Determination, Dairy Queen, and Deer

To celebrate super report cards, we decided to take the kids out for ice-cream. They had the special treat of getting a DQ Blizzard -- something they rarely get to have (usually they just get a small cone). They worked hard, and I am really proud of their hard work and determination. I am especially happy for Sammi this semester. She has had one "B" her entire school-career, and it was in band (she plays the clarinet). This semester -- after a lot of effort and practice (and horrible squeaky noises!) -- she raised it to an "A". Way to go! They both did super, and I am very happy with their ability to work hard and make it happen. Well done, children. Good work.
While eating our Blizzards, we decided to go for a little night-ride -- at Sammi's request. We headed to the foothills, a common "ride" our family takes. We had our Family Home Evening lesson while driving around in the car. The lesson was on honesty and integrity. I love discussing these things with the kids. Now that they are older, they have some really great thoughts and experiences to share. It was a great conversation . . .

Then, out of nowhere . . . a HUGE deer slammed into the side of our car! It was a Buck, with large antlers. We all screamed because it was so weird and abrupt. We were just driving through neighborhoods, going super slow, and it hit us hard. (The deer ran into us, not us into it!) I made some sort of strange shrieking noise -- it hit right by my window. This is the second time we have encountered a deer in our poor little car. Last time we really nailed the deer (it died), AND our car (it was smashed and needed $1500 worth of work). This time, luckily, it just left a small dent. But it is amazing how powerful those animals are!

Anyway, if you are out and about, keep your eyes peeled . . . they really sneak up on you!

Never a dull moment.

Apple Cider Vinegar

I have recently discovered the miracle of Apple Cider Vinegar. I am sure there are thousands of uses for the stuff, but in my home I have used it for a few things, with great success.

The other day, I was scrubbing the toilet -- using a Lysol product. It was not working. There were still stains and crud, that would NOT come off. I went to the Internet to research vinegar products (because I know vinegar is AWESOME!). I read that if you pour Apple Cider Vinegar in the toilet and leave it there overnight -- the crud should wipe right off.

I happened to have Apple Cider Vinegar, so I gave it a try -- but I did not wait all night. I just waited a few hours. And miracle of miracles -- it WORKED! It got the nasty brown crud out of the toilet! Hooray! I was SO HAPPY and EXCITED I did a yea dance! I thought the build-up would never go away.

If you have a nasty toilet . . . give it a try! (Obviously, it cannot remove damage, just crud.) But it worked fantastically for me!

Another use for Vinegar:

(I used White Distilled in this case, but Apple Cider should work -- it is all about acidity)

WART REMOVAL

This was a miracle discovery from about 3 years ago. Daniel had really bad warts on his fingers. He would suck on the ends of them, keeping them moist, allowing the warts to fester and grow.

So, we would dab vinegar on his warts, and then put a little vinegar on band-aides, which he would wear day-in and day-out for 2 weeks. (The vinegar should be on the warts at ALL times.)

After just a few days you could see the warts "dying". He said it burned a little bit, and that is normal. I admit, it was kind of awesome to see them turning black and rotting away. After about a week and a half or so . . . they were completely GONE! However, we kept putting the vinegar on for about a week or more after, to make SURE and kill the root of the problem.

It was SUPER! I was SO HAPPY! And so was Daniel . . . no expensive doctor visits, just $3.00 worth of vinegar and a box of band-aides.

In the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the dad recommends "Windex" for everything . . . in our house it is Vinegar! Seriously, if you have weird things that need fixing, look into it . . . Vinegar just might be your answer!

Sick and Stuff

OK, so I was not trying to be a bummer in my last post or anything -- but I have really been feeling low lately. A weird low. More than pregnant/stress/whatever low. Last night, I noticed my throat was sore, and today, I am not feeling so hot. I think I am sick. And I am OK with that. I can own sickness, and deal with it. I am just sick . . . not grumpy/lazy/poopy for no reason. I will be sick, I will get better, and I will move on. :-) No more on that lame stuff.

On another note . . . my sister, Kary, updated her blog, and she is going to be more consistent in updating it from now on. Right, Kary? RIGHT. Go to: www.karyskorner.blogspot.com. She is my sister and she is awesome. If you want to know more about Alaskan life . . . she lives it!

