Catching up on the last couple of days/Good Mail

Today is beautiful. The sky is clear and so blue. I love days like this.....especially first thing in the morning. I feel very refreshed this morning. I guess that is what a good night's sleep will do. I got a full 7 hours. I went to bed instead of getting on the computer.

I went on a run yesterday evening.....oh my goodness how different running on a treadmill is. I really was beginning to wonder if I could really make it back home. I mapped out a run on walkjogrun.net and went for it. That is the coolest site for those of you who didn't know about it. You can map out a run in your area and it calculates the miles for you. It is really fun to create different routes. I mapped out a 3.2 mile run and by the time I got back I thought I was going to die. I have to say that a bit of that run is up hill some. Oh, hills aren't for me at this stage. I can do 3.2 miles on the treadmill no problem. It is much harder....much harder to run on the street than on a treadmill. In a way I am determined to conquer this route and really be able to do it with ease. I guess I am the one doing the pushing when running on the street. On the other hand, the treadmill is doing it for me. That was an eye opener. I literally felt like that was my first time out in a year. I wish I had taken a picture of my face when I got home. It was beat red too. A man at church told me if I really want a good workout to go and run the dunes. If any of you are familiar with the dunes in Pismo Beach than you will know what he is talking about. I replied with "I'm not trying to kill myself." We'll see if I try that route again.


Thank you Jill for sending me the "good mail" labels. I love them. I'm official now with labels.



Here is a picture of Emily with Pop Rocks. They are the best. Who doesn't like these. Kids just love them. This was a treat for going to bed like they should the other night. The boys enjoyed them also. I thought the picture was cute of her. She kept opening her mouth and putting it to my ear.

Emily was on the couch and asked if I would lay down with her. Ellie was asleep and so I did. Emily busted out her "Wanna talk?" I said what should we talk about? She said, "Well, we could talk about......modest." I laughed so hard. We had our talk about being modest. She is so funny sometimes. Then we had to sing "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam". She loves that song. Right now it's her favorite.

The other day coming home from school Casey said, "Mom, I have to cover my mouth with my 2 fingers when I see a police car." I said, "Why?" He said, so I don't slip and say a bad word....you know like stupid. I was cracking up. He was so serious about it and it just got me laughing so hard. Mitch said, "Are you afraid you will go to jail if he hears you?" There was no reply. I love the cute things kids say.

Tuesday night was our Relief Society dinner for the birthday. It was really nice. We had it at a sisters home. I loved being in someones home and not lost in the cultural hall. I guess that is a benefit of not being in a huge ward. I just found out though that we have about 500 people in the ward but the numbers are like 140 for Sacrament Meeting. Pretty bad. I had a nice time with good company at the dinner.

This is getting to be too hard with Ellie punching keys and wiggling all over the place. Time to lay her down and turn the timer on. I love the timer exercise. It really helps to get so much done around here.

SPT Challenge

this week's challenge is to show us a lucky charm. perhaps it is a piece of jewelry? or a talisman you carry in your pocket? do you have something on your desk or in your home that brings you good fortune? is it a baseball hat or a smelly old t-shirt? did someone give it to you? why is it meaningful to you? will you tell us about a time when it brought you good luck?




This may seem kind of funny to some but it says a lot to me. I could not think of anything that I carry around with me or that I have in my house that brings me luck until this morning when I looked down at my hand and saw my wedding ring. I thought....that's it! I do not ever take my ring off for anything. I haven't taken it off for years. As I see it daily, it reminds me of how blessed I am to be married for time and all eternity to someone I love. It reminds me of how much love I have for Todd and how happy I am with him. Looking at my ring floods my mind with so many fun memories even back to when he gave it to me. I was so excited and I just loved it. He picked it out and did an excellent job. I wasn't there with him and had no idea he was going to give it to me. My ring goes with me wherever I go. I love what it represents! That was short and sweet!

My Leprechaun Name....

Your Leprechaun Name Is:

Moneybags McNugget

What's Your Leprechaun Name?

Monday....a new start!

I love Monday for this very reason....it can always be the start of a good week or a new committment, etc. I only have a few minutes to write some thoughts down and then it is time to change laundry and make beds. The weekend was nice. I didn't have too many things to do and that is what made it nice. We ran some errands on Saturday....made some returns, grocery store, and p/u vacuum bags.

Sunday was another good day. Todd didn't have meetings in the morning since the Bishop was out of town so he was loving it and so was I. The kids were good for me during Sacrament Meeting which is always a bonus! The lesson in RS was about Selfless Service. It was really good and the teacher only had that morning to prepare (she was filling in for someone). I wish I could bust out a good lesson like that with just a morning to prepare. The message that she taught hit home for me and really made me want to try harder to serve those around me....with a good attitude of wanting to help. She mentioned even service for our children. I know that us mothers are always serving our families but is it always with a good attitude of wanting to. I know my attitude isn't always the best so I am going to work on that so that a better attitude of serving shows through to all. I thought about what I want others to think of me when they hear my name or what will they say about me after I die. What will my children have to say about me? What example am I giving my children of service?? I know that if I make that sacrifice to serve others more often, including my own family, my entire family is blessed. I really want my children to understand what service is and how important it is for us to serve, even each other. Maybe this is a good lesson tonight for FHE. I am going to think of ways that I can involve the kids in serving others. It was a very good lesson. I was able to get so much out of it I think because Ellie slept through most of RS. I am now off to serve my family by cleaning up our house and washing clothes for them :D hahaha.

Today should be a pretty calm day for me....just picking up and laundry as always. Ellie is ready for a nap.

Random thoughts about this week

Here is Ellie holding her sippy cup. I have to document these things. These are major moments in the life of a little one and in the life of her mother. This is huge!! She is more vocal and will talk loudly when we are out places. She is so cute. I don't mind her loud noises. Can this child do anything wrong??? Never. :D haha Todd thinks I'm already getting that last baby syndrome of babying for too long. Oh c'mon :). I'm not sure if I documented that she is officially scooting around now. She is getting around. Ughhh...I'm excited to see her doing it but a little fearful with what the boys or Emily have left on the floor for her to find. I've been pretty good about keeping stuff up off of the floor.




Here is a cute picture of the girls yesterday at Costco. Emily was so excited to sit in the cart next to Ellie. The entire time in Costco Emily kept putting her arms around Ellie and hugging her and then just kept her arm around her shoulder. I was loving it. How sweet is that. I sure hope they will be close and best of friends throughout their life.



My truck hit the 100,000 mile mark. I can't believe it. I had to take a picture. Call me strange but I thought it would be fun to have. Now the worrying starts....am I going to start having problems or is it going to make it another 100,000 miles? Not that I want it to. hahaha ;D. It has been very good to us and I enjoy the truck and the space. I don't enjoy putting in gas right now that is $3.17/gallon. That kills me!! When is the madness going to end???



Baseball is in full swing this week for both Mitch and Casey. Casey is on the Dodgers and loving his jersey. He wanted to wear it to school today. I love that little ones get so excited about the uniform. He is doing really well. yesterday at his practice he hit the ball and off he ran toward first base. The only problem was that he would run and then turn it into a skip and then run and then skip. He skips everyday to his class at school. I think it is really cute that he does it on his way to class but on the baseball field it really isn't what the coaches are looking for. :D I saw the coach telling him to just run as fast as he can. His coaches are awesome. I am really happy with his team and look forward to a fun season of T-ball games. Mitch has a good team as well. There are some talented boys out there. Mitch is doing well and loving to play.

