Happy New Year

Wishing everyone a safe and Happy New Year!!!!!

My Aunt and Uncle

My Uncle has been called as the Mission President over Temple Square.
This is my moms brother and his wife.
Congrats Uncle Mike and Aunt Marian.

Michael H. Holmes, 67, Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission; Dimple Dell Park Ward, Sandy Utah Granite View Stake; Area Seventy; former president of the Missouri Independence Mission, regional representative, stake president, bishop and gospel doctrine teacher. Retired general contractor. Born in Wichita, Kan., to John Harvey and Doris Catt Holmes. Married Marian Roberts.

Sister Holmes served with her husband in the Missouri Independence Mission and is a former stake and ward Young Women president, ward Primary president, ward Primary teacher, temple receptionist and temple ordinance worker. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Boyd Elmo and Louise Fahrni Roberts.

Finally...

Okay so we finally did it..
The kids and I have a quest to find a hot sauce or salsa that is too hot for Jeff not matter how hard we try or how many Habanero Peppers I put in salsa, nothing and I mean nothing is hot enough for that man. I have even quit asking him to taste test the things that I make because he always says "oh this it just fine not too hot" well when we sit down to eat everyone of us has smoke coming out our ears and our mouths are on fire.
So on Tuesday we went to Grove Market to get sandwiches for lunch and they have an isle full of different kinds of hot sauce. Lindsee had one picked out then she noticed that there were some behind the counter and asked to see one of them. Now I knew that if you had to ask to see it then it MUST be hot. Well the bottle says it is 750 times hotter than a jalapeno pepper so once again I knew it was hot and all Lindsee could think was we just have to get it for dad. SO after warnings from other customers and the crazy looks I gave in and we got it. Lindsee wrapped it up nice and tight and we gave it to him this morning. Well to make a long story short or at least try to..
WE DID IT!!!!!
His mouth is still on fire and that was an hour ago.

Peace and Love

Today as a family we went to the Bountiful cemetery where my Dad's parents are buried and then to the city cemetery where my Mom's parents and 2 of her sisters are buried.We always feel peace when we go to the cemeteries and today was no different well OK maybe a little. My Grandma and Pappy Holmes are buried in the block above President David O McKay and President Gordon B Hinckley. Well Lindsee wanted to go to President Hinckley grave and place a rose on it. As we stood at President Hinckley's grave there was such a peaceful feeling and such a strong spirit, the we all felt, it was just amazing. Jeff noticed on the back of President Hinckley's Monument it said this monument was carved from granite left over from the Salt Lake Temple and the Conference center corner stones.
As we left the cemetery we all felt very peaceful and we also felt the presence of the spirit, and this has been with us all day.
I wish I would have had my camera with me so that I could have taken pictures of the beautiful Monument and the view of the Salt Lake Valley!!

Merry Christmas

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
(Luke 2:11)

Me and my sister in laws

Okay so we are a little crazy but we have a BLAST together. These were taken at our family Christmas party last night. All 3 of us grabbed a bottle of Sparkling Cider (yes it really is cider) to pose for this picture. By the end of the night we had all laughed so hard we could not think straight.
I grew up with 3 brothers and having sister in laws.. well they are my "sisters" I can tell them anything, they are always willing to listen and give advice when needed. Shawn and Bobbie and their family live in Arizona so they do not make it here for the holidays and boy do we all miss them.

My Boys

They look so much a like sometimes it scares me.





















The talk the same, they walk the same. If I happen to catch either Jeff or Jake out of the corner of my eye I sometimes mistake them for the other one.

Like father like son!!!
( I stole this idea from Liberty, thanks for the great idea!!)

