Paint brushes, rollers, tarps, overalls, and yes, paint. Can you guess what I am doing? I have waited for four years to paint my house and I am tired of waiting for the hubby to have time to help so I am doing it alone It's not as hard as I thought. Just time consuming. I am doing my kitchen right now. I love having color. I am doing it in a light sage. Bry doesn't like it but I do and I gave him plenty of opportunity to come with me to pick it out.

I love color and I have been living in a pure white house for a long time. We are putting down baseboards because the house didn't come with them. I hope it will look good after it's all done.

I was thinking how "they" say that your home should be a bit a heaven, like the temple. Well, one reason the temple is so peaceful and conducive to the spirit is because it is clean and beautiful. So I am working on making my home more beautiful. like a piece of heaven.

I am affected by my surroundings. When my house is a mess, I feel ornery. When my house is clean, I feel refreshed and happy. I walk into my living room now and just having a coffee and end tables makes such a difference. It looks complete. It stays neater. The kids even try harder to keep it nice. Well, everyone but Heidi. She still likes all her stuffed animals to take naps on the couches under the arm cover things.

I wish I could show you a picture but I left my camera at my sister's on Thanksgiving. Anyway, I'll show it to you all when I get it back! Happy Holidays!

Thank heaven for little girls

There is something so sweet and beautiful I feel when Bry brings Heidi in in the morning to snuggle in bed with me. She is the only child upstairs with us and he gets up so early. He peeks in at her and half the time she is sitting up with those big black eyes blink blink blinking at him! So he carries our little fairy in and puts her to bed with me.

We snuggle and she caresses my face and tells me she's the princess and that I am the queen. She says she loves me over and over and wants me to sing "rock a by baby". That is her favorite song. She is so skinny that I could wrap my arms around her twice. I cannot explain what I feel for her.

She is my only daughter and our relationship is a little different than the ones I have with my boys. She is so girly and feminine and I love it. I wish she could stay 4 a little longer.

Sugar and spice and everything nice. That is what she is. Little girls are so special and I know God wants us all to be safely taken care of by loving parents.

I read in an LDS book once that the reason men are given the priesthood and not women is to make them equal to us. We have such a greatness that men cannot even begin to obtain on their own. This makes a lot of sense to me. Not in an arrogant way, but on my mission, I noticed how most of the branches and wards were made up of women and children. Women have a natural tendency (usually) to be spiritual. Men need that extra push is seems in so many cases. The priesthood gives that that extra push and desire to serve and to love God. Thank heavens for that.

May god bless all women and mothers who really are the losers in the wars and abuses that go on in this world. I pray it will all be made right soon.

Happy Sunday! What a good day it has been. Chrurch was really good even though I had a terrible headache clear through, my kids were naughty and noisy clear through sacrament meeting and as usual, S, will not participate in primary. He sits there sulking and I just don't know what to do with him! He has had such a hard time lately. I just don't know how to help him.

I've been sitting here looking for land in So. Dakota. We have relatives that beg us to move there . I don't particularly want to move right now but land is cheap right now. I found 3700 acres for sale for 55,000. We could at least have hunting grounds for Bry. I am going to check it out. It may just be located in no mans land!

I have my friend's dog over here trying to make babies with cookie. I found out that she's a limited registration, meaning, she can be registered with the AKC but none of her litters can so I am not going to worry about finding a pure bred Shi Tzus. Rocky, the male, is a Yorkie mix. They are going for at least $700 right now! WOW! Anyway, Cookie and Rocky will make the cutest babies.

Cookie is so adorable. Still. I think she is probably potty trained by now but I haven't given her a chance to really mess up. She is so sweet.

Our relief Society is going to a dinner/play in December. I just love this presidency. They plan so many fun activities. Yes, they cost, but I am willing to pay for girl time with my friends. Plus, it's only 7 dollars. I think it is important to hang with the gals. I love my ward. Wonderful women. Well, I hope you Sunday is good too. See ya!

