A Little Snow Never Hurt Anyone

The Dark Side

Here are the little goblins...back in black!

Miss Witchiepoo

Looking very grim, Matthew

No bones about Jers, soooo scary,
we hardly even recognize you!

Impressive wing-span Drew!

Heeeere kitty, kitty, kitty....

Meeeeow!

So love this Man!

I am so grateful for this man. He takes such good care of me and our family. The flu bug hit me last night out of nowhere. He took over the kids' bedtime routine, and in between, brought me ice chips and held my hair out of my face, and gave me a blessing. And last weekend, he braved a whole weekend with the kids alone while I jumped ship to California for my birthday. He even managed sacrament meeting and the Monday morning school routine all by himself. And when we met up at the end of the day, he strode gallantly in with a bouquet of flowers and a birthday gift. What a man!

On our way back from St. George on Friday we had a tire blow out. Just earlier in the week he got stuck behind an accident where a lady was killed from a tire blowout. We were so grateful that, for us, the end result was only a minor inconvenience, and not a horrific tragedy. We finally returned home at midnight to a house of 60 degrees. I jumped in the covers exhausted, waiting for him to help warm me up. He was taking a little longer to get in bed, and I asked what he was doing. Praying.

Redbox Runaway

Such a seemingly innocent thing to teach your 3-year-old how to return a Redbox movie....until one day Andrew grew impatient waiting for Megan to take him to Maverick to return his movie. He decided he was capable of doing it all by himself. When we discovered he was missing, I drove to the gas station to see if maybe....? Sure enough, there he was at the Redbox, movie successfully returned, while Mom remained slightly traumatized.

Joining the Potty Party

Really, I've made several attempts to get little Drew to potty in the toilet. Purchased the potty treats and toys, purchased Thomas the Train undies, and even purchased his own little potty. Tried to convince him of how exciting it all was, but no, "Doe wan it!" I figured, well, you can lead a toddler to the toilet, but you can't make him pee (or poop :)

We buy diapers by the box at Costco, a cost of about $30 per box. When Brent realized we had only a handful of diapers remaining, and with the dark cloud of unemployment hanging over our heads, we decided it was time. Same old bribes were met with the same responses. So I had to pull the mom card (which I'm sure I should have done months ago) No underwear? Then no diapers! It was nakey bum all morning.

Somewhere along the way the lightbulb went on and he realized that every time he peed in the toilet, he got candy. And then he was jumping on the toilet 10 times an hour. Success? Only until he feel asleep, and then I had to put the diaper back on. Awake again, didn't want to take the diaper off.

"I want canny"
"Did you potty in the toilet?"
"Doe want to"
"Then no candy"
"I want canny"
"You need to potty in the toilet"
"No!"
"OK, then no candy."
*Pause *
"OK...FINE! I want canny", as he rips the diaper off in reluctant defeat.
Now if I can just get him to poop in the toilet, I'll really be doing the happy dance.

Seasons

Unemployment again. I suppose another storm was due, we've been enjoying a season of calm. These are the times when you really feel like you are out in the lone and dreary world, and are so grateful to have each other to hold onto.

Today Brent and I took opportunity to attend the temple. As we walked into the endowment room and I settled in my seat, a feeling of peace overcame me. This feeling stayed with me throughout the entire session, and throughout the remainder of the day. I'm not sure how long or intense the storm will be, but I am absolutely assured that Heavenly Father knows our needs, and we have no need to worry as long as we do our part.

So many things to be grateful for...the goal is to keep the eternal perspective even when it gets rough.

Because I Have Been Given Much

I look at a picture like this and wonder why at times I am still overwhelmed by the task of making sure five children are fed and dressed and out the door on time for 9:00 am church. I always say I'm going to prepare more the night before, but never do. Really need to work on that. Once we're all out the door, it's not so bad and lately church has been the healing balm for my aching soul.

A few months back, I was out in the foyer holding Natalie during the passing of the sacrament. There were two dads out there also holding their babies. Natalie was “talking” with them, observing them. I was wondering how much they still know, wondering how thin the veil was for them. I thought about how pure and perfect this child was that I was holding. And then the deacon brought out the sacrament. After repeating my weekly ritual of partaking of the sacrament, another thought came to mind. I realized, for that moment, my spirit was just as perfect as Natalie’s. In quiet gratitude for my Savior’s sacrifice, I savored the pureness and perfection of my soul for that moment.

Most everyone who bore their testimony that day expressed gratitude for all the blessings the gospel has brought to them in their life. We often speak of the “blessings of the gospel” in general terms. I began to think of the blessings in more specific terms, like knowing I have a loving Father in Heaven who watches over me and my family. This knowledge brings peace because I know that no matter how challenging the trials get, I have the power to overcome them, and that when all is said and done, I will be with my Father in Heaven again. The knowledge of my Savior and his atoning sacrifice brings another peace. I am assured that as long as I keep giving it my best, I am forgiven. And even when I feel like I’m failing, I am still forgiven. The knowledge of eternal principles helps give direction to my life. Choosing the most valuable use of my time is not guess work. The knowledge I gain, my husband, and my children are what I get to keep when I cross back over. These are what are most important in my life.

I am grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost. I am not at a loss when my children come to me with questions. I have the knowledge to teach them of things both temporal and spiritual, and know where to find the answers when it's a new challenge. I am often filled with the warmth and comfort of the Spirit which makes me feel that heaven is not so far away.

