Today...

I just had a busy day and wanted to write it all down somewhere...
This morning I awoke at 5am, and decided it was a really good time to be awake (I never do that).
So I got a big garbage can and picked up garbage from the back yard. It was a beautiful morning and I was happy to be up.
At 6am I started making waffles. and didn't stop until 7:45. While I was making waffles I fed the children and myself, packed Barbara's school lunch, then a lunch for John and I, and got the children dressed, hair brushed, and shoes on.
then at 7:45 I took a shower.
at 8:10 we pilled in the car and drove Barbara to school.
At 8:30 I drove home to pick up my phone I forgot because I wanted to have a "watch".
At 9am John and I arrived at the Phoenix zoo. The first thing John wanted to see was the Elephant. We walked around looking at animals, eating our lunch, and playing on playgrounds. John kept saying "I'm bored, I want to play on a playground". We had a ton of fun though, and John loved running around in the water, which I let him do for one hour. Then we went and saw the mountain lion, it had a staring contest with John.  John did really good walking all over the place, and only asked to be carried when he need to go "poop", and near the end.
We left the zoo at 1:30, John fell asleep on the way home. I stopped and got a dollar sandwich from burger king and a shake to give to Barbara as her "surprise" for the day. (Since I gave John a surprise)
When I got home I was tired so I sat and browsed facebook, and put up photo's from the zoo, and watched the end of a show.
Then I picked up Barbara around 3ish, and J.R. got home just in time to be with John so he could stay asleep. I told Barbara about her surprise shake and she was disappointed, she said she wanted to go to the zoo like John. (very understandable).
At 3:30 I helped Barbara with her homework and she ate her shake. That only took about 15 min. (I am loving that her teacher only has her doing like 3 of her math hw. problems.)
At 4 I came in and wasted time, then I helped dig a tire track with Barbara in the back yard so a tire could role in it...
then J.R. cooked dinner, because he's awesome like that. And practiced his drumming.
Then we ate, and I cleaned up dinner. Then I read a book on plants, from the master gardeners Manual.
at 7 I got the kids ready for bed. (Only pj's actually)
at 7:30 I left to go to the Gilbert temple, and was there from 8-11:30pm doing high end dusting in the sealing rooms. and yes that is right those weird  grease stains that were on the ceiling are no longer their because of me... :) Plus we got to go through the brides room, and I went down and stood on the floor level with the oxen statues. It was awesome! The best part was all the friendly people and that I recognized so many people from different wards in the stake that I had worked with in different callings, and things over the last few years, plus I saw Debbie and Dale, Adam's parents there, and it was really enjoyable working around such lovely people.
now at 12:30pm I'm going to bed :)
signing out...

p.s. yes this was random, but I thought the day should be documented, because last night I prayed for Heavenly Father to help me be motivated. I say he answered that prayer :)

Examples of Righteousness

I am sitting here listening to Barbara play with the little spanish speaking girl from next door, her name is Melanie. It's fun to here her talk because she learned english over the past year and has an adorable accent. Something they did made her really excited and she started saying "oh my GOD!" over and over again. While I'm sitting here wondering how and if I should/needed to tell her we don't use that word. I here Barbara say "you can't use that word in our house. You can say gosh." That was that I am very impressed with Barbaras simple ability to repeat rules that we have taught her for our home, and to be able to tell them to others with no fear behind her words.

They continued playing with no other use of that word and had a wonderful time doing so. It's her older sister, Alex's birthday tomorrow and she will be 11 years old. That is crazy because when I moved in she was just a little girl and now she's almost a teenager! Wow kids sure change a lot. When Babs heard it was Alex's B-day she quickly went to work making her a present and a card. I love Barbara so much. She is such a sweety and I'm always impressed with her ability to just openly love people. It is adorable.

My Response to a Request For a Faith Building Story

GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS

By Esther McLaws

Written 12/20/2012 

When I was 17 years old I had an experience that increased my faith. Two weeks before this experience happened my Young Women leader gave a lesson on prayer. Part of her lesson was on how to pray and that when we are praying we should ask for very specific things. She told a story about someone who feel down while running and asked for the right person to come along and it just happened to be the perfect person who could help her. (That is sadly all the details I can remember from her lesson) But, it was a huge part of my faith building experience, and I was able to practice it and see it work.

