Happy List

 

I'M HAPPY that I got to go to P's very first Christmas program at school. He looked so cute up there singing. The gym was jam-packed full of parents. I could tell he was looking for me and my parents but he never could find us in the sea of faces.

I'M HAPPY that I got to see him in his class afterwards. I wanted him to know that I was there supporting him. :-)  His face showed me how happy he was. Love that boy!

I'M even more HAPPY that the Kindergarteners got to go first on the program. I totally skipped out on the rest.

I'M HAPPY to have a warm home to live in. The temperatures have been frigid that last few days. I am grateful to have a place to be and that I'm able to keep my family safe and warm.

I'M HAPPY to have wonderful friends. I don't even get to see many of them in person. I am grateful for Facebook and blogs. It has helped me keep my connections with friends. It really has been a blessing.

Now switching notes

I'M HAPPY to know that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me.

Some really bad stuff happens in this world but he loves us regardless. A friend of mine and his family have gone through so much heartache and trials this past year. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that God still loves him and his family. Despite the trials that we may have, I know that we are not alone. I am grateful and comforted by the knowledge. I am grateful for my religion that has brought me so much peace and reassurance.

Do You Ever Look Back?

Image from Google Images

Do you ever look back on your life and wish you would have done things differently? I look back at my years in high school and college and want to smack myself upside the head. I was such a lazy bum and just did what I needed to to get by.

I look back and think of all the things I could have done. I could have tried harder in school and pulled off straight A's. I could have taken advanced classes and got myself farther ahead for when I started college. I could have participated more in activities. Sometimes I just want to kick myself but then I realize that that is the only thing I can do. Kick myself. OUCH!

What is the point of kicking ourselves? What's done is done. Whether we may like it or not. We can't go back and change it. All we can do is learn from it and not make that mistake again. So what have I learned? If I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it wholeheartedly! No more of this half stuff. I don't want to be kicking myself later. Now .... if I can only live by what I just said. It is so easy to pick on yourself and beat yourself up. I'm going to make a goal to be nicer to myself and love myself.

Don't worry, I won't get carried away like Stuart Smalley! ;-)

Friday Confessional

I CONFESS that I've taken way too long of a hiatus from my confession time.

I CONFESS that I have been struggling with the blog lately. It used to be just about family stuff and I'm trying to move more into "mainstream" blogging.

I CONFESS, I don't know how to do that. I'm not a great writer like Evelyn or Grumpy Grateful Mom. I don't have a gift for the written word like them. I'm still trying to find my niche.

I CONFESS that I am about ready to sell my children - more specifically my two-year-old. Not really but you know what I mean. The kid has been going through the Terrible Two's and beyond. It is getting really out of hand and I'm reaching my limit. I even took him to a doctor about it. It think there is more to it than "Terrible Two's."

I CONFESS that people wouldn't listen to me or would just put me down. "Oh, he's fine. Suck it up." No, he's not fine. I took him to the doctor the other day and persisted in my pursuit of making this kid a happier kid. Finally, someone listened to me. We are getting him evaluated for speech therapy. People told me we couldn't start until he was 3. I don't want to wait that long! This kid is angry and I need to help him now. Anyway, we are finally moving forward. I sure hope it helps.

I CONFESS that I probably say too much on Facebook. I make general statements and sometimes people think I am talking about them. I certainly don't intend to hurt anyone. Sometimes I just need to vent and get it out of my system. Facebook seems to be the place for me to do that.

I CONFESS that I finished all 8 seasons of 24 last night. I CONFESS that I want to cry uncontrollably. Can't Jack just be happy?! Come on, people! Give the guy a better ending than that! Sheesh. Can I just say that I love Jack Bauer?!  I'd be his Teri/Audrey/Renee any day!

*Swoon!!!*  ;-)

What do you have to confess today? Click on the confession button above and join in! Tell Mamarazzi I sent ya!

