Jen's Life - One Smile at a Time

Take a Deep Breath and Relax

2012-02-08T10:23:00.002-07:00

It's been quite a busy and mind draining week and a half. I want to start this post with the thought: Relax, this life is a learning experience. The hard times you are experiencing will pass. Learn from them. Allow your children to learn from them.

Last week I attended The Foundations of Montessori class. I learned a lot. Some of it wasn't what I expected to learn. It was one of those experiences where it is clear you are in the class you are in with the people you are meant to be with at that time. I gained some insights that I will be able to use for a long time. I got to a point in the class that I was so emotionally overwhelmed that I felt like shutting down. It made me realize how overwhelmed one of my children gets every day of his life! I felt an empathy for him that I needed to feel. I also was given a few tools to help him function from day to day. Unfortunately, he is not ready to accept this help right now. Hopefully we can make progress in the future.

Yesterday, I looked at another child's grades and he was getting either a D or an F in 3 of his classes. I decided to look further in to the issue and realized that he has a serious lack of organizational skills. It's so hard as a parent not to want to do everything it takes to help him bring his grades up. Of course I want him to succeed. However, I have to present the skills he needs for organization and let him practice until he finds a system that works for him. In the long run, his grades today means nothing if he doesn't learn the skills it takes to achieve it for himself. So I am trying to relax and allow my children to learn the lessons of life. It's so hard to see them fail. But isn't that how we all learning our most amazing things?

My Story

2012-01-27T08:27:00.001-07:00

Here is a link to part one of My Story. The purpose is to help others understand why I have made the choice to change my eating lifestyle!

2 New Posts

2012-01-23T10:04:00.004-07:00

I just added 2 new posts to my food blog. One is a really good stir-fry recipe! I thought I would also add Kellie and Karlyn's Photoshop portraits to this post.

Smoothies

2012-01-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

One of my girls is a very picky eater. I have found that if she makes her own lunch, she will eat it. Well, breakfast has been a problem for a while. I told her that if she didn't like what we were eating she could make something different for herself but wasn't allowed to complain and tantrum over it. She made herself many a french omelet after that. Since we bought a Blendtec, we've now introduced the family to smoothies. She now has her own signature smoothie that she likes to make and share with the family. An added bonus - spinach is well hidden and she will even add it herself!

Restoring the Past

2012-01-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

My mom has been working with my grandpa on scanning old slides to put in a more usable form. All of the slides were scanned but there was a lot of dust on the scanner and slides. Mom and I are re-doing the scanning so the work is reduced in Photoshop. I can't believe how fun these old photos are. I am having a blast taking washed out photos and improving them. It's fun to see my grandparents when they were young and my aunts and uncles as children. I was the oldest grand daughter and so I am in quite a few of the photos as well.

My mom, dad, and me!

New Recipe

2012-01-11T10:12:00.001-07:00

I added a new recipe to my food etc. site. Creamy Broccoli Soup. It is so yummy and full of great veggies!

My Food Blog

2012-01-08T16:05:00.002-07:00

I have another blog that I post topics like food, herb related topics, etc. http://whatamiuptonow.blogspot.com/
I wanted to add something here that relates to something I posted there. My family has undergone a diet change over the last several years. In the past two weeks we have taken it a step further. I believe in small steps when it comes to converting children to a new way of eating. Today, three of my children announced that they are now wanting to do P90X each day after school. This is music to my ears. They have loved the dietary changes (all but one child) and it's so fun to see them want to take the next step by themselves.

Witnessing a Miracle

2011-11-23T08:16:00.001-07:00

Thanksgiving is one of those times to really reflect on what we are thankful for and seeing the miracles in life. This past Saturday I witnessed a miracle. My mom and were volunteering for our Bountiful Baskets site. The driver was a bit late (expected because of the weather). His truck was bigger than the trucks our site usually gets and he had to park on the road. All of the volunteers were helping to unload the truck when we noticed the driver was acting very strange. He was dropping boxes, had a loss of balance, his behaviour was different than when he first arrived. He was a bit beligerent and just having a really tough time. We wondered if he was drunk or something of that nature. Our site coordinator decided to contact the trucking company because he had other sites to go to. The trucking company said that he was a good man and that he would never drink or anything of that nature. Well, guess where our site happens to be? A fire station. Two firemen decided to check him out for alcohol and such. They took him into the station and started running some tests. The man could not give any medical information he was so disoriented. The trucking company gave what they had. The man became so incoherent he didn't even know his own name at one point. It became clear that he was truly in a medical crisis. His heart rythm was off and it was determined that he was having a stroke. The man was quickly put in an ambulance and taken to the hospital. The firemen said that being where he was most likely saved his life. His next stop would take him over a large mountain pass. If he had had the stroke here, he very likely would have died and possibly taken out others with his truck. I am so thankful for a Father in Heaven who watches out for us and places us in the right places at the right times for our benefit.

Watch this video on Thanksgiving.

Update on Unexpected

2011-09-07T11:23:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I received an email from Jacob's teacher. Just a little background - In a Montessori school, a child's class includes 3 grades. 1-3 graders are together as are 4-6. It's really nice because a teacher really gets to know your child this way. Anyway, the email said that she had noticed a change in Jacob over the past 2 weeks and attributed it to some leadership opportunities that he has been given. I do know the opportunities have helped his confidence, but the behaviour has to do with the tea he has been consuming. It gives me SO much hope that his teacher noticed so early on in the school year. I purposely chose not to tell her about the tea because I didn't want her to have a biased opinion. I am hoping that after some time, the reduction in anxiety will help his impulse control because I think they are intertwined.

Karlyn

2011-09-01T11:05:00.001-06:00

I have to post about my sweet Karlyn. Karlyn is Grandpa's girl. She calls him gamma-gamma. She is a true girlie-girl. If she was allowed, she would wear dresses 24/7. She loves dolls and any stuffed animal. Karlyn (we call her Karlyn Darlin') is talking up a storm. She loves to give hugs and kisses. When she wants my attention she will climb on top of me, grab my face and make sure I'm giving her the attention she deserves. It's been hard for her to see everyone go to school. She asks where everyone is constantly. She even packed her own backpack today which really made it seem a bit better.

First Day of Preschool

2011-09-01T10:58:00.001-06:00

Today was Mckenna's first day of preschool. She was so excited! She was up and ready to go with the rest of the kids. She was hoping she would make some new friends (she will there were new kids in the class this year) and also hoping some of her old friends would return.

Connor and School

2011-09-01T10:26:00.000-06:00

Connor always manages to surprise me. A little background. Connor pretty much flunked the 4th grade. It's not that he isn't/wasn't bright - he's amazingly bright. Connor just didn't like busy work. Let's face it, anything he had to write down didn't get done. He used to stuff his papers in his desk at school. We'd get the papers at the end of the quarter with the assignment to finish them. I knew that wasn't going to happen and quite frankly, I didn't think it was a good idea in the first place. So, I let the teacher know that Connor would be moving forward because going back wasn't going to do anyone any good. In 5th grade we homeschooled. That was an amazing experience. We used an online program and he was told each day that he had certain assignments to do but could do them as quickly or slowly as he chose. It usually took him a couple of hours and then he could do what he wanted to do. It was a great year and he learned A LOT! Last year he attended a Montessori charter school. It was a fabulous experience. His teacher loved him and it made all of the difference. The school believes in teaching children to work independently, respect others, etc. 6th graders were given many leadership opportunities. They worked as a team to raise funds to go to Catalina Island for a field trip. He came away from the school with a sense of accomplishment and self confidence.
This year he is attending our local jr. high school. He started off the year with a desire to get a 4.0. Will he get it? I'm not sure, but he's giving it his all and we will do all we can to support that goal. He was very excited for the first school stomp. Connor was also a little upset because he didn't know how to dance. Kellie showed him how to slow dance because apparently no one fast dances anymore. Interesting. He came home from the stomp and said that he had danced EVERY slow dance. WHAT? He even asked some of the girls. It was pretty amazing. Keep it up Connor!

8 Years Old

2011-08-31T19:50:00.000-06:00

8 is a special birthday in our home. It's a milestone year that comes with a baptism. Mailaya turned 8 the second week of August and was baptised. Hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures of her baptism day. It was such a wonderful day. We let her pick out her own set of scriptures with her name engraved on them. All of my family was able to attend and one of Brent's siblings, his brother Mike was there. Mailaya planned the entire program from the songs that were song, prayers, and talks by her grandparents. She asked every person on the program to participate by herself. We were very proud of her!

