More Holiness Give Me!

This hymn is how I'm feeling today. I attended the general RS training meeting last night, and although I came away being very much spiritually fed - I find that I am SO lacking for this calling! I have been guilty of just trying to run the program, and not concentrating on the things that matter the most - the spirituality of the sisters in my ward. There is SO many that are in need, and because I am so new at this they don't feel that they want to open up to me. I totally understand that - I am a VERY private person myself when it comes to letting people 'in'. But it can be frustrating at the same time.


One of the things I came away with is realizing the imortance of visiting teaching. How can I get the fire burning in the sisters in my ward - how to I help them catch the 'vision' of visiting the sisters? As we find in Matthew - the earthquakes and tsunamis and tumult in the world is just the beginning of the sorrows. How will we make it through what is coming if we can't come together as sisters to take care of one another? If we are not prepared, doing those things - the small things- that we have been asked to do, we can't expect the Lord to come at our call when suddenly we need him because something has happened.

Well - I know that I need to concentrate on my own spirituality and prayers so that I am able to have the spirit with me at all times, so I can recieve the revelation that I need for my calling when I need it. He knows the sisters in my ward, He knows their needs and knows how I can help. Patience isn't a virtue that I have, but perhaps it is something that I need to learn. Plus I'm finding it REALLY hard to have the spirit with me as much as I'd like when I've got kids at home. They fight, argue, yell, color on the carpet with permanent marker.... {sigh} I really do love them, but I can't say my prayers (even in my closet with the door shut) when they are fighting right outside the door or are yelling for me.

Okay - enough whining! I feel a bit better now...

I'd better run....got lots to accomplish today and sitting here at the computer isn't going to get any of those things done.

Birthday fun


I usually like to pretend that this day is just like any other and pass it by - but I have a hubby and kids that just won't let the day pass.  So this is my 9th anniversary of my 25th birthday.  Ugg - I'm getting OLD!!  But it was a wonderful day - 1st time in YEARS that it didn't rain or snow on my day.  My in-laws came down the day before to celebrate with us.  I cooked them some soup and we had a great time.  They are SO sweet!  My mom called from Washington and we spent almost an hour chatting - it was nice to catch up with her!  Trent took the day off and spent it with me.  We went out to lunch and he took me {gasp} shoe shopping...


Opening the card my in-laws gave me....they are SO sweet!  I am really spoiled to have them!




They gave me a bath set with bath salts, bath wash, bubble bath, a foot scrubbie and a sponge.  All in green :)



They also gave me a cute new purse....my mom-in-law must know how much I like green :)





My CUTEST present of the day :)  He marched around wearing the gift bag most of the day.  He's such a cutie pie!




Even after he ripped the bag he played and played until it was demolished :)




Piercen made me a duct tape flower pen.  He says they are "all the rage" in the Jr. High.....he's so cute!





My new running shoes :-)  I am SO EXCITED for these!  My old pair has over 800 miles on them.  It was SURE time for a new pair.  I went to Ossine shoes on Riverdale Rd (love that store).  They give you a free evaluation to see what shoes would work best for your feet.  They sure do feel great!





And these cute sandals came too - I know - shoes are my weakness!



hehehe!!



This was just SO cute I had to add it.  Trent was trying to help Donavan want to get into his big boy bed.  Instead Donsters sat in the chair where I usually sit with him and grabbed his daddy's fingers to help HIM go night night.  Trent is just the best daddy in the world!



Busy, busy!

Being busy is a good thing when it is for the kids...and boy are they keeping us busy!

Piercen had his spring orchestra concert.  He was asked to read a patriotic essay that he had written.  He was bummed because he wasn't able to play his solo - he was wishing that he hadn't done such a good job on the essay.  Silly kid!!

Jaxton had a report to do on General Patton.  He REALLY loved reading about this great person in our history.  Both the boys are really big history fans!  So much so that they want to buy the Patton movie that we borrowed from the library.  For his report he had to dress up like Patton and give 15 facts that he had learned from the books he read.  He did a great job and took it very seriously.  He MADE the bag on his shoulder HIMSELF!  He is SUCH a creative kid!

And last but NOT least....I have mixed feelings on this one - My baby is GROWING UP!  It's too bad we can't keep them babies for just a little longer!  I was on a visit with one of my favorite people (Sis. Brewer - she's a great-grandma and is just darling!)  While we were there she asked Donsters if she could have his binkie - and he took it out of his mouth and HANDED it to her!!  It was SO cute!  It got me thinking that he is big enough to go without them.  Sooo we had a nice talk about what BIG BOYS do - and they DON'T have binikies.  He thought that he wanted to give them to Sis. Brewer's cat, but I explained that the kitty doesn't use binkies.  So we decided that the binkie fairy could take them to a baby who didn't have any binkies.  This was so spir of the moment I didn't have anything really creative I could do....so we put them into a sandwich baggie, said goodbye to them and left them on the front steps.  He was so cute - saying "no no no binkies - yea!"

We decided that big boys don't sleep in cribs so I converted the crib into a toddler bed.  Then we went to Walmart and bought him a Disney Cars blanket, wall stickers, a pillow and new sheets to match.  He is just THRILLED with his big boy bed!

 Last night was really rough getting him to sleep....and he woke up this morning around 5:30 asking for his "bipie".  But he has done really well all day so far.  I have to keep telling myself to stay strong and not give in....its so hard to see him sad.  But...he'll pull through - he's a tough guy!!

New Toys

Our old blue bus has finally boken down to the point that its not worth fixing....  I can't say that I'm sad about it at all.  I would have rather had it stay running and put our tax return money toward getting out of debt or toward getting our basement started,  but it SURE IS NICE to have a nice truck to drive around in ;)  Donavan thinks that it is HIS truck....he says "my cuck".
Trent cleaned out the garage really well and if we pull ALL the way forward - to the point of hitting the table we have in there with the front bumper, the garage door clears the back bumper by about 1/2 inch to an inch...whew!

One of my friends gave Donavan an entire tote of cars that her kids had outgrown.  My goodness that kid is in heaven!  He tells everyone about his cars, he took the cat and put her in there to show her his new cars.  He carries the bin around with him everywhere, and he can be found sitting in it playing happily....  I should have got him a bin of cars a LONG time ago!!

We also took Trent's new gun out to shoot.  We made an FHE with it, cooked hot dogs over the fire and had fun together - COLD but fun!!

And I just wanted to add this picture because it's SO cute!  He is very secure with his manliness!! ;)