"There is Beauty All Around....

Atleast we have the beauty part and hopefully as the day goes on we will have the Love part as well. This morning didn't start off as well as we wanted...

Woke up this morning to Anna screaming because she needed to go to the bathroom but as long as Dad is around she won't get on the toilet by herself. She THINKS she has to have Dad help her. Well I am getting tired of it and getting a little worried that, seeing how he has been home all day since Friday, she just might be getting into a habit. So this morning I told JayDee to not get out of bed so I could see if she would get to the point where she just had to get herself on the toilet or what. Well, now I have more laundry to do and had to mop up the mess in the bathroom (at least it was in the bathroom and not somewhere on the carpet!). But with a threat of a spanking the next time she does it, I am hoping that she is cured of this bad habit. Anyway, I was going somewhere with this story...Being woke up by a screaming child sure does put a damper on such a sunny day. With not being able to go back to sleep I sure do hope the morning gets better and we are able to enjoy each other today!

So I am wondering how the amazing technology of computers can still be such a pain in the neck. I had so many good things to post yesterday but since I couldn't get into the blog to post it I am not sure if it will be the same. Yesterday, being the 5th Sunday, we had Priesthood and Relief Society together and our lesson was given by our Bishop. He taught us about the building up of the New Jerusalem and how we can be working for that right now. He asked us to think about whether we were converted to the Gospel or if we only had a testimony of the Gospel. Believe me, there is a difference. I sat listening to Bishop Allred thinking "Wow, I thought I was doing good but Boy, do I have a lot of work still to do!" We were told that it doesn't matter who gets called to work on the "Temple" as much as it does matter what we are doing right now to build Zion right here in our own Families, Wards and Stakes. That is the most important thing we can be doing. If everyone were to take care of their own families don't you think the world would be much better off and we wouldn't have to worry about our future and the future of our kids. Whenever I think about the future I get a little (ok, more than a little) afraid of what is still to come. But I was reminded of something Elder L. Tom Perry said in this last Conference. The talk is called "Mothers Teaching Children in the Home," and he says: "Parents must bring light and truth into their homes by one family prayer, one scripture study session, one family home evening, one book read aloud, one song, and one family meal at a time....The health of any society, the happiness of its people, their prosperity, and their peace all find common roots in the teaching of children in the home." Sounds so easy right? Well, guess what it is!! How many of you can be angry or upset at a child if you are holding them on your lap reading them an Elmo book, or singing them a song to help calm them down? I know I can't! It just takes me a minute or more to get to the point of remembering how nice it is to be singing instead of screaming!! As members of the Church we are blessed to be taught these simple principles and ways to help us on this road we are all on! I know I am glad to have any help I can get!

Here is to all of you. Hoping you have a fun and safe Memorial Day!

Supposedly there are many of you who think I have been slacking on this blog...well, you just might be right. I find myself so many times reading everyone else's blog and get down on myself because I don't have the words to say or the pictures to show off so I just don't do it. Don't get me wrong, there are so many things I could share with you all but I think sometimes as Mom's what we think is so neat and cool really isn't too others. But I have come to look at this blog as a way to keep a journal for pulling from later so you will all have to put up with my posts whether or not they are neat and cool!!

I won't even begin to try to update you all on what has gone on. I will just tell you the most recent events for our family. Beginning with the youngest - Emmalee is MOST DEFINATELY in the TERRIBLE TWO stage. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to be in the last of this dreadful stage (those of you who haven't experienced it yet, I should really tell you HOW WONDERFUL IT IS!! But I can't!) I still think she is super cute and she really is a joy to be around (as long as she is getting her way). She LOVES to be outside and that is where we can usually be found lately! I have found out the hard way that she is not scared of things that the older ones mjost definately were, such as mice. One beautiful, sunny day Anna, Emmy and I were out back playing. Anna told me that she could see a mouse under the trampoline. I was on the phone with one of my friends trying to help her get an email address and really did think I was okay in getting the address for her and getting the mouse when I was done. But, I now know better, Emmy came into the house carrying the dead mouse in her hand and tried handing it to me. I learned from Grammy Nelson's experience and will never hold out my hand when the kids are trying to give me something. I tried to convince Emmy that it was gross and that she needed to throw it away. I don't know what made her more sad, me freaking out or me making her throw it away.

