It's been a crazy year.

It's been a crazy year.  And I have not been good about journaling.  I'm not promising to start now.  But I have a few minutes now, so I thought I'd say hi!!  We recently tested Kaylyn for some scary stuff.  Thankfully it's probably just allergies.  And things are going better.  But just in case we made sure to get update family pictures before anything happened (like her hair falling out or worse).  She is a sweetheart and an angel.  She is such a blessing to this family and I'm grateful she doesn't have to go through it!!

 So Karla has started playing the violin and the clarinet.  Practicing is another story.  But we are going to attempt to practice together this summer.  She is a sweetheart.  And she uplifts those around her.  She is doing so well in her combo 4/5 class she got student of the month last month in Excellence.  We are very proud of her.

 Kylee too is growing up. Her best friend is Katie Hallet.  Which works for me because Katie's mom is one of my best friends too.  They struggle some, but they are going to be movers and shakers once they figure it all out.  Kylee's 3rd grade teacher Ms. Hively has been so shocked that Kylee is such a different creature than Karla.  Kylee does really well in school and once she decides it's worth doing, Kylee jumps in with both feet, focuses, and gets it done.  Kylee is also really good with the boys and has been a real help at home. We are working on kindess though.

Kaylyn is cute and funny.   She makes us laugh.  School work is not her strong point: people are.  She plays well with kids 3 or 4 years older or younger than her.  She is patient with people.  She loves on us all.  Her and I enjoy cuddling together lately. We've had some very interesting talks as I've tried to teach her about the atonement.  I have learned so much from her!

Kolt is growing to be quite the buddy.  He calls Kaje the other baby.  And asks if he's still mommies baby: which means he wants to go cuddle in my bed and watch "quack, quack" or Donald Duck!  He say "bababa" for banana's.  He's cute.  and He is growing into such a little man!!  He is a big helper in nursery too.

Kaje just started nursery.  He finally started walking at 16 months!  This boy has been slow to grow up.  But I have enjoyed holding him!  He is coming along.  All of his words are people oriented: hi, bye, mommy, daddy, Karla, Kylee, Kaylym, and Brother!  Both boys refer to the other as: brother.  Atleast there is only two.  Kolt's first word other than mommy and daddy: ball.

Todd had knee surgery last February.  It knocked him out for a while, but he's up and going again.  Not much keeps him down!  He was teaching the CTR's 8s, but needed to be released when I was called as Primary President.  He is now the weblos den leader.  The Primary President scared me.  I haven't been in a presidency since high school.  But I can tell the Lord has prepared me for the things I've needed to do.  He's strengthened me to be able to do what is needed.  And it's been a lot of fun.  I don't want to be anywhere else.

We feel at home in this ward in a way I've never felt at home before.  We tried to buy a house just before Kolt was born.  It fell through days before signing over stupid stuff (The mobile home had been moved once before). But it was because the Lord knew we were needed here.  And we needed to be here for us too.  It's been a good fit.  Now if we could just find a place in ward boundries that we can put a miniture milk cow....that would be a miracle in deed.

2014 the first trimester

Here is Kylee all dressed up and snazzy.  We've had an wonderful start to 2014.  Everyone is growing so big.  Kylee is preparing to be baptized this summer.  Kaje is getting so big.  He was small and then he ate and ate and ate and slept and slept and slept and he woke up a size bigger.  Here is his first time in the back pack instead of the snuggly wrap.

 Everyone still loves to snuggle with Kaje.  Kylee comes and finds him in the morning and snuggles with him for a few minutes before school.  Here Kaylyn is reading Kaje a book.  Love it!!

 Kaje has found his foot and when he's not wearing socks or foories likes to chew on them.  He is also a thumb sucker big time.  He's my first to be interested in sucking anything other than nursing.

Kaylyn has been enjoying preschool with Mia, Ophelia and then Emma.  He loves to pose for the picture.  This one is funny because this is her Jonathan shirt.  This is because Jonathan will dress up as a leprican on st Patricks day.

