Wowzers...been awhile!

Hello...anyone still out there? I don't blame you if you're not. :)

Another Musettes concert has come and gone. We just finished up our Christmas Concert for 2010 and it went great....it was alot of fun to do, and I am glad it turned out so well. Lots of hard work by many wonderfully talented people, and I am truly blessed to be involved!!!

Also...HOUSE IS DONE!!! Can you believe it? I know it probably went fast cuz I haven't posted forever huh. We should have our final inspection Monday. We did start moving some things in today in anticipation! We are anxious to be moved in and settled!!! And then...have a some down time to relax. If we are lucky...maybe we can have a relaxing Christmas in our new home. I will have to post some pics of the fun things we did in our house. I love how it turned out!!! And I can't wait to share!!!

Better jet, I am beyond ready for sleep tonight. More later!!!

LAMEST!!!

typed a blog post...and forgot to post it!!! Yikes!!! Posted now...although most of those things are done...over...finished!!!

1) Concert is over!!! It was FAB!!! All went really GREAT and was a ton of fun.

2) Still awaiting on the house...road DONE...street lights...DONE....recorded with the city....NOT DONE...but any day now! House plans are ready to go and the loan is too! Just got to get the blasted thing recorded and LEGAL!!! This really is going to do me in! I swear!!! Hard to be patient! SOON!!!

3) Kid are out for the Summer!!! Good and Bad...sleeping in is good...kids being bored is bad! Mitch is life-guarding at the YMCA. Good place for him to be. Sydney is doing Summer volleyball, that is good too! Moony is going to be doing some art/painting stuffz...good too. Tyler...well, we are in the works...maybe swim lessons? Lots of Wii playing that is for sure!

That is about it for now!

Check back soon for house updates!!! And....keep your fingers crossed...and your prayers coming!!! :)

It's official!!!

I have gone from LAME...to LAMER!!! Pretty sure....MOST LAME is approaching quickly. I know...shocking....hasn't been a year yet again and I am writing on my blog. Hopefully more to come.

Things are heating up at our house.

1) Concert week is next week...wow, that came up fast. Week full of rehearsals and dress rehearsals and 2 concerts. How fun is that!!! I am really excited to see it all come together. it is going to be a lot of fun!!! You all better come!!! And 1 reader of you! hehehe...really, it is going to be fun..so you better come! The Musettes are gonna rock!!!

2) We are super close to getting our house started. YAHOOOO!!!! Melissa...can you hear me in Virginia??? The road is almost done, just waiting on asphalt and that won't happen till the blasted thunderstorms taper off a bit. Once the lot is recorded we can start. Plans are ready...loan is ready...and WE ARE READY!!! Everyone is anxious and things have been a bit tense round here cuz I think everyone is scared to get their hopes up. Been dashed a time or two. We are very HOPEFUL!!! Can't wait to keep you all posted on the going's on!!!

3) School year is almost over....so kids are extra busy it seems. Been a good year...but we are ready for a break around here. Even some sunshine would help a tad! Kids are figuring out classes for next year and applying and auditioning where needs be....phew.

Keep checking back...hopefully lots of good news coming up!!!

XOXOXO

Me

Wow....I'm bloggin again

I was gonna shoot for a year...but just couldn't do it. Call me an over-achiever I guess! Hehehehe. Decided I need to get back to blogging. Been avoiding it for WAY too long. Here's to hoping the new owl background will inspire me! Hooo Hooo!!

Been a long while so I won't catch up all at once....baby steps, one day at a time right? Don't want to chase away any remaining readers in ghost-ville!

If you are still out there??? Welcome back!!!

Been busy...chasing kids. What else would I be doing??? Kids are busy as ever, doing all kinds of activities and doing great at everything as usual!

Mitch is playing Football for Vallivue again this year. Not sure he is loving it...likes to play but I think is conditioning for Basketball. Crazy kid!!!

