The Puhlman Christmas Letter

I loved how this picture of our tree turned out. The walls look so cool with all the colors from the lights.

I can't believe how fast 2010 went. But here we are about ready to start a new year.

DON: He is still enjoying his job. The commute is what is making him grumpy. Makes Lisa grumpy too. Lyme's disease hit him hard a couple of months ago. But thankfully things seem to be ok in that department. He is still teaching the fourth Sunday in Elders Quorum and just received a new calling. He will be teaching the Marriage and Family Life course with Lisa. Both are very excited but are wondering if they made a mistake in calling us as the teachers. :) Don has really been getting into hunting these past 2 years. But for some reason he can't seem to get anything. Seems like he see's deer all over the place EXCEPT when he is out hunting. It has turned into quite the joke now.

LISA: Lisa keeps quite busy with the kids. There is never a dull moment in this house. She loves to blog and has made that her journal. She enjoys reading but can't quite find enough time to get much of that done. Singing is at the top of her list....she just wishes she sounded better. That doesn't seem to stop her though. Losing her father in November has been difficult. She is thankful for her family and the joy they bring her. The gospel is such a blessing in her life and there is nothing more important as her family and her belief. Both bring her such happiness.

CALEB: He turned 12 recently and is now in Young Mens and passing the Sacrament. He just went to the temple last weekend and LOVED it. He went on a campout and five mile hike. He froze and ate nasty food. We will be better prepared for his next campout happening next week. This time he will campout for 2 nights and he will stay warm and have tasty food. Caleb is getting A's and B's and we are so grateful for his desire to choose the right.

ZACHARY: He is the tallest 4th grader in the school. He passes up most of the 5th graders too. He was so excited to receive a bow for his birthday. He spends quite a bit of time outside target shooting. He loves to hunt with his dad and has high hopes of getting a deer. He did a fabulous job with Caleb babysitting for the first time while mom and dad had a meeting at church. They read the scriptures without being asked and the younger three kids were asleep by 7:00 that night. We are grateful that Zachary is part of our family.

RACHEL: Rachel is enjoying the 2nd grade. She is doing very well and getting all A's. She is in the top reading group and has an amazing ability to write. She has beautiful penmanship. She loves anything girly and you can often find her getting into mom's makeup and dressing in her fanciest clothes. This girl gets up early. She reminds me of Grandpa McHargue. She wonders why she has to go to bed so early. NO MATTER what time she goes to bed she is up at 5 or 6 most mornings. She is a joy to have in our home.

ETHAN: His first year of school has been fun for him. His teachers compliment him on his work. He has started to read a little and has learned cursive. He is pretty easy to get along with as long as things are going his way. He cracks us up with the funny things he says. He is full of love and you can find him giving hugs and kisses. He loves to be read to. He brings a lot of laughter to our home.

MAYAH: This is one witty girl. She is 4 going on 13. You can find her getting into the makeup too. I have no idea where she comes up with such mature words. She gets so many compliments on her red curly hair. She is stubborn and she can hold her own quite often. She loves to watch t.v. I think she gets bored being the only one at home. I know she will love next year when she can ride the bus like everyone else. She fits perfectly into our strong willed family. Her raspy voice sets her apart from all the other kids. She is a joy.

We want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We hope you will all remember the true meaning of Christmas. It isn't about the gifts....it is about the love and the charity and the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Without HIM there would be NO Christmas. Let us never forget that.

The lunar eclipse

Don loves anything to do with astronomy...so when he knew there was going to be an eclipse he made sure he was awake AND that he woke up each child (except Mayah....she isn't easy to get back to sleep) to show them. He even tried to wake me but I guess I was too tired. I wish I would have seen it. Don took quite a few pictures and this is one of them.............AMAZING....and there was a red star that he tried taking a picture of. When he went back to view the pictures that star looked as if it had burst. It was the coolest thing EVER. More pictures to come as soon as we get them on this computer.

