Thankful Thursday : Wedding Anniversary

This past Tuesday, my husband and I celebrated our 19th Wedding Anniversary.  Yes, we have had ups and downs, like most married couples do, but we have 3 amazing boys to go with the 19 years.  I am thankful for my husband and my boys, without them I don't know where I would be.  I never thought I would get married, well I never thought anyone would want to marry me and sometimes I wonder how Will has put up with me after all these years.  I still have a hard time, that a man actually loves me and wants to stay by me through everything.  Will is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I love him more everyday.

The day was a pretty good day, my husband got home from work at 5:45 am and he made me and the boys breakfast.  He made French toast, bacon and hash browns.  It was a really good breakfast and he also did the dishes.  Then he went to bed, the boys went to school and I went to work.  We went for an early dinner at the Sizzler because Connor had scouts later and Ethan was going to play indoor soccer with some friends.  It was a really good dinner and I loved being there with Will.
Maybe next year for our 20th anniversary, we can actually go somewhere for a few days, which has never happened for an anniversary or any other time.  Here is to another 19+ years.






 



 

                                                               

 

                                                                   

 

 

 

Thankful Thursday : Compliments

Sometimes it is very hard for me to take a compliment from someone, but I am thankful for receiving them.  When I get a compliment, it tells me that people are actually noticing me and seeing what kind of person I am trying to be and have been trying to be for years, but sometimes I feel like no one notices me, of the things I do.  Anyway,  I received a really nice compliment from the principal a few weeks ago about how great a job I was doing and how some teachers were impressed with how organized I am and what a great job I was doing.  Wow, people actually notice me and I was about to cry, but I didn't.  In case no one knows what I do for my job, I am the Take Home Library person for Iron Springs Elementary, in other words I do all the book in the bags for the kids K-3.  It is nice to receive a compliment from anyone, don't you think.

Thankful Thursday : Talents

This is another post that is hard for me to write, so bare with me.  When I think of talents, I think of singing, playing a sport, cake decorating, playing an instrument, sewing, dancing and writing.  I don't have any of these talents, I wish I had some of these but I don't.  This is where I always compare myself to others, especially when it comes to my siblings and I have pretty much done this my whole life and I know I need to stop doing it, but it is hard to stop.  My husband always tells me that I am very thoughtful of others, which I guess you can say is a talent.  Some people have told me what a great visiting teaching partner I have been, I guess that is a talent.  I am a very organized person and I guess you can say that is a talent to.  As you can see, most of my talents are usually not visible to others and maybe that is why people don't ask me to help.  They always seem to ask the same people to help over and over again.  I usually feel useless and just not worth anyone's time.  Well. I do have talents and I just wish people would ask me to get involved.  I have a hard time asking anyone if I could help out, but please just ask me.

Thankful Thursday: Laughter

I have been going though some stuff right now, that I haven't really talked to anyone about, but that is not what I want to talk about on my blog today.  Laughter, is probably the best medicine for everyone and that would include me.  My oldest son showed me this video a few days ago on YouTube and let me tell you it is pretty funny.  It shows you, how laughter is contagious and it also shows you how different everyone's laugh is.  I know not many people read my blog, so whoever does read it  I want to thank you because it really means a lot to me.  Enjoy the video.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=p32OC97aNqc

Thankful Thursday : For Good Surprises

I think everyone likes surprises, but I love them.  Last week,  my husband ordered a DVD from Groovacious, a store in town where you can buy movies and music ( some of the there music you can't find anywhere else, except online) and you can also order things there too.  It came in a few days and my husband went to pick it up and he came home to show me what he bought, the movie Savannah Smiles and I was very happy.  I haven't seen this movie in years and I have thought about this movie for awhile now and I so love this movie, so I am just happy that he got it and it adds to our movie collection, which is a lot I might add.

Other surprises I have gotten over the years: pretty much every Christmas and birthday, (only sometimes do I know what I am getting) getting a package from my mom with Tinkerbell figurines in it, someone doing the 12 days of Christmas for us, a letter or card in the mail, (not many people do this anymore) one of my good friends threw me a birthday party this year, (only 2 people showed up, but that is okay) flowers from my parents, flowers from my husband, flowers from my brother Tyler, a CD from my brother Tyler, money in the mail that I am not expecting and taking pictures that turn out better than expected, I love those kind of photographs.  As you can see, I love surprises, as long as they are the good surprises.