Also, if you have a blog, then I HIGHLY encourage you to update it more often than just once a month/year! Just remember blogging is not all about the comments and whether or not you think people are reading. It is a history of your life, your family, and it is a fantastic way to document life and time. I have been blogging for almost 6 years now, and I love it. Before blogging I kept a journal with pen and paper, almost daily -- so it was a natural move for me. Now I just need to start printing off my blog to book and I will be good to go!

And one more thing . . . I recently read a blog of a woman who has thousands of followers. This particular woman (a mother) had a very negative tone, she was very pessimistic about life, and even God. And yet, she attracts SO MANY to read her thoughts and words, daily. She even makes money off of her blog -- quite a bit of money. I left her blog feeling saddened and not uplifted, at all. Her blog makes you feel like it is OK to be bummed-out and lame all the time. It got me thinking . . . I may not have thousands of people who read my words and thoughts, likely I have just a handful of readers -- but if only ONE person is uplifted by anything that I say, than it is worth it. I have determined that it is far better to uplift the one . . . than to depress the thousands.

I want to spread that thought to everyone who has a blog. Use it for GOOD. Use it for THE ONE. (You never know who that might be!) You don't have to be fake, or perfect, or glamorous (I hate reading those blogs), just be YOU. Be honest in what you write. Share your feelings. Share your life and let it uplift others. I have personally been deeply impacted by some of the thoughts and feelings that I have read over the years. Sometimes I have even changed my life because of a quote, a poem, a song, a life-story, even a simple thought. You never know what power you have for good. To possibly change a life? That is powerful!

I do believe that in each of us there is a light to share. And I mean in EACH OF US! That means YOU! Hiding that light does absolutely no good. Sharing your light could make all the difference to someone, somewhere . . . it is worth it. So get writing people . . . someONE is waiting!

Forget facebook (which is there one day and gone the next, and is generally depressing and a bunch of garbage, anyway!), and get back to blogging!

*Note: I use facebook for one thing . . . to send people to my blog. :-)

Baby Update

I went to a specialist for Henry's kidneys. I am getting a little worn-out of explaining things in detail, so here is the quick low-down:

• Henry has messed-up plumbing. His kidney's are full of fluid, one of the tubes from kidney to bladder are split in two, and there is a blockage in his bladder, keeping the flow from functioning properly



• I SHOULD be able to wait to give birth until he is due -- as long as his fluids are looking good. If his fluids (amniotic) begin to decrease too much, he may need to come out early



• I will be meeting with the Doctor, often, along with a urologist, and another specialist



• There is a likely chance Henry will need surgery after birth. They will do tests on him right after he is born, and then determine the plan of action



• After birth, surgery, etc., Henry should be good to go with no problem



• It will be hard, but it will be OK

Right now I feel tired. Super tired. I wake-up in the morning, and I just want to lay back down. I know my fatigue has to do with stress. (Not just baby stress, a few other things, too.) I tried to go for a walk the other day, but it ended up putting a lot of pressure on my lower-region, and it just hurt. Normally walks/being outside is how I relieve pressure, but right now I just can't do it and I don't even want to!

I hope the next few months go by quickly . . . my grumpy is taking over my happy. And I really don't want to look 7-10 years older.

The Truth Hurts

Sammi had some informative parting words for me this morning. She was on her way out the door for school when she said:

"Mom, when you smile, you look about 7-10 years younger . . ."

"But when you are grumpy, you look about 7-10 years older."

Ouch.

What's in a Name? What's in a Face?

As you know we have chosen the name for our 4th baby (Charles chose it), and that name is: Henry Jones van Ormer. We might, maybe, possibly, call the poor lad Indiana. (It depends if he is born with a whip in his hand.)

Well, interestingly enough, I was doing some family history work on Charles's side of the family, and I came across this fine man (pictured below) . . . he is Charles' great, great, great grandpa.

His name?

William Henry Jones, also known as "Henry Jones".

He was born in the state of . . . where else?? You got it -- Indiana!

Yeah, I thought it was awesome. Henry Jones, from Indiana. So, not only are we naming our baby after a fantastic movie character, but we are also naming him after his own great, great, great, great grandpa, and nicknaming him after the state he was born in -- and I can get behind that! :-) Henry is not sounding so bad to me now . . . (I was NOT behind it 100%).