Sydney is playing Volleyball for the Freshman Team at Vallivue High...yes campers, she is a Freshman. She is LOVING it...that girl....who woulda thunk it. She is a FIERCE competitor. Hates to lose!!! In fact, her team just won their home tourney on Saturday. Twas sweet it was...beat two teams that trounced them earlier this year in league play. Sweet it was!!! She played FAB...she is a setter and starting to hit too. Gotta put her in the stretcher though....see if we can't force a couple more inches out of her!!!

Moon Hee is doing stats for the VB team...good for her and she is good at it. She is a perfectionist kinda gal, so keeping the book all squared away is right up her alley!!! She is keeping busy with school too....loves art and all the fun social stuff that comes with High School. She is a Freshman too...yes...I have 2 Freshman girls! Call me crazy!!! I am!!! If you don't know who Moon Hee (Moony) is...she came on a foreign exchange from Korea. The plan was to have her stay for 6 months and send her home....but we fell in love...and we are keeping her. Hopefully forever!!! Trying to adopt her and keep her for good! She is a sweet girl!!!

Tyler is playing Optimist Football again this year!!! First year in pads and full gear and first year tackling! Kid is a beast I tell you. Besides being bigger than most kids his age...he has an extremely HIGH pain threshold. Talk about a football coaches dream come true right? He loves it and is doing very well!!!

As for us old folks??? Staying busy as ever. I decided to start doing things for myself...still love the kids and do TONS for them, but realized...gotta love me too! So...I am doing some things I always wanted to do!!! I joined a singing group here in town called "The Musettes". It rocks! Well, mostly old ladies...but they rock, let me tell ya!!! We do two concerts a year and practice every Thursday and it is making me stretch and grow and do things I never thought I could! Also...I started taking private singing lessons. Sydney has been taking and has a FAB teacher...so I decided to take too. I have only had 2 lessons...and wow, I have a lot to learn. But...better later than never right???

Well, probably should call it a post and stop for today....more to come I promise!

Hope there are still a few of you left out there...wandering aimlessly in cyberland!!!

Love you...and I have missed you!!!

XOXOXO

Lynette

Made me giggle

Marital Problems

An elderly gentleman was invited to an old friends' home for dinner one evening. He was impressed by the way his buddy preceded every request to his wife with endearing terms such as: Honey, My Love, Darling,Sweetheart, Pumpkin, etc. The couple had been married almost 70 years and, clearly, they were still very much in love.While the wife was in the kitchen, the man leaned over and said to his host, 'I think it's wonderful that, after all these years, you still call your wife those loving pet names.

The old man hung his head. 'I have to tell you the truth,' he said, 'Her name slipped my mind about 10 years ago and I'm scared to death to ask her what it is!


Hope your February is going GREAT!!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Wowzers...2009 already! That sure came up fast. Honestly, I am ready for a new year! Ready for a fresh start on things....and hopefully we can have better "fortune" this year! Would love to get our land developed and get our house built! I am ready to be living in my own house again!!!



We had a pretty mellow new years eve. Mitch went to the Stake New Years party (they made it 14 and up this year...so my girlie's couldn't go), Sydney and Moon Hee went to a party at Madi Bauer's house...and Randy, Tyler and I just stayed home and watched movies and played the Wii. It was good for everyone I think!!!



I am hoping we will all be in bed at a respectful hour tonight....I am tired!!!



Happy New Year all my friends!!! Love you all!!! Best of luck and may all your wildest dreams come true this 2009!!!

Holy December Batman!!!

Can you believe it is December already? Wow...like where did the year go already! I am guilty of serious blog neglect. I think it is a federal crime I know!!! But...hey I am here now so, upward and onward!!!!

November in review....

Twilight. LOVED it. Went in with fair to partly cloudy expectations and came out pretty surprised! I thought it followed the book pretty well, maybe a little choppy but all in all I liked at alot! I took my darling sweet daughter Sydney who is 13 and has read Twilight more times than she has read the Book of Mormon (sad but true what can I say). We bought tickets to go at midnight and once again I expected it to be a mad house and it was not too bad. We had a lot of fun and DEF some Mother/Daughter bonding time. She LOVED the movie more than air I think...she loves Edward and Emmett and Jasper, ok...she loved them all. It was fun to watch her and all the others like her (13-16 year old girls) getting all giddy and squealing when Edward came on screen for the first time! Made me giggle and reminded me of my youth and my deep unchanging and devout love for Donny Osmond! Yes...I had a poster of him and Marie on my wall and Marie had holes all over her face from where I threw darts at her! Ok...maybe I needed some counseling but at least I am being honest now right? All in all...it was a fun night and a fun movie!!!