Took this lovely dolphin picture at Sea World in 1993.
I didn't know how good this picture was, until I developed the film.

Thankful Thursday: The Song, "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables

I have so many favorite songs, but Bring Him Home gives me chills every time I hear it and it doesn't matter who sings it.  This past Sunday, after the morning session of conference there was a segment about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and all the people that have been able to sing with them and here comes Alfie Boe.  All I can say is Oh My Gosh, what a voice and oh so beautiful, so I wanted to share this on my blog and see what you think.  Enjoy.

Thankful Thursday: Sayings on Pinterest

I really enjoy looking at Pinterest and I have several boards on there: favorite movies, favorite tv shows, some of my favorite things, favorite music, wish I could go to someday, favorite actors/actresses, favorite places and spaces, foods I like, soccer and sayings.  I love finding sayings on Pinterest and there is 1 saying on there that I repinned on my board: Sayings and I  have gotten 36 likes and 128 repins on that 1 saying and that is a lot.  I never knew putting that saying on there, would get that much attention.  Of course for me I hope to live by it someday and to believe it.  I believe that is what I have been doing to myself my whole life and I still do it.  I know there are people that hate me for one reason or another and for the life of me, I don't know what I did wrong, but that is not what this post is about.  Enjoy the saying.  If you want to see all of my boards on Pinterest, just look me up on there.  Once again thank-you to everyone that takes the time to read my blog, it means so much to me because sometimes I feel like it isn't worth having a blog anymore, but I keep it for my readers.  Love you guys.

Thankful Thursday : For My Favorite Things

I have so many favorite things and I am thankful for them everyday, even though they are just things to some people, but to me they make me want to wake up everyday and to live with my family.  I know I have done posts about my favorite things before, but I thought it would be great to share pictures about them instead. One thing that I don't have a picture for, is I love collecting porcelain dolls.  I hope you enjoy them.

Riding my Bike

All of the Harry Potter Movies

Christmas is my favorite holiday

Lilacs

My favorite car: Corvette

The only soda that I will drink

Writing in my Journal

TinkerBell

Watching Movies

The Ocean

My all time favorite Disney movie

Listening to Classic Rock Music

One of my favorite movies of all times.

                                                       

Strawberries

Dance and my favorite color is Purple

What is in my Curio Cabinet

Most of the Tinkerbell things that I own

Photography

Thankful Thursday: Memories of my dog Dixie

My husband and I got a dog on Sept. 1, 1999, when Ethan was 2 1/2 years old.  Her name was Dixie, she was 6 years old when we got her and she was part Golden Lab/Golden Retriever and Wow she was such a pretty dog.  We got her at the Animal Shelter on Kitty Hawk Drive here in Cedar City.  She loved walks, (when she saw a cat, she would stop and eye that cat to see where it would go, but she hardly ever ran after the cat),she loved catching bubbles, she loved watching birds, she loved to lick your face, she was an indoor dog and she hardly ever barked. In the time we had her, she probably only barked 3 or 4 times.  Ethan also loved to lay on her, but she didn't seem to mind at all.  I feel really bad that I didn't take to many pictures of her, especially when Zach and Connor came along.  When Zach came along, Ethan was 5 years old and he wasn't jealous of his new baby brother, but the dog was.  It was pretty funny, you should of been there especially with the first few days that Zach came home from the hospital.  We would be holding Zach and here comes Dixie, sticking her nose into us trying to get attention and to see what we were doing.  She passed away at the vet's office on Nov. 26, 2007(the Monday after Thanksgiving) and she had some kind of Cancer.  Ethan took a few pictures of her before we left for the vet  Will and I both were at the vet and we knew she wouldn't make it, so we called Ethan and told him what was going on and he was very sad because that was his dog, since he was 2 /12 and he was almost 11 when she passed away.

She was my second dog in my lifetime and I hope we can get another dog soon, but I don't know when.  Connor doesn't like animals at all and he was only 4 when she passed away, so he doesn't remember anything about her and I wish he did because she was such a sweet dog and I Miss her so much.  She didn't care what you looked like, she loved you know mater what.  There are days I wish she was still here.