I reap blessings from service, sacrifice and the paying of tithing. I am blessed with the power of the priesthood in my home, the same power that created the heavens and the earth. I am blessed to know we have a living prophet on the earth today. I am most blessed that I am given the opportunity to serve the Lord's Annointed in their homes. I am blessed with the scriptures, most especially the Book of Mormon. The words of those who have gone before me give me strength when the mists of darkness feel all encompassing. I am grateful for all the sacrifices of Joseph Smith, and the early pioneers who even made it possible for me to enjoy the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I am indeed grateful for the blessings the gospel brings to my life.

Drew Dixon

It wasn't a good day...one of those "will laugh about it later" kind of a days. Andrew is following in the footsteps of his older brothers, getting into all kinds of mischief. It all started this morning at breakfast with a meltdown when I didn't make his bagel sandwich "just right." In retaliation, he fingerpainted with the cream cheese while I was upstairs getting dressed. Then when I was otherwise distracted, he snuck out to the refrigerator in the garage and ate the "special" snacks designated for field trips. Hungry again, he dumped a brand new bag of marshmallows all over the kitchen floor. The "desperately in need of mopping" floor, I might add. He and Natalie were happily snacking when I found them.
Should have known that it was not a good day for me to absorbed in the computer. While I was interfacing on the internet, he flushed a ton of Jeremy's Legos down the toilet, soaked his pajamas and stuffed snake in the toilet water, and then "hid" them in the cabinet of the bookshelf. I discovered it several hours later. And the grand finale was knocking the bookcase completely over. He's still alive, unharmed...barely. He's asleep now. We survived the day.
Here he is a few days ago after sneaking out into the garage to go "play" with the kitty. That's his snot all mixed in with the fur, and his cute little "wasn't me" grin.

Hogle Zoo

Well, we've been in Utah long enough to carry a tradition on down to the third kid. Megan, Matthew, and Jeremy have all now had the fun of going to Hogle Zoo for their kindergarten field trip. My friend Tanya and I braved the expedition with our 2 kindergartners, and 3 preschoolers. Lost and recovered Andrew three times, lost count of how many times we heard "I'm tired" and "Can we eat lunch now?", and lost only one foreign object to an animal exhibit (sorry about your water bottle Tanya, and sorry Mr. Giraffe)

Still there was fun to be had.

We all left with smiling faces, a little worn out, but happy nonetheless.

Human Anatomy

Not too long ago while changing Natalie's stinky bum, Jeremy and I had a conversation that went something like this:

"She's got stinky on her penis."
"Natalie doesn't have a penis"
"When is she going to get one?"
"Ummm....go get yout shoes and socks on, it's almost time to go."

Well, issues swept under the carpet never really go away.
Natalie, naked after her bath, was crawling around on the floor. Brent was holding her diaper, not quite getting around to putting it on. I advised him to get it on before Natalie peed on the carpet. The following day, Jeremy and I shared another conversation:

"Natalie doesn't have a penis."
"Nope, she doesn't."
"Well, Mom...yesterday you were telling dad that he needed to put Natalie's diaper on before she peed on the carpet, but Natalie doesn't have a penis."

The Lucky Day

So I'm thinking maybe Brent and I will head off to Denny's tonight for a hot fudge sundae. They actually have a Denny's here in Tooele. We can reminisce about the last 19 years of our lives and how it all began over a hot fudge sundae at Denny's following a really lame institute dance on St. Patrick's Day.
Funny, I was just bored that night...never dreamed I was going going to fall into a pot of gold. Family is such an amazingly rich blessing. How lucky I am to have created one with Brent.

Motherhood

I never imagined the challenge being a mother to five children would be. I know there are many others who take it in stride, and even with more children than I have. I remember the moment Natalie was placed in my arms, I felt a divine peaceful reassurance of completion. It was the same feeling I had at the close of my mission. Happy they're all here, but still wondering if I'll ever get my sea legs.
It was around Christmas that I became keenly aware of how I'm drowning in my own life. I was sick for the entire month of December, which made holiday preparation especially taxing. We managed to decorate the tree, wrap the presents, and set out the stockings. Thanks to Brent for putting up our house lights. Everything else stayed in the boxes. Granted, we had plans to move right after Christmas, but still it is unlike me not to decorate for the season.
Lately, I have come to realize that time is of the essence, that efficiency is crucial, and that wasted time often turns into missed opportunity. The pace has quickened to the level that my time is filled with more and more work, and less and less play. For this reason, in the morning, I am on my knees asking for guidance to direct my focus on what is most important, and at night, seeking reassurance that I have done my part well.
I am grateful for my calling as a mother...all the joy, disappointment, chaos, cherished moments, and everything all rolled up into one. I don't always like it, but a lot of the time I love it, even though some of the time I feel like I'm completely failing at it. No matter how I feel at the given moment, I always know it's what the Lord has asked of me, so I gladly do it willingly.

Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam

Andrew started Sunbeams this month. Brent took him to his first class, and as Brent put it, Andrew had the look like "uh....this isn't my class, where are the toys?" Brent sat with him through both meetings. The following week we changed wards and then everyone was a stranger. That really didn't facilitate the transition. He does pretty good to sit through his Sunday school lesson, but when it comes to sharing time he is all over the room. This past Sunday one of the teachers was taking him for a walk to "get the wiggles out". LOL. He has to be sound asleep to successfully accomplish that one.

Ringing in the New Year

Thanks to our friends Chris and Heather Miller,

and Tanya and Craig Willie, and their families

for joining us to ring in the year 2009

My little party animal who stayed up until midnight
to watch the ball drop.
Ready to toast!
Missing our Megan as she celebrates with her friend, Inez. With blank chapters ahead of us, we're wondering what's in store for us this upcoming year. The laughter and tears, the adventures and discoveries, the milestones and the unexpected....we're ready to write this year's story!