Also in November. Mitch turned 16. Ok...how in the H. E. double hockeysticks did I become old enough to have a 16 year old??? I don't get it...last I remember I was like 20. Seriously!!! Argh. Oh well...he is a great kid and we had planned on having a ginormous party with everyone and their dog...doing all kinds of crazy things for the big 16 year old celebration party. About 2 weeks before his bday he asked if he could invite just a few 5-6 friends over to our place and play video games....ahhh, hello??? YES!!! Way easier and cheaper!!! Thought that was all a go...until. About 1 week before his bday, he comes into my bedroom pretty late at night and proposes a new plan? Yikes a 16 year old with a plan...I was sure involved a new car and the answer would be NO!!!! For sure! Anyway...he gets all serious and says..."Mom....I have been thinking. What if instead of a bday party, I ask a girl on a date and you and dad take my date and I on a date...to you know...show me the ropes on how a date should go?" I was like....uh.....YES!!! What a FAB idea. Sometimes that kid really does have a brain!!! So...that is what we did and it was really fun! Took his sweet date (Jacqueline Bauer) and him to PF Changs (super yummy) for dinner and then came back here and watched Kung Fu Panda with all the family. What a super fun first date idea! We had a blast, the rest of the family had a blast...and I hope he and Jacqueline did too! How grown up is that! I think it will become a tradition with the other kids too now! Very fun idea!!!!

Also in November...football ended YAHOO!!! And basketball began...sniff sniff...back to running again. Mitch made the Sophomore team. We were kinda hoping for JV...but all his buds made the SO team too and their coach is a super rock star. So...it should be a great year! Yahoo!!! First game is tomorrow so we'll see how that goes! Wish them luck!!!

Also...in November. My folks stopped on their way home from the Senior Pro Rodeo finals in Winnemuca to spend a weekend with us. I never get them for longer than 36 hours...so we just enjoy the time whilst they are here! :) He had an early Christmas with them which was alot of fun...who doesn't like early presents!!! And...I got to put my trees up! Yahoo!!!! I could leave them up all year round for reals! LOVE THEM!!! Soo...here were are on Dec 1 and my trees have been up for one whole month! Hehehehe. Love it!!!

November was a great month, and now that I see how fun it was I feel bad for not blogging more about it! Oh well...I will try and do better!

Also...I found this super cute lil antique rocking chair on Craigslist and got it for...are you ready??? $35 bucks! What a steal. I LOVE IT!!! And it loves me!!!

Merry December to all!!! Hope your Christmas plans are all ready and you are ready for a fun relaxing holiday season! I know I am!!!

Twilight Trailer

Tagged by everyone it seems!!!

8 Favorite TV shows

1. CNN...I am a bit of a news junkie (I know...NERD ALERT)
2. Amazing Race
3. ANTM
4. Heroes
5. Prison Break
6. Mystery Diagnosis (I missed my calling in life I think..they medical shows fascinate me!)
7. Inside Brookhaven (the weight loss hospital)...(I know...it creeps everyone else in my family out)
8. Funniest Home Videos (Can't EVER go wrong with funny animals and multiple crotch shots!!!)