 This year we got new neighbors. God probably hand picked them just for us.  They are amazing.  They have a girly girl Kaylyn's age that Kylee and Kaylyn both claim as a best friend.  And then they have boys Karla's age and just older.  Not to mention I adore her!  We often sit and chat on our porch.  But the most amazing part in all of this--Todd and Jacob would be friends even if TeriDawn and I weren't.  It's amazing to watch Todd as he has really gotten to know and befriend our new neighbor.  So we have started cleaning up our yard.  It's been sadly neglected for atleast 3 years.  Todd and Jacob moved our fence and opened up our back yard a lot.  The kids like the cement block that they can now enjoy riding on.  And the pool is up.  We've also put in some strawberries, a garden, an herb garden, some raspberries, and we are working on bringing the yard back.  It's been hard but a lot of fun.  It's even more fun doing it with good neighbors.

 Kaje is sitting out with us.  He is to the point that he doesn't like to be left in an empty room without someone with him.  He'll cuddle and talk to anyone, but don't leave me alone.  UNLESS he wants to sleep.  Then he doesn't like to be rocked to sleep anymore usually.  Lay him down and walk away.

 Kolt has grown a ton.  And we are finding that language is one of his special talents.  He is very good at expressing himself.  He asks me every morning and several times a day "where's daddy?"  He LOVES his daddy.  This is a few pictures of daddy and Kolt while daddy was home on his lunch break.  Kolt loves to cuddle with daddy.  And work outside with daddy.  And he is not shy about it!!

 But can you tell how much his daddy loves him too?  He has just started doing this cheesy smile every time I pull out the camera and say smile.  He is so stinking cute!! I adore this boy!!

 And this boy!!  I have to include a few pictures of this growing boy.  HE is starting to play with his tongue.  He is a very content boy.  He doesn't roll a lot because he is content where he is.  He is starting to lean and want people though.  And so I'm sure the movement is coming.  And he has started grabbing food.  He ate half my dinner the other night.  And he ate a whole pint of pumpkin smoosh.

 We can get cute smiles out of him, but when he is really happy--it's like I'm smiling so big my mouth becomes an O.

 Kolt helping in the garden.  He turns very red like me.  I'm afraid this boy won't tan.  Now the question is will he be like me and tan red--or is he going to freckle like his dad?  Despite popular belief, I believe freckles are very cute and attractive.

Now the one thing I haven't talked about is Todd's knee.  He blew it out trying to pick up his hand truck of paper to deliver.  He dislocated it and then it relocated and dislodged a piece of cartilage.  In doing so, he also tore both the meniscus and ACL tendons.  They are going to go in there and smooth out the tendons and clean out the cartilage.  Todd's finally feeling better and able to work as long as he doesn't lift to much.  But as soon as all the stupid insurance paperwork is done--they will fix it.  And then it's 8 to 12 more weeks for him to feel better again.  I'm glad it's fixable.

What if Mulan had made her match

What if the matchmaker had made a match for Mulan?  One, it would have been a very short and boring movie.  But more importantly, Mulan would have been preparing for her wedding.  And when the men came to inlist her father, she would have been preparing for a wedding or already married.  Her father would have gone instead of Mulan.
Further more, Because the little dragon wanted Mulan to have a chance to see action--he sent the army out.  If Mulan and her spirit dragon wasn't there, the training troops would have never left the camp.  And there would have been no one to notice that the army had been demolished! And the enemy would have had no opposition on their way to the emperor.  This is not even addressing the inspiration Mulan gave the trainees.

Sometimes we feel like a screw up.  But what if our screw ups lead us to the place that we can help as many as a whole nation?  We never fully realize the impact our one little ripple in the sea of life can make.  I do believe that God has a plan.  And it will sometimes be hard.  But in the end, happily ever after is waiting if we choose to trust in God's plan and follow where HE leads.

Sleeping Beauty and the risks of love

Does anyone else every think of things like this?
I attended an amazing reception tonight. And as I was helping take down tonight, I thought about Sleeping Beauty. After the black fairy curses Aurora, the good fairies change the curse so that she needs true loves kiss instead of dieing. And then in their attempt to keep her safe, they never let her meet anyone. What if she never met the prince. She would have slept forever waiting for a love she never met and loved. Thank goodness she didn't. She chanced--against the better judgement of her aunt fairies--and she loved. And in the end, that love was her saving grace.