Happy Holidays!

Ah, the Christmas season. I just love it! Even when it does start a little early. I think America is the only country that starts it's Christmas season as late as it does because of Thanksgiving. Well, When I was a child, the season started the day after Thanksgiving.

This year, I turned on the radio the day after Halloween and Christmas music was playing! It irritated me but my kids loved it! I thought to myself, "why be so unbendable?" Now, every time we are all in the car, we listen to holiday music. It is growing on me! I am actually putting up my tree this weekend.

I have a love/hate relationship with this tree. It is fake but beautiful. It is a 7 1/2 foot noble. I love that I don't have to remember to water it, if it is too dry, or if a fire will start in it! I don't like that it is not real, that it doesn't smell like heaven and that we don't get that fun night out to pick it out.

We could just have two trees but then I would have to worry if it was too dry ect...! I want this season to last a long time. I hate the feeling that I put up my tree and take it down so fast. This year I am only starting a week early so I don't feel to weird about it.

I so hope that your Christmas season is as wonderful as I am planning on mine being! Have a happy day!

blessings in strange ways

It is such a pretty morning. The snow was softly falling and when it was still dark out, It looked so serene. I love that. I love being tucked in a warm house when it is cold outside.

Cookie is still beloved by all. She has wormed her way into my heart. She has been so easy and is potty training so well.

I had always heard that dogs or cats are so theraputic and that they help relax you and bring peace. I thought that was a load of crap for a very long time. My big, hairy golden retrievers were not relaxing to me. They shed like crazy, Jenny tries to eat off the table and is sneaky and is a submissive pee-er. She drives me nuts. I swear she has got to be the stupidest dog I have ever had. Duke is wonderful but hairy, and usually dirty from playing outside and started to pee in my basement after we babysat the neighbors dog when she went potty down there. We couldn't break him of the habit so he became an outside dog and so is Jenny. I feel nothing but stress most of the time with them. And guilt for not playing as much as I should with them. Although I do take them running with me. Which is hard because I am still training Jenny to heal.

Anyway, the point is, Cookie is very soothing to me. I feel realxed and at peace when I stroke her and watch tv. I love it. She is so sweet and quiet and gentle and loves the kids even when they won't leave her alone. She is sitting on my lap right now as I type this. It's so cute. I love this dog and I really love that she doesn't shed, eat off the table, pee when she sees me, or cause me stress.

I truely believe she is an answer to my prayers. I had been praying for some kind of help to bring more cheerfulness into our house. I felt like we needed a little more happiness but I didn't know how to go about it. Cookie is not what I was planning on for an answer but here she is and there is so much less contention. Amazing. I feel very blessed.

Cookie

Hello everyone! Well do you want to hear the lastest news? We have a new member of the family. She is a Shi tzus. She is pure bred, a year old, black and white, and adorable. The people who first bought her paid $850.00! They just put her outside and left her! They gave her to my dear friend Tash to train and do whatever she wants with her. Tash told me I could have her if I wanted.

I was over there today and she is so sweet. VERY well manered. Doesn't bark or bite and believe, me, if she were a biter, I'd know! I had to hold her down while Tash tried to trim all the knots out of her hair! I think I'll take her in to get groomed! Anyway, I have always wanted a little lap dog to cuddle with. Duke and Jenny would love to sit on my lap but they weigh too much! Plus, they are outside dogs. Great to go running with.

My kids are in love already. They think it is so fun! I hope I still thinks she is fun as the days go by! Right now, it is only the trust issue of not going potty in my house which so far, so good. Anyway, Maybe we'll breed her and get some cute "little" cookies. That is what we named her. The name she came with she didn't seem to know anyway!

Well, thats all folks!

a hard day

I just had a very interresting experience. There is a boy in our ward who is the same age as J., my 10 year old. In fact, their birthdays are only a week apart. My son has tried to be friends with him since we moved here. It has never worked. J always feels left out by him.