Unexpected

2011-08-31T17:06:00.002-06:00

Sometimes things come in unexpected ways. I've been searching for some help for my son, Jacob, for a long time. Little things here and there come along but it's seems like the steps are so small that it's hard to notice. Some big helps have been the book, "Teaching Self Government," by Nicholeen Peck and finding out that he has trouble with gluten and taking it out of his diet. One of the biggest problems is that he is very impulsive and at the same time a perfectionist. It seems he is always fighting himself.
My oldest daughter, Kellie, was really sick and I was trying to figure out what I could do to help her. I was looking up some things on the Herbal Legacy website and came across an article about nettle tea and it's cleansing properties. Soon after that, Jacob had some food with gluten and I thought I'd try the tea. It worked brilliantly. The real test came not long after that when he had a cookie at church. The new Primary Presidency didn't realize how serious it was for Jacob to have gluten and he just can't say no. I ran him home as soon as I found out about the cookie and made the tea. It worked again. I then learned about red raspberry leaves and Lobelia. This is where it gets interesting. Red raspberry has some wonderful properties of nutrition and cleansing. Lobelia is an AMAZING herb. One of it's many properties is that it can relax the body. This intrigued me because Jacob has a high level of anxiety and I wondered if it would help. However, I was a little afraid of using Lobelia because in the back of my mind I remembered hearing something negative about it.
In the meantime, I got an Herbal Legacy email with an offer to take the Family Herbalist ckass for around $200. I thought it would be worth the money to learn more. I have always tried to do things as naturally as possible and this would aid me further. One of my sister's is a Master Herbalist and had good things to say about the program. Through this class I learned that lobelia is a very safe herb. That was enough to convince me to try it. I bought some herbs online from Mountain Rose Herbs and started making tea. I use 1 tsp. nettle, 1 tsp red raspberry leaves (I get these from my yard), 1/4 tsp lobelia and 1/2 tsp horsetail (good for calcium). Can I just say WOW! He's calmer, less impulsive, happier. It's been amazing. I'm hoping that this will work long term, for his sake. Even the first week of school went amazingly well and it was a tough week. I am now taking the Nutritional Herbalist course and hoping that I learn enough to help all three of my kids that have gluten issues.

My 12 Year Old

2010-09-10T13:24:00.002-06:00

I love Connor. He has always been my sweetheart, cuddler and all around good kid. Lately he has surprised me. One day he needed his shirt for church. I was busy and couldn't get it for him. He decided to iron it himself! It was actually done pretty well. For the past few days he has gotten up, dressed for school and started on the packed lunches. He's a keeper!

Prayers ARE Answered!

2010-09-03T15:30:00.002-06:00

I've had an emotional week. One of my children is really struggling right now. Actually, we have been struggling for years it has just recently moved to a new intensity. I have felt completely hopeless about this situation for a while now. Today, I found out how my prayers are being answered and how much people care about our family. We had a terrible morning today. I can't tell you how awful it was. I dropped the kids off at school and just had a stomach full of anxiety. I got half way home and decided that one child needed to be home today. I drove back to the school and ran in to the director of the school. She asked if I was okay and if we needed to talk. I ended up telling her about what was going on with my child. She in turn found my child's teacher and we had a short chat. In the end we decided to keep this child in school and they would help with the problem. I then found a message from our chiropractor (I'd pleaded with him for help) and he's going to do everything he can. He has given me some things to think about and different routes we can take. Two women that I've been working with in the school parent organization saw me at the school and were quite concerned that I was upset and both called a friend of mine to see if I was okay. My friend then called and listened to me while I spilled out my worries. I also have a neighbor that knows what is going on and is helping in her own way. I feel such an outpouring of love and can see a light at the end of this tunnel. So often I try to do everything on my own but can now see that this is an impossible task. Thank you friends!!!

Preschool

2010-09-02T22:42:00.002-06:00

Mckenna had an open house at her preschool. She has been excited since she found out she was going but got nervous just before it was time to go. She had so much fun meeting most of her classmates and playing. I knew she would go straight for the little tea set and she did - played with it for quite a while. I love her teacher. Kellie and Mailaya also had this teacher and she is wonderful. She got to teetertotter and play in this cute little mesh tent that hung from a tree. Next week she will have her official first day!

Talking

2010-09-02T22:39:00.002-06:00

Karlyn has been saying a few things for a while but her little vocabulary is really starting to progress. Today she said Nenna (Mckenna), she says daddy, pup pup (puppy), squeals for kitty and mom mom. She is good at letting us know what she wants by putting her whole body forward and leading with her arms. She is such a little joy!

Diet - again

2010-08-27T08:56:00.003-06:00

Our family is in the middle of a lifestyle change. We recently found out that 3 of our children have food intolerances and/or allergies. The food that is common in all three is gluten. After a lot of research I believe that the other foods are now allergens because of their consumption of gluten. I also believe that my infertility/endometriosis are linked to food because my endo symptoms receded and I became pregnant after I drastically reduced white flour and sugar from my own diet. I wanted to send a video link for people that suspect they or their family might have some sort of food allergy/intolerance. This link is specific to gluten but it still may give some idea of what types of problems can happen when someone consumes foods they have intolerances to. Also, it explains the difference between a celiac disease, gluten intolerance and gluten allergy.

Happy Birthday Connor!

2010-08-14T06:44:00.002-06:00

I'm having a moment. My boy is 12 today! Can you believe it, 12 years old. I love my Conbon. Connor is my ONLY snuggly child. He has been this way since day one. He's always the one to give me a hug, want to sit down by me and often asks if we can snuggle. Connor is SUPER intelligent. His best subject is math. He could spend days putting legos together and has come up with some really cool designs of his own. His designs usually involve trap doors, slides, weapons, etc. Con has always been a peacemaker. He makes friends easily and wants everyone to be happy. Con will now be able to hold the priesthood (huge milestone), pass the sacrament, and has graduated from Cub Scouts to Scouts. I love my Con! Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday Mailaya

2010-08-12T07:27:00.002-06:00

I'm hoping to have my computer back today so I can post pics later. Yesterday was Mailaya's 7th birthday. I LOVE my sweet Mailaya. I searched for her for a little less than a year. I knew I was looking for a girl, but where, I didn't know. Many situations were presented to us. We took classes for Utah Foster care, had a beautiful girl from Kazakstan in our home, either declined or denied several domestic adoptions and when I was ready to give up, we found Mailaya. She is a joy and a delight. She is strong, quiet (unless you get her alone!), loving, desires to help, and beautiful. Even before I was marrried I wanted to adopt a child internationally. I was able to fulfill this dream with Mailaya. Mailaya has many friends due to her laid back personality. She also has an intense love for her true friends and family.

Yesterday we had a birthday party for Mailaya. She decided on a luau. We had fruit kabobs and pina coladas with sorbet and cute straws. We had a "pie" eating contest with whipping cream instead of pie. We did the limbo stick. Made sponge balls. Had a HUGE water fight with balloons and the sponges, oh and buckets. Mailaya's friends were relentless in getting Connor, Kellie and Mailaya wet. It was fun. A couple of kids asked about cake but were okay when I said we didn't have one. I wasn't prepared to make a gluten free cake and ran out of time for it anyway.

Accepting a "No" Answer

2010-07-21T07:07:00.002-06:00

How many of us like to be told "no?" I sure don't. Lately I have been getting many of these. I've had two fairly big projects that I was working on. With one project, I went to a meeting and found out that the assignment had been given to someone else. All the hard work I had put in to the project went down the toilet. With another one, no one got back to me so I assumed it was a go ahead only to find out (after several months) that, no, it is not. I had a mini tantrum last night. Not too pretty. This morning I woke up and realized that sometimes I have to follow the very instruction I have given my children. In this case, try and disagree appropriately and if the answer is still, "no", I must accept the answer and drop the subject. "Teaching Self Government" has helped me again. I'm in the process of disagreeing appropriately. My assumption in this case is that the answer will still be, "no." Now I have to swallow my pride and drop the subject. I have found that sometimes logic and reason don't work with certain people and either am going to be upset or I just have to let it go.

FOOD!

2010-07-08T11:55:00.002-06:00

Food, it's been the topic in our home for well over a year. What should we eat, what shouldn't we? We found out Jacob had an allergy to sugar some time ago. We were already eating very well at home. We had gone to almost complete whole grains and had taken out most of the obvious sugars. It seemed that behavior really got out of hand during the school year and holidays. My kids were homeschooled last year and it helped immensely. However, scouts, homeschool activities and sometimes church seemed to hold setbacks. We're still working out those issues.
Recently, I stumbled in to another look at food. It now seems that my son is having yet another allergy to food. We are in the middle of testing to find out for sure. It looks like gluten. We have taken out most gluten for the past several weeks. I have seen a calm in him that hasn't been there before. His impulses also seem to be much better. One great improvement for him is that his terrible headaches have ceased. He had a setback after the 4th of July when he ate a ton of candy that was thrown at the parade. During all of this I have been studying what I can about gluten and other food allergies. Much research suggests that autoimmune disorders (diabetes, fibromyalgia, etc.) can be controlled by finding out what is attacking the body. Apparently, whatever in the body is the weakest is targeted when a person is having an autoimmune response. Many parents of autistic children have found that by removing allergens (most common seems to be gluten and dairy) the children improve in areas like language, behaviour, etc. Just this morning I read an article about inflammation and obesity. It seems that much of the food we eat is literally killing us.
The good news is that by changing what our family has eaten, over time, we are all feeling a great deal better.

Last of my 22 Things I've Learned from Being a Mom

2010-04-09T07:28:00.002-06:00

11- If an outfit is loved enough, it might take several days before mom can pry it off your body.
12- On most surfaces, permanent marker really IS permanent.
13- Praise is the best way to a child's heart.
14- Children can sing the "Happy Family" song without a single happy note, BUT by the end of the song every face will at least have a smile.
15- Babies have a way of melting even the coldest heart.
16- You can't disguise certain foods, broccoli is broccoli no matter how you fix it.
17- It really is true, if there is a puddle ANYWHERE, a child will find it and jump in it.
18- White clothes shouldn't even be an option for children.
19- If your teenage girl talks and giggles non-stop about a certain boy, you should not assume that you can now tease her about this boy.
20- A teens' version of a clean room is not always the same as moms version.
21- Just ignore rolling eyes, those eye muscles just need proper exercise.
22- Time really does go too quickly, enjoy!

22 things I've learned from being a mom

2010-03-27T05:41:00.002-06:00

So, if you've noticed that my background is still "Happy New Years," you're pretty observant. I can't change my background because I can't get my computer to work right when I'm on the internet. I just might have this background until I get my computer fixed which just might be around next New Years, LOL!