A fun day that ended with a fun night

School was called off today. We got quite a bit of snow and with that came slick roads. It was good to have the kids home. They were really good too. They played outside for a good portion of the day.....had lots of hot chocolate and too many pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

Here is our tree. I let the kids decorate it all by themselves. I think they did a mighty fine job. Kids enjoying the snow.

Rachel is trying to clean out that sled. It was filled with ice.

More sledding.........

OK so it took Don almost 3 hours to get home tonight. He doesn't think people around here know how to drive in the snow or even rain. FUNNY. He walked in with a Walmart bag. He was up to something. I had gotten the younger three kids ready for bed and even had Ethan asleep. Rachel was close. Mayah was out of her bed quite a few times doing her typical nightly 'stuff'. And the boys were watching Goosebumps. Don starts putting some ingredients into a pot. Then he started asking where the kids were. I told Mayah to get into bed but he ruled against that and said she could stay up. He high fived her. That gave her the giggles. Then he told Mayah to go upstairs and wake up the other two so they could come down. Ethan was out....but after he learned that he could get up for some hot chocolate he was up quick. Rachel came quickly as well. Hoping there is no school tomorrow. But even if there is we all had a super fun night of dad cooking us up some hot chocolate. The recipe came from Glenn Beck...Don's favorite talk radio host.

***warning.....this may cause clogged arteries....eat at your own risk. All you do is use cream (Glenn uses straight cream but Don bought half and half. Then heat that up and just stick some hershey's milk choc. bars in. There isn't really a set recipe. Just do it to taste. It is GOOD. Then Don topped it off with that spray whip cream. YUM. Seriously it is delicious.

Toasting their cups.



Just some fun funny faces.

AND YES you see it right. That is cream all over their noses...we have dad to thank for that.

YUM enjoying their drink. The kids couldn't drink it fast enough. They all thought it was the best. Maybe it was really really good but I am thinking since Dad let them all stay up a bit later AND drink hot chocolate just made it a super fun night in their eyes. I was OK with it too.

All so fast........

We just experienced three deaths in our family in the last 36 days....my father passed on Nov. 1st. My uncle (dad's brother) on Thanksgiving day...Nov. 25th and yesterday my 99 year old grandma passed away...(their mom). And I am just grateful for what they have passed down to us. My grandma was in good health almost her entire life...and it was a good, long life. She was lucid almost up until she died. That was a great blessing. My father passed away unexpectedly. My uncle was sick so we knew it was coming. My grandma was old and we knew it wouldn't be long as well...although us grandchildren were hoping she would make it to 100. My great-grandma also lived until she was 99 so we were hoping for a new record of 100. But after my dad and uncle (her boys) died she went down hill pretty fast.

Here is my mom and dad. What lovely people they are.

I couldn't find a picture of my uncle Joe on my computer so this will have to do. My dad is to the far left. My other uncle Jack (the only one surviving now in that family) and my amazing grandma Emily.

I have two things on this earth that are truly the most important things in my life...family and the gospel of Jesus Christ. They truly are the things that matter most. It is hard getting into the spirit of Christmas but as I sit here this morning and really think about it....Christmas is all about the birth of our Savior. And for that I am excited. And for that there is reason to celebrate. YES....I have lost three important people in my family recently but I haven't lost them for good....just for a season. And in the eyes of our Savior it won't take long before we see them again. Grateful for today. Grateful for my life. Grateful for the things that these family members passed down to us. Grateful that I know that I can see them again. I have no doubt.

UVA trip

Friday we took a trip to UVA. Mom wanted to see the campus where my two nieces attend. It was a very fun trip. My sister, mom and even Mayah came along. She was really good the whole time.

Here is mom with Leila....inside her little apartment. It was so cute.

My other niece (Nadia) with mom. Her little room was so cute too and she was very creative in the way she used her space. I tell you...I have some smart nieces. Too bad they couldn't share with me. :)

Here is mom and Mayah in front of the Thomas Jefferson (he founded UVA) statue.

Had to get a picture of mom in front of this tree. We couldn't believe it hadn't lost its leaves yet. Too bad mom missed the fall.

Look how cool this church looks? There is a bell up top. Mom, Mayah and myslef.



