Prayers Answered

I have been remiss on updating our family blog, and I am working on improving as we have a lot of exciting events taking place!

 There are so many events taking place, I cannot be more than overjoyed with this news. Rex and I have been praying, asking advice, researching looking for something else in our lives to support our family. We had considered many ventures, but nothing seemed to fit or work with our needs.
  My dad moved from Palm Springs last year, and in that time it seems as though everything started to fall into place. In the last month there are four opportunities that came to fruition, and rather quickly.

#1 -- My dad and I started a business called Our Family Estates - Estate Liquidators . We have been marketing, investing and promoting this business in which we organize, price and conduct sales for full state properties in need of liquidation. We booked our first sale today and it will take place the first week of August.


#2-- Rex felt very impressed to take on a second job, part time, to help uplift our family financially. He got an early morning stocking job at Lowes, and starts next week.

#3- I shy away from at home business and pyramid style sales companies, which seem like a HUGE deal right now. However, I felt very impressed to take on the duty of selling as a representative of Sass n Frass boutique. I just started this week, and we will see where it takes me, but there itesm are adorable and seem to offer EVERYTHING. Check it out!

#4- This is the most exciting! My dad called me while he was on business in California and told me to call on a property that was for rent on Main street. He said he got a great idea for a store front, and we needed to act fast. I called the number, talked with the owner and my dad and met with her two days later. Come to find out, she is related to us, is really endearing, sweet and ready to rent. We did not have the money right away to hold the property, but she gave it to us anyway, with promise to pay the first week of August. We will be opening a store called Leftover Discount Store . We will be selling clearance antique and collectable items that we have leftover from estate sales, auction items as well as items my dad has leftover from his sales conducted in California.


All of these events took place within this week.  Can you say answer to prayers and hard work???

So, life will be extremely busy, and crazy, but it will be amazing!!

Today, Today

Today was an up and down day. Good, bad, and in between. We have started a new schedule at home because, well , we didn't have much of one for a while. With my schooling, remodeling , and vacation, our schedule has flown out the window. So, Monday we were all up at 7pm and have been doing so every morning this week. It is an adjustment but it is great for us.

There's an App for That

Wow, I am behind the times. I honestly have been lazy about blogging because it is a pain to get pictures off my phone to my computer in order to blog. It hit me yesterday ......I bet there is a Blogger app. Guess what? There is. So, I guess I have no excuse now!

Stuff, Stuff, Stuffy, Stuff

I am horrible about updating! I will work on that.
 A lot has been going on. Homeschooling the boys ( we are now on a year round schedule), planting the garden, visiting family, big family changes, Rex working, helping Andrea on her Senior project.. and much much more!

  So, my dad came for my graduation and my grandmother's memorial celebration. It was fantastic! Some dear friends of ours are moving to Idaho Falls, but in turn, my dad is buying their house and moving just a few blocks away from us! I am so excited!! The kidos are beyond thrilled.

   Andrea's senior project is in full swing. I am excited for her.

http://carepacks2014.wordpress.com/  here is her website! Check it out.

She is doing a great job and has United Way helping her with the project as well.

Kido Updates:

Trenton: Reading like crazy, helpful, preteen emotions coming out, starting Algebra, super awesome kid!

Joe-Diligent, hard working and has a true servants heart. He has started learning to cook and loves it! Multiplying, reading, writing, drawing... this kid is unstoppable.

Benji- Cute, funny, goofy, friendly, and fun! He is starting to read pretty well, loves to draw and write. He is telling time, loves math and is a fun kid!

Evelyn- BUSY! She is BUSY, all the time! Strong willed, determined and fierce! She wont say mama or dada, but will call for her dog, clear as day, "Delilah" What a silly girl!

I hope I can keep up on everything and update more often.

Lots Going On!

We have had so much going on !

So, a few weeks back, Miss Andrea went to the PROM! She was so stinkin cute.

I love this girl to pieces.

 

 

 

Easter was a fun day. Nothing too extravagant, but we did get a fun family picture and it worked out to be the day after prom, so Andrea got to wear her dress to church. It was so cute.

 

 

The washer and dryer have arrived and we have done tone of laundry since. I LOVE my Whirpool set. New appliances are amazing.