I just read about this great idea to list 22 things I've learned from being a mom. I haven't thought of 22, so I'll start with a few.

1. Pull-ups are not underwear. They may have princesses on them, but the three year old is not fooled in to thinking they are underwear.

2. Babies don't like baby jar peas. Heck, have you tasted them? Giving them peas is like saying, "hey cute baby, here's something you can spit all over mommy and really get a good laugh!"

3. If it sounds too quiet, RUN! If you don't, there might be a pile of hair somewhere and bald spots on a child.

4. I have no actual video footage of this one, but apparently a child can start a fire by tripping over a match.

5. "Mommy, I love you," or "thanks mom," can make the worst days seem pretty darn good.

6. Sticks are a boys best friend. The bigger the stick, the better.

7. Big girls need their mommy just as much as little girls. Same with boys.

8. Never say "uh, huh" when you're pre-occupied. You never know what you just said yes to.

9. There is nothing that can make you smile like a child laughing.

10. Peace is holding a child while they sleep.

11. The times when a child needs you the most are the times it is most difficult to be around that child. Be around them anyway.

So Much Excitement!!!

2010-03-26T16:41:00.002-06:00

Ok, so there is something seriously wrong with my computer and I'm having trouble posting, but it looks like I've at least found a workaround for now. So on to the exciting news. Yesterday, after much hard work, Kellie made cheerleader for next year. She was the first one picked up by the 9th grade cheerleaders and so I missed that part, I'm so sad about that. I had to pick up Jacob, Mailaya and Mckenna from grandmas (which is about 2 min. from our house). Anyway, I went to the local restaurant and got pics of the girls. This gorgeous downs syndrome girl tried out and is an honorary cheerleader. She was so cute at the mock tryouts and even remembered her personal cheer. I'll see if I can post a pic later. Kellie really wants to be cheer captain or co-captain so we'll see what happens with that. She'd make a good captain.

Next, Brent has lost almost 10lbs from doing the P90X. He also is getting a little flexibility in his feet and ankles AND he even jumped. Okay, so I wouldn't actually call it jumping, but his feet almost left the floor, LOL! Anything that can help his pain and flexibility is awesome. I have also lost a little weight, 2 lbs. Even better, I'm gaining muscle.

P90X

2010-03-09T07:42:00.002-07:00

Anyone ever heard of this? If you haven't, it's a 90 day workout program designed to kick your butt! Well, Brent and I are on day 2 and I'm feeling it. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm hoping to lose about 15-20 lbs before June. I've got my 20 year reunion and I want to look decent.

Penny Boat Fun

2010-03-09T07:29:00.002-07:00

Our family is trying to do a family activity each week to get closer and have fun together. We planned an activity. The planning goes like this: everyone throws out a bunch of ideas for the activity and we vote on it. Connor wanted to make penny boats. His won because we had votes for 3 activites (all had two votes) and Mckenna had the deciding vote. I think she liked the sound of money being involved. The kids whose ideas did not win were not too happy about the activity and one complained all day that it would be boring. What are penny boats? Well, everyone gets the same size and shape of tin foil and designs their own boat. The boat goes in water and the one that holds the most pennies before sinking wins. Guess who won? If you guessed the child that complained, you are right. Jacob won with over 20 pennies. Kellie felt he cheated because she was winning and then Jacob changed his boat design and beat her, LOL! Brent decided to spice things up by having tin foil boat races. He had two boats in a cookie sheet of water. Kellie and Connor were on opposite sides of the pan and were supposed to blow the boats to the opposite side, the winner being the one who got the boat there the fastest. Anyone ever heard of this one before? Well, the kids were in position and Brent slapped the water and sprayed the two of them pretty good. That started a mini water fight in the house.

Stake Conference

2010-02-23T07:05:00.002-07:00

I really love Stake Conference. The themes are personal to me and those I go to church with and associate with. Our theme for the year is based on family. Our family has really been working on strengthening ours in many ways. Listening to the speakers at Stake Conference made me want to work harder and with more urgency on that goal. I had recently been feeling overwhelmed and a little tied to home. Homeschooling kids is difficult in that regard. It feels sometimes that I can never get time for myself or adult conversation. I then remembered why I am homeschooling and realized that during this time of my life I SHOULD be tied to home and my kids. My kids are growing very quickly and it won't be too long until they are not here anymore. The messages shared brought back to focus my purpose as a mom. Oh, and we had to be good and listen because our family was part of a "family" choir and we were sitting on the stand. The conference was broadcast to all the ward buildings in our stake. Poor Brent had the camera right on him the whole time. I do need to set some time aside for myself to rejuvinate and do the things that fulfill some of my needs and also time to keep my marriage happy. It was a good weekend!

Guess Who's Three?

2010-02-10T14:05:00.003-07:00

Or firteen or sixteen or fourteen (she can't make up her mind). If you guessed Mckenna, you're right. My sweet little princess is three today. Mckenna is our joy. She always has a smile that lights up the room. Her eyes twinkle when she's happy, which is most always. We found, early on, that she looks very similar to her grandma Pat. Grandma died several years ago and it seems that Mckenna and grandma must have been very close. Mckenna and grandma have the same smile and contagious joy! I love you Kennaboo

Valentines

2010-02-09T13:23:00.002-07:00

Last night we had such a fun FHE. We made valentines for each other. It was so cute to watch each child spend so much time and make each valentine individual for their brothers and sisters. Connor did a cool drawing and sort of poem for each person. Connor surprised me the most because he used to hate writing. Since homeschooling, he is actually writing stories and things on his own. Even Mckenna got into it. She was gluing, cutting and drawing circles on her cards. I love seeing my kids using their creativity in such a loving way.

Can You Feel the Love?

2010-02-03T17:55:00.002-07:00

It's February! The "love" month. What do I love most? My family. I love that Mckenna heard Brent pull up in the driveway and ran to the door, "daddy's home, daddy's home!!!" When he walked in she excitedly told him that she was drinking hot cocoa. I love that Jacob had 6 days of good behaviour. I love that Connor still loves to cuddle. I appreciate that Kellie leaves notes on the mirror for everyone to read and know she cares. I enjoy Mailaya telling me that she needs a hug. I love watching everyone want to make every waking moment of Karlyn's a happy one. I love that my dh is getting pizza tonight because he knows I don't feel well. I LOVE my FAMILY!

Family Meetings

2010-01-18T08:44:00.002-07:00

We have been having family meetings every Sunday. Brent and I have also had meetings with each child individually. We weren't sure if we should do them with Mckenna because she is too samll to understand exactly what is happening. We decided to do them with her. Well, her goal each week has been the same, hugs and kisses. Last night, she saw that the meetings were going on and she jumped on to our bed and said, "hugs and kisses!" She gave Brent and I both hugs and kisses on the spot. It was so cute.

A Funny

2010-01-17T20:57:00.002-07:00

Tonight, we were having meetings with our kids and my dd reminded me of a funny. A few years ago, Connor, was really into Spiderman. He used to stick tape on his feet and hands and try to climb the walls, LOL!

Children Teaching Children

2010-01-13T16:10:00.003-07:00

I've written a couple of times about our family trying to parent using the book, Teaching Self Government. Today my 6 year old was talking to her almost 3 year old sister. She was trying to teach her to say, "okay." It's the key word for accepting "no" answers, accepting consequences, showing that your listening, etc. It was so cute. "Mckenna, say okay." "Put that back, now say okay."

Artwork

2010-01-13T15:58:00.005-07:00

I love art. I decided to be an artist when my grandpa hung a picture I did for him on the wall. I'm not quite an artist, but it brings great joy to me. I am trying to instill some sense of joy in my kids with art as well. Three of them recently entered the K12 art competition. Mailaya's picture she calls Summertime Express

Jacobs picture, House in a Snowstorm.

Connor's picture, House by the Pool

Potty Training

2010-01-11T08:01:00.002-07:00

I'm just going to say it, "I HATE potty training." I really do. It's that time between diapers and being trained when there are accidents on a daily basis. We've been working on potty training with Kenna for months. She was almost trained when Karlyn was born. Somedays she is dry through the whole day and others she'll have one to three accidents. This morning she said how much she loved her diaper. I asked her about her princess underwear. She let me know that she doesn't love her underwear and doesn't want to potty in the toilet. Sigh...

Goal # 3

2010-01-11T07:47:00.002-07:00

This goal is an emotional goal. Out of all the goals, this is the one that I tend to put last. My goal is to do something each week that is just for me. I want to make time to read books for enjoyment. Digital scrapbook at least once per week. Oh, sew and paint. I LOVE to paint and don't make the time for that like I want to. I've got one more goal to write out, my religious goal. I'm not sure what I'm going to do for that one but it's being thought out.

How's it Going?

2010-01-06T15:40:00.002-07:00

It's going great! What? My first New Year's resolution. Strengthening my family has been fun. One of the "Teaching Self Government" ideas is to have a once a week activity with the whole family. I actually asked Nicholeen about this because we already have FHE (family home evening). She said that they do FHE on Sunday and the activity on Monday. The reason is the anticipation of a family planned event is really important. It has been especially important in our home right now. One child is making some huge changes and has lost privileges quite a bit. Family time is special and every child gets to participate in all of the planned family stuff, even if they don't have privileges. We've only had two activities so far but I can see it's something the kids are going to relish and become more creative in planning as time goes on. We did puzzles the first night and went sledding last night. We had intended to build a snow man and have a snowball fight but the snow wasn't right for either. We had sledding as our secondary plan. It turned out to be a great lesson in having fun even though plans change.

