GREAT DAY

This morning I was on the treadmill and I heard an alarm going off. I couldn't even believe it. It was only 6 a.m. and someone was already getting up. I was having such a hard time getting the boys up in the morning and my mom told me to try an alarm clock. IT WORKS GREAT. But they normally don't get up until about 7 or a little before so when I heard an alarm at 6 I was a little confused. I see Caleb go into the kitchen and tell me not to look. He made me some peanut butter toast and wrote Happy B-day MOM on them and then put some lit candles on top too. I made a wish and ate one of them. It was the sweetest thing ever. He has a HUGE heart and is going to make a wonderful dad and husband. It really was a great start to my day.

Then I get an email from a friend asking if her and another friend could take me to lunch. There's no way I would turn that down. They took me (and Mayah and Ethan) to Houlihans (sp). It was YUMMY. It was very nice to be able to have some adult conversation for a bit. I miss that with Don gone.

Ethan wanted to buy me a necklace so we went to look at a few but there were NONE there that "he" could afford. LOL. I am going to let him pick one out for me maybe tomorrow.

Then I also heard from ALMOST everyone in my family. My youngest brother normally forgets everyone's birthday but no need to worry. I will give him a call just to remind him. That way I can say that I talked to EVERYONE today. I got a call from Don, my mom and dad (at separate times). I got a call from my three sisters and my oldest brother. The greatest feeling is knowing that my family takes the time to call and wish me Happy Birthday. THANKS GUYS. You really are the best.

WOW can't believe it is soon to be April.

TASTY articles of faith

So at the beginning of March I told the kids that how ever many articles of faith they could memorize they could have that many scoops/toppings on their icecream. They were all super excited. Caleb knew about 9 or 10 at that time and he spent the next day (Sunday) memorizing the rest. He has an amazing memory. He was able to choose 13 scoops or toppings. Zach memorized 5 different ones. Rachel did 3. Ethan did 2 and Mayah learned number 1. I knew this would mean alot of icecream and toppings so for dinner we stuck with ONLY fruits and veggies. I told the kids we would do the icecream if they each chose two fruits and two vegetables. I was happy with what they ate. We served brocolli, asparagus (I was the only one who at it), cherry tomatoes, carrots, green peppers. For fruit we had strawberries, grapes and apples. We didn't feel so guilty eating our icecream after that dinner. I did buy sugar/fat free icecream and most all of the toppings were also sugar free. Caleb mentioned that the icecream tasted funny. He asked me if I thought so and I said YEAH KIND OF. He asked why? I had to tell him. He said WELL NO WONDER. Smart kid.

The healthy part.

Here is a sample of what we had. YUM



Had to get a picture of Caleb's icecream with all the toppings and scoops. He had 7 scoops and 6 toppings. He had a few bits and then said, "MAN I wish I wouldn't have memorized all the articles of faith." IT was so funny. He really didn't like it too much so he decided to stick with one scoop with just choc. and peanuts. Made me laugh pretty hard.


We decided to do it for FHE tonight and the kids wanted to do something for my birthday tomorrow but I didn't want to have too much junk both days so I told them we could count the icecream as my party too. Zach and Ethan blew up the balloons and hung them on the wall. They also put up a couple of Happy Birthday banners. They sang to me and gave me a BUNCH of presents. I have never had so many of their toys in my lap at one time. Zach gave me one of his dollars. It was so cute. They are all so thoughtful. Then Caleb was a bit sad because he said that every birthday I always tell their birth story. He said there was no one there to tell mine. SO instead they went around the room saying what they loved about me. It was really cute. It is really awesome when your child say's "you are the best mom in the world". I know it will probably only last a couple more years so I am really soaking that one up. Pretty soon I will KNOW NOTHING and be very uncool to them.

I was the luckiest mom ever. See the Batman banner? How about the Winnie the Pooh one? Look at all the balloons on the wall? Check out my Batman table cloth. All done by the kids. They are the best.





