TIME

I often pray for time to just stand still or speed by fast.  Like 6 weeks ago when our family had began our looooong drive to California, for our annual family vacation, I was silently praying the 20 hour (in two days) drive would speed by quickly for all of us. And it did!  But then when we arrived at Kirks parents California home I starting praying that time would ssssslllllooooowwww way down so we could enjoy the sunny beautiful weather.  And it seemed at times when I would check the clock I would be so happy that is was earlier in the day than I had thought.    

I know time didn't alter in anyway (other than we had to turned our clocks back an hour with the time change starting in Nevada). But I do feel my prayers were answered in a way to just feel the rest and beauty in each day or to have the headache and stress of another day slip by quickly.

I find myself looking back and wondering where the time went as I see my 8month old army crawling across the floor.  I do remember when she was born that I was excited for her to grow up and be out of that baby stage....why I don't know because now I want that little snuggle bum baby back.  Although it is fun to see her hit mile stones and become the little person she is.

WL 2 days old (this was her actual due date)

WL 8 months old sitting by herself 

RileyJoveeJingleBelle

On December 1st 2013 our family adopted an Elf from Santa's workshop.  Here she is.  Cute Eh!

We named her RileyJoveeJingleBelle

 I've read many posts about the Elf on the Shelf, most negative.  However, I decided that our elf would behave and stay out of mischief.  She did and we were all excited every morning to see where she would be next.  NJ definitely fell in love with her the most.  She even made Riley a skirt and belt.   She so badly wanted to touch her, but the book said she might loose her magic, so no touching.   On Christmas Eve we found a letter to Santa, from NJ, that begged Santa to let Riley stay for a while longer, but to NJ's dismay Riley wasn't able to.  

I found Elf on the Shelf sweet and fun and it's all up to you how she/he acts....just remember to move her/him!!!!! lol

I turned 36 last week, I have found that having a birthday so close to New Years I look back at the last year and see all that I did or didn't do.
 I don't know maybe everyone does this on their birthday?   
 This birthday was no exception and really there were only 2 things that I thought of as great accomplishments, giving birth to WL and reading the whole Book of Mormon.  Not that there weren't other great happenings like going to Hawaii or sending PL to Moroni's Quest, or LL growing taller than me, or NJ showing interest in basketball or ASH's improvement in speech or selling our first home....it's just that these 2 accomplishments were MINE and mine alone!!!  

Kirk didn't have to work on my birthday so he took me to lunch, with ASH and WL.The Asian Lettuce wraps were delish!!! The next day we invited some friends over to play some cards.  

Upon looking for games to play, NJ made a startling discovery under my bed 

(where some game are stored)

......RileyJoveeJingleBelle!......

CRAP? 

 She came to me and asked if she could talk to me in my room.  There she told me, with tears in her eyes, she found Riley under the bed.  OH NJ!!!!  She was so upset that our elf wasn't real.  With lots of hugs and "it will be ok"s I talked to her about how our elf will be a part of our Christmas every year and that we can all still have fun finding her.  Then she says, "so I could have touched her the whole time?"  Bless her heart!  I let her stay in my room and hold and play with her, while I went and continued playing cards with everyone.    

The next day all she could talk about was Riley and if Riley wasn't real then Santa must not be real. CRAP again!

It took me a minute to come up with a reply and then it came.  I explained that we believe in a "Santa Clause" which states, 'when we choose the right all year through we receive blessings and at the end of the year, Christmas, the gifts we receive are some of the blessings given to us because we tried our best to be good.' She didn't say much about it after that. 

Yes I made that up but when you think about it, it is true.  We do receive blessings, some tangible and some not, when we do what is right.

So my 8, almost 9, year old is now a little wiser and hopefully able to still trust me.  I find these traditions of Santa Claus, Elf on the Shelf, Leprechauns and the Easter Bunny alike, make for trusting issues.  Even though I still trusted my parents when I became "wiser" to these traditions, there are personalities out there that might take them as lies and therefore won't trust you about other things.  Even very important people, people that we have not seen but believe are there.  Namely our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, even the Holy Ghost.  It worries me a little but I do believe that we can be guided by the Holy Ghost how to handle those situations, like I did with NJ.

In this moment of life:

PL is planning to learn "Count your many blessings" on the piano to play on seminary this month.

LL is into making all sorts of things with NJ's rainbow loom. She might need to buy her own.

NJ wants to get her hair cut, guess I'd better make an appointment.
ASH started not wearing pull-ups to bed, he's woken up dry for weeks. yay
WL now has 2 teeth and loves to eat her rice cereal. & when she woke up from her nap, this morning, she was in a different position.  She's growing so fast.
I'm resisting the donuts sitting on the counter.  lol
Kirk is working in Lethbridge on a 6plex & probably excited to play basket ball tonight.
He plays every Tuesday and Thursday.

2014 on the go

A New Year always gets me excited for goal making.  Last year I didn't even make any....at least I can't remember making any.

However, after our March RS Stake meeting, involving 4 different classes you could attend in a 2 hour block, I found something I only ever completed once and would always begin but never finished, and I was then determined to complete it again.  

So I made a commitment, to myself, to read The Book of Mormon by the end of the year 2013.  Now I've started this book more times than I can remember and always seemed to quit around Words of Mormon. So I decided I would start in Mosiah and read to the end of the book and then begin at the beginning, and read until Mosiah.  

I bought a nice little note book to become my Scripture Journal (this blog has great ideas) and some colorful pens and began my reading and journaling.  I learned new things, I received personal revelation, some to do with what I was reading but most had nothing to do with it.  I know that because I WAS reading this special witness of Jesus Christ, our Heavenly Father poured out blessings and gave me answers and thoughts I needed at that time in my life.  HOW WONDROUS IS HE!!!!  

Even on our trip to Hawaii in April I made the time to read.  I love the LDS Library app on my phone! It made reading so easy and convenient.

July came and as I anticipated the arrival of our 5th baby I still made the time to read, I was in the book of  Ether when she did make her a debut.  She became my new focus for a while.

It took me to October to finally finish the last, 30ish, pages to the end of The Book of Mormon.  And then I had to find the time to begin the book from the beginning to read the first 145 pages to complete the book in its entirety.  

December 31st, 2013 at 4:40pm I felt pure joy upon reading the last words in the Words of Mormon "..., and also the prophets, did once more establish peace in the land."

FINISHED but never ever done.

Well that was last year so now on to this year.   2014 is now on the go and these are my thoughts:

1. Complete the "Come Follow Me" study guide I bought from here.
2. Recycle all that I can.
3. Take more pictures.
4. Slow down and see all the joy around me.
5. Be more prepared in any and every way.
6. Learn and teach my family the importance of taking care of ourselves, including stopping the fat talk.

In this moment of life:

WL has cut her first tooth, she will be 6 months next week.  

NJ started the Steve Nash basket ball camp today. She got a pretty nice jersey and a basket ball, it ends in March.  

PL is learning how much we love her...I hope. 

LL excitedly recorded the first baby food WL inhaled this evening.  

ASH got to play Lego Lord of the Rings xbox with his dad and loved every minute of it.

Kirk didn't have to work today but worked on the 2 house plans he's drawing.

I got my hair cut, not short or anything, just cleaned up.