retirement

I started this blog in 2007.  It's served as a journal of sorts, chronicling our family these past ten years.  I've transferred all the posts (650+) into five separate books so that I can always have these memories kept safe.  I don't know what the future will hold for online blogging, but my part in it is at an end.  And with that, this blog is officially retired!

updates

In this update ~

code camp and updates!
home improvement part 2
spring break
April/May
cub scout adventures
meet Yurei
library fun
Phoenix Convention!
4th of July in Utah

updates!

Now I am only a month behind ~

January
February
cub scouts update!
home improvement

updates updates updates updates

I finally took an afternoon to update the blog.  I didn't realize that I was nearly six months behind!  Even now, I haven't updated January, but this update will finish up 2015.  It was a good year, but a hard year in some respects.  Brian, becoming increasingly dissatisfied with his job, decided that a change was in order.  We didn't know if this would take us out of Flagstaff, away from this community we love, or where we would go.  It was stressful in many respects because I wanted Brian to be happy, but I also wanted to stay in Flagstaff.  Thankfully, Brian was offered a new job here in Flagstaff and loves it, and so we are here to stay.  We feel so incredibly blessed!

I have kept busy helping in James' and Lizzy's classrooms an hour or two each class a week.  I also volunteer at the library six hours a week.  As the cub master and webelos den leader in my ward, I host cub scouts most Tuesday afternoons in my home.  I've also enjoyed lunches with friends, dates with Brian (now that Daniel is old enough to babysit, it's a whole new world!!), and taking care of my home and family.  Life is beautiful.

In this update ~

my favorite room
December!
cub couts
so much to be thankful for
November
October round up
fun run
pumphouse wash

the blog is updated!

At last I have the blog completely updated!  I thought that I would have more time when all my kids are in school, but that doesn't seem to be the case.  I am as busy as ever.  I think that is the nature of life.  If we are trying to live fulfilling lives, we will always be busy with worthwhile activities.  Besides volunteering in my kids' classes (James and Lizzy), and getting started at volunteering at my library, working hard in my cub scout calling, I have also gotten into family history.  I have had such a fun time working on familysearch.  Being meticulous in looking up records and getting everything cleaned up and in order appeals to my sense of organization.  It has been a wonderful investment of my time, and something that I'll be working on today as I am home with a recovering Jimmy (a little bit of a tummy bug yesterday, so he's staying home from church today to get all better).

It's been wonderful to catch up on this blog as it is my family history, my personal history.  At least, one aspect of my history.  

In this update ~

cub scouts
projects, projects, projects!
back to school!
sixth grade in 2015

after a long absence from the blog

Last month I was diagnosed with tennis elbow - essentially tendonitis in both forearms.  It was due to a variety of things, I think, from crocheting to raking to using a pick axe to dig a trench (more on that in a future post).  The pain started at the end of May, but I thought that if I took it 'easy' that it would heal and get better.  Instead, things just got worse to the point where I would wake up in the night with aching arms.  I am seeing a physical therapist for ultrasound treatment and massage and to learn exercises and stretches that will facilitate healing.  I also wear elbow braces all the time now, which seem to help (the braces apply pressure on the arm muscle, which helps rest the tendons).  I still overdo it, unfortunately.  You don't realize how much you use your arms until you can't, or at least in my situation, shouldn't.  I had to stop my weight training, so since I was relegated to just cardio, I canceled my gym membership (I can walk in my neighborhood for free).  Even with cutting back, I still find myself aching after something I shouldn't have done.  Most recently, the thing I shouldn't have done was replace the drawer slides on my bathroom vanity drawers.  The twisting and pulling and tension of doing the work did a number on my arms.  Updating my blog today probably isn't the wisest thing, either, as typing seems to aggravate.  But, at least I have functional vanity drawers now and at least my blog is slightly caught up.  I'll have future posts on all the home improvement projects I've done (I'm quite the handylady now, from fixing toilets to painting furniture and rooms), how cub scouts is going (I'm the cub master for my ward's cub scout pack), and back to school updates.

