Just Some Happenings

First of all, I would like to thank our family and friends who's kind thoughts and comments have really helped lift us up. We are so blessed to have each of you in our lives!!!

Thank you!!!

So here is what we have done over the past couple of days .....

The kids stayed home from school on Thursday and we went down to the cemetery to take some flowers and a balloon As you can see it was quite windy and cold and unfortunately the balloon didn't stay for too long.

Then we went to visit Grandma Ogden after a quick lunch at Leo's. (I can't even recommend that place anymore. The food just isn't as good as used to be.)

We had a nice visit with her and was able to help her get some things done also!

Thursday ended up just being a nice day that we spent all together.

Now for Friday ... the day was nothing special. One of my Laurels asked me if I would chaperon the Sadie Hawkins dance at her high school and I agreed to it and in the 11th hour talked Randy into coming with me. No pics for this one because I forgot the camera and my phone camera doesn't have a flash or I don't know how to work it. The time went by really fast, and we were rather entertained to say the least. Some things never change, like slow dancing ... still exactly the same as it was in Junior High. LOL And then there are other things that have changed quite a bit, like kids laying on the floor making out ... no joke! And girls cutting in to dance with other girls. But for the most part it looked like a lot of fun and the kids were pretty good! Randy was super happy when our shift was over.

HALLOWEEN!!!!!

The kids school had their fall carnival today and I helped there for a few hours while Randy and the kids went around playing games and eating. Ciara won the award for most adorable costume!

She was pretty cute!!!

After a great nap we then went to the Trunk or Treat our town does. It is a good one too. Everybody goes to it and you are done in about 30-45 minutes. I don't think I would every want to go trick or treating again, this is just way too convenient!

Here we are ...

Now that's a cute family!

P.S. This is post number 3 this week! WAHOO! I wouldn't expect it to keep up like that though!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Happy Birthday Aspyn!

We love and miss you so much, but we know we will be with you again eternally!!!

Knowing that has helped our hearts to heal and brings up peace and joy! Another year has gone by and so much has changed. You have helped our family to be better, closer, and stronger. I know the work you are doing is great and something that you were chosen to do because the rest of your family could not. We love you and are so grateful for you!

When the day comes that we will get to hold you in our arms will be a great and happy day!

YEAHHH!!!!!

So as most Utahn's know this past week was the deer hunt! This year Randy and his brother drew out for the Vernon Range hunt. Needless to say, the were very excited. There grandpa used to own a ranch out there and they would hunt there every year until that area closed and turned into a "draw" unit. I harass them every year that this is just a glorified hunt, because they haven't shot anything since I've known Randy, so I think they wanted to be sure to get something this year. Randy has been home 1 day out of the last 9, so he was very serious ... I'm just not sure it was all about the deer, I think part of him just needed to get out of the house after being home for the last 7 months. He came home today and with a little somethin' somethin'!!!!

That is a happy boy!

You all want a good chuckle?!!! He took his little Suzuki Swift out hunting and brought this deer home inside of it with all of his camping gear. I know, I know ... but please no "you might be a redneck if" jokes. Just enjoy the laugh with me!

Like any good deer hunting widow I got some stuff done while he was gone. I worked and was even busy ... WAHOO!!!! And I did a little sewing and some shopping for BUNKO gifts.

Ciara's Halloween costume. She will be the cutest Little Bo Peep! I still need to do the shepherd's crook thing though.And some Christmas PJ's, I still have to sew Ky's together.

All in all, I think we had a pretty good week!!!

THE BIG 12

Dallin turned 12 earlier this month. He as very excited for his birthday and nervous at the same time. He knew that turning 12 was a big deal because now he could receive the Aaronic Priesthood and that it brings about some very important responsibilities. Well he was ordained to the priesthood in the class of Deacon on Sunday, September 13th by Randy. It was a very special day and I asked him how he felt afterwards and he said that he felt as though some weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. I think that it is wonderful that was the feeling that he had, that he felt his Heavenly Father helping him. It is an awesome feeling to be in our home now and having 2 priesthood holders. I sure love my little man and I am so happy for him and sad that he won't be my little man forever.

The kids are doing great in school. They are enjoying it a lot even though the bus ride is long for them. This week is spirit week for homecoming, and they are having a lot of fun participating in all of the activities. Kylie is loving HS. She likes going to the football games, STOMP, and all of her classes. She most of her teachers are weird, but I just have to remind her that she says that about all adults who have rules or have to ask her not to be so chatty!!!! I can hardly believe how big my kids are getting. I am very blessed to have such GREAT kids! (Okay, I don't always feel that way, but most of the time I do.)

