SIMPLE ACT of KINDNESS

It snowed today.

I was too cold to go outside and get a descent picture.

Sierra was in blissful heaven though.

She just wanted to be in the snow and then in the house talking about it and then in the snow.

My kitchen was covered in water from melted snow.

I slipped a few time.

I was frustrated.

Then I felt guilty because of my frustration.

I hate to rob her of these beautiful childhood moments, by yelling at her for tracking snow into the house.
And although I held my tongue my frustration was felt.

My car was covered in snow.

Thankfully, my friend Barbara came and took Sierra to school.

I finally mustered up enough courage to go out and scrap the car, well after the time Sierra left.
 

I was scrapping ice and snow off the car when Brother Bob pulled up.

He is in his 80's. I have blogged about him before. He is my grandpa.

He had a snow shovel in his hand and without a word he started clearing my sidewalks and my driveway.

I wanted to tell him I was fine and I could do it and he should go home.

Then I thought, I am eight and a half months pregnant...why are either of us shoveling the snow?
Then I started to laugh at how ridiculous and awesome we both were.

I have to say that 80 year old man can shovel circles around me.
He is a machine.
I kept having to stop to get my breath.

Then about the time we were finishing up Brother Chuck pulls up with his tractor.
He drove all the way from the farm on his tractor to clear our snow.
Since we were already done, he cleared are neighbors driveway.
Our neighbor is in his eighties too.
After trying to let him pay him, which Brother Chuck refused, he went to McDonald and got a dozen breakfast burritos.
He gave them to Brother Chuck, he said, "These are for you, your wife and  your daughter."
Chuck got such a kick out of the fact that our neighbor thought I was his daughter.
I think it was cute too.
I feel like their daughter often and am so grateful for my Fruita parents and grandparents.

I was just so inspired by all the beautiful acts of kindness.
I really enjoyed my McDonald breakfast burrito.

KARALEE's WEDDING TRIP

 My sister Karalee got married yesterday in the Manti, Utah Temple.

This is literally the only picture I got of the wedding.

I know sad.

I am really sad about.

It was a rough day for me.

I know her wedding day isn't about me.....

But she is married now and happily in Hawaii with her husband, so this post is going to be about me.

I will have to have her send me some pictures when she gets back in town and do a real post about her.

 

I had been battling a cold for a few days.

Nothing serious.

I  had been drinking about two packets of Emergen-C a day for a couple of days and thought I would be fine.

 

Then the night before her wedding I climbed in the shower and washed my hair.

My blow dryer went out.

I slept with wet hair.

My cold went straight into my lungs.

Then I got a text at 3:00 in the morning from my friend who was planning on watching my kids for the day while we made the quick trip.

(Nate could only get a day off of work and he wanted to be there for my sister. We had made arrangements for the girls, knowing it would be a nightmare to spend 8 hours straight in the car and one in the temple.)

She said in her text her daughter had been throwing up all night.

She was still willing to watch the girls but she wanted me to know.

She was too sweet, but I couldn't let the girls go over there not with her needing to take care of her daughter.

I frantically texted my friend Kay three times. (She never got the texts.)

I went to bed resigned that the girls would be going with us.

I didn't sleep for the rest of the night.

Not because of my friends text, but because by this point the cold had hit my lungs.

I couldn't stop coughing and I was cold and needed more and more blankets.

My throat was so dry and sore I needed multiple glasses of water and then of course I am pregnant, so I have to go potty two minutes after I drink.

 

At six I got up.

I got the girls dressed.

Nate woke up at 6:30.

I broke the news that the girls were going to have to come with us.

He was stressed.

He knew it was going to be miserable.

I didn't know who to call and I am not in the habbit of leaving my daughters period, but especially imposing on someone so last minute.

I thought to call my visiting teacher, who I love.

I called her, she answered.

I explained the situation.

She offered to take care of them.

Bless her.

We dropped them off.

We headed out.

 

I was so cold.

There was this draft under my feet.

I kept cranking the heat and Nate kept cracking the window.

I thought, whatever heat I was trying to put in the car, he was sucking out the window.

I begged him to not crack the window.

He rolled it up most of the way with a sliver remaining.

(Before you judge Nate too harshly... finish reading the story.)

I wished I had of brought a blanket.

I had brought one out to the garage and then sat it down to help Madison into her car seat and forgot to put it in.

I tied my coat around my feet.

I was still cold.

 

I called my Dad.

I asked if they would bring an old blanket to the temple, so at least I would be warm on the way back.

He said, "You sound terrible, go home. Your sister will understand."

But, she was my closest sister growing up and I wanted to be there with her.

I told him I would be fine I just needed a blanket.

I started bawling like a baby.

Maybe it was no sleep, or being eight months pregnant, or being beyond sick, or my freezing legs, or hearing my daddy's voice say, "It is okay you don't have to be so tough." I am not sure.

I couldn't stop crying.

My poor dad put my mother on the phone to talk some sense into me.

I wasn't going to miss my sister's wedding, no matter what.

We shared a bedroom for 21 years.

She was the one I stayed up at night with and traded tickle backs with.

"If you tickle my back 100 times, then I will tickle yours 100 times." We would say to each other when we were little.

 

Nate stopped off and got me yogurt, apple juice, and cough drops.

When we got to the temple I was feeling better.

I wasn't coughing.