8 Favorite Songs

***Wow*** I can only choose 8???

1. Lady Antebellum "Looking for a Good Time"
2. Due West "Sweet Gravity"
3. Mr. Mister "Kyria"...have to be OLD to know that one!
4. Yaz...."Only You"
5. Dixie Chicks "Landslide"
6. Almost anything by Erasure or any other sweet 80's band....
7. Sydney Parker and Becca Nelson "Somewhere There's a Mountain" Nashville Trib Band
8. Jacqueline Bauer "Firm in the Faith"


8 Favorite Restaurants

1. PF Changs
2. Outback Steakhouse
3. Costa Vida
4. Taco Del Mar
5. Red Robin (yummiest fries ever!!!)
6. Coldstone (does that count as a restaurant?)
7. El Te Nampa
8. Truthfully....anything I DON'T cook!!! :)

8 Favorite Movies

1. Better Off Dead
2. Forever Strong
3. Kung Fu Panda
4. Lord of the Rings (Trilogy)
5. The Princess Bride (Inconceivable!!!)
6. The Sound of Music
7. Hairspray
8. Twilight...when it comes out! I am sure I am going to LOVE it!!!!

8 Things that happened yesterday

1. I slept in!!! Yahoo for no school
2. Took my sweet kidlets to lunch at...Taco Del Mar
3. Took Mitch to an ortho apt!
4. worked on Moon Hee's rag quilt (yahoo almost done)
5. thought alot....
6. went grocery shopping....yahoo....food in the house is a good thing!
7. Took Mitch to FB practice and went back and got him
8. Went to be early....didn't even watch the news! Wowzers!

8 Things I am looking forward too

1. Living in a new house on our property! Hopefully soon!!!
2. My Mom and Dad coming this weekend for a few days! yahoo....early Christmas!!!
3. Putting up my Christmas tree's early....for #2. :) Any excuse will do!!!
4. Mitch's LAST JV football game on Thursday!!! Yahoo....ready for a break from JV football!
5. being creative again
6. deciding what to do with all my free time! Maybe start doing weddings again??? Take photography class with Shandy and/or Kristy???
7. snow!!! I know...you all hate me...but I LOVE the snow!!! Canuck at heart I tell ya!
8. a NEW YEAR!!! Hopefully with more happy times and success' than this year!!!

8 Things on my wish list
1. 50 mm 1 1:8 lens for my Canon 30D
2. Snappy flash for my canon 30D
3. A new house...nestled cozily on a picturesque acre lot overlooking the mountains
4. An acre lot...in a developed sub that we can finally build on!!! Come on...please hurry!!!
5. a NEW to me Suburban. I am not greedy...anything from '04 on!!!
6. a new TV! Ours is on its VERY last leg!!! And I mean that!!!
7. Money to buy a new TV!!! :)
8. for my family to be happy and healthy...and get along with each other!!! PLEASE!!!!

8 people I tag....

1. Shandy
2. Laurie
3. Greta
4. Deanna
5. JeNeale
6. MeKayla
7. Rita
8. Melissa

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Eh!!! For all you Americans who thought you had the edge on the "Columbus Day" holiday...Guess what!!! You don't! It is actually Canadian Thanksgiving today! Pretty sweet!!! And since we have an Elder...Elder Gwilliam serving here who is from Alberta in real life, we decided to go all out today! We had a full blown thanksgiving dinner! And it was FAB!!! Turkey, stuffing, mashed taters, sweet pa-taters, salad, fresh baked rolls, gravy...and pumpkin dessert! We all got VERY full and it was heavenly! Then we went outside and hit golf balls into the mint field with the baseball bat! Tres magnific!!! It was very fun! Sent Elder Gwilliam and Elder Shuler home with a ginormous serving of leftovers for later!

Also....today is Randy's FAVORITE holiday of the year. I know, many of you have other fav's....like Christmas (my personal FAV), Halloween, maybe even Easter! But no...my sweety LOVES Columbus Day. Why you ask???? Well, let me tell you. He LOVES this day because as a State of Idaho employee he get today off! It is October's holiday! Wahoo!!! And to cap it off, the kidlets have to go to school, as it is NOT a school holiday! So...he gets a nice quiet peaceful day at home. He spent the day working on his boat seats! They are turning out pretty good. I will post a pic when they are all done. Trust me...if you haven't seen his boat...don't get your hopes up! It is a real winner winner chicken dinner! But he loves it. So, I guess that is all that matters!

Ahhhh, thank goodness for great days like today!

Hope all my fellow Canucks...or Canuck wanna-be's had a GREAT day too!!!

