I Have Been Blessed

With it being Thanksgiving today I have had the following song on my mind:

I get kissed by the sun each morning

Put my feet on a hardwood floor

I get to hear my children laughing

Down the hall through the bedroom door

Sometimes I sit on my front porch swing

Just soaking up the dayI think to myself,

I think to myself

This world is a beautiful place

Chorus:

I have been blessed

And I feel like I've found my way

I thank God for all I've been given

At the end of every day I have been blessed

With so much more than I deserve

To be here with the ones

That love me

To love them so much it hurts

I have been blessed

Across a crowded room

I know you know what I'm thinking

By the way I look at you

And when we're lying in the quiet

And no words have to be said

I think to myself, I think to myself

This love is a beautiful gift

[Chorus]

When I'm singing my kids to sleep

When I feel you holding me I know

Braces

After two years and seven months Morgan's braces are finally off!

Halloween

Main Street Parade/Trick or Treat

(Back: Ryan, Kaeden / Middle: Cassadee, Abbie, Sydney, Jaxson, Shelby, Kaela, Luke, Kadee / Front: Owen, Will, Cael)
Shelby (pink skeleton) at her elementary parade

Shelby's Pumpkin ~ carved with a bow and star

Morgan's Pumpkin - BYU and Lewis Livestock Brand and "L"

Wood Badge Bead Ceremony

Me, Susan (older sister), and Mom

(Who is missing in this picture?)

Morgan and Grandma

Moragn and Bishop Anderson

Morgan and I

I accomplished my wood badge tickets/goals and I am now an official wood bage graduate! It was worth it! Even though I had five months to accomplish the goals but waited until the last month to do it, it was so worth it. It helped me realize that I can accomplish anything I want as long as I work at it. And no matter your cicumstances, health, calling, religion, status, etc., we can all accomplish great things. And we need to be positive, supportive, and loving to each other as we all try to move forward in our lives. Because I know that I could not have accomplished the five goals that I did if it weren't for my family and friends who were positive, supportive, and loving. Together we can and will do anything!

Me getting my beads

Procrastination

"To put off intentionally and habitually the doing of something that should be done."

It's amazing what I can and will get done when I procrastinate. I don't intentionally put it off. It is more of a habit. A habit that I am going to change. Tomorrow.

All five goals are accomplished! On my way to get my beads now. As you can see with the time of this post, I was cutting it close. (Bead Ceremony is at 7 pm tonight!)

"It's not Procrastination, it's a higher form of planning."

Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge

We did it!!! Morgan and I earned our Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge!!! And we did it in 3 days! About 9 hours! Well, it will be official tomorrow afternoon when Morgan has his interview with the counselor. My fourth wood badge ticket/goal is accomplished! Did you know that Lehi Main Street Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places? Update on Morgan's scouting: Physical Fitness - working on in PE; Family Life - just need the interview (will do it when a court of honor is scheduled); Camping - 1 night (hopefully next spring); Emergency Preparedness - haven't started; and Personal Management - haven't started. Plan on doing the last two for the next three to six months. Any ideas? Then the eagle project, and the eagle court of honor. My goal is to help Morgan get his Eagle by the end of next year - 2012.

Bullying

"To treat abusively."

Bullying has been on my mind the last few months, probably because of school being back in session. Here are my three stories: 1) I volunteer at my daughters elementary school in the copy room where I help make copies, count, sort, etc., and laminate. For a few weeks solid all we did was make copies, count, and sort lesson plans for all the teachers on bullying. I know it is important and I am grateful for her school for taking the time, effort, and energy to incorporate this into classrooms. As I was going through Shelby's backpack I pulled out one of those sheets where she had to say how she would stand up for someone that was being bullied and why. She said that she would tell the bully to stop being mean because she remembers a bully being mean to her in kindergarten and it hurt her feelings. Mind you, she is in third grade now. And this is the first time I heard about it. 2) The college class that I am currently in is 'Health for Elementary Teachers,' and we learned more about bullying. Some of my classmates told their stories of being bullied. It is so amazing to me how we can remember those type of experiences so clearly and how it affects us emotionally. 3) Morgan's tackle football team is going to a tournament in Mesquite next month and we (he and I) had a talk about it tonight because the coaches need to know for sure who is going and how many hotel rooms. We went from three options to zero. A) Morgan and I go (Shelby optional). B) Morgan just goes. C) Don't go at all. We broke down each option and discussed it. I finally decided that I wasn't going to go at all and that he should go for the experience. I told him that he had to make the final decision and that I don't want him to think that I was bullying him into a certain decision. As I am writing this, Morgan said that I wasn't bullying him. I told him that in a way I was. And I truly believe that. We as parents may think that we are just being manipulative but yet at the same time we are the bullies to our children. I wanted to end with a church quote about bullying and was surprised to find 144 magazine articles on bullying. I never realized that the church talked about it that much. So, it was a great spiritual lesson moment for me.

Sick & Tired

Can I just say that I am so sick and tired of:

1) being sick and tired

and

2) wearing black shirts to work

I know. My health could be worse and I am very grateful for the health that I do have and my childrens health. We have been very blessed with good health.

I know. I could not have a job and I am very grateful for the job that I do have and for those that I work with and for. It's just that black is so depressing.

Journal ~ Wood Badge Tickets

I am alive!!! I know, it has been three months since my last post. I was just being lazy about the blog. But not anymore!!!