I stayed out late with J.R. one night and drove him home. We then sat and talked probably until about 1am or something. I was sleepy and starting to fall asleep. So as an unwise teenager I got in the car turned on the heater and started the 20 minute drive home from Eagle Mountain to Lehi. About half way home I drifted off and ran into a pole on the side of the road, being sleepy I didn’t realize it until after I started to drive again and then realized I had a flat tire and I was in big trouble. It was dark; it was still a ten to fifteen minuet drive to my house, my parents were asleep, and I had their only vehicle. Remembering my young women’s lesson I said a quick prayer that if someone were to stop to help me it would be the right person. I looked for the car jack, I got out the spare tire. About five cars passed me. Finally a man stopped. I wasn’t scared, just grateful that someone was willing to help me out. 

It was the perfect person. He has no idea how much he helped me out that night and how his kindness has and will always affect my testimony. Someday I hope God will bless him for it. It was an older guy probably in his forty’s he was clearly not a practicing Mormon, but I wasn’t scared of him. He helped me look for the jack which we couldn’t find (later I found out it was kept in the hood of the car, of all places.) He told me my spare tire was flat. He drove me all the way into Lehi to a gas station with air (the one by the freeway) It was about a 20-30 min drive. He told me my dad’s SUV was a 4 wheel drive and that I had broken off the 4 wheel drive part that was on the wheel. He told me he was a mechanic and that he had the spare part. If I came by his shop he would give it to me. He is one of the nicest man I have met in my life. He told me that where he was from it was illegal to not stop and help someone who had broken down (I doubt that is the law anywhere anymore). 

A week or so passed and my dad searched everywhere for the part that broke off his truck. I think he found it but they wanted $500-$1000 or something like that for the part. We went to the guys shop in Provo and he gave it to my dad for free. 

I can honestly testify that God answers prayers, this is only one experience in my life that has proven to me there is a God who loves and watches over us. I know he could have just let me suffer through all that on my own and let me learn a very hard and scary lesson. Instead he chose to have compassion on me and build my faith. I am grateful every day for my life, for my God, and for this kind man who without knowing it answered a prayer, and built my faith.

My kids Rock!!!

I love my children! they are the sweetest little kids in the whole world. Yes, they're still normal kids, they wine, fight, cry, ext.... But they're still super awesome!
For instance they have been sick with little colds and things so John was up last night needing a breathing treatment. Because when he get's a bad cold it usually goes into his lungs. Well I was sleeping in with John. Barbara came in and said "I brought you breakfast in bed mommy" Then she put a bowl of cereal with milk in it on my night stand. It was the sweetest thing ever. She said "so you don't have to get up to eat breakfast."

Here's another example. Yesterday John was feeling pretty sick so he followed me around all day and just wanted to be with me. I had decided it is time to finally get the house cleaned up and was trying to catch up on all my neglected chores. So even though John was coughing and feeling gross everywhere I went he just wanted to help me. With everything. I kept trying to get him to sit down but he insisted on helping me. I finally settled on doing the laundry and he helped put all the shirts on hangers. You really can't stop that kid. He can be wheezing and he still wants to run around, and if you tell him he can't help when he wants to because he's sick, he doesn't budge, he just insists he needs to help.

"Sister Misses you!"

on Friday the 7th of December 2012 Babs and I were having our nightly talk, which we usually do right before bed and Babs mentioned her sister. I told her she doesn't have a sister and then she got sad and made a pouty face. I told her it was ok because she has a brother. She told me I should have a baby then I think I joked around saying, "oh yea, she's probably up in heaven saying "Mommy, Mommy hold me" that didn't cheer her up, so I asked her if we were going to have a girl baby what would you name her? I was thinking this would distract her a little. She took a minuet to answer and then she said "Present, Pink Present" I said, oh if it's a boy would it be "Blue Present" she told me no we should name him "Blue Rocket Ship". It was a really sweet conversation and I thought I ended it good and I told her good night and gave her a book to look at while she fell asleep.

I went in and told J.R. Babs's awesome baby names. He was especially excited about blue rocket ship and we joked about how he would be the coolest kid at school, and how he would never get called back for a job interview. Then I went and sat down in the back room. I relaxed and the I heard crying! So I went into Babs's room and she was sobbing. She had huge crocodile tears, and was crying so hard she couldn't talk. So I crawled in bed with her and asked her what was wrong. She said "hold me mommy!" between broken sobs. I told her I am holding her then I tried to ask her again what was wrong. All while trying to sooth her and calm her down. She said "I did tell you" and I said I don't understand, tell me again. Then she said "Sister, hold me mommy!" I don't remember exactly what I said but It's ok. Then Babs said "SISTER, SHE MISSES YOU!!!" I tried comforting her telling her she has lot's of other people with her in heaven and that she's doing ok, and she said "no, she's bored and she misses you!" I really didn't know what else to say so I just held her as her sobs eventually calmed down and she fell asleep.

