Attitude of Gratitude

I am grateful for this time of year, Thanksgiving.  It is namely an American holiday, but it is celebrated throughout the world under differing names during the harvest season.  It is a time for reflecting on the blessings in our lives, blessings over the past few seasons.  And a time to feast. Umm, I like to eat.  A little too much so, apparently.

 

There have been periods of my life when it has been much harder to see the blessings I have been given.  During these dark times, I often have thought "I will be happy when...".  I know that despite any trials I will ever be asked to face, there will always be blessings, there will always be things to be grateful for. 

I often reflect back to a lesson I had in YW years ago as a Laurel.  I do not remember the lesson, but I remember our Advisor giving us each a roll of calculator paper.  She asked us to write down daily everything we are grateful for, being specific about precise things or people.  We were asked to never replicate any entries.  I found that sometimes it was easy to fill the paper roll.  Other times it was much harder.  Some days I found only one or two things to add to my list.  But over time, the list was so long that it took an eternity to wind and unwind the roll.  It helped my attitude to change and my happiness to grow exponentially.  I was better able to feel the love my Heavenly Father has for me.

If I were to make a new list, it would take a very long time to read.  But there are certain blessings in my life that bring me the greatest happiness.  These center on my God, country, religion, family, friends, and home. 

I have an unshakable testimony of God, our Heavenly Father, that he is real, tangible, and loves us all.  I also have a testimony of his son Jesus Christ as our Creator and Saviour.  Through him, we can repent and be forgiven of our sins and we have the chance for eternal happiness. I know that the Holy Ghost is real and testifies of these truths. 

I am truly blessed to have certain freedoms available to me that allow me to enjoy these gifts as I see fit.  Our forefathers sought and fought for these freedoms and we are the beneficiaries of these blessings today.

I  will be eternally grateful for the opportunity I have had to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  It is the true church.  I know this with all of my heart.  I have also been blessed to have gone to the temple to be sealed my husband for time and all eternity.  And have been blessed to have 5 children born under the covenant.

I absolutely LOVE my husband.  He is the best husband and father ever.  And he's a hottie.  He still makes me giggle.  I am grateful he still puts up with me.  I have been blessed to have 5 healthy and energetic children to love.  They light up ye life and make it fun.

I have amazing friends that make life enjoyable.  They lift me up when I am down.  They support me and love me.  I only hope that I bless their lives, as well.

I love my home.  With all its funky wallpaper, bugs, and animal poop.  It is such a joy to live in such a beautiful area, among nature's beauty.  I enjoy the simplicity of life here.  It is so peaceful.

I could go on and on.  But, I won't.  I encourage you all to note the blessings you have and feel happiness in your own life.  Thanks for looking!

Loving Missouri

Just in case you have not figured it out yet, I love living here.  A lot.  There are some serious benefits to living in an area with 1) seasons, 2) great people, and 3) amazing history. 

Seasons:
We had one week this summer that was seriously HOT.  Like Houston hot.  And of course, my BFF Tasha was here that week.  Poor girl.  The 4th of July was blazing hot.  But the rest of the summer was completely tolerable and nice.  It was great to be able to go swimming with the kids at the pool in Albany whwere they could meet up with their friends or go to the Mozingo lake. 

The kids were able to visit with Tasha and her kids, hang out with besties, and relax at home.  We really didn't go anywhere, but it was nice.

Fall began with milder weather in September and actual evidence in the leaves.  Wow!  I thought it was so funny when Emma asked me if the trees were sick.  She just didn't see much of that in Houston.  LOL. 

We are starting to see evidence of a real winter already.  I seriously cannot wait!

Great People:
Yes, we do have a nutter for a neighbor (no, freak-O has not moved and does not plan to anymore).  But there are some amazing people that we have met.  The kids all have best friends that seem to have been made for them.  Seth is especially patient and kind to Dallin.  So nice.  Even the grown-ups have wonderful friends!

