I had a conversation with my Mr. Carter just yesterday that I thought was funny, and had to jot it down.
C: "Mom, why do we give presents for Christmas?"
Me: "Well, this is a good conversation to have...lets see if you can figure it out".
C: "Okay".
Me: "Okay, why do we celebrate Christmas?" C: "because it's Jesus' Birthday"
Me: "Yes. And what happened when Jesus was born? What appeared in the sky, when He was born?" C: "there was a star in the sky"
Me: "Yes. And who saw that star?" C: "Sheperd's".
Me: "Yes. Shepperd's did see the star and who else saw it?" C: "Um...."
Me: "Wwwwwwiiiiisss... C: "the wise men".
Me: "Yes. Exactly. Now, what did the wise men and Sheperd's do when they saw the star?" C: They followed it to Jesus"
Me: "correct. What did the wise men bring for Jesus?" C: "Presents"
Me: "Yes. Do you remember what the presents were?" C: "Gold....and other things"
Me: "what were the other things? You're right there was Gold....and Frankincense.....and......????" C: (in a serious concerned voice) "and diapers!"
Me: (laughing) "Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh you nut! Creed: "and a baby bottle!" Me: "you guys are crazy!"
This is a good example of my parenting skills and the knowledge my children have of the birth of Jesus Christ. Looks like it's FHE time!
Crack open the Scriptures!
Thanksgiving was a ball...we enjoyed ourselves so much it was hard to come home.
This year we did the same thing we always do...headed to UTAH!
Robbie and Joseph hosted the dinner and festivities at their home. It was so much fun and so relaxing to just be with my family. I love those people so much!
A few things we did were:
Went by and visited with my Amazing Cousin that I wrote about a few posts ago! She amazes me with her strength and look on life. She is such a sweetie.
I shopped all day with my sisters and had lunch with most of my siblings.
Luke took the boys fishing with Uncle Dace.
Had dinner with my Grandma & Poppa Waite & Uncle Wayne.
Jumped on the Pogo stick to see who was best...that'd be me!
Went to a building filled with trampolines..."Zero Gravity"
Went running with Robbie around Hurricane...so much fun to just be outside and see the mountains and talk with my big sissy
Ran into my sweet friend Cassie
Had dinner with a group of friends from High School...good times. These are good ladies!
Was in awe of the colors that we saw!
Had Thanksgiving with 2 of the 3 sisters that I love so dearly!
Well...it's official as of last week...we are the owners of another home. We haven't owned our own home all the years we have been married and now we are signed on for 2. We are so silly.
We are moving to Mesa in a week and so we thought it would be wise to have a place to rest our heads. So, we weighed our options with renting and buying and it was for sure cheaper to buy our own home.
We did and it's going to be great!
Needs a few walls painted here and there...a few walls washed every where....a few floors cleaned for sure...and a new room of flooring to insure my husband and babies don't get sneezy from the previous dog owner.
So..with that said.....Luke is working his tail off to have it ready for us to move in by the end of the year....literally...like we'll be moving in on the 30 or 31st!
Recently my lover bought me a new phone, because my old one took a REAL bad dive.
So, with this new phone it has lots of options for games and.books and drawing. And of course the children want to play with it constantly. Which drives me a little bit nuts.... because it kills my battery quick like.
Lately I have been saying "nope" or " my battery is nearly dead so ya can't".
One afternoon my sweetie Cedar came into the laundry room and asked if he could use my phone to watch a movie.
I said "go upstairs or in the front room and watch it, please and thank you".
He said to me " mom, when I turn, let's say, 91 will you buy me my own phone and let me play all the games I want all day long"?
My mind was reeling with how I could respond to this and not hear whining or madness or crying. In my mind I ran the thought of saying "honey, when you're 91 you'll live in some old folks home and will be gumming your food....playing games will be so silly". But I knew I would have to explain why I wouldn't do it..because I'll be feeding the worms dead.
So my answer was "oh, honey, yes of course. When you're 91, I will buy you your very own phone and you can play all the games you can stand."
He was content for a minute.
He comes back with this response..."what about if I am 61? Would you still buy me a phone and let me play games all I want?"
"Of course, when you're 61....you can have all the phones you want and play games all day"!
Finally, pure joy!!
Soccer finally finished! All the kids did an amazing job!
We had a blast running around to the different parks for Lainie.
We had a grand time watching Shelby play under the light on Fridays.
We had a exciting time biting our tongues and cheering for the Carter & Creed Saturday mornings.
As much as we loved it...we are happy to see it come to an end for this season.