The day before we came there were a bunch of ice sculptures and we were hoping they were still there but they weren't. Here is my sister and mom on the lawn. They call this area the lawn.

We had the most delicious lunch ever. We ate at a Thai Restauant. It was the best. I am so grateful for such a fun trip. It was much needed. All I am thinking about now is how little time we have left with my mom here. It makes me sad to not see her daily. I love her and am so thankful for her. She is the best.

Love having mom here

I am so glad my mom decided to come back East with us. It is getting closer for her to be going home and yet I wish she would stay longer. She is a huge help. We love having her. Here is my niece and my mom. Leila (my niece) bought her a bouquet of flowers.

I took mom to the temple this week. It was lovely. There is NO place as special as the temple. It really lifted our spirits. I hope to go one more time before she leaves. My mom is doing quite well. Ofcourse it will take time....probably lots of time. I still find myself crying at moments but I know my pain compared to my mom's is minimal. She has lost her best friend, husband and companion. They worked together and spent the evenings together and it worked well. They got along great. Her family is what she held onto as her greatest friends so she really doesn't have an outside circle of friends...but that is what she prefered. She was happy being with dad and with her kids and grandkids. She is strong. I know that God will watch over and protect her and help her to heal. I just hope this time goes quick. I don't like seeing her sad. But I know it is part of the process.

11-13 no coincidence

My mom and sister were on the way to Spokane after my father was transported by helicopter. My mom got an odd feeling at 11:13 a.m.

A week later my mom and brother were driving to take care of a few things at the shop. My mom was telling my brother the feeling she had. My brother looked down at the clock in the car and it read 11:13 a.m. My mom had NO idea.

They got to the shop and were telling my sister about the two common things...that is when my sister said.....Dad's celebration of life is Nov. 13th....or 11/13.

I don't believe in coincidences. I really think that 11:13 was when my father passed through the veil to the other side.

Back home

That was a fast trip. I went home to be a part of my dad's celebration of life. I was gone for a week and am so thankful for my mother in law who took on the hardest job of anyone....watching the kiddos. I could not have gone without her help. I'm so thankful and I worried about her while I was gone. I knew the kids would be OK. But I wasn't so sure about her.

We brought my mom with us. I am so excited for her to see Virginia. She has wanted to come back here for soooooooooo long and now she has the chance. We get to keep her for a full month. YEAH....so many things to see and yet her back is limiting her. Praying it gets better super quick. I am the one to blame for it. She has six kids. I was the biggest baby weighing 8 pounds 6 ounces. After I was born she developed Spondylolisthesis. BIG WORD..I know. She didn't have very big babies...most weighing in at 6-7 pounds. But basically it is where the bone in the lower part of the spine slips forward and onto a bone below it. It is causing her a lot of pain. She had to make a trip to the ER a few days after dad died. She was in so much pain she actually thought she was going to meet my dad that night. I'm so thankful she didn't.

I'll see him again...no doubt

I have to keep telling my self I will see him again. I have to keep an eternal perspective. I have to realize that this life is short...and compared to eternity it is just the beginning. I know these things are true. I know it. It brings peace. It is still hard and it even seems like I am crying more BUT..I really can feel the prayers of others...just like my friend Rachel said happened to her after her father passed.

I bore my testimony today. I don't really like getting up in front of people but my heart was pounding. It doesn't do that often but it has happened a few times and when it does I KNOW that means I need to get up there. After Sacrament I had one of the bishopric members come to me telling me how he felt while I was giving my testimony. It was special. It made me cry. And it made him cry. He wrote it up for me and delivered it to my home. I will cherish it FOREVER.

Again grateful for the gospel. Grateful to know. Grateful to be a part of all true things. There is a quote that I love "I CAN DO HARD THINGS".

some days better than others

My dad wanted all the kids and grandkids to watch this 4th of July video. I can't recall the name of it but it had to do with our Founding Forefathers.

Our family...we are missing my older brother. He left too early that morning.
My dad loved to dance and we all danced his pants off too. There were times he could barely walk at the end of the night but that didn't stop us. I wish I could dance with him just ONE more time. Just once.