I am getting to know some people that own properties here and are here part of the year.  They bring serious knowledge of the gospel.  It has been such a blessing to have some firesides about some of their knowledge about church history or preparedness.  Very intersesting!  If you are curious about some of these things, check out this website from Brother Allan www.allanstime.com.  Check out his links on the left bar for : "religious writings" and "health".

Amazing History:
We live in an area that is rich in church history from 3 eras:  Anciently (Adam-Ondi-Ahman, Garden of Eden), Book of Mormon era (Zarahemla), and Latter-Day (Far West, Independence, Liberty).  I have been able to visit most of these areas and learn so much more. 

I went to Carthage Jail and Nauvoo this summer with the YW.  It was so amazing!  I could feel the spirit so strong at Carthage upon our arrival.  I struggled to keep the tears back!  I loved sharing that with the girls.  We also went to Nauvoo and saw the Pageant that night.  Interstingly enough:  the prophet Joseph Smith had recived revelation that Zarahelma was to be built (or re-built?) across the river in Iowa.  Hmm! Coincidence?

Here's a pic of the girls and I in Carthage.

At the Visitors Center in Nauvoo.

Some of the girls with some cute pageant boys in Nauvoo.

I had previously visited Independence, where the Garden of Eden was once located and where the New Jerusalem will be built.  There is a really cool visitors center there.  The kids loved it!

In August, we visited Far West with the Youth.  There was a thriving LDS community there for a short spell.  they built some houses and dedicated a temple lot, but were forced to leave before doing anything more than placing cornerstones for the temple.  Something I learned that day:  The temple site is the exact location where Cain killed Abel.  Wow!  I suppose that is why it is sacred.

In September, the youngest 3 kids and I went to Adam-Ondi-Ahman (AoA).  We were curious to see what it was like.  I am grateful to have had this experience with them!  I explained what was significant about this site and asked the kids if they would like to go.  They were so excited!  As we got out, Cole said to me, "Mom, let's be very quiet and reverent, so we will feel the Holy Ghost".  It was very important to him to be there.  He told me later that he thought he would see Adam and Jesus there one day.  Special boy!

Zoe, Emma, and Cole in front of the Valley of Adam-Ondi-Ahman

Not only is AoA the place where adam dwelt and blessed his posterity before he passed, but it has significance to other times, as well.  Apparently the Nephites knew about this place.  There is an old alter dating back to their times on Tower Hill (on AoA property).  And it has future significance, as well. It will be the site of a future grand council where Jesus Christ will meet with His stewards of all dispensations and receive back the keys of the kingdom in preparation for His Second Coming. Wow!

I am so excited to learn more and see more sites!  I love it here!

Autumn Around Us...

I haven't posted in months and I have been chastised for it.  Repeatedly.  I have been busy, but also just very lazy.  The kids started school in mid-August.  How nice is it to have ALL the kids in school all day 4 days a week?! (We don't have school on Mondays here...)  So nice that I have become lazy and spoiled.  My only 'job' is maintaining the house and caring for our animals.  And still I am surprisingly behind on laundry.  ugh!

This is the kids' first day of school.  Dallin would not cooperate.  Emma is in K, cole in 2nd, Zoe in 4th, Aubree in 6th (Jr.High), and Dallin is in 8th grade.  They ride the bus together to and from school.  It is so nice.

I cannot believe my baby is in school!

Our animals are doing well. 

Our 23 hens are producing eggs too well.  We have been gathering 18+ eggs a day for months.  We simply cannot give them away fast enough.  I have been offering hens to friends to alleviate the massive amounts of eggs.  Fried eggs, boiled eggs, poached eggs, scrambled eggs... Just the look of eggs make me feel queasy...

Check out this monster sized egg we found one day.  It is next to a medium sized egg.

On a good note... one of our hens hatched some chicks!  2 survived.  "HennyPenny" is currently raising her babies and they are in the "homely" stage.  One may be a rooster.