It is so nice right now because Todd took Mitch to practice and then of course Casey and Emily had to go. Emily had her pink/purple glove in hand ready to play catch with Casey. I think it is cute she wants to do just what her brothers do. She is having fun! The house is quiet....Ellie is sleeping and now it looks like it's time for me to get our dinner in the oven. Todd and I ate Loco for lunch today so we are cooking at home tonight. We have had a nice day out at the grocery store together and then lunch. Todd took the kids to school today so that was a break for me. I think I hear Ellie.......time to feed sweet girl.



i had to add this picture in. I promised the kids whoever went to bed last night without any trouble would be able to go and get donuts at the donut shop this morning. Emily heard that proposal and told me, "I'm going to bed because I want to get donuts." She literally walked right into bed and I never heard another peep out of her. She is the absolute best at going to bed. She goes in, lays down and goes to sleep. She is never a problem for me in that area. It is awesome. She has been getting quarters and now this morning it was donuts. The boys on the other hand weren't so hot for me last night. Todd was at a meeting last night so I was doing bed time on my own. Let's just say Emily ate her donut by herself this morning. We are trying to get the point across to the boys that when they obey, they get rewarded with something. Why is that a complete battle sometime? Anyway, Emily was dying to take a picture of the donut in the bag. So here it is. Pretty funny!

Self Portrait Tuesday is now Thursday

Yeah!! Blogger worked for me this time. I had fun doing this challenge the other day. As you can see, I decided to take my picture by the Historic Swinging Bridge that is here in town. The kids love to walk across it. I just walk quickly and no problem. :D

Here are some facts that I found about it.......

Constructed in early 1875 by the Short family, whose land was divided by the Arroyo Grande Creek.
The Bridge is municipally owned and maintained by the City.
Only one of its kind in California.
Length: 171 feet; height above creek: 40 feet.
1912 - Bridge declared a nuisance by the City.
1913, 1918, 1947, 1953 & 1985 - Repairs made by the City.
1933 - "Cross at your own risk" notices posted.
1993 - Bridge vandalized.
January 7, 1995 - Tree fell on bridge; bridge closed.
March 9, 1995 - PG&E removed damaged bridge.
By May of 1995, with strong community support, the Swinging Bridge was completely restored.

I am really getting used to my small town now after a year of being here. I love that there is no such thing as traffic although everyone here claims that there is. They have never lived or visited in OC or LA. I love that I am minutes away from the beach. I love SLO and the downtown area there. The real bummer is that there is really no shopping here at all. The closest "mall" is 90 miles away. It has been a bit of a transition for sure but it has been nice. I have really enjoyed having a smaller ward (we could use some more kids) but it is a cozy feel. I love that I never have to wait in a line at Costco up here. Anyway, I am getting used to my town and definitely enjoy the beautiful weather that we have all year round.

Thursday...so glad tomorrow is Friday

Well, this blogger is not letting me upload my pictures. I am two days overdue on my self portrait but I still can't get my pics up. This darn thing. I will keep trying because I went out yesterday and took my picture in town by the Historic Swinging Bridge. I will keep trying to post the pics.

The last couple of days have been busy for me. Both boys having baseball practice, rushing dinner after that, working out, laundry, homework, cleaning or trying to, feeding children, having brakes done on the truck, bills....I'm sure most of you know what I'm dealing with. Just busy busy days. I am looking forward to tomorrow because Todd is home. That helps so much to have him home one day.

Today will be nice...only one baseball practice. I am on a mission to finish up all of the laundry today. As I talked with my mom last night, I ended up folding 2 loads of laundry lickety split. What is that about being on the phone that helps me do so much more around the house. Now, I'm off to set the timer and get the morning dishes cleaned up and feed sweet Ellie. She is done being by herself with her toys.

Ellie is 8 Months Old/More Good Mail

Here are the recipes that Allison put together and sent out. I got it in the mail today. :D YEAH!! THANKS to her for doing that. I looked through them today and so many sound so good. I'm excited to try many of them. I love getting new recipes.


Donna, your package was awesome!!! Thank you so much. As you can see in the picture, the WW candy was opened first thing. Very tasty and excited to spread the word to any fellow WW's. It is good and only 1 point. Those are a great find. Thanks for the candles, book, cookie cutters and yummy chocolates. You are the best. It made my day to get so many fun things in the mail. Thank you thank you!!!


Here is my Miss Ellie Jayne on her 8 month b'day. She is my sweet hearty. She is not yet crawling but gets on her hands and knees and rocks back and forth. I know it's coming soon. No rush for me. The time has really gone by fast since I had her. I can't believe in just a few short months she will be a year old. Not with any of my other kids did I feel that the time had passed so quickly as I do with Ellie. I guess more to do and more going on to keep us all busy. She is so fun to have. She is a great baby and loved by her family. The kids are so willing to help with her in any way. She loves all of her food and enjoys meal time. You should see her when she knows we are getting her bottle ready. A smile comes across her face and she starts motioning excitement. You know ...like a bunch of us when chocolate is dangled in front of us. It gets the same response. Ellie still is a good sleeper and takes 3 naps a day. She really never gets irritated unless she is tired or hungry. I have a good routine going with her right now that I hope sticks for awhile. She is precious and I am so happy to be her mother.

I am feeling guilty with all of the good mail that I have received and I can't get the packages that I have put together to the post office. That is pretty bad on my part. That will be my task this week/weekend. Todd is off Friday so I at least know that I can get there pretty easily then. My week feels busy to me so we'll see what I get done. I'm trying to be better organized with planning out dinners. Especially with both boys in b-ball, I really need to know what our dinner is going to be ahead of time. Casey has practice Tuesday & Thursday from 4:00-5:00 and Mitch has practice Tuesday & Friday from 5:30-6:30. I'm not quite sure how my kids are all going to last at the park from 4:00-6:30 on Tuesday's. Todd will have to relieve me. He is happy to and happy to help with the teams. Anyway, it should be lots of fun to watch the boys play ball.

Today was hot and beautiful...85 degrees. The sky is so blue and the sun was shining so brightly. I almost took the girls to the beach but decided I needed to get a handle on laundry for the week. I think I'll plan on the beach tomorrow after I drop Casey off. Emily played in the water out back for a while this afternoon and had fun. Ellie watched and giggled. I can't wait until they are playmates. They will be so cute together.

I'm off to make Pork Tenderloin, potatoes and salad.

Weekend Recap/First Sewing Project Since 7th grade

Here are my 2 sweet girls. I just love pics like this and look forward to some fun days together with them. Emily is very good with Ellie. She is very protective of her if any other little girls come up to see Ellie. In this picture she told me that Ellie was going to walk with her. I can't wait to see them playing together.



Here is a picture of Me, my mom and Emily over this weekend. Ellie was asleep so she missed the "girls only" picture. I realize that I am never in pictures because I am always taking them so I had the boys start snapping shots of me in pictures with my family. I thought it turned out cute.



This is my first sewing project since the pillow I had to make in home ec in 7th grade. I bought some flannel material to make a basic blanket for Emily and Ellie. I was just looking to make something that I would only have to sew straight lines. This was perfect! I am so happy and feel so proud of myself for being able to do it. THANKS MOM for teaching me!!!!! I'm excited for my new sewing journey. I have wanted to learn for sometime now but have not signed up for a class and don't live close to my mom for her to show me. Not to mention the busy lifestyle I have with 4 children. My mom showed me how to work my sewing machine and now I'm set! I'm excited to make my next project. I will enroll to take a sewing class pretty soon. Eventually, I would love to be able to make some really fun quilts. Todd is excited to see me learning how to sew. Emily loves her blanket and put it on her bed right away. So cute :D.

As for the weekend with my parents, we had a great time as usual. It is so nice to have parents around the house. The kids loved having gramma and grandpa here. My mom and dad slept in the boys beds and the boys slept in sleeping bags on the floor. The room was full but the boys loved having each one of the grandparents in "their" beds. The boys and Emily just loved playing games on Grandpa's phone and using his chapstick. My dad always has a stick of chapstick in his pocket. We enjoyed many tasty meals out and then topped it with Yogurt Creations, otherwise known as YC. that was for Barbie. Lady, we missed you while we went to "our favorite spots". Next time for sure!! We even went by Avila beach and let the kids play at the park. Of course I forgot to bring my camera. The weather was beautiful all weekend. We were in the 80's yesterday and today...Beautiful!!

