Top Ten Lessons of 2008

10. Never eat things you know you are going to throw up.

9. Always check public records before going on your first date.

8. The police will throw a crazy ex-roommate out of your house.

7. Nursery class is where all the snacks are at church...just in case you are desperate.

6. The human services field does not require anyone to have administrative skills.

5. Going ring shopping does not mean what it used to.

4. I should have finished my Master's degree sooner...dang you procrastinating thoughts.

3. 911 dispatch has my number....and will pawn their work off on me.

2. Some people are in your life weather you like it or not.

1. Some people will be in your life forever and for that we are lucky.

I don't want to be 29 forever!

So today I was talking to a cohort about a movie we watched recently. The movie was about a girl who dreamed of being "thirty, flirty, and thriving". I have to be honest that this idea is not compelling.

First and foremost the idea that you peak in your thirties is kind of silly...I mean if that is true it is only in physical strength...but seriously I am not going to spend the rest of my life wishing I was thirty just because my body is weakening. That is why we have the Atonement. In the words of a wise woman "we get old and frail so that we are willing to leave our bodies". Perfect bodies will come to each one of us in time, and therefore cannot be the focus of my happiness here.

Second I am just not that girl. The flirty one I mean. You know the kind that lead men on just to prove they have some kind of control over them. I am not her. If I was her my life would be very different, and I would probably lose my best friend...and she rocks!

Third thriving is a continual process. At my age I have found that I might just make thriving in this life. There may in fact come a time with the level of drama decrease and successes in life begin to arrive closer and closer to one another.

If thirty was the perfect age then why did our Father in Heaven given us all those extra years to grow closer to Christ. I am grateful that this time in my life is not a pinnacle, but a point in the journey.

I am not ready to be at the pinnacle of my life. I am not ready to have my worth judged at this age because of my physical body. I am not the woman I want to be. Not yet. I have things I hope to do, and things I know I need to learn.

I hope to live to be forty, fabulous and fascinating

Then fifty, funny and fantastic

Then sixty, sassy and classy

Then seventy, smart and sensitive

Then eighty, empathetic and encouraging

That is the woman I hope to be.

Christmas Pageant

Here are some exciting shots from our Christmas Pageant....

Connor is the Samuel the Lamanite and is calling us all to repentance.
Our little angel...Ellia

King Herod (Matt) was trying to convince the wise men to tell him where the Christ child was.

The Shepard is the boss of the sheep.

The Three Wise Men

The Holy Family

Merry Christmas to you all

Happy Christmas Eve!

Happy Christmas Eve!!!!

We enjoyed a night together as a family.

Dad and Blaine cuddling on the couch…it was the only way to keep the little guy from reprogramming the surround sound.

Ethan was very busy to night and was singing to us from on top of the Ottoman. Matt and the boys are relaxing in the oversized chair.
We watched a movie…and got comfortable. Count there are nine family members on one couch...now that is love!

Ethan moved over to mom and got her to hold the ball…this ends up being a present from the wise men later, but Ethan was pretty sure that if it looks like a ball then it is made especially for him. Way to multitask April! Ethan likes to give everyone a chance so here is Seth holding the ball for awhile.

Grandma arranged some fun games for the kids. In this game they put Vaseline on their chins and worked as a team to get the most….whiskers on their chin….It was so cute I had to take a couple pictures.

This is Ellia, Brooklyn and Connor.

Caleb Matthew and Caleb Michael

And of course Ethan took his turn…

So much fun…but Grandma wasn’t done yet.

Then they paired up to do a card toss.

Alicia and Matt here the official card holders

Here is Ethan stealing the basket…which signaled the end of the game.

We missed Ben and Sam who are in California with their dad this year, but we did all get to talk to them on the phone.

Okay I might have almost fainted

December 22, 2008 was a busy day for me. I got up early for my regular Monday meeting at work...it was snowing so I got dressed quickly and cleared the snow off my car and then finished the getting ready for the day process. The meeting went well, but I have to tell you that there was 8" of snow in the parking lot....I LOVE MY SUV.