XOXOXOXO

I give up...

I had been trying to post David Archuleta's new video...CRUSH...for I guess this country girl is more computer illiterate than I originally thought! ARGH! I get it posted and then it says the vid is temporarily unavailable? WHA??? Oh well....I give up! So....I guess you are on your own. Try this link. It is such a great song!!! And hello....he is such a cutie!!! If I wasn't almost 40 and married....I would be all over that cute boy! Ok...I just scared myself!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yff9nCctMkg

Go and enjoy some David! Decided it was time for something more light hearted than the usual as of late! Hope you like! GREAT SONG!!!

Peace out!!!

Been awhile....

I know it has been a very long time since I blogged. Bad blogger!!!! I guess I have been stalling. Bad excuse I know! I have been needing to write about being released from my calling (which I LOVED!!!). I guess I have been waiting to write until I could do it without crying, and I have about decided that might be awhile! So....write away!

So, that is my latest news. I was released from serving as the Nampa North Stake Young Women's President. sniff sniff. I guess I kinda had an inkling it was coming, I have been there for almost 5 years...I was called in the middle of November but not sustained till January...so you can do the math. It is not a calling I felt particularly prepared for or qualified for that is for sure! And DEF not something I would have even envisioned myself doing!!! And NOT something I would have even aspired to doing, if that makes sense! Having never served in the Young Women's organization it came as a bit of a shock to be extended the chance to serve in that capacity! And although that made it hard....it also helped in a way. I went into it having to stick to the basics!!! Pray and follow the promptings of the Spirit to know what to do! I feel so very blessed for the chance I have had to learn as much as I did! I really had to learn to trust in the Spirit and to DO the things I was prompted...when I was prompted to do them! I had the opportunity to work with MANY wonderful people in our Stake, both in my presidencies and with the Stake Presidency and High Council! I have learned a new appreciation for the way the Priesthood serves...especially Bishops! There are so many in our Stake that truly understand the meaning of Service! I appreciate so much the opportunity I had to rub shoulders with the WONDERFUL Young Women of our Stake! What an incredible group of bright shining stars! I am excited to watch as they all continue to grow and progress in the gospel.....I will miss so much the chance to learn from them like I have! They have such incredible testimonies and some have had such a hard road to get to where they are! I know for sure that our Father in Heaven is very mindful of them and all they have done and will do! Wow...I just love them all so much! I will miss very much the ladies I got to work with. Especially this last group....we were only able to serve together for 1 year....but it was an incredible year! Never have I had the chance to work with such neat strong ladies! It was so great to be "all on the same page" and be like-minded in duty and spirit. Made the job so easy and fun....wow....don't think I have ever laughed so hard in all my life! Especially at our girls camp this year! Wowzers! Broken kneecaps and all!!! Thanks so much Laurie Nelson, Tara Pugmire, Desiree Lewis, and Jennifer Tolman!!! Love you ladies.....and I know I always will! Thanks so much for supporting and sustaining me! And helping me to be the very best I can be! I LOVE you all!!!!

I know that it is going to take awhile to get over being released! It is not that I am power hungry or anything like that....I am going to miss serving for so many different reasons! It just was such a wonderful experience that has forever changed the type of person I am! I am sooooo thankful for being able to do it!

I am also very excited for the new group of ladies called to replace us! Sister Greta Summers was called as President...and wow...if I could have hand-picked my replacement...she would have been the one! I just LOVE her dearly!!! And she will be FAB!!! Seriously!!! She called a neat group of ladies to work with her too. 1st Coun Natalie Bauers, 2nd Coun Tara Pugmire (she kept her from my Presidency) and as Sec Nichole Aldous and as her Lite Leader Liz Fulmer as well she kept Jenn Tolman as her Stake Camp Director...big job and she does such a great job! They are all great woman who I admire and they have so much to offer! I am glad they get the opportunity to learn and grow just like I did!