 

Rex has been in Idaho Falls all week for work, and I have learned some things since then. I appreciate all the things that he does for all of us. He runs silly errands, goes to the store, fixes things, talks to appliance people, installs things, calms quibbles among siblings , picks up, cleans up, and keeps everything running a lot more than I thought he did ( just being honest) . I am very grateful for this wonderful man. He really is my world.

 

Evelyn had her 1 year check up today. A little later than expected, but we got it done. She is a tiny miss who is fierce and independent. She is tipping the scales at 18.9 pounds and 28 inches long. She is doing great.  

The Upside

Yesterday was tough. It was one of those days when you should just go back to bed and start over tomorrow. I talked to the boys though, and we decided that we were going to have an Attitude of Gratitude! Even though we lost one of our dogs and our fence broke, we practiced faith that we would find our dog. We worked together to fix the fence and the boys learned a new skill. And while the washing machine AND dryer broke both on the same day, we decided to be grateful that we had just finished all the laundry in the house, and that we were able to purchase a new set for our family.
 Sure enough, the ONE friend I told our dog was missing, showed up on her front porch this morning, of all places. I was able to find a killer deal on a washer dryer set and it will be here next week. While, things were tough, it really was a great day. Trenton also received his Arrow of Light last night. The highest honor in Cub Scouts. Joe also received his Blue and Gold badge, Field Trip Badge and his Conservation Awareness badge. These boys love scouting! We are proud parents .

Pictures of my new washer set and Trenton and Joe.

We can't forget Mr. Benji!

Back in the Saddle

I have neglected my blog for a while. I am not sure why, but I have not had the desire by any means to write. I think it is time to do so again.
 The past few month have been any thing but easy. There have been a lot of heartaches, frustrations, tribulation and acts that I never thought would happen in my life. We have endured though. We have made it through.
 There have been some fun times though too! The biggest event is Miss Evelyn turning 1 !!

 

It was a fun day!

September 17th, 2013

This past week has made me realize that I can do a heck of a lot! It has been a hard week, and this week is not much easier, but my mind set is a lot different. I just keep on chuggin' along and do the best I can. I have learned to let certain things go and accept that not everything can or will be perfect all the time.

In other news, my wonderful husband celebrated 1 year at Fisher's Documents, and on said anniversary, he was named Team Member of the Month as well. His boss said a lot of uplifting, and great things about him. It was announced at a special meeting this morning, and included every member of the Fisher's Team. I have to say, I am a lucky lady to have such a hard working, smart, and fast learning husband. He came into this job with no prior experience, and has skyrocketed in this position. His boss mentioned that while setting up copiers for CSI, Rex was working like he had 40+ years experience. The whole company is impressed with his skill, and so am I.

The week continues with canning apple pie filling, apple juice, pears, pear pie filling, applesauce, apple butter, school work, scripture mastery, reading, housework, and so on. While I am learning a lot form this time, I am keeping in mind of a quote I like. Stop the Glorification of Busy. I am looking forward to the time of not busy!

August 12, 2013

I have really been trying to work on myself lately. I have been trying to simplify life, cut out the bad, put in more good. I apologize if I have come across judgmental, or better than everyone, I have not had that intent by any means.

It seems the harder I work on myself, the more that gets thrown at me. I work on pride, and more experiences I have putting myself in situations where I get knocked down a few pegs. I suppose it is like praying for patience.

It has been rewarding in some aspects though. Things are going very well with the boys and homeschooling, and I got a new calling in church, 2nd counselor in the Primary presidency, and spiritual guidance and revelation has been easier.

Come what may, and love it.

August 10th, 2013

 

This sums up my day yesterday. Everything I had planned to do, fell apart. It all still turned out to be a good day. All I can say is, I will happily enjoy the years leading up to my kids being teenagers, and enjoy them while they are happy in their lives and not disgruntled with every thing.

 

 

July 28th, 2013

 

Today, well, was not as I planned. I was all ready for church, even after Evelyn decided to be wide awake at 2am, and determined to get everyone there and have a wonderful Sabbath day. 7am hit and so did the migraine. I tell ya, there are sometimes my body really upsets me. I am trying to get myself on track with eating and exercising, yet I still have all these problems. I really hope I get to feeling better soon. I am taking magnesium, multi vitamins, juicing, and eating really well, for the most part Rex and I have been walking almost every night ( about 3 miles) and yet I still feel awful. Bleh.

