So, generally when I write posts like I did yesterday I go through my pictures posted from Facebook to remember what we did. It occurred to me this morning that I missed one.
The girls and I spent a quick weekend in Casper, WY at the beginning of May. For whatever reason, I never pulled out my phone and took pictures. This is not normal. We were very busy, and saw lots of people while we were there. We got there Friday and Cindy hosted a LuLaRoe Open House. We spent Saturday having lunch with Grandma and Grandpa Sadler and playing at Grandma and Papa's new house. Saturday night we went to have a big family dinner at Aunt Celia and Uncle Bob's house with Grandma Boyer and Tom and Cassie. Whew!
T got sick and we spent Saturday all night bathing and changing sheets and finally sleeping fitfully on the couch. We then apparently left whatever T had for Grandma and Papa to enjoy. Sorry! We had a long drive home as all I could think about was getting my poor sick girl home to her own bed and her daddy.
Note to self...take pictures!!
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Friday, June 27, 2014
General Going's-On
Well, I can hardly believe that it has been so long since I last posted on the blog! Is it really almost July? Holy...wow! So, let me just catch everyone up quickly!
Project Backyard commenced in May. We have a really great backyard, but we have never used it! It was the dog's domain and the fence between us and the house behind us was falling down. Rotten wood and nails didn't really invite much. The neighbors behind us FINALLY replaced the fence in April, so when we started to get more consistent warm weather, I became a mom on a mission! Friends gave us their old sandbox, we found a toddler sized swing set, made a raised garden bed, and got chairs and a table. BAM! Our backyard became FUN! Our backyard is a place we love to spend evenings and mornings. The new fence transformed the backyard and the rest was easy and inexpensive to put together. (Although, Nick might disagree about the swing set he put together all by himself while the girls and I were out of town.) Our garden is flourishing, and we love to watch it grow! I am sure we planted too much in our tiny garden bed, but we are learning. This is our first attempt at gardening, and we are loving it! Q and T love to water the garden with Daddy every night, and Q is always asking Daddy to mow so she can follow him around the yard and run away from the mower. She actually loves to "help" Daddy pick up dog poop, which mostly consists of her carrying a bag and telling him where he missed some.
Later in May, Q and T and I went to Montrose to participate with Grandad in his first 5K race. Kelli, Dad, Uncle Dan and I all walked it. We had a great time, and the girls got their faces painted, jumped in the bouncy house and played with Gramma, Grandma Gray, Great-Aunt Linda, Grandpa Gray, and Uncle Tyler for the hour it took us to walk the race. They had lots of fun too!
The Denver Zoo is one of our very favorite places. Q asks weekly, sometimes daily, to go see the animals at the zoo. I'm happy to oblige every chance we get. We are zoo members, so it is easy to load up and just walk right in! We usually last only a few short hours at the zoo, so a membership was the way to go! Want to come with us? We can bring a guest for free too. LOVE IT! Q mostly loves the Merry-Go-Round, but T does not. Oh, she likes to look at it. She will not sit on a horse or any other animal and ride--unless she has a death grip on me. Although, I did take the girls to the Denver Aquarium the other day, and she rode the horses on the Merry-Go-Round there and repeated over and over, "I got ya! I got ya! Yee-haw! Yee-haw!" while squeezing me tightly. She is too cute! Yee-haw has become her word to indicate that she is enjoying herself. She yelled it yesterday in a public restroom while drying her hands under the automatic dryer. She is my funny girl!
June has brought us new adventures, like gymnastics! I signed Q up for gymnastics at PDRC kind of last minute. I have wanted to do this for her for a while, and finally bit the bullet and did it! She seems to like it, although the argument is always whether she can wear a dress to gymnastics--to which I have to remind her that she doesn't need to flash her underwear to the whole world. She will then ask me if panties are private...say a phrase once to this kid and it sticks. Panties are private; keep our bottoms clean and healthy; come here, sweetheart: are her most frequently used ones. Oh, three is such an interesting age!
Project Backyard commenced in May. We have a really great backyard, but we have never used it! It was the dog's domain and the fence between us and the house behind us was falling down. Rotten wood and nails didn't really invite much. The neighbors behind us FINALLY replaced the fence in April, so when we started to get more consistent warm weather, I became a mom on a mission! Friends gave us their old sandbox, we found a toddler sized swing set, made a raised garden bed, and got chairs and a table. BAM! Our backyard became FUN! Our backyard is a place we love to spend evenings and mornings. The new fence transformed the backyard and the rest was easy and inexpensive to put together. (Although, Nick might disagree about the swing set he put together all by himself while the girls and I were out of town.) Our garden is flourishing, and we love to watch it grow! I am sure we planted too much in our tiny garden bed, but we are learning. This is our first attempt at gardening, and we are loving it! Q and T love to water the garden with Daddy every night, and Q is always asking Daddy to mow so she can follow him around the yard and run away from the mower. She actually loves to "help" Daddy pick up dog poop, which mostly consists of her carrying a bag and telling him where he missed some.