We lost one of our goats, Sprinkles a few months back.  We had tied her out and she strangled herself.  We were really sad. :(

Our surviving goat, Cheese, is healthy, but highly annoying.  What was once "cute" is now a nuisance.  She thinks it is precious to sit on our laps.  When an animal is 100+ lbs with horns... so NOT precious!  I have started tethering her in the yard, because otherwise she can get out of her enclosure in 1 second.  Allowing her to wander freely means tons of poop on the front steps and the possibility of a goat running in the house.  Both are uncool.  Trying to get a goat out of the drivers seat is always fun, as is trying to unload groceries.  I have to fight her for the bread and veggies every time.  And the most awesome thing: imagine welcoming guests to your door, with goat droppings everywhere.  "You know you're a red-neck when..."

Nice.

We had purchased another lamb as a sister for Bella to hang out with.  They love being with the goat, too.  The sheep (Bella & Meadow) are healthy, large, and so sweet.  Compared to our goat, anyway.  They are very attached to Cheese, so sometimes they get loose and get in trouble also.  But they are followers that are much easier to handle.  Fun stuff.

It is nearly time to breed the goat and sheep.  I cannot wait for them to be mothers. Meadow will be a wonderful mother.  She loves to "mother" the cats.  She even beat up my mom's pup when he pestered the cats.  LOL.

At least Cheese will earn her keep with some milk!  Mmmm!  Chevre...

My children have been enjoying school (mostly) and the wonderful Fall weather.  Of course it is hot some days and cold the next, but that is fun to us.  This morning we awoke to frost and ice everywhere! Emma had a blast "skating" across a mud puddle.

We had a Fall Festival with a Hay ride at the Branch on a nice cool day.  We had a blast.  Halloween was fun.  But as usual I did not take pictures.  We are looking forward to having Thanksgiving with the Branch at the church.  We love it here!

Summer Days

I have survived my week of Girls' Camp and am now enjoying the easy summer days at home.  The kids and I have been going to the pool in Albany a lot.  They enjoy seeing friends from church and school there.  And I enjoy being able to sit back and observe without being in the water (its cold!!!) the whole time. 

Our animals are growing steadily and thriving.  Bella is still scrawny next to her new sister, Meadow.  But she is growing and seems happy enough.  Bella has been shedding, and now that much of her longer hair has shed, she looks much better. 

The twins are happy as ever.  They were recently weaned, and did  NOT like missing babas.  But they are doing fine without them.  They enjoy all things mischievous, including climbing into our vehicles and on the lawn mower, escaping their pen, and head-butting cats.  That is so funny to watch!  Thank heavens they have yet to attack our garden... knock on wood!

The chickens look like adults already!  I know I need to begin looking for eggs soon.  Wow!  Our roosters are starting to "crow", although it sounds kinda pathetic.  They are NOT quite fully developed yet.  Almost!

Our fruits are growing, although it has rained seldom and they need a good rain.  We have squash that can be eaten any day now and have our first cucumber.  Yeah!  We need to get the knack of gardening here.  The soil is rich and absorbs water, but we have little vermin to deal with (moles, field mice, rabbits, raccoons...).  We are still learning!

Tomorrow is Cole's 7th Birthday!  He is so excited!  We need to make it fun!  ;)

Next week:  My best friend Tasha is coming with her kids to visit!  I am SO EXCITED!  I miss her and the kids SO BADLY!  And Cole and Emma miss their best friends Scott and Brooklyn.  Aubree cannot wait to see her sweet baby, Tayven (neither can I)!  Happy dance, happy dance!

Summertime Begins!

The kids have been out of school for more than a week.  I must admit that last week we did a whole lot of nothing.  No house work, no fun stuff, no nothing. I allowed the kids to "chill" the way they wanted to and they ended up engrossed in one form of media or another.  Why can't they just play outside on their 40 acres?