What's in a face? OK . . . so another discovery were these photos. The photo below is of Henry Jones' family. The man with the arrow over his head is Benton Weaver Jones -- Charles' great, great, grandfather. He is a nice-looking fellow.
And then there is this photo (below) of the same Henry Jones' family -- a little less formal (they were all farmers).
Now, I believe one of the farm-boys is Benton Weaver Jones (the guy with the arrow over his head -- Charles' great, great, grandpa -- from the above picture), but which one?
Can anyone pick out who he is?? I really don't know . . . but going from left to right, the third guy over might be him? I sure wish I knew! What a bunch of strapping young men -- all related to Charles. No wonder Charles is so good-looking. :-)
It is weird how I can see him in their faces . . . I love that.
I love that our faces exist in the faces of our ancestors -- and they are in ours. There is something really special about that.
So, is anyone super at face identification? Is there an App. for that? :-)
Any guesses? Which one is Benton? Which one is Charles great, great, grandpa??
(Oh, and I'm loving the bottles in their hands . . . I'm thinking it's not root beer.) :-)
This is why I love the search . . . I love the finds! Finding family history pictures is like finding buried treasure.

Baby Henry Update

CHEESE!!!

Why is Henry smiling at us?

(In case you could not see the smile -- I pointed it out for you below)

Because he knows what fun we are in for!

During my appointment today, the doctor let me know that his kidney's are progressively dilating. He is sending me to a specialist next week, who will help determine the severity, and also a plan of action (if necessary). Henry is also measuring big -- which is no shocker to me -- but his stomach is a little bloated. As it stands now, he is measuring about a week ahead of schedule. Henry may be a whopper, like Daniel (Dan was over 9lbs, a few weeks early).

Anyway, I don't know much more than I knew before -- but I should know more next week after talking to someone who specializes in this kind of thing. Of course, the kidneys could still correct themselves . . . in or out of the womb.

The doctor mentioned a possibility of early delivery, for the health of the baby -- about a month early, or so. Only time well tell. For now, I will be visiting the doctor every two weeks to keep an eye on things.

When I first found out over a month ago, a Voice whispered to me, "It will be hard, but it will be OK, don't worry." So, I'm not worried. This is NOT supposed to be life-threatening, or anything -- it just adds some adventure to the pregnancy and birthing process. There is a very likely chance that all will be well. Worst case is that it may take some corrective procedures to get there.

We hope for the best. Come what may . . . and love it. :-)

Cracked Heels

Have you ever had cracked heels? OUCH!
For me they come during pregnancy. (Extra pressure on my feet.) Sometimes the cracks can get SO deep, they burn, and cause a lot of pain. This happened to me after spending the day in the kitchen baking bread -- too much time on my feet. Not a good idea.

Charles helped me get some of the extra skin off from around the crack (can't reach my feet), and then I put on my magic healing cream.

I applied generously, and then wore clean socks overnight. By morning, my feet were A LOT better! No more pain.

I love this stuff . . . I'm all better now. ;-)

Patient and Determined

Being patient and determined are two qualities I really admire. On Christmas day Sammi spent the whole day building their new Harry Potter LEGO castle. It took ALL DAY and each section was divided in little baggies with instructions. It was a challenge, but she was patient and she made it happen. Then, later that night, I went in her room and found that she had taken apart the ENTIRE castle! It was in a huge pile on her little desk. She said she had enjoyed putting it together so much, she wanted to do it again. Ugh.

My first reaction was not good. I freaked-out! I just could not understand why she would take it all apart, after working so hard to create it! It was horribly out of order -- no numbered baggies to help build it again. It was just a BIG mess! Truly, it would take a miracle to ever see the castle rebuilt. It was a HUGE pile of LEGOS -- little tiny LEGOS.

And then, last weekend . . . Daniel became determined to be the one to make the miracle happen. He brought the pile of LEGOS to the dinner table, and he began the process of finding EACH PIECE out of the mess. He had an instruction manual, but that was it. He had to find each piece by it's appearance. It was a serious task and challenge. The LEGOS were out on the dinner table all week -- we just ate around them. Daniel would work on it in the morning before school, he would work on it after school, he worked on it whenever he had a spare moment. He was SO focused. It was amazing to watch.