The Denver Zoo is one of our very favorite places. Q asks weekly, sometimes daily, to go see the animals at the zoo. I'm happy to oblige every chance we get. We are zoo members, so it is easy to load up and just walk right in! We usually last only a few short hours at the zoo, so a membership was the way to go! Want to come with us? We can bring a guest for free too. LOVE IT! Q mostly loves the Merry-Go-Round, but T does not. Oh, she likes to look at it. She will not sit on a horse or any other animal and ride--unless she has a death grip on me. Although, I did take the girls to the Denver Aquarium the other day, and she rode the horses on the Merry-Go-Round there and repeated over and over, "I got ya! I got ya! Yee-haw! Yee-haw!" while squeezing me tightly. She is too cute! Yee-haw has become her word to indicate that she is enjoying herself. She yelled it yesterday in a public restroom while drying her hands under the automatic dryer. She is my funny girl!
June has brought us new adventures, like gymnastics! I signed Q up for gymnastics at PDRC kind of last minute. I have wanted to do this for her for a while, and finally bit the bullet and did it! She seems to like it, although the argument is always whether she can wear a dress to gymnastics--to which I have to remind her that she doesn't need to flash her underwear to the whole world. She will then ask me if panties are private...say a phrase once to this kid and it sticks. Panties are private; keep our bottoms clean and healthy; come here, sweetheart: are her most frequently used ones. Oh, three is such an interesting age!
We had a really fun night at the Denver Aquarium when we went. We had planned to meet Uncle JB and Aunt Savanna there, but it just didn't work out to see them when they came through Denver on their way to Casper. However, Q had been promised the aquarium and the fishes, so we went in the early evening and had a great time!
This last weekend the girls and I trekked over the mountain again for another 5K. This time with Dad, Holly and Eric, Lisa and Hondo, and Kelli and Tyler. Everyone took their own pace this time (Kelli stayed with Dad again), and I think we were all happy with the results. This was my best time ever, and I did jog over half of it. So, yay for me! (I really hate running!) I then hurt for the remainder of the day, but it was worth it.
The girls and I stayed a few extra days in Grand Junction and met Daddy there. Nick was training all this week for his new job. He has been working hard for the past six months or so to get a job in the oil fields, and it has finally happened! While he was training, we played with Aunt Kelli--swimming and visiting the dinosaurs. For those of you who may not know, I am terrified of dinosaurs. Like, TERRIFIED! Yes, I know that they are extinct. I know they cannot come back and eat me, but tell that to my racing heart. I have to leave the room when commercials for Jurassic Park come on. Cartoons are okay. Anything else is not. So, visiting Dinosaur Journey in Fruita was a little outside my comfort zone, but I did it. Only because I love my children.
May 1st, Nick and I celebrated our 5th anniversary. As we are staring in the face of another big transition for our little family, I am grateful for the hard work he has put in to take care of this family. I am grateful for the demons he has faced head-on these past few years and will continue to fight. I am thankful for the patience he has with me as I deal with the trauma of our life over these last three years. Every day we move forward. Every day we face our challenges and share our joys together, and I am still happy to call him mine.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
CTR
When I was young, the term CTR was just a simple reminder from parents and church leaders to Choose The Right. I remember the pride I felt upon receiving my adjustable CTR ring with the green shield in Primary and wearing it so much that my finger ended up with a green ring around it. Choose The Right meant something so simple then.
Make good choices.
Be a good example to your brother and sisters.
Be nice to others.
Simple. I have no idea when CTR took on a whole other meaning. Perhaps when as a teenager I often did NOT CTR, or as a young adult when I made some more than questionable decisions, or even as an adult when I made the wrong choice and said the wrong thing over and over and over again. Sometimes I wish I still lived in blissful oblivion as to how ridiculous I really was!
Today, CTR is horribly complicated. I feel the weight of many worlds on my shoulders. The choices that I make today affect my children, my husband, and most decidedly my future. I tire of finding myself at a crossroads every few miles. Once again we are in a place where the immediate future of my little family dynamic is in another person's hands. And there is NOTHING I can do about it.
Except pray.
And mother.
And pray some more.
One day I will write a best selling novel based on the true story of my ever-so-dramatic life. One day I will stand in front of a crowd and tell them all that they will survive their trials because I survived mine. One day I will THRIVE!
Today I will simply do my best to Choose The Right.
Make good choices.
Be a good example to your brother and sisters.
Be nice to others.
Simple. I have no idea when CTR took on a whole other meaning. Perhaps when as a teenager I often did NOT CTR, or as a young adult when I made some more than questionable decisions, or even as an adult when I made the wrong choice and said the wrong thing over and over and over again. Sometimes I wish I still lived in blissful oblivion as to how ridiculous I really was!
Today, CTR is horribly complicated. I feel the weight of many worlds on my shoulders. The choices that I make today affect my children, my husband, and most decidedly my future. I tire of finding myself at a crossroads every few miles. Once again we are in a place where the immediate future of my little family dynamic is in another person's hands. And there is NOTHING I can do about it.
Except pray.
