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July 2009

What a weird feeling. I am actually posting! I know you all can die of shock now. What can I say? I have already said it all before. I haven't been able to find the time. And then I got so far behind that it seemed overwhelming to post. So now that the kids are back in school, I just plain am going to have to try to fit a few in. This is my journal. And there is a great big fat hole now in it called SUMMER. Back in the saddle again! Here we go!

One other important note. Well maybe not so important to you. I have decided to go private. Yep. So it is only important to you if you want to be invited. :o) I got a phone call from a man two weeks ago. He knew our names and threatened us. He threatened to hurt us and threatened to black mail us for money. As you can imagine, I flipped and am now a little more paranoid. Yes I called the police, but I have decided that I just plain have too much information on here and way too much precious cargo to lose. Have not figured out how to do it yet, but I am going to. So comment if you want me to invite you. Or if you have my email, please email me so you can be included. I won't be offended if you don't. Really we are not all that exciting. LOL! It would help a little if I wrote. . . . .

Have a super weekend!

With our kids growing up, it was my first chance to go to on a field trip with any of my kids.  It was fun!  Ellie got to tag along too.  This is her class standing in front of a huge section of a sequoia tree. We went to a county museum and learned a lot about the history of our valley.  I learned a lot and feel ashamed that we hadn't been to the museum as a family.  We also took a walking tour of our city's historical sites.  Hence the picture of the girls altogether in front of the first school in our city that has since been restored and made into the children's library here.  As much as I hate projects, this was very informative and Kate did a great job.  (I would hate the projects if we just got started earlier.  Well we always start early and then don't get it fnished until midnight before it is due.  OF COURSE.)

Kindergarten Celebration

Hard to believe school is OUT for the SUMMER! On June 3rd Abby and Sarah had a special program at school to celebrate their "graduation" to 1st Grade. They sang (all 5 classes) and we saw a fun slideshow of the year. They were so cute! They have learned so much. I have to say their teacher Mrs. Simons was the best! She is one of my favorite teachers EVER. I was constantly amazed at how kind and thoughtful she was and is! I have never had a teacher express so much appreciation for my work in the class. She always thanked me profusely for coming in and volunteering. It made you want to go everyday just to be uplifted by her. I pray Ellie gets her for kinder too. Mrs. Simons was also so great at helping Abby and Sarah learn and grow. I can't say enough about her!

Some highlights of the year: 100th day of School, Halloween Math and Science Day, Pajama Day, Zoo visit, Valentine's Day Serenade, Christmas Parents Day, Water Day, Easter Egg Hunt, Readers Theater (Sarah the fox and the horse in the Gingerbread Man, Abby as the Cat and the Wife in the Big Turnip) and lastly Kindergarten Celebration.

all the pics are from their last day of school. . . . .  

I admit. It is too much.

I have to finally admit that I can't do it all. I kept thinking that I was drowning a little. Drowning in life. Drowning is a strong way to describe how I have felt, but it certainly fits. It would seem that I kept trying to keep my head up while treading in the water. But the water has been getting higher lately. It seemed that the water not only rose, but got choppier. I got to the point that only my nose and lips were above water. The worst part was that I seeemed to be adding more water to my already percarious situation. Everything from working in kid's classrooms, helping with the PTA, Young Women activities, meetings, projects, fund raisers, kids, discipline, laundry, gardening, lawn mowing, bills, piano lessons, bathrooms, bed wetting, sick kids, family outings, cooking, cleaning, babysitting, errands, etc etc. I didn't even get time to talk to my Mom. I used to talk to her everyday. And I kept missing phone calls of my sisters and good friends. I think I realized that I was drowning, when I started to cry in front of Abby and Sarah's teacher. Bawling. I decided that I was going crazy. Not just the usual crazy that I mention all the time. I am talking the truly almost mental and emotional breakdown stage. Do I dare admit this? That I thought for a bit that I should just stop volunteering, ask to be released and crawl in bed. The very least I had to do was quit blogging. So for the last two months I have desperately tried to keep myself from sinking. I think my kids and husband have suffered the most. I used to think I didn't PMS. But I think it lasted for weeks this month. But I finally decided one day that I was trying to do it alone. That once again hadn't I learned it was impossible to do? That only with Heavenly Father's help can I make it! I know I am slow to learn. But here I am. Blogging. It must mean I didn't drown. Does it mean I am out of the water? Nah. I think the water is permanently a part of life. So it means I have to look at all this treading as good exercise. And that when it really is too much, there is someone who has literally walked on water and can help.