I was very proud of each of the kids for working so hard on their Articles of Faith. I am very impressed with how hard they have worked in the past to memorize them. Some of the kids have to work harder so I know it took more effort on their part to do that. It was a very fun night. After the fun party, Zach gave a short lesson and then we all got to shoot his BB gun for the activity. Wonder who was on activity?

Very memorable evening.

A wonderful husband

I took the kids to story time at the library a couple of days ago. When I got home there was a long box with flowers in it. I was excited (even though I knew they were coming but only because I saw it on the online banking). But I must say they are the prettiest flowers I have ever seen in my life. They smell good too. Some of the lillies haven't opened yet but I wonder if that is because I keep watching them. :0) There are a dozen red roses and a few white lillies mixed in. I never knew how beautiful lillies were. I was very happy. I take every opportunity to go by the table just to take a peek at my flowers. Here is the note that was left with the flowers. It say's:

Love (RED) Eternity and Purity (WHITE). I thought of both of those things when I saw these flowers. You are my light and my life. From Don.

Now doesn't that sound like a wonderful husband? I am most grateful for a wonderful man who is constantly trying to make me happy ( I don't make it very easy). Thanks Don so much for making my day. It came at a perfect time. You amaze me with your hard work and dedication. You are never a quitter. Just know how much I love and appreciate you. I know I don't tell you enough or even show you how much I care about you and love you. I really do. Miss you and am counting down the days. Only 3 1/2 more weeks. YEAH.

Zach's second EKG test results

So today we spent the day at UVA medical center getting Zach's second EKG. After having two heart experts look at the results they have concluded that ALL looks great. Tests are all normal. We are all very happy and relieved. Again so thankful for our blessings. And again, couldn't be happier.

Zach's test resluts

This morning as I walked on the treadmill I ususally stop at 3.5 miles. But today I was deep in thought and ended at 4.1 miles. I was trying to form in my mind what I wanted to post. This is my journal so sometimes I may have info in here that is only important to me and my family but it works perfect because I am not good about getting a pen and putting it in my real journal.

The dr. called on Friday to let us know that they may have found 'something' on the EKG but they needed to actually see Zach to be totally sure. I guess that the shape of the chest can also mimic a rare dangerous heart disorder. And that until they examined Zach and did another test they wouldn't know for sure. At first my stomach was in knots.

But in the last couple of days I have been at peace. I feel very strong and very humble. I feel that whatever Heavenly Father has in store for our family is just another test to be endured. Ofcourse I am hoping for a clear test and no problems but I also know that my Heavenly Father loves me and loves Zach and the rest of our family and that whatever happens is for a reason. He knows all and He has the TOTAL picture of everything in this life and the life to come. I am actually amazed at how calm I feel. I attribute it only to my faith in God. I know that my diligence (just in this last month) in my scripture study has helped me to stay focused. Normally I would be a wreck. Prayer has helped and I am truly again grateful for the gospel. I can't imagine living life without it. Thank you mom for being such a wonderful example to me and helping me to see how very important this gift is. It is my life. It is the most important thing in my life.

Do not feel sorry for us. All is wonderful and we are doing great...even with Don gone. This is just another lesson. If something is wrong we will just take what is given to us. If everthing is fine and there are no issues we will be most grateful. Honestly, I never dreamed I would be at such peace with this. But I am and I am grateful for everything and for such a loving Father who cares and knows and understands us all. I couldn't be happier.

A little on the stressful side

OK so this morning I got up at 5 a.m. in order to give myself enough time to exercise and then take Zachary to the dr. About a week ago he about fainted at school. Thankfully a teacher in the hall noticed and caught him. The school nurse was wonderful and did everything she needed to do for him. They thought I should take him to the Pediatrician. She wanted to rule everything out so she ordered an appt with a Cardiologist. The appt was at 8 but I needed to be there at 7:30. I made arrangements for the younger kids to be at a babysitter and then Caleb stayed with Rachel until it was time to get to the bus. He did amazing and I hesitated letting him stay by himself for an hour but I know we need to give him opportunities to be responsible and independant.