Yesterday we started our week by swimming at the pool in Albany for Memorial Day.  It was great having daddy off for the day.  We went ahead and bought a season pass to the pool, so we will be swimming also.  I think we will be visiting the library a ton, as well. 

Today we are officially starting our summer routine:  daily chores (house and farm), homework assignments (reading, etc.), restricted media time (TV, computer, video games), and mandatory outside time.  Apparently if we do not plan out their time, they will do nothing but play video games, play on the computer, or watch TV all day.  I feel a bit like a dictator.  But I want to teach them that we have to get something accomplished each day.

My mom will be getting back home in 2 days, so we have a lot of housework to do before then.  All I need is to overwhelm her BEFORE she even spends one full day with us again.  We have been working all morning, are currently taking a break, and will continue to clean this afternoon.  Cursed housework!!!

Neighbor From Hades Update:  We have had very little to do with him for weeks and weeks.  He continues to lock his gate whether or not he is home.  I suppose we might get a wild hair and decide to go up for a visit or take something.  Yeah, right!  Every time we drive past or are outside, he childishly and blatantly turns his head so he will not have to see us.  Not that we are hurt or anything. Its nice to have him avoiding us as much as we wish to avoid him.  I feel safer this way.

Yesterday morning he drives up our driveway to "talk" to my husband.  Apparently he believes we have not returned a wrench and some Jurassic Park DVDs he forced us to borrow (which we returned via his mailbox).  And he was upset that we didn't respond to a letter he wrote to us.  Which we did not get.  He called us thieves and cursed at us.  Dan asked him to leave and he cursed and screamed that we should never step foot on his property.  Which we never had and never will. 

Dan thought he would give him another wrench the same size, despite the fact he remembers returning the borrowed one.  We found that same wrench in our mailbox last night.  UGGH!  The man is completely mental!!!

Summer Break On the Farm

I haven't posted in awhile.  Whoops!  I have been busy with end of the school year stuff and the first week of summer vacation.  And my husband is officially living here, so I have been enjoying that immensely!  I kinda like having him around for some reason... ;)

Farm News:  We now have 2 little ewes (female sheep), Bella and her new "sister" Meadow.  Meadow has been here for nearly 2 weeks and is adjusting fine.  At first she was a bit freaky.  Not only is she HUGE next to Bella (momma milk, I suppose), but she had been out to pasture all her life and was NOT tame.  At all!  She would go barreling through, ramming her head against fences, to get away from us, etc.  Thank heavens for Bella!  Meadow has been used to being a part of the flock and follwing all they did.  Bella is very tame and lovey, so Meadow has learned to tolerate me and follow me into her pens.  I still am not allowed to touch her, but she doesn't freak out when I am nearby.

Bella and Meadow

Meadow being shy

All of the other animals are doing well.  They are growing quickly!  Our chickens look like adults.  The roosters (there are 3, oh heavens!) are starting to crow a bit, fight a bit, and one is even "acting his part".  Blech!  We will keep one, maybe two.

Our chickens are growing up nicely

Capt'n Dudley Haddock (Cole named him) is watching over his ladies

The twins are so cute and fun!  They are into everything and are little Houdinis!  We have to make sure their enclosures are VERY secure!  They love playing around, climbing on everything, and head-butting anything.  Emma made the mistake of playing "head-butt" with the twins one afternoon.  She ended up regretting it (sore bum and forehead)!

Cheese & Sprinkles are growing quickly and loving life

The twins love torturing the cats (head butting them), and Ruby is ever vigilant

Fun stuff:  We got are garden going with tomatoes, swiss chard, green beans, yellow squash, zuchini, cucumbers, and watermelons.  Yum!  It was HARD WORK (especially when the ground hasn't been worked in a few years)!  We had to till several times, hoe into into rows, plant, and mulch it (straw).  But it looks nice.  We cannot wait to get some veggies!