I guess...I am moving onto a new chapter in my life! And it might sound crazy...but I think I will mourn this change for awhile! I really wish everyone could have the same opportunity to serve in the Stake. It really is such an eye-opener!!! And a GREAT opportunity!!!

mmmmm, hello and where have you been all my life?

Since I know you all have been working on your "Boogie Bodies", please make yourself a treat!!! Love ya!!!

Perfectly Peanutty! stole from the "Bakerella blog" I like to visit!

Pretty, peanut butter cookies with just five ingredients:1 cup peanut butter1/2 cup sugar1 egg4 oz. Baker's semi-sweet chocolate, melted1/2 cup finely chopped peanutsThat's my kind of recipe!
Preheat oven to 325. Mix peanut butter, sugar and egg until well blended.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Remove and roll mixture into 18 balls.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
Flatten each ball by using a fork to make a criss-cross pattern.
Bake 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet and then cool completely on a wire rack.
Melt chocolate.
Dip one end of cookie into melted chocolate and then dip into chopped peanuts. Repeat with other side.
Place on wax paper covered cookie sheet and refrigerate until chocolate hardens.And enjoy!

Jazzercise - Move your Boogie Body 1982

Be sure to pause the music on the bottom!!!

Saw this on Kris Briggs blog...and had to totally steal it. It made me laugh out loud!!!

If you want a boogie body....get your best jazzercise suit on...and get ready...

TO BOOGIE!!!!


Shake it sugar...do it to it!!!

Breaking Dawn....

Did you get it? Sydney and I both got our copy at midnight at Walmart. And it only cost us 13.68 each! Swweeeeeet!!! We got there at 11:10 pm and and were 10 and 11 in line. Another Sweeeeet! They only had 50 books and there were alot of women there. It was pretty fun. Saw lots of people I knew and we had a good time. By 12:05...they were ALL GONE! Crazy!!!

Lets hear your story...how did you get Breaking Dawn!!!

Grateful...

I seem to be overwhelmed with feelings of "Grateful-ness" lately. I am not sure why...not sure if it is a trickle down effect of Girls Camp...being so grateful it went so well and had such a great spirit about it. Not sure if it is because we just celebrated Canada Day and 4th of July...I feel so very grateful to live in such a wonderful place where I am free to live as I choose and practice my religion as I choose...and dress how I choose!!! I also feel so grateful for having the childhood I did. It was soo wonderful to grow up in the middle of nowhere with miles to roam and run free and be naughty...and learn all kinds of things.

I have a friend who is trying SOOOO hard to adopt a baby girl right now...she was placed in their home and the birth mom wanted her back...and it has been a long process and they are getting her back hopefully in a day or two....but watching her and her sweet husband has made me more grateful for a birth mom who was willing to give me up and allow me the privilege of being raised by a Mom and a Dad who loved me and wanted me!!! (it was my Dad's bday yesterday so...probably where that one is coming from)

Also...grateful for being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints! I feel sooo blessed...and have such a rich heritage of forefathers who sacrificed so much for me...as a modern day pioneer! I am soo grateful to be able to enjoy the blessings of the Temple...both as an adopted child, and as a wife and mother! I am grateful for the peace and love I feel in the Temple as I learn and understand the purpose of coming to earth! I am grateful for covenants!!! And for how freeing they are!!!

I am also so very grateful for my lil family. I am soooo blessed to have such a wonderful hubby who supports me in all the crazy things I do...both church callings and otherwise! There have been times where I know he doesn't want to...but he helps me anyway. I am grateful for my 3 wonderful kids too. They are such great kids with such funny personalities...they are truly fun to be around (most of the time). They are so patient with me and forgiving as I learn how to be a mom. It is an ever evolving job and I am sure I will never get it right! Good thing they love me!!!

I guess I am grateful for just about everything right now....I think I will even be grateful for my bed...where I am ready to collapse in just a few minutes!!!

And I am grateful for YOU too, my like 3 blog readers who are loving and supportive friends!!! I tend to have tunnel vision alot of the time...and DEF could learn how to be a better friend. Love you all!!!!

Happy Canada Day.....eh!!!!

To Canucks everywhere...Happy Canada Day!!! Hope your Canadian Bacon is hot and your Ketchup chips are spicy!!!