It was an out of town appt and I thought that it was closer than it really was so I was running behind. We were in Don's car and I looked down and noticed that the gas light was on. OH NO. I didn't have time to stop for gas and yet I wasn't sure how long it would last with the red light on. There are individual marks that disappear when the gas gets lower and lower. The light came on and there were only 2 marks. We were still not to the appt when only one mark remained. I was getting nervous. I didn't want to run out of gas and end up even later to the appt. I HATE BEING LATE. I told Zach to pray and he offered the most wonderful prayer. I looked down at the gas guage and there wasn't a single mark left. But yet the car kept running. It seemed like forever before we spotted a gas station but as soon as we saw the first one we quickly put some gas in and headed to the appt. Zach and I both know that our tank may have been empty but our hearts were very full.

Once we got there we got lost. That is ONE BIG hospital. Finally, after registering, everything went quickly and Zach was excited to watch cartoons as they performed his EKG and ultrasound of his heart. He thought it was WAY better than being at school.... until they started pulling the stickers off and catching his leg hairs.

Again I am very grateful for prayer. It also seemed like we had alot of green lights. What a blessing.

Could it possibly really be 6 years?

Yesterday was Rachel's REAL birthday. We celebrated it last month before Don left. But since it had been awhile we did something very very small. I put a candle in her biscuit in the morning. We all sang to her and she just lit up. Just for that alone she told me I was THE BEST MOM. WOW. I rarely get told that. :) And then Don called and that really made her happy.

Ethan, Mayah and I went and ate lunch with her and took her a Happy Birthday balloon. All the kids in her class were all in awe over that simple balloon. And then we took brownies, pencils and gum into her class. Those kids were so excited and very grateful. I got Rachel a small gift and then we headed off to family in Springfield.

I am grateful for Rachel and so glad she is in our family. It is tradition for me every year to tell the kids their birth story. They love it and want me to tell it qutie a bit. But I love sharing that with them. I try to remember every detail and it really makes them feel special. They ask all sorts of questions. It is fun.

Rachel is a very determined little girl. I love that she has a desire to learn. As soon as she gets home from school she pulls out her daily homework and works on it until she is done. I don't have to tell her or nag her about it. She just gets it done. I am so thankful for that. She loves books and is learning to read. She will sit there and try very hard to sound out the words. Rachel isn't really into dolls and toys too much. But she loves princesses. She loves to do active things. She has fun riding her scooter and playing down stairs in the basement with her brothers. She really likes crafts. She loves to color and paint. She is really a great blessing to us. She keeps us on our toes. I can remember how excited I was when I knew I was having our first girl. I was ecstatic. I wanted a girl SO BAD and was so excited. I still love it. Happy Birthday Rach. We love you.

OK got the youtube to work

You will have to go to my music and push the pause button before you listen to this. Just scroll down and push on the double vertical lines. That is pause. Then you can go ahead and watch the YOUTUBE. It is worth it. It is awesome. It makes you think about the example we live and how others will watch and usually follow. Show it to your kids. My oldest LOVED it. We can be a righteous example for others and teach our children to do the same. If we stand up for what is right we have a greater ability to influence others.

I love the warm weather

CALEB

MAYAH peeking through a hole.

CALEB holding MAYAH'S hand to help her find a slide

ZACH, ETHAN, RACHEL playing


The new song I have on my blog is the same one Don has on his. I just love it. Every time I hear it I can see Don sitting at the piano playing it. I love the Secret Garden music.

I absolutely love spring because the weather starts to warm up but isn't too hot. I am not really a cold loving person. So yesterday I was going to go out and get some yard work done and finish cleaning up the tree from our ice storm. Well Ethan ended up with a fever and he wanted me to stay inside and hold him. The other kids were begging me to go out and help them figure out how to use the twigs and branches to build a fort. AHHH. Hard when you can't do it all. So I gave Ethan some tylenol and we stayed in for a bit then I went outside while Ethan watched a cartoon. I did a bit outside but we ended up taking apart the broken trampoline. Ethan came out and I could tell the medicine was helping. He was running around.