Thankful Thursday : Being A Mother

      I love being a mother, it brings me so much joy.  The first time I became a mother, I had no clue what to do but I seemed to start getting the hang of it.  About 11 months before Ethan was born, I had a miscarriage at 10 weeks and I was so sad and I thought that I would never have a baby, but I did and I was so grateful to stay pregnant this time.  Then we had Ethan on Dec. 2, 1996 in Cedar City UT and he was 3 1/2 weeks early.  My water broke, when I was at school , but that is another story.  I personally didn't want my kids to close in age and then when Ethan was almost 16 months old he got diabetes.  We just moved to a new ward a few weeks before and then we noticed a few changes about him, he lost weight and he kept drinking water and I had to change him several times a day. Then he threw up one Sunday night and we decided to take him to the ER and we are glad that we did.  His blood sugar was 550, but when the lab results came back it was over 800.  We were planning on taking him to the doctor in the morning, but he probably would of slipped into a coma and we would of lost him.  I know some of you have heard this story before, but I wanted to tell it again.  I am so glad that he threw up that night because we wouldn't of known to take him to the ER right away and we still have him and he is almost 17 years old now.  I love him so much, even though I don't tell him that often anymore.  He made me a mother first and I love that.
      Then when Ethan was 3 1/2 years old, I had an Ectopic Pregnancy and they had to take 1 of my tubes out and I was sad about that because we wanted another baby, but things happen.  Then we had Zach in Feb. of 2002 in Cedar City UT (Super Bowl Sunday), about 2 months after Ethan turned 5 years old and we loved Zach so much and Ethan wasn't jealous at all, but our dog Dixie was and that was funny.  When he was just a few months old, he started sleeping through the night and that was nice to have a child like that.  Ethan wasn't like that at all.  When he was about 8 months old, we decided to test him for Muscular Dystrophy ( I am a carrier of the disease, so my sons have 50/50 chance of having it) because I wanted to know and he had it and I was very sad  because Ethan had diabetes and now Zach had Muscular Dystrophy.  But I guess deep down I knew I could do this because I have heard that God doesn't give you more than you can handle, so I knew he had trust in me, but some days I wander about that. Then when Zach was in preschool, we found out he had a mild form of Autism and some days are really hard, when he has a melt down, but other days are okay because he has such a great memory when it comes to dates and numbers and I have to look in my journal to see if he is right and most of the time he is right.
      Then Connor was born in Arizona on Oct. 29, 2004, Zach was 2 1/2 years old and Ethan was almost 7 years old.  I had to have an emergency C-Section with him.  Then we had 3 boys and it wasn't to bad, Ethan was a great helper and I could tell he loved his brothers so much and I think most days he still loves his brothers.  I love all of my boys and I am so thankful to be a mother, it is one of the greatest blessings in my life.

August 2013

November 2004

Thankful Thursday: My Job

Okay, I am very thankful to have a job and this year I am doing something different.  I am the Take Home Library person at Iron Springs Elementary (this is my 3rd year working  here and every year I have done something different) and so far I am enjoying my job.  I think the second day of work, the principal popped her head in to see how I was doing and I said good.  She said she knew how organized I was and thought this job was perfect for me, plus I needed mornings and so it all worked out. We are suppose to start it next week, so hopefully I can get everything done that needs to get done by then. I usually am all by myself in the room, but that is okay.  I also get to see the kids and the teachers more often too.  I also get to see the ladies that I worked with last year and I love that.  I also got to help a 3rd grade girl today because she got locked out of her classroom, so I knocked really loud and the teacher opened the door for her.  My supervisor told me that I can do anything I want with the room because I am the only one that does this and so I can't wait to organized it some.  It is going to be a great year, I can feel it.  I really love my job.