Anna has also given us one of our firsts...The day after Emmy's mouse adventure JayDee found a tick on Anna's head. It wasn't in her head yet but it was pinched on ready to go in. I learned that you can get ticks even though we had only been in our backyard. Anna turned 4 in April and we are looking forward to her going to Preschool in the fall. She had her pre-preschool screening last week and we were told that she scored lower than they would like to see on her vision but we all think it was due to her being shy. So, who knows, she may just have to stay home with me for another year. You would think that with all the older kids getting to go to school she would be looking forward to it but I guess I am just SOOOO much fun she wants to stay with me!!

Cora turns 6 next week and just graduated from Kindergarten. She loves school and has really proven to us just how smart she is. She loves to read and on many nights, when Brooke and Jayden will fight the 20 -30 min reading, she can be found reading for 30 -60 minutes at a time. She was very excited to be included in on so many fun field trips this year. For the very first time she has begged to have her hair grow long so she can cut it and give it to other kids (locks of love). It seems to be the big thing out here lately. Those of you who knew Cora when she was younger, know that she HATED to have her hair combed because of the snarles so we always kept it short to lessen the snarles. I know that she is serious about wanting to do this because everyday when SHE combes out her hair she makes a point to show me just how long it is getting and how much more she has to grow it to!

Jayden is 7 1/2 and is very much looking forward to being baptized next March. He really has grown up a lot this year. We have gone through TOO many clothes of his this year. But his height isn't the only difference in him. He has become such a handsome, carring, and amazing young boy. He is happy and so much fun to be around (not that he wasn't before, just more so now!) He is loosing teeth like you wouldn't believe. I think he sits in school and just pushes back and forth on his teeth to make them loose. I would bet that he has lost the same amount as his older sister!

Brooke will be 9 in August. One more year closer to teenage years (not sure how I feel about that!). She is the best big sister. She fills in when I am not feeling well but isn't overbearing. She loves to help in any way she can. Even if EVERYONE else is being lazy she feels like she has to be doing something and will ALWAYS come and tell me she wants to do something for me and what can she do. She will put the laudry from the washer to the dryer and start it, she will empty the dishwasher (even if it isn't her turn) and will snuggle with anyone who will let her (I haven't seen Jayden snuggling with her but Cora, Anna and Emmy can often be found laying right next to Brooke as she reads to them or just watches a movie. As much as it pains me that they are snuggling with her and not me I LOVE to see it. It makes me so happy that the young ones have such a great example and a great big sister who loves them and wants to be with them. About a month ago, I was getting "bots" on Brooke and happened to notice that her ear looked swollen. I soon found that she was having a reaction to the metal earrings (just like me). But luckily she had in hoop earrings and not studs. When I was 12 my skin grew over my earring and the Dr. had to pull it out through the back of my ear (OUCH! makes my ears hurt just remembering!) Everything is better now. She will just have to wear the more expensive earrings just like her Mom!!

As for me, I am very much looking forward to this summer. I am hoping to get many weekends of camping in seeing how for the first time I don't have a baby!! Emmy is old enough to enjoy being out camping with us and even though I will worry about the fire and her (any of the kids for that matter) we can still go and enjoy it! Any of you up for camping with us just let us know! We would love to have people come and play with us!

JayDee and I were called and set apart as Stake Indexers a couple months ago. We both have enjoyed doing this important work. We also found an incredible show on NBC that we loved watching - "Who Do You Think You Are" It took celebreties and showed them their ancestors. Each week, I would turn to JayDee and tell him how incredible it would be to do something like that. So that is my new goal, seeing how we have the tools at our fingertips thanks to the internet. I will let you know how it goes.

JayDee is still loving his job and I am loving him not being in the Bishopric although he is just as busy with his new assignment. His GREAT love is back again for the summer! He has pet hummingbirds and loves playing with them and making sure they have enough to eat. I say this with sarcasm but I am also serious! I have the pictures to prove it! He has taken a normal feeder and upgraded it so that it has more seating. A normal feeder can feed 4 at a time but he has doubled it. So far we have seen as many as 15 hummingbirds at one time swarming the feeder. And just today we had the most gorgeous flourescent yellow/orange bird (about the size of a robin) pirched on one of the stands trying to feed. We have the feeder right out the kitchen window so we get to sit and watch them play all day long.So, there you have it! I have updated you on what has been going on! I hope that does the trick.