The other day while in the kitchen with the kids...my little boy, Creed asked if a brown marker that was sitting on the cabinet, worked and my reply was "no, it's all dried up". I knew it did in fact work and I knew what he was wanting to do with it..so I wanted to see if he'd really try it.
So, just like I though .he drew a mustache and a few more scribbles on his face. I started laughing around the time Shelby informed him that it did work. He wasn't impressed with me at first and then realized I wasn't mad at him for doing it. Here is what happened next.
Let me say...they did this to themselves and I just had to laugh.
The marker was washable...but it took alot of washing. In fact, Shelby went to school for 2 days with a really tan looking face.
I think I'll try next during these pasty white months of the year.
For the past 3 months we have known that we were going ot move back up to the valley and so I should of been better prepared. But have been delaying thinking about it due to housing. We put an offer on numerous homes and many many were excepted but we didn't feel 100% about them, so let them go. However, there is this one home in East Mesa that we put an offer on back on the 7th of Sept. It is a short sale and so we knew it would be a process....thus me delaying the thoughts of moving.
I LOVE IT here!!!
I LOVE my ward.
I LOVE this area.
I LOVE my neighborhood.
I LOVE the many activities that we have going in our lives.
it's just a fabulous place!
HOWEVER...I know after many years of praying for an opportunity to make a change in our lives and to get back up by family came up...well...you can't deny it and you go with it.
So after waiting on this ONE home for 2.5 months and Luke being gone during the week for the same 2.5 months....we found out, TODAY, that the ONE home was approved. The owner and Bank both accepted our offer and so NOW we wait for the appraisal and inspection.
With this news my mind started reeling with "this and that and what if's" I found myself walking straight to the kitchen and stuffing my face with 2 huge chocolate cookies. They weren't even good...but I realized how emotions can drive me to food. I had to walk out of the room and get occupied with other things to not want to finish those cookies off!
Now I can say "THE HOUSE MADE ME EAT IT".
I'm weird!
Indulge me if you will...and let me write a few thoughts about my cousin, HOLLY!
I would say she is by far my closest cousin. We are only 1 month apart in age and we have grown up together. She grew up in a small town only 1 hour from me. I would visit her as often as I could when I was younger. We would jump on the trampoline, take walks, play dolls, play house, fight like sisters and then be best friends again. I have 3 other girl cousins that are only a matter of months difference in age, and love them...but they lived a bit farther away, therefore we weren't as close.
Once we got older our schools sports teams would play against each other. Whatever sport I played, Holly played. Not that she was being like me...but we were interested in the same thing. We played Vball, Basketball, Softball and even track. We would have a blast playing against each other. Both being super competitive there were maybe 2 or 3 times we would go away...ticked that the other team won. But more than not...we were hugging after the game congratulating one another on a job well done. My Junior and Senior year our Basketball team ended up playing Holly's basketball team in the State Finals. They won one and then my Senior Year...we won!
We of course...played every summer together for a week or so. She would come to my house and stay or me to hers. I loved going to her home.
Once while staying a week at her home in a small little town in Utah we asked my Aunt if we could stay out later than normal. My Aunt said she really didn't want us to....but if we had to "please don't sneak out the windows...just go out the front door." Of course we did just what my Aunt requested and marched out the front door after dark only to cross the road, heart attack her boyfriends car and run back to the safety of her home. We were scaredy cats!
Another time while staying at her home...which might, now that I think about it been the same visit. I tried to piece my own ear with an ice cube and a needle. Knowing full well my parents disapproval and the scorn I might face at home if I was successful. LUCKILY...scared again....I failed in my attempt.
I found a love for THE JETTS at Holly's home. She always had the best music and I remember listening to this album (cassette) numerous times and just dancing our hearts out.
She is an amazing singer and would always tolerate me singing by her side at her mom's piano. Our favorite little song that we sang ALL THE TIME WAS......"Catch a falling Star and Put it in your pocket". We tried our hardest to harmonize this song. Anyhow...another commonality is that we both LOVE music.
When we got older we both found ourselves attending the same college. We found a nice apartment and became roomies. We stayed in the same room and loved it. Let me say...she had so many clothes.
During this time we went through a friend passing on. This was a important time for me and she was such a good person to help me with that. She put things into perspective when I had questions. She met my future husband during college and liked him for me.
We were very different in so many ways....and then so much alike at the same time. I always joked that she was the thrilly, ruffly girl and I was NOT. She would curl her hair everyday, wear perfume and jewelry like a girl would. ME...I would put the hair in a ponytail, put deodorant on and maybe a ring or a beaded necklace that only a hippy loving mom would love.
BUT...we still loved loved loved each other.