Thanks Mom and Dad for coming and making your stay so enjoyable for me and the family. We had a great time and miss you already. Casey and Emily said to me, "We miss grandma", 3 seconds after you drove away.

I indulged way more than I should have so I am back on in the morning for sure. Guests, stay away so I can lose my weight :D hahaha. I love having guests. Off to start a busy week in the morning.

Thursday....

Today I spent most of my time getting my house picked up in between making a million meals for kids. Does anyone else feel like they spend so much of the day in the kitchen making food, cleaning up, getting snacks, etc.?? I guess that is just my life right now with 4 children. I have really been trying hard to set my timer for about 45 minutes each morning to run through the house and get all of the odds and ends picked up from the morning rush. I love to work against the clock. I feel like I accomplish much more. I start in my bedroom and make my way to the front of the house (I'm in a one story). My little girl, Emily, loves to have me set the clock. She tells me it's time to quickly pick up. I love it!! That has been working for me. I do the same thing after lunch while Ellie is sleeping and just 45 minutes before I have to pick up the boys from school. It really helps to keep the house in decent shape. Yes, life for me right now is all about cleaning and picking up. It is a constant in my life. I actually love to go through a room and just watch everything get put into place. It feels good.

I vacuumed the house this afternoon just before I had to take Casey to t-ball practice. His team is so cute and such a great group of parents. I am so happy. He knows 4 other boys on the team from school. He gets so excited to go to practice. I am happy for him. My life is going to get really crazy real soon with both boys practicing during the week and games on Saturday. I don't look forward to the stress of getting each boy to their team at probably the same time at different fields. We'll see.....hopefully they practice on different days. That would be ideal!! Mitch just found out he is on a team that has 2 boys from his class at school, who he is friends with. Yeah!! I love when we know somebody already on the team. This should be a fun baseball season. I really look forward to the games and watching my handsome boys play ball.

My mom and dad are coming in the morning. This should be a fun weekend. I haven't seen my mom since Christmas. I know for many that is probably not bad at all. They should be here bright and early. They are my babysitters for my 8:00 dentist appt. I know how rude of me to put them to work in their first minutes here. The kids are off from school tomorrow so I hope to enjoy a full day of family together. Maybe a visit to the beach/park if the weather is nice. It sure has been pretty here this week. Or any week. I'm off to fold some laundry....again.

Mirror Mirror....self portrait

I was experimenting with different mirrors that are in my house. I chose the ones I like the most.



Here is another picture of me in a mirror that hangs right by my front door. I love a toile pattern. My most favorite pattern...and this is the only toile I have in my house. I need to work on that. When my son Casey looked at the picture above he said, "Mom, that is Giada". She has a show on food network. I said, "that's me." I will take it as a compliment because I think Giada is cute.

Here is the Tuesdays challenge...Mirror, Mirror. I know I am a day late but I decided to check my camera again and see if I could get lucky. I banged my camera on my hand and a clear screen came up. Ahhhhh! Now I know I just have to give it a "bump thump" and I'm set.

Well, not sure what to write but here it goes. I'm not sure what people think of me when they see me and really I don't think much about it anymore. I am who I am and I am very comfortable with myself. I don't think I come off to others as friendly as I feel inside. I don't know what that is all about. I'm doing better though.

When I look in the mirror, I know that I am a daughter of God. I know that I am loved by my husband, children, myself, my parents, siblings and other family members. I know that my Heavenly Father watches over me and my family. He does answer my prayers and has blessed me with good children, healthy bodies, a wonderful husband who loves me and the kids and who honors his priesthood. I always fall back on that when I feel that things are getting tough for me. I have realized that I can't please everyone. I can do my best at what is most important....taking care of my family. And they will always come first. I don't play into the guilt game. I have no room for that. I guess I have learned to weed out the stuff I have no control over or don't have room for. I tend to be self conscious about my appearance. I am obsessed with losing weight/WW. I think I always will be. There is a certain weight that I am most comfortable at and my clothes all fit right. I am most happiest when I acheive my goals. I never talk about weight and image in a negative way around my children. They will never hear me say that I need to lose weight or my butt is too big. I never want my girls to feel that they aren't just darling no matter what shape they have. I am very particular about what I wear and how it makes every curve on my body look. I know that I can't change certain things about my body and I'm ok with it now. Growing up it wasn't easy with a butt that headed straight out the back. In third grade, I was called shelf butt and asked why my butt sticks out. Well, I wish I could go back and answer the girl who said it to me now. All in all, I am comfortable with who I am. I have a good head on my shoulders. As I have gotten older, I have learned to accept compliements and really believe what others will say to me. I like my eyes and get compliments on the color often. I have been compliemented on my hair many times. I have thick hair and in high school we called it a horse's tail, blanket, etc. I think I am a good friend, sister, daughter, wife and mother. I am constantly trying to do better in all of those areas. Well, as much as I can find time for during my busy days. I love that I am a mom to 4 beautiful children.

Ok, this is kind of a mess as I just read back on it. Well, it wasn't too easy to write. My thoughts don't flow smoothly but oh well. I get that gene from my mom :D. See mom, you aren't alone. I better spare the rest of you any more mumble jumble and post it. Bottom line, I am happy with who I see in the mirror. Of course, just like all people I have flaws and am in constant work of doing better in many areas of my life. But to me the most important is that i never give up and continue to be in constant work of accomplishing my goals.

"God the Father is merciful and has infinite love for you despite your
faults. Only the voice of Satan will cause you to feel of no value. In
contrast, the Holy Ghost will cause you to feel 'godly sorrow' unto
repentance in a manner that fills you with hope of positive change."--quote from LDS Gems

I had to add that in. I thought it was excellent and appropriate for these self portrait posts.

Good Mail/Good Weekend

First off, I received "good mail" from Kristen over the weekend. I actually got it out of my mailbox this morning. We were so busy over the weekend that I never got to the mailbox. What a fun way to start my Monday. Thank you so much. My camera is broken so I can't take a picture. Kristen, I bought some of those same notepads to send in some good mail. She sent such cute ribbon...I love it, chocolates, a notepad, pen, I think it is a chip clip which I totally needed and such a nice note. I feel like I have friends everywhere and yet I have never physically met some of them. I love it!! Thanks again.

Todd's aunt came into town on Friday night and so we all went to Taco Loco....chicken tostada and I can't believe I only ate 2 chips. That really means I'm serious. On Saturday, we woke to such beautiful weather...75 degrees. It was totally a beach day. We got ourselves out the door and on to looking for some furniture for the kids before I had to go to my hair appt. We found some things but are still looking to make the right decision. I then went to my hair appt. and Todd and his aunt went on to take the kids to lunch at CPK. They met me back at the salon just as I was finishing up...perfect timing. I felt a bit guilty because I guess Emily had a melt down and they just had to deal with tired kids at a restaurant and Barnes & Noble. Not fun. Nothing a box of girl scout cookies didn't fix. My hair turned out great...it is back to the blonde that I've been trying to achieve since August. Long story on the hair color but I am happy it is back to what I like. I will never mess with trying to make it any other color. After that we walked around downtown SLO looking in different furniture stores. Massive sticker shock. I saw a kitchen table that was just a style I love. It was a round table that seated 8 people. The table was $4,000.00. I am assuming that included the 8 chairs but wow, that was crazy! Definitely not in my price range for a kitchen table. We moved on and had to hit Costco before they closed. Costco is always an experience! I love that place. It is one of my favorite places to shop. Aunt Nan bought the kids some dvd's and so they had some entertainment for Sunday morning that kept them from fighting and getting into trouble. She bought Flushed Away and I can't wait to see that. So many adults say that the movie is so funny! We then were able to call it a day as we left Costco. It was a long day for everyone...especially the kids. I hate dragging them from place to place all day long. It is very hard but we didn't have a choice.