Finally, yesterday . . . HE DID IT! He found every last little piece and made the castle rise from the ashes. It was a miracle! When he was finished he was SO PROUD of himself. (We were all amazed!) He said he felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. It was so cute.

After he finished he said he felt so good . . . he felt like he should do the dishes. ??? It was hilarious.

I was amazed to watch him, so determined, and so patient through the process. To stick with the same project for that long was quite the feat! Nothing is impossible if you can just breath and work your way through it! Thanks Daniel for reminding me . . . :-)

Tucanos -- Mormon Happy Hour

Mormons don't drink . . . but we do EAT!

A few years ago, on a trip to Utah -- we went to Tucanos for the first time. (If you are not familiar with Tucanos, it is all you can eat MEAT. They just keep bringing it to your table, until you BURST!) We were lucky and we got to the restaurant before lunch time. By the time 12:00pm rolled around (in Provo, Utah), there was a line out the door, and around the corner. That is when I labeled Tucanos, "The Mormon Bar". (I know I am just assuming that most of the people in line were Mormon, but sometimes you can just tell, ya know?)

Note: I think 99% of the people reading this blog are LDS, but for the 1% who may not be -- we are supposed to be moderate in all things. Food tends to be where we over-indulge. Well, at least, food is where I over-indulge. Oink! Oink!

Meat. Lots of Meat.

It was good at first, and then your mouth just gets salted-out.

And then you wash it down with sugar . . . Raspberry Lime-Aide -- Yum!

Last Friday night was definitely an "indulge" night. Every year Tucanos sends us a birthday card for a free meal in your birthday month. Our good friends also have birthday's in January, so for the past 2 years we have made it a date.

Yum! Yum!

The men were particularly happy about meat. Though, I must say, meat has been a strong craving of mine, so I was happy to satisfy the hunger.

Enjoying the night out. Our first dinner date-night in like a year? (There is my crazy-hair again!) :-) Our fantastic friends: T-Diddy (Tyson) and Rachelle (she is about to have a baby any time!) Love them!

We thoroughly enjoyed our "Happy Hour".

Good food. Good friends. Good times. :-)

Sometimes "indulging" (in moderation, of course) can be just what the doctor ordered!

Unchained Melody

Thanks to my brother, John, for sending this to me . . .

It is the video from Katie and Cole's wedding reception program (November 2010). Katie is my niece. If you scroll to minute 7:30 -- that is when Charles and I do our little number. It was the FIRST time Charles had ever sung in public! I was SO PROUD OF HIM! Love it!

*Unchained Melody is "our" song from when we were dating. :-)

24 weeks . . .

And Growing Daily!
I thought I should document at least one image of this pregnancy. Maybe there will be more . . . but I have a feeling the next few months won't be too pretty. :-)

I have to say THANK YOU to Charles, for picking out my awesome shirt -- I LOVE IT! He surprised me with some new maternity clothes, so I don't have to wear my pink pajamas to church. :-)

*Notice the hair . . . I totally needed to go higher and lower on the braids! (View post below.) It ended up looking like crazy mermaid-hair! Oh well, live and learn.

Hair

I saw a new hair method that I just had to try . . .

1. Braid your Hair. As many, or as few as you would like -- it will make a difference in the amount of wave.

2. Flat Iron the Braids. Make sure your hair is DRY!!!! I had to go over my hair a few times, it was still a little wet, and my hair is REALLY thick!

Look at those cute chubby cheeks. :-) Yes, the prego chub is taking over. *Sigh*

3. Take out the Braids. And there you have it -- wavy hair, without having to wait overnight!

Note: My hair is super-thick and so it was pretty poofy (as you can see). I think it would work really well on "normal" hair, and especially kid-hair! Some hair-product would probably help, too. I also needed to start the braids up higher on my head, and continue them lower. Anyway, you get the idea! I would really be curious to see how it works on someone who has normal hair and not horse-hair like me! :-) But it was fun!

Another Note: It has been over a year since I have had my hair done. I am due for a cut, color, and thinning-out . . . I think I will wait until I am a little closer to my due-date, that way I can feel better during recovery time. I will deal with my poofy hair, and poofy cheeks, a little longer. :-)

13 Things . . .

That Freak Me Out!

