Just like mom use to do!

Here is Saturday's Halloween Project. In the middle of the night on Friday I remembered that Mom use to always make these ghosts every Halloween. The girls loved it! It was a fun inexpensive project and now we have a cute, child friendly, center piece!

Going to the Pumpkin Patch

Foundations

As I studied to teach Sunday School this week I read about the Salt Lake temple. The first time the saints labored to set the foundation it took about 4 years. They built it out of sand stone. In the early 1850's the US government heard that the Mormons were planning to rebel so they sent an army to Salt Lake to investigate. Brigham Young had the saints cover the foundation to look like a field before the army came. After the army left and the stones where uncovered the foundation reveled tons of cracks. Brigham Young told the saints that the foundation would have to be redone! He told them that this temple would need to stand the tests of time, that it would stand in the Millennium and be one of hundreds built. What a blessing those cracks were. If they had not been discovered the temple would have been built and later would have fallen! Although those early saints learned hard work from the hours and years of labor, that first foundation took, the Lord had a greater principle he was teaching. The Lord taught those saints that his plan was so much greater. He taught them that he saw something bigger than they did. It reminds me of our lives...although our intents are good we/I often look back and can see the cracks in my own foundation. I hear the Lord gently reminding me that I do or don't need to be doing something. I hear him tell me "try this, it would work better"; I hear him say "Good job! Keep at it, I am having you become something you can not see." And sometimes I hear that very corrective voice telling me I need to rebuild and that the process is going to be long and difficult...yet very worth it. There is a lesson of the atonement in this story too.
I am reminded that the Lord teaches lessons of building in all the scriptures. Before the restoration of the gospel most of his lessons came in ship building. Noah, Nephi, Ether... I do not believe the Lord really cared that his people knew how to build ships. In all case, that I am aware of, the Lord was teaching obedience and a focus on families...get them to "a higher ground". The Lord is in the business of getting us to think out side ourselves, he always wants us to be doing better and focusing on our families. As ships were being built the builders were focusing and thinking about a better place, a "promised land". So it was with the building of the Salt Lake temple. The saints had something great to look forward too. They were focusing on uniting families. They focused their material efforts and daily labors on doing the Lords will. These efforts focused them on covenants they would make that would unit families for all eternity! So I wonder today; Where is my focus? What am I building? Am I willing to follow HIS plan and even be corrected at times?
How grateful I am for my family. I am grateful for the covenants of the temple...of being sealed to my husband and also my parents. I am grateful we can rebuild foundations. I am grateful we can and are led!

How could I forget!?

I totally forgot another beginning! We have wireless Internet and a cell phone now! I know, can you believe how behind we have been? (But think of all the money we have been saving!) We are now up and running with the rest of the world. I thought I would add this tid bit to my blog so some of you could say "Finally" and the rest of you could just laugh!

Beginnings

I have decided that this week is the week of beginnings for us. For Robb it is the beginning of meetings! For me it is the beginning of many nights by myself! I haven't really decided how I feel about it. Kristy asked me today if I was excited about Robb being the bishop or overwhelmed. At first I was excited, I am not quite overwhelmed...at least not yet. I am somewhere in between! He will be gone tonight, tomorrow night, and Thursday night, ask me at the end of the week! :)

Today is also the beginning of morning sickness. For those of you who follow my blog and aren't family, and haven't yet heard the news, we are expecting number six. I woke up this morning at 6 am so sick to my stomach. I don't remember a pregnancy where I have been sick in the morning. (I normally get sick at night.) So I have decided this is a new beginning for me too. Luckily I ate a bowl of cereal right away and have felt fine the rest of the day.

This is the beginning of no dept for us too. Not that we normally have any (besides the house) but we paid of Robb's car last week! Now we are saving again for a new Mini van as we will outgrow ours when the baby comes! :0)

It is also the beginning of cold weather! I have decided I will spend conference weekend sorting out the girls warmer clothes. It is always such a project! It seems to work well for me to fold clothes and listen (at least on Saturday).

I guess I should also mention that this is the beginning of NEW suits, ties, shoes, belts, sock and dress shirts for Robb. We finally drove up to Brigham City and cashed in on the bid we won back in May at Holmes clothing! What a great deal! We paid just over $300 for 2 two pant suits, 5 ties, 2 pairs of shoes, 2 belts, 12 pairs of socks, and 10 dress shirts. If you are a Utahn and ever see an advertisement for "GreenGello.com" it is totally worth bidding on something!

Hope you have a great week of new beginnings too. The last thing I would mention in that we already are beginning to see the Lord's hand in our lives during a time when so much is going on. There is a peace in our home that we have longed and hungered for. The kids seem to get along a little better and I personally feel comforted when Robb is away so much. We are grateful for all the opportunities we have and for all the support and love from so many great people in out lives.

Finishing up Christmas in August!

