Once again, I'm at work and have time to post on my blog. So I borrowed my mother in laws acoustic guitar and had it restrung yesterday. I took it home and learned some cords! I really enjoyed it and had to tear myself away from it to come to work. I think my mom was getting a little tired of my going over the same notes again and again in her kitchen. At least you could start to hear a tune out of what I was playing! Hey, it's my first "lesson"! The girls were with me when I took the guitar in to be restrung. The store had keyboards and drums as well as walls of electric/acoustic guitars. Shannon fell in love with the drums! She was sure that was her calling in life! "Mom I love this (glittery gold) drum. Can we get one?" Lauren about jumped out of her pants (which isn't hard to do since they are barely hanging on as it is) when she pushed a couple of keys on a keyboard and a loud noise issued forth! It made the girls laugh. Morgan liked a blue electric guitar with green lightning bolts on it (typical Morgan-style) and Erin just had a headache from "all the noise the girls were making". But Erin did ask if she could get a disco ball for her room! Over all it was a good field trip for them and they got to do some people watching as well. I must say, there are quite an array of people that come in and out of that store. The girls got an eye full! I was just waiting for that one comment that was going to get me the black eye, but they kept their comments to themselves. What a lucky mom!

I'm so excited for a new year and have many things I want to accomplish for myself and my family:

1. go part time at work: Derek, being the most generous husband anyone could ask for, contributed to my "get Katie out of work" fund. We want to have so much saved in my accounts before I can go part time and he just put me over that edge this Christmas! So now I just want to have all of our dept payed off, and then I'll go part time at work! Yay! Hopefully this March or June.

2. Re tile the kitchen and entry way in the apartment and put in new carpet. Can't wait for that!

3. Recommitte to going to the temple at least once a month. This is going to be one of my challenging ones because of our schedules, but I really feel the need to be in the temple more often. And with the Ogden Temple closing in April that will make it even more fun to plan.

4. Study the lessons in our gospel doctrine classes before the actual class. I'm really hoping to get more out of my classes this year. I just need to stay awake in class after working the night shift before!

5. The old stand by.... get into shape, AGAIN! I do want to run some races this year, so if anyone has one in mind, bug me to go with so I have something to train for.

6. Not cutting my hair, no matter how much I'm hating it at the moment! I really want to grow it out so I can do something with it!

7.Spending more time with Derek and the girls doing things we love. Not enough of this going around due to our hectic schedules and we can feel the strain in the girls. Lauren is always telling me not to go to work and always asking where Derek is during the day. You have to be pretty hard hearted for that not to get to you!

8. I really want to learn how to play the guitar...something I've always secretly wanted to do! I'd like to start self teaching with the girls this year.

9. Finally learn how to hold very simple conversations in Spanish. We have the Rosetta stone at home and I have lots of opportunity at work to use it so.....it only makes sense.

10. Get back into photography. I've really missed using my camera and seeing what images I can catch through my view finder. I also got photoshop for Christmas! Need to use it now!

11. Learn how to set my priorities in the right order. I just noticed that I had putting in carpet and tile before temple attendance and gospel study! Please don't judge me for that one! Hehe!

I hope everyone's new year is the best one yet, and you're able to accomplish most of your goals. I'm going to be realistic and probably only plan on accomplishing 30-50% of mine! I know how I've been in the past. Love you all!

Erin's book report

Erin had a book report due this week and has put a lot of work into her project. We made the animals, truck, hay bales, and tools out of air dry clay. I only made a few suggestions and then Erin took off with it. She made most of the animals and did all the painting. She did a great job and I think she'll get a good grade on it!

The two dogs in the book thought they were tasting "cotton wood candy". This was Erin's favorite part of the book.

The dog, who hates cats, ended up in the tool shed, during a rainstorm, with a bunch of cats.

The hero of the story in this scene is tied to a post and has cats hanging around and bothering him. The haystack is the cats home. The barb wire fence is suppose to be keeping a bull fenced in.

This is the truck the the dog "drove" into the creek with hay bales on the back. The dog's owner is suppose to be trapped under bales of hay. I'm not sure what happened to the arm and leg that were sticking out from under them, but the book report is done.

The book report project consisted of four scenes that the kids picked from their book that were to be narrated and displayed while they gave an oral report.