In honor of Friday the 13th . . . I thought I would make a list of 13 things that I am afraid of:

(There are MANY more than 13 -- but I will limit the list for today's purposes.)

1. The Ocean. Whether I am on it, or just by it . . . I am freaked. (It is even worse if I have kids with me!) My fears may even be in the range of "phobic". I really can't explain it. I have had a few negative experiences (small boat, middle of the ocean -- waking-up rolling in my own vomit), but it does not explain my actual fear of the water. I often dream about the ocean, and drowning -- it was a reoccuring dream as a child. Yet, I have been on many boats (torture, by the way), and I lived in Alaska surrounded by ocean. However, I do NOT enjoy boats (of ANY kind) . . . I would rather go to the dentist and have my teeth pulled. No kidding. I wish I could enjoy the ocean/boats/water/beach, but I just don't know how? But, really . . . who KNOWS what is in there?? I have seen JAWS. Yikes!

2. Spiders. I was never afraid of spiders -- until I moved to a place where they are dangerous. In Alaska, my room was in a basement, and spiders were my friends -- nothing to worry about. I used to pick up Daddy-Long-Legs and pull their legs off (I know, cruel). But now, with Black Widow, Brown Recluse, and Hobo spiders as my neighbors -- spiders make me FREAK! Since living in Idaho, I have seen both Hobo and Black Widow spiders around my house. Ahhhhh!!!

3. Wild Animals. Pretty much any of them -- though bunnies are OK, most of the time. If I am outside, I am always on the lookout for some animal ready to pounce. Perhaps this comes from living in Alaska where you HAVE to be aware of what is around you. I had many encounters with charging-moose while walking home from school. I am particulary afraid of bears, mountian lions, and, of course . . . anything else that could eat me.

4. Driving in the Dark. I actually love riding in the dark, but driving -- not so much. I probably need glasses or something. I just feel like I can't see when it is nighttime? Yes, I do drive at night, but if you could see them -- my knuckles would be white.

5. Public Speaking or Performing. This is a tricky one for me. I actually love to speak in public, and I love to sing in public, too. However, it also freaks me out! After years of speaking and singing you would think the anxiety would disappear, but it hasn't. I really try to embrace my butterflies and my need to run to the bathroom . . . but, so far, no good. Blah.

6. Earthquakes. Again, it is an anxiety that stems from growing up in Alaska. I have not felt one since we moved away, and I am grateful. There was one time, as a child, we had a really strong earthquake, and I was in the shower. I ran out covered in soap and only a towel. After the ground stopped shaking, I did not want to get back in! The ground shaking was a common occurrence, and every time my heart would pound. Earthquakes would happened when I was at church, in school, at work, asleep. Every time I was sure it was going to be the next "big one". (Alaska has had one of the biggest earthquakes in history). In reality . . . it is just a matter of time. Scary!

7. Bridges. Not the kind you drive over in a car, but the kind you walk over. You know, the kind of bridge that is hovering, dangerously, above a deep abyss of doom? Yeah, that kind. I have been on one as a child and holy cow it was scary! I am not sure I could do it now . . . nope, pretty sure I couldn't.

8. Snakes. They, like spiders, are a newly aquired fear. (No snakes in Alaska.) But here, we have them . . . nice and poisonous. I have seen quite a few snakes while out and about, but so far none with rattles. Can you imagine being bitten by a snake? Yikes!

9. Opening a Biscuit Can. You know, the kind that pops? Yeah, I hate that. Freak!

10. The beginning of The Return of the King. When Smeagol turns into Gollum . . . yuck. I can't stand watching it. It is the only part of the movie-series that really bothers me. It does not "scare" me, but it makes me feel weird. I don't like it. Too much of Peter Jackson's horror-movie days seeped into that scene.

11. Fingernails on a Chalkboard. I know it is a common irritant, but wow it hurts me. Just thinking about it makes me cringe. EEEEoooowwwww!