Christmas Part and Zoo Lights

Tonight we had our family Christmas Party. Our party started off with a bang as usual. We have a chocolate fountain and the kids (and us adults) love it. Well my niece Makayla did not waste anytime heading towards the chocolate fountain. Next thing you know she turned around and had chocolate all over the back of her hair, she took the saying "never come between a woman and her chocolate" literally.We all ate dinner and chocolate, Then we played the White elephant game and pass the presents.Mason who is 4 wanted all of the presents he did not understand that he only got 2. Then after these 2 games my parents come out with Santa hats on and a big bag of gift. Every on of the kids gets a gift from Grandma and Grandpa "Santa". Us Big gets get a bag full of what my mom calls a Christmas Eve survival kit. This usually includes batteries, tape and wrapping paper. We all laughed until stomachs hurt. Little Mason was so tired and ready to go home and did not want to pose for another picture, so in all of them I took I think he is crying. The only thing that would have made all of this more fun it if my brother Shawn and his family were here, they live in Arizona and do not make it for the Holidays
After this all ended Jeff and I took our kids to Zoo lights at Hogle Zoo, now yes it was cold and I was thinking we must be crazy, but we had a really good time. I give the camera to Jeff and I never know what pictures I will will get until I down load them, most of the time he takes great pictures but sometimes, I have no clue why he took some of them. However today he did GREAT!!!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Mission Call

Today my nephew BJ received his mission call. We are all very excited for him. He will be a GREAT missionary.
I cannot believe he is 19 already. When Jeff and I got married Lynette was 9 months pregnant with him. When Jake was first learning to talk ( they are 2 1/2 years apart) he called him BUD J so that has stuck and to this day is still call him BUD J.
It amazes me to see BJ and talk to him he has a such a spirit and STRONG testimony of Jesus Christ, I have learned so much from him, and my testimony has grown from the things I have learned from him.
OH guess you want to know where he will be serving his mission.
He will be serving.....in the .....
Texas San Antonio Mission,
Congrats.
Elder Clarence Brent Lund III

Like it or Not.............................

Winter is here!!!!!!

Lindsee and her friends

Lindsee had received Cheetah Girls Concert tickets for her birthday and was going to take 4 friends and her terrific mom to the concert tonight. Well on Friday the concert got canceled and needless to say she was heart broken, but she handled it really well and still had her friends come over. They made salt dough ornaments ate ice cream and pizza and laughed and giggled like only 15 year old girls can. I cannot believe they are already "boy crazy" they are too young.
As much as I hate to admit it I had fun too. They may not believe it but I too was 15 once.
On her real birthday last Wednesday the 10th we had a ton of fun as well. I has Channel 2 wish her happy birthday and 101.5 the Eagle. Then Jeff, Jake and I took her some roses too school. Jake wanted to be a mean big brother an go to school in his PJ's but he had to wear his Class A uniform to school that day. Can I just tell you how happy she was when her brother show up at her school in his JROTC uniform. Then Wednesday evening she wanted to go to dinner to her favorite restaurant TEXAS ROADHOUSE!! She loves their rolls and would fill up on them alone if we would let her. She ended her evening by going to Young Womens where that made salt dough Nativity's.
So all in all she had a GREAT birthday!!!

Gingerbread Houses

Every year we get together with my brothers families and decorate gingerbread houses. We have a great with time lots of laughing. This year we decided to decorate Uncle Jeff. Thank goodness my hubby is a good sport. All of the nieces and nephews just love Jeff I think it is because he is a kid trapped in an adults body as Lindsee says.
Merry Christmas everybody!!!!!!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Blog Name

I want to thank everyone for their great ideas on our blog name. It was a very hard decision to make. However the reason for the one we chose is because when we are asked out last name we are always asked to spell it and my response is "HAY AS IN WHAT HORSES EAT"

My baby turns 15

Okay so this is a few days early but tonight we had the family over for brownies and ice cream for Lindsee's birthday. her request for dinner was he favorite chicken enchiladas, she loves them (and I will make her anything if she will eat it). She wanted brownies instead of cake and we had to have orange sherbet ice cream. Now her favorite color is orange so the brownies had orange sprinkles and she was wearing orange and we had orange sherbet go figure.
Last night she wanted to spend her birthday money from Grandpa and Grandma Hay so we went to build a bear, her favorite place, it was really fun to watch her have so much fun.
I will add more pictures to the slide show after Wednesday so stay turned.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

