New Things

I don't like fish. I really don't! However, McKayla seems to thing that fishing as a family is fun. So, we all have fishing poles and licences to fish. Granted, we know nothing about fish. We don't ever know what one to eat and what ones to throw away. Yea, it's bad. I never think of these things until we need them, so soon I will be buying a fishing for dummies book. Anyway, we we went fishing today and I caught a fish. I was the only who caught a fish. We brought it home and I gutted it and fried it up. It was pretty good. I am very proud of myself. I tried new things.

Memorial Day

This is a Memorial Day Essay by Glenn Beck. I thought that it was a good thing to post today. I hope you all enjoy.

http://mfile.akamai.com/6713/wma/glennbeck.download.akamai.com/6713/preview/11-11-02/vet-day-resave.asx

Hey Batter Batter

Yesterday was McKayla's first practice for t-ball. I took some pictures of her. She did pretty well. She didn't sit down and paid pretty close attention for an hour. What a big girl she is becoming.

Ouch

My poor youngest daughter is going to be the one that gives me grey hair. Yesterday I was mopping our kitchen. She came in and slipped on the tile. I didn't think much of it, until Chad said she was bleeding. When she fell she hit a screw that was where the tile met carpet. It sliced her head open. I was wondering about the ER. It was bleeding a lot, as head wounds do. We had to hold her down while Chad put pressure on on the wound. It looked better pretty soon. Then the rest of the night we watched her eyes for a concussion. We never saw any signs of it, so I am grateful for that. Chad gave her a blessing, just in case. McKayla was so very worried for her sister. She kept asking if Ariana was okay. She checked her head first thing this morning and gave her a kiss to make it better.

Bike

Check out my bike. Yes it is very pink, but it was on sale and that is all that matters. And I now have a helmet because McKayla informed me that I wasn't being safe.

Summer

Okay, pic of the bike will be on here tomorrow!

Look at my pretty tree! I love when it blossoms. I want to get the girls pictures in front of it.

Here is a close up.

Bike

My last bike was bought for me by my parents when I was in high school. The brakes no longer worked, and gears wouldn't shift and the handle bars were crooked from a crash a few years back. So, I started looking for a bike. I didn't realize how expensive those things can be. Are you kidding me. I won't discuss the price for the top of the line. The cheapest bike was at least $200. Gulp! I also wanted a really cute style that was closer to $500. Then i had an idea. I'm short (duh). I can buy a girls bike. I don't really need gears and I can get a way cheaper bike. So, that's what I did. However, it is pink and has a bell. McKayla loves it. She said that it is a good bike because it matches her bike. Also, when she gets older, she will ride it. I think I have a good 10 years with it before she will take it over.

What a Weekend

I am back from my Boise adventure. We had some much fun. My kids had all of my family bowing to their every need. At one point Ariana was crying and my oldest brother said that he would buy her anything as long as she was happy again. I tried to tell him that kids cry and that she was okay, but he didn't like it. We had fun. We went fishing. I have a confession about the fishing. I loved it. I didn't mind baiting the hook and the time with family was great. Looks like I am going to be getting a pole and a licence pretty soon.

We also got out the pool because it was very hot in Boise. The girls had fun playing in the water.

Went we to a friend's graduation party and the girls got to play there.

We went to the zoo and saw Diego. McKayla was very excited.

Ariana was asleep for the first part.
All in all we had a great sunny weekend!

I'm Sorry Mom

McKayla is very good at apologizing. She will always say "I'm sorry Mom. I won't do it again". The other day she was in the kitchen with some chocolate milk. She was standing in the middle of the floor drinking it when she spilled some. I got her famous line of "I'm sorry..." I asked her to sit at the table to drink her milk. She sat down, but not at her booster chair. A few minutes later I head "Opps. Mom!" Yes, she spilled her milk again. Finally I encouraged her to sit in her booster seat and drink her milk. She reassured me "I'm sorry Mom. I won't do it a third time." Well, thank heavens for that. She really didn't mean to, but it was humorous that she was trying to guarantee against she thing she didn't mean to do. I related this to my life. If she would have just sat at the table in her chair the first time, then perhaps nothing would have been spilt. However, she kept putting herself in situations where accidents could happen. Do I do this? Do I want to do good things, but put my self in situations where accidents are more likely to happen? Do I promise not to do it again, but then i don't place myself in the the safest situation to ensure that it won't happen again? Just like McKayla, I don't mean to make mistakes and I truly am tired. Maybe I need to work on preventing accidents rather then just being sorry when they happen.