They Grow Too Fast!

2010-01-06T14:38:00.002-07:00

Karlyn rolled over Sunday. I can't believe it. She's such a people person baby. She LOVES to be talked to and held BUT she doesn't like to cuddle. She wants to see everything going on around her so always has to face out. We took her sleigh riding (she didn't sled of course). She liked being with us but hated the snow suit - she couldn't suck her thumb.

Thomas Jefferson knew

2010-01-05T11:44:00.003-07:00

How did Jefferson know?

HOW DID JEFFERSON KNOW?
When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.Thomas Jefferson

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. Thomas Jefferson

It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world. Thomas Jefferson

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. Thomas Jefferson

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government. Thomas Jefferson

No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. Thomas Jefferson

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. Thomas Jefferson

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. Thomas Jefferson

To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical. Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:'I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.'

Such a Lovely week

2010-01-04T15:58:00.003-07:00

I love vacation-relaxation time. Sometimes vacations don't work out like that. This one did. Brent and I have both been really tired lately. We decided to have a quiet New Year's Eve. Instead of inviting family or friends over, we watched a movie with the kids (Night at the Museum) and then put the kids to bed. We then played a little WII Fit Plus and watched "An Affair to Remember." It was so nice. New Year's Day we invited another family to our house to sleigh ride and have nachos and hot cocoa. We ended up having 5 of the kids at our home after that and we played games until they left. Saturday, we went to my moms for our annual sea food dinner. Wow, I wish I would have taken a picture of the crab legs. They were huge!!! It was fun getting together with family. We learned a fun game, Jungle Uno, which was a riot. Sunday, we had a Christmas get together with Brent's family. It was fun. You know the best thing? My kids were SO good.

Goal Number 2

2010-01-04T08:33:00.002-07:00

My second goal is a physical one. I want to get in to shape! I have about 10 lbs to lose from being pregnant. I don't want to just lose the weight, I want to be fit. I plan to keep eating well and start some sort of exercising. It's no problem in the summer, but I'm not sure yet what to do for the winter. I'd like Brent and I to take the kids biking in Southern Utah this summer so biking will definitely be part of the program. My body was made for running, but I really don't like to run. I might have to do a little though for conditioning. Okay, it's been typed out, it's official!

Call to Action

2009-12-31T04:21:00.002-07:00

Many have heard of the Health Care Reform Bill. Do you know what's in it? The bill is supposed to make health care affordable to all US citizens. From the research I have done, this is not the case. What this bill really does is chip away at our precious constitutional freedoms. It also chips away at our pocketbook. Mark Shurtleff, Utah Attorney General, and 9 other State Attorney Generals are working together to check in to the legality and constitutionality of this bill. We often say to ourselves, "what can I do?" What we can do is make our voices heard. History shows us that citizens must stand up and fight. We can no longer just stand back and hope that our elected leaders will do the right thing. Those elected leaders that are voting "for the people" need to be supported. Bob Bennett has a petition to help stop the Health Care Reform bill. Find out for yourself what is in this bill and others. Decide for yourself if what is being passed is good for our country. Does it support our constitution? If you feel inclined, sign the petition and think about becoming a delegate for your state.

Planning for a new year

2009-12-28T07:15:00.004-07:00

This coming year, I am hoping to fulfill three main goals, maybe four, I'm still thinking about exactly what I want these goals to be. There is one goal, a family one, that Brent and I are already working on. It is to strengthen our home by doing things that allow the Spirit to be in our home as often as possible. We have already seen a huge change happening. I recently learned of the Peck family. They live in Tooele Utah and hosted two teens from the UK for a show called, "The World's Strictest Parents." (warning, BBC does not edit swearing and such in this video). I was quite impressed by the Peck family and wanted to learn more about them and their parenting style. I found out that Nicholeen Peck has a website, Teaching Self Government, and recently came out with a book called, "A House United, Teaching Self Government." I am still learning how to implement self government in our home, but already it is making a huge impact on our family. We had an appointment set to take one of our sons to see a sought out child phsychiatrist (or is it psychologist?). We set this appointment months ago but don't feel the need for it any longer. Our home has a great deal less stress going on and my children are learning to work together and get along with each other. I have tried many systems of discipline, some have put me on the right path, this one seems to combine the best of many programs.

Christmas

2009-12-26T06:28:00.002-07:00

It was a lovely Christmas. Mckenna was the most fun. Her shocked little face and the stuff that came out of her mouth like, "so pretty," "oh my gosh," "it's my princess." Mailaya telling me quietly that her favorite gift was the treasure chest that Kellie got for her. Kellie enjoying every moment of the other kids opening the gifts that she spent so much time thinking up for them. All of the kids really tried to find gifts that the others would find so special. Connor anticipating all month for me to open my gift from him so I could add it to my Christmas village. Jacob trading in his sugar candy for sugar free. It really was wonderful. I walked past Karlyn's bed last night and watched her little face while she was sleeping. So perfect and peaceful. I am so blessed.
I can remember so clearly the Christmases without children. We tried very hard to find the perfect gifts for my brother and our neices and nephews. It was fun, but there was a hole in our hearts that has now been filled with having children. Parenting can be very difficult at times. There are so many ups and downs. Sometimes I wonder about my kids. Are they going to be happy? Are they going to be active in the church as they get older? Are they going to want to be around? I hope it is yes to all three questions.

One more calendar page!

2009-12-20T21:33:00.002-07:00

I have to post one more page. It's one of my favorites.

I FINISHED the calendar!!!

2009-12-20T21:24:00.003-07:00

I had until midnight yesterday to finish the calendar. I finished just under that, PHEW!!! Brent and I are keeping it simple for each other this year. I wanted to make sure that I did something special for him. He is always so thoughtful of me. Last week, I forgot about our anniversary. He came home with roses and a wonderful gift and I still didn't realize it was our anniversary (embarrased laugh).

My family

2009-11-25T17:06:00.002-07:00

I LOVE digital scrapbooking. It is so rewarding to see such instant results when you put a page together. I am making a calendar for dh for Christmas. Here's the March page.

Daddy

2009-11-25T07:43:00.003-07:00

Last night, while eating dinner, I asked my two year old, Mckenna, "who made you so cute?" She said, "daddy." It's true, she looks like her gramma Pat and her daddy.

I am so thankful...

2009-11-25T07:38:00.002-07:00

...for so many things. I have a beautiful family. A husband who loves me unconditionally. Six beautiful, healthy children. A mind that is tired but functioning well. A body that does all that I ask of it. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Through the power of the atonement I can be forgiven of all I do wrong. I know my prayers are heard and answered. I am able to do things that I enjoy and get through things that I don't enjoy. I have a wonderful life!

Spelling help

2009-10-30T17:17:00.004-06:00

There was a discussion on one of the homeschool groups about a good spelling curriculum. I have a good curriculum, but found this website www.spellingcity.com to be fabulous for learning the words. You plug in the spelling words and your child can play games or test.

The Wink

2009-10-29T07:56:00.002-06:00

The pictures say it all!

I Was Speechless...

2009-10-21T07:41:00.002-06:00

...which doesn't happen often. I think I mentioned before that I am homeschooling this year. For the most part, it is turning out to be a good thing. My kids are quite social so I have tried to make sure that we attend as many homeschool fieldtrips and activities as possible. I signed my kids up for a group called, Destination Imagination. It's a great program that the kids seem to really enjoy. Friday was our first time with the DI group. I was with Mailaya's group - 3-6 yr olds. Each child was sharing something about themselves. One child brought a cute doll, another told about her dog, one had a piece of silky cloth... Then it was Mailaya's turn. If you haven't met Mailaya, she has a very deep, low voice. She loves people but can seem stand offish when she is uncomfortable. She was pretty uncomfortable at this point of the day. She hadn't made a friend yet and I could just tell it wasn't going well for her. She couldn't think of anythign to say about herself and I prompted her asking what her favorite movie was. She said, "Lord of the Rings." Silence filled the room. Even the adult leader was quiet. Then the leader asked if anyone else had seen the move, no one had (these are young kids). She then asked Mailaya who her favorite character in the movie was, "Legolas." "He's easy on the eyes,"

They DO listen!

2009-10-08T16:30:00.002-06:00

So I was talking to my dh the other day. I mentioned that the next time someone asks if ALL of these children were mine, I was going to say, "Yes, and there are 5 different fathers." My kids had a field trip today and we had to buy some lunch before that. The checker was really giving me the once over and then asked if they were all mine. I said, "yes," and Connor said, "are you going to tell her about the different fathers?" LOL!!!

Welcome, Karlyn Judy!

2009-09-21T20:33:00.002-06:00

Karlyn was born September 17, 2009 at 8:30 p.m. She weighed 7lbs 10oz. The first thing out of moms mouth was, "she looks like Kenna!" Dad volunteered to cut the cord (can you believe it?) She cried with all of the nurses and would stop as soon as mom or dad held her. She's healthy and beautiful.

Birth Story

2009-09-21T16:43:00.002-06:00

I'm gonna do this in two parts. This one will be about the birth story itself, the second will just be the birth stats and pics for those that don't want to read all the gory details.