Randy is still in job search mode. He is at an interview now (that's why I get to blog!) and he has been looking forward to this interview for 2 weeks now. That's how long ago they called to schedule it. Plus while he has been gone I got a phone call from another company that would like to schedule an interview also. It has been a long 5 1/2 months with him home. We have been incredibly blessed during this time. Maybe that is why my blog has been soooo neglected.

Our little Ciara is growing like crazy. I don't think she is so short anymore, and she definitely isn't short of words or personality. She has my sass, Randy's dance moves, Ky's defiance, and Dal's tender heart.

I have been working at DIVAS salon 2-3 days a week. It has been fun being out working again and I love what I do. Now if business would just pick up, I don't like just sitting there. Thanks to some friends however, we have had some fun toe parties! Now some friends in town and I have just started a dinner group, we each take turns making meals for the group every week ... so now I am looking for fun, new recipes to try!

MY WISH LIST

I have been thinking a little today about what I would wish for if I could get some wishes granted ...

Cleaning Fairy

Cooking Fairy

Laundry Fairy

Calgon Take Me Away

$$ Tree . . . That probably means I need a Genie!!!

I could probably go on but if I actually had all of these would I have any friends left? You'd all be so jealous ...

As I thought of all of this stuff it made me think that I wasn't being very grateful for what I have. The past couple days have been pretty hard for me to be grateful. Well my attitude has made it hard anyway. But now as I sit here and think more I do have so much to be grateful for.

The past 3 1/2 months have been trying but in a strange way I am glad that Randy and I have had so much extra time together. And it has worked out well that he was here to take care of Ciara during girls camp and next week while I am gone to youth conference.

Girls camp was a lot of fun. I enjoyed being around the girls and when it was time to come home I couldn't believe how emotional that time was for me. I wanted to gather them all up and bring them home with me ... I'm sure I probably wouldn't have felt that way for long, but we have a great bunch of girls here.

I'm posting some pics of our water kickball game we played while we were there. If you have never played it, it is a BLAST!

This was how the game ended ...

It was all good fun though.

And here is Ky learning how to use a compass.

WOW .... ITS BEEN A MONTH

I have been the biggest blog slacker! But to my defense my hubby is still unemployed and at home! It's hard to blog when he is home. But I take pictures with the intention of blogging, but never get around to blogging. So here we go ... a quick run down of our past month or just pics I have taken for fun!!!

Ciara imitating Dad!

This was actually funny ... dad was tilling the garden area and Ciara is terrified of the tiller. So as far away from the tiller as she could get she pretended her wheelbarrow was a tiller and would "follow" dad's direction. She was a lot faster than he was!

2 Otter Pop Buddies!!!

Ciara copying big brother!

Lots of Loves for Dallin!!!

Ciara hangin' with the big girls!

Mom's big helper!

That ugly floor is now gone and now looks like this

Mom's other big helper!

After loads of welcome rain we found a frog at the bottom of the outdoor stairs to the basement, it was pretty cool looking and it's eyes would change colors with it's skin.

And the best part of our month was going to Colorado for a very special sealing of Malia to her parents at the Denver, CO Temple. We got to spend lots of time with family and I even got to do a bunch of toes while I was there. It was a great week!!!

School is also out now and some people got their yearbooks signed, but Ky had to get more than that signed ...

I'm really glad that the rest of the signing happened in the yearbook!

Well, I think I've redeemed myself a little bit. This looks like a long post but hey, at least it's mostly pics!!!

Tell me your opinion ...,. Only if it's politically Correct

I am talking about the Miss USA Pageant. I personally did not watch it but have read about the Miss California / Perez Hilton question in the news and I am very irked! Here is the question and answer.

Perez Hilton: "Vermont recently became the 4th state to legalize same-sex marriage, do you think every state should follow suit, why or why not?"

Carrie Prejean, Miss CA: "I think it's great Americans are able to choose one or the other," she said. "We live in a land that you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what in my country, in my family I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody there, but that's how I was raised and that's how I think it should be, between a man and a woman."

Here is PH's comments after the show.

I was floored," Hilton told ABCNews.com Monday. "I haven't said this before, but to her credit, I applaud her for her honesty. However, she is not a politician, she's a hopeful Miss USA. Miss USA should represent everyone. Her answer alienated millions of gay and lesbian Americans, their families and their supporters."

This is after he called her a "b ----" on his blog. Then he continued on his rant and ended it with this: "I would have gone up on stage, I s--- you not, and snatched that tiara off her head and run out the door," he said in his video blog. "I would probably have been arrested. But so be it."