Global Warming

All I hear about is how there is global warming and we should be more careful about using our resources. I'm not in total disagreement about wasting our natural resources. I hound my kids about turning off lights and I try to keep the house at a comfortable level. However, it is noon and not ever 50 degrees here. Where is my global warming? I am freezing and my plants need some warmth. I am sure I will be whining about how hot it is in the summer, but right now I would like some of that warmth please.

Horrible Rotten No Good Day

Ever had one of those days when you wonder if children are truly blessings? That was my day yesterday. Ariana is causing me to confirm that we were only suppose to have 2 children, sometimes I think that we should have stuck with 1. Yesterday we went outside and she pulled up 3 strawberry plants, threw sand out of the sandbox, and tried to eat a rock. Then I went to our borrowed garden spot to plant the seeds. I figured that they will be up in time to plant the rest of the garden. She would try to eat the potatoes and onions before I could get dirt over them. She also pulled up my markers telling me what I planted where. After that, we came home and I ran downstairs to fold a load of laundry. McKayla came downstairs to let me know that Ariana had broken my special dishes. She had managed to open my china closet and break 2 bowls and a plate. My family got me china when I got married almost 9 years ago. the chances of finding that pattern again are very slim. At that point I sat down and cried. Then I put the kids in the car and went over to haul rocks. I felt much better after hauling 7 buckets of rocks. Then I held family home evening with the kids and tried to relax. After getting McKayla to bed last night I tried to blog about my day. I was just about ready to post when Ariana shut the computer off. Today I am still upset, but I am trying to be a good mom. We are heading to Boise this weekend for a family celebration of birthdays and a friend graduating from BSU. I hope I can relax a little and recharge my batteries. I'm sure this will be funny in about 20 years, but right now I am wondering what I did wrong?

Mother Hood

I don't think I appreciated Mother's Day until I was a mother. Now I feel guilty. I wish that I could go back in time and make sure that at least once a year I tried to give my mom a break. I think everyone neglects their mother until they are much older. Adulthood can bring some maturity. So, today I am celebrating the toughest thing I have ever done. Raising my two kids is very difficult and very rewarding. There are challenges every step of the way. I think my kids teach me more than I teach them. I have learned, as a mother, you worry over everything. you worry about their behavior, will they have friends, will they be able to keep up academically, or they too loud, will they survive the crazy world? All of these things run in my mind constantly. I worry if I am teaching them what they need to know. I wonder how I can do better. I worry that I am not preparing them from the harsh realities of the world. I am grateful to my friends and family that are great examples of mothers. they teach and guide me every step of the way. To all those out there, HAPPY MOTHER"S DAY!

Planting

Chad is going to till our borrowed garden spot today. It really is the only day he can do it. However, I'm not sure that I am going to plant. So, I need some local feedback. Is it time to plant? When are other people planting their garden? Should I put my seeds in and then wait on the plants that I buy. Help!

April Showers...

In Idaho April showers bring May wind. Really, it's been that bad the last 2 days. I hate working outside when the wind is blowing so hard. I worry about falling branches and it hurts my ears. I was going to work on my flower beds today and till our borrowed garden, but the wind was blowing too hard. Maybe I will get to it tomorrow.

