Sunday, January 21, 2018

Trying this again!

So my sister Mindy and her Husband Roger worked towards and now are on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They left for Vietnam this past Monday. My sister was told by the other missionary couples there that sharing on social media and keeping a journal or blog is very important. So I was enlisted to help her out. I got her all set up on Facebook and Instagram and set up a google doc journal and a blog. This was all very overwhelming for her, she has never really done anything much besides bills on the computer, so I decided to help her out by overseeing her accounts and blog if she could at least keep her journal updated and send me pictures. She has done great so far, I am so proud of her. This is all such foreign stuff to her and she is doing it like a champ!  It also inspired me to get back into it myself. If I can do a blog for her, then I have no excuse to do one for myself, right????

My cute sister and her husband!


What out Vietnam here they come! They are so lucky to have you two!!


So much has happened in my life since I last tried to blog. I couldn't catch up on everything even if I tried. But try I will, but it will take awhile. What I think I am going to do is write the happenings of the week and then try to pick one or two things from old pictures in my albums and try to document at least those things. Pictures is all I have to go off of since I never right anything down except a random Facebook or Instagram post here and there.

So, I guss we will start off with a re cap of this week. I have to say it was a hard one. I have several things on my plate right now. My oldest Taylar is getting married in a couple of months, so that is constantly on my mind. All kinds of little things that need to be done for that. And though we really love Paul, we do Feel that They are both so young and inexperienced in all things. life, gospel, emotions, etc.... She is so happy though and that is what I am choosing to focus on. They will grow and succeed or fail together and come out stronger. We love them and we will support them, pray for them and be there for them. But it doesn't take away those mom and dad feelings of wanting to protect your child and have them do everything in the way that we think would be a better path that will possibly have less hardship and pain along the way. It still is hard to sit back and watch and stay out of the way.
My Daughter and future son-in-law!

Another thing that is taking up a lot of my time is radKIDS. I was trained  a couple of years ago as a radKIDS instructor. It is a personal empowerment program for kids to teach them confidence and that they have the power to say no and we teach them some skills to a help them get away in dangerous situations. I really don't mind teaching, besides that it is kind of scary, but also fun. It is just not good timing to have the classes going on right now. I have 8 more weeks of it and we do 5 one hour classes a week. Plus, Our old flip chart is out of date so I am making a new one of those. A 19 page 2'x3' flip chart. I think I am crazy!

 During radKIDs the kids all get to show off their skills at graduation. They get to practice on the bad guys, who get to dress up in the red man suit for protection. I got to do simulation training with all the other instructors last spring. Every single person has to do the suit, even though it is usually the men who do the suit. It was pretty fun, but that suit it, heavy, bulky and hot, hot, hot! We get to disinfect it after every use, good times!



Then there are a ton of little things going on, All my boys are in the middle of making pinewood derby cars for a up coming race in the beginning of March, which you might think well that shouldn't be any big deal, unless you know my family. Then you know that we don't do just simple pinewood derby cars we go all out. It is soooo not a weekend project. Then Knightin has a 6th grade program that they are doing in a week and a half. His class is doing Ancient Greece. They asked Todd if he would draw a Banner. Which he did and it is awesome, I am not directly involved in that, but i still let it preoccupy my mind, I wish I could get over that. Free up my mind of several things. We got Knightin a trident and made him some other accessories for his costume for the little skit thing they are doing. He is being Poseidon.


Then we have Piano lessons for Kelten and Knightin. Dance for Ki, Kelten and TJ, Homework, reading, piano practice. We have started trying to figure out Valentine boxes, because like other things, we don't do simple. Then I am also in charge of the Mother/Daughter activity for my calling as one of the Activity Day leaders in our ward. So I have been try to finalize that this week. I will take some picture of it this Thursday, I think it will all pull together. We are doing a snowflake theme, and focusing on the idea that each of us are unique like snowflakes that we are each one of Gods masterpieces. I actually am excited for it, but ready for it to be over all at the same time. I have really been liking my calling. The cute little girls are, crazy, silly, loud and oh sooo much fun! I have had the younger group of girls for the past 7 months but will be changing to the older girls starting in Feb. This week I also took engagement pictures, edited them, went shopping and picked out flowers for Taylars bouquet and Pauls Boutonniere. I also made the bouquet and boutonniere
 and their announcements, just waiting on the guest list to get finished up to send them out. We are saving ourselves and sending out digital invitations in this digital world. Hopefully know one thinks that is offensive. 