 

In other news, I am seeing the benefits of not having social media. There are some days I really miss it, and a lot of people I want the constant communication with, but it is better in the long run to have it out of my life. Facebook honestly almost felt toxic to me. I don't want to come across judgmental, or better than anybody, but it seems to be a place for boasting, negativity, button pushing, and getting attention for every life event. At least that is how I feel about it, and know why I don't need it in my life anymore. I just wish I could have more contact. It is making me break out of my shell through. I have made a lot more phone calls and written letters to family and friends.

 

Past that, things are going well.

July 25th, 2013

So, things seem to be moving along as usual. Nothing too fantastic happening. Rex just got back from a short business trip to Idaho Falls. He took some beautiful pictures of the temple and the falls. He even had some time last night to go to the visitor's center. I am glad he got to have that time.

We are almost all set and ready to start school. Organize and prepare!! It is fun. Ben is very excited to start his official Kindergarten work. It should be a great year in the school of mama!

I am heading to the doctor again soon. I am just not finding the umph that I once had. Evelyn is sleeping through the night, I have been eating healthy and exercising, and doing all the things I should be doing, but I still have no energy. I get completely exhausted and have had a hard time even functioning on some days. My iron is somewhat low, but not in the anemic zone. They next thing they are looking at is my thyroid. We will see how it goes.

The garden is growing like crazy. I don't have as much time as I would like to put towards it, but it is surviving and I will have plenty to can and eat! My apple and pear trees are packed full too.

Until another day!

July 22nd, 2013

Life seems to be getting a bit more normal. I got put on antibiotics and they seem to be working. My energy is slowly returning.

 I am organizing and planning more for the boys' school year to start in 2 weeks. It is going to be fun. I think this year will be even easier, as I know what to expect and I am not so worried and stressed about every little detail.

Rex has been working a lot and having some long hours, but it is all worth it! He is such a great husband and father.

Andrea and I are going to try to start going to the Temple every Wednesday ... early... but she wants to start going to do baptisms, and I have plenty of names for her!

Trenton is being such a good little boy! I should say boy, growing into young man. He offered to give a talk in Primary, he is starting to a lot of things without being asked, he gets mad if I open my own car door without letting him open it for me. He is just turning into a really great person.

Joe has been making some really great choice too! He made his bed Sunday morning with out being asked, helped Ben get breakfast, and is constantly helping with Evelyn. He is getting more and more confident in his reading and writing, and is excited to start is school work. He and Rex went on a daddy son outing, and it was just what Joe needed. He is such a silly kid.

Benji is such a goofy and funny boy! He is always making us laugh and smile. He is being a bit mischievous and we are working on responsibility and taking care of our things. He likes to make messes and test out how things work, which can get him into trouble, but he is trying. He is writing a lot and is excited to start his Kindergarten work coming up for school.

Miss Evelyn is just wonderful. She is teething full force,  but is still a great baby. She is sleeping great and is so quiet an mild mannered. She is rolling over and cooing and babbling so much! We are blessed to have her in our lives.

We have a super busy week ahead of us, but it will be fun!!

July 1st, 2013

Ahhh. I finally feel like I am getting back to "normal" after having Evelyn. I got so much done today. A super bonus to the day, my pre pregnancy jeans fit me again!! Woo hoo!! I got a lot of laundry done, got the hallway carpet ripped out, got the carpet tacks taken out, dishes done, dinner made, shopping trip made, garden watered, boys' school work done, and reading done. Oh, and I got a nap in there too! Always a good day if you can sneak a nap in.

So yesterday was amazing! I went through a period of almost feeling a disconnect spiritually. After getting some assistance and a lot of praying, I felt spiritually back to normal as well. I was able to attend the fireside for the youth who were on Trek. It was fantastic. The youth in our stake have such strong testimonies. One of the young women from our ward went up and gave her testimony, and through tears and sobs remarked that when she felt like she could not pull her hand cart any longer and wanted to give up, she saw me, and an encouraging smile and a helpful hand got her to the top. I was so touched. I felt so spiritually fed after yesterday.

A great Sunday led into a great start to our week as well. We all got up early, got our scripture study and chores done, and had fun through our day. I like the good days. I hope they continue!