Girls

I wanted boys, but I got girls. Now that I have them, I am so very grateful for them. they are the sweetest little things with just the right amount of spunk. However, I want you to take into consideration they are MY girls. I am the youngest in my family and the only girl. Therefore I did some boys things and to this day love certain non-feminine things. I played baseball with a hand-me-down glove. I love camping and I don't mind fishing, except I'm not a fan of eating the fish. I love working outside. I could stay outside all day. Now that McKayla is getting bigger she is wanting to try some new things. I signed her up for tee-ball this year. She really wanted to join the team because some of her friends are on it. We went to Wal-Mart and bought her a glove (yes, it's pink). We also bought a little tee-ball stand and bat so she could practice. I told Chad that he needed to go outside and play catch with McKayla so that she can learn to catch the ball. Also, I bought Chad a fishing pole and a fishing licence for his birthday. Now, he needs to take her fishing as well. I would have gotten a pole and licence, but someone has to keep Ariana out of the water. I think Chad is excited to do these small things with his family. Even though his time is limited right now, he is willing to do the things that his girls want to. Plus, when Chad's father gets back, they can go fishing together and do the male bonding thing. I laugh when I think that Chad needs to take his girls fishing and teach them how to catch. It seems like those things usually apply to boys. however, on the other hand, I am teaching McKayla how to landscape and garden. She loves playing in the dirt and can't wait to see things grow. I am grateful that I have such a wonderful family.

Mercy Vs. Justice

Have you ever had something/someone upset you so bad that midnight vandalism seemed like a good idea? This happened to us yesterday. We had an experience at a local business that left Chad and I so angry that I was contemplating several courses of action. 1 was to go back to the place, leaving the children in the car and give them a piece of my mind. I have learned to control my temper over the years, but it came back full force yesterday. Another option was to ask to speak to a manager and demand that we not pay for part of the service. Vandalism was brought up in the conversation, but only as a "it would be fun except for that pesky conscience I have". Lastly, I thought about blogging the entire experience and encouraging people to not go to this business and to pass the word along to all friends and family as to really get back at the business. I was still upset about this late last night. Then I looked at the picture of the Savior and I had an interesting experience. The Holy Spirit speaks to me in a very funny way sometimes. Mostly I think the Spirit speaks to me and my brain changes it so I am sure to listen up. At the end of a chastising conversation I realized that I must be meek and get over it. I will not do anything against this company, (not even vandalism), because I cannot. I don't have to take my business back to the place, but I can't try to "get revenge" so to speak. As mercy is extended unto me, I must extend it unto others. Justice only seems like a good idea until you realize that there are times when others may have wanted to seek justice against you. At that time mercy seems to be the answer. I am still upset over the whole situation, but I have a sense of peace. I will let it go, granted I won't ever go back to the place, but I will not waste my time fueling contention.

Pictures!

Finally I am making good on my promises of pictures. Here we go.

My raspberries that I am planting today. Yum!

My 25 beautiful strawberry plants

My pond

Here is the fountain part up close

Complete with bug zapper to discourage West Nile Virus

Last, here are my blueberry bushes. they will grow up someday.

Pond

I built my pond! I will have pictures soon. I feel so proud of myself. It has a bug zapper, 4 blueberry bushes, and a 3 tear retaining wall. Fell the muscles burn. Stay tuned tomorrow for pictures of my strawberry plants, pond area, and raspberry bushes!

Yard Work

I am one of those crazy people that love yard work. I hate leaves and branch clean up, but I love creating in my yard. I love planting things and seeing it grow. I am building a pond here in my back yard. I had a pond in Pocatello, but I never put it up here. I have been debating how to do it. I finally got the inspiration and now I am going to get it done. An ironic part of it is that I need dirt. It seems silly that I need to find someone to allow me to get dirt from them or pay for it. I can't believe that I might have to pay for it. Oh well, it will look great when I am finished.

PAIN

My beloved husband got all 4 wisdom teeth out today. The dentist said that his teeth were really stuck in the bone and that it was hard for him to get them out. He said that Chad will be hurting a lot. I stopped by Jack in the Box on the way home to get Chad 2 Oreo milkshakes (1 now and 1 later) to go with his vicaden. He is now sleeping in painkiller peace. Say a little prayer that he will get through this fast and be able to do homework and go back to work soon.