I decided to take a drive. I was hoping it would help put the kids to sleep for a bit and help them get a little rest while the rest of us NON SICKERS enjoyed the scenery. I told the kids to get all ready to go with their shoes and all. Zach helped load the kids up and I yelled out to him to see if all the kids had shoes on. HE said they all did. SO I finished up getting some water bottles and diapers for Mayah and headed out.

We knew where we were going but I had never been there before but knew there were a few cool things to do. We got to our destination and actually found a sign for some type of park. The signs were impressive and took us to the coolest park ever. The kids were so excited. We decided since Ethan was acting himself that we would stop and play for a bit. As soon as the kids got out of the car I had to laugh. Ethan was wearing shorts with his snow boots. Mayah was wearing long sleeve with pants and her snow boots that are too big. It was pretty funny. I love that the kids all have their individuality. Ethan LOVES wearing those boots even if there isn't any snow. Mayah usually wears her ballerina shoes along with her ballerina dress. I am surprised she didn't have that on.

It was so nice out and it has been awhile since we have visited any parks. They played quite hard the entire hour and a half that we were there. I have to say that Caleb amazes me with his love for Mayah. He is always holding her hand and playing with her. He pretty much stayed with her the entire time at the park. It was adorable. He is really going to be a great daddy. I loved that there weren't many people there. You could definately tell it was a farm town from the stinky smell that came our way every once in awhile.

After our hard day playing we decided to go out for icecream. There was an icecream shop that was to die for. It has been A LONG time since I have had soft serve icecream and it was awesome. I had a vanilla cone dipped in choc. Caleb had a choc. shake. Zach had a vanilla cone. Rachel had a vanilla cone. Ethan and Mayah both had choc. cones. It was a very fun afternoon. By the time we got home everyone was tired and grumpy. We ate a small dinner and got everyone to bed. We missed church though today. Ethan is feeling a bit hot again and has a cough. Rachel is just getting over her cough.


ZACH swinging and CALEB pushing MAYAH on the swing.

ETHAN

RACHEL

MAYAH

ETHAN and MAYAH

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD. I want to wish you a very happy birthday today. I am very amazed at the person you are. I look around at other people and never quite see what I see in you. You are different. You are one of a kind. You are not impressed with nonsense. Your love for your family is unconditional. You never think of yourself but are always making sure everyone has what they need. You go out of your way to help. You are very wise. I really love your ability to entertain the kids. You are always thinking of creative things to do with them. I hope you know how much you are loved. I hope you know of the memories you are helping me to pass on to my kids. I hope you know that you created many memories for me as a child. I hold those deep down in my heart. I wish more men were like you. I wish more men could see the importance of family. I wish more men could understand that alot of 'things' just don't matter. I wish alot of men could be as positive as you. That is probably the one thing right now that helps me........your optimism. You see the good in everything. How do you do it? I remember you singing to me every morning when I got up. OH I hated that dumb Kellogg song. :) But you started the greatest memories. You had the most strength because I know you had to force yourself, at times, to be positive. SO thank you. THANK YOU DAD for everything you have done...for every memory you have placed.....for every word you have uttered.....because there will never be a time when I don't reference you some how. You will always be talked about. For many years to come we will be passing your words and advice on. You are planting memories for generations to come. I am so glad to be part of your seed. I love you. I am happy to call you my father, my dad, my friend. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A MAN THAT IS HARD TO COME BY. GOOD CHOICE MOM.

Not quite what we hoped for

Look at all those boys.

Zach handing his car over to be raced for his first race at districts.

Zach waiting to see if his car was going to win. It was all digital. As soon as the race was over you could see on the screen who took 1st then 2nd then 3rd then 4th. It was pretty cool.