My due date was approaching and my Dr. informed me that he would be on vacation on my due date. He told me that if I might want to schedule an induction in case I didn't have the baby before he left. I REALLY didn't want to be induced and so decided against it. My doc said he didn't want me to go more than a week over the due date so I should set up an appointment with the Dr. filling in for him while he was gone. I scheduled the appointment but didn't go in (sick kids and I myself wasn't feeling well). The due date came and went and nothing was happening as far as contractions. I let it go a couple of days and decided I better call the fill-in Dr. and schedule that induction. My new appt. was for Thursday, September 17th. I went in to the office thinking I would set up the induction for today, Monday, the 21st. That way I would have a little more time (hopefully go in to labor on my own) AND my regular doc would be back from vacation. All was going well, ultrasound looked good, plenty of amniotic fluid, and then the doc said we better do a non-stress test. That's just a fancy term for monitoring the baby's heart for a period of time. The doc came in and looked at the test and was worried about two places where the heart rate went down and didn't recover quickly. The rest of the test looked great, but he didn't want to take any risks. I didn't either. He scheduled me to go in the same day at 3:00 p.m. It was already 1:30 and I had no time to go home and get everything I needed. This is one of those moments where I couldn't believe I didn't listen to myself and gather up those needed items. Oh, well, Brent ran home and gathered them for me.

So, I went to the hospital, and, because of pre-registration, walked right in expecting to be taken right to a room. There were all types of miscommunications going on at this time. The room I was supposed to be in wasn't clean. As a matter of fact, the cleaning lady kept telling the desk that a patient was still in that room and she couldn't clean it. That's was okay for a while because I was hoping Brent would make it to the hospital before all of the action began. So I sat and waited, dh showed up and I started having contractions. We waited for at least and hour and I was escorted to my room. Of course I had to give a urine sample and get in to a large, gown. The nurse had to ask me all kinds of questions and it came up that I had 5 kids at home but that this was my second pregnancy. We started to really talk and she shared that her daughter was an adoptive parent. She then began telling us about her son-in-law and how she had set her dd and son-in-law up. Okay, so the cool part, I knew them. Her son-in-law was our family Dr. for a brief time. My dh talked to him about our adoptions because they didn't have any children and it came up. I knew of his wife from a China adoption list and was excited when they adopted two girls from China. It was so neat. Plus, I just really liked this nurse because she was so dang funny.

Well, it was shift change time and I was handed off to a new nurse (with the knowledge that this NEW nurse was good with handicapped adults). Yes, I was mentally challenged at this point when I could not get the IV tubing unwrapped from my body, LOL! During all of this, contractions were really moving along. I went from a 2 or so in the docs office to a 4 dilation. I was pretty much fully effaced. I asked my new nurse if I could just go on my own without the induction. She said it was the Dr.'s orders but she would just give me a whiff of it. Contractions were getting more intense and the Dr. decided to come in and break my water. I REALLY didn't want that. I was hoping to go without an epidural and that pretty much ruined it for me. The contractions were so hard and close that I could barely breathe through them. I got the epidural (why do they say not to jerk, it only makes it harder not to, LOL). I forgot to tell them not to give me a full dose of the epidural. All meds work on me fast and hard. The nurse said I would only have to go through a few more contractions. Well, how about I was completely numb almost as soon as the meds hit me. I also became quite slap happy. The nurse checked me and I was complete. We just had to wait for the Dr. to come in and deliver her. I told her that I hoped I wouldn't have to do much because I couldn't feel a thing from the waist down. She said, "why don't we do a practice push?" It worked out just fine. The room was set up and another great nurse came in. She told us to watch the doc because he had a pretty funny routine of putting on his gown and flicking it as he sits down, like a dress. As he was getting dressed, they decided to do another practice push. I did and they asked me to stop, the head could be seen and the nurse and Dr. were not quite ready. I only went through about 3 sets of pushing and she came right out. Apparently, the cord was really long and wrapped about her body. The doc said that might be why her heart rate went down for a bit. She was so beautiful, so worth the wait. Very pink and perfect. We love you Karlyn!!!

YIKES!!!

2009-09-16T16:57:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I am STILL pregnant. What is up with that? Yes, this is the shortest blog post ever, but what is there left to say?

French Bread and Meatball recipe

2009-09-06T19:13:00.002-06:00

These are such good recipes. I have been asked to share them, so I will here. I'm including healthier options with the bread.

French Bread

1/2 C warm water
1 TBS sugar (or honey)
1 TBS yeast
1 C boiling water
2 TBS sugar (or honey)
2 TBS butter
2 tsp salt
1 C cold water
6-7 cups flour (white, wheat, spelt, kamut, combo of flours, try something new)

Combine the 1/2 c water, 1 TBS sugar and yeast in bowl (I use my Bosch mixer). Let stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, boil 1 C water and turn off stove, add rest of sugar, butter and salt. Stir until butter melts and add cold water. Gradually add flour to make soft dough. Let stand for 10 minutes. Stir gently every 10 min. for 20 min. Turn onto lightly floured surface and divide into 3 portions. Roll in to bagette shapes and let rest for 40 min. Make slits in dough. Bake at 400 degress for 25 minutes.

Meatballs

1 egg
1/4 C milk
1/3 C dry bread crumbs (or crackers or oatmeal)
1 lb ground beef
2 TBS finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp Worcesthire sauce

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Shape in to 1 1/2" balls (I use a cookie dough shaper). Place in ungreased baking dish. Bake in 400 degree oven for about 20 min.

Healthier Living

2009-08-29T08:33:00.002-06:00

A few years ago, I decided that my family needed to eat healthier. We did pretty good, but I wanted to do better. My mom had been on a diet (lifestyle change) that not only left her losing quite a bit of weight, but also feeling a great deal better. She was told that she had high cholesterol and needed to cut fats. Well, even before she changed her diet, she was always eating low fat foods. It turned out that taking away all of the fats in her diet was causing a huge problem for her. Good fats are necessary to absorb vitamins and maintain a healthy cholesterol. Lots of diets cut out needed protien and fats that also help keep your mood good and feed the brain.

I decided that we would just work on taking out of our diet the white flour and sugar. My husband had the hardest time with this. He does not like millet or oatmeal in the morning and the food tasted weird to him. I just decided to persist anyway. The kids were great about trying new things and really began to like the new way of eating. I figured I would start very simply with Brent. Saturday mornings were normally "pancake" days. I began substituting part wheat with white flour and trading out the sugar with ripe banana. That went over pretty well. I then changed that to several different whole grain flours and the banana. It took some time, but he was won over and even when he cooked pancakes, he made them my way.

Now to the present. We are doing pretty well with our lifestyle change. Some occasions are hard, but we have learned to make jut about everything whole grain and sugar free. Brent makes most of the desserts in the family and he has become really good at sugar free and whole grain recipes. The real test came recently. Mailaya had a birthday and really wanted to eat at IHOP. Brent had ordered a breakfast that had mostly meat and eggs and a couple of pancakes. I looked over and he had taken a couple of bites and that was it. I asked him if he was going to eat more and he said they tasted nasty to him, no flavor. SUCCESS!!! The kids ate his pancakes and all was well.

Another Happy Birthday!

2009-08-17T09:41:00.003-06:00

Friday, Connor turned 11. Can you believe it? I sure can't. He's such a good boy. Connor has a tender heart, loves to tease, is quite literal and just a joy, most of the time. I have to tell a story about Connor. Saturday, Brent, Connor and I went to town. Brent had a bunch of change in a jar that we decided to cash in. The change machine stopped (needed to change the quarter bag) and so the bank president and a lady who worked there came to fix it. It was pretty fascinating seeing the inside of this machine and how the coins were separated. Well, the lady said that she hated changing the quarter bag because it weighed 30 ton. Connor said, "it does not!" She said something about how she meant that it was heavy. Connor proceeded to ask if she had ever lifted an elephant. She said no. He said, "an elephant weighs about 2 ton." It went on from there. That is Connor for you, so literal. The bank president got a kick out of him. He asked if Connor was a scout yet and that when he started working on the coin merit badge to come in and he would show Connor his huge foreign coin collection.

She's TOO smart for her own good

2009-08-17T09:30:00.003-06:00

We have been trying to potty train Mckenna lately. Honestly, she could have potty trained 6 months or more ago, she just didn't want to. I had this brilliant idea, she loves princesses, if I get her princess underwear... So Saturday I bought her princess underwear (unwear to her). She was quite impressed and wanted to put them on immediately. I told her that princesses don't like to get all wet so she needs to potty in the big girl toilet. She did great, no accidents all day. Then we get to night time. I told her that she had to wear a diaper to bed and that if she could keep her diaper dry, she could wear underwear to bed. Kellie put the diaper on her but unfortunately left the underwear on her bed. She woke up yelling, "I clean, I clean." I realized that she had underwear on and it was dry. I then saw that her diaper was dry. "Great!" I thought. Then I noticed that her bed was soaking wet. I know exactly what she did. She removed her diaper so that it would remain dry, pottied in the bed and whala, woke up clean. The good news is that her diaper was dry this morning but I'm still not ready for unwear at night. LOL!!!

Can I afford to adopt?

2009-08-14T20:41:00.002-06:00

I am a huge advocate of adoption. 4 of my kids are adopted and those adoptions have been the most miraculous blessings of my life. Often I hear the comment, "I can't afford to adopt." Sometimes it seems that adoption costs are insurmountable. The truth is, dh and I couldn't afford it either but somehow, there was always a way. I'm gonna' tell about one way that anyone can afford, adoption through DCFS. The first thing that usually comes to people's minds when they think of adopting through the state is the fear of bringing a child in to your home and having to give them back to the birth parent. I know that fear was high on my list. Even after attending the required foster parent classes I had that fear. Well, I've watched several friends decide to take the risk and try anyway. In every case, a child is eventually placed, permanently, with the family if that is what they want to do. Just this past week, an online adoption friend was placed with just such an infant. They will be able to finalize his adoption in about six months. This adoption will not cost them anything. They will also get help from the state for a while, this includes medicaid until he is 18 years old. Just something to think about if you are wanting to adopt but feel that you can't afford to.