We now officially have baby grapes!  We have 3-4 old Concord grape vines going strong.  How awesome will it be to have fresh juice and jam?!

A nice close up, the bunch is about 2 1/2 inches long

Glorious, glorious grapes!

The coolest thing...

We have a PEAR TREE that is producing highly!  We didn't even know we had a pear tree!

AND we have TWO.... drum roll, please... APPLE TREES!  Woohoo!  I am just a bit excited.  Can't you tell?

Okay, okay.  The fuits are only about 1 inch long right now.  But how cool is that?!

I should probably say something about my kids... they love summer!!!

This Week...

Dan is nearly done with all his traveling.  WOOHOO!  He has been here so little since we've moved that he feels like a visitor.  But when he gets back from Venezuela (Thursday), he will be officially working from home.  He has all his equipment here.  We will just need to set up his office and he's good to go.  Now, where do we put his office...

He has been doing phenomenal at work!  He has impressed his bosses at his local company, which is owned by Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc. (they own a ton of smaller chemical companies).  He had a meeting with the "big wigs" of Tessenderlo Kerley last month and blew them away.  He gave a presentation that was dubbed "the best presentation" they had ever seen.  He's a smarty-pants!  They basically had low expectations for his first year.  I think they are seeing that he is very good at what he does.  I think he is pretty awesome.  That's just me.

The kids are doing well and nearly out of school.  Their last day is this FRIDAY!  Lucky me!  They are excited to be doing a whole lot of nothing, that's what they think anyway.  They will be doing lots of farm labor..... Mwah-ha-ha (that's my evil laugh)!   It should be SO much fun getting them to work hard... Yeah, right!

I am focused on 1.  decorating of the front porch and 2.  all things Girl's Camp.  I am such a nerd.  Seriously.  So here's what I did so far for the front porch...

Mom and I painted an old horse trough that is otherwise useless (holes in bottom) the same color as our front door.  We plan to fill it with soil (duh) and climbing roses, hence the trellis.

A plant stand next to the door made from and old ladder.  I want to add more white distressing.

This will be a hanger for a potted plant.  I found all these rusty pieces in the barn.  It is essentially a large pulley wheel with metal bracket and a smaller double pulley.  Notice the cool hooky thing on the rope?!

Close up of the double pulley.  I love it!

Purchased for a quarter, and full of possibilities...  We have several old windows now to work with!

Post Mother's Day Musings

Yesterday was Mother's Day.  Yeah, me!  The kids worked very hard on trying to make it the best they could.  They were really missing daddy (and so was I).  Daddy always makes Mother's Day a really big deal and makes lots of secret plans with the kids to make it perfect.  Cleaning, presents, flowers... breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert... PERFECT! 

The kids did their best, though.  They cleaned on Saturday morning and AGAIN on Saturday night AFTER I was in bed (they sent me to bed at 8pm, not to leave my room for ANY reason).  Coolness!  As I came down the stairs, I was required to have my ticket punched and a grand curtain (blanket on the stairwell) was opened to bring me down to the amazing "spread" at the table.  They made Grammie and I a breakfast of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, Orange Juice, and Ants-On-A-Log!  I know you are jealous!  They also picked fresh flowers from the yard (yes, they had approval), made us home-made cards, and put on a dance for us.  They worked very hard!  Sweet babies.

After Church, Dallin made us lunch (fish sandwiches) and dinner (Spaghetti w/ meat sauce and cheesy garlic bread).  We had dessert after dinner.  Amish-made Peach Pie and Strawberry-Rhubarb pie with choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  YUM-O!  Dallin worked especially hard on cooking and trying to keep the peace in the home.  He's such a sweetheart!

I was very pleased with all the effort they put in and was grateful for such loving children.  I could have done without the messes that inevitably happen and the noise and commotion from a rowdy, happy brood.  But I love them, nonetheless.  They are precious!