Love is hard.  Love is work.  Love is scary.  You will get your heart broken.  And the only way to protect from that is to not allow yourself to fall in love in the first place.  But it's worth the broken hearts to enjoy love while it lasts.  And to find that one who will love you for forever.  That kind of love will save you.  It will change you into someone better.  It will teach you lessons you could never learn any other way.  It is just as hard and scary as fighting the dragon.  But anything that is that worth it, isn't easy.

Soap Box: Phil of Duck Dynasty

There has been controversy over a TV show called Duck Dynasty.  I don't watch it although I think Todd and I might enjoy it if we did.  We don't watch a lot of TV.  But I wanted to state my two cents.  For two reasons, one of them being so that when my children are faced with similar problems they know where I stood and what I believe.  And two, I think that to often christian conservatives wish the fight to just go away.  We want to be tolerant and loving.  We are not out looking to fight.  And because of that, we have been bulldozed by those who are vocal but who are few.  It's time to politely stand up and say enough is enough!

You can look up the articles I'm sure.  But the shortened condensed version is that the actor said some remarks about gays.  And now A&E network has banned him from the show.  The official statement on that from the family is "We want to thank all of you for your prayers and support. The family has spent much time in prayer since learning of A&E's decision. We want you to know that first and foremost we are a family rooted in our faith in God and our belief that the Bible is His word. While some of Phil’s unfiltered comments to the reporter were coarse, his beliefs are grounded in the teachings of the Bible. Phil is a Godly man who follows what the Bible says are the greatest commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Phil would never incite or encourage hate. We are disappointed that Phil has been placed on hiatus for expressing his faith, which is his constitutionally protected right. We have had a successful working relationship with A&E but, as a family, we cannot imagine the show going forward without our patriarch at the helm. We are in discussions with A&E to see what that means for the future of Duck Dynasty. Again, thank you for your continued support of our family."

I have two arguments.  First off, A&E is a private business.  It is not run by the government.  They have the right to stand up and say we don't agree with your anti gay statements or beliefs so we are going to suspend you. It needs to go both ways though people.  The one thing that bugs me more than anything else is the hypocrisy.  It's great that A&E has suspend the anti gay actor.  But when the local flower shop said we would like to respectfully not do the flowers for your gay wedding there was a lawsuit from the state.  They did not say you couldn't shop here.  Just that we do not want to support your wedding.  It's a private business.  Hobby lobby should have the right to do business the way they believe.  A&E should get the same shake.  When I have an opinion, I stick to it with both sides.  I do not want to take A&E's right away.  I say to A&E if you really believe that way--stick to it.  Don't be bullied into and then slack off because of the money.  Do it for principle.
BUT I want to also say I think it's hypocritical from the gay activist.  We are preached to about being more tolerant.  But tolerance is only a one way street right now.  There is no tolerance for those who are old fashioned.  Anyone who still believes in bible based values: there is no tolerance for those who want to speak out about those values.  We have a freedom of speech until we give it up.  I WILL NOT GIVE IT UP WITHOUT A FIGHT.  And there is a war going on to suppress Christian, bible based, conservatives.  I will fight for your right to play R rated movies on the TV.  I got rid of my TV, atleast for now. You are free to state how backwards you think Phil is for saying that sodomy is sinful, but shouldn't he be free to express his opinion as well?  He was crude, but Phil was not hateful.  He was not vindictive.  He was not violent.  And He wasn't being a bully either.  Read his statements.  Look at how he treats people.  If he was treating people badly or being violent, bullying, or the such--then it's a different conversation.  But he wasn't, he isn't, and he has a right to state his beliefs just like everyone else.  Even if those beliefs seem to be outdated.

To this point I haven't stated how I believe on the subject of gays--but I say it now.  I agree with him.  I think it's sinful.  Having said that, we had a lesbian couple as next door neighbors. We were polite and friendly.  We gave them gas money when they needed it.  We offered a cup of sugar, and we borrowed salt.  We tried to be good neighbors and treat them with the respect that as a human being they deserved.  However, their smoke made me sick.  And it annoyed me when it came in my house.  I was glad they moved out not because of their sexual preferences but because of normal neighborly things like their smoke and a water issue.  But we tried to be good neighbors.