OK, and we're back...

So yes I've been m.i.a from the blogging world, but when all you are doing in your life is nothing from the normal, it can get very boring. Well, we have been doing a lot of different things but now I can't really recall all of them.
Let's see, I'll look at a calendar to help my memory...February was so long ago...Parent-Teacher conference's went great!!!! So proud of all three of the kiddo's, they work so hard and their grades and attitudes at school show it....I took Beck's to a Best of E.F.Y. seminar, it was so much fun and I learned a lot! hopefully Beck's did too...been trying to work out, but it's been off and on for the last three months. I spent most of it being sick! soooo ready for summer and great weather to be here...Book club...Temple session with my Grandparents and my Parents for one final time at the Ogden temple before they close up for reconstruction...Bought a new car for Stephen. It's so nice! It's a 2006 Saturn Ion 3 with stick shift!!!! I love driving standard transmission vehicles, it's so much fun. His car is super sporty and goes really fast!!! I love it and it'd be very easy to get a speeding ticket, but hope to never find out...St.Patty's day...We had our youth dinner and auction last weekend, it went okay. I think people just can't donate money as much as they used to a year or two ago. We had lots of items that sold, and lots that didn't that went to the D.I. But the young women's portion was a huge amount so that will help with girls camp...New Bunk beds!!!! Stephen and I paid my Dad to make more bunk beds for us! they are so pretty. They are just like the first ones he made for us, but they are taller and have a lighter stain on them. The girls will get these ones due to the height and the boys will get the shorter ones. They slept in their beds last night and they all loved it!!!!...I just sold Stephen's Oldsmobile!!!! So stinking excited to get it out of here, sad that I couldn't get what I wanted out of it- although I probably got more out of it than just taking it to the junkyard!...Starr's birthday is coming up next week, so I be getting that post ready. Hopefully I can work on posting things more often.

Stephen's car...again!

Last Friday Stephen took his turn driving to work. His sister Sue had been driving for several days, as in all week. We picked up the car from the shop the Saturday before and Stephen had to work late a couple days of the week. So, Friday he says he'll drive and does. They get to work, everything is great. When it's time to go home, they get to the freeway. As Stephen is going up the ramp, the transmission makes a huge clunk! noise. He got off the freeway at the next exit, which is 600 N. in Salt Lake. He used Susan's phone to call me and tell me where they were and asked me to come get them...and tow them home.
I've towed a car before, it's not easy but doable. I almost called my Dad but remembered he would've been too tired cuz of his work schedule. I almost called Stephen's Dad, but decided I needed to get there soon so they weren't stranded for more than an hour.
Poor Beck's was sick, but watched the kids anyway. (Big THANK YOU to her.) I drove out to Salt Lake after filling up with gas, don't want to have that kind of problem as well ;). I got there in record speed which I owe all to Heavenly Father for making it a safe drive. I prayed the whole way there.
Once I found them, we got the tow rope out, hooked up the Olds to the Durango and off we went. I forgot how nerve racking it is at first, but was able to do this. (White knuckles and all.) I even put it in 4 wheel drive cuz "someone" didn't know what I was doing for a bit. Either way, we drove slow, on the freeway, to 12th St. We were even passed by a UHP and he didn't bother us at all.
Thankfully this all happened between 8 and 10 p.m. Not a lot of traffic, no problems. We got home, and I had pulled them a little too far ahead of our parking stalls so I had to push my husbands car back a bit so he could get into the stall. His car could probably limp around at a max speed of 20 m.p.h. but, most likely the transmission would fall off the vehicle, hahaha. I'm tellin' ya, the little lime green camaro sittin' on wall ave is lookin' better and better every time I pass it.
I was a hero that day, but not only to my husband and sis-in-law, but to our neighbor. Earlier that evening, I drove him to his truck, jumped it, followed him till it died, jumped it again, then again cuz it wouldn't suck up the charge. I told him to turn off his head lights and we are going to let it charge up for 5 minutes at least. I took off the cables, slammed down the hood of the truck and told him to go for it. He was going to be going downhill so that would get him closer to home. He made it home easy enough, but his little truck died just before the parking stalls- yeesh what is it with parking stalls? I pushed his truck into the parking stall and he was so very, very grateful!! He's a nice guy who knows zilch about vehicles so, not a big deal, just trying to help people out.
I did drop home economics to take auto-mechanics so I kinda can do some things. It's kinda cool being able to do things like jumping cars, changing brakes and oil. I'm pretty sure my Dad felt safer knowing that I knew how to do other things when he wasn't around.
Now, we just need to figure out what kind of car we're going to get that will help Stephen get to S.L. everyday and not putter out on him...bah, I hate buying a newer car. The lime green one is way too much for us. Bah!!!

