to the kitchen. They saw the four-year-old eating chocolate cake. And they said, "Dad! Where did she get the chocolate cake?" And they went to the child and said, "How did you get chocolate cake?" She said, "Dad give me chocolate cake!" And they looked at me and said, "Father... could we have chocolate cake?" And their father said, "Chocolate cake coming up!!" Four slices --- and grapefruit juice! And five children sat at breakfast and the morning music was playing and they were eating chocolate cake and singing songs to me: "Dad is great! Give us the chocolate cake!" And we had a ball until...

And so this morning, on this last day of school, I fed my kids chocolate cake. I sense the beginnings of a long-lasting tradition.

I'm grateful for . . .

Where I live!

Ty and I were living in downtown Salt Lake City eleven years ago. I was commuting 15 miles to work during the day and Tyler was working nights only several blocks from home at Fidelity Investments. He was driving a 1980 Honda and I a 1991 Geo Prism. We decided to consolidate and give the Honda (affectionately named Ralph) back to his Uncle Medardo who knew of a kid who could use it.

Nancy and Medardo live in Lake Point, Utah, a place west of Salt Lake. I mean west, west, west of Salt Lake. [As a side note, I did work with a girl in Logan who was from Tooele. But I didn't have a clue where that might be.] They invited us out for pizza and we delivered Ralph. As we left that night I told Ty I felt like I was coming home. I loved the country and the small town atmosphere was so different that where we were currently living. I told Nancy I was moving out there some day.

Fast forward a year and we were in the market for a home. Kiersten had joined our family and Erik was quickly on the way. I knew we couldn't stay in our one bedroom apartment any longer. In our searching we decided to take a drive out to Tooele County. As we drove through Stansbury Park, we decided there was no way for us to afford it. It looked to ritzy for us (I have to laugh now at that thought). Tooele was too far and Lake Point didn't have any homes.

As I perused the classifieds one day, an ad for a home in Magna jumped out at me. It said nice neighborhood, family friendly, quiet street. Magna became home for 5 1/2 years during which we met many wonderful people. There are good people everywhere. The back of our house was to an open field for quite awhile, but along came development and every morning I would wake up and look out my kitchen window to see if the neighbors were having Frosted Flakes or Wheaties. That was just a little too personal for us. Ty put our house up for sale several days after I gave birth to Ashlyn and 2 1/2 months later we were in our new home in Stansbury, seven years after my original prediction.

What brought on this lengthy treatise was I went running this morning. My route took me out through Erda which is sparsely populated and just to the south of Stansbury. It reminded me a lot of running at home in Ferron. The birds were singing, the crickets were chirping. There wasn't a lot of traffic. My heart was a little full as I took in all of the beautiful sights and smells. You just wouldn't find this in Magna. I love that a mile from my neighborhood home I can find the country. Yes, Heavenly Father does love me.

Whenever I hear the song of a bird or look at the blue, blue sky,
Whenever I feel the rain on my face or the wind as it rushes by.
Whenever I touch a velvet rose or walk by our lilac tree,
I’m glad that I live in this beautiful world
Heavenly Father created for me.

He gave me my eyes that I might see the color of butterfly wings.
He gave me my ears that I might hear the magical sound of things.
He gave me my life, my mind, my heart; I thank him reverently,
For all his creations, of which I’m a part.
Yes I know Heavenly Father loves me.

Puppy love

Oh, to be a fly on the wall.

This is what I witnessed when I chaperoned Nate's class on their field trip to This Is the Place state park. I won't say my jaw didn't drop because I did have the presence of mind to snap a shot before pulling him away. I shouldn't have been surprised. This is a kid who's love language is touch. He loves hugs and rubs.

Several months ago as I was going through his backpack, I came across a little note that was apparently left in his cubby: "Dear Nathen, You are sweet. From Alyssa." He insists that they don't love each other, just like. That's good.

Erik, listening in on our conversation, voluntarily added that he kind of likes Bethany, a girl in his class and also in our ward.

Kiersten then added that she was the target of Josh's admiration this week. I guess he changes a lot. He told her he thought she was cute with her hair down (this is a girl who likes ponytails).

I wonder what other information might come my way if I'm quiet enough and just listen.

50 random things about me and a few more

This was something that was being circulated on Facebook for awhile. It was really write 25 random things about you at that moment. I thought I'd give it some time to see what I came up. I was surprised at some of the things I remembered.