General Conference Fall 2010

During the priesthood session last night; we were encouraged to add a link to lds.org on our blogs if we hadn't done so yet. So I made it a goal for myself during conference, while I listened of course to the talks, that I would place in my blog a link to the site that explains my beliefs truthfully. There is enough out there that spreads untruths about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and its members. We need to make the truth available just as readily at hand for those that don't know our beliefs or understand. So for anyone who comes across my blog; I bear my testimony to you of the truthfullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon. We have a living prophet of God at this time, Pres. Thomas S Monson who speaks with the Lord and testifies truthfully of Him. The temples of the Lord are homes of refugee and are filled with the spirit of our Savior. I urge you to pick up a copy of the Book of Mormon and read, with pure intent, to know for yourself the truthfullness of its contents and then pray to know whether it be true or not. I know that if you pray, with a real desire to know if these words are true, you will receive an answer to your prayers of this books truthfullness. I testify of these things to you in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

goshute cave

So these pictures are reverse in order. The top picture is the end result of our hike to goshute cave over memorial day week end. The girls were real troopers because that is not an easy hike! You can see the opening of the cave on the picture with Lauren asleep on Derek shoulder. Lots of shale and small rocks to slip on. They did great! And Derek is super dad. He carried Lauren all the way back down to the car so she wouldn't slip and fall. Shannon had help from me on the way down, but still did great! The girls got to see bats and actually thought it was cool. It was a great spur of the moment trip for our little family.

Happenings of Summer/Fall

Mom put together a "dinner theater" with our girls for their parents, grandpa, Aunt Laura and Uncle Adam. We got to see Little Red Riding Hood with Erin as "Red", Morgan as "BB Wolf", Shannon as "Grandma" and Lauren as " Woody Cutter".

We also saw the girls perform Goldy Locks and the Three Bears. Morgan was "Goldy", Erin as "Papa Bear", Shannon "Mama Bear" and Lauren, of course, was " Baby Bear". The girls helped make their costumes and I had some face paints to complete the look. So much fun!

I've taken the week off because Mom and Dad went to visit Kellie and Ryan in New Hampshire and I've really enjoyed spending all this time with the girls. I miss being able to take pictures on a whim and run around having fun with them. Luckily I got to transfer to a hospital closer to home and won't have to drive so far.

Shannon started Preschool and Lauren was sure she was on her way to class too. So we primped and gave her a backpack too. She was so excited to go to " Grandma school" that day!

I sent Erin and Morgan to school with "good grade" incentives for their teachers on the first day of school. I needed an excuse to make these cute cupcakes and Erin and Morgan's teachers really liked them! Erin's teacher liked them so much she took pictures of them. I think they're adorable and they were fun to make!

the things my kids say and do...

I don't have pictures yet for my stories because I'm at work tonight and nothing else to do, so I'll tell you what's been going on at home. Morgan has had trouble lately with some cousins and not feeling really good about things, so I've been trying to encourage her in things she enjoys. She loves to sing her own songs at the top of her lungs. So a asked her "Morgan, do you like to write your own songs?" She said yes, rather shyly. I explained to her that some people do make a living writing songs and composing music for those songs. She got excited and said " I want to do that! I could do it on my days off from the circus!" For as long as I can remember she has aspired to be a trapeze artist and still wants that as a career. So now she wants to work for the circus AND write music/songs on her day off. I got Morgan her own little note book so she could write her songs down (as best a 6 year old can) and she felt pretty special! She also imformed me that she is planning on having 10 kids so she is going to be a very busy lady when she grows up!
Our dog Sam redeemed himself, I think, for the rest of his life. Lauren was outside playing with her sisters in the back yard last weekend. She usually stays put, but has been known to go back into the house while they stayed outside. I was asleep from having worked the night before and Derek was in the garage working on our suburban. Lauren left and the girls assumed she went into the house. Derek heard Sam barking but didn't think much of it because he barks at birds all the time. But he kept barking rather adamently, so Derek went to see what was up. You have to cross a bridge that goes over a canal to get up to our place and Lauren happened to venture down to the bridge. She hadn't crossed it but had gone up to the opening next to the bridge that allows you to go to the canal! Sam was barking at her because he couldn't get to her due to his shock collar perimeters. Derek ran down to grab her thank goodness before anything happened. So needless to say I don't like to sleep during the day when she girls are outside because I'm afraid she will wander off again. Im very glad Sam barked up a storm and Derek checked on him because it makes me sick to think of what could be. I love my Sam for that! Every kid should have a dog like him! And to thank him for this he's getting fixed in August. Sorry Sam!