Sunday was a good day. It was nice to have some extra hands during Sacrament meeting. Ellie is now getting to that point that she doesn't want to sit on my lap. She wants to be moving, wiggling, arching, and making screeches all during the meeting. She isn't crying thank goodness! It's a workout keeping her entertained and happy. My time is almost up here on the computer. I have to do some work while Ellie is asleep. Anyway, the day turned out nice with roast, salad, veggies and rolls all smelling delicious when we walked in the house. That can make anyone happy :D!! We had a great weekend with Nan.

This is for Amie.....Todd has every other Friday off. It is the best. I love the schedule that he has. It was really nice when we first moved here to have that schedule so that Todd could watch the kids while I had appts. I don't have to find babysitters for day appts. I just make them on a Friday that he has off.

A new Monday...a new start. I didn't do so well on my diet on Saturday. It's too hard to keep to a diet when you are out of the house the entire day. Oh well, it's the start of a new week. I love it. I'm back on track this morning. I'm off to start tons of laundry that piled up over the weekend.

Life is Good

Well, today the scale was down another 1/2 pound. I love my scale. I think last week I was about to chuck it far... I've stuck with my program and feel content and happy with it. I love this feeling. Why do I stray from it ever? I guess because I'm human.

Today was a good day. The weather was beautiful..cool but sunny. I love that. I received a couple packages today that made me smile. First, this morning was some Arbonne products. That always makes me happy. Later this afternoon came a package from my husbands aunt, Nan....bonus that it was addressed to me. I was getting excited and even more so when I saw a pair of running shoes. YAAAAA!!!!!! I love a new pair of tennis shoes. She totally surprised me and I am so happy. Emily kept saying how they are so pretty. She is so cute. I love what 3 year olds say. Today was a good mail day....even better when the cell phone bill came and it was $15.00 less than normal. Gotta love that.

What I am thankful for today:

*A healthy family
*A few minutes that I got to read some scriptures in the bathroom
*Ability to exercise and enjoy it
*My husband who does so much for our family
*A stable mind
*Fun blog sites to visit and read....there are so many to read these days. It's all good!
*A weight loss
*Casey and I having fun together :D
*A calm house now that the kids are asleep
*My truck that takes us everywhere we need to go. It just made me think how there are so many people who do not have transportation other than the bus or their feet. I can come and go when I need to.
*The relationship that I have with Todd.
*Game Boy...I had some fun passing levels today with the boys.
*Ellie's laugh...it cracks me up
*Ellie sleeping very well for me during the day and night. That is a blessing to me.
*My siblings and parents.

It feels good to write all that down. Tomorrow is Todd's day off. The kids look forward to his Friday's off so much. Casey gets so excited that he is going to pick him up from school. I love it because I can then workout in the morning and not have to rush around in the morning getting kids to school. I'm out of words...not feeling like much to say. Time to watch Idol on Tivo.

A Miracle.....the scale moved! :)

I am so excited I can't even put it into words. The scale is down 2.5 pounds since Monday. I am so excited because I have been working so hard trying to lose and have not seen results since Christmas time. I made up a new plan for me....of course still counting points (WW) but am really putting it to the test. I have made up a menu for myself each morning for the entire day before I start eating. This way I know that I can just look at my menu and see what's next. I can fit in a "skinny cow", peanut butter/choc. flavor at night and still be ok. I think what has made the biggest difference is that I have been drinking tons of water. My new plan since Monday has been to drink an 8oz. glass of water every hour from 9:00-5:00 and then one at 7:00, 9:00 and 10:00pm. Boy, I have never spent so much time in the bathroom during the day in my entire life. It's pretty cleansing :) I feel good. I have incorporated more protein which I know helps. I am never feeling hungry during the day. A great salad is...endamame (soy beans), lettuce, carrots, gr. onions, 2 oz. of chicken and orange poppy seed dressing. I guess you could throw in some mandarin oranges too. It is tasty!! For fellow WW's the orange poppy seed dressing is only 2 points for 2 Tbsp....100 calories and 5 grams of fat. Not bad at all. I love when I can find a 1 point per Tbsp. kind of dressing that tastes good. I hope the scale doesn't trick me anytime soon because I think I would be crushed. I am really trying hard and am so happy that it's working!! I feel so pumped up it may be a good cleaning day....I feel lots of energy right now! It's time to go set my timer to clean. I love doing this...setting my timer for 30-40 minute intervals to clean up around the house. I just see what all I can do in that amount of time. The kids were helping the other day and commented how fast we did everything. It was nice.

The sun is shining today so hopefully it will warm up my toes.

Best Foot Forward Tuesday :)

Here is my left foot....resting! I was pregnant with my last baby girl...Ellie Jayne. This pic was taken in June,2006...one month before I had Ellie. I put it up because these are the most recent pics that I have of my foot not as swollen as the next picture. My camera is not working or I would take one right now. :)

Here are my feet just a few hours after I gave birth to my sweet Ellie Jayne (7 1/2 months ago)..a little swollen I would say. My mom was just about to give my feet a good rub when I took this picture. Mom's do such a good job of rubbing feet, scratching backs, etc. At least that is how it is in my family. We aren't shy about giving a neck rub or a back scratch. I wish Todd was a little better at it. :)

This is pretty funny to have my feet on here. I try to put my best foot forward everyday. It doesn't always happen but I am always in motion....always trying. With four little ones my feet take a beating. I am always on my feet during the day. Usually well into the night. My feet carry me around to do so many things for myself, my family and for others. I am grateful for them and for how well they have treated me thus far. In the past 5 weeks, these feet have carried me 60 miles as I have jogged religiously trying to get in better shape.

As a child/young teenager I did not like my feet. My toes are long like fingers and they just didn't look cute in sandals. I got over that real fast and am ok with my feet. I love what age can do. It helps you get over the silly things that you can't change.

I am not a fan of pedicures. Call me wierd. It costs too much for just a minute of feeling good. I would rather spend the money somewhere else.

I hope that I can continue putting my best foot forward or trying to do a little better each day.

Take Lelly's challenge and post your "best foot forward".

The Weekend

Well, the weekend was full of activities....I don't feel like I got much of a weekend. Friday night was the Scout Blue and Gold dinner. It was at a members house. Mitch and Casey really enjoyed being with all of the older boys. We enjoyed chatting with other members of the ward...well, I did. Todd was probably ready before I was to get home and sit down & relax. Saturday morning I was up early to workout....no nothing has changed on the scale. I'm about ready to chuck the darn thing. Amie, I'm waiting to hear what your success was at WW. We had a little b'day party to go. Jeremy turned 3 and Emily was so excited to go and give him the present she picked out for him. It was pretty cute. They had a Mickey Mouse theme going....served Mickey Mouse waffles and the kids got to top it with tons of yummy toppings. The kids decorated Mickey Mouse sugar cookies and then played in the yard. It was fun. Todd came with me so we all chatted with the other adults there.

Since we didn't get out standard Friday night Taco Loco in we had to grab it for lunch on Saturday just before Todd had to leave for a priesthood leadership meeting at 3:30. This weekend was our Stake Conference. He went to that and I cleaned up the house while Ellie slept. It was perfect. We swapped and I went to the Adult meeting and he put the kids to bed. Not a bad trade off. :) It was a really good meeting about being prepared. They went over all aspects of being prepared....food storage, financial, spiritual and physical preparedness. They had different tables set up afterward that we could pick up fliers and info on all kinds of different ways to store food, water, etc. Have any of you heard about the food in a bucket that is sold at Costco? I'm sure those of you in Utah have since I believe they started doing it there first. Not sure though. It is 3 months of food in a 5 gallon bucket for $109. I was loving the idea just in case we needed to grab the food and go. It would already be in something that I could carry. I have food storage but not all ready to take with me if I had to up and leave right away. I keep our 72 hour kits in our cars. I thought it was a good idea.