He loved his grandkids. LOVED THEM and spent time with them and did things with them and taught them.

There are times when I feel peace and don't feel like crying over my dad's death but other days where all I do is cry. Yesterday I did really well but last night was AWFUL. I couldn't think of anything else. On Tues. I went to my sisters house an hour away....I missed the turn off. On the way home I missed my turn off and ended up in who knows where...had to call my husband to figure out where I was and how to get me back in the right direction. It isn't like I live in Moses any more where it is almost impossible to get lost. NO this is close the Washington D.C. I didn't have the GPS. Don had it. UGGGHHH. I was deep in thought.

My thoughts turn to all the wonderful qualities and memories I have of my dad. There were some NOT so good times but those times don't even come into my memory. I have to keep an eternal perspective. I went to my friends house yesterday. We talked about life after death. We talked about the things we know to be true. It helped. As we talked I watched her make me dinner. SAD HUH? I asked if I could help but she wouldn't let me. She made Manicotti. YUM. She also made the best pumpkin cookies ever and sent me home with garlic bread and fixings for Ceaser Salad. AND to top that off she went back to the store and bought all the ingredients for me to be able to make 2 more batches of pumpkin cookies. I tried to pay her and she sneakily gave the money back to us by giving it to my daughter. She's busted.

Then on Wed. another friend brought the yummiest spaghetti and meatballs and garlic bread and green beans and some oatmeal cookies. As soon as I saw the package of cookies it reminded me of seeing them in my home growing up. Mom loves them. That started getting me thinking about my dad again. It is going to happen. And I want to be able to think of him and talk of him and remember everything about him.

Tonight another friend is bringing food. Do you see what wonderful friends I have? I really do. I love the gospel for so many reasons and one huge reason is that they really take care of people. The RS called to see if I needed meals but I said no. So my friends took it upon themselves to bring me food. I love them. I really do.

Life will not be the same without my dad. He was the boss. He was the one to organize everything in our family. We had gatherings at my parents house and relatives came from all over to be a part of our family but it was because my dad made them all feel so special. This wasn't just your typical close relatives. MY second cousins kids would come and they would bring their friends. They loved it at our place. We did fun things and had great times.

One thing (of many) that I love is that it is sooooooo easy to point out my dads qualities. REALLY..he had so many.

1. He was a hard worker..he was known for his hard work.

2. My dad was so good with all ages of people...the young, the old, the inbetween. ALL PEOPLE.

3. He was honest.

4. He was a great teacher and I know he was many of the students' favorite.

5. He was a great mechanic. He knew what he was doing and he did it well.

6. SMART SMART SMART...yes he was. He had a lot of knowledge and in many areas.

7. He was caring. He served and thought of others.

8. He was a very positive man. He would sing to us every morning...especially when we were in a bad mood. I HATED IT. I would get up and still be tired and then I would hear...good morning....good morning....the best to you each morning...K-E-L-L-O-G-G...Kellogs best to you. Or he would tease us and say SMILE. But I never felt like it. He was mostly always in a good mood and if he wasn't he would force himself.

9. My dad was a giver. He gave sooooooo much to my family. We had a big family. There were 8 of us all together. I LOVED THAT. When my mom made chicken my dad ALWAYS chose the back. GROSS. I never could understand why he liked the back....there is hardly any meat on it. Well many years later I learned that he didn't like the back but he knew the kids wanted the white meat so he ate the back.

10. My dad is a very non-judgemental person. When someone would start talking about someone else he would sometimes stop us and say something positive about them or he would tell us to be nice.

11. My dad was a good listener and advice offerer (is that a word?) And now that he is gone I am learning that he helped more people than I had ever known. He always had great advice for his nieces and nephews and grandkids and anyone else that may have been hurting. He has such a huge heart.

12. He went for the underdog. If he ever thought somenone didn't have any friends or were being teased he STRESSED the importance of being nice and being there friends. He didn't put up with this kind of crap. Just this past summer there was something that happened with the grandkids so he made all of them memorize the song..."Don't Laugh at Me". And then he gave each of them a talk about making fun of others. He then went on to say that when he was little he got made fun of and how that REALLY hurt.