After that I arranged an impromptu trip to the Museum for my nieces and nephews (we let mom's and dad's come as well as Grandma and Grandpa) It was so much fun to see all the different Santa's, elaborate Ginger Bread Houses (mansions in some cases) and nativities.

We headed home in the snow...did I say snow, because there there should be a word for a foot of snow on the street (I will have to come up with that later).

I got in some work just before we got THE CALL. My sister had been admitted to the hospital to have my newest niece! April was kind enough to invite me into the delivery room to witness my first birth. Let me just say that girl makes it all look easy. Sarah Rose Hays arrived a little after 6pm (that is about three hours of active labor folks) and she is perfect. We aren't sure which of her siblings she most resembles yet, but since they are all adorable it doesn't really matter. Right after the delivery (actually the delivery of the placenta) I felt kind of funny. I quietly went over to a chair and sat down. I think I was feeling faint...I have never felt faint but suddenly there was a nurse with a wash cloth on my neck. I was embarrassed that I was getting any attention...I mean there were seriously better things for these people to be doing. A couple ice chips later and I felt better...and I got my turn to hold baby Sarah!!!!

Just about the time I was headed home I got a call from a client...she was having an anxiety attack and feeling suicidal...so I made my way out to the car. Now making your way out to the car seems like a simple enough task, except there were at 20mph winds and more snow. Not to mention that I was trying to talk to my client on the phone and see all at the same time. I made it to the car and then drove home while talking my client "down".
Mom, Alicia and I made it back to the house in time to round up eight kids and feed them dinner, wash them up, dress them for bed and settle them down for a winter nap...okay there might have been a movie at bed time. (Thanks Grandpa for herding the kids from task to task) by that time it was 9:30ish and I was exhausted.

What a wonderful day in our winter wonderland here in Idaho Falls! I love my family and my new little Sarah Rose!

6 Quick Quirks about me

1. I organize my shirts by color but not my pants and skirts. I am anal about making sure my shirts follow a color pattern. It is almost the first thing I do when I move to a new place, I don't' know why but I can't function right without having this done.

2. I buy the same brand of calendar every year. It is Debbie Mum and I just really like the little sayings. Last year they were sold out so I bought a Kim Anderson one, but it just wasn't the same.

3. I can't stand dirt under my finger nails. I clean my nails constantly. If I get really stressed I bite them just so they won't be dirty.

4. I Love dishes. I have all kinds of serving dishes even thought I haven't had a ton of opportunities to use them. I could have all kinds of different patterns and colors and mix and match. When I was younger I used to beg my mother to set the table on Sundays because that was when we got out the nice dishes.

5. I enjoy driving long distances. I like to drive and if had the time I would drive all over to see friends and family. Even if flying is cheaper and more time efficient I would prefer to drive.

6. I don't listen to the radio. I didn't listen to the radio almost at all as a teenager. All the 'popular' music I know comes from being around others and going to dances or walking through stores. I do however have a CD collection. It would save me money to buy and IPOD and download my favorite songs, but I am just not that on top of it.

I BELIEVE

So you know how they have signs for Christmas with all kinds of words. Recently the word "BELIEVE" became more popular during Christmas.
I like that word. I like the idea of believing especially around Christmas. Belief is more than about Santa...although I believe in him...it is about a belief in life and hope for all the good things.

Christmas for a single woman can often be difficult. Even though I have developed several coping skills for making it through the holiday season there are still days in which I feel less than involved. But the one thing that helps more than all the others is that I have learned to BELIEVE in life. I BELIEVE that things will work out. I BELIEVE that all my dreams are in the process of coming true. I BELIEVE that is the key for Christmas time for me.

He makes my heart melt!

So I have a weakness of my nieces and nephews. I have found that they can get me to do just about anything...ask their parents.

Have you met my Muffy?!?!?! He is adorable...and I think you should all know it. Anyway this is my Muffy and he is in my nursery class!

Before and Middle Update.

Some of you know that I had Lap Band Surgery in July 2007. This is a picture from a friends wedding in April 2007. This is a picture from this last week....I see progress do you?

They say that you lose something like 75% of your goal in the first three years. I am at a year and a half.

Being a Grad Student....