It was a busy summer.  I didn't read nearly as much as I thought I would.  But, I spent a lot of time with my kids and all the fun activities that we participated in.  School started a month ago (early August), and we weren't quite ready for it.  The kids have been doing great, though, and while I still can't figure out where all my time goes every day (even with the kids back in school), life is pretty good.

In this update:

May roundup
June
the library!!
July wrap-up

updated!

Finally got the blog updated!  Whew!

happenin' times

yes, I'm still here

It's hard to find the time to update the blog, but since it's the most I really do these days to journal my life, I am going to try to keep with it!

In this update ~

what is this white stuff?
I took two photos for January
these boots are made for walkin'
STEAM night - 2nd grade
Daniel is 11!

what a year it's been!

Polar Express
projects, projects, projects, oh my!
Christmas
2014 year in review

grateful for blessings

We've been a little busy lately.  Between Brian's work and ecclesiastical responsibilities, he's been gone more evenings than he's been home the past few weeks.  Add in the stress of buying a home and all the documents, all the inspections, all the work that goes into just moving, and we're a little tired.  

We are truly blessed, though.  Not only are we blessed to find a house that we love and will make our home, but we have replacement tenants (since we are breaking our lease) so that stress is removed.  Things have come together, and I know it's because the way has been opened for us.  

The week that we were contemplating buying this house, I went to the Snowflake temple.  I was a ball of emotions and stress and anxiety.  But, as I prayerfully studied the decisions in front of our family in my mind, I felt this overwhelming sensation of peace and calm.  

I'm sick today with a bad cold.  Brian spoke in church (the entire bishopric spoke!) and I'm so sorry that I missed it.  Daniel is under the weather, too.  So, the kids and I stayed home today.  I always feel off when I can't make it to church.  But, I decided to take this time to catch up on my blog and remember all the ways that the Lord has blessed me.  At the end of the day, what matters most is my precious family.  We love each other.  We are happy.  We have the gospel in our home.  What is more important than that?  

fun run
when we're helping we're happy
origami
birthday boy
happy Halloween!
baptism day
we're buying a house!

all caught up!

I am slowly digging myself out of the backlog of projects I put off all summer, and I'm also adjusting to my new routine.  I work out at the gym (weights primarily since cardio bores me to tears - I know, I know, cardio is important, but I run around a lot all day, so that counts, right?) Monday, Wednesday, Friday and call that good.  I volunteer in Lizzy's and James' classes on Tuesdays (I was at the school for over four hours yesterday).  I'll start volunteering in Daniel's class on Thursdays each week after I do my weekly grocery shopping (which is perfect since his teacher doesn't want me until a little after 11 am).  I'm trying to attend the temple once a month.  Visiting teaching is more consistent (summers are just crazy!  We had to count a few phone visits due to schedule conflicts with everyone out of town at different times).  Oh, and the primary program is just about written, cub scouts is underway (and I am *not* a den leader this year - rejoice! - instead, I am helping out as treasurer, which I have done for three or four years now, so no biggie), and life is pretty good.

mud run
temple
look who lost a tooth...or two!
mini crossbows
yes, we live in paradise
little princess

We had a perfect summer - a hike with friends, summer movies, trip to Tucson, swim lessons, library activities and summer reading program, playdates with friends, riding bikes, and a trip to Grandma and Grandpa's.  

School is in full swing now, and the kids are having a wonderful time.  I thought that Lizzy would want to start at half-days, but she wants to be at school.  I miss having my little companion home with me, but I am so glad that she is enjoying kindergarten.

I knew I would still be busy once the kids were in school, but I didn't realize how busy it would be.  Between volunteering at the school, heading up the fifth grade memory book committee, working as treasurer for my boys' cub scout pack, attending the temple, and spending some time with friends, there is little time to spare these past three weeks.  I am hoping that September will be a little calmer as I settle into a routine.