I promise myself that next time I'll actually talk about something inspiring and fun. And I promise to cover the last few months. There has been much good to report too!

As soon as my computer returns from the computer doctor. It has died. It has been dead for quite some time. And now we await its revival. . . .

The FLU

It is an ugly nasty little bugger. Oopps. I think my Canadian friend once told me that was a bad word in Canada. Is that true? If it is I might still need to use it. This week my dear sweet love of my life was stricken. I mean stricken with the FLU. Poor poor man. He threw up so much I began to be very worried. Add the shakes, chills, high fever and wa la, he was dehydrated. From Monday until today, it has been torture. He drug himself to work today after being out the last two days. I love Knight. I mean really I am grateful he has a job, but doesn't anyone there believe in compassion for the individual? That their employees are not machines that are unbreakable? That illness happens and there isn't a darn thing that can be done about it. I keep calling to check on him. I think he is surviving. Still no solid food down him yet. Just liquids and soup. And now the littlest of our chicks spewed her stomach contents all over my brand new shirt this morning. I had only just bought the shirt two weeks ago and was saving it for a beautiful spring day. Ha. It lasted oh what 20 minutes? The barf managed to make it down IN my shirt all the way to my waist. Mmmm. It was beautiful. Really does prove that I don't need new clothes. :o) I take that back. I do. :o) (this is in case my hubby reads this and is looking for a mother's day gift. Ha ha!) In all reality I do have to be grateful, for it was only one barfing by the little one and maybe we have hope that is not the same thing her sweet Daddy got. She is snuggling with me as I type. Please no more!

As for me, I have slept little, eaten mostly chocolate to stay awake, wiped door handles and such with clorox wipes, washed and washed some more, cleaned the shower for the first time in (well I can't say. CPS might come and take me away.) and I even planted a few petunias. My garden is growing of sorts and I would kindly ask Mother Nature to slow down. Summer doesn't need to bully Spring. It can't get hot this fast! And now I am off to wrestle the kindergateners who are playing instead off working.
oodles of love to you. . . .

Greatest Desires

On Friday, Darin and I attended the temple. It felt so good to be there. We had a great time. I was one of the very first ones in the celestial room and Darin was one of the last. I gave him a hug and said, "I hope I don't have to wait that long in heaven." :O) That is truly what it felt like to be there in that room with Darin. I had the most INTENSE desire to have our kids with us at that very moment. I even told Darin, "I want them here NOW." I have longed for that and have looked forward to that, but for some reason it really touched me on Friday. It without a doubt became my GREATEST DESIRE. Please, Kate, Sarah, Abby, Ellie, come with me to the temple someday. Please! It is the best place on earth. I want to be there with you. It is the closest thing we have on this earth to what it will be like when we die. We can get a taste of what it will be like to be together forever. I will pray everyday and every night that we will stand together in the Lord' s House someday.

Then on Saturday, I had the privilege of being at the broadcast for the young women. It was SOOooo good. I actually got to sit by my YW. And it felt so good. I wanted to embarass them and wrap my arms around them and squeeze tight! I think it is the mother bear syndrome. I want to protect them from all the world does, believes, and from all the hurt that can come fighting the battle everyday. But as they showed the video of the temple and all the youn women, I again had an intesnse desire. It was a desire to see each of my young women in the House of the Lord. If only I could have bottled up my feelings of just 24 hours ago and open it up for them to experience. I was reminded of a time at girls camp oh so long ago. yea, I admitted my age in the previous post. Wow. Anyhow, I remembered hiking with President Stevens. I think Miche that you were on this hike too. I remember President Stevens point blank asking me on this hike if I was going to get married in the temple. I think I thought it was an odd question to be asking me on a hike, but I answered yes that I was going to be married there. He said, "When you get married in the temple, I will be there." I was so impressed at that moment that he cared. As a leader, I am so impressed that he took the opportunity to teach me and to come right out and say what needs to be said. He wanted me to know that it was IMPORTANT. I am so glad that he was there in sealing room with me almost 11 years ago. It meant so much. I hope my young women know that I too would give anything, just like my daughters, to be with them too when they marry in the temple. It is another of my greatest desires.

Slacker!