Curse of the Pink Eye

Our home was bombarded by germs the past week. Those weasely little buggers climbed right in and took over. As Stephanie Tanner would say, HOW RUDE!

 

Anyway, the germs crept up on J first. He got a nasty cold and lost his voice. I haven't heard him squeak like that is ages! It was kind of funny .... for a minute.

Then the germs found their way into P's eyes. Of course, the pink eye manifested on a school morning. See, P is in kindergarten. He goes all day on Tuesday and Thursday and every other Monday. Don't ask me why. I think it is stupid. Just send the kid everyday for half a day! Sheesh.  Okay, sorry for that tangent, let me get back to my story. This was our very first experience with pink eye and I wasn't sure if it was or not. I took a picture on my cell phone and texted it to my buddy, Evelyn. Dr. Evelyn is quite knowledgeable on the pink eye curse due to the fact that she has four kids, two of which go to public school. Dr. Evelyn concurred with my finding and suggest immediate care.

I kept the boy home from school .... he was not pleased, to say the least. We got into the doctors and got the eye drops. I totally expected it to be a major fight to get the drops into his eyes. Amazingly enough, he hasn't fought at all. He has done quite well. It also helps that I told him he wouldn't be able to go back to school until he let me do drops for several days. Worked like a charm. :-)

The pink eye seemed to get better really fast. J's voice was back and we thought we were in the clear. Boy, was I wrong. The germs were not so happy about getting evicted from our home. They burst in with full force and managed to infect both of J's eyes and are starting to attack the baby boy, E. No pink eye for the little one ... yet. I'm not going to hold my breath. For now, he is beginning the cough. He even refused to eat lunch. Yeah, something is definitely wrong. Poor bub. The ointment medicine the doc prescribed the hubby doesn't seem to be working ... at least not as fast. He is one miserable guy. Ugh, let's hope we can evicted these little buggers soon. By the way, you may want to stay away from the Lind residence for a while.

Happy List

I'M HAPPY that we made it through an entire hour sacrament meeting without having to take E out! It was fabulous! :-)   I wonder what is wrong with him ....

I'M HAPPY that I was able to attend a Celebration of Life (funeral) for a family friend. It was nice to laugh and share good memories. He suffered a long battle with a rare form of cancer. I am HAPPY that he isn't suffering anymore.

I'M HAPPY that I have such a sweet family. My boys are so stinkin' cute that sometimes I can't even breath. Well, not really but you know what I mean. Sometimes just the thought of how much I love my family can take my breath away.

I'M HAPPY that I got to go on a date with J on Friday. We were going to go on a bike ride but our tires were flat. :-(  LAME!  We decided to go to dinner instead. We also did a little thrift shopping and found me a couple of nice blouses for church. I was getting tired of the same two shirts.

I'M HAPPY to have had a weekend with my family without having to work. It was nice.

I hope you all have an amazing weekend. Love you all!

We Want To Know Wednesday

Welcome to We Want To Know Wednesday!

Hosted by Mamarazzi and Queso

{1} Who would you call if you had to get bailed out of jail?
Hmmm ... you'd think that I'd call my hubby but I think I'd be too embarrassed! I'd probably call my mom. She's my best buddy and she'd help me. Although, she might be my partner-in-crime, so then I'd have to call J!!

{2} If you were a superhero what would your hero name be?
Oh man, that is a good question. I wanna be like Peter Petrelli on Hero's. He had the ability to absorb other people's powers and use them all. I guess I could be Osmosis Girl or Absorption Jane or something!

{3} What do you think is one of your best qualities?
Hmmm .... I think my compassion for others is a good quality. I care for others and try to help out. I asked J what my best quality was and he said my humor. That is another good one. I try to keep things light and make people laugh. Some days I can, other days I can't.


