To Have A Dog You Must:

1. Provide a comfortable bed.
2. Provide blankets for your dog to "burrow" in once in his/her comfortable bed.
3. Provide a spot away from the chaos of everyday life to put his/her comfortable bed with blankets for "burrowing."
4. Do not allow your family to let the dog onto the furniture because that will lead to other inappropriate canine habits.
5. Remember to always treat your dog as a dog and not as a human.
6. Always remove the dog nicely from a situation that could get him/her in trouble.


7. Shake your head and sigh when your dog decides against using his comfortable bed, blankets for "burrowing", and quiet location.
8. Scratch your head and laugh when he decides to stake claim to the family couch while laying in your son's container to hold his cars.
9. Feel super embarrassed when you find yourself trying to verbally reason your dog just as you would attempt to reason with your children.
10. Just leave the dog there. He isn't hurting anything is he?

President Gordon Bitner Hinckley

“...firm as the mountains around us, I see so many good people everywhere—and there’s so much of good in them. The world is good. Wonderful things are happening in this world. This is the greatest age in the history of the earth. Be believing. Be happy. Don’t get discouraged. Things will work out.”

That's how I will remember President Hinkley. Always optimistic. Always energetic and always sincere.

Next to president David O. McKay, President Hinckley was the the oldest living prophet. He became President of the church in 1995. In March 2005, President Hinckley, together with Thomas S. Monson and James E. Faust, celebrated their tenth anniversary as the first presidency—the first time in the history of the church that a first presidency had continued for such a period of time without personnel changes.

At the time Hinckley became President of the church he had dedicated 23 of the church's 47 temples and had rededicated four of the remaining 24. While president of the church the number of temples worldwide more than doubled, to more than 120.

My friend Ann has a picture of President Hinckley in her home that I absolutely love. It was taken while he was attending a football game at BYU. The joy on his face! The excitement in his eyes is so contagious. I think (and this is my personal opinion)that I can even see that glimmer of a prankster in is eye. I know the look well because Jason has passed it to all his children.

I have heard people refer to different Prophets as "their Prophet." Meaning that was the Prophet they most related to. I know that President Hinckley is my Prophet. He was Prophet when I graduated from high school, got married, graduated from college, had my babies, lost grandparents, struggled, and rejoiced. His dedication to building Temples was always exciting for me. I loved to hear where the church would gain a House of the Lord. And rarely did he ever announce just one. He always announced a few at a time. I love that! I knew his passing would be a sad day but i am humbled by what his life meant to mine. I am grateful for his service and his teachings.

President Hinckley has earned his rest. At 97 I think he could out-work me any day. The man was a worker bee. So tonight we will talk about President Hinckley's life at family home evening and then we will talk about how wonderful it is that even though he is gone we will have a new Prophet and we will love him just as much as President Hinckley.

Breakfast Of Champions

It's Saturday. That means Daddy is in charge of breakfast. The kids have never been so happy to sit for breakfast. After we were done, (yes, I did partake) the kids were wondering what amazing thing Daddy had in store for lunch and dinner. Heck-I was curious too. I was thinking donuts for lunch and huge spoon fulls of sugar for dinner.This may very well have been the most exciting thing ever for little "Miss no-sugar-ever" Braley. She literally left her bowl without a drop of evidence that Ice Cream was ever present.Ansen was sure happy about a heaping bowl of ice cream. Boy is he going to be mad when he gets Cheerios from me tomorrow.Jayden declared this "the best breakfast ever!" No argument there.Nothing like a good old fashion breakfast!

Jayden And Martin

Martin. That's how Dr. King is known at our house. First name only. Jayden just spent the past few weeks studying the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at school. At first, I was very impressed at the level of interest she took in his life and mission but now that I think about it I am more than impressed. Jayden really wants to make everyone equal. Jayden has always been aware of each individual around making sure everyone received equal treatment.
I was talking to her this morning and I asked her why she liked Martin so much. Her reply, "Mom, he wanted what I want. HE knew everyone needs to love each other for who they are." She went to play and then came running back...."HE wanted his little kids to live just as happy as I live. I want all kids to be happy. That's why I like Martin. He just made sense."
I love that she identifies with good people and she worries about fairness and other peoples happiness. That's why I love her. She just makes sense.