Fractions

2009-08-12T16:43:00.002-06:00

This is my favorite way to teach fractions, play dough. It's simple and effective. I have the kids roll out shapes (circles are the easiest way to start) and have them make cuts. At first, I tell them how many sections to cut. So if I made one cut down the middle of the circle that would still be a 2 out of 2 pieces. Take one piece out and that is 1 out of 2 or 1/2. We do this with many sections until they get the hang of what a fraction really means. Once they get it, I tell them to make a fraction like 7/10 and see if they really understand. This is great for those hands on learners but for other learning styles as well.

Happy Birthday!

2009-08-11T14:49:00.002-06:00

Today Mailaya turns 6 years old. I love my sweet Mailaya. She has a personality all her own. Dh and I met her when she was 9 months old. It was love at first sight. Imagine looking into the deepest, darkest, most sorrowful eyes. The sorrow soon turned to joy and she has been a joy ever since. She had a friend birthday party yesterday and all her best friends were there. She was very particular about what we would do at the party. She was upset because there were pencils and glue and such in the pinata. Her comment was, "pinatas are not for art supplies." Mailaya has a very deep, raspy voice so it really emphasizes what whe says. We love you Mailaya!!!

If you have a little girl...

2009-08-02T17:38:00.003-06:00

...you've got to check out this site. www.haloheaven.com. I do a lot of sewing and cannot make little dresses and tutus for this price. Well, maybe with left overs. Cute fairy wings, wands, hairbows, crocheted hats. LOVE IT!!!

Special needs infant adoption

2009-07-30T07:40:00.002-06:00

If you have a moment, check out the blog link, special needs infant adoption. Some children are difficult to find homes for because they are born with special needs. Sometimes those needs are due to drug or alcohol abuse of the birthmother. Sometimes it's a genetic disease and other times it might be a physical impairment. Sometimes the child has a birthparent with a mental illness. Brent and I were looking at adopting a special needs child from China or the United States. We (I) researched the effects of drugs and alcohol on a baby, different physical needs and the requirements for the needs and also the statistics of a child developing a mental illness when a parent already suffers from that mental illness. We found that there were many special needs that we would be able to physically, emotionally, and financially be able to work with.

One thing that really helped us was to look at our own health history. I have several family members that suffer from depression. One of my cousin's (just 22 yrs. old) died last week from the effects of his mental illness. I myself have struggled, in the past, with anxiety. Another cousin was born with fingers and toes missing or developed wrong. His father took drugs that might have been a factor in this. Brent's family has all sorts of ailments, some more serious than others.

There is a great deal of research out there for every special need under the sun. You can often find yahoogroups where parents will honestly tell you what it is like to raise a child with such and such special need. Alcohol is something that will likely affect a child for life, but many drugs will leave the system and the child is okay after they are gone. Some physical needs will last a child's life time, while others can be repaired and a child goes on without any or little lasting effects. It's a matter of soul searching, research and prayer. If you are looking for a baby or child to adopt, take a minute and consider special needs adoption. I have seen so many success stories, might one of those stories be yours?

A math idea

2009-07-23T08:47:00.002-06:00

This school year, I've decided that it's in the best interest of three of my kids to be home schooled. Home schooling for me is to meet the needs of my kids that the school doesn't tend to meet. For Jacob it's because he needs to be away from sugar. Connor (a very bright child) is failing in nearly every subject. Just to let you know that Connor is not just bright in MY eyes, he had very high (compared to other kids in the state) test scores in nearly every area tested. So why is he failing school? Sometimes kids aren't taught the way they need to be in order to succeed. The year before last he was really discouraged from thinking for himself in his best subject, math. Connor was working out multiplication problems in his own way but not being acknowledged for how very creative and bright that kind of thinking is. Don't get me wrong, I think teachers are overwhelmed in the school system. I wish that teachers could teach out of the textbooks of their choosing and that they could use their own style of teaching. Sadly, they must teach to a test with the districts choice of curriculum.
So now for the idea. I used this with my kids and another family when we did home school a few years ago. I put a math problem on one card and the answer on another. I did this with several problems, laminated the cards and made a math game. The game was memory - matching the problem with the solution. It was a fun way to learn, in this case, multiplication. I ended up teaching a small group of kids some advanced math the next year and found lots of good ideas which I will post here and there. I was going to put it in my other web site, but I think I will be tearing that one down. I can barely contribute to one!

July 4th, Fireworks

2009-07-21T07:50:00.004-06:00

Okay, so I'm posting out of order. Oh well. I never was very organized. I LOVE the 4th of July. I love celebrating the freedoms that so many have sacrificed for and that I can enjoy. This year I was a little bummed because we had to break tradition. Kellie had to be involved with a parade in our valley but not in our town. Brent and I split up so the other kids could ride their bikes in the parade at our park. We all had a good day and ended up at grandmas for a barbecue and later to catch the fireworks. Kenna wasn't thrilled with the noise.

I decided to try my hand at taking photos of fireworks. I think I got a few good ones.

Grand Camp

2009-07-20T17:48:00.002-06:00

Grand Camp is a tradition that was started a few years ago. It's a lot of fun for grandkids and adults alike. We went to my parents house this past Wednesday to Saturday. We were originally going to Brownie Lake in the Uintah's but heard that this was the year of the mosquito. My parents made an obstacle course that was a riot. They had large boxes to climb through, a balance beam, ladder to rope swing, bricks to walk on, trampoline, frisbee through hula hoop and they had to make a basket. This turned out to be the favorite for my kids of all the activities. Friday night, the kids were timed on this course and then three of the kids were blindfolded and led (by voice) through the course. As usual, Kellie won the course when timed (she is VERY competitive). She also did really well being led blindfolded. We also went canoeing and fishing on Causey dam (Jacob caught the only fish), hiking up the North Fork waterfall (I shouldn't have done that), the older kids went boating with grandpa while the younger ones had a riot in the water at grandma's house.

Why am I doing this?

2009-07-20T17:39:00.003-06:00

Okay, so uploading this photo is not like me. Not only do I usually not post photos of myself, but this one... Anyway, this is most likely the last time I will be pregnant and I had to have some kind of proof.

Heart broken

2009-07-08T18:58:00.002-06:00

Yes, my heart is breaking some for my 5 year old tonight. She was crying last night and would not tell me why but I had my suspicions. She confirmed them today. Mailaya let me know that she wished she didn't have brown skin and that she was born in America so she could have been a tiny baby when we adopted her.

Just to back track a bit. My intention was to go back to Samoa and adopt another child. I even had thoughts of a sibling group. Mailaya's siblings were available soon after we returned home from Samoa. It was quite expensive to adopt from there, mostly travel costs and we didn't feel right about adopting them. Anyhow, Samoan adoption closed and so of course, that door was closed. Since then, we have tried for several transracial adoption situations and none have worked out. We had gotten pretty involved with two of them but I became pregnant both times. The last one in particular didn't seem right to go ahead with. She was 7 years old and she was being disrupted from her adoptive family. I didn't feel that I could be fair to both a baby and this little girl. I NEVER wanted her to be the only child with beautiful brown skin. It is hard enough to fit in sometimes. She has always seemed so resilient though.

Anyway, now we are at the point of having 6 kids, a small home, and really no way to do an adoption right now. 6 kids feels pretty overwhelming already. Mailaya told me that she just wants to look like her sisters. Honestly, I wish I looked like her. She is so very beautiful. I fell in love with her deep, dark eyes the moment we met her. I know she will be okay, but my heart does hurt a little tonight!

Trials

2009-06-29T16:58:00.002-06:00

This post comes after reading a blog entry of a friend of mine. I linked the title to her blog in case you want to read her excellent words.

My dh and I were married in Dec. of 1990. We both loved and hoped for children right away. I didn't want to wait because of my family history (both sides) of endometriosis and problems I was already having. Brent and I went quickly from hoping to feeling devastated as each month took us further and further from our dream. I experienced hopelessness, depression, anxiety, and feelings of "what have I done to deserve this fate?" Often, I would get down on my knees and ask my Heavenly Father for His help. He always answered my prayers with feelings of peace. At one point, I felt most despair when an unmarried cousin of mine got pregnant. Then, my sister was pregnant, a honeymoon baby. It hurt so much. My mom reassured me over and over that we would have a child, it would be okay. She introduced to me to a woman in the ward (we had recently moved back to my home ward) that had adopted two children. Anyway, this lady spoke with me about her experience with adoption. I already loved her little boy, he was in my Sunbeam class. Adoption was not a new concept for me. I had been having experiences since I was young that made me feel very open to the idea. Heavenly Father had prepared me well.

It didn't take much convincing to get my dh on board with this adoption idea. Adoption was not a piece of cake. New anxious feelings came about. Paperwork needed ot be done, classes to take, a social worker to interview and evaluate us. One of the most difficult things for me was an autobiographical questionairre. It seemed so unfair, how many couples or even singles had kids without one single question asked about their qualifications to raise a child? 9 months and 11 days passed from the time we handed in our initial paperwork to LDSFS and the time we were placed with our first beautiful child, a daughter. We adopted 3 more children after that.

Something very unexpected happened after all of that. I became pregnant. I had NO idea I was pregnant. It took several tests and a confirmation from the Dr. before I believed it. A beautiful girl came from that pregnancy and I'm now pregnant with another.