12. Being called on, when I don't know the answer. Hate it. And most likely I won't know the answer, because I am not listening -- I am daydreaming. I am always daydreaming. So, please, just don't call on me. I got nothing! (Funny that I have been a teacher in church for the past 12 years, or so, in some form -- payback for not listening.) :-)

13. Offending Someone. This is complicated. I am not worried if someone disagrees with me and my opinion -- but I never want to hurt a person's feelings. I hate to think that someone is out there in the world, and they think poorly of me -- because of something I have done, or said to them. I know it is impossible to make, or keep, everyone happy . . . but I do NOT like having enemies. (Can't we all just get along?) I love people and I want them to love me. :-) Not being loved -- FREAKS ME OUT!

Happy Friday the 13th!

What are YOU afraid of???

The Best

There is no substitute for the best.

Last weekend, I was sent to the store to pick-up some ice-cream for movie night. I went to Albertson's (since it is so close) and I stood in front of hundreds of frozen-treat options. I knew what I wanted, but what I wanted was SO much more expensive then some other lesser brands. Because I knew what I wanted, I scooped-up the Tillamook ice-cream and put it in my cart. But after some thought, I just could not justify the extra cost. So, after starring hard at some sticker-prices, I grabbed some random, cheap, store brand ice-cream (it was on sale two-for-one).

I drove home thinking I had been wise going with the cheaper option. But as we gathered for movie night and ice-cream, I was very disappointed in my choice! The ice-cream was hardly worth it. It was almost . . . gross. I mean, if you are going to embrace the calories, it should be worth it, right? :-)

Anyhow, come to find out . . . THE BEST ice-cream (which is ANY flavor of Tillamook) is more than 2 dollars cheaper if you go to WinCo! So, from now on, I will not settle for cheap imitation ice-cream. From now on . . . only the BEST!

The absolute best: Udderly Chocolate. (Though Chocolate Peanut-Butter is a close second!)

Yep, perfection. (Could have really used some of it on my crying day!) ;-) wink!

Don't settle for less than what you really want -- you will be disappointed.

Remember: good, better, BEST!

Crying

Yesterday was a crying day. Water was freely seeping from my eyes, and my tears burned. I am not a big crier . . . not unless I am touched by music, or I feel the spirit, or I see powerful imagery. But to just cry about life? I just don't do that. Well, I just don't normally do that, but yesterday -- I did. The tears were like liquid fire pouring down my checks. I don't recall my tears ever being so hot?

I even cried in front of my children -- I could not help it. I tried to hide the water-works, but I know Daniel could see my cloudy eyes. I am sure he wondered what was wrong with his mom. I tried to explain I was just not feeling well. But that was not the complete story . . .

Life felt (and feels) heavy. Lately, I have started to really consider all of the choices to be made in the near future, and all of the decision-making that is about to land on my lap -- decisions begging for answers and solutions, that I just don't have, and I can't seem to figure out. I got nothing. No answers. And I hate that. I want to solve the puzzle.

There are some big choices to be made: What to do with our 2 bedroom, 1 bath house that has lost $50,000 in value? How to house my parents when they return from their mission in 6 months? What to do about a bigger vehicle for our growing family? What to do about the baby that will be born in a few months, with possible complications? What to do about our astronomical student loans? What to make for dinner? The list goes on and on . . . I will not bore you with details. The details just make me dizzy anyway.

Anyhow, I was spent. My mind had finally lost the battle that was raging inside (as I was trying to come up with answers to everything), I lost it and the tears began to flow freely and fairly violently. Again, not typical for me. I am strong. I am in control. I can handle anything. Right?

Sometimes it seems, that all of the decisions we have made have not seemed to work out for the best. At the time, the decisions seemed right, they felt good, we were "confident" in our choices -- hoping all would work out for the best in the future. (For example, buying our house 4 years ago.) To some degree, we have been a victim of the horrific economy, but I will also take responsibility for our own actions and choices. You make your bed and you sleep in it, right?

We have been frugal, for the most part . . . driving 20 year-old cars, and living in tight quarters together as a family, and keeping a tight budget. We are not extravagant in our spending -- though every once and awhile we will buy (or do) a nicety or two, after saving for it. We are not a family that needs "things" to be happy. We learned long ago things will never make us happy.

And now . . . we have before us challenges (mostly financial) to overcome. They may seem laughable to some, but to us, they are very real, and can be very intense (depending on my level of composer). As time and deadlines draw nearer, the intensity grows stronger. My desire to come up with solutions is forefront in my mind -- while awake and while dreaming. My mind swirls with ideas, but NEVER do I have a concrete answer for what to do. It is frustrating. The only answer I have right now: WAIT.