13. He loved his family. He was a true family man. He never wanted to leave the kids long. Everywhere he went he wanted us to go too. You know those parents ( I am guilty of this) that wanted breaks from the kids and couldn't wait for them to go to school? Well he was never (neither was my mom...she always cried when the summer was over and it was time for us to go back) like that. AND WE KNEW it. We knew that we meant everything to him.

There are so many more things....you know how some people are given a couple of qualities that really stand out? And how you can pinpoint them.....like someone is a great worker...or someone is good at serving...or someone is really smart...or very muscial. But with my dad he had many. And I am not just saying these things and making my dad look better than he really was (just because he is gone). HE really really had all of these qualites and more. It amazes me that one person was blessed with so much. And yet he sat there not realizing all the things he did well. He was a very humble man.

Dad..I know this pain won't go away.....Don specifically told me in the blessing he gave me that he would not command the pain to go away. He said it was necessary for us to grow. It is part of life and although it is a sad part and a very difficult part I know and understand that it is necessary. I pray you will watch over us daily. I pray that you will hold my hand when you see me struggle.

Yesterday I had to take Zach to the dentist to get a cavity filled and to get 3 sealants. He was very nervous about the shot. He said he had been thinking about it ALL day at school. As we were driving to the office I told him to pray and I told him that YOU would be holding his hand through all of it and I told him that you could now always watch over us. GUESS WHAT? The dentist went in and as he was cleaning up the teeth he told us that there was no cavity there. He said it really looked like a cavity last time but after cleaning it all up he only needed to seal it. SO he did 4 sealings and NO CAVITY. He didn't have to get the shot. I know God hears our prayers and I know you are there too dad. I am so thankful. Plus it saved us $50.

I love you and I love what you have done for your family. You will always be the best.

It hurts even more today

I can't believe MY dad is gone. I still can't believe it. It hurts even more today. I think reality is setting in and I am realizing that it is really true....he isn't coming back...EVER. And that is hard to grasp sometimes. I know my dad is not with us here but he lives. He is in Heaven with his spirit and he is alive. He is looking down on us and I know he will be a perfect angel for my family.

I am really grateful for my blog. He was my number one reader. He looked foward to reading my posts and there were times I didn't want to post anything but I did because I knew he was looking forward to it. My dad was all about teaching others. He had a degree in teaching and the kids all LOVED him. He was awesome. He left teaching to open his own small engine repair business...and yet the teaching continued. He never stopped teaching. That was one of his greatest qualities.

Some things I remember about my dad:

1. He was so service oriented. He always thought of others and never of himself. He lived the meaning of serving his fellow man.

2. He was an honest man. He was very fair at his shop. He would never try to jip anyone. In fact he bought a boat a few months ago. The guy that was selling it was asking a certain price but my dad thought that was too cheap so he offered to pay him more. Then that night the guy that sold him the boat called and said his wife was upset with him for selling the boat so cheap and my dad ended up paying him even more. Do you know very many men that would actually pay more for something because he knew it was worth more? These are the types of things that this man is leaving behind for his kids and grandkids. AMAZING...I'm telling you. HE WAS.

3. My father wasn't active in the church BUT....I believe he was a better man than many members of the church are. He always told me before I left for a church activity to remember to be the first one there and the last to leave....He always stressed the importance of staying till the end to help clean up.

4. My dad was all about doing good and being a good person...he was all about treating others with respect. He had a huge heart. He has left a big hole in so many people's lives and now that he is gone I am finding many people that I don't even know express their sadness that he is gone. He touched so many lives.

5. My dad taught us so much. He was always there with a way to teach. I remember....as all of my siblings do ....dad helping us with our homework. He always made us cry. It is pretty funny now.

6. My father left a great legacy. I hear people talk about this alot and now I understand the importance of living a good life and being a good person and trying really hard to treat others the best you possibly can. I am so thankful I have a father who has lived a good life and who has so many amazing qualities that I look up to.