In this update ~

our time in Utah
new specs
back to school
Princess Monkey and family time
winners!

updates

visitors
World Cup fever
Princess Monkey
in summer!
fourth of July...and a crime scene
princess dresses

first part of summer round up

first part of summer round up
graduations and birthdays - oh my!
turtle circus
summer hike
Tucson
I *love* my library

May updates

School ends next week and summer begins.  We've got summer movies, summer reading program through the library, swim lessons, a trip or two planned, and in general just plan to have a lot of fun.  I'm really looking forward to it!

the Grand Canyon
having a daughter
happy Mother's Day to me!
cookies
busy year with cub scouts

In this blog update ~
 
april showers
spring break
chess club
good-bye purple dtee dtee
Easter!
Happy Birthday!!

science fair

science fair

this kid blows me away

this kid blows me away

catch up part 2

I am all caught up...just in time for spring break where we'll make more memories to record.  I read through most of the books I had stacked in that previous entry, and a new book came in to the library, so I've been enjoying reading it as well.

I've also been catching up on my digital photo books.  I am behind by three years now, so it was time to finally get to work on them.  I have one ordered through Shutterfly right now (55% off because of a sale plus free shipping!), so now I just have a couple or so to make to be all caught up there.

Then I need to work on getting my blog printed since it's my journal.  I have years recorded on this site, so I'd like to have a physical copy of those entries.  It's a project I'll be working on this year, I hope.

It feels good to have read through my backlog of books, catch up on my blog, and now get to work on my digital photo books.  *happy*happy*

hair
valentine's day and a valentine's girl
a decade old!
Hopi Bean Dance
advancements
won a contest

catch up part 1

Today is the first time I have blogged this year.  I have found that between running after my kids and all their activities and between my own activities, blogging has taken a backseat.  But, it is also my form of journal these days, so it is finally time that I make some time to catch up.

Lately, I have been on a crocheting kick making bags.  Nearly every single night, Brian and I would watch an episode or two of The X-Files (on Amazon Prime) and I would crochet.  It's been a lot of fun.  The larger bag in the picture below is going to be my new temple bag.  It is the perfect size to fit my temple things in and keep things safe and nice.

Lizzy was recovering from her bout with pneumonia when this picture was taken.  Despite not feeling well, she still made a beautiful model for my bag.

The other thing that has taken a lot of my personal time (when I manage to find some, that is), is reading.  Sometimes my eyes are too big for my time, in that when I go to the library I check out more books than I can possibly read in a reasonable amount of time.  The other problem is that I tend to place a lot of books on hold (one time recently, I got a message when I tried to place a book on hold that I had reached the maximum number of items to place on hold...which is apparently 20 for my library), and then invariably, they all come in at once.  So, I'm in even more trouble.  

The first picture is when I was feeling slightly overwhelmed with my reading material.  I had just picked up Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings from the library and about died when I saw how huge it was.  At 1007 pages or 3 pounds of reading (yes, I weighed it), it was daunting.  And, I had to read it because I had been on hold for it for three months and I couldn't renew it because someone else had a hold on it after me. 

First, I had to read Unbroken for my book group, which also had a hold on it (it was very good, btw).  Then I got to The Way of Kings, which I read in two weeks.  I proudly returned it to the library on the day it was due.  Since I place holds on books so often, I feel it my duty to make sure that I respect other people's holds since I'd like the favor to be returned.  It was a fantastic book, and...I am only the second person in line for the sequel - Words of Radiance - that comes out this coming week. 

While I was still reading The Way of Kings, the library came in with the first two volumes of a manhwa series, Chocolat.  Those volumes were marked as missing, so the library replaced them.  Once they came in, of course I had to not only check those two volumes out, but also volumes three through eight to complete the series.  I don't want to risk having one of the other volumes go missing before I can read them.  A few other books came in as well so that my stack was just getting bigger and bigger.

So, I was drowning in books.  I love it, but I have to say, once I got through the Sanderson tome and was able to get through some of the backlog, I feel a little lighter.  I still have a huge stack of books, but it's not nearly as daunting as it was even a week ago.

That's enough on books, though.  It's just what's taken precedence to blogging.  But, without further ado, here is the first round of catching up.  

Happy New Year 2014
daily adventures
Gilbert Temple Open House
cub scouts
is this really fourth grade?


Stay tuned for our visit to the Hopi Nation, Daniel's birthday, and Elizabeth's first hair cut!