So I thought I would show off what I have been working on for Christmas for my girls this year! Last year we gave each of the girls an Adora Doll. They are beautiful and were a huge hit. (If you have never seen them it is worth checking out their website!) Anyway, a couple of months ago my friend Kasa, who sales the dolls, called to tell me that the collector's addition was being closed out...meaning that you didn't have to be a member to buy them. They had three different 8 inch dolls they were selling. I saw them and knew they would be perfect for this year. I ordered four! (I had to duplicate on doll). Also this year I knew there was something else I wanted to make my girls. A flower! Sounds weird but when I was a little girl my mom made my sister and I flower-cabbages and little dolls that went inside (they are kind of like a house for a little doll). My girls love to play with mine, the problem is that they fight over it. With these new Adora dolls I figured the flowers would be perfect. Each of the girls is getting one in a different color. Well, I had do do something with the scraps so each girls is getting a quilted purse (the purse is big enough for the doll to be carried inside and be used as a sleeping bag too) and a dress with butterfly wings (Every flower needs a butterfly). Each set of wings is different and unique.
I have been pretty excited about this project and think it turned out great so that is why I am showing it off!
Remember this is for Christmas so don't say anything to my girls! Oh and I will say one more thing, I normally do Christmas shopping early but this year I am way ahead of the game so don't think this is the norm. Normally I shoot for October! (Of course I have a few things to still get and finish up.)










This is Emalee's doll she got last year with the new one she will get this year. I think the girls will love the possibilities of play that will come from these mini dolls.
Can I just say this gets me really excited for Christmas!

My Deal

Ok, So nobody probably cares about this but me...but today I got a pretty good deal on something that I have been hunting for! My girls love Little House on the Praire. I loved it as a girl. I have been looking for the books so that Emalee could read them this year. Well if you buy the box set they are about $35 (plus shipping). I happend to see the first five novels in a "all-in-one" book at Deseret book. I went in to the store about a month ago and they told me it was on clearance for $10. I figured I would go ahead and buy it. I was thinking it would be a cheap paper back copy. I paid for it and waited. Monday, which was four weeks later, they called to tell me the book was discontinued and they were sorry but they couldn't get it and I needed to come get a refund. Last night I went in and got my money back and started my hunt for the books again. This afternoon Deseret Book called me back to say that today a "Little House" book had arrived and they would hold it for me. I went in tonight to find a very nice hard-bound collecters edition, that was going out of print. I had the first five novels in it and was fully illustrated. They rang it up for me...$4.99! I was so excited! What a deal! I was so excited, the only down fall now is that I wish I had ordered 10 to give a way as gifts! Sorry guys. I am sure this really doesn't mean anything to anyone else but for me and my house full of girls it was a great find!

Taitt is 10 months old today

Taitt is Ten Months old. He now has EIGHT teeth! Yes Eight! He has been weaned from breast feeding (I was tired of getting bit!) He is also off of formula and on milk. He is army crawling everywhere! His new hobby is vacuuming! He eats everything in his path. In the last week he has enjoyed dirt from the planters, lint from under the fridge, and bugs from the door tract! We love everything about him. After ten months the girls still fight over him and Abby still tries to pack him around everywhere.
Here are some pictures of the situation Taitt got himself into last night!

Remembering

For months I have been feeling the need to go to California. I could not put off the impression any longer so week before last I packed the kids in the car and headed out. I went thinking the kids need a memory...Although, I think they did I was reminded that I need to REMEMBER! How grateful I am for my upbringing. I am grateful for my parents who did so much for us and with us! I am grateful for all my siblings and my relationship with them. I am grateful for such good memories!
I had a great trip in Cali, it was everything I needed it to be. I am grateful to hang out with my Dad, Melissa and Amy!
I had a revelation there too about something I needed. I have been on a kick about bridges. Well, while in Cali I took the kids to the bridge Robb proposed on and the one he tried to propose on. I took several pictures. It occurred to me as I drove home from the park that my life is like the bridges. The one Robb tried to propose on is ideal. It is beautiful, over a large pond, ducks floating by. The one he did propose on is concrete, grafittied, and to say the least UGLY. I realized that that is how life is. We often look for the ideal, we often are critical if others or ourselves don't measure up to that ideal. The truth is most of us are on a concrete bridge, dealing with the challenges we have been given. What hit me is that if you compare both bridges it is the concrete bridge that is stronger and will stand the test of time. We ought to be in the business of strengthen bridges. Although looking to the ideal is not bad we ought to rejoice as we stand on the concrete bridge! I know now why I needed to fall off the bridge 10 years ago. How grateful I am for where I am standing now and for the blessings I have seen and see ahead!

Path of Peace

There is a painting tiled "Path of Peace" by Jon McNaughton that Robb bought for me last night. It has a bridge in the fore front and in the background there is a mom or older sister walking with a younger little girl. The painting has a huge significance for Robb and I because of the bridge. Today I looked up Jon's comments and was even more enlightened. He believes everyone of us has a guardian angle to help guide us and that we must have the faith to cross the bridge that will lead us to the peace we are looking for. He asks "The question is, are we listening?" I love that! Robb and I also have a wood sign that he made years ago that says "Ask". I have always believed God answers prayers. He knows the intents of my heart and often is just waiting for me to ask for what I need (or even think I need). God knows me, he knows me personally. I have seen him in my life and felt his presence. Some times the question is "are you asking?" and other times it is "are you listening?"
I would love to hear your insight or comments...fell free to let me know what you think or if you have seen this painting.