I have started pulling different memories I have of my father. Most make me cry. Most make me very proud. Most make me realize how blessed I am. Even though I will now live this life without my father I know that he is still aware of us. I know he will watch over us. I know we will see him again. I JUST KNOW IT. I feel it and although this is a super sad time and since I have not lost anyone close to me....it is an experience I haven't really had yet. It is painful. And I know that my Savior lives and He knows the pain I feel. He has experienced the same pain and more. He will be there to lift me when I need it. I am truly grateful for the gospel. I am thankful for the knowledge I have that there is life after this...and that the next life will be a million times better than earth.

DADDY....I miss you. I hope you can see our tears. I hope you know that you are really going to be missed. I hope you see how mad you have made us. :) Mom isn't going to know what to do without you. I remember hearing her talk about not knowing what to do if she ever lost you. You did so much for her. You were her everything.

DADDY...I love you. I am not sure how long this pain is going to last but it really SUCKS. I am glad you are in a better place. You are with your dad and your brother and Allison. I hope you are holding baby Allison. Remember that dream you had after Allison died...where she climbed up on your lap? Now she can really do that.

DADDY...thanks. Thank you for living your life the way you did. I know it wasn't a perfect life but it was one heck of a life. Your grandkids WILL know the life you lived because I am going to make sure of it. I talk of you often already and I will make sure they will never forget you.

DADDY..I can't wait for the Second Coming. I know we will see each other again. WOW...that seems like such a long time away but I know it won't be long.

DADDY....It hurts. You are the one that is supposed to take our pain away. And now that a huge chunk of our family is gone we are not sure what to do.

DADDY...we will get through this. I know we will. We are a strong family...and I want you to know that the reason we are strong is because of you. And that is the absolute truth. You were the link that pulled us together. The chain has been broken but not forgotten.

DADDY...I will never forget you........never stop loving you..........never stop talking about you.......NEVER.

Nov. 1st 2010...one of the saddest days of my life

This amazing man is my father. I love him. This morning he had a heart attack and left this life. It doesn't seem real. He knew EVERYTHING....yeah it's true. I called him for advice. He always knew the answer. In fact I called yesterday when we were stuck on the side of the road with our broken down vehicle...he wasn't there though. So I didn't get to talk to him and for that I am so sad.

Grandpa with some of the grandkids........missing him so much as I look back at pictures.

Doing sooooooo much stuff with his grandkids was a great joy to him....here he is getting ready to do yo yo's.

He is teaching me how (or should I say Zach) how to put this window in....He was an all around man. You know those men that know how to do all sorts of things? That was him.

Him and Mayah...now I wish I had more pictures of him with my kids...isn't that always how it is. UGGGH

Dad....I have always been grateful for a father like you. I thank God all the time for giving me parents who were strong and who stayed together even when things got tough. I am so thankful to call you my father. I am so thankful and I feel so honored. Just because you are gone does not mean you will be forgotten...far from it. The opposite is true. We will all remember what a great person and man you were. One of my favorite things that I keep saying in my mind is how you always said....just do it. If I didn't feel like doing something I could totally hear you say...just do it. And that has helped me so much now. I have to say there are so many things that you taught us that have stuck with me. Those things I pass down to my own kids and I find it a huge blessing to have come from such a strong, caring and loving man.

Halloween fun

Since Halloween is on a Sunday this year we were thankful for the Trunk or Treat at church. Last week Caleb and I made up a pie using choc. and white choc. pudding and reeces peanut butter cups. We didn't have a recipe. It was soooo good so Caleb decided to make that for the pie contest for the Trunk or Treat. He tied for first place.

Caleb and I dressed as hunters. It was pretty funny when I had 3 or 4 people not recognize me. After I took off the hat they realized who I was. Here is Ethan...GROOM. Rachel...BRIDE and Mayah....BUTTERFLY.

Cutest butterfly EVER.

Look at this lovely bride...so pretty. She is using my veil from when I got married and she was the one to decide on the red shoes so I found some red ribbon (pulled out the strings in some Christmas bags) and tied them on the back of the dress. Too bad we didn't have a bouquet.