Eh!!!

I am going to go and sit on my chesterfield in my laneway. They when I am done I am going to help my Mum clean the kitchen by running stuff down the garberator!!! So there.....

So in true Bob and Doug Mackenzie style....Take off eh!!!!

Phew....June is about over.

Wow...I can't believe that June is over in like one hour! This happens every year...well at least for the last 4 anyway. Girls camp is in June and seems like time just flies in the month of June.

Our Stake girls camp this year was June 17-20. Us Stake leaders went up on the 16th to get everything set up and ready for the girls to arrive on Tuesday morning. Our theme this year was "Trek"...and we asked all the girls in our Stake to come to camp with a pioneer skirt/dress and bonnet...and to have researched a pioneer family name. We had such a great response before camp that we knew that great things were in store! Our girls and leaders came very well prepared and brought such a great spirit with them...in spite of lots of trials along the way. We had one ward whose trailer jumped the hitch on the way up...and by some miracle...they were all okay. In reality...they probably should have rolled their vehicle...but only damaged the trailer and arrived at camp late and frazzled but all OK...it truly was a tender mercy from our Father in Heaven!!!

We had such a GREAT time this year...every year has been wonderful...but this year was by far our best! Partly due to my having such a wonderful, willing and supportive presidency! They truly have become my best friends!!! My first counselor Laurie besides being a huge part of the presidency was also our camp nurse and that is no small feat let me tell you! She handled her double duty so FAB!!! Especially with the broken kneecaps and all. One patient, Cynthia, was pale beyond help and we all were worried about her outcome but Laur saved her too! Wow...she did a great job! My second counselor Tara, my camp counselor was sooo awesome to do anything we asked...and I think we gave her alot of the hard stuff!!! But hey...she is young and very game...so that is what you get!!! Hehehe! Also...she is sooo tender-hearted and really a kindred spirit with me I think we were separated at birth except that I am like 6 years older than her. Oh well! She is a french braiding specialist and probably braided about 150 heads of hair during the week. She had girls waiting in LONG LINES to have their hair done...and she turned NO ONE away. I think many of those girls had never had their hair done like that ever! It was soo neat to see the girls stand up after she finished and have her tell them how beautiful they looked and see that many of them who previously might not have believed it...truly see that they ARE beautiful!!! It really was such a neat thing to watch! She was soo sweet to do it! My secretary Des was just called about 3 weeks before camp and wowzers did she step up to the plate!!! She jumped right in with both feet and really got us organized and kept us on track!!! She is such a great example to me of dedication....she felt an bladder infection coming on early in the week and knew she was in trouble...but what a trooper...she went against all our begging her to leave...and stuck out the entire week in spite of the major league nasty physical symptoms she had...she stayed! And she really taught me what it means to be dedicated!!! My Stake camp director Jenn was the hugest Rock Star ever! I don't even know how she does all that she does!!! She has a very young family and literally ran circles around us all....broken kneecaps and all!!! Hehehehe! She is a planner to the end and her persistence kept us all going! She has a great sense of humour and really helped us get through the tense times. She thought of things I would NEVER have come up with...and was a great liaison between us as the Stake Leaders and our Ward Leaders! Wow...I can't imagine doing this job without her!!! My lite leader (over the youth leaders) Greta was a SUPERSTAR!!! She is a very tender-hearted person too and handled those 16 and 17 year old gals so perfectly! She truly taught them how to be leaders and how to lead with Christ-like love! Our Lite's were the best prepared we have ever had and they LOVED Greta! She is a great example to those girls and to me! Love her!!!

Besides all my peeps...our cooks were awesome and I think had a great time too!!! That is a huge job and they rocked the house!!! At one point during the night...we heard chants coming from the Kitchen and after paying closer attention...we heard...."CHUG, CHUG, CHUG" coming from behind closed doors. So...we went to inspect and they were shooting whipped cream into each other' mouths. And it was at the persistent hand of our Shirley Taylor...the oldest one at camp. She is a firecracker that one!!! It was pretty funny...especially since earlier in the day all our cooks had been playing round table ping pong. Fun to see them having fun and being spiritually feed too! They did a great job!!!