Thankful Thursday: To All The People That Love Me

Sorry that I haven't blogged for a few weeks, but I am back and now instead of Thankful Tuesday it is going to be Thankful Thursday.  I in no way want to offend anyone, so if I do I am really sorry.  Sometimes I feel like I put my foot in my mouth and I don't mean too.  That is why I don't say much to people because I am afraid I will say something that I will regret. So please bare with me as I write on. I want to thank everyone that loves me, even though it may be hard to do that sometimes.  See I have a hard time knowing who really loves me at times and lately I have been feeling really down, even though I may appear to look fine. Most of the time, I usually don't talk to my family and friends about what is really going on with me, I just say I am okay and I leave it at that. Sometimes I feel like I am not pretty enough or smart enough or even talented enough.  I have always compared myself to my family and my friends and even people that I don't even know.  I feel like everyone is judging me for some reason or another and I don't know why, but I have always felt this way, ever since I was a teenager.  My husband says he loves me no matter what, so why do I have a hard time knowing that he does sometimes.  My kids love me, well I think they do most of the time.  I have a few "good friends", but sometimes I feel like they don't care about me and I wish that I could stop feeling this way.  I do want to thank my friends that have taken the time to know me, that has really meant a lot to me and sometimes I feel like I don't even know myself anymore.  I don't even know what I am good at anymore or if I ever was good at anything.  I even feel like my family doesn't really care me and I really wish I could stop thinking this way.  They do tell me that they love me, so why do I have a hard time believing them. Sometimes I feel really dumb around my family because most of my siblings have a college degree and I don't and I don't think I ever want to go back to college because school got to be really hard for me and I do have a learning disability in case anyone didn't know and I know that hasn't stop some people.. I even feel dumb around my husband and 16 year old son.  I think the big thing with me is I haven't loved myself in so long, that maybe I don't know what love is anymore, when my family and friends show it to me. My husband really wishes that someday I can learn to love myself, but I am not there yet.  Maybe if I wasn't made fun of when I was younger, that who knows maybe I would love myself now.  That is why I want to thank my family and friends for loving me, but like I said sometimes it is hard for me to know if they really love and care about me.  I just wanted to write all this down because this is how I have been feeling lately.  So thanks again for all that read my blog and for taking the time to read this entry, this was hard to write.

I really need to remember this.