                                   

June 27th, 2013

Today is a better day. I am thankful for that. I am actually really happy and grateful. Rex got his home teaching done last night, and I have already gotten my visiting teaching done for the month, which is always a good feeling.

Life is just great right now, despite the trying days. I have a lot planned, and a lot of things I want to do. It feels nice to be productive.

Helping on trek was really a great experience for me. It has uplifted me so much, and put things back into perspective. I am excited to see Andrea tomorrow! I hope she had a good time.

Lots to do! I will try to post pictures tomorrow. Evelyn is getting SO big!

June 26th, 2013

  It was one of THOSE days. A test of patience and control were full force. I think I handled it rather well considering.
  I don't want to dwell on the negative, but needless to say, I had 2 out of the 3 boys who were very cranky and disobedient for a majority of the day. To top it all off, Trenton's bike was stolen from our yard. It is really sad. The bike was very special, as he had won it for selling the most raffle tickets when he was in Kindergarten.
 All I can say, is tomorrow is another day. I hope it is better.

June 24th, 2013

A long tiring day. Evelyn is not sleeping at all, and has decided to start teething early. I am guessing we will see little teeth in about a month.

Andrea is going on Trek tomorrow, and  getting ready for it all has been...an adventure. I get to go participate tomorrow for part of Trek. It should be fun, if I am not drop dead exhausted!

We had the missionaries over for dinner and FHE tonight. It was a lot of fun. The boys like to show off and get all crazy when we have missionaries over. They are such crazy kids!

June 23rd, 2013

Today was a bit if an odd day. After a night of being awake from 2am until 7am, Rex took all 4 kidos to church so I could sleep. Miss E. thought it was a good night to stay awake as much as possible. I was exhausted, I still am.
 I am getting ready to start a wonderful 3 month duration of checking in every Monday, starting July 1st, for jury duty. Bleck. Oh well, we will see what happens.
 Past the jury duty, I am looking forward to summer festivities. The boys and I are going to start monthly, weekly, and daily goal planning. I have a lot on my list already, but planning things out over a period of time will help it all not seem so overwhelming.


Yesterday I planted the rest of our garden. I just love it, despite all the weeds. I had sunflowers come up from seed from last year, along with summer squash. I have over 30 mammoth sunflowers growing through out my garden.. My first instinct was to pull the majority of them. After pulling a few, I stopped. I remembered that my neighbor loves sunflowers. She told me once that if she had a garden, it would be completely filled with sunflowers. So, I decided to keep the sunflowers for her. She can see them from her back yard, and if it is a little something I can do to make someone's day a little brighter, then why pull them up?

Life is feeling normal again after adding Miss E to our lives, and purpose and meaning are regaining presence in day to day events. I am happy with the choices are family is making and look forward to where we are going.

A New Leaf

I took a big step today, or at least what would seem in our society these days, as a big step. I deleted my Facebook. Life to me, seems to go too quickly, so why spend time on something that does not offer much in return? Yes, I get to keep up with old friends, share my life and keep up with social goings on, but it all just seemed a waste. I hope to write on my blog daily, and keep up with my personal records here, as I can print off my blog entries into books and keep them as journals and records of our life.
 I have been doing a lot of family history work lately, and I mean A LOT. I have over 350 names to take to the temple for work to be done. A lot of them are sealings, but there are still quite a few that need all of their temple work to be done. It is a great feeling, and very enjoyable. I can spend hours researching and tracing back lines and lines of genealogy.
 So, a new chapter of life begins, without a big part of social networking, and back to the days of phone calls, and letter writing. I bought a book of stamps and a package of envelopes. If you would like to have a pen pal, send me your address!! I love getting mail and I think it would be fun to write with friends and share
  ADIOS social media. Hello life.

Picture Update!

Our garden spot is ready to plant! And the boys have our seedlings started in our side yard.

 I am a lucky mama to have this little lady to stare out while taking my finals!

 

 Benji is head over heels for this girl!

I love his eye lashes.

 

 

 This is my fun and tasty card that Andrea made me for Mother's Day. It was too cute.

 Benji and Evelyn holding hands.

 

This is what I came home to after church. Decorations and a wonderful sign. " Happy Mothers Day To An Epic Mom" I laughed so hard!