 A hard thing that happened this week is, we had applied for Knightin to get into this Autism school up in Pleasant Grove, UT. It chooses its new students through a lottery system, which they just drew names for on Friday. He did not get in, we were really hoping for it. We are on the first tier waiting list, which means is is 1-10 of the first ones that will be called if someone pulls out, so I guess there is still a chance. He really is doing so good in so many ways. But change really messes with him and he has more melt downs, which for him is he acts very silly and won't listen or gets really emotional. Between stress at home and the 6th grade programs, life is a little unpredictable for him right now. We have seen him struggling right now, to cope with it all. He has also gained a new fear and extra sensitivity to noise and craziness of groups and little kids over the last year. We actually had him in dance, which he fought, but we asked him to stick t out until the recital to see if he liked preforming for people. That ended up being horrible. The noise and 
ciaos of backstage through him over the edge. We were proud of him though, he went out for his dance, but he clang to me with tears in his eyes up until  he literally went out on stage. He wanted his dad to see him dance so bad. That took so much for him to work through that. But, these are all the little reasons we really wanted him to get into this school. The whole school is focus on high-functioning autism, and helping them learn hoe to cope and get ready to succeed in life. Down in Juab they do great with what resources they have, the problem is we really don't have much to offer. I could take him to therapy to teach him, but we really can't afford it and everything is in Utah county anyway. I am really worried for Jr. High. I know he will get through it, but it is going to be a journey. A journey that I don't feel like I have the skills to help him through. So that is always weighing on my mind.


We were also lucky to have the stomach flu hit our house this week. Kelten and TJ were down for the count for a couple of days. TJ was very naughty. I tell my kids all the time they are never allowed to throw up anywhere but a bowl or the toilet unless their dad is home. TJ so broke this rule. And get this she did the deed in the bathroom right in front f the toilet, go figure. I asked her why she didn't make it in the toilet and with tears in her eyes, she told me she couldn't because she was sitting on the throne with her sickness coming out the other end too. Oh the poor girl, how miserable is that. OK sweet girl I forgive you this time! But man it was everywhere. walls, tub, door, toilet. everywhere but inside the toilet. I only dry heaved the whole time. I suck at that part of mommying!

Oh, I did get my simple kitchen Island this week and my sweet boys put it together for me. Can I tell you how much I love having 3 men in my life to help me out.


 I think that pretty much sums up the week. Todd has been on nights and that is always harder, Ki had work a few of the days and it finally snowed again. Only the second time this winter season. It has been so warm. 40 and 50 almost all winter. We are suppose to have a cooler week then right back up to the 40's. Crazy! This is even crazy for UT weather.


So I thing that I will post from the past is the kids dance recital. Last year both my older boys did ballroom with Diana Park here in Mona. Taylar did if for a couple of years and loved it. I hadn't planned on doing it, but my boys were asked since there is a shortage of older boys well boys in general willing to do it. Ki had know problem he thought it would be fun, but Kelten resisted really bad, but I kind of forced him and he is actually glad I did. He loves it! So this year, we signed them bth up again. And they got to be on the performance team, and they are going to Disneyland this summer. I get to go to, lucky me that they need a chaperone. So I also gave in and signed TJ and Knightin up. I put Knightin in the all boys group, which didn't turn out to be a good thing, and I put TJ in Ballroom and Clogging. She loves Ballroom but didn't love clogging so I let her stop that. We just signed her up for a singers group that just started here in Mona, that is ran by one of her BFF's mom. That starts in Feb. it sounds like it should be fun for her. They had their winter recital in December. They all looked so cute. Well the big boys were handsome! I always try to take videos of these things, but I never get good ones, so I didn't even try this time. Not to mention I spent almost the whole recital backstage with Knightin.

As much as these kids drive me crazy and even cause me to shed a few tears, I adore them, they make me laugh. I love their personalities! 










She sooooooo loved me curling her hair! But hey it turned out so cute.







Trying this again!

So my sister Mindy and her Husband Roger worked towards and now are on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They ...