My Pet Peeves

For those of you that know me know I have some pet peeves for the rest of you I will share some of them with you.
1. Do not hover over me. I hate that I need my space when I cook, read or play on the computer.
2. Do not call my office and ask "are you open" well of course we are open or I would not be answering the phone. I wish I could say " Nope I am just here to answer the phone and tell you we are closed." DUH!!
3. Give me 5 minutes to myself when I first walk in the door. Enough time to put my purse down,kick off my shoes and for crying out loud let me PEE.
4. If your kid is crying during church take them out of the Chapel no one wants to hear a screaming child. Now my kids were little too once so I understand, you want to hear what sacrament meeting is all about too that is why there are speakers in the hall.
5. When I call return my phone call. I hate it when I call someone and they do not return my calls.
6. Replace the roll of toilet paper if you finish off the roll, I am always the one to replace it.And men put the toilet seat down when you are done, you do not know what it is like to wake up in the middle of the night to go pee and fall right in the toilet.
7. Put your clothes in the hamper. The hamper is right here next to where you drop your clothes it does not take that much effort to put them in the hamper instead of the floor.(Jeff is the worst, but I still love him)
8. If you are running late just tell me. Jake is great at not calling when he is going to be late coming home,but thanks to Liz he is learning. Just call me and tell me you are going to be late then I am okay.
9. Cleaning the kitchen, when you clean the kitchen wipe off the counters and clean the sink DO NOT just do the dishes.
10.Cell phones. I hate it when you are on your cell phone when I am trying to help you choose glasses or at the bank conducting business, nothing is so important that it cannot wait 5 minutes.

As you can probably tell I had ALL of this happen to me today or in the past few days and I needed to vent.
Thanks for reading!!

Help

After reading many blogs and noticing that several of you have fun names for your blogs I have decided we need to make our blog name fun. So if you can think of anything fun to name our blog using our last name Hay leave a comment and I will choose one. You are welcome to give me as many names as you would like. One of the girls that works for me thought of "HAY DIDDLE DIDDLE"
Thanks for all of your ideas.

Festival of Trees

Today Jeff and I and my mom went to the Festival of trees. What a wonderful thing to see, all of the trees that were decorated in remembrance of a loved one. I could have stayed all day just looking at all of the trees and gingerbread houses. It was great!!!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I may have got a little carried away......

Ok so I learned how to make a slide show and I think I got carried away. In this slid show you will find all kinds of pictures. Some of all of us, some with Jake and his girlfriend Liz and some random ones. These pictures tell about our fun in 2008. Anyway it was really fun to make this slide show. Make sure you pause the music on my page so you can hear the music that plays with this slide show.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Lindsee's Christmas Choir Concert

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Tonight was Lindsee's Christmas Concert and it was a lot of fun. It was very long, there is 4 Choirs,3 bands plus 3 orchestras at her school, so it took a while but all worth it. The ended with ALL of the Choirs,Bands and Orchestras together singing and playing "Little Drummer Boy" all I can say is what a way to end the evening. By the time they were through with that song I had goose bumps and tears in my eyes.

It is Christmas time

I love Christmas.
We always go see the lights around the valley. There is a place up by Jeff's parents house that tells the night before Christmas story, every house on the street has lights and each house tells part of the story. My favorite place is Temple Square but it seems like we are always so busy we never make there. We always put up the tree the day after Thanksgiving. Jeff is in charge of making the branches all look goo. He used to be in charge of the lights but now we have a pre-lit tree so that saves us a lot of time. Jeff is such a perfectionist he does a great job at making the tree look good. When Jeff is through we all decorate it and we have a blast. Every year I say that I am going to enjoy the decorations and the special season but I never do. Six year ago my Grandmother who was also my best friend passed away just before Christmas so it has been hard for me to enjoy it. Last year we moved 2 days after Christmas. But this year I AM going to enjoy Christmas no matter what.
I think Christmas has become so commercialized over the years so many people forget what Christmas is really about.
We get so involved in Santa and other things we forget the most important thing..
Jesus Christ

Happy Birthday Treck

Treck was a very good friend of Jake's. Treck passed away in June from a seizure. It has been really hard for Jake but he is beginning to deal with it better. Today (11/28/08) would have been Treck's 18th birthday, so we went to his graveside and took some balloons and spent some time with his family there it was very nice. The spirit was there and we could also feel Treck's presence, telling us it was okay and not to be sad for him he but be happy is safe with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRECK!!!

Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving. The best part was the kids wanted to help prepare the meal this year. Being with family is always fun.


Jake helping Emeril style!!!










Lindsee making the mashed potatoes!!

Lindsee's latest project!!

Lindsee love to do crafts. She does everything from scrapbooking to baking. Here latest one is a latch hook project. I used to do latch hook but I do not think I ever completed one. I got bored really easy, but not Lindsee she completed this project in about 8 hours not all in one day but over a 3 day period. She is going to pass it off as one of her personal progress goals Give this girl a project and she is happy forever!!!.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!

What are you thankful for?

As I was driving to work this morning I was thinking of all of the things I am thankful for. Some of them may sound cheesey but if you know me you will understand.
1. FAMILY--- I have a great family. My brothers always pikced on me when I was younger. They always stepped in when I was not being treated right by a boyfriend. Today they are my friends not only my brothers. My parents... where do I start.. they always let me test my own wings and learn from my mistakes, theyu never judged my choices. My husband Jeff... we have been married for 19 years and I am not saying we have not had our momments but he is a wonderful man and works hard for his family. Jeff is always here when I need him willing to listen. My kids Jake and Lindsee wow do I have great kids that about sums them up.
2. FRIENDS---- Friends sure play a part in life. Over the past several months I have started talking again to friends from High School. This is GREAT. Some of these friends I thought I may never see or speak to again after High School but I was wrong. Some of these friends we picked up right where we started from. Friends are always there when you need them.
3. MY JOB I am so grateful for my job. I have a great boss and staff. Need I say more?
4. LIFE
5. CHOCOLATE
6. DIET COKE
There are so many things I am thankful for I just cannot name them all.
What are you thankful for???

Jake

Jake... well where do I start? Jake is a great kid well I guess at 17 he is not a kid anymore, so maybe I should refer to him as a young man. As he has grown up we have watched him grow from a baby to the wonderful young man he is today. As sit here I realize he graduates from High School in June 2009. That is not very far away. His plan are to join the Marines. When Jake was a sophomore he want to take the JROTC class at school, we let him take it and all I can say is WOW. This class has helped him grow up, helped to teach him things that we may never have been able to teach him no matter how hard we tried. Jake is such a great kid with a lot to offer. It seems like just yesterday he was just a baby where does time go?

Not many 17 year old kids will hug their moms but Jake will and he is not ashamed to do it.

Can anyone tell me

Can anyone tell my why socks disappear? I seems to me like every time I buy new socks they disappear shortly after the first time in the washer. Now does the washer or dryer eat them or do they just hide? I am so tired of not being able to find a matching pair of sock I could scream.
Now socks are not the only thing to disappear at my house. I bought a new outfit a couple of weeks ago now today I cannot find the pants that go with it. What happened to them all the wash is caught up. Ziploc containers disappear as well at my house we either has all containers and no lids or all lids an no containers. Spoons also disappear.
Do these things just grow legs and walk away? No body in my house has an explanation as to where things go.

