January Update

This month has been a little crazy. I know I keep saying it, and the problem is I truly believe that the following month will be different and slow down. But the following month comes and goes, and crazy is the only word I can think of to describe it. Perhaps it is my lifestyle, and I just don't know how to slow down and take a break. What ever the case, I'm loving life. Life really is good. I really couldn't ask for anything more.

Well, it finally happened. Five kids and how many years....? I knew it would take place, it was just a matter of time, and which child it would be. M walked in the house the other day with a big gap in her hair. Inside I was dying , but kept my cool. I asked her what had happened to her hair. She smiled and said, "Mr. Scissors did it!" I asked her why she let him, and she said, "I couldn't stop him Mom. He just did it." I took her in the bath room and stood her on the counter to look in the mirror. The look on her face had said it all. At that moment I knew she would never pull that stunt again. M's eye's widened as she yelled, "Mom, put it back! Hurry, put it back!" To make a long story short, M's bangs weren't the only part of her hair that was cut. Mr. Scissors started it, but I ended it. The next day I took what was left of her hair and gave her a cute little bob, about an 1/12 above her shoulders. A good six inches we cut off that day. I'm hoping that will be the last our family will see of Mr. Scissors.

This month we had a family friend take pictures of our family. There were so many that turned out, I thought I'd share a few of them with you. This by the way, happened just one day before Mr. Scissors came to visit.

I do have to say something about M however. Pictures were at 4:00. At 3:00 I called for the kids to come home from the field. Fifty-five minutes later they started trickling in. With just 2 minutes to do M's hair, a miracle wasn't on my side. She insisted on having pig tails, and it just wasn't worth getting all worked up over to do any differently. So this year, M is sporting the poodle hair look. I'm not loving it, but what can you do? That's life. Life isn't perfect, so I guess our family pictures shouldn't be either.

This is us to a T. I'm lovin' it.

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Since Mom and Dad have been on their mission in the DR, we girls haven't had a girl's night out together. Those of us who weren't sick or too far away hooked up and had a great dinner at Chili's, and then went over to one of my sister's to watch a movie and hang out. It was fun being goofy together. I can't say enough about how much I love my family and how much I enjoy being with all of them. I can hardly wait until we get together again.

This is me attempting to take a bite out of my giant hamburger.

This is the gang. B and her daughter, E with her daughter, Me with mine, and of course, C.

I thought it would be funny to put Mom in the picture and then send it to her. So this is what Mom looks like while having fun hanging with us.

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For the last two months I have been coaching Hand L's city league basketball team. It has been a lot of work trying to shape a team of seven, when four of them have never played basketball before in their life. Before the games started we held two practices a week, but ever since we've just had one. So far our team has done really well. After four games we are still undefeated. Team pictures were a ton this year, and no one on the team was going to buy them, so at the beginning of our last practice I took pictures of all of the kids to give to them. They turned out pretty good. I can hardly wait to get them back and hand them out to the team. Here are H and L's collages that I made.

I have really enjoyed coaching both of them. Sometimes I have to remind myself that they are only in 4th and 2nd grade, and not to expect too much out of them. Sometimes I take a step back and realize how hard I am riding them. I just want them to be the best players they can be. They have so much potential. I just need to remember to encourage. I'd hate to be the one that discouraged them and turned them away from the sport in the future.

H is funny though. He's let me know that he is expecting me to coach him all of the way...right up through high school. I'm flattered with the thought, but would rather be cheering him on in the crowds at that level of ball.

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My family can't seem to break away from the roasting hot dogs stage. They want to do it every weekend at the field or here at the house. The funny thing is, I probably enjoy it as much as they do. I say, "Bring it on!"

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When weather has permitted, we've been back in the yard working on improving and finishing it. I know it will be a while, but I love seeing the progress. The problem with the work that were doing, is that in the end product, you won't be able to see the work we've done. I know that there is an order to everything that is to be done, and as a result the end product will be great.

Here is a not so furry friend that we found while transferring dirt in the yard. The kids love it! In fact, the kids were excited to find it, because it kind of looks like some of the lizards my parents are dealing with in their apartment in the Dominican Republic. Hopefully soon my kids will let us let our pet salamander live in the wild again. I still haven't found the fondness for him yet.

Here we are dumping our 7th load of manure on our second half of our front yard. Now we just need to wait a few weeks, rototill it in, level it out, and rototill it it again and were good to get going on the next stage.

Here J and the kids are transferring dirt, and leveling out behind our driveway. We're planning on putting road base down and then rock. This will be used for additional parking, so that cars won't be parked on the driveway or out front. I'm loving this idea.

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What should come first? Being a mother or doing your church calling?

It was a little hairy trying to get to church not only on time, but in time to play prelude for Sacrament Meeting. I'm just going to be honest about it. By the time I walked out of the door, I was ready to scream. I was already past the point as to where I just give up, run to my room, throw myself on the bed and cry. Nothing was going well. Kids were fighting, J wasn't ready, one kid was crying and professing his thoughts of how much he hated church, while I was literally pulling him off of a door knob. My thoughts were, "Who cares? I just don't care. It isn't worth working myself up over. If they want to release me, I am welcome to that. Sometimes I just need to be a mother first, and other things can take the back seat." While breathing ever so deeply, I drove to church. Calmed and collected was I, as I walked through the doors with just 4 minutes left to play prelude. I sat down to the organ and began playing. That was until I heard two of my children yelling at one another at the top of their lungs. I glanced down in between notes, witnessing my daughter beating the crap out of my third oldest child. J was no where to be seen, and there I sat doing my calling. I was done! I had had it! I got up, walked down to the bench, picked up M, and carried her back up to the stand with me. I'm sure we made a seen as she proceeded to throw every limb of her body around aimlessly, while yelling, "I want daddy!" No time to be a mom, and show a little love. Off to playing the organ I went as tears swelled up in my eyes. "You have got to be kidding me. I quit" were the words that escaped my lips (and not so under my breath like I thought.) I was done under. Let me tell you what...the rest of our church meeting went beautifully. I actually felt at peace and very loved as I attended my other meetings. I knew that my Heavenly Father knew me personally, and loved me for who I was, and for the callings that I was striving to fulfill. After church the first counselor in our bishopric pulled me aside and asked me how I would feel if they were to call someone to play prelude, so that I could sit and be with my family, my young family who needs me. I'll tell you what. that was an answer to prayers. I needed to hear that. My family needed to come first today, yet I was being pulled to thin by my calling. Next Sunday will be better. I can feel it. I have to believe it.