Thankful Tuesday : Vacation

I think it is time I talk to you about the family's vacation to Orlando Florida and let me tell you we all had so much fun, even though it rained here and there, but hey that is Florida for you.  On June 28, we went to Riverton Utah to spend the night with some good friends and it was great to talk with them and catch up.  Then on June 29, we ate breakfast there, before we left and then around 7:30 am, we packed up the car and left for the Salt Lake City Airport.  We took Bangerter Highway all the way down and that was the best thing, I have never done that before.  We parked the car, took a shuttle to the terminal, checked in our bags and went through security, which went okay.  Then got on the plane and we left around 9:30 am.  Ethan sat next to Zach and Connor on one side of the plane and Will and I sat on the other, with someone we didn't know by the window.  The plane ride was about 4 1/2 hours or so and yes it was long, but we made it to Orlando around 4:30 pm.  We got off the plane and headed for baggage claim and we had to take one of those trains to get there.  We noticed a girl from Give Kids the World Village ( the place where all Make a Wish Families stay) with a sign with Zach's name on it and we went to her.  She helped with our bags and took us to the car rental place, where we got a van and we had Zach pick out the color and it was a grey Dodge Grand Caravan.  The girl gave us directions of how to get to Give Kids the World Village and we were on are way and it was raining a little bit too.  We had to pass through 2 toll booths to get to Kissimmee Florida, that is where Give the Kids World is.  We parked the car and went to check in.  They checked us in and they gave Zach a stuffed Mickey Mouse.  We got to the villa where we were staying at, unpacked the car and then went to go eat dinner at the Gingerbread house (we didn't have to pay anything, everything at Give Kids the World was free) and the food was so good.  Then Will went to an orientation to get all the tickets and to get information about our stay for the week (they only would let 1 adult go to the orientation)  I waited for Will and then he explained everything to me, well the best he could and then back to our villa, where the boys were.
The next day was Sunday June 30 and we decided to go to Walt Disney World because that is where Zach wanted to go.  We ate breakfast at the Gingerbread house before we left and then we were off.  It was pretty easy to get to and we parked.  Then we had to take a ferry to get to the park and that was fun.  It was pretty crowd, but that is okay because we had fun.  We also ate lunch there and we also got rained on too, but it wasn't that bad.  Well, it rained a couple of different times throughout the day.  We had lots of fun on the rides, but we didn't do everything that I wanted to do (teacups), but we were there for Zach and he didn't want to go on the teacups.We also ate dinner there and we also saw some fireworks, so we were there all day and it was a long day, but a fun one.  Then took the ferry to the car and back to Kissimmee,  where it was time for bed.
Monday July 1 we went to Universal Studios: Island of Adventures and that was a fun day for the most part, but this was the day that it rained a lot, but we did manage to go on some rides.  We also ate lunch there and we also got to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and let me tell you that was so much fun.  There was only 1 roller coaster that Zach could go on and he loved that one.  We did have a pass that either Will, Ethan or I had to wear around our necks, it was like a fast pass and even with out Zach present, we could still use it.  During one of the rides that Will and I were on, it was raining the whole time and me screaming and let me tell you I did lose my voice some of the time that day.  We left around 6:20 pm and then we got stuck in traffic and it was raining more.  We got back to the village, changed and then went to eat dinner.  Then we did a few things at the village and then went to Walmart, to buy some things for when it rains the rest of the week.
Tuesday July 2, we got up later than we planned, but we were all tired and then off to eat breakfast.  Then to take pictures with Dora the Explorer, which Ethan didn't want to do, but Zach did.  Then off to Universal Studios, where we did some rides and then we ate lunch around 2 pm and it was raining again.  We ate and then went to a animal show and before it started, I noticed that my mom and dad were trying to get a hold of me and I found out that my grandma died and it made me real sad, but the animal show we saw made me happy.  After the show was over, we got to meet a dog from the show and it was fun, but Connor didn't think so.  He was staying far away from that dog and we took some pictures.  Then called my mom and talked to her about grandma.  Then did a few more rides and then we left just in time because it started to rain again.   Then we found an Applebee's and ate dinner there.  Then back to the village and relaxed some and then it was time for bed.
Wednesday July 3, they had some horseback riding at the village and we did that first thing.  Connor even got on a horse and I thought that would never happen and Zach also got on a horse with someone riding with him.  Then we ate breakfast and off to Hollywood Studios and this was a really fun place.  We did Toy Story Mania and then a ride that we went on as a family, which I never thought we would do, Tower of Terror and let's just say Connor hated it, but Zach loved it.  Will and Ethan loved it too and as far as me goes I don't know.  Then Ethan, Connor and I did Rock n' Roller coaster starring Aerosmith and that was fun and it was an indoor roller coaster and it also went upside down and fast of course.  That was lots of fun, but Connor didn't like it.  Then we saw Muppet Vision 3D and that was fun because it is the Muppets, but man they had so much 3D there and it got to be a little too much for me.  Then we ate some lunch and then we saw Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show and that was super fun, we all loved it.  Then we got to take pictures with Phineas and Ferb and that was fun.  It turned out to be another fun day and then we left at 6:30 pm, so we could eat dinner at the village.  We ate dinner there and then it started to rain really hard. After dinner, we ate ice cream at the village and that was really good.
Thursday July 4, we got up early and we ate breakfast and then we were off.  We parked at Walt Disney World and then we took a bus to get back to Hollywood Studios because we didn't see 2 shows that we wanted too.  First, we saw Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Show and that was so much fun and we even got to meet the stars of the show, Indiana Jones and Marion and we also took pictures with them.  Then we went to Beauty and the Beast and that was a fun show, I am glad we came back for it.  Then we took a bus to Animal Kingdom and it started to rain, but not that much.  Then we ate lunch there, then saw some animals and then went on this ride called Everest and that was such a fun ride.  Then took a bus to Epcot and we went on a few rides there and we didn't get to see everything at Epcot that we wanted, but oh well.  Then we ate dinner and then we did some shopping.  Then it was time to see Fireworks and let me tell you, those were some Awesome Fireworks and it was great to see them on the 4th of July.  Then we waited for the crowd to leave and then we did a little bit more shopping and then we took the monorail back to Walt Disney World because that is where the car was parked.  Then got out of the park and we got stuck in traffic and lots of it.  Then got off the exit to head back to Kissimmee, but we got lost and then we turned around and made it back to the village and it was almost 1:30 am, by the time we got back.  It was a very long day.
Friday July 5, we got up and going because this was the day we were heading back to Utah.  We started packing some, then we ate breakfast and then packed some more.  We had to check out by 11:00 am and we did, but we still could hang out at the village, which we did.  We took some pictures, ate ice cream there and then we left for the airport.  We dropped the car rental off and then we found someone to help with our bags, that was a relief and we paid him and we checked our bags in.  Then went through security and then got something to eat and then on the plane we went.  The plane ride was long and let me tell you there was so much turbulence, that I hated it.  It scared me so much, but thank goodness we made it back to Salt Lake City in one piece.  We got are luggage and then took a bus to get to our car.  Then loaded up the car, paid to get out of the parking lot and then off to find a place to eat.  We ate at IHOP at Jordan's Landing and that was good food.  Then off to Spanish Fork in a thunder and lightning storm  to spend a few days with my sister and her family.