My Sweet Lindsee

My sweet Lindsee.. wow what a child, she has sure a sweet spirit about her. She never fights when she is asked to do something she just gets right up and does it (unless you ask her to clean her room). She has struggled the past few months with an eating disorder. This has been hard for ALL of us but we have manged to stay strong through it. As a parent you seem to feel like it is your fault, well let me tell you I have taken the blame for a very long time, then I realized it is not my fault or Jeff's fault. We raised a beautiful little girl, we clothed her fed her kept her safe. God gave us all our one free agency, with this we all make our own decisions whether they are good or bad, we have to suffer the consequences.This has been such a hard thing for us to go through as a family and it has done a couple of things to our,it has made us stronger and also made us crumble a little. But thanks to the support of family, great friends and a lot of prayers we are getting through this one step at a time. When this first happened we were not going to tell any one and then we realized that we could not get through this without friends and family. We are very lucky and caught Lindsee's before it got to bad and too out of control, her anorexia is a VERY mild case. She sees a dietitian weekly as well as a therapist both Ali and Andrea are great!!
I post this not for sympathy but for every ones information. Eating disorders can affect anyone no matter the age young or old. Thank you all for your support!!!
Anorexia is a disorder where the main characteristic is the restriction of food and the refusal to maintain a minimal normal body weight. Most Anorexics lose weight by restricting their food intake. Anorexics may start by limiting or excluding foods that they perceive as having high fat or caloric content.
Once the disorder of Anorexia Nervosa takes hold, the individual usually ends up with an extremely restrictive diet that is sometimes limited to only a small number of foods. Additional methods of weight loss for Anorexics can include vomiting, laxative abuse, diuretic abuse, insulin abuse, chew-spitting, and excessive exercise.
For individuals suffering from Anorexia Nervosa, any actual gain or even perceived gain of weight is met with intense fear of becoming fat. With Anorexia Nervosa, weight loss usually does not lesson the fear, and in fact, the fear often increases following the weight loss. Not only is there a true feeling of fear, but also once in the grasp of the disorder, Anorexics experience body image distortions. Most individuals suffering from Anorexia have an overall feeling of being overweight.

I Love you

I copied this from a good friend of mine and just had to post it!!

TO ALL MY KEEPERS, WITH LOVE.....
One day someone's husband died,
And on that clear, cold morning,
in the warmth of Their bedroom,
the wife was struck with the Pain of learning that sometimes there is not any more.
No more hugs, no more special moments to Celebrate together,
no more phone calls just to Chat,
no more just one minute.
Sometimes, what we care about the most gets All used up and goes away.
Never to return before we can Say good-bye, say I love you.
So while we have it. It is best we love it and care for it And, fix it when it is broken..
And heal it when it is sick.
This is true for marriage.
And old cars.
And children with bad report cards
And dogs with bad hips
And aging parents and grandparents.
We keep them because they are Worth it, because we are worth it.
Some things we keep --Like a best friend who moved Away or a classmate we grew up with.
There are just some things that Make us happy, no matter what.
Life is important, like people, we know who are special. . .
And so, we keep them close!
I received this from someone who thought I was a 'keeper'!
Then I share with the people I think of in the same way.
Now it is your turn to share with All those people who are keepers in your life.
Suppose one morning you never wake up,Do all your friends know you love them?
I was thinking....I could die today,
tomorrow or next week,
And I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed,
Friendships that needed rekindling or Three words needing to be said.
Let every one of your friends know you Love them.
Even if you think, they do not love you back,
You would be amazed at what those Three little words and a smile can do.
And just in case, "GOD" calls me Home......
I LOVE U!!!
Live today to the fullest because tomorrow is not promised.

Color Blindness

As many of you may know I work for and eye doctor and have been in this field for many years 14 to be exact.
Lindsee is doing her science fair project on color blindness this year and being the good mom I am I have been helping her with her research and have found sound info I thought I would pass on.
Color blindness is not a form of blindness at all, but a deficiency in the way you see color. With this vision problem, you have difficulty distinguishing certain colors, such as blue and yellow or red and green. Red-green color deficiency is the most common form of color blindness; a less common form is blue-yellow color deficiency.
Color Blindness Symptoms and Signs