The bride and groom

Since Ethan wasn't able to pick Rachel up we decided to do a fun picture and have her pic him up. TOO FUNNY.
Zach didn't end up dressing up. Our friends brought him a dr. costume but then he never put it on....so no pictures of him.

Crazy Hair DAY

Today is Crazy hair day at the elementary school. I had to be up early anyway to take Zach to school for a field trip. He had to be at the school at 7 a.m. so that meant leaving our house at 6:30 and stopping at the gas station to get some gatorade for his trip. We ended up seeing about 4 or 5 kids doing the same thing. :)

When I got back we fixed Rachel and Ethan's hair. I love how Rachel's hair looks and yep...pretty crazy. She put a bottle on her head and then flipped her hair over. I grabbed her hair and put it in a pony tail making it stick straight up. It looks so cool.

Definately the craziest hair I have seen in a long time.
Ethan is soooooo funny. Last night as I was putting him to bed he asked if he could shave his head for crazy hair day. I wasn't too sure about shaving it completely. So we compromised. I cut it pretty short and then left a piece uncut in the front and we spiked that. I told him we could finish cutting it after crazy hair day but the other kids really like it and want him to keep it. We will see. It doesn't bother me to allow them some fun hair as long as it is within reason. And this wouldn't bother me. It is kind of cute...actually.

You can see it better in this picture.

Ahhh my kids are growing up. It is sad...what a cutie. Would you let your 6 year old keep his hair like that?

Is it Grandpa?

Today Mayah and I went over to our friends house to help them prepare to move. We took our camera so we could put some things on Craigslist. Well Mayah was super excited when she saw a pick up that sort of looked like her Grandpa's. We had to slow down...and I mean SLOW down so she could look inside to see if it really was Grandpa. We knew it wasn't since he lives 2000 miles away but JUST IN CASE...you never know. So I decided since I had my camera I would take a quick picture. Don't worry...he didn't see me. It isn't exactly the same but close. We were hoping we would see him inside.

OOHHH I am loving the Fall. This is taken in our driveway. It is such a gorgeous time of year.

Here is our front yard. I am a little sad to think that in a couple of weeks the colors are going to be gone. I sooooooo wish they would stay longer.

Who US?

Don and I were called as the Marriage and Family teachers for our ward. US? Trust me...I am just as surprised as you. :)

I just finished a long blog post about this calling and then our computer went out. So now you are left with just this little amount of info. I am fairly confindent that the bishop prayed about what couple/family needed the greatest amount of HELP. We all know who learns the most when called to a position. We are in for a big treat....we are going to learn so much. And for that I am truly grateful.

NO WONDER

Two nights ago Caleb made pancakes for dinner. YUM. He makes good pancakes. But for some reason these were not very good but I didn't really say anything. The kids said they weren't very good but we all ate them anyway. AS he was making them he mentioned how he thought they needed more flour because the batter was too runny. So he added more. They were flat and blah.

Well today I pulled out my mixer to make some pumpkin bread. I asked Mayah if she wanted to help and she excitedly ran over to me wanting to help. But then the truth came out. She was laughing and said that she had put water in Caleb's pancake batter. No wonder it was runny and he had to add extra flour to make it the right consistency. I asked her why she did that and she said that it was the secret ingredient. We have a secret ingredient that we add to our chocolate chip cookies and we make a big deal about it with the kids. I don't think water is a good secret ingredient. And by the way....it isn't the one we add to our cookies. :) I made sure to tell Mayah that there were no secret ingredients allowed in the pumpkin bread. No secret ingredients are even needed in this recipe. OH YUM.

Gratitude

It has been so long since I have blogged. I feel grateful for all my blessings and I feel a need to quickly write down some of the things I am thankful for. My friend is on her way over to our place. I am taking her to the airport. She is going oversees for 10 days. And they will be moving in a couple of months. It is pretty darn sad. This friend has five kids like us and we have done quite a few things together. But I am excited for their new journey and for what adventures they will be sharing together as a family in a foreign country.