Well yesterday Zach went to Districts with his pinewood derby car. I went to drop him off with the scout master but when I went inside the building there was a t.v. in the corner with cartooons. Oh what a blessing that was to see. I am so grateful. At that point I knew I would be able to stay and watch him. The kids could watch cartoons while I watched Zach race his car. He admitted to being nervous and I have to admit I really wanted him to win. You know when you want your children to really succeed and do well and win so that they feel good about themselves but then you also want them to be good losers and realize that it is all for fun???? Well I do make it a point to teach them to be good losers and that it mainly matters that they have fun. But deep down I REALLY want them to win and I am pretty competitive. My kids have NO idea that I feel that way though. I make sure they don't know that I am all out to win and that there is NO other way to do it. :) Really, it only lasts a while and then I am ok with it and on to something else.

Zach only raced three times before he was out of the races. There was a lot of kids there and it was neat to see such a great turnout of scouts. I was just very blessed to be there with him. I had been thinking about it all week and getting sad to think that Zach would be racing all day while I was home watching the younger kids. I knew they would be bored and I had no idea how long it would last. But as soon as I saw the t.v. I was so happy and I really think it was a tender mercyfrom the Lord. It may seem small to some but very very important to me. I try to be very invovled in my kids' life. I am there for every prayer, talk, scripture (even when they get old enough to do it on their own). I just want them to know that I care and that what they do is very important to me. So I was super excited to be with Zach. He kept looking over at me when he didn't do so well on his races and I was just glad to give him a smile and a thumbs up. I could tell he looked a bit disappointed so I knew he was happy that we were there too.

Rachel, Ethan and Mayah came over during parts of the race and cheered LOUDLY for Zach. It was cute. There was an old man sitting next to me who offered his leg for Ethan to sit on. I hope the poor man doesn't have a sore knee today from such a wiggly little bottom. Ethan loved sitting on him. He was very cool. Nothing seemed to bother him. I kept asking Ethan to sit still and the man kept telling me that Ethan was just trying to get comfortable. In my mind I was thinking "it sure is taking him a long time to do it".

Another thing I am grateful for today was the chance to visit my old ward. It was so awesome. I felt at home. In fact, I wonder if we made the right choice in moving. I really love that ward. I received so many hugs and hello's. It was also very nice to go to Relief Society.

Before Don left we were trying to take care of getting our tabs for the vehicles. Both expired in February. We never received the info in the mail to take care of it so I called to see what we could do. Since Don's name is the only name on the vehicles there was nothing I could do. This was the day Don was going to leave. They allowed me to three way him in to the conversation and then said they would send us what we needed so we could get them renewed. The lady said it wouldn't take long because she was local. I waited and waited and it never came. I was starting to really get worried. Without Don here and with expired tags I wasn't going to be able to go anywhere. That isn't a good thing for me. I need to get out often to keep my sanity. I prayed and prayed. I even called a couple of days later to see if they had indeed even sent them. She couldn't even tell me that because my name is not on their. She said if I faxed her my power of attorney she could release the info to me. OK so the next problem was that Don had the key to the safe with his car in Springfield. So yesterday morning I was going to drive to Springfield and get the key. I was going to drop Zach off at the race first so he wouldn't miss it because I knew I would be gone all day trying to take care of getting our tabs.

I decided to go into the DMV here and see if they would be able to do anything if I did have the power of attorney. The lady was SOOOOO nice. She took care of it all without the power of attorney and she even allowed me to renew the tabs for Don's car too.

OK that is another tender mercy. I would not have been able to be with Zach if I had to go to Springfield. And now I can drive legally with the new tabs.

I know Heavenly Father answers prayers, even for small and simple things. I am not saying that was a small thing but I really felt that my Heavenly Father knew my concerns and cared about me and knew that I needed tabs so that I can get out of the house when things get too tough. If that lady had not helped me like she did I wouldn't have had the chance to go visit my old ward and it was much needed. I am truly thankful for a God who listens and knows.