So today my final paper for my Theories of Personality class is due....sigh

Some day I will finish. Till then I will type and type and type after I read and read and read. I used to think that it didn't really make a difference between a Bachelor's and Master's degree....i was wrong.

There is a lot in between. Of course to be fair I probably only thought that so that I could talk myself into getting a Master's.

Who are the Mothers in Zion

“Mothers in Zion, your God-given roles are so vital to your own exaltation and to the salvation and exaltation of your family. A child needs a mother more than all the things money can buy. Spending time with your children is the greatest gift of all. “

1. Be there at the crossroads whether your children are six or sixteen.
2. Be a real friend to your children
3. Read to your children.
4. Pray with your children.
5. Have a meaningful weekly home evening.
6. Be together at mealtimes as often as possible
7. Take time daily to read the scriptures together as a family
8. Take time to do things together as a family.
9. Take time to teach your children. Teach children gospel principles. Teach your sons and daughters modesty and teach them to respect manhood and womanhood. Teach your children sexual purity, proper dating standards, temple marriage, missionary service, and the importance of accepting and magnifying Church callings. Teach them a love for work and the value of a good education. Teach them the importance of the right kind of entertainment
10. Take the time to truly love your children. A mother's unqualified love approaches Christlike love.

Mothers, this kind of heavenly, motherly teaching takes time--lots of time. It cannot be done effectively part time. It must be done all the time in order to save and exalt your children. This is your divine calling.

Reference: To the Mothers in Zion (pamphlet, 1987),

My brother, My hero

Today is my big brother's birthday so in honor of him I want to tell you all why he is my hero. Yesterday when he bore his testimony in church I remembered how all growing up I looked up to him. Here are some things I love about my brother.

1. My brother is a strong man. I like that he has been there over the years to help dad move furniture. Even those not so subtle times in High School when he totally ripped and all my friends noticed.

2. He is a good husband. Seth is kind and loving. Watching him over the last 10 years has reminded me that I don't need to lower my standards.

3. My brother is a loving father. His children look at him with adoration and love.

4. He loves the gospel. Weather it was watching him read the Book of Mormon at the age of 8 or having him hit all those milestones first. Writing him on his mission. Being there at his sealing. The many times he has used his priesthood to serve others. He is diligent and steadfast.

5. He is creative. Have you checked out his website? www.LeviticusCross.com He is the brains behind this new graphic novel.

Okay so I only put five because if you take his age and divide it in half and then take the square root of that and multiply it by five you get 20....Love you Seth!

Petitions for Super Power

There has always been a rumor that I have super powers...okay I might have started the rumor but go with me on this. Super powers are generally thought as fictions as noted in wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superpower_(ability), however I believe that some humans actually have super powers.

One type of super power mentioned is that of super human abilities or "normal human abilities but at a level greater than any normal human has ever displayed"

There are lists of these super powers on the Internet, but I have to tell that I think they left off some. They one I want to petition to add tonight is that of patience. True patience is surely a super power. Many humans have some ability to be patient, however the kind of patience that it feels may be necessary in my life would need to be on the super power level. I don't know who we send the petition to, if you agree let me know, or nominate your own under recognized super power.

Now I know

Over the years I have been fascinated with the characteristic of faith. I would love to have perfect faith, it is a goal of mine. Faith however seems to be to fluid in my life. It is always my goal and even life's ambition that my faith becomes perfect.

So last night I was reading my scriptures in 1 Nephi 5 and found a interesting comment

Sariah, after struggling with faith and even giving into some fear has her sons come back from their dangerous trip Jerusalem. Sariah thinking that it took longer than necessary had feared for her son's life (giving what we learned about Laban I totally understand her concern). Her anxiety levels were high enough that she even murmured to her husband.

Sometimes I think Sariah and I have a similar weakness (but remember I am grateful for my weakness). So when her son's return she says "Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness" (http://scriptures.lds.org/en/1_ne/5)

Sariah teaches me an important lesson here. We need to remember when we are feeling anxiety and fear and even yelling at our loved ones in frustration that the time will come when we with come to "know of a surety".

Thanks Sariah for that reminder!