My ever growing testimony

I don't know why it continues to astound me everytime it happens, but I guess I just need reminding that I am a child of a Heavenly Father who is very patient with me. I'm scheduled to teach the first sunday lesson next month and I'm one that stresses over it for weeks before. Teaching is not one of my talents, to say the least. So I had decided to teach on receiving personal revelation. I have wanted to teach on this for a while, but it was never the right time. Since this might be my last chance to teach the first sunday lesson, since we are moving, I decided now or never. I struggled to put my lesson together; I couldn't recall quotes, scripture, anything to help me in preparation for my lesson. Nothing flowed well. I was reading through me Ensign and had only read one or two articles, when out of the blue, I had the feeling to do my lesson on self reliance. This was a completely different direction than I wanted to take my lesson! I put the magazine away for the day. I went over my original lesson with Derek that night and it still didn't feel right. Today, I sat down with the Ensign again (Lauren was asleep and the other girls were with Derek running errands). I was flipping through it again, skimming over articles and ran right into Elder Ballard's article on....SELF RELIANCE! I sat down and put my talk together within the hour. My mind was opened and I was able to recall quotes and scripture that I had read that related to this very topic. I had made up my mind to follow the Spirit's promptings and was ,I hate to admit, amazed at how easily it came to me. Just like my own girls need CONSTANT reminding and encouraging to do what's right and listen to what I say, I, in turn, need my constant reminder that all will be done on the Lord's time table and only through Him will it come together so as to be effective for those we teach. I am indeed grateful for this calling and have learned so much in regards to listening to the spirit and studying the words of the prophets and apostles. I may just be rambling, but was told in my P. blessing that if I shared my testimony every day, if only with myself, it would grow to be very important to me and a great blessing. So I am sharing it with anyone who reads this and maybe that will cover me for a couple more days

The four letter word

Shannon has now picked her expression of choice when life gets hard. It's the "f" word....FOOF! She was eating lunch today in the kitchen and dripped some food on her lap and out came "Oh, foof!" She will also run out to the car to leave and get to the car door "Foof!" to replace phew. I think I'm going to take her example and use it in my vocabulary. It's much like Laura's "piffle". But I think it sounds cuter coming out of her mouth.

Looking on the brighter side

In my quest to try looking on the brighter side and find the positive in life right now, my mother in law sent me an email. I had to add my own pictures because I couldn't upload the email pics. Enjoy!

NOTICE TO ALL EMPLOYEES!

All personnel will now be required to look happy while working. Company-approved supplies will be provided to each employee at little or no cost.
• Workloads getting to you?
• Feeling stressed?
• Too many priorities and assignments?

Here is the new low-cost, company-approved solution to cope with multiple priorities and assignments!

Each employee will be supplied 2 paper clips and rubber bands. (See Fig 1.)


Assemble items as shown in Fig 2.


Apply as shown in Fig 3.


Enjoy your day. This new office equipment will help you to reach the end of a productive work day with a smile on your face!

The Management

This may work really well on Shannon, if I could ever get it on her!

Home at last

We went on our family trip this January with some of our family missing. Derek stayed behind so he could drum up some business and keep it going. He also talked me into taking the four girls to Florida with my parents, Kellie, and Ryan. I admit I was a little excited to go, but still hesitant seeing as how I am the only parent with four little girls trying to get through security at the airport and my husband being at home by himself; maybe I need to stick around to show support. Regardless, we went. It was an ok flight into Orlando and Monday was nice since we just relaxed and played in the pool with the girls at the hotel. Monday night, though, all heck breaks loose and Lauren and my mom get the stomach flu. Unfortunately, it doesn't end there. While Lauren continues to have a very rough week, Shannon and Erin get sick on Wed, Kellie on Thurs, Dad and Morgan on Friday, and Ryan Sat night. I didn't get it, but maybe that's because I needed to stay well enough to clean up the messes all week. The girls and I were in one unit while Mom, Dad, Kellie and Ryan were in the other. Mom and I lost count of how many loads of laundry we ended up doing. We did manage to take those who were feeling up to it, in shifts, to Sea World and Busch Gardens. I think the girls had fun, but they were glad to see Dad and Sam at the end of the week. The flight back was a little more dicey because I was worried Lauren would heave on the plane, but she didn't. I gave all the girls except Erin, Dramamine and Shannon slept most of the flight. Shannon was by the window on take off when she said "Oh, we are going to fall". I tried to reasure her that no we wouldn't fall. It was a very turbulent flight, Mom was a little worried and the girls said we were on a roller coaster, but Shannon slept through most of it. She was awake for the landing and it was very noisy and we were shaking a lot. Shannon turned to me and said "I told you we were going to fall!" She makes me laugh. I didn't get a lot of pictures on this trip, more video, but here are a few. The pic with me was at the end of the day and it had been a long day!

My Christmas Present

My homemade gift this year was quilting stands that Derek made in his shop. He first brought in a "bird house" he had made out of sheet metal?! I said it was wonderful, but not too sure what he was thinking making a bird house out of sheet metal. Then after that presentation I went to get his present (the quilt) and he quickly set up my real present, the stands. I was relieved! He said he had to make something to through me off because I, just out of the blue, told him to make me quilting stands while he was at his shop working on my present a few days ago. I had no idea that's what he was doing! He had the girls help make them and paint them. I love how Erin and Morgan painted their own names on a post and then Derek put Shannon and Lauren's on too. I have been wanting these for a while, but never told Derek. He read my mind! I have such a neat husband who listens to the things I don't say. I love them!

Our new addition!

Derek and I gave the girls a black lab puppy for their Christmas present this year. The girls named him Sam and he is only 7 weeks old. He is so much fun and has actually been a very good puppy. He goes to the bathroom outside as long as we are on top of things and take him out to do his business. He doesn't bark much at all. He slept through the night the first night home, which I was not expecting. He is definitely a puppy though. He tries to bite the chairs in the kitchen so we put some of that dog repellent on them and I haven't seen him do it since. He has also learned, very quickly, who he can bully and who he can't. The girls aren't use to being around dogs and don't quite know how to tell him to back off when he nips and jumps up. We are continually "rescuing" Shannon and Morgan, but they are both getting much better at being around him. Right now the girls fight over who gets to walk him and I'm trying to enjoy this sense of responsibility they have now while it lasts. Erin has been very good at taking Sam out when he needs to go, and it's even been snowing and raining like crazy. But Sam is definitely Derek's dog. He loves Derek and follows him around everywhere. He even whimpers for him when he leaves the gated area or goes out of the room. We were out shoveling the snow tonight (not an easy job this time around) and Sam stayed right with Derek and tried to attack his shovel. If Derek calls him, he usually comes right away. If the girls or I call, it's a 50/50 chance he'll come. But a very cute addition.

Poor Lauren

Lauren got the scare of her life when Morgan accidentally left the fireplace in our living room on after I told her not to mess with the switch that turns it off and on. I heard a scream from Lauren while I was in the kitchen and it was not a scream of delite. She had placed her hand on the glass to support herself because it is a see through fireplace and she was looking through it. I was trying to run her hand under cool water, but she was fighting me the whole time. I got some burn cream and wrapped her hand in gauze to keep it clean and from her putting it into her mouth. Luckily she left it on, but kept trying to shake her hand off to get it to stop hurting. She cried for over an hour. I felt so bad. This is what it looked like the next morning. I didn't realize she had burnt her fingers so badly too. Poor thing!