It was also my Sydney's first year at camp. So after 4 LONG years of being my personal assistant she was finally able to come along to camp with me! She had a great time and it was fun to see all the things that we planned really have an impact on her life too! Wow...what a blessing to be a Mom and a Leader at the same time! Loved it...and LOVE her!!!

We had the best spirit there all week...and maybe soon I will have to write some of my favorite memories from this year! We had 5 girls that are not members of our church up there with us, and I can honestly say...I KNOW they all felt the spirit and left with many questions and answers about the gospel! What a great thing to have happen!

I feel sooo blessed to have been a part of the Nampa North Stake girls camp "TREK" 2008! I am a better person for rubbing shoulders will all my fellow leaders and the GREAT Young Women of our Stake!

Love you all!!!!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Tag....and I was running trust me...

Cuz Angie tagged me and I tried to outrun her...but she caught me....so her goes!

6 UNSPECTACULAR QUIRKS ABOUT ME

1. I am a perfectionist. And it is a curse!!! Makes me crazy!!! I am gettin worse as I get older too, I am trying not to be...but not doing very well! I will keep trying!

2. I LOVE to make baby quilts. Or any quilts to tell the truth!!! They are so fun to figure out...and then when you start seeing them put together...what fun!!! LOVE IT!!!

3. I REALLY worry about what people think about me. I know I shouldn't...and again...I try not to...but I can't help it.

4. I LOVE people. There is NOTHING more fascinating than just watching people. I am soo bad...I have to sit in the front of church or I don't listen. I just love watching peoples expressions, and trying to figure out what they are thinking and feeling!

5. I HATE HATE HATE when people around me are sad...especially...friends and family!!!! It makes me so sad too!!! Especially when it is something so unimportant that makes them sad! sniff sniff!!! I am sad just thinking about it!

6. I actually LOVE doing laundry. It is just so great to start something and SEE that you are getting it done! It is delightful to have it all done and folded...sitting in the closet waiting to be worn! Ahhhh.......and along with that love...my friend (Melissa) introduced me to the yummiest smelling laundry soap and dryer sheets....makes my stuff smell so yummy. Of course...I only use for my stuff like sheets and towels. Smells sooo heavenly. Gain Joyful expressions...Apple Mango Tango....if you haven't tried it...you must!!! Then let me know what you think!

7. One more...I love being silly!!! And here is proof. This is Friday night after Tyler's baptism...being silly with my Mom! She likes to be silly too!!!

I tag Sydney, Becca, Laurie, and Melissa!!!

Holy Moly!!!

My baby is 8!!! Where has the time gone! I cannot believe it. He had his baptism interview with Bishop Thurgood today after church. He passed...so I guess we will baptize him this weekend. My folks are coming down for this very special day, and we are excited to have them. Randy's folks are serving a mission in Houston Texas so we will have to send them lots of pictures! Hopefully the family that is in town will be able to make it too!

Tyler is pretty excited about getting baptized!!! Finally something to make him feel like he is catching up to the older kids!!! He is getting soo big...almost as tall as Sydney.

He had a good Birthday on June 5th. We will be celebrating his birthday with some friends in the next day or so! Jang Hee (our Korean student living with us) had oral surgery on Friday and is taking a little longer to recover than he thought he would. So...thank goodness Tyler is very patient and understanding...we will have his party as soon as we can! He is taking some friends to go and see Kung-Fu Panda...then back here to play games and have cake and ice cream! Should be fun!!!

We sure love having Tyler in our family. He has such a GREAT sense of humour and I seriously don't know how he comes up with MOST of the stuff he says! He is sooo patient and loves attending Mitch and Sydney's sporting events and is excited that he is finally getting big enough to do some of his own. He will play football again this fall, and probably basketball again in the spring! He loves going to church and being around his family! We are sooo blessed to have such a wonderfully humoured and super spiritual kids around to keep us company!!!

WE LOVE TYLER!!!