1. I detest leftovers. Rarely do I ever eat them. I'm thankful Tyler doesn't mind cleaning them up for me.
2. I have never used an automatic car wash.
3. I am in my dad's camp.
4. I've scuba dived once and hated it. I felt very claustrophobic.
5. My little brother hit me on the head with a hammer. Luckily I only need 2 stitches, but now have a cowlick there.
6. I love my fireplace.
7. I love chocolate milk and toast. It's what I live on.
8. I dislike shopping in any form.
9. On my left little toe is a toenail so small it looks like there isn't one. Lucky for me I only have to paint 4 out of the 5.
10. I love, love to vacuum.
11. Going along with number 10, I love love to mow the lawn. It must be the straight lines I'm attracted to. I get apprehensive when Tyler mows because he tends to go circular or weaves.
12. I love to be outside in any season but winter . . . working in my yard, camping, playing. I am an outdoor girl.
13. But I don't particularly like water. I'll wade, but swimming is not my thing.
14. It must be because when you get out you're cold and I really don't like being cold. Therefore I don't like winter.
15. I wore braces for 3 1/2 years and a headgear for 3 1/2 weeks. I refused to wear it any longer.
16. We always had a dog when I was a kid. Most of them were yellow labs named Lady.
17. I teach my kids piano.
18. I've rappelled.
19. I was a speaker at my high school graduation. I think I spoke about being the best person you could be.
20. I enjoy playing ping pong and tennis. Actually I've never played a real game of tennis, but I enjoy hitting the ball and serving it.
21. I once spent a Saturday and took a pre-LSAT test (law school entrance exam) with Tyler just to see how we'd do. I scored in the 48th percentile.
22. I don't like being late. It makes me antsy.
23. I've never had a broken bone, lots of jammed fingers from basketball and sprained ankles, but never a broken bone.
24. I enjoy baking, not necessarily cooking. Maybe because I love the dough more than the finished product. Growing up we were a family who would eat half the dough before baking. I even have a stash of cookie dough in my freezer for such urges.
25. I am the oldest in my family of six siblings.
26. As I was growing up, my parents often referred to me as a hermit because I spent so much time in my room, usually reading. I love to read. I can be in the middle of lots of books and will usually finish them all about the same time and then start over on a whole new set.
    
27. In reference to #26, I would consider myself an introvert, however I derive my energy from being around other people. I'll come home from a meeting or an activity ready to tell Tyler all about it. I often don't go to sleep for awhile afterwards.
28. I love pepper, especially on fried eggs and salads.
29. I play the piano, have played the organ, and am trying the violin.
30. I cleaned houses to put myself through college.
31. I had mono when I was in 2nd grade.
32. I was the 6th grade chess champion.
33. I eat ice cream just about every night.
34. My favorite dessert is brownies with ice cream and hot fudge.
35. I love to eat out but rarely ever get dessert.
36. I usually eat some form of chocolate every day. I try to keep peanut M&Ms around, but chocolate chips do in a pinch.
37. I don't like to scrapbook, but now that I've started I feel like I must finish.
38. I was on the seminary council in high school.
39. In college I once accepted a date from a 35-year-old man with a mustache, but ditched him when he came to pick me up. I had no way to contact him to tell him I was backing out. WHAT WAS MY 20-YEAR-OLD SELF THINKING?
40. I ran my first 5K when I was 32.
41. Once my date in college took me flying and let me fly the plane for just a moment.
42. I'd rather eat birthday pie over birthday cake.
43. My favorite pies are chocolate and banana cream.
44. When I was 14 or 15 I drove a tractor up our willow tree. I thought it was going to tip over on top of me for sure.
45. I've been to Lake Powell many times . . . for the fishing (striped bass).
46. I was a bald baby and a thumb sucker until I woke up one day and decided on my own not to suck it any more.
47. I rarely make it through an entire movie. I tend to fall asleep.
48. Basketball is my number one sport. I played church ball, played my sophomore year of high school and played co-ed intramural basketball in college.
49. I was fired from a job after one day and was never so happy about it.
50. My passport has taken me to Ireland, England, and South Korea.
51. My first airplane ride was on my honeymoon to Seattle. The plane ride was the highlight of the trip.
52. I've been river rafting down the Snake River when I was 12 years old.
53. I've had a child with cancer.
54. I've had a child with a cleft in the uvula (the little hanging thing in the back of your throat).
55. I detest wrapping presents. They turn out so badly I'm glad I can blame my kids for how ugly they look.
56. I love raspberries and peas, especially eaten right out of the garden.
57. Ty was my first kiss and even then it was when I had fallen asleep during a movie (refer to #47). I didn't understand what all the hype was about and even told a roommate I didn't care if we ever did that again. It's much better now.
58. My first concert was Sawyer Brown. I've since been to Steve Miller Band, Celine Dion, Counting Crows, Neil Diamond (I'm raising 3rd generation Neil Diamond fans), Jon Schmidt, and a U2 cover band that sounded like the real thing (I won't say "better than the real thing").
59. I had my dad for a seminary teacher and really learned a lot about the Book of Mormon. Since I was also the only one who really played the piano, I quickly learned how to play as an accompanist. That was rather painful.
60. I've shot a .22 and a shotgun only once and have been snow skiing only twice in my life.
61. My first "real" car that I paid for was a red 1991 Geo Prism. That car would have gone forever and ever. But when Ty got a company car we had to part with it. I would buy another one in a heartbeat.
62. I grew up listening to FM100 and win "Name that Tune" every time when we are in the car listening to FM106.
63. I am a weather watcher. I have to know what the weather is going to be like for the next few days so I can plan my gardening, shopping, etc. I plan my days around the weather.
64. I don't own a cell phone.
65. I like the smell of gasoline and laughing gas at the dentist.
    