She was in Choir and I was in the Symphonic Band. We were able to play/Sing in the Messiah together on numerous occasions. I got wise and join the Choir with her..but of course we sang different parts so didn't sit by one another.
We had a bad parting in college that led to us not speaking for over a month. It kills me that this ever happened. I remember talking to her on the phone and one of us hung up on the other one..and that started our distance for over 30 something days...which was just not right for us! But...like family...we made our way back to one another.
Holly did a few things that I am jealous of. She lived out a few of my dreams that I didn't have the guts to do. She worked as a nanny back east and she served a mission in the craziest spot...Bolivia. I am not jealous of the location that she got picked to serve in...but the mission part. I too received my mission call to New Jersey...which could of been just as scary...(NOT REALLY). But I made a choice at that time in my life that has blessed me for Eternity. I chose marriage. I am not sad about my decision to get married...when I say I am jealous of her mission. I am just saying...having the experience would of been so unique and wonderful. ANYHOW...
Once she got back from her mission she married the love of her life and had babies and they are all beautiful. We have been over taken by our lives as mothers, wives and citizens and only get to see one another at family reunions, occasional run ins when I go home to visit family, or just by chance. I miss her badly.
Over the past few months my parents have kept me updated on my sweet Cousin Holly. She was passing out just out of the blue. She went to the doctor and was told that she has a very rare blood disease. I guess it's something like...her blood doesn't pass correctly through her arteries, which causes lesions in them.
It's reached her brain and is at the point where she is in danger.
I didn't know all of this.
I am disgusted that I haven't kept in better contact with her over the past few years.
My mom informed me that they have been doing heavy dosages of Chemotherapy and it's not helped much. I am sure there is so much to this story that I don't know about and I hope to get up to date from her next week.
I have been thinking about her a great deal lately. I have tried texting her, called her a few times, texted her sister and mom for information. Her mommy told me some details and told me to call her. So I tried again...but she wouldn't return my calls. I was sure she was so involved in life that she was just sick of discussing this part of it with people and didn't want to go there with me.
This very morning I slid out of bed and had this thought "CALL HOLLY!" I knew I had to get my kids off to school and then I would focus on calling her. In the middle of getting my last child off to school I made a comment to her...."Please, don't wake up Memphis, I need to call my cousin and I want it to be quiet". Lainie asked my why and I explained I hadn't talked to her in a while and she's sick. While we were talking, I heard my phone ring a warning of a text message. I ignored it till I could get her out the door. Once she left the message kept ringing...so I read it.
"I heard from the Dr. tonight. First let me say thank you everyone for all of your prayers in my behalf and for fasting for me and my family. I have truly felt the comfort of the Lord this week and I know that is because of all your faith!
I got the best news I could hope for, so all those prayers are working. The disease is very active and aggressive; the CT scan confirmed it is creating new lesions in the arteries in my brain. However, my Dr. feels with an aggressive approach its still possible to slow it down and even regain control and stop it. That's good news, meaning remission is still a possibility for me and I don't have to do any surgery yet.
Another blessing is Dr. O has agreed to monitor my IV infusions here. That is huge! I feel very blessed and thankful for his willingness to take me on and treat me here. I know he has a good relationship with our family, and for that I thank All of you again. I have no doubt his willingness to make this happen for me is because of the prayers."
It was a forward from my Aunt, written by Holly.
I replied with a text explaining my early morning prompting and got one back, that I had the wrong number for her. NO wonder she hadn't responded all these months.
Anyhow...with all of these memories and thoughts...I am touched that Spirit had prompted thoughts about a person I love so much.
This reconfirms to me the Power of Pray and the Holy Ghost in guiding us though our lives.
I am renewed and reminded to listen carefully to those thoughts and feelings that are in my heart.
I sometimes wonder and question if it's just me or if it's really the Holy Ghost nudging me. I need to be more confident in this POWER.
I love my Heavenly Father and have Faith that my dear cousin will be taken care of and the Doctors will help her become well again.
OH..I love my family and I LOVE the fact that we are NEVER alone! SO comforting to know this!
Last night after a rough soccer practice...which consisted of four 5-7 year old boys throwing the ball, kicking the ball, crying, melting to the ground, freezing from the weather, laughing at each other & down right being stinkers. Let me clarify...only 2 boys were acting like stinkers...and those boys would belong to me!
I refuse to get a discount next year only because I help coach the team. I will pay full price to not have to have them beg not to run or do a certain drill. PLEASE..make me pay!
Well after the practice was over and after I didn't give my boys the reward of a treat because of their attitudes the conversation in the car turn into this.