I spent way too much time in my room yesterday.  I just wanted a break.  I sewed for about 2 hours.  Note to self:  do not attempt to make your own patterns anymore!  I made an apron, because I have been wanting one that fits well really badly.  Except this one doesn't quite fit as well as I'd like, hence the need for a pattern!  GRRR!

I went to bed exceptionally early (like at 7) and just laid there.  To be honest, I was feeling sorry for myself a little.  I REALLY felt tired of the mommy gig sans-daddy.  And I REALLY miss my husband.  Not so much the effort he puts in for Mother's Day, but everything else.  Freakishly enough, I miss his SMELL most of all.  If you know me very well, you know I am weird about smells.  Psycho, really.  Its my thing, good smells anyway.  So I just laid there, missing his smell and feeling sorry for myself.  I miss him!

Blah, blah, blah...  GET over it, woman!

This morning:  1.  Get up at 7 (heavens, they let me sleep that late?) 2.  do a load of dishes (there is easily another load awaiting me now) 3.  prepare goat babas, and feed the twins 4.  let out chickies and feed them... All before 8am

One of the chickens was left out all night long (the kids tried, right?!), thank heavens it was still alive.  Upon opening the broader house, a swarm of flying chickens attacked me.  They were starving and had only yucky water left to drink.  After cleaning their feeding trays, filling them, and dropping them in the chicken run, they attacked with a vengeance.  Their waterers needed cleaning and filling, but apparently they were not too thirsty.   I was only swarmed twice.

The cat was apparently wishing me a belated Mother's Day.  She left a nice fresh one right in the grass, in the path to and from the chicken house.  Nice!  I nearly stepped in it half a dozen times.  Sigh...

Happy Belated Mother's Day to ALL the lovely ladies out there!

Why Missouri?! Part 2

The events over the past few weeks have really strengthened my testimony and have been truly uplifting.  They have solidified my testimony that we have been inspired to move here.  The experiences that my oldest son alone has had recently are enough reason to have come.  He has a greater desire to do what is right and an unshakable testimony in the validity of a living prophet today. 

After reflection, I have noted some changes in our life now versus a few months prior.  I feel closer to the spirit overall.  Mind you, it is likely that I have been greatly humbled to be living so far away from my husband at present (He is currently on his way to Venezuela for 10 days).  And it is always humbling to have a new calling ( I LOVE YW!). However, there is more to it than that.

One thing I do not miss:  that feeling of "keeping up with the Joneses".  Firstly, there are no neighbors to keep up with (we obviously do not associate with our 'mental' neighbor).  And everyone is poorer here, including ourselves (due to a house payment back in TX).  But it is just refreshing to be in an area where I am not tempting to go shopping and find good deals or to covet the belongings of others.  I feel it is easier to stay away from those temptations.  I even feel like I could go grocery shopping in my pjs and no one would care.  SO nice!

Lately, I have been taught the hard way to avoid judging others and keep my mouth shut.  I had a prideful "I am so well trained to be a leader" attitude when we moved here that was completely inappropriate.  I am since trying my best to watch my thoughts and try to see the best in everyone around me.  There has been contention here due to others judging others, backbiting, and taking offense.  I was a part of some of that.  I am trying my best to change my attitude and repent of my tendencies to find fault in others and to be negative.

It has been refreshing to have true "work" to do outside.  I love that we see a natural cause and effect in the natural world around us.  Imagine.  If you put a seed in the ground and tend it, it grows.  If you love and care for animals, they thrive and love you in return.  Duh, Amie!  I know.  It still does not mean that these things are not little miracles!

I also love watching valiant youth sharing their talents and being the best examples.  I watch these kids and feel so much hope for the future of the Church.  They are so spiritually strong, despite their trials and the difficult world we live in.  I have been honored to have the opportunity to serve in YW and to have been associated with them all.

We love it here.  Its as simple as that.  I miss my family and friends back in Texas.  Very badly.  But I know that this is where we are supposed to be.  And I rejoice in that knowledge.  I can see my children raising their own children here.  They love the fresh air, beauty of nature, and simplicity of life here.  We love Missouri.