It was so sweet and innocent. I already wanted to have another baby, but now I REALLY want to have another baby. I know the timing is horrible, and the money isn't where it should be, and really I want to finish my bachelors before I have another baby, but it broke my heart that Babs doesn't have a sister, and that she got so sad about it. I really want her to. I love my sisters, and I couldn't imagine a world without a sister in it. I just hope someday she'll have her adorable little sister to dress up like a doll, take her shopping, go to the movies with, go camping with, or hiking, or play catch at the park with. Someone to call and talk to when things aren't perfect. I miss and love my sisters, and I really hope someday Babs can have a sister.

Halloween 2012

J.R. was in charge of organizing our trunk or treat this year. It was  a huge success with lots of people that showed up. The primary was asked to do a spooky booth so we did warm spaghetti squash for brains, peeled grapes for eyeballs, stewed tomatoes for the heart, and little hotdogs for fingers. It was funny to watch peoples reactions to feeling the food.

 

My favorite line from the evening was from John, at home while going through candy he said..."Sharing is caring, but I want to share from Barbara's candy and not from my bucket. That's the best plan of the night."

Naomi, Jamie, Jason brought Kenza (these are our neighbors.) Babs and I went trunk or treating with them and then walked around the neighborhood with them. It was a lot of fun. I like watching Babs run from house to house, it get's some of her energy out, and it let me see how excited she was as she ran from house to house in front of everyone.       

 Some fun photos of war members. Tina coons, is working with me in activity days, The Lori and mike Joslin are the  curious George family. Lori babysits John and Babs while I go to school. Evan and Sarina are awesome, and they were the only ones who would pose for me, and then the Bennet missionaries are awesome. 

 Kenza and Babs booth got spooky teeth at a house and had fun growling at people, only Babs's teeth feel broke so she couldn't really wear them.

 Barbara is rainbow dash from my little pony and she's showing off her cutie mark here.

 This is them enjoying their spoils. They had a good night, and now it's time to go put them to bed.
Halloween is fun. :)

Friendship

A friend who was in the ward about a year and a half ago, Janae Robins (not sure if I spelled that right) called me up randomly this last week and told me she was about to have a baby and that she needed a sitter to come watch her kiddos while she was in the hospital. I was very excited to hear from her as they just randomly moved with out saying goodbye, and because I really liked hanging out with them. Babs and Peter were about the same age and got along really well, John was younger, and him and Hailey just stared at each other. :) We had fun together, we went to museums, swimming, swapped babysitting, and hung out and talked. 

Anyway I just got back from there and they just had their forth child a baby boy. They left about midnight and her husband came back about 3:30. (Quick labor) I was so flattered they called me. I'm glad I could be there to help out in a time of need, and that they considered me as someone they could call. I really love being able to serve people in this capacity, and I know how stressful it can be to be without close family.

On that note I also want to point out that I am sooo very lucky to live close to J.R's side of our family. They have helped me out so many times in so many different ways and my Mom(in-law) is the most amazing wonderful person, and my sister's(in-laws) are awesome. I feel so blessed to have family around me I can trust, and who are nice and friendly and wonderful.

I also wanted to tell you about Rachel, we met in my first ward down here. I was her visiting teacher (behold the power of visiting teaching. ;) We have been able to develop a good strong friendship in which we help each other out the best way we can in stressful moments of our lives. She planned baby showers for both my babies, she cleaned my house right before John was born, and our little girls which were born just a few months apart just adore each other.. :) I have visited her many times and helped clean her house and hang out and chitchat. I really enjoy our friendship.

I got to help her out and be at the birth of her third child. It was amazing! She is a strong women. I was called in to be Sophia's helper and we got to watch her birth her baby in a birth tub. It was sooo amazing. I gotta say watching new life enter this world is one of the most miraculous things I have ever witnessed. This is what I wrote about it:

  

 I was present while a friend of mine birthed her baby. All I can say is wow! I know I've done it but watching it happen, is so different then doing it. It gave me an amazing new perspective! My heart was so full of joy when after hours of intense contraction she joyfully put her baby to her and lovingly cried "my baby!" I'll never forget how beautiful and how precious bringing new life into the world is!

I feel so blessed to have been able to serve my sisters in these capacities. I have a good life! :)