In May I had the opportunity to attend Wood Badge (Scout Leadership Training) and graze with the Buffaloes (and my mom, a badger, and my aunt Kellie, an eagle). While there I had to come up with five goals and accomplish them within a certain time frame (which is eighteen months) and then I would be recognized by receiving my beads at a bead ceremony. However, I pushed it to an earlier date and the last minute. The date will be Thursday, October 27th. Why that date? Well, you see, my brother John is our stake young mens president and has sold a lot of people on wood badge and I was one of them. With this he started last year a yearly stake recognition night and so that is why. So, here is where I am at with my goals:

1) Participate in a 5K ~ DONE!
2) Attend cultural events ~ DONE!
3) Read the Book of Mormon (listening to on c.d.'s) ~ 21 total ~ 10 MORE TO GO ~ 11 DONE!
4) Help Morgan earn a required merit badge ~ Citizenship in the Nation ~ HALF DONE!
5) Journaling ~ my blog ~ STARTED!

So, here I am starting my journaling on my blog. I feel that this is important to me and my posterity ~ especially my children. It will be for the most part positive. But life isn't always that way, so, there will be some negative. Meaning trials. Not that trials are negative. But sometimes you learn from others trials, mistakes, and choices.

So, here is a quick little update:

Shelby is now nine years old and in the third grade. She loves to sing, dance, play school, hang out with her cousins, and shop with grandma.

Morgan is now thirteen years old and in the seventh grade. He plays tackle football, baseball, and basketball. He loves riding his bike, horseback riding, and hanging with grandpa on the farm.

As for me, I am thirtysomething feeling ninetysomething. Right now I have a sinus infection and I am on my second antibiotic. That's why I feel ninetysomething. I am currently a primary teacher for one of the four/five year old classes. And I love it. They have such a special spirit. I work part time and go to school part time. I am working on my bachelors degree in elementary education. People ask me,, "When will you graduate?" In like forever. My mom jokes that Shelby and I will graduate from college at the same time. However, since I have learned a lot about goals (setting them, working on them, and accomplishing them) from my Wood Badge Tickets I have a tentative graduation date of April 2016! For this school year (2011 - 2012) I am working on pre requisites and make up classes. For the school years of 2012 - 2014 I will be working on my math. (Not very good at math). Then during the school years of 2014 - 2016 I will be in the program. Graduate in April 2016. Start teaching in August 2016. I know this goal may not seem doable. It might have to be adjusted here and there. But with this timeline I will graduate from college before Shelby. She will be just finishing seventh grade and Morgan will be just finishing eleventh grade. Wow, how time flies.

Speaking of time flying. It has been over seven years since my divorce. And I can't believe that I have made it this far. It's because of my family and friends. Especially my mom and dad. Thanks. "It takes a village to raise a child." And I am just beginning.

Speaking of time flying, again. I was looking over my blog and found the following interesting:

In 2008 ~ 13 posts (started blog).
In 2009 ~ 70 posts.
In 2010 ~ 5 posts.
In 2011 ~ 7 posts (including this one).

Pretty pathetic, huh? Well, that is going to change. Thanks to my Wood Badge Tickets.

Is anyone even reading this? I feel like I am talking to space. Oh well, it doesn't really matter. It's more for me ~ therapy, posterity, goals, trials, etc.

Shelby just asked my why I was writing a letter.

"GOALS THAT ARE NOT WRITTEN DOWN ARE JUST WISHES."

(Thanks Cody for your support and believing in me!)

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"Let's Do This" Morgan Baseball

Last inning and we are outfield. Bases are loaded and no outs. Pitcher change. Morgan walks out on the pitcher mound. Strikes out one player. The second player hits but infield catches it. Strikes out the third player. He runs off the field into his coaches arms who lifts him up. The team is acting as if they won the little league world series. At the team meeting after the game the coach gives the second game ball to Morgan who is the funniest kid he knows. He said that when he handed Morgan the ball to go pitch Morgan said, "Coach, let's do this."

Easter, Morgan's Birthday, & 4H

Morgan turned 13!

First Family 4H ~ We can't decide between the names of "Fair Weathers" or "Country Cousins"

Easter 2011 out at West Canyon

Shelby and her cousin Abbie decorating Easter Eggs

Morgan decorating Easter eggs

The end of John's rack project

Cultural Event

Here's your sign! Git 'r' done!

You Know When You Are A Redneck When.....

My family went to the Larry The Cable Guy / Jeff Foxworthy / Bill Engvall show on Friday night. It was so awesome! What more can I say?! Gotta Love It!

Hot Date

Tonight Shebly went on her first 'hot date.' Her 2 1/2 year old nephew Cael (known as 'chopper') called her and asked her to go out on a hot date. When they came and got her, Natalie (Caels mom) got Cael out of the car and they came in the house to get her. They went on a double date with his mom and dad. They went to the Spaghetti Factory and the mall. On the way home Cael told his dad that, "Shelby is driving me crazy." Unfortunately, he has heard that from his 'hot date' before.

School, Thanksgiving @ Disneyland, and Christmas 2010

Shelby on Santas lap (she got a hello kitty video camera; crayon maker; and a disney wii sing it)
Morgan on Santas lap (he got a wii hunting game; construction set; and a set of remote control laser tag cars)

Sea World ~ they got to pet and feed the dolphin (for a price of course)

Morgan & Shelby eating Thanksgiving Dinner at the Disneyland Hotel

Disneyland!!!

Universal Studios - Jay Leno Live!

First Day of School (Morgan 6th / Shelby 2nd)