Do you have a hard time telling if colors are blue and yellow, or red and green? This is the primary sign of this vision problem. Contrary to popular belief, it is rare that a color-blind person would see only in neutral colors or shades of gray.
What Causes Color Blindness?
Color blindness occurs when certain cells in the retina that normally respond to color do not respond as they should.
The problem affects more men than it does women, and usually, people with a color deficiency are born with it.
Color blindness is caused by a common X-linked recessive gene. This means, if you're color-blind, your mother must either be color-blind or have normal vision but carry the color-deficient gene.
Color-blind fathers pass the gene to their daughters only, who will have normal color vision unless their mother also carries the color-deficient gene.
Aging or disease can also damage retinal cells and in extreme cases can lead to almost total color blindness.
Ishihara plates help eye doctors determine the degree and type of color blindness.
Eye doctors use Ishihara plates to determine the severity and type of color deficiency. With normal color perception you can see the numeral among the dots. But with red-green deficiency you would have trouble seeing the red among the green.
Color Blindness Treatment
Color blindness cannot be cured. However, if you have difficulty distinguishing colors, or you've observed this difficulty in your child, see your eyecare practitioner.
Diagnosing color-vision deficiency early may prevent learning problems during the school years, since many learning materials rely heavily on color perception. If your child has a color deficiency, be sure to speak with his or her teachers about it, so they can plan their lessons accordingly.
Some people use special lenses for color blindness, which are filters available in either contact lens or eyeglass lens form. They are available from a limited number of eyecare practitioners in the United States and other countries.
You can also learn ways to work around your inability to pick out certain colors. For example, you might organize and label your clothing to avoid color clashes. (Ask friends or family members to help!) And you might remember the order of things rather than their color (i.e., the red light is at the top of a traffic light).







Eye doctors use Ishihara plates to determine the severity and type of color deficiency. With normal color perception you can see the numeral among the dots. But with red-green deficiency you would have trouble seeing the red among the green.

PS I LOVE YOU

A good friend of mine told me that I should watch the movie PS I Love You and to make sure I watched it with Jeff, I was told I would cry and it would make me realize the things we take for granted. Well all I can say is wow. I realize the things I take for granted, I do not know what I would do today if Jeff was suddenly gone. I cannot tell you the times I have taken for granted that he is always here. I often say to myself "he knows I love him so why tell him?" I think when you have been married as long as we have (19 years) you get so comfortable that you just figure they know I love them so why do I need to say it? Well that will change, I made a promise to my self that I will tell Jeff I loved him every day maybe even a million times a day, and no matter how good or bad my day is I will take the time to sit down and talk with him and share my day share my feelings and tell him " Jeff I love you".
As a working mom and wife I sometimes let the fact that I am tired get in the way of these things, but FAMILY first!!!!


P.S. To my friend you know who you are and thank you!!

This Picture is Worth 100 Million Words...

We truly take a lot for granted. Forget the football 'heroes' and movie 'stars'. on so
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you ,
Jesus Christ and the American Soldier
One died for your soul; the other for your freedom.

The Invisible Mother

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of
response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room
while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store.
Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on
the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on
the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even
standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me
at all.
I'm invisible. The invisible Mom . Some days I am only a
pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie
this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of
hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to
ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to
answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm
a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'
I was certain that these were the hands that once held
books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that
graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared
into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's
going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating
the return of a friend from England .. Janice had just
gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and
on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there,
looking around at the others all put together so well. It
was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was
feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a
beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you
this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe .
I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me
until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with
admiration for the greatness of what you are building when
no one sees.'
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And
I would discover what would become for me, four
life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:
No one can say who built the great cathedrals
we have no record of their names.
These builders gave their whole lives
for a work they would never see finished. They made great
sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their
building was fueled by their faith that the
eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came
to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw
a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He
was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so
much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered
by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman
replied, 'Because God sees.'
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into
place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me,
'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make
every day, even when no one around you does. No act of
kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no
cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and
smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you
can't see right now what it will become.'
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction But it
is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for
the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote
to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective
when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people
who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to
work on something that their name will never be on.


The writer of the book went so far as to say that no
cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there
are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my child to
tell the friend he's bringing home from college for
Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and
bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for
three hours and presses all the linens for the table.'
That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to
myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if
there is anything more to say to his friend, to add,
'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be
seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very
possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we
have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the
world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Family Picture # 2

We had family pictures taken a few weeks ago and I could just not decide which one to frame so.......
I have a really good friend from high school who's wife does scrap booking (I am definitely not that talented) so I asked her if she could please make me a collage picture of some of our favorites. Well this is what she came up with and we LOVE it!!! Her blog is listed under my blog list check it out!!
Thanks Liberty!!!