{4} What song would you pick to be your own personal theme song?
I love Ben Folds song, The Luckiest! It makes me think about my sweet hubby! We just celebrated our 8th anniversary on Monday, July 25th!  I love him so much!!! :-)





I also really love the DHT version of Listen to Your Heart.  It is so true. Don't go with what the world says, listen to your heart!





{5} What celebrity do you think is most over rated?
William Shatner.  Sorry to any Trekkies. I can't stand the guy. He can't act worth beans!! People think he's fabulous and I just don't see it. 
Let's not even get me started on female reality tv stars who throw themselves at men and degrade themselves. Ugh. No thanks. 

Fun At The Beach ... Last Month

Forewarning: Major picture overload

J and I were in charge of J's family reunion. We decided to go to a mountain lake and play. It was such a blast! The best part about this lake is that it has a "slow decline" in elevation. Does that make sense? It is really shallow for a long time and doesn't get deep until several hundred yards out. The kids had so much fun because they could go out far and not worry about it being deep. We set up some shade, some camp chairs, and just hung out and played. And, of course, we had food! Here are some pictures of the kiddos.

E approaching the water for the first time with Aunt Maria. 

A view of the beach.

P having a blast playing with the sand.

Splashing around. They had so much fun!

E wasn't so sure about the sand on his feet at first. He got over it pretty quick.

E playing with the sticks and stuff that washed to the shore.

Some of the fam damily out having some fun.

Great action shot of E throwing sand!

E and his cousin, A, having lunch. His uncle put that sticker on his forehead and he didn't even notice!

Me and E playing in the water and sand.

P loved this little water gun toy. It seriously kept him entertained for hours!

My baby boy is so stinkin' handsome and grown up!! :'-)

Aunt Laura with some of the cousins

Just an idea of how far out we could go in the water. It was only up to their hips!!! Pretty cool if you ask me.

CHEESE!  I can never get this boy to look at the camera long enough for it to snap. He always moves before it actually takes the shot. 

Make a castle .... well, maybe a mud pile!

Three for Thursday

Three favorite items of clothing
1.  Jeans
2.  Fitted t-shirts
3.  Tennis shoes.  Can you tell I'm a comfy gal and don't dress up much?! ;-)

Three things in my house that I wish were self-cleaning
1.  Bathroom!  Oh, I would totally love that!
2.  Kitchen.  I hate to do dishes with a passion. That would be nice.
3.  Kid bums. I'd love not to have to change diapers and or wipe bums!

Three favorite summertime lunches
1.  My mom makes a mean chicken salad that I just LOVE!
2.  She also makes another really yummy chicken salad with grapes and cashews. It is great!
3.  In the late summer, I love to have a tuna fish sandwich with corn on the cob and green beans sauteed with bacon. YUMMERS!

Three things my children say that they picked up from me
1.  Oh crap!  It doesn't bother me much but it bothers my mother-in-law. 
2.  Darn it!  Hey, at least it isn't a different word! :-)
3.  Did you sleep good?  I think I must ask that every morning because P always says that to E. :-)

Three good movie recommendations
1.  If you haven't watched The Lord of The Rings trilogy, YOU MUST! I think they are awesome!
2.  Tangled. Even in a house full of boys, we love it! :-)
3.  The Karate Kid with Jayden Smith. We LOVE it! Now, J and I really love the originals but I really like this one. We watch it A LOT.

Three inexpensive date night ideas
1.  Going to the temple. You can also have dinner in the cafeteria in the temple near me. It is a reasonable price and tastes good.
2.  Go for a scenic drive. J and I used to take lots of drives up into the mountains. We would always try and find a great view of the valley and watch the sunset over the reservoir. We haven't done that much since we had kids.
3.  Take a picnic to a park or even in the backyard and just talk.


Three favorite flowers

Lilacs.  LOVE the smell!

Pansies.
I even had them on our wedding cake!

Petunias.