I believe in the near future we will see miracles -- I am not asking for them, but I am hoping for them. I feel like there is nothing we can do to change things right now, no obvious answers to our questions. Something else must be out there . . . another way, another path, perhaps something we have never even considered. Something unknown, and unseen.

Until I know which way to place our feet on the path, I will continue listening, hoping, praying, even crying -- and maybe we just might figure out which way we should go.

Ahhhh . . . waiting. One of the hardest answers of them all: JUST WAIT.

Weird Weather

On December 30, 2011 -- a big dark cloud rolled over our house. It brought thunder, lightning, wind and hail. It was crazy. One minute it was sunny and beautiful, the kids were playing outside, and then BAM -- in comes the storm. I grabbed my camera for proof. :-) It has been unusually warm this year and NO SNOW! My fear is some big snow-drop in the Spring! Let us hope NOT!

Confidence

Every now-and-again . . . I like to check-in with my kids to see how they are doing, and how they are feeling about life and things. It was Daniel's turn to give an update.

I asked Daniel: "Dan, how are you doing? How do you feel about yourself? Do you like yourself??"

Daniel's response: He put his hand's on his chest, and with a quirky smile (and without hesitation) he said, "What's not to like??"

After composing myself from laughter, I realized how great his answer was. There was no wishy-washiness about it, no wavering. He thinks he is great. And that is fantastic! If only we could all be so confident. Really, we should all be so confident . . .

Of course I like myself! What's not to like?! :-)

I should learn from him.

Out of the mouths of babes . . . and an 8 year old.

Snowy Owls

We were watching the news the other day . . . and one of the stories mentioned that there have been a couple of Snowy Owls spotted in Nampa, Idaho. Snowy Owls are not supposed to be in Idaho -- they live in the North and are far from their home. Many people have rushed out to see them and capture a picture or two. But the "experts" are uncertain of why they have strayed so far from their normal environment . . .

Sammi happened to be watching the news with me at the time, and unlike the "experts", she said she KNEW why the Snowy Owls are in Idaho -- they are coming for her, of course! The Owls are finally bringing her Hogwarts acceptance letter! :-)Hogwarts . . . Sammi is ready for her schooling.

Lazy

I have been in a kind of fog since we got back from our California trip. The whole last week I spent just hanging out at home and relaxing. I even spent time playing the new Wii with the kids, trying to improve my Mario-Kart skills (I stink at the Wii version!). I did not even feel guilty about my laziness (normally I would). Instead, I embraced it -- knowing that in a matter of time, there will be no such thing as sleep and relaxing. I figured, I might as well enjoy it while I can! And I did! I needed that time.

Now, I feel a little more motivated (just a little!). But waking-up is still rough! Did I mention that my new bed (we have had it a few months now) is like Heaven? It is SO HARD to get out of bed in the morning because I am usually so dang comfortable! I never knew sleep could be so fantastic. I am especially grateful for my comfortable bed while being pregnant -- it has made a HUGE difference. Who knew??

So, yeah, motivated . . . I did try and run this morning, it had been about a month. My goal for December was to stay healthy, meaning: no sickness. So I tried really hard to get lots of rest and to not go out in the cold, too much. I let my running slide . . . but I did not get sick for the holidays/traveling! And that was a first!

Running this morning was super-rough, it was like starting over -- which was extra hard because the last month I have filled-out quite nicely. My left leg wondered what I had done when I got home . . . I am working the kinks out now and I think walking first, might be a good idea. ;-)

Anyway, nothing profound today. But even just getting fresh air has pushed away some of the fog I was feeling. It is amazing what a difference it can make. My body craves fresh air. Sometimes I am mean to my body and I don't let my body have what it really wants. I need to do better.

I really believe that exercise is key to feeling good. I hear a lot of people complain about different ailments and I wonder if they have tried exercise -- it really can cure so many things: headaches, body aches, weight-gain, bad skin, depression, etc. It is amazing. If you can't run . . . walk. If you can't walk . . . crawl. If you can't crawl . . . wiggle! Do something and you will feel better! So glad I could get out and move, even if I looked like a hippo trying to jog . . . may I have the strength of mind to do it again, tomorrow. :-)