This morning our general meeting for Stake Conference was at 10 so we were out the door early for a Sunday but home so much earlier than usual. It was nice having the entire day to hang out and be with everyone. That is Todd was home with us...no meetings today. The best part was having him sit with us during the meeting. That hasn't happened for 6 months.
Todd had promised the kids that we would do pancakes and sausage for dinner since we didn't have time to do all of that this morning. I busted it out for them when we got home for lunch. They loved it. Todd got busy making his new version of salsa...roasted tomato salsa. It is his best! I loved it. It's a knock out.

Tonight was spaghetti, salad, and asparagus. Very tasty and the boys seem to really like asparagus. I was surprised. Casey likes a bunch of veggies...Mitty is way more picky. Now the kids are in bed...all 4 of them. What a moment! I can actually hear the sound of the computer. I better finish picking up so the place isn't too bad to face in the morning. I hate to wake up to a disaster Monday morning...or any morning. The Apprentice is coming on and so I better get situated.

Something funny Casey said to me tonight. I went to rub his head while he was laying in bed and he said, "I really don't like that feel." I said, "What does it feel like?" He said,"It feels too much like a skinny hand." I thought well, at least my own child is noticing my efforts unlike the crappy scale. :) He said he likes dad's hand better because it feels plain. Whatever that means. I left it at that. Mitch on the other hand was happy to have more time with me rubbing his head.

I wish everyone a great week!! Including myself :).

100th Post...busy Thursday

Wow, this is my 100th post. I am so glad that I was converted to blogging....thanks Amie. I have loved every minute of writing my own posts as well as reading others and getting to know other people. This blogging world is a tight knit community. I have had a lot of fun and look forward to much more.

I have to be quick...Todd is waiting to watch Idol. Today was busy and fun. I made cookies for Mitty's Beatlemania this morning and then did some stuff with Arbonne. I got the kids ready, took Casey to school, picked up a bit and then got the crew packed up again to go up to watch the racers come into SLO. We made it with time to spare and set up our spot and waited anxiously for the guys to ride in. It was a serious event. I love it....the adrenaline I feel for these guys as they come racing by is just awesome. The kids love it!! We watched them come in and then walked around to all of the different tent/booths that were set up. Everyone is giving stuff away. We got cool water bottles, lip balm on key chains...just fun stuff. After that we had to book it back home, put some food into the kids before we had to go off to Mitty's performance at 6:30. We enjoyed it so much. The kids all had their tie-dyed shirts on singing to the Beatles. Very cute. Mitty did a great job and knew all of the words. My camera wasn't working so I don't have any still shots. I'm in need of a new camera. Anyway, we left the program once it was over...each child with a cookie in hand and called it a night. Just as we were getting into the car it started to rain again. AHHHH, we made it just in time. It poured this morning. I love to hear the rain on the roof. Once we got home it was bath time, clean up room time and hit the sack time. I wish I was hitting the sack. I am on my way to watch Idol and fold some more clothes.

Catch Up....again :)

I'm noticing a theme with myself....I'm catching up more than I am staying current. First off while I'm thinking about the recipes that I talked about...Melinda, the chocolate waffles are from Emeril. They truly were the best ones I've had....the strawberries and whipped cream help too.

Well, the past couple of days have been busy. I really start to fall behind in house work if I sit down and blog during the day. I know, my problem. I have tried to really get things done around the house. I guess I got an organizing bug in me and really went to town yesterday. It took all day and I'm still not done. I was just wanting to make sure that everything behind a door or in a drawer was cleaned out. I started in the kids rooms. I went through all of the toys and got rid of a bunch of stuff the kids don't play with anymore. I moved beds around, went through the kids books and organized those, got rid of a bunch of shoes they can't wear anymore, and trashed toys that aren't played with or are broken. I hate little broken pieces of anything...crayons especially. Casey and Emily got into it and were helping me. Casey was so excited to see what his room was going to look like while he was at school. I finished it up and the boys loved it. They do a really good job of keeping their toys organized into a few different boxes I have set up. One for figures, one for cars, one for animal figures, one for legos, and one for trains. In a different storage spot, playdoh and toys for that are all in one box, crayons,pencils, and markers in another. I have so much trash after doing all of that. I went through their box of school work that they like to put things in and got rid of a bunch. I have to keep some things...mostly artwork and some of their best writing papers of each grade. It just felt nice to dig through and clean out. Next, I have to hit the clothes. I did the same in Emily's room. It felt so good to get all of that done. It did take all day to do that. Ellie was a good sport. While she was awake she was in the room where I was working playing with toys. She really is so good!! As long as she has food in her....she is content to play with her toys. I feel blessed to have a little one who is pretty easy. I better knock on wood. :)

Today was pretty outside. The weather stayed nice but started to look cloudy late this afternoon...darn. I am ready for Spring/Summer. I love to see a beautiful blue sky with the sun shining into the house. I could not live in Washington...sorry Donna. I went to Target and just loved being there. I haven't been to Target since Christmas. I know that is pretty bad. Wal-Mart is so close eventhough I really can't stand that place. It is nothing like Target. I feel so happy in Target. Does anyone else share my same feelings?? I loved it so much that I stayed for almost 2 hours. Ellie never made a peep in her seat, Emily was occupied with an icee and I just loved looking at so many things. I left there with 2 totally cute skirts and 2 shirts to go with. They are my favorite style of skirt. I should take a picture. I'm too tired right now but I will. When I tried them on, Emily looked at me and said, "Mom, you are so cute."....PURCHASED!! That made me happy...now just keep some warm weather for more than 2 days.

I have stuck to my points and after getting on the scale tonight I can't wait to see it in the morning. Tonight it said what it has said in the morning ....so I know it will just have to be down tomorrow. I may just have to post about it....that is how excited I would be if it moved. I have stayed the same for toooooo long. Thanks for the pep talk Barbie. I have really tried to make more of an effort to drink more water. I have never had such a problem as I do right now getting enough water down in a day. I feel like sometimes I am so busy doing other things I don't pay any attention to my thirst level. Oh well, I've done much better the past couple of days. Yeah for me!!

Tomorrow I have to make cookies for Mitty's performance at school. It is called Beatlemania. They have tie dyed shirts to wear for this and have learned all of these Beatles songs. It's pretty cute. Only up here, right??? When I started singing one of the songs Mitch said, "Mom, how do you know all of these songs?" That is pretty funny. That is tomorrow night and we're all excited to go. I finally have a video camera so that I can record his performance....I'm so excited!!

The cyclists in the Tour de California come into San Luis Obispo tomorrow around 3:30 so I'm picking up the kids from school and hustling up there so that we can watch them ride into town. The company Todd works for is a sponsor so they make a big deal out of it...they are having a big catered lunch with a tricylce competition. Yes, Todd is taking our kids tricycle to work. He digs this stuff. After those festivities they all go down to the line where the cyclists cross to cheer them on. It's pretty neat to see them ride in. Last year they rode through the village here in Arroyo Grande. We took the kids down and watched on the sidewalk while they all rode through. It's pretty intense to see it that close. The problem with me posting every 4 days is that the post is too long.

Is everyone watching American Idol?? I'm in heaven with 5 hours of Idol this week. I'm tired and better hit the sack.

Discovered a new recipe....you have to try it!!

If you know Todd and I you will know that on the weekends the tv is pretty much on foodtv and nothing else. Us and the kids love to watch all of the shows. We have tried many recipes and enjoy learning new tips and tricks for in the kitchen. Todd loves to cook. Anyway, we watched Tylers Ultimate yesterday and he was making Chicken Enchiladas. It was looking so good that I had to go out and get the stuff to make it last night. Ahhhhh, it was a knock out if you like chicken enchiladas.