Yea I know. I am a slacker. This is supposed to be a journal. I just skipped over the last two weeks. Surely SOMETHING OF NOTE happened in the last two weeks. I can tell you that there have been more revelations in this house. I discovered that I am a yeller. All right I am confessing. This is a personal thing I am sharing, but this is my journal. Anyhow, I have always thought I was yeller. The true realization hit when I sat down to find the March Ensign. (our Church magazine that comes every month. It has inspirational stories in it.) We have this large square ottoman that has storage in it. Inside is a wonderful aray of everything you don't know where else to put. I even find children in there too sometimes. (No I don't banish them there, but it is a favorite hiding spot. :) In there are months of Ensigns and Friend magazines, Pottery Barn magazines (yes it is my secret dream to do Everything pottery), books, throws, pillows etc. I was looking through about 50 magazines when for some strange reason I was drawn to open March 2006. I was totally getting off task, but I began reading. And that is when I saw an article about yelling. It hit like a ton of bricks. I have GOT to be better. It was as if the Lord WANTED me to read this article. I hadn't picked up or opened anyother issue but that one. I fasted for humility yesterday. I felt very humbled after reading this article. Was I any better today? Considering I had one child knock a two day old lamp off a table, had one child wet her pants, another flood the bathroom and one who had to pee in a cup and missed?!? on me?!?!?! I think I did okay. Not great, but better than I would have. Well maybe.... Man I am a work in progress.

On the happy and light note, tonight we were trying to teach Ellie how to say how old she is. She knows she is 2 and had told me several times and even held up two fingers. But this morning she said she was 6 and tonight well she had aged. She was now 8! Ellie then said how old are you Mommy? I said, "I am 32!" "Daddy?" she said. I said, "Daddy is 37." Sarah says you are OLD Daddy." Abbys says, "You are almost to a 100!" Sarah, "Daddy you are going to get fatter." Ahh they never fail to make me laugh.

Kate was allowed to check out books from the library. 8 in fact. She devoured them. Man, if only I had the chance to read that much. She is so funny. I have found her with her blinds open at night trying to read by moonlight. I find her outside on the swing, on the floor, on the couch. Reading is definitely her passion. Now that is a girl after my own heart.

So now that you have read my confession, listened to my ramblings and are wondering why you are still reading, I am going to go. Ooodles of love to each of you. . . .

PS Shelley, how did the tulips go? I am sure they are beautiful. Just like you!

Guess What!

Darin came in tonight, walked to the sink and said,
"Amy, look I am taking off the lids." LOL!

Guess we BOTH learned something!


Darin would say you should always KISS and make-up!
Close your eyes! it is PDA on the blog!

Dang Cute

Okay, I know I said a bad word. Honestly, I don't think dang is a bad word. But I do tend to say it a bit much. And it only seems bad, when it starts coming out of your 2 year old's mouth. But don't you think she looks dang cute?

So last Thursday, I was washing the dishes. Darin was graciously loading the dishwasher. We were working hard. We started to get snippety with each other. I know, hard to imagine us love birds snipping. I was telling Darin to quite leaving his tupperware in the sink with the lids still on. I said, "if you come home and leave the lids on, by the time we get the lids off to wash them (sometimes it can be days) you pull the lids off and it is an immediate assualt of the senses. Gag puke, yuck! Fermented food. Sometimes he leaves them in the car for a few days, throws them in the sink and then I get to open it for yummy surprises. So in my tired I am done with the day Mommy mode, I gave him some guff for doing it. He in his I am tired done with work and done with helping after working all day mode, said something back. I don't even remember what it was, but it tempted me beyond my abililty to control. I grabbed the nearest glass filled it with water and splat right in his face. Well, he calmly walked away. I thought oops I have upset him. I started to feel guilty. I decided I had better go apologize when he comes running in with the spray bottle. I run straight for the other spray bottle and battle ensues. We were running through the house. We were laughing so hard. Then I decided I needed a better defensive position so I ran like crazy to get to a better spot. Only I forgot that we had sprayed water all over and the floor was wet. I have never had my feet swept out from under me quite like that. I hit the floor so fast. It was like lightening. I caught myself first on my arm and then my hip. It was one of those involuntary moments when screaming just escapes and there is nothing to keep it inside. Now 4 days later, I AM STILL HURTIN'. Diagnosis: Severe contusion. No broken bones. Severe contusion? How about my arm may never be the same! OUCH! So I have learned several things from this experience. 1. I am getting old and don't heal quickly 2. Never fight with your husband 3. You get what you get if you start the fight 4. Remember floors get slippery if you get them wet 5. Didn't my Mom always say, "it is fun until someone gets hurt."? Aren't Moms always right?