When you thought I wasn't looking

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING
A message every adult should read because children
are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my
first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately
wanted to paint another one.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a
stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind
to animals.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my
favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little
things can be the special things in life.
When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a
prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always
talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a
meal and take it to a friend who was sick , and I
learned that we all have to help take care of each
other.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of
your time and money to help people who had nothing,
and I learned that those who have something should
give to those who don't.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care
of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have
to take care of what we are given.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you
handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't
feel good, and I learned that I would have to be
responsible when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come
from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things
hurt, but it's all right to cry.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you
cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.
When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of
life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and
productive person when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and
wanted to say,'Thanks for all the things I saw when
you thought I wasn't looking.'
Each of us (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher, friend) influence the life of a child.

Tagged by Brooke

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago: (this was a long time ago)
1- raising kids!!!
2- working
3- spending a lot of time at Bear lake
4- Enjoying life (which I still do today)
5- saving for a house

5 things on my to do list today:
1- go to church
2- laundry (yuck)
3- spend time with my great family
4- fix dinner
5- help Lindsee with homework

5 snacks I love:
1- string cheese
2- yogurt
3- anything chocolate
4- wheat thins
5- fruit

5 Things i would do if I were a millionaire:
1- buy a house
2- travel travel travel
3- donate to charaties
4- share with family
5- be the same person I am today



5 Places I've lived:
1- West Valley City
2- South Salt Lake
3- Taylorsville
4- West Valley City
5- West Jordan



5 Jobs I've had:
1- I worked at a grocery store when I was 16
2- Sam's Club
3- Standard Optical
4- Shopko Optical
5- Progressive Eye Care (still there and LOVE it!!)

5 people I tag:
Tasha
Liz
Toni
Cindy Buckley
LaDean

P U S H

P-----pray
U----until
S----something
H----happens

When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need.

Date Night

After 19 years of marriage Jeff and I have decided that we need a date night. It does not matter what we do we can either go for a walk, out to dinner. to a movie. But what ever we do will be just us, time to talk time to catch up on us. We are always so busy that we forget to take time out for us. Over that past several weeks or months I have come to again find the reason we fell in love all those years ago. I know with all my heart and sole that we will be together forever he is me eternal companion! I can look in Jeff's eyes and see the love he has for me.We have over the years like many couples have had bumps on the road but what would life be with out those bumps?
I thank the lord everyday for the wonderful man he has brought into my life.

Fun

We have recently become Utah Grizzles Fans. The kids would love to go to every game if we could. To tell you the truth I think they go just to see the fights. With Jake I would expect this but cute sweet Lindsee? Well let me tell you she is not as cute and quiet as you think she is. She screams and hollers at the refs and LOVES the fights!!!

Pass Him along

Got Jesus ?



HE ARRIVED THIS MORNING WE HAD PRAYER, SPENT SOME TIME JUST TALKING, AND HE HELD ME FOR AWHILE BECAUSE I WAS
HAVING A BAD MORNING. THEN, HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO YOUR PLACE.





When He gets to your blog, escort Him to the next stop. Please don't allow Him to sleep on your Blog. The message He is carrying is very important and needs to go round. May God bless you as you do this - AMEN Walking for Jesus!
Say a prayer, and then pass Him on to bless others. Our assignment is to love and spread the gospel throughout the world. Have a blessed day and touch somebody's life today! I just did. He's walking around the world - via Blogs!! Pass it on! So He can get there.

Daddy's Poem

I received thsi the other day in an e mail and really liked it. So I thought I would post it here. It will bring tears to your eyes.