And mother.
And pray some more.
One day I will write a best selling novel based on the true story of my ever-so-dramatic life. One day I will stand in front of a crowd and tell them all that they will survive their trials because I survived mine. One day I will THRIVE!
Today I will simply do my best to Choose The Right.
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| http://mormonsoprano.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/ctr-logo.jpg |
Monday, February 10, 2014
Dear Disney, Thank you for Frozen.
Yeah, I finally saw it today. Took the girls and went to the matinee. I had high expectations. Yeah. I knew I could have been setting myself up for disappointment, but I also have heard NOTHING but wonderful things about this movie. And then we got there and I almost LoSt it in the very first scene! Okay, admittedly, I am emotional today (TODAY? Try every day.), and I do have a particularly special place in my heart for stories about sisters--or siblings--for what I would think are obvious reasons, but just in case you don't know...there are five reasons why I love good stories about sibs:
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| Adam |
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| Stef |
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| Holly |
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| Lisa |
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| Kelli |
In case you haven't seen this movie and you want to: SPOILER ALERT!
I love that while there is a bit of a love story in this movie, the TRUE love story is found in the love that Anna and Elsa share. And I was just struck by the fact that my first loves and my true loves are all related to me. How lucky am I?
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| http://static4.wikia.nocookie.net/__ cb20131103205461/disney/images/thumb/6/66/ Frozen_castposter.jpg/500px-Frozen_castposter.jpg |
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Thankful Post Days 17-20
Yep. Catching up once again, but this one might look a little different. There are all kinds of different things running through my head right now, so forgive me if this sounds a little like a thankful rant instead of just a little post.
Day 17: I am thankful for my upbringing. (I know, I know! I already said I was thankful for my parents--this is different! TRUST ME!) I am thankful that I was raised in a tiny home bursting at the seams with people and animals and chaos--and mostly LOVE! I am thankful that through all my turbulent teenage and young adult years, I always had a safe place to land. I am thankful that--while I may have turned away for a time--I was raised up in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This, too, became a safe place for me to land.
Day 18: I am thankful for the knowledge that I have a loving Father in Heaven who knows me. He accepts me for who I am, and because of this, I know that I need to live my life as His daughter and representative--therefore I must love others.
Day 19: I am thankful for answers to prayers and divine intervention. No one would survive long in this world without either of these two things!
Day 20: I am thankful for challenges. I am thankful for strife. I am thankful that I can do hard things. I am thankful that I don't ever have to do them alone. I am thankful for eternal perspective--knowing that struggles are a necessary and brief part of an eternal plan. I am thankful for strength.
Day 17: I am thankful for my upbringing. (I know, I know! I already said I was thankful for my parents--this is different! TRUST ME!) I am thankful that I was raised in a tiny home bursting at the seams with people and animals and chaos--and mostly LOVE! I am thankful that through all my turbulent teenage and young adult years, I always had a safe place to land. I am thankful that--while I may have turned away for a time--I was raised up in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This, too, became a safe place for me to land.
Day 18: I am thankful for the knowledge that I have a loving Father in Heaven who knows me. He accepts me for who I am, and because of this, I know that I need to live my life as His daughter and representative--therefore I must love others.
Day 19: I am thankful for answers to prayers and divine intervention. No one would survive long in this world without either of these two things!
Day 20: I am thankful for challenges. I am thankful for strife. I am thankful that I can do hard things. I am thankful that I don't ever have to do them alone. I am thankful for eternal perspective--knowing that struggles are a necessary and brief part of an eternal plan. I am thankful for strength.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
OMG! Catching Up Thankful Post! Days 13-16
November 13: Thankful for music and the blessing it is in my personal and family life. I love that my girls are always singing!
November 14: Thankful for an amazing support network for my weight loss journey!
November 15: Thankful for those who are patient with me.
November 16: Thankful for books. Lots and lots of books! And reading. And the ability to escape with a good book.
November 14: Thankful for an amazing support network for my weight loss journey!
November 15: Thankful for those who are patient with me.
November 16: Thankful for books. Lots and lots of books! And reading. And the ability to escape with a good book.
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| http://indulgy.net/nR/gc/4f/195765915022113792YTp30Cxyc.jpg |
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Thankful November Day 11 and 12
Day 11
I am thankful for my education. It has always been one of my greatest treasures.
Day 12
I am thankful for the career I had as a high school teacher. I floundered. I failed. I fought. Mostly, I learned about who I am and what I want. I was blessed with many of the greatest colleagues a person could ask for. I had amazing mentors and awesome friends. Sometimes I miss those days. More often I am simply glad that I was allowed that experience.
I am thankful for my education. It has always been one of my greatest treasures.
Day 12
I am thankful for the career I had as a high school teacher. I floundered. I failed. I fought. Mostly, I learned about who I am and what I want. I was blessed with many of the greatest colleagues a person could ask for. I had amazing mentors and awesome friends. Sometimes I miss those days. More often I am simply glad that I was allowed that experience.
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| http://ericacammarata.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/education.jpg |
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