The Kansas City Temple Dedication

Yesterday was the dedication of the Kansas City Temple.  It was such a lovely day!  I am so excited to have a temple so close now!

My oldest 3 children were able to attend, but we had to go to 2 different sessions.  Dan took the oldest 3 to the second session and Mom and I took the little ones to a nearby park.  Afterward, our Branch President and his angel wife took the kids home with them.  We were able to watch the last session without children and it was so peaceful! 

President Monson performed the dedication.  Elder Jeffrey R. Holland accompanied him.  It was so amazing to hear these 2 brethren speak! 

During the second session, President Monson told the youth that he had never seen a better Youth Cultural Celebration.  They all seemed to be beaming with joy at his remark!  During both (second and last) sessions he told the youth that he was pleased with these type of Events.  He wants the youth to unite and have spiritual experiences together.  He gave pronounced prophetic blessings to the faithful temple attenders in this area.  He also encouraged us to use the temple often and use it as a symbol of our lives.

Elder Holland spoke about the significance of the Liberty, MO area in the second session.  He mentioned about the experience Joseph Smith had in Liberty Jail and how the ground had truly been consecrated by his sacrifices and the amazing revelations he had there.  He compared it to a temple experience.  In the last session, he spoke of the sacrifices of the Saints in this area so long ago.  He said that spirits on the other side of the veil are rejoicing that a temple is now in this land of Zion.

I absolutely LOVED that Elder Holland was there with President Monson.  I recently read an old speech that Elder Holland had given as a CES Devotional in 2008.  It was entitled, "Lessons From Liberty Jail".   How very fitting that he should attend! It really hit me that Joseph Smith suffered so much there at Liberty Jail and that through this suffering, so much good was achieved.  That talk gave me a better perspective on trials and tribulation.  (It also really seemed to answer a question I had about the exact location of the Kansas City Temple.) 

If you are interested in reading it, here's a link...
http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,538-1-4543-1,00.html

If you'd rather watch it, here's another...
http://mormonchannel.org/ces-devotionals?v=1466597284001

We are eagerly awaiting our opportunity to do some work in the temple!  First on our list... my grandfather (Papaw).  He requested that Dallin do his temple baptism before his death.  He was too sick to be baptised then, but truly wanted it.  Now we can get that work done!

I'm Going! Woohoo!

Update:  Our Branch President obtained 6 more tickets from the Stake.  He is giving me 2 tickets, so I can take Aubree!  Woohoo!  We are SO EXCITED!  I cannot wait to see our awesome Youth perform.  I am even more excited to have 2 of my children in the presence of our Prophet!  We love you, President Monson!

Happy dancing...

Upcoming Cultural Event

After weeks of preparation and waiting, the Cultural Event is nearly here!  Our little Branch has worked so hard (youth and leaders) to get to this point!  I am proud of all the efforts of the amazing YM and YW involved.  They have been very dedicated in their attendance of necessary meetings/practices and in doing their "homework".  I KNOW they will be blessed for their efforts.  President Monson will be so proud!

I have seen such a difference in all the youth involved.  They started off thinking it would be fun to, but now they are beginning to see a greater purpose.  I am sure they did not foresee all the work that would be involved, but there has been no complaining.  They have simply done all that was expected and more.  I love our Youth!

I am very excited about the upcoming events of this week (Fireside for the Youth, Cultural Event, and Temple Dedication).  I am SO GRATEFUL that Dan will be able to attend all these great opportunities with our son and our Youth.  The Fireside on Friday should be amazing!  Either President Monson or one of the 12 are addressing the Youth.  I can only imagine what a powerful spirit will be present!

I must admit, however, that I am really sad that I will not be attending.  I was so excited to be a part of helping the kids.  Driving to events, learning and teaching the performances, general coordination... its been a ton of work for all! NO WHINING, AMIE!  This is for the kids!  Not you!