Three places I'd like to visit
1.  Alaska. It is so pretty (at least from the pictures I've seen) and I have family there.
2.  I'd love to visit New Zealand. It looks gorgeous and J has an old mission companion who lives there. Besides that, The Lord of The Rings was filmed there!
3.  England. J served his mission there and I'd love to see his old stomping grounds.

Three good habits that I practice
1.  We have family prayers with the boys every night. I'm glad that we made that a habit from when P was just a tiny baby. 
2.  I had a bad habit of saying some swear words several years back and managed to stop. It is amazing how it can become a habit. So my good habit is not saying them! However, I am not perfect. One still slips out when I have anything scare me. :-/
3.  I make sure my kids are settle at the table with breakfast and dressed for the day before I hop on Facebook or blogs. Otherwise, they stay in jammies all day! ;-)

Three pictures
I think I'll share 3 of my favorite tv shows. Some have ended. :-(

Go on over to The House of Estrogen to play along!

Three for Thursday

Three of my favorite Pandora.com stations
How bad am I that I haven't listened to Pandora? I usually hear a song that I like on the radio and then put it on my iPod. So, I'll just give you some general styles of music that I like.
1.  I like Linkin Park. I enjoy the stuff they are doing now but I also enjoyed their "harder, screaming" stuff too!
2.  I'll admit that I kind of like the Pop stuff that you hear all the time on the radio. That is all they play at work so that is all I hear!
3.  I really love to listen to Singers/Song Writers like Christina Perri. I love to hear someone singing along to a piano. Sometimes songs just get too techno and I like the acoustic stuff.




Three lessons learned since I have graduated from high school
1.  As long as it took, I've finally realized that it doesn't really matter what people think of me. I dwelt on it a lot and still do at times. I've finally started to be comfortable in my own skin.
2.  Cliques or social groups really don't go beyond high school and I am grateful for that! I've managed to become friends with the then "popular" people from high school. It is nice to be able to put that high school cattiness behind me.
3.  I learned that I really could be a mom. I wanted to be a mom but was terrified to actually become one. I was an only child and wasn't around little children much. I wasn't very comfortable and had a hard time relating to kids. It was amazing how quickly that subsided. I managed to start acting like a blubbering idiot within hours of P being born! Now, I do it to any little one that comes through my check out line at work!



Three people I was remembering on Memorial Day
1. My Maternal Grandfather. He is still living and is a big part in my life. I love that man and I appreciate the wonderful person that he is. He served our country and I am very grateful for that.
2.  I took time to think about and appreciate my other grandparents and great grandparents who have passed. My parents made sure to have them be a big part of my life. For that I am grateful.
3.  I had my husband's grandmother in my mind. She just passed a couple months ago and it was pretty hard on him. They were very close as he grew up. She was a wonderful, sweet lady!



Three favorite YouTube videos
1.  My first is actually a Channel on YouTube. It is the Shaytards. They are a family who lives in my hometown who do daily vlogs. They've done one every day for two years and counting. I think they are fun to watch and I enjoy it.
2.  I really enjoy watching Flash Mobs. I just posted a link to a search query of several flash mob videos. One day, I'd love to be in a flash mob!
3.  I saw THIS video the other day and it made me happy. I'm glad there is still some good sportsmanship around!




Three bad habits
1.  I bite my fingernails.
2.  I'm a picker. I've got to get the boogers out of my kids nose. I've got to get the toe jam out of between their toes. I also have to get the wax out of their ears. I don't know why but I just have to do it!
3.  Laying in bed, when I should be getting up and getting ready, and checking my email or browsing Facebook. I end up laying there for longer that I wanted and then have to rush to get me and the kids ready.



Three foods I will NEVER put in my mouth
(For some reason, I'm having a hard time thinking of things! I don't like a lot of foods but can't think of them!!)
1.  Crickets or any bug for that matter. Blech!
2.  A tomato. I can handle the sauce in moderation. For some reason, I just don't like the taste or the acidity.
3.  Dog or cat. I know it may be a delicacy in some parts of the world but I refuse to eat a pet!