I am thankful for good friends.

I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father and for my Savior Jesus Christ. Our family has really been tested these last few months but I feel loved and I do not feel alone in our struggles. I am thankful that we have been stretched and tried. I feel stronger and I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is so comforting.

I am thankful for family. THIS IS MY GREATEST JOY. I have a great family. SO many that have helped me. I know they have prayed for us and have helped us in so many ways. I feel so blessed to come from a family that constantly thinks of others. My parents are amazing and they continually give and give even though they have very little themselves. If that doesn't get them a place in Heaven I don't know what will.

I am thankful for my husband. He is a wonderful man. It has been hard seeing him sick these last few months and it is such a blessing to have him up and working full time and well. The last couple of days he has come hoome and started cleaning. He and the kids cleaned up after dinner a couple of nights ago and just these small kind acts of service mean the world to me. I am truly grateful for a man that helps out.

I am thankful for my five wonderful kids. YES...they keep us busy but what a blessing they are. They talk back, they refuse to do chores, they argue and argue, they complain about homework, they fight with each other, they hate going to bed BUT they are our greatest joy and they bring smiles to our faces even in the worst circumstances.

I am just so grateful that our child that has been struggling to go to school is now going. I know it is still hard but this child is working through the difficulties and making great progress.

A couple of months ago I had to force myself to find the things I was thankful for. I knew I had a lot to be thankful for but it was hard to pull it out from the things that were squashing me down. I know it is so important to be thankful and so important to thank the Lord for what we do have. Every once in awhile I devote a prayer to just being thankful and not asking for a single thing.

Great morning

Everything went great this morning. All the kids got on the bus and were happy. I am so HAPPY. It is a great morning. I even got another day of exercise done. PHEW...that makes three days in a row. Pretty good considering it has been awhile. Don's brother is coming from Utah. We haven't seen him for such a long time. He is here taking a language test for his job back in Utah. My inlaws will also be coming and they are bringing dinner. Can't wait. They came on Sunday too and brought dinner. OH it is so nice to not have to worry about that.

It is getting quite cold out. Don LOVES this weather. I love fall but when it gets cold out I like to be under a blanket with some hot chocolate. I have already added another blanket to our bed. The trees are changing colors and it is getting sooooooooooo gorgeous here. Halloween is just around the corner and my kids continually talk about what they want to be. It is a good day and another day to be grateful for all my blessings. AND Ethan hasn't gotten a color change in 4 days. YEEHAW. :)

needing a good laugh

Yesterday was a particularly hard day. The saying that a mother is only as happy as her least happy child is soooooooo true. So after dropping one of my kids off at school and having a good cry I decided to just stay in town and do some 'window shopping' with Mayah. We went to K-mart to look at the Halloween things. Mayah LOVES to go through the aisles and push all the buttons on all the scary things. It was cute. As we left the Halloween aisle we decided to go to the shoes. She enjoys picking out shoes to try on. As we were passing the little girl section Mayah looks over and says, "Look, mom...the underware and boobie things". I started laughing out loud and instantly it helped my mood ALOT. I am so grateful for Mayah. She is hilarious. She says the funniest things and it was exactly what I needed at the time. PHEW...thank goodness for kids. :)

just a fun photo shoot with Mayah

I love this outfit so much. A good friend gave it to us so I took some pictures with her in it. SO CUTE. It was so fun spending this time with her. She is now home alone with me and I am so blessed. Mayah is very fun. She is stubborn and she knows what she wants but I am grateful she is part of our family....so grateful. OK so really....this is THE cutest 4 year old I know. I'm not just saying it either.

This was so funny. She had sat on something itchy and she was pretty much done taking pictures by this time. She was heading back into the house.

I had to get a picture of her hair. OH how I would give so much to have her hair.

I wasn't done taking pictures but she sure was. I got her to smile just one more time before heading back inside.

And those lips....no she isn't wearing lipstick. She just has very red full lips. so lucky.

She is starting to get the itchies here.





I hope you are not a tree hugger Mayah...:)

smooshy face