The recipe is a lot of typing so I'm just going to direct you to look up foodtv.com and go to Tylers Ultimate show and look up his show on Sat. 2/17..chicken enchiladas. It might look like a lot of work but it really isn't. I had to pass on the results of a fab dinner.

Today was nice..yesterday was better because it was 85 degrees. It was gorgeous. I loved wearing a skirt and flip flops. I looooooovvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeee California. I told Todd tonight that I don't think I could live where you can't wear flip flops all year long. Today I woke up to fog and cool temperatures....58 degrees this afternoon. It even rained this evening on our way home from church...ugh! Our bishop went out of town last minute and so Todd got to be with us at home today for a change. There were no meetings before church. The kids were loving it. I couldn't believe it. We were all ready to go at about 1:00. We don't have to be at church until 2:30. It was nice to just chill before we had to go. I think the extra hands made a big difference. Thanks Todd.

Todd has the day off tomorrow as well. It has been a nice 4 day weekend for him and the kids. I'm hoping to be outdoors again tomorrow. Let's hope the rain continues to go south.

I can almost get giddy about how happy I am when Todd has a day off. I love to spend time with him and he lets us know how much he loves to be with us. I enjoy all of our family time together. We are making memories for our children!! Wow, the pressure I feel in just writing that out. I just pray that I am doing all that I can to teach my children what matters the most. Hopefully they are learning that ;).

**** I can always make tomorrow a new beginning of something great. I love Mondays because they give me that feeling*** Mainly a new start to stick to my points (WW). I can't shed these last pounds. It is very frustrating!!

Happy Birthday Marilyn

My sister Marilyn turns 35 today. I can't believe how time flies. We were all so young living under the same roof not that long ago it seems. :) Here are some things about Marilyn...

She is forgiving
She is considerate of others
She is kind.
She will do anything to help you
She puts others first.....too many times in my opinion :)
She loves her family
She is accepting of others
You can tell her anything...at least I can.
She is honest and will tell you just how she feels :) Not a bad thing
She loves babies.
She is able to love other peoples babies and children like her own. That is something special.
She makes me feel like a special guest at her house. I know that she does others as well.
She is a good house cleaner
She is a hard worker
She loves Cheesecake Factory Jambalaya dish
She is great with animals
Animals love her
She has beautiful blue eyes
She has great skin....clear and nice color
She can let her hair dry wet and it looks good....darn I wish I had that. :)
She is fun to be with
Kids love to be with her...mine and I've seen many others just love her.
She is extremely generous and wants you to have everything that will make you comfortable and happy.
She is an excellent nurse.
Everyone loves her...young and old!! She is easy to love. :)

She has so many wonderful qualities that I admire. I am so glad that we are close. I am so thankful for such a wonderful sister. I enjoyed being able to live 4 miles from her for 6 years. We had fun. I loved knowing that she was so close. Our kids played and really became close. We had each other to babysit on a moments notice. I miss being able to hang out with her for the afternoon. We would talk every morning....I knew that when the phone rang at around 9am it was her. I loved it. We had some good times!! Now that I am in tears. I am really missing all of my family. I have such wonderful brothers and sisters. I have been so blessed with a loving family. Good job Mom and Dad. I will give you tons of credit. Now that I am the parent.....I see how much of that comes from the kind of parent you are. Does that make sense?

I hope you had a great day. Your card is in the mail tomorrow. I missed the post office on Saturday. Love you and miss you lots!!
Mom, does she read these blogs?? I don't think so...I will email her the post.

Catch up on the last few days

First off, April your comment on the last post was so funny. I loved it.


Here is a picture of the treats I made for Mitch's class. I only had to bring juice drinks for Casey's. Emily was in heaven at both parties. She enjoyed treats at Casey's party and then we went to Mitch's party they offered her all of the treats all over again. talk about a sugar high. Oh well, it's one day. I love Valentine's Day. I love how it makes me feel so full of love for my family, husband and others. Not that I don't feel that any other day but it's fun to have a heart day. So the parties were fun....camera was acting up and so I couldn't take any pics of the kids at their parties. Darn!!


Valentine's day started by me making the kids pb & j heart sandwiches. As you can see it was such a nutritious lunch...pb & J and 3 kisses. Oh well, I was having fun. The kids loved it.


Todd brought home roses for me and a pretty bracelet. He brought a cute plant home for the kids to take care of. They were really excited about it. I made the kids a pasta dish and served it on Valentine plates. We always wait for the kids to go to bed to then eat our meal....we got Italian this year. I think we have done this for about 5 years now. When we lived in Rancho it was Tutto Fresco every Valentine's day. I loved that tradition. We would bring it home once the kids were in bed asleep and enjoy a nice dinner together. After we ate I busted out the treats I got....Rocky Mountain apples. Emily picked out the kids apple...caramel apple in white choc. with mini M & M's. They didn't have Todd's favorite...the Butterfinger caramel apple. I got an Avalanche instead..tiger butter, marshmallows, mini choc. chips, rice krispies and caramel. Oh it is so good. We enjoyed that. It was a nice evening.

Today was absolutely gorgeous. It made me excited for Spring/Summer. The temp read 80 degrees in the car today. Ahhhh it felt so good outside. We had all of the windows open in the house and could feel the breeze blow through. My favorite. The boys have been so excited that Todd has today and Monday off that Casey was up and ready to make sausage with Todd this morning..(their favorite with dad). Todd decided to try out Emeril's recipe for Chocolate waffles....ahhhhh, the best!! We've tried a few but this one was the best by far. It may have something to do with the kind of choc. you use also. Anyway, I thawed some frozen strawberries and whipped up some real whipped cream and it was a complete Knock Out. I wasn't going to try but of course caved. Sooooo good. I can't wait to make some for guests who come. We picked up around the house, washed some clothes and then by about 2:00 I was ready to go work out and the kids were ready to get out also. Todd and the kids dropped me off at the gym, then took clothes to the cleaners, ran by Office Max then picked me back up . They decided on Subway and that is what we got on our way to the park. The weather was just gorgeous to be at the park. The air felt so good!! I wish I could have captured it in a bottle to open on another day. The kids played and kept saying how they had such a fun day together. I love to hear that. The whole time we were sitting on a blanket eating I just kept thinking how happy I was to be a mom of these kids that were right in front of me. We all were enjoying each other and loving to be outside at the park. The view of the ocean was gorgeous and made me so happy to live here.

***A first for Ellie....she drank some apple juice out of a straw. I wasn't sure how old babies are when they drink out of a straw. Todd said, Oh, I think about 9 months. I thought heck, let's just try. She did it. She loved it!!

This is Ellie sitting in her seat. I just love her cute wittle face!! She is my sweet hearty!! She is now 7 months old and doing so many new things.....sitting up, talking more, playing more, grabbing everything, and still sucking her thumb :). I love having her and am really enjoying every minute with my last baby.

I've Been Tagged....why was this so hard?!

Here it goes..I've been thinking about this for days. I've asked Todd and he couldn't think of anything either. I guess I'm not too strange.

Here are 6 unusual things about me........

1. I have to take a shower before I go to the beach or pool. That is strange to most people that know that about me. What I love is Todd is the same way :).

2. I don't care to go to the movie theater. I would much rather wait and watch it at home. I can't deal not being able to say anything for that long. I never liked to go to the movies while Todd and I were dating either.

3. I love to sweat hard when I'm working out. It is such a good feeling :). But I hate to be sweating because the temperature outside is too hot.

4. I can sleep anywhere and fall asleep in a matter of seconds.

5. I always bake the desserts that I take anywhere....never store bought. I love to bake and any excuse to do so I will use.

6. I don't enjoy sleeping in.

Now...6 things I love............