Stephen's Car

Stephen's car died on Tuesday, February 8th after receiving a new muffler.
Just kidding, it really did die on him and his sister Sue while driving to work Tuesday morning, and Monday he got a new muffler on it, but that wasn't what killed the engine. The culprit was the air conditioner compressor. The same thing that happened to the Durango at the beginning of our Bear Lake trip last summer. Stupid, spit spit, dumb, air conditioner compressor.
I have been dropping him off at his parent's house to hitch a ride with his sister Sue. She's a great person and was willing to drive this entire week to work while Stephen's car has been at the auto shop. It's now Saturday and they still aren't finished with it. The shop closes in an hour and I haven't gotten a call yet to pick it up. UGH!!!! I think its time to look for a more reliable vehicle for my hubby, lets say a 2010 Chevy Camaro that is Lime Green with Thick Black Racing Stripes. Yeah, I saw it on Wall Ave. after he pointed it out. My thoughts were "You won't be able to get away with speeding, running red lights, or failure for stopping at stop signs ever again!"
We'll see, maybe he'll end up with some other granny type vehicle. Ya know, one that will fit all 6 of us instead of 4. Although, as long as it's reliable, I may not care after trying for 2 hours to get his car to run on Tuesday night. It was cold, I stayed in the Durango while Stephen fiddled with the vehicle. Yep, I think any kind of car that is reliable and gets better gas mileage than the current one would be better than what we have.

Kinda torn?

I was just released from my calling as primary chorister. I'm kinda torn about it because I half wanted out and half wanted to stay. I had a really hard time with this calling and I'm not sure if I did it justice. I really did try, but somehow I never felt I was doing any good. I never asked to be released, which means the Lord knew how I was feeling. The calling I was given-because you are never without one it seems-is second counselor in the young women program. I'm so excited yet so afraid. The usual self-doubting questions, am I good enough? spirtual enough? patient enough? Will I screw the girls up some how? I really hope not, yet these girls seem to already have such a testimony it's awesome! Stephen says I'll be great, so does Girl #1. She is absolutely excited to have her mama be in the presidency. She's an amazing girl that one, I love her so much.
I used to be in the young women's presidency once before, in the exact same calling. The beehives I had then are now laurels. Which is insane and I hope they are doing what I've taught them. So far it's only been 5 days and so far, I'm doing okay!

New Kitchen-ish

So we've been working on our kitchen for about four months. Last week, we finally got the new flooring put in. I was so excited. It looks really nice. We went from this...

to this...

Looks so nice!

And the front entryway?................

Looks pretty good I think. I'm so excited, this stuff is finally getting done. Realistically speaking, the new carpet won't be in for about four months. We have to save up again for it. We used to have a savings, but a big $$$$ part went out on the Durango while we were vacationing in Bear Lake in July. We decided to use the savings on it, so the rest of the major stuff is going to have to wait. In the meantime, I'll be hopefully getting the moulding up in the kitchen; wash, fill holes in the wall and then paint the front room and then up the stairs and the rest of the house. When we are done with the painting, we'll then get new carpet. Yes, we should have done this 4 years ago, but, I'm okay with fixing it up to sell it. Then we can fix up a new place and stay there for a long time.

School begins soon

So school will begin very soon for my children. I'm frazzled and torn, not because I don't want them to go to school, it's where they will be going. We unfortunately haven't moved anywhere-or even close to it but that's another post- and my oldest will be going to a jr. high that I do.not.like! I've been pleading with the Lord to let her attend elsewhere but so far, I've not noticed an answer. I would love for all three to attend a charter school close to home, but, no one has called me back and I've been calling almost every.stinkin'.day. I feel trapped. I don't know how else to help my children's education be better other than what we do at home already. At the jr. high G#1 will be attending, it's not so much the education as it's the attitude of the students attending there.

The attitude is...why should we learn English if we don't speak it at home? why should we care about your history if it's not ours? math will take us no where but to the welfare system just like our parents.

Do you see why I want better for my daughter? You do understand don't you? The teachers kind of give up and seem to act as if they don't care because the student's don't. We have had several conversations with our daughter telling her she'll have to work harder than ever so she can do better in school. not that she's had too much trouble with school but that she'll have to involve herself with the teachers to make sure she gets all the knowledge she can in the subjects they teach. She is a hard worker and she can be and is a great student, but I worry if, with the wrong kinds of friends, the attitudes of others, and teachers giving up, she'll get "left behind."