Daddy's
Poem

Her hair was up in a pony tail,
her favorite dress tied with a bow.
Today was Daddy's Day at school,
and she couldn't wait to go.
But her mummy tried to tell her,
that she probably should stay home.
Why the kids might not understand,
if she went to school alone.
But she was not afraid;
she knew just what to say.
What to tell her classmates
of why he wasn't there today.
But still her mother worried,
for her to face this day alone.
And that was why once again,
she tried to keep her daughter home.
But the little girl went to school
eager to tell them all.
About a dad she never sees
a dad who never calls. There were daddies along the back wall,
for everyone to meet.
Children squirming impatiently,
anxious in their seats
One by one the teacher called
a student from the class.
To introduce their daddy,
as seconds slowly passed.
At last the teacher called her name,
every child turned to stare.
Each of them was searching,
a man who wasn't there.
'Where's her daddy at?'
She heard a boy call out.
'She probably doesn't have one,'
another student dared to shout.
And from somewhere near the back,
she heard a daddy say,
'Looks like another deadbeat dad,
too busy to waste his day.'
The words did not offend her,
as she smiled up at her Mum.
And looked back at her teacher,
who told her to go on. And with hands behind her back,
slowly she began to speak.
And out from the mouth of a child,
came words incredibly unique.
'My Daddy couldn't be here,
because he lives so far away.
But I know he wishes he could be,
since this is such a special day.
And though you cannot meet him,
I wanted you to know.
All about my daddy,
and how much he loves me so.
He loved to tell me stories
he taught me to ride my bike.
He surprised me with pink roses,
and taught me to fly a kite.
We used to share fudge sundaes,
and ice cream in a cone.
And though you cannot see him.
I'm not standing here alone.
'Cause my daddy's always with me,
even though we are apart
I know because he told me,
he'll forever be in my heart' With that, her little hand reached up,
and lay across her chest.
Feeling her own heartbeat,
beneath her favorite dress. And from somewhere in the crowd of dads,
her mother stood in tears.
Proudly watching her daughter,
who was wise beyond her years.
For she stood up for the love
of a man not in her life.
Doing what was best for her,
doing what was right.
And when she dropped her hand back down,
staring straight into the crowd.
She finished with a voice so soft,
but its message clear and loud.
'I love my daddy very much,
he's my shining star.
And if he could, he'd be here,
but heaven's just too far.
You see he is a soldier
And died just this past year
When a roadside bomb hit his convoy
and taught brave men to fear.
But sometimes when I close my eyes,
it's like he never went away.'
And then she closed her eyes,
and saw him there that day.
And to her mother's amazement,
she witnessed with surprise.
A room full of daddies and children,
all starting to close their eyes.
Who knows what they saw before them,
who knows what they felt inside.
Perhaps for merely a second,
they saw him at her side.
'I know you're with me Daddy,'
to the silence she called out.
And what happened next made believers,
of those once filled with doubt.
Not one in that room could explain it,
for each of their eyes had been closed.
But there on the desk beside her,
was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose.
And a child was blessed, if only for a moment,
by the love of her shining star.
And given the gift of believing,
that heaven is never too far. Send this to the people you'll never forget and
remember to send it also to the person that sent
it to you. It's a short message to let them know
that you'll never forget them.

Nail in the Fence

NAIL IN THE FENCE Make sure you read all the way down to the last sentence. (Most importantly the last sentence) There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence Over the next next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to thefence He said, 'You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. ' A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. Friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us.'

Family Pictures

We have not had family pictures done since Lindsee was 5 years old and Jake was about 7, so about 10 years or so ago.Some of the pictures have Jake's girlfriend Liz in them but she is just part of the family So we found the most wonderful photographer and decided it was time for new ones We went up to Butterfield Canyon and had a blast.
I would love to post all of them but there are way to many.
I have added Megan blog to my list of favorite sites so check it out

Wildcat Challenge

Jake is in the JROTC at Taylorsville High and today he competed in his last Wildcat Challenge (because he is a senior). The competition includes a physical training of push ups and sit ups, a rope bridge, knot tying, a mystery event and last but not least a 5K run with a 25 pound pack. He did a great job. To watch what this program has done for him amazes me everyday. He is so patriotic it is amazing and I cannot put that into words. WE ARE VERY PROUD OF HIM!!!!
The Taylorsville A team making sure we all know who they are.

Jake doing sit ups with a smile.