1. My family...and then my family all safe in bed asleep for the night. Such a peaceful feeling. :)

2. Cookie dough

3. My kids all fresh out of the shower/bath.

4. Working out....I really do love it!

5. Todd and I sitting on the couch watching all of our shows....American Idol, House, Law in Order SVU, Apprentice, I Shouldn't Be Alive. Good times :)

6. A clean house with the Vanilla Cone scent plug in plugged in ...hahaha

Why were the things that I love much easier to come up with than the other? It literally took me 30 seconds to think of things that I love.

Consider yourself tagged if you are reading this...Barbie, Mom, April.....I think everyone else has done it. I'm so behind.

Quote from Elder Bednar.....& todays happenings :)

"I have reflected repeatedly upon the phrase 'the tender mercies
of the Lord.' Through personal study, observation, pondering, and
prayer, I believe I have come to better understand that the Lord's
tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings,
strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses,
consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because
of and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Truly, the Lord suits 'his
mercies according to the conditions of the children of men' (D&C
46:15)."
Topics: Love of God, prayer, mercy

(David A. Bednar, "The Tender Mercies of the Lord," Ensign, May 2005, 99)


I got this in my email yesterday or this morning. Oh how I love what he says!

Today, I let Mitty sleep in a little longer. He didn't get up until 8:05...wow! They were in bed last night by 8:10. 11 hours of sleep is pretty darn good. I'm glad he will sleep in a little more now. Not always but when he does it helps for a good day.

I came home from taking Mitty to school and made the Hershey Kiss cookies for his Valentine party tomorrow. I just need to bag them and twist tie them and we will be good to go. I love getting that stuff out of the way early. Even better is that I only have to bring drinks for Casey's class party. It will be crazy when I add Emily to Kindergarten and we will be making all kinds of things for each class. Oh well, I love this part of being a mom. I'm blessed to be able to stay home and do all of these fun things. Kids remember all of this stuff :)

Ellie is asleep so I should probably take advantage and go straighten up the house. It is so amazing how quickly things can get done when babies are sleeping :). I hope you all have a wonderful day wherever you may be.

Weekend Recap/Good Mail/Remember These Days....

Well, so much has been happening and yet no time to sit down and post about it all. To start off here is some good mail I received from Amie. How thoughtful of her....I loved everything in the package. The note cards are adorable (love the blue and brown), the nail polish I used this morning and love, the candies were gone almost instantly, love the hand foam, and the pencils are cute. The kids were putting dibs on the pencils and then I said, "Oh, this package is for me." They were stunned. Usually the packages are for them. I did share the chocolates and M&M's with them. They loved it. Those truffles are dangerous. :) Thanks again Amie. That was fun to get so many goodies in the mail.







Do these pictures look like a familiar scene from way back?? After school on Friday we sat down and busted out the valentine cards and candies for Casey and Mitch to take to school today. Of course Emily had her Little Mermaid cards and was writing her name on the cards for her cousins, friends, grandparents, etc. She had fun. The boys did such a good job of writing out the names and putting the stickers on that I didn't even need to help. Although I did. I think I had as much fun as they did. It brought back fun memories of me doing the very same thing many years ago for my own class. I loved the Valentine parties and passing out the cards. So fun to be a kid again. The valentine cards now don't seem to come with envelopes and so I had to put the candies in a separate bag and staple it to the card. Not bad just very time consuming. I think it took us about an hour and a half or almost 2 hours to do this project. Casey loved eating the hearts of course and so did Mitty. I guess we all had our fair share of candy hearts. Once Sunday came I was so glad that we did this project on Friday. Sunday's are not real easy days...lots of work and no time to do much else.

Friday was our typical "Loco" night. We got Taco Loco and enjoyed every bite. The chips and salsa are addicting. I'm convinced they put something in there that keeps me going back for more. I eat way too many. Oh well, the scale didn't show it thank goodness!! I start over fresh every Monday morning. I love Mondays for that very reason. :)

Saturday I was able to get up and go workout early and do my 3 mile run. I feel so good after I sweat like that. It sounds nasty but I love when I can sweat to the point of dripping. Maybe it's because I feel like I am melting my fat off. Not a bad thing. Once I got back it was time to dig in and get some things done around the house. I did mass laundry and folded which always feels good, cleaned the bathrooms, kitchen, did dishes, washed my bedding and Ellie's bedding and vacuumed the house. Todd had a leadership meeting that he went to from 10:30 until about 2:30 when he got back. When he got back the other counselor in the bishopric came in with his wife and so were chatting and they asked if we were going to the adult valentine's party that night. Woops, I forgot all about it. I didn't have a babysitter lined up or anything. After the counselor said, "do I have permission to find one for you"...he was on a mission. He literally called like 15 minutes after leaving to say he found someone. That was easy for me!! I loved it. It was our bishops oldest daughter. She is 20 and nannies for her job. Perfect. The kids like her and so do I. I can't believe how excited our kids were to hear that a babysitter was coming. Mitch kept asking for about 2 hours when she was coming. WOW! The kids must be tired of us. :) She got here at 7:45...the party didn't start until 8pm. I had Ellie in bed for the night and the kids fed and in jammies. The kids were going crazy when she got here. You know all of the showing off that has to go on.?! Mitty just eats that up. Thank goodness she is used to that and has lots of fun with them. We were off and they were playing a game. The party was really fun . I did say to Todd, this is the first time that we have had a babysitter since we moved up here (1 yr.) and we are going to a ward party??? What is the matter with us? We had a good laugh about that. The party did turn out to be fun. It was at a members home so that is always more fun than in the gym at church. there was lots of good food, chocolate fountain, cheese fondue, and tons of desserts. Dancing followed.....there are some really talented dancers in our ward. Mainly the older couples. I'm not a dancer so I enjoyed watching our friends get out there and have some fun. Toward the end of the evening and after much harrassing for not getting out there...an older lady in the ward pulled Todd out onto the dance floor.(Not to dance with her) Todd came out of his shell and busted out a whole sequence of moves to the Beach Boys (if you can imagine...Todd doing the twist, lifting up his knee and then going down to the floor and popping back up. I can't even do this justice. The crowd was clapping and roaring with laughter. They were all so happy that they got him out there. I know some of you (my family) can just see him hamming it up and giving them what they want to see for a minute. We enjoyed good company and fun for a few hours. It was so nice to talk with friends without having all of the kids right there to watch. The kids were good for the girl which was so nice to hear. She said to us, there was only one problem....(you can only imagine what was running through my mind). She said, "Casey threw up.' Oh heavens, I said, why didn't you call us. She said, becasuse he isn't sick..he doesn't have a fever. She said ,"I think he just ate too many goldfish." She was right. He wasn't sick and was fine in the morning. I felt bad that she had to clean it up but did a good job of it. The kids loved her which was good.

Saturday evening the primary pres called to see if I could teach the sunbeam class on Sunday. Of course I accepted and wondered just what I had gotten myself into again. It is really too hard with me having Ellie. I need 2 hands (actually 4 hands) to keep the group under control. There are a few that are really good and so well behaved which makes it so nice. Thank goodness I had put a roast on Sunday morning for dinner so I didn't have to worry about making anything once we got home. That is the best!! The kids enjoyed their dinner and then hot chocolate with chocolate marshmallows before they were in bed. Kids were asleep by 8:40. Not bad. The boys went right to sleep without any antics. That is so nice. My deal with them is whoever goes to sleep first gets to pick their favorite breakfast the next morning. They love this. Whatever works!! This post is so dang long....I have yet to do my "6 unusual things about me" Donna tagged me and I'm still thinking about what to say. It's hard to come up with stuff. I guess I'm just boring or something. The weekend was nice and now I'm off to start a new week....a short week..yeah! Todd and the kids have Friday and next Monday off!! YEAH!

Beautiful Baby Contest

Here is a photo of Miss Sweet Ellie Jayne. This is the picture that I submitted for the baby contest on Regis and Kelly. Marilyn called me and told me to do it. I don't watch Regis and Kelly but thought this was a fun thing to do.

The week has gone so fast.....