My Ovaries Hate Me

They do! I am really upset with them as well. I have been having this awful pain in my abdomen once or twice a month for the past few months so I finally went to the doctor to find out what in the world was happening to my insides. After a pap, two different kinds of ultrasounds (internal and external), blood work, and a urine work up, the results are in. I have a Hemorrhagic Cyst on my right ovary and a plain-old-everyday cyst on my left. Bugger!
So to all you ladies out there...anyone else have one of these bad boys? Honestly--I know the pain is coming back within the next week or two (comes about the time of ovulation), and I was wondering if anyone has a tip on how to avoid some of the nauseating pain. Drink more water? Exercise? Don't exercise? Eat raw veggies while standing on my head? A little help here....
My cyst has some bleeding. However, as bad as that sounds, that’s actually a good thing. The bleeding causes eventual rupturing. By rupturing, it will likely take care of itself with no surgery necessary.
So, overall, there is good news and bad news. The good news: the cyst is benign and has already begun to rupture. The bad news: IT really, really, really HURTS!
I have tried to milk it.
Kids: "Mom, can you get me a snack?"
Me: "I'm sorry, I can't. My cyst hurts."
*
Kids: "Mom can we go to Disneyland?"
Me: "Are you kidding? What if my cyst ruptures on Splash Mountain? That would be embarrassing!"
*
Jason: "What's for dinner?"
Me: "Dinner? You want me to cook when I have a bleeding cyst? That's not sanitary. So...where are we going to eat?"
What good is this thing if I can't even get some sympathy or a free dinner out of it?:)

A Style Of Their Own

What happens when you say, "Kids go get your pajamas on?" These two (excluding their brother for once) and their major pajama mishaps would for sure make Blackwell's worst dressed list. No doubt. But they do live in Portland so I am fairly confident that someone would compliment their style. Personally, my eyes hurt just looking at all colors, prints and overall hideousness of the ladies choices of evening attire. I'm just glad they have clothes on.

What A Day

Some days just don't end. Yesterday was one of them. I am going to make a quick list of what happened yesterday just so when I sit around thinking, "Gee, I wish I had more to do", I can re-read this and come to my senses!

6 am: Up and at 'em
6:15-8 am: Make lunches, iron clothes, wake kids, make breakfast, do hair, dress kids, feed dog
8 am: Drive girls to school (we missed the bus), run a few quick errands around town before the day gets away from me
8:35-10am: Shower, eat breakfast myself, clean up breakfast, make beds, vacuum floors, deal with 3 tenant issues, prepare for Presidency Meeting, sing silly songs with Ansen and Jalen
10-11:30 am: Presidency Meeting. We are being released. Emotionally exhausting. The two wards in our town are having the boundaries realigned and so we will be gaining a mass of new families as well as losing some wonderful ones. I am excited for the change but am really going to miss my calling and serving with the sisters I do.
11:45-1:30 pm: Run Ansen to school, run to the Elementary school to finish a few projects, run to the bank, run back to pick Ansen up from school. (well, not literally run but I was moving!)
2 pm: Boys lunch, me-fold laundry
2:30 pm: Ansen starts crying and pulling on his left ear. Ugh...
3 pm-4pm: Go to MY doctor appointment for a internal ultrasound and external ultrasound. Too much info? Sorry, but I have these dang fibroids on my uterus that are really starting to give me some grief so we needed to get some pictures. The appointment was only supposed to be 20 mins. An hour later I was done. The boys were very good playing and looking at books.
4 pm: Go pick up unwilling ladies at a friends house.
4:05-4:15 pm: Braley takes forever putting on her shoes!
4:20 pm: Haul all four kids into the doctors office so Ansen can have his ear looked at.
4:20-4:50: sit and wait with 4 kids in a tiny patient room. Ugh...
4:50 pm: Wonderful doctor looks in all four kids ears. Jayden and Ansen both have double ear infections. Could someone please say something before they get awful and nasty? No. I swear, I am just waiting for CPS. Neither of them were running fevers or in major pain. Ugh...
5:15 pm: Make dinner for us and the Missionaries.
6 pm: Jalen heads home for the night, pick up kitchen, drop dinner at the Elder's apt. Jason wasn't home so they couldn't eat here.
6:15-7 pm go get prescriptions, try and get kids to take prescriptions, get to final enrichment as Tualatin 1st ward.
7-8:30: Enrichment. Ahhh....it was nice.
8:30-9:15 pm: Get home. Get kids in jammies, on potty and into bed.
Rest of night: finish cleaning kitchen, put away some folded clothes, clean bathroom...kiss Jason and go to bed.

So on the days I feel a little less than productive I will remember that I get plenty done, just sometimes it all ends up getting done on the same day!

2008

Oh yeah, ringing in the New Year with banging on pots and pans. That's how we celebrate. I am almost certain that neighbors really didn't appreciate all the racket but it was midnight and it did only last for for one minute. The kids thought that it was "wicked cool" to make all that noise so late and they are anxiously awaiting next New Years so they can do it again.
We took the kids roller skating for the first time ever to celebrate the New Year. They loved it and boy, were they exhausted. Jason and Danna-Banana were speed demons out on the floor, whipping past all the little kids. Of course we participted in a little roller skating limbo and chicken dance too! Jason and I even acted all lovey dovey and couple skated when the chance arose. I forgot how fun roller skating is. We have some bruised bottoms and sore elbows but all in all we came out relatively uninjured. Jayden and Braley have started the "can we go skating again today?" campagin and Ansen is hoping for "...kating for family home evening." hmmmmm...I'm game.