Honeybirds

Ash's name for hummingbirds.

I know I should not let her start school without correcting her.

But.

I just can't.

Nathan tried the other day to tell her they were called hummingbirds, not honeybirds. She refused to believe him. And she refused to call them anything else.

This is one thing I want to hold onto before she's no longer my baby.

Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting

One of my favorite sessions at Women's Conference was a class on fasting by Sister Kathleen Perrin. Fasting is one of the vices in my life. I like food too much and it's hard to go without. I read a biography on Ardeth Kapp, and in it she tells how once a week she would fast. I thought about doing it because in doing it I know there is tremendous power. But after a couple of times life crept up on me and I am again doing just the monthly fast that we as Latter-day Saints do.

How to Teach Children about Fasting

1. Teach by example

2. Teach the joy of sacrifice

3. Fast with a family purpose

4. Teach about the needy

5. Serve simple meals

6. Give up favorite foods

7. Give up snacks at church (for little ones)

8. Base fasting time on age

I've struggled in the past knowing how to teach my kids, especially when it's not something I really enjoy myself. But I came up with a couple of traditions to help remember that it's Fast Sunday and to enjoy the sabbath, not just endure.

1. We make it pizza night the night before, complete with cinnamon breadsticks. I always began fasting as a child the following morning, and it was hard to begin a fast that way when you're already hungry. This way we begin our fast with a meal and a prayer where ideally we discuss what or who we could fast for. It doesn't always happen that way but it's how I envision it.

2. Fast Sunday meal is always a roast and potatoes. Awhile ago we discovered that cross-rib roasts are soooo good cooked in the crock pot for 8 to 10 hours. So Fast Sunday morning I get up and put the roast in and then we eat later in the day, not right after church. It helps extend the fast a little longer. So far my kids have not complained about not eating immediately after church. It was only a couple of years ago that I fasted for an entire 24 hours. And each time gets a little easier.

3. This Sunday is also our journal Sunday. I want my kids to be journal writers and record their feelings and happenings in their lives. I know they'll appreciate it later when they are older and will be glad they've written. To help facilitate this we make a treat to be eaten Sunday evening AFTER they've written in their journal. Erik allowed me to read his journal today and it was the typical I did this today and we did that, and I decided I want to help with their writing by giving them assignments once in awhile to write on a particular subject.

Why We Feel Our Fast Is Not Answered

1. We cannot fast and pray away someone's agency. As much as we would like to, especially when we see someone making wrong choices, it just isn't in the Lord's plan. We should instead fast and pray to understand the Lord's will; to change the things we can change; and for strength to face challenges, not for them to be removed.

2. We do not understand the Lord's timetable. Sister Perrin gave an example of a family who fasted and prayed for their eldest daughter who was not yet married, who had been on a mission, earned her doctorate, and was teaching college classes. She did end up getting married, but much later in life to a student in one of her classes who was quite a bit younger. Some things just don't happen when we'd like and we have to have the patience and faith to accept that. The Lord is in charge!

3. We don't recognize the answer.

4. We are fasting for what we want, not for what the Lord wants for us.

5. We fail to see the many ways in which we have been blessed. Sometimes fasting should be just for the bounteous blessings God has given us.

6. We don't receive the answer we expect. Another story was told of a young woman who suffered through her teenage years with migraine headaches. Again the family fasted and prayed and thought they were not getting an answer. In her early 20s the prognosis came that one of her kidneys was not functioning and had not been since she was very little and it would need to be removed. After the removal of the kidney the headaches stopped. It was definitely not an answer the family expected.

The Lord answers our prayers more so when we fast, and prayer coupled with fasting is the way to understand Heavenly Father's will for us.