Three things that sounded like a good idea at the time
1.  Doing full-time summer school in college AND hanging out with friends until 1:00 AM every night AND work. I don't how I managed to function but I did. I wouldn't trade it for a second because I loved those friends that I "played" with!
2.  Planting a garden. Now I keep forgetting to water it! I sure hope we have something grow!
3.  The remodeling of our family room a few years ago. We are certainly not rolling in the $dough$ so it took quite a while. We would buy supplies when we had some cash. The remodel project took over a year to complete. I HATE living in a construction zone. The only reason it finally got done was because I insisted that it be complete before E was born. I didn't want tiny baby lungs breathing in construction dust!



Three plans for Father’s Day 2011
1.  Thank my hubby for being such a great daddy and get him a little something.
2.  Thank my daddy and J's dad for being such awesome men. We have been truly blessed.
3.  I'll go to church and probably spend the day with family.



Three things that make me a “mean mom” (aka a GOOD mom)
1.  I don't let my kids treat me like crap. They may end up in timeout a lot but I don't care. They will learn respect. That is definitely lacking in our society anymore.
2.  I don't let my kids watch whatever they want. Sure, we watch too much plenty of TV but I don't let them watch scary/gross/naughty stuff.
3.  I don't let me kids eat a lot of crap. Sure, they get plenty but I make sure they eat their dinner too!
  


Three pictures

E on his first birthday! He loved his cake and was/is so stinkin' cute!

P on his first birthday. Man, he got messy! He's getting yummy Diet Coke!

A pretty flower I saw while hiking in the Grand Tetons last year.

Three For Thursday!

Three favorite words
1.  I tend to use the word DANDY a lot in conversation. I honestly don't know why but it just comes out.
2.  The phrase IT'S ALL GOOD keeps coming to mind. It isn't a word but I use it a lot.
3.  Right now, I call E GOOBIE or GOOBIE GOOBERSON for some reason. I usually say it when I go into his room first thing in the morning.

Three things that won’t be allowed in heaven
1.  Anything that has this disclaimer!  YAY!

2.  Murderers, abusers, pedophiles, etc. Thank heavens!
3.  That Friday Friday song. ICK!!!!


Three crafty things I do
LOL! Me and crafty don't really mix much. I'll share some links of stuff that I have made.
1.  Some Christmas crafts
2.  Seasonal crafts
3.  Creating kids is another "craft" of mine. ;-)

Three things I swore I would NEVER do when I became a parent, but now find myself doing
1.  I always saw these kids throwing huge tantrums in stores and I thought I'd never have a kid do that.  Um yeah. It happens.
2.  On a rare occasion, the boys will get a swat on the butt when nothing else will work. I never wanted to do that but sometimes that is the only thing that will get through to them.
3.  The whole "Why? Because. Why? Because. Why? BECAUSE!" situation.



Three favorite quotes
1. BUILDER OR A WRECKER?

I passed one day through a lonely town and saw men tearing a building down, hoe hev hoe and a husky yell they swung a beam and a side wall fell, I asked the fore man : are these men skilled? The kind you would higher if you had to build? Oh no he chuckled no indeed, common labor is all I need. why, i can destroy in a day or two what builders take weeks to do. I thought to myself as I went on my way which of these roles have I tried to play? Am I a builder who works with care, strengthening lives by rule and square shaping my peers too a well made plan, helping them to do the best they can? Or am I a wrecker who walks around content with the labor of tearing down?

2.  "It is better to be respected than it is to be popular. Popularity ends on yearbook day, but respect lasts forever." 

— John Bytheway

3.  Just keep swimming, just keep swimming  -  Dory from Finding Nemo

 Three names I would never dream of giving my children
1.  Dweezil
2.  Beavis or Butthead
3.  Shaniqua

Three things I plan to do for Memorial Day weekend
1.  Most likely I will have to work on Memorial Day. :-(
2.  Finish planting our garden. It is half way done!
3.  Go visit the graves of loved ones.