I write all of this because I get a lot of folks saying that dh and I had it the "easy way" through adoption. I have heard others say how the Lord blessed us with pregnancy because we were willing to adopt. Like my adopted children are some sort of charity cases and my bio kids are more special in some way. I can assure you that adoption is not an easy path. To watch a birthparents heart break so that mine can rejoice, to feel the pain of infertility, the anxiety of "will I be good enough for someone to choose me?" There are so many emotions. I also want to share that my adopted children are no less special or loved just because they didn't come from my body. I often feel an extra obligation to them because of the gift they are to me and the pain and sacrifice their birthparents felt to give them a life they didn't feel they could give. All children are a gift, it doesn't matter how they came about.

I wish to thank my Heavenly Father for the trial and blessing of adoption. I have learned more from infertility and adoption than anything else in my life. A new kind of compassion for others. The knowledge that my Father in Heaven knows ME, personally. Another knowledge that dh and I can get though anything together, we almost didn't.

So Sick!

2009-06-29T13:59:00.002-06:00

There is nothing like having a stomach something (I'm not sure if it's the flu or food poisoning) and being pregnant. Oh I hope the kids don't get this one. We all have been so healthy for so long.

Forever Strong

2009-06-28T19:25:00.004-06:00

I don't recommend movies unless I REALLY like them. This movie is fantastic. Forever Young is based around the game of rugby but is really about the changing (for good) of a young man. I love movies that show the potential we have to do good in others lives and change our own for the better. It's rated PG-13.

http://www.foreverstrongmovie.com/

Tuna Casserole

2009-06-28T19:23:00.001-06:00

Sometimes you do something as a mom that you SWORE you would never do. Well, I made tuna casserole. I'm seriously not a casserole type of mom. Never make them. Okay, so now I'll be making them more often. No complaints from the kids!!!

Love Story

2009-06-24T09:54:00.002-06:00

Mailaya loves the song "Love Story" by Taylor Swift. She memorized songs very quickly and this one she sings over and over with her friends. I love this version.

Odds and Ends

2009-06-23T08:32:00.002-06:00

It's finally summer! I love summer. It's been raining for most of it, but it was nice yesterday and today looks really good. Connor, Jacob, and Mailaya started swimming lessons yesterday. The boys are in karate two days a week. Kellie is cheerleading three days a week and this week she is attending cheer camp. The rest of us are just enjoying summer. We planted some square foot garden boxes and we've got stuff sprouting everywhere. Many of my flowers are in bloom!!! I think the plants are my favorite thing about summer. I love going outside and seeing the hard work I've put in through the years. Brent does a lot, but not much gardening.

Any suggestions on girl names? We are having a hard time finding a name that goes with the rest of the kids but isn't too similar. The baby is looking really good. It looks like she's going to be small, like Mckenna was. She moves a lot. I'm pretty sore from her position and how much she moves.

Funny

2009-05-06T10:58:00.002-06:00

I haven't laughed this hard in a VERY long time. It can't get much more realistic.

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/972408

Kellie again!

2009-04-06T10:51:00.002-06:00

Kellie tried out for cheerleader and she MADE IT!!! We are so proud of her. School is a struggle for Kellie and she was able to keep her grades up to try out. Now we have to keep them up from now on. She wanted this so bad and has really worked hard. Her tumbling was the best of all those that tried out. After mock try-outs, I didn't think she'd make it. Everything looked good, but she wasn't projecting or standing out in any way. I got a call from her hip hop teacher who was at the mock. She was a competitive cheerleader and gymnast. She asked me to give her one hour with Kellie. By the end of the hour, Kell was ready. Names of groups were pulled randomly and I was pretty worried. She was put with the one girl who would be returning this next year and another really tough competitor. Next round she was put with the tough competitor again and another girl. That night we had to wait and see if she got a phone call. If the call came, she didn't make it. The call didn't come, the cheerleaders came instead to pick her up.

Kellie

2009-03-30T10:29:00.002-06:00

I just love my Kellie girl. She is the sweetest child - and I'm saying that when she is 13 1/2. Last week she had and awesome opportunity. Her choir performed at a district choir concert. They were able to perform some numbers with T-Five and hear them sing several songs. The choirs worked with the group all day and one member, Carsten Longhurst, conducted some numbers at the end of the program. He was an amazing conductor. I can't believe how well he had them singing in such a short amount of time. The closing number was a rockin' gospel number with drums, an awesome jazz pianist, and bass guitar. All of the people helped and performed for free.

One other note, Kellie is trying out for cheerleader. She really is good and that's not just momma talkin'. Clinics started today and next week will be the official tryouts.

One Hopeful Moment

2009-03-19T09:09:00.002-06:00

One of the things we struggle with constantly with Jacob is a lack of remorse and the fact that he does everything without thinking first. I had him home for several days (partly weekend) and off of sugar for nearly 72 hours. We had dinner after the funeral and there was very little that Jacob could eat. It was hard on him. All around were treats. He resisted them. Later I asked why he had resisted. He said that he didn't want to come home and break down and that he knew I would be upset if he had sugar. This is HUGE for him. He actually thought of the consequences and made a decision based on that. Unfortunately, he went back to school and ate a ton of sweets. We have to start all over again. We found out that he is pre-diabetic and also that the sugar is causing some problems in his brain (hence the impulsiveness). I may have to take him out of school until he is strong enough to say no to all of the sweets.

Someone I love...

2009-03-15T21:43:00.002-06:00

...passed away this past Wednesday. My father-in-law, Bud Nicholls, was a wonderful man. He was my husbands step dad but Brent considered him just dad. I want to write another post to do him justice, but I'm just beat.

This is the last post today, I promise

2009-03-09T10:46:00.002-06:00

We adopted Mailaya from Samoa in 2004. She was 9 months old. The agency that we adopted Mailaya with came under a federal investigation some time after that. I believe we were contacted first in the summer of 2006. It began with just over 80 federal endictments. Well, this is FINALLY over. We are so glad. Our case was being used in the prosecution and the defense. There were rumors of us losing our children. It was horrible. In the end, the agency was disbanded and 5 misdemeanors were handed down. This resulted in the five main agency workers having a 5 year probation and some other stipulations that aren't completely worked out yet. Personally, I am glad that these folks, who I consider friends, did not have anything more than the misdemeanor. I am so grateful to have Mailaya as my daughter. She brings such love and joy in to our lives!

Kenna's 2

2009-03-09T10:40:00.003-06:00

I am so upset with myself. I didn't post Kenna's birthday. Kenna turned 2 on February 10th. It was so much fun watching her and her excitement! She is such a wonderful little daughter. Her favorite gifts were clothes. As soon as she saw them, she had to try them on and parade around. Her vocabulary has really come alive. She sings, dances, and just brings enjoyment to all of us!

An update on the sugar addiction

2009-03-09T09:42:00.003-06:00

Well, we're not do so well in helping Jacob with his sugar addiction. I really think the only way he can do it is if we take him out of school for a couple of weeks. I'm thinking I can wait until Spring Break and then he won't miss as much. We were sitting in church yesterday and I noticed how fidgety he was. I couldn't get him to calm down and sit still. I realized later that he was doing it because his body wanted sugar. It's hard to understand, but it's not just a craving for sugar. His body chemistry actually changes when the sugar comes in to his body. He gets a high from it and then his body starts crashing. After a time, you can see his face change, his fists clench, and then fatigue, headaches, etc. His teachers do not take this seriously because he doesn't act up in school. We have had to put alarms on one storage room, the pantry, and our fridge/freezer. I was really worried about how he would react to this. Surprisingly, he is sleeping better. Instead of waiting for everyone to get to sleep so he can get sugary food, he is now just going to sleep. Some of his behaviors are now making sense. He'll get in to my purse and take many pieces of gum and chew them, spit them out and on to the next. I realize now that he thought he was getting sugar out of the gum. Well, the gum is sugar free, LOL. I let him know that a couple of days ago and he hasn't been searching for the gum anymore.

I'm back!

2009-03-09T09:35:00.003-06:00

I know I need to change the header, but it will get there. Well, I haven't been feeling too well lately. I did catch everything under the sun this winter. The truth is, I am PREGNANT! It was quite a shock. I'm 13 weeks along right now and feeling pretty good. I have a great chiropractor that our family has used for quite some time. He helped me through the worst of the morning sickness. To my good friend (you know who you are) I have hesitated announcing this for a while. I love you and know you are going through so much right now. Hang in there!!!

Sick again

2009-01-27T10:36:00.003-07:00

My family is generally very healthy. We rarely get sick. I especially seem to have a very good immune system. Not THIS winter. Could it be because the weather is going from warm to cold and back again? I don't know, but I am SICK of being SICK!!!

Mailaya's home...

2009-01-20T11:28:00.002-07:00

sick... Yikes. I feel bad for her, hope it passes very quickly. My dh asked me why I write about being sick, diarrhea, etc. I told him that not that many people read my blog and it's real life. Some weeks are like this.

Back from the land of the dead!

2009-01-20T09:04:00.002-07:00

UUUGGGHHH! I just had a nasty case of a 24 hour stomach bug. It literally was 24 hours. Maybe it was the peanut butter? All I can say is thank goodness it's over. Let's hope that no one else in the family has to get it. I think some have had a lighter version, and that's okay by me because it's just nasty.