I know it's kind of silly, but my children's education is their key to having a better lifestyle than what they are growing up with. I'm not saying they have it bad now, but if they learn now to budget their money, learn that there is always 2 sides and sometimes a 3rd, have an open mind but know who they are, learn an occupation that will help with their own families (for the girls if needed,) I believe that they will be able to have a great life and not worry about if they'll make the next house payment without using line of credit or having to go into debt to fix a car. We are really trying. They don't go without the necessities.

This didn't end the way I thought it would. I'm just rambling.Sorry.

Break Time 11-18-2009

Every one needs a break. We need a break at work, which you get. We need a break from stress, sickness, laundry, grocery shopping, paying the bills, cooking, exercise, cleaning, and yes, even our children. Now I'm not taking a break today, but I will in the near future. I don't know when, but I will. This morning, I had a semi-break I guess. I haven't been feeling so well, my ears and throat hurt and I had a huge headache. I slept for a good portion of the morning and I felt quite a bit better after the extra sleep and a hot shower. My poor boy #2 though had to sit and watch t.v. while I slept on the couch. Sorry little guy, no fun. I thankful that we are able to take a break from life some times. I call those get-a-ways...from kids, husbands, work, stress, house, shopping (although that can be therapy.) I do enjoy my time away with Stephen, in fact I really like those breaks. I haven't needed a break for a long time, I think its because of my family making life so good. For that I'm thankful for long stretches of time between my breaks.

November 8th

Today, I am thankful that our Primary Program is officially done. I was stressed forever about it, that the kids wouldn't know the songs and I would not be able to lead them. We did, in fact, mess up on one verse of one song, but everything else went pretty good. We are not The Mormon Tabernacle Choir by any means, but these children of God sang very well. I am proud of them. The main topic for the program is that the family is of God. We sang a song with that title, which we had the primary broken up in groups for, and they all did as well as could be expected. (which I expect a lot from them.) I am so proud of how hard the children worked and how well they did. They all knew what to do and did it very well. What can I say? they are truly Children of a wonderful Heavenly Father, who loves them and wants the best for them. I'm so blessed to have been a part of it. I loved it!

Sick Family

I hope you all are having a really great time this summer and are all healthy. As I mentioned in the last blog, we went camping, came home early in the rain and still enjoyed ourselves while there. When we came home girl #2 and boy #2 were fevering. No church for them the next day, which happened to be Father's Day. Stephen, being the wonderful father that he is, stayed home with them. That evening, boy #1 started to fever. Oh boy, will there be a break? No. I took all three of them to the doctor's the next morning and here is the break down (a few days worth) of what happened after the visit:

• Girl #2 has a fever of 100.7, strep test comes back +. Ugh.
• Boy #1 has a fever of 100.7. the nurse checks again 100.7, strep test comes back -, but sending in to be cultured. uuuhhh? He is feeling great by the next day and up to his usual teasing and other mischievousness. Not sick anymore. YAY!!!
• Boy #2 has a fever of 100.8, strep test comes back -, being cultured but has an ear infection, so needs drops. We think that his ear possibly burst at an earlier time and turned disqustingly black inside his ear drum area.

That night Stephen is feeling terrible, fever, headache, tired, fever. He goes is in the next morning to find out the rapid strep test for him is neg. but they're going to treat for strep anyway. It's his fault, he drank from girl #2's soda can. He comes home sleeps all day and night. Next day, he goes back in for an appointment that was all set up for a scouting physical. They do another type of test. INFLUENZA. right up the nostrils to make him cry. The strep culture from the day before and this new test come back +. Double UGH. The doctor request my visit. I'm healthy as can be, with the exception of asthma, so the doctor puts me on an anti-viral for flu. I don't like that little pill. By the afternoon we find out boy #2 also has strep throat and put him on an antibiotic.

Okay, so I have half my family sick, the other half bored out-of-their-minds-because-no-one-is-going-anywhere-to-infect-other-people-because-mom-said-so. Including me at this point. We go into the rest of the week with Stephen finally getting better by Friday evening, the other two are feeling okay, but still no one is going anywhere to disrupt other people's lives. That's just not fair to other people. Especially the ones I know and see. Their kids don't give crap to mine. I'm just trying to help everyone out.

So now we come to Sunday evening, the kids are going to bed and Girl #1 starts crying, and crying, and complaining about her ear. She has been stuffy for about a week. I figured why not take her to the doctor seems as she's been left out. She has an ear infection, which-if you didn't know- if you put heat on the ear, it's possible to have some fluid drain out of the ear and onto the heat pad you, as mom, have set up for her. We live and we learn.

So, I am very happy to say that we are all on the mend and expect to be leaving the house by Thursday or Friday to get out! I am also running a 5k on Saturday, but haven't been running for two weeks due to the above mentioned crap. I will write about the run after it has passed. We'll see how I do.