This week has really gotten away from me. I have been busy doing many things. Today was cloudy and cool. Not bad though. I just hate when the cloudy weather makes it so dark in my house. I love to see the sun shining in through the windows. That is happiness for me.

To start off...I shook the taco sauce bottle this afternoon and the lid just popped right off sending hot sauce all over the carpet. Someone didn't screw it on tightly. Of course it hit every where except the tile floor.

On to this week...the other day Mitch told me that his tooth chipped in the back. I forgot about calling the dentist until yesterday and so he said to bring him in today so that he could take a look at it. I had to get the boys out 20 minutes early to make it to his appt. I am rushing ...of course to get there and by the time I get us all into chairs with a book of some sort Casey has to get a drink, then Emily has to go to the bathroom. Finish that and the dentist then comes out to tell me he Mitch's filling has come out and he needs it replaced. Mitch had fillings done at 2 1/2 and 3 yrs. old. He has weak enammel and it was causing his teeth to crumble. Poor guy. He is an excellent patient though and not afraid of the dentist at all. Well, we were done and then off to another errand thanks to Todd for reminding me. My head doesn't think straight when I have all of the kids with me. I can lose track of what I really went somewhere to do if they are all with me...which is what I did. My next errand was to get the truck smogged for the regestration renewal. Oh boy, that was such a long time waiting. The kids did fairly well. I was really surprised. We waited for an hour and a half total before the car was ready to drive away in. We first had to wait in a line of cars (all of us inside the car) for about 40 minutes. Of course, Casey has to go to the bathroom...you know he was just in the nice clean bathroom at the dentist but didn't go...Ahhhh it kills me. So we had to use the nasty car shop bathroom. I don't freak as much with the boys because they don't have to touch the seat or anything. We get back into the car and then about 10 minutes later Emily has to go. Of course I was lining the toilet seat over and over with toilet paper. That's the killer with little girls and nasty bathrooms. We survived and then finally were able to go wait in the tiny waiting area. It was awful. The first thing Mitch said was "Mom, this place has been here for hundreds of years." It had that "old" feeling to it. It's funny how a kid thinks of it. So we were there from about 3:45-5:15. Emily kept telling me that her tummy was hurting because we had to be at that place for soooo long. Too funny. Now Todd was able to join us for our last and final errand of the day....Costco. I love our Costco. There is never a huge crowd of people. It is so nice to walk through there without being mad at a hundred carts surrounding you. Stocked up on a few necessities...formula, roasts, milk, and Zone bars for Todd. We grabbed pizza and hot dogs for the kids and Todd. I sat drooling at all of the kids slices of pizza. I am trying to be sooooo good. I was waiting to eat at home so that I could count the points. On a side note, Marilyn inspired me today by calling this morning to tell me she lost 2.4 pounds this last week. That does it. I'm not going to be left behind. I had to kick myself into gear again. The points were charted and I had 23.5 points today. The kids ate and Ellie was then ready for her dinner so we booked it home. She gets so excited when we say it is time to "eat". She starts swinging her arms and she squeals for meal time. Once I start feeding her she literally will growl after every bite. She is so happy to be eating. She is so fun. I just love having Miss Ellie Jayne. She is such a happy baby and so content.

And I was able to get my visiting teaching done yesterday with one of the ladies. I love when I complete that. It is such a weight off of my shoulders....does anyone else feel that way?? I don't feel like it is a burden but am so happy when it is done.

I can't believe it is already 10:00....ahhhhhh! I've been on way too long. I need to fold clothes and put some dishes away. I am feeling a bit exhausted right now. I need to shutdown and go to sleep.

A great quote from Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual tolerance, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail journey...delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas, and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."
~Gordon B. Hinckley

This is the first time I have read this quote....and I love it!! I hope you all enjoy it as well. Happy Tuesday. I'm hoping my day will be better than yesterday....it just has to. I may have to document how bad it was in detail so that I will appreciate the days even more when the kids are good for me.

I Have Been a Recipient of GOOD MAIL!!

A much needed fun package came in the mail today. Thank you so much Melinda!! I love Valentine stuff. The bowl is cute and I love peanut M&M's. I was so happy to get yummy treats. I had just come home from an awful experience at the DMV with Ellie and Emily. Emily was so bad for me I thought I was going to die in there. Ellie somehow cut her finger on I have no idea what and the blood was smearing all over the form that I was filling out. It was bad!! And I had to wait such a long time.

Question: Is there a master list of addresses that I can get to send out "good mail" to others? Anyone let me know. I would love to reciprocate.

Time is up...Ellie is pushing all of the keys over and over.

Temple Thoughts

Yesterday was Ward Conference in our ward and it was excellent. Our Stake Pres. spoke to us during the third hour...combined RS and Priesthood. The big push this year is the Temple. Our stake has been invited to have a day at the temple in commemoration of the LA Temple (50th Anniversary) this year on Dec. 1st. We will meet together in the solemn assembly room. What a special experience that will be...one that I would not miss for anything. He spoke about temples and what are the obstacles that keep us from going. As I sat there and thought..well, a young family and it's 2 1/2 hours away each way. Then realizing how far some travel in the world to go to a temple. I felt a bit stupid to myself. We are really spoiled and don't realize it sometimes. As some of the temple workers in our ward were asked to bear their testimony, I could feel the spirit so strongly and realized that it is possible for me to take a day every month and go. The one man in our ward said how many people he sees come to the temple who are crippled, laid out on hospital gurneys(sp), who are in such need of help but that they come to do a very important work. I thought to myself alright that does it. I thought to myself if I am too busy to not go to the temple then I am too busy with the wrong things. I have decided to take one day a month and drive down early in the morning and do a session and be back by noon. I really want to do this and know that my family will be blessed because of my time spent there. Todd and I won't be able to do it together but maybe we can rotate every other month. I know Temple work is so important and that there are many close by waiting for their work to be done. I want to be a part of that special day for them. I am excited for my new goal to go more often. I am not going to come up with any excuses why I can't do this either.

April, Barbie, Marilyn, Mom/Dad....it would be fun to meet and go together like every third Saturday morning. With baseball starting for the kids it may have to be an afternoon trip. I'm going and will let you guys know and then maybe you can meet me there. I would just love to have a standing appt. where we all meet there once a month. What a great experience that would be to do it together. I want you all to know that I have a strong testimony of the temple and its blessings. Ok, here comes the tears. I can't ever not cry when talking about the temple. I love it and have a strong desire to be there often.

BYU WOMEN'S CONFERENCE.....Is anyone going????

I'm getting excited for this years Women's Conference up at BYU. My mom and April have now gone 5 years in a row. Barbie joined the group I think 4 years ago, this will be my 3rd year going and Marilyn joined us last year for the first time. We had a blast. We stayed in a hotel all together one time and then last year was my first time joining them in the dorms. We had a good time so that is now what we do. You can't beat $69.00 for 3 nights. :) I signed up and got my plane ticket a couple of weeks ago and so now I'm just counting down until our annual mom/sister trip to Women's Conference.

We have made some fun memories up at Women's Conference that get talked about all year long. It is so awesome to go and hear all of the wonderful talks all piled into 2 days. To be with so many other women around the world all joining together for the same cause is just an amazing experience. I leave the conference with such an uplifiting feeling and a new start to do better. It really pumps me up and helps me to be the best wife and mother I can be for my family. Thanks to April's blog...I know that it is 2 months and 4 weeks away. She has it on a ticker. Are any of you planning on going this year or have gone in the past? It is the best!! Every penny that is spent on it is so worth it!

Amie, my mom just mentioned to me that you and your mom are planning to go. We all have to get together and do something. I think this year it is just the 4 of us...mom, April, Barbie and myself.

I'm off to get myself and kids ready for church. Ellie is sleeping so I have to take advantage of the time and get ready. I'm anxious to hear if anyone is going. You can see that I love this trip:)!