I will gladly give up a seat for someone else, don't get me wrong.  I just wished more seats were available.  Our little Branch only has 21 tickets.  There just isn't enough for everyone that wishes to go to attend.  At least we can watch the broadcast from our building.  I think watching with my family and our Branch will be nice.

On a happier note, our YW had the awesome opportunity to attend a special Temple Open House last night.  They were taken on a tour of the Bride's Room and the Sealing Room, with a special Fireside!  The girls were all aglow today!  We had a lesson in YW on the importance of Temple Marriage and the girls had time to make comments about their visit.  I loved seeing their excitement! I can see in their faces that they are committed to living their lives in such a way as to allow them to be married in the Temple one day! They felt the Spirit and they have a vision of what they want.  I love these girls!

I wish Aubree were just one year older, so she could have gone...

Chicks N Such

Thought I'd put up some recent pics of the chicks and other animals.  They are getting so big!

The golden ones (Buff Orpingtons) are SO much bigger than the others...

This Barred Rock is watching the excitement.

These ladies are dining in tonight.

Princess Bella is growing so fast!

Our sweet Ruby has proven to be quite the flock guardian!  The other day some of the ladies escaped and we caught her with a chick in her mouth!  But on closer inspection, she was NOT biting down, she was carrying it to us!  The chick was fine and since then , Ruby warns us of impending danger.  She even reminds us to put them up in the evenings and check their food and water!

...And you've seen our new twins... Cheese and Sprinkles!

Zoe's Woes

Zoe ended up in the ER on Sunday evening. She had been playing with Grandma's wheelchair outside. It collapsed and she hit mouth first on the concrete! After lots of blood, screaming, and trembling, we arrived at the ER. Thank heavens we have a hospital 15 minutes away! I am also grateful for a son with son First Aid training through Boy Scouts!

At the ER, they helped clean her up a bit and took x-rays. She had basically hit the cement with her top front teeth. They were pushed backwards, which caused the gums to rip and pull up. You can see much of the roots to those teeth. She also succeeded in ripping up her lips pretty badly. Poor baby!

I am NOT putting her picture up. She is embarrassed by the massive swelling and scrapes all over her face. But just imagine very swollen lips, especially the top one, with scrapes and scabs... Sad sight! And you do NOT want to see the inside of her mouth!

I feel so bad for her! Today is her birthday and she cannot even eat cake! She is drinking her meals these days. Just when she was finally putting on a little extra weight (she is always very thin), she gets hurt! She hardly eats, because it is too hard and there is nothing that she really likes. Shakes, frosties, juice, and soda get old really fast!

The good news: today she was able to eat some macaroni and cheese for lunch. She was so excited to have real food. That was her birthday treat (and she enjoyed her birthday ice cream sundae, as well)! I love you Zozo Mouse!

Double Trouble

May I introduce our newest additions, Swiss Cheese (Cheese) and Sprinkles. They are twin doelings, female Alpine dairy goats, about 4 weeks in age. And they are doubly sweet! And double the work! LOL.

We bought them on Tuesday. Zoe was able to pick her favorite as her birthday present! She named hers Swiss Cheese, Cheese for short. Naturally we wanted to name the other one something that would go with Cheese. The kids picked Sprinkles. Its a line from the movie Rio...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ObyZxbavuw&feature=youtu.be

They are nearly inseparable. They are very affectionate and lots of fun. And of course they will be making lots of cheese and milk for us in the future. Yum!

Bella has been bitten by the green eyed monster lately. She is NOT pleased to be sharing the spotlight with the twins. She avoids them and has made it clear she is avoiding me, except at feeding time. She is especially annoyed that she has been put on a "diet" since their arrival. We have been apparently feeding her too much. She looks like a beast next to the little squirts. Poor Bella! ;)

Welcome to the family, Cheese...

And Sprinkles!

We love you!