Odds and Ends

2009-01-16T19:05:00.002-07:00

Life with kids is always, well, interesting. Today Mckenna had diarrhea (that doesn't look right). That, of itself, is no big deal but she decided to take off her own diaper. Twice, she did this, dripping the diaper all over the carpet. Why can't these things happen on the tile or linoleum? I guess we have no choice but to potty train her.
Mailaya is becoming quite an artist. I love her use of color and such. I'll try to scan one of her pieces of art so that you can see how good she is.
Kellie is pretty excited/nervous to start a new term in school. She'll get some new teachers and her schedule is turned around. Yesterday she told me that she was trying to get exercise for her chart (p.e) and hurt her wrist sleigh riding. I reminded her that she no longer had p.e. Her comment was, "oh, blonde moment." Ummm, she isn't blonde.
Connor had his braces tightened yesterday. He hasn't had them for all that long, but already his teeth are looking really good. I had a good chucke recently when I got a progress report from Connor's teacher. He is VERY brillliant in math. When he was in 1st grade, I homeschooled Connor and Kellie. He was pretty much self-taught in math. I decided to try Krypto with him and he would get the answer nearly every hand. Anyway, I got this report and he had an extremely low math grade and high English grade. He's not the best reader and this just cracked me up. I know his mind is on the wrong thing when he does math, but it actually shows how smart his mind is. For instance, if there is a pattern to the math paper is laid out, he'll find it. He finds tricks to all sorts of math problems. The tricks take longer than the problem, but he enjoys it.
Jacob, well, I'm having quite a week with him. Monday he took Connor's DS to school and left it there. He told me that he brought it home.

Sugar Addiction

2009-01-09T12:33:00.002-07:00

Who knew it would be so hard to come down from a sugar addiction. Not me, my son. We found out yesterday that his body doesn't tolerate sugar and that he is sensitive to wheat. This is the kid that can sniff out sweet stuff a mile away. We have thought for a long time that he suffers from anxiety, not knowing that the anxiety was being caused by sugar. Anyhow, it's not the most pleasant thing in the world, but hopefully, in the long run, it will help.

Kennaboo 2

2009-01-09T12:12:00.004-07:00

Okay, so I did spend a day taking some photos of Kenna's wardrobe changes. Some changes were so quick that I missed a few. I have to add a funny about the clothes. I bought her doll some diapers for Christmas. She giggles every time we change her baby's diaper. Well, she decided SHE wanted those diapers on herself. The diapers are tiny. I couldn't persuade her otherwise and she made quite a mess trying to do it herself. I finally put one on her. She was SO tickled!

Mailaya's first lost tooth!

2009-01-08T15:11:00.003-07:00

My good friend just had a post reminding me that I didn't write about Mailaya's first lost tooth. She was so excited when it started to get wiggly. She even let me pull it. She looks so cute with that little hole in her smile!

Kennaboo

2009-01-02T17:02:00.002-07:00

My Kenna is such a funny little thing. She cracks me up!!! Yesterday she was sitting in front of the mirror practicing mean looks to give. She is really gonna have to practice a whole lot because she hardly ever does anything but smile.

Lately Mckenna has been changing her clothes several times a day. It is challenging for me to keep clothes clean because I never know what is or isn't any more. I told Brent that I needed to take a picture of every outfit for one day. If I do, I'll post them here. Just to give you an idea of the variety. She'll start with pajamas, then underwear over something, later it will be a tumbling outfit, back in to pajamas (usually different ones that the first), then regular clothes etc. Oh, and I forgot the most important thing of all, SHOES!!! She goes through them like crazy. They don't have to match and they don't have to be hers!!!

Hawaii

2008-12-31T08:31:00.004-07:00

I am so behind with my blogging that I failed to tell about my exciting trip to Hawaii!!! Just before Thanksgiving, Brent and I, my parents, my sister and her husband went to Hawaii. What can I say, it was fun, WARM, and just what I needed to get away from all of the cold and stress of life.

We had some amazing experiences. One day the plan was to take the road to Hana and swim in the Seven Sacred Pools. We spent a good part of the day driving to Hana (stopping along the way to see some beautiful things). When we arrived at the pools, the water was very murky and we were told the pools were closed. Apparently there had been a great deal of rain and the pools were dangerous. So instead, we chose to hike the Pipiwai trail. We were about half way up the trail and a torential downpour began. I was completely unprepared for this as I was wearing leather sandals and didn't have a case for my camera. Anyway, it was so beautiful. We went through a bamboo forest, ate wild passion fruit, and walked through streams (used to be the trail). At the end of it all was the most beautiful waterfall.

We spent the rest of the trip swimming, snorkeling, seeing lovely sites, eating lots of hula pie, and body surfing. Brent and I could not seem to spot a turtle when we snorkeled. The last day of the trip I was really hoping and praying I would see one. I did. The turtle was HUGE! I found myself close enough to touch it. I was trying NOT to touch it but also had to contend with the coral being so close to me that all I could do was lay flat. What a fun experience.

Christmas

2008-12-29T07:50:00.003-07:00

Okay, so I'm a little slow with updating my blog. Life at home is pretty hectic, especially when the kids are all home.

Christmas break has been a lot of fun. We thought there might not be any snow for Christmas, but it turned out that it snowed a ton. The kids have been playing outside as much as they can stand. Somedays have been pretty cold, but that doesn't stop them. The boys each got two new sleds for Christmas and have been nice to share with the girls.

Christmas day was SO nice. Most of the extended family stuff happened before Christmas, so we really had a nice relaxing day. The kids woke up just before 7:00 (okay, they came up to wake us up at that time) and we opened presents. Mckenna had some dolly stuff and that's all she wanted to do was play with that. We relaxed all morning until 11:00 when we went to my moms to eat lunch and open presents. Some of the adults played a game, Heaven and Hell, that my brother had made for us. Most of the cousins went sledding across the street from my mom's house. It was such a nice day.

Catching up

2008-10-05T14:43:00.009-06:00

Sometimes life goes faster than I can run! It sure has been like that lately. My 5 year old started kindergarten this year and my oldest, jr. high school. It's amazing to see my kids growing and changing. It's hard for me to see them learn the hard lessons in life but fun to see them have hard earned successes.

Kellie is having a great year. She loves jr. high and the fun that comes with being 13. She and a friend share the same birthday and celebrated it together and with many friends this year. She has had some difficulties - GRADES. Her goal is to be a cheerleader and she has to have a 3.0 for that. School is not easy for her. I homeschool her in math and she has worked really hard to bring her grades up for the rest of her classes. Oh, and she worked really hard to buy her own chihuahua (from my brother). She loves her little Bella.

Connor is having a great year. He seems to have many friends. Connor has a difficult time in reading but is amazing in math. Public schools don't appreciate the differences in each child's brain but I know that eventually his reading will be just fine. Connor received his Bear Award a couple of weeks ago. This past Thursday he had braces put on his teeth.

Jacob is having a pretty good year. Jake suffers from a pretty serious case of anxiety. We are working super hard to help him learn to control this problem so that he can feel more like a regular kid. He is 8 years old but his emotional age is more like 5 or 6. He does really well in school - in every area. His teacher commented last week that he is finally loosening up a bit instead of sitting up perfectly straight and trying to be perfect on everything he does.

Mailaya is so excited to be in kindergarten. She was SO ready. She has a good start on reading and wants to write stuff all of the time. She started with lots of friends and is making many more. I laughed and laughed about her kindergarten testing. You see, Mailaya only does what SHE wants to do. She's quite smart. The teacher was asking her basic questions and she was pretending that she didn't know the answers.

Mckenna is getting so big. She is 19 months old and so full of energy. We don't know when she's going to choose to talk, but she knows everything we are saying. She does say a few things, dad, puppy (pup pup), kitty, ewwww (this one comes with a face), Mailaya (my-yay-ya) and some other things that pop up here and there. She's got the best smile and disposition. She's the only girl in the family that plays with dolls. She LOVES her babies.

Brent and I are doing well. Brent just turned 41!!!

Spring!!!

2008-05-15T15:22:00.003-06:00

I LOVE spring! I love working in my yard, weeding, puttering, etc. This year, spring has been slow in coming. I have felt spring fever and have just wanted to GET OUTSIDE!!! Today, the weather is perfect and the lawn has a few spots dry enough to play on. Mailaya spent the afternoon pretending she was on a safari and Mckenna just enjoyed walking on the grass. The other kids aren't home from school yet, but I bet they will play outside until they are forced in for dinner.

My new blog

2008-05-14T13:56:00.004-06:00

I didn't think I would ever join the blog craze, but here I am. This is going to be somewhat of an eclectic blog. I'm not sure how personal it will get or exactly what will be discussed. My thoughts so far are mom stuff, photoshop elements fun, products I like or new things I've tried. I've called it One Smile at a Time because that is what my life is like. I never know what is going to happen next, but if I can get through it one smile at a time...

I thought it would be fun to do a short tutorial for Photoshop Elements as an ice breaker (for myself).

Clipping masks are fun and easy to do. What is a clipping mask? Lets say that you want your type layer or a shape to match other elements on the page. Maybe you wish to have them filled with a particular paper/pattern. An easy way to do this is by using a clipping mask.

First, open a new document. Type "happy birthday" or your name on a new layer. It doesn't matter what color the type is. Next add a shape to a new layer. Merge the type and shape layer - shift and click on the two layers (highlights them) and then Ctrl+E (merges highlighted layers).

Now add a patterned paper on a new layer (above your newly merged layer). Holding down the Alt key, position your pointer in between the paper layer and your merged layer (layers palette), you will see two intersecting circles, click. The top layer (patterned paper) should have moved a bit to the right and you should now be able to see the clipping mask.

Did this tutorial make sense? Leave me feedback. If you didn't understand something, let me know and I'll try to clarify!