Three blogs I love to visit
1.  Hanging By A Silver Lining.  Not just because she is hosting this post but because I love her to bits!
2.  Airing My Dirty Laundry, One Sock At A Time.She makes me laugh on a regular basis and has a great writing style!
3.  *Dandelion Wishes*. She has spunk and I love reading her stuff!

Three things that make my husband/partner the luckiest man alive
1.  Being married to me for one.
2.  He has an amazing family and married into an amazing family too!
3.  He managed to produce some amazingly handsome little men with A LOT of my help!

Three Pictures

You want me to take that kid home with me?! Let's just say P was not pleased when E showed up. It is amazing to see what good friends they are now!

My sweet niece feeding E and her baby sister several months back. It was so cute!

A cute comparison of my boys

P on the left and E on the right

Three Things

I'm linking up with Evelyn at Hanging By A Silver Lining. You should too!

Three home improvement projects:
1.  I really want to finish our box gardens and gravel area in our yard. We've talked about it for years and are finally doing it!
2.  I'd love to clean out E's room. I feel bad because his room is used mostly for food storage and other crap.
3.  I'd love to improve our yard by getting a sprinkler system or get new siding. We have hardboard that needs to be painted  and I'd love to get metal or vinyl siding.


Three favorite songs:
1.  The Lonely - Christina Perri
2.  Glitter In The Air - P!NK
3.  The Muse Album


Three dreadful things I’m really not looking forward to in the near future:

1.  Sending my baby to kindergarten. It really isn't dreadful but it makes me sad he is growing up so fast!

2.  The big 3-0 birthday is just around the corner! :-/

3.  Winters impending doom. Summer goes way too fast here in Idaho.

Three most surprising things about giving birth for the first time:

1.  No one told me about the bleeding after ward. I didn't realize that I'd need to wear a pad for a month after giving birth. I should have realized but had no idea.

2.  A baby can go a long time without pooping. I was a nervous mama at first!

3.  I never thought that I would suffer postpartum depression. That was a major shock when that hit.

Three really totally awesome things I did today that make me a Super Mom/Super Woman:

1.  I actually made dinner! Actually, J helped too. It is a pretty rare occasion for me to actually cook anymore.

2.  I worked from 8 to 4. Then went directly to a meeting to plan Girl Camp. (I am the Assistant Stake Camp Director) Then I cooked dinner and will soon be heading to another Girls Camp meeting. It's been a busy day.

3.  I managed to find time to blog during the middle of it! ;-)

Three things I never leave home without:

1.  My purse and cell phone

2.  My kids

3.  My glasses (I'm blind as a bat!)

Three favorite movies pre-1970:

1.  The Wizard of Oz

2.  The Parent Trap (the original)

3.  Pollyanna

Three best skills:

1.  I'm not too bad at shooting a basketball

2.  I'm awesome at the original Mario Brothers on the NES.

3.  Finding reasons to buy more Diet Dr. Pepper!

Three awkward happenings on the honeymoon:

1.  The whole part of "well, shall I go put on my new lingerie?" was awkward. Then walking out in it was embarrassing for me.

2.  I was stingy and wouldn't pay an extra $20 for a hotel room with a jacuzzi tub. So, we ended up with just a tiny bathtub. Let's just say it wasn't comfy.

3.  The day after our wedding night we had an open house in J's hometown. His brothers and sisters were brutal in teasing us about the wedding night and stuff. :-) I can laugh about it now but at the time I was horrified and embarrassed.

Three pictures:

This is the work we've been doing to our backyard. It is a lot of work but will look awesome when we're done

A pulled back pic. Closer to the grill and rock we are thinking of doing a fire pit

For those who commented about our wall on my vlog. Here is a better view of the painting the J did. I love it! :-)

Happy Thursday everybody!