This is my arm. You really can't see the bruise, but it is SWOLLEN.

Wishes

Needing to send a few wishes out:

For my Dad! Bronchitis and Pnuemonia?!?! Get in BED DAD! Prayers of healing coming your way.
For Savannah, congrats on being baptized this coming Saturday. We will be thinking of you! Have fun with all the family. Wish we could be there.
For Kent and Pat Barton, they lost their son-in-law unexpectedly. Prayers for your daughter, granddaughters and your whole family.
Prayers for my young women, I never stop praying for you.
Prayers for our nephew Curtis in France. My the gospel spread and may you stay safe!
Prayers of gratitude for Jill and Colter. He got a position at PRINCETON!!!! Were we ever really worried for you? WAY TO GO! PRINCETON?!?!? YOU ROCK!

Lastly, prayers of gratitude for ice cream. It's what gets me through. :o)

PS Shelley, I did I ever tell you how cute the family reunion invitations turned out? We have it on the fridge! It got our kids SO excited. Thank you!

PPS Sarah, thanks for sending this dress. She looked so CUTE in it!

Mormon Temples

Our temples are sacred places. What we do there is not secret. It is just too sacred to splash all over. We don't need to have it printed in magazines, put into movies or on television. We hold it close to us. We respect the covenants we make with God inside the temple. And this is why it is sad to see television producers, actors and such make shows like "Big Love." It shows disrespect and disregard for all that is sacred to us as Latter-day Saints (Mormons). It also is impossible for an ex-mormon to give an accurate and unbiased view of the temple ordinances. It is like asking someone who has race issues to write a history of the civil rights movement. It would be skewed, incorrect and biased. If you want to know why we build temples and why we go there, see this video clip. The temple is the most beautiful, peaceful and spiritually uplifting place you can be on earth. It is one of my most treasured gifts to be able to go to the temple. It truly is the House of the Lord.

http://ldsmediatalk.com/2009/03/12/church-video-on-purpose-of-temples/

Wild Weekend

One knock on the mouth on the teeter totter = One really loose tooth

9 days without that darn tooth falling out + roots that won't let go = One sick looking tooth that is turning black which = A trip to the dentist

One screaming child + pliers+ a patient and kind dentist= One toothless child

One toothless child with a tooth under her pillow+ One generous fairy = One lisping little girl with an oh so cute smile

One older sister with a wild streak+ One little sister named Abby+ No Mom + carefree park time + a little too much playing = One little sister poked hard in the right eye

One sweet husband + One hysterically screaming Abby + 3 other kids = Chaos

One watering red eye + hours of crying = A call to the opthamologist which then = A scratched cornea which then = a prescription and a prayer it will heal FAST

One snow outing with 23 youth + lots of snow = lots of fun, but long time away from family

One Tri-Stake Yth Activity until 11 PM + watching kids for wifey all day = One very tired Darin who fell asleep in Sunday School

One ward council training session at 7:15 for Darin + Ward Council for Amy + One priest lesson for Darin + One block of Church + Class Presidency training for Amy + Youth Conference Committe meeting for Darin + SYC for Darin + AP/YW meeting for Darin + YM/YW meeting for Amy = One to many meetings in one day for any one couple

One wild weekend = One very MESSY house = Very tired wife and hubby

Which means I need to escape and ignore the house.
Crazy Mom = Need to blog!
:o)

Blossom Trail

One of the really great things about living here is the agriculture. I am a little biased, being a horticulture graduate, but even if I weren't I think I would love it the same. It is awesome to see it all in action. Our county isthe 2nd leading producer of agricultural commodities. In fact, we host the World Ag Expo, which is the world's largest agricultural show. Cool eh? We also are #1 for milk production. (Ahhh smell those dairies!) But we love seeing all of the orange, pummelo, tangerine, lemon, grapefruit, olive, walnut, pecan, almond, kiwi, cherry, peach, nectarine, plum, pistachio, apple, and apricot trees. Plus the endless grape vineyards we see. Did you know that there are table grapes, wine grapes and raisin grapes? This doesn't even include the acres of broccoli, watermelon, cabbage, onions, cauliflower, tomoatoes, beans, canteloupe, strawberries, blueberries, alfalfa, wheat, cucumbers, corn and MANY MANY more crops that are grown here. It is agriculture heaven. I so wish I could study it all. I know I am weird! But I am glad that our kids get to see it all in action. It is important that they understand that it takes a great deal of work and knowledge to grow the food we take so easily for granted. A highlight for us has been doing the blossom trail. It is a set "trail" that runs in February and March depending on the weather. You can drive along following the trail for 67 miles and see rows and rows of trees in blossom. "Popcorn Popping" takes on a whole new meaning when you do this! We did it several years ago, but missed last year. I don't want to miss it ever again! We had so much fun. I made a huge mistake and forgot to bring extra batteries for the camera. I had to keep turning the camera off to save juice, but I could still only squeeze some pictures out. I wish I had gotten a picture of several orchards at once. That is magnificent. I have not been to the New England for the fall colors, but I can say that this is our show! Pictures are just not adequate. It only gives you a taste. Come visit and we'll show you!!!!