Carter: "Mom, why do you bring treats for after practice?"
ME: "Carter is because I want you to do good. I bring treats to remind you that there is a reward for listening and obeying your coach."
Carter: "But Mom...why don't you bring hot dogs and stuff like that for a treat after soccer?"
ME: (laughing a bit with that idea) "Well, Cedar, why would I bring hot dogs and things like that as a treat?"
Carter: "Because Hot Dogs are COOOL".
I had no idea that they would rather have a hot dog over a sucker.
Let me just say that with this in mind...Carter and Creed had just ate about 5 pieces of candy before practice.
Shelby's team did really good...but lost 3-2. She did a wonderful job and hustled through out the game. She's awesome!
Carter & Creed's team got destroyed...6-0. It was ugly! They did a great job and played against some bigger boys..which they all wanted to punch because they beat them so bad. Oh well, what ya gonna do?
Lainie on the other hand scored 4 goals in her game on Saturday. She did a wonderful job with the hustle and seeing the field.
She also tried out for the Middle school team and made the B team. She is so excited and a bit disappointed that she practiced with the A team but wasn't selected for it. I reminded her that she is only a 6th grader and she'll get so much more playing time on the B team right now. More playing time means more practice and more practice well, "practice makes perfect".
The Middle school had their first game last night and guess who scored the 1st goal of the game?
You know it!!! Lainie!
She did a great job. She also made an awesome pass to her team mate to score the second goal. She had 3 more attempts to score and the very last one crossed the plain...but the ref didn't give it to her.
I think being left handed/footed spooks the keepers and they don't expect the ball to come off that foot...it's cool.
Thehighlight of the game was Lainie looking at me on the sideline and throwing her hands in the air, after her last attempt to score. I thought she was looking for some guidance or encouragement from her sideline mother/coach.
I said "Birdie, don't worry. Keep trying. You re doing GREAT!".
She looked back at me and made the gesture that looks like you re slicing your own head off at the neck with your hand.
I realized I had been screaming to loud and to much and she was telling me to KNOCK IT OFF!
I just busted up laughing!
I have turned into my own father.
SO FUNNY
Afterwards we giggled at what I must of looked like and she said "you can call me Birdie at home and around town...but NOT yelling it on the field."
Let's have a serious conversation about the Secrets of this Victoria person. I have see & experienced the secret and think that it should no longer be a secret. In fact I am going so far to say...this secret is a joke, I am not laughing.
Let me share, with you, my eye opening tale.
After I started running I found that my braziers were no longer the correct size and were really worn out. I was need of a fresh size, style and support system. I went to a local department store to be sized and fitted properly. Which is always a delight to have some stranger wrap you up in a measuring tape around your bosoms.
I had heard in the past, from many ladies that "OH...you just HAVE to go to Victoria Secret and get their bras, they are just the BEST!"
I have always been shy of that establishment because of what I feel it represents. I can't agree with their commercials, posters or any advertisements for that matter. The woman they represent are NOT real in the world that I live in. I feel they drive so much sexual content it's hard to even believe I went into the store.
So...I did it. I had my husband drop me at the mall entrance and I bobbed and weaved through he crowd with my head down looking for the store with the "best bras EVER". I found it and walked in and decided to keep my mind open to their quality of product. I discussed with the bra specialist what I was looking for and was immediately put in a dressing room with a tray of 30+ bras to look over and try on. This tray was dressed ever so carefully with all the wild colors, wild designs, extra padding, extra coverage, extra this and extra that. Each bra had a pink little ribbon tied on the strap to make them look even more precious.
Oh...it was overwhelming.
The assistant told me to start trying them on and asked if I was comfortable in allowing her to help in the fitting. I was so...I let her in once I was strapped up and tucked in.
Bra after bra we went through. NOTHING was working for this mama.
We tried on padded, no padding, super coverage, less coverage...I mean the list kept on going and going.
Finally we found one, after 1.5 hr of this business...and I still wasn't sure it worked well and neither did the assistant.
I walked out of the store with my pink paper bag rolled up and shoved in the bottom of my purse...kind of ticked off that with all the hype that I had heard...nothing would work for me. I don't consider myself too small, to big, too much cup, to little cup..I am a 34B....very average!!!
WHAT??
I spend 1+ hrs in a dressing room with a tray of bras that could of outfitted my neighborhood and only found ONE that might work.
And the cost!!!
One that I didn't love and the cost!!!
So for me the secret is...
IF you are woman that has:
Never NURSED Never had a CHILD Never gotten over the age of 25 Never want to move to much Never really want to own more than 2 bras because you can't afford to buy your children food.