This kid who we will call Skyler has always seemed like a little snot to me. I know him well since I have been his webelos leader for the last year. Well, almost everyday J comes home saying he is so sick of Skyler and wants to beat him up. Now, I don't think J really would do that but I know that feeling of wanting to.


I called Sky's mom and told her a little bit about what J was saying and feeling and wondered if we could work it out. They just came over. We talked for almost and hour trying to get to the bottom of the problem. This other boy basically said that J shows off and that he doesn't like it. He said he did not want to try to be J's friend and that so and so doesn't like him either and that they don't want to be his friends. All this in front of J. He also said he doesn't want to work it out. He doesn't want anything to do with J.

What a brat.


J said that the experience was the worst thing for him and that he would rather die than do that again. It was humiliating for him. I sat and hugged him and told him it was necessary and that now, hopefully, his mom could see what a brat he is being.

It is so hard to be a kid and to want friends and fit in. Kids can be so mean to each other. I think Skylar and Jacob's problem is that they compete. When one is feeling like he is losing, he lashes out and then the other gets mad and it spirals. I know Jacob is not completely innocent but he has been trying to be friends with Skylar at school. Jacob will ask if they can be friends now and skylar will say, "I don't know" and walk away. Jacob can't stand to have people not like him. It really bothers his yellow personality. I know. I am a yellow too!

J and I both know that he can be loud and obnoxious sometimes but let me tell you, I love that boy. He is one of my best friends. He always loves to play and have fun.


I told him that he needs to be the bigger man. Try to let it go when Skylar is mean to him at school and not to talk, or touch or communicate in any way. I don't know how that will work since they will be together through out scouts and church activities, but hopefully, they can work it out. I wish I could protect my kids from hurt and dissapointment. I hate to see how it hurts Jacob to feel singled out. He has a cousin who I think has a problem with him but won't talk about it. It really bothers me but there's not much I can do. I don't want to say anything to Jacob. He senses it but doesn't say anything either. Oh well. Such is life and learning to get along.

I love you ladies out there! Sometimes I am a little cynical and I wonder if we all met each other in person, would we still like each other as much!? Isn't that terrible? I sometimes think that such a good thing can't last. I am not usually pessimistic but maybe a little superstitious! I get it from my Gram. She wouldn't sit at at table if she made #13!

Anyway, we are all just getting out of the tub, yes, we have communal bathing at our house. I think the Greeks had the right idea! Bryan isn't usually on board with it, but it works for the rest of us!

Bry has gone hunting for the weekend. I hope he gets something. I have acquired the taste from him. When we were first married, there was NO WAY I would eat venison. But let me tell you, it's all in how you cut it up and cook it. Saute it in white wine with onions and mushrooms and it is to die for over rice. I could be a pioneer just fine!

My neighbor just called. She said the school but was just rear ended in front of her house! How could you miss a big yellow behind in front of you??? Anyway, all the kids are fine and were taken to school on another bus. How embarrassing for the person who hit it! Everyone knows everyone around here! They'll never live it down!!!

I am trying to talk myself into going for a run on the treadmill. I am having a hard time being motivated lately. Amazing that the growing tire around the waist isn't motivation in itself, isn't it? I would so much rather go outside but all the kids are up now and it is either too late or too dark! I just read an article in my running magazine about a guy who runs in the dark every morning. He goes at 5am year round. I would be too afraid of a mountain lion eating me! I need to do something though. I did run a mile without stopping a couple of days ago so it is coming back fast and it feels so good now. No pain. Any ideas? How about a reward to the Caribbean? I think I would work hard for that!!!! I am definitely into rewards! That is why I did so well at Mary Kay for a while. I didn't do it for the money, I loved the prizes! I drove my hubby crazy!

Well folks, Thank you all for your support and I hope you have a great day!