We played freeze tag in an almond orchard. The pictures of us in the orachard with the white blossoms is an almond orchard. I thought we might get in trouble but the owner came by on his motorbike and told us we were seeing the best of the blossoms, that they were at full bloom. He seemed glad that we were there enjoying the beauty. We did try to be careful not to knock any blossoms off. But it was so much fun running through the trees. I have always wanted to run through an orchard and to do it while it was in full bloom made it all the more special. It was a BLAST!

Sequoia National Park

We love living so close to a National Park. We love to hike as a family. We love to go up into the mountains and explore. Despite the fact that we have been many times, we have yet to touch the surface of this huge park. However, we never fail to have a great time no matter what we find. We stopped this time at the visitor center and asked about a hike we had found in a book. The ranger told us about a hike that started at the dumping station that we might like. Yeww! It didn't sound all that inviting to start at the dump station but we tend to be overwhelmed by bodily functions so why not? You parents of young kids know what I mean right? The snot, the barf, the #1 and the #2, the diapers, the diahrrea, the WHAT ELSE can come out of four kids syndrome. Okay I am off track. We found the start and the girls had a great time hiking along the river throwing in rocks, scaring all of Darin's HUGE fish he was trying to catch. (we didn't really see ANY fish, but I am sure that he would have caught one if he didn't have 4 very loud girls giggling and screaming on the shore. :o) It was so green and beautiful. We were in the foothills and early spring is definitely the time to be there. This tree is just one of the examples of the incredible beauty we saw.

Can you believe this is ONE tree?

After a bit we came to a fantastic suspension bridge over the river.

Man I love these girls!

After crossing the bridge we hiked a few switchbacks and came across this:

A huge old aquaduct. It was AMAZING. It was so surprising. No one tells you it is there. In fact, the trail is sort of hidden. But it was fascinating. It was very full and very fast moving. It is amazing that you have no idea this huge thing is even there at all. We hiked along it for awhile. Darin saw a huge fish and of course had to throw his line in AS we walked along it. Got to love it!

It ran for miles and miles. It was creepy old. It was leaking in places and you wondered how in the world it held all of that water. We are dying to know how long it has been there and where it stops and starts. We hiked as far as we could until there was no longer a path. At least a path on the ground! The trail went up a ladder and in order to keep going along the aquaduct you had to walk on boards that were laid across the aquaduct. Can you imagine? Walk on TOP of that thing? Props to the engineers who DO walk it.

These ferns growing on the side of the aquaduct were gorgeous!

Also on the hike, there is evidence of Native American culture. The Indians in this part of the mountians relied heavily on acorns. They would use holes in the rocks to crush and grind the acorns. The holes became deeper and deeper as they used them. Here is one example that is filled with water:

We were also lucky enough to find some petroglyph up on the side of a hill. Our girls were so excited. Abby and Sarah were especially worried as to why the Native Americans were not still there. It looks like the rock is falling away so someday this will no longer be here. Parts of it have already fallen away.

It started at the dump station, but what a find!

In all His Glory

I love Darin when he is fishing. It is his passion, his love (BESIDES ME OF COURSE) and his obsession. It is so fun to see him love something so much. After all, a man in a house full of women, has to GET out and do a manly thing. This is from when we escaped to the mountians for my b-day. We hiked along the river and he threw his line in a few times along the way. We just won't mention that he got skunked. (aka he didn't get any fish.) But really it doesn't count as a true fishing trip since he didn't get to spend his full 9 hours fishing. :o) It is a 9 hour minimum or you can't say you went fishing. LOL!
This picture is perfect. He is in the zone! And looking yummy.