I love closed minded people! You are entitled to your opinion but only if it makes me happy! He must have forgot that his question said "do you think". I don't care what the question or answer was, if you are going to ask "what do you think" it is an opinion question and you should allow the other person to answer it honestly without chiding them for their opinion.

Phewwww .... so glad I got that off my chest!!!!

IN LIKE A LION ... OUT LIKE A LION

I haven't been much for blogging lately I've noticed. I got busy with school and I have felt like I am out of the loop. The last few months I felt like I was watching everything happen from outside and that I wasn't part of it. It's all catching up to me now.

March was a hectic month. It started off crazy and ended just the same and everyday in between was crazy too. Poor Dal ended up suspended from school, which turned into the rest of the year suspension. (Kids don't take a pocket knife to school. It is VERY bad!) He felt like he needed it to protect his classmates in case of a lock down. Ciara was sick the first half of the month. Every time I thought she was getting better, it would come back. Finally we figured out she had an ear infection when one of her drums popped. Poor little bug never even complained about her ears hurting. Ky also ended up with 2 days of in-school suspension, because her teacher let her and her friend out of class early to get on the bus and then told his wife (a school administrator) and turns out it was sluffing. The kids and I went out to Colorado at the end of the month and after 10 hours of driving we were stuck in Rawlins, WY. We had to spend the night there and while Randy was at work he learned that it was his last week working as layoffs came around. We had fun for the very short time we were in Colorado with Kris and the kids. Kris and I even made a bunch of flower clips that are so stinkin' cute!

April has been a bit better, and it's been that time to really reflect on our blessings. Randy is looking for work and I finished school 2 weeks ago and passed my state boards last week. I am now officially waiting for my license. (comes in the mail?!) I am very glad to be done and excited to do something with it. I still feel like I need some more practice as it was hard to get nail clients at school with the hair girls doing the scheduling. Needless to say I got a lot of practice doing pedicures!!! LOL But since I am done and love doing glitter toes I am doing those and doing glitter toe parties if anybody is interested.

Here is how a party works ...

Hostess gets a free set when she has 5 people come and get toes done!!! Simple, and they are just $20/set!!! The glitter toes are basically gel toes with glitter and they last anywhere from 3-8 weeks. 3-4 weeks is about the time you like to have them off since you can see where the nail is growing out. But I have had some people who kept theirs on for 8 weeks.

We have really enjoyed the sunshine this week and have loved the moisture as it has made our grass the most beautiful green!!!! LOVE IT! Of course this weekend isn't looking so sunny, but it's about time for some more rain ... I can put off watering my lawn a little longer!

JEFF MITCHELL

In Loving Memory

August 30, 1968 - April 4, 2009

Jeffrey James Mitchell

Yesterday morning I received a call from my mom telling me that Jeff had died. Unfortunately the home he was living in had burned down while he slept. As my heart breaks for my youngest brother and the rest of Jeff's family I have reflected about the past and about Jeff and the role he has had in my life. My mom and Jeff married when I was 12. And this man took upon himself the responsibility of husband and father of 4 children. He did this at the mere age of just 20 years old. I can only now imagine the burden he carried. I am sure that I didn't make it any easier for him either as I was not happy about the marriage.

I now would like to share some of the great things about Jeff.

Jeff worked hard!

He always worked hard even when it was very physically challenging for him, to provide for his family.

Jeff loved the outdoors!

He took us hunting, camping, 4-wheeling, shooting, and helped us to learn to love the outdoors. Even the very far away outdoors! Who knew that Deep Creek could be so much fun!

Jeff was an awesome cook!

I had never liked fish or wild game until Jeff cooked it. He had lost most of his taste buds because of medications to treat his allergies and so everything he cooked was very seasoned. Deer, goose, duck, catfish, and so much more always tasted great when he cooked. When we were out camping it was common for us to shoot cotton-tail and grouse and cook it over a fire and sometimes it was our favorite meals. BTW it really does taste like chicken ... with lots of flavor.

Jeff looked out for his family!

You don't mess with family. I knew that as long as Jeff was around that you didn't mess with us and expect to get away with it.

Jeff could fix most anything!

Even though sometimes it may have been with duct tape! LOL He was very mechanical and would work to fix up vehicles and other things in his spare time.

Jeff saw a lot of this country!

And he loved all of it. He was an OTR truck driver and seemed to enjoy it. He didn't complain about it and when he was home he didn't complain about having to drive to other places even though that was what he did all week.

It has been quite a few years since I have seen Jeff. The last time I saw him was at his wedding reception and as I walked up to him his eyes filled with tears and he told me he loved me and gave me a big hug! I knew that he still loved and cared for me and my siblings.

Thank you Jeff for your all you have given to us and taught us. To his family my feelings for you are to feel love and peace in his passing.