It was warm and peaceful in the temple.

(Nothing like our drafty 4-runner with over 200k miles on it. I am grateful that car still runs but....)

 

I have to say, the Manti Temple is so beautiful.

I gave my sister a hard time when she wanted to be married there. As we drove up, I understood why. It was so beautiful and the views from the hill were amazing.

I felt guilty for giving her a hard time.

We all met in the temple all my brothers and sisters and their spouses and my Uncle David, Karalee was always his favorite niece. It was so special that he made the trip.

My sister looked beautiful and happy.

 

After the wedding, we waited a while for them to come out of the temple.

Then came the pictures.

It was so cold.

The weather had been nice when we pulled up but then it turned.

I was coughing so hard and couldn't stop.

The father of the groom came over to introduce himself for the first time.

I felt really guilty shaking his hand.

We took a few pictures and then we had to go I just couldn't be there any longer.

 

My father followed us back to our car, got me a blanket and made sure we were well and safe.

Then we drove back.

We stopped in Gunnison City and had Chinese food.

They had the best Hot and Sour Soup I have ever had.

Every bite was soothing to my soul.

 

I got back in the car and cuddled down in my blanket and fell asleep.

 

When we got to Green River Nate let me drive the rest of the way home.

He cranked the heat and he kept complaining how cold it was.

He asked, "Where is that draft coming from."

He kept checking the floorboards and increasing the heat.

I was so hot. Beads of sweat were coming off my forehead, I had to crack the window.

Then both off us understood each other.

It wasn't being sick as much as it was the car.

Love that car.

Today I am by the fire.
Covered in vicks vapor rub.
With a humidifier.
Finishing my book.
Yesterday, is yesterday.
Today, is today.
I am so glad for today.

 

HAPPY SUNDAY

This is what your house will look like if you choose to take the morning off.

Read your book.

Take a long bath.

Do your hair, so you can look amazing for your husband.

Find a nice outfit.

Then when you emerge from your peaceful morning, you will find this.

Especially if it is Sunday, and your children aren't allowed to watch television or play computer games on Sunday.

They get very creative to entertain themselves.

Well, I look awesome and feel awesome, and this is the price I will pay.

Worth it, yep!

We will tackle it after church, or maybe I will go back to reading my book. :)

Happy Sunday.

FANCY

Sierra said on the way home from school, "Mom, why aren't I as fancy as other girls in my class?" At first I told her she was beautiful and asked her what she was talking about. She said, "You know fancy not beautiful." I said, "Well, you don't like to get dressed or do your hair. If you want tomorrow we can spend a long time doing your hair, and find a nice outfit and you can be fancy." Then tonight after I gave her a bath. I told her I would paint her nails so she could be fancy. In the middle of painting them she lost patience with me and said, "Mom, I don't need to be fancy I am fine just the way I am!" Agreed little one.

 

However, I couldnl't resist making her get up a little earlier to  spend a little more time on her outifit and hair, just to prove to her that she can be as fancy as any other girl.

 

This is the best picture I could get because she was pretty annoyed by this point and didn't want to take a picture. She has cuter clothes.

She wouldn't wear fancy tights, a skirt, and boots, because tights are too cold.

Although it has been really warm the last few day. She threw a fit.

She wouldn't wear the cute shirt that goest with her vest because it is blue and white day on Friday.

Apparently, this is the best we could do.

 

I think it is important to feel fancy every once and a while even if most of the time you don't want to take the time.

 

SICK

 She has been sick for the last two days.

She hasn't been to school.

She missed a really fun field trip she was looking forward to and I missed teaching art heritage.

She has been coughing so hard she has been throwing up, which sounds more alarming than it is.

She has a weak gag reflex.

It doesn't matter how sick she gets she never slows down.

There has been a lot of teasing.

There has also been a lot of imaginative play and putting together puzzles.

There has also been a lot of television watching and computer game playing.

It wills be bitter sweet when she goes back to school tomorrow.

SLEEPING SISTER

They slept like this last night.

Both of them stayed in their bed all night.

They didn't come into me once about a bad dream or needing a drink.

They slept like angels and I think it is because they had each other.

Aren't they sweet?

CHRISTMAS PARTY

 Tonight was the night of the ward Christmas party.

Just like it years past it was fun.

I was so surprised that my girls climbed up on Santa's lap and chatted with him for quite a while.

I guess Sierra told him all she wanted was clay that never dries out.

We spent the morning teaching Brother Bob how to make cinnamon rolls.

Sister Joann, his wife, taught me how to embroider on the edge of pillow cases.

We had a nice morning.

As we left Brother Bob gave my girls this ornament for our tree.

I giggled so hard when I saw it hanging on my tree.

I had to take a picture.

My siblings will all get a giggle at it too.

Here is the story.....

 

My Aunt made ornaments for my mother.

She was into painting and making porcelain dolls.

She would make the heads and then put a ruffled collar around the neck.

Then she would hang a string from its head.

We had several on our tree.

There just was something so Marie Antoinette about it.

I told my mother, "There is nothing Christmas about a bunch of de-capitated dolls staring at you from the Christmas tree. It is absolutely creepy."

I took the heads and hid them.

My mother was upset and told me to give them back because her sister had made them for her.

I would inevitable give them back.

Every year they came out of the Christmas box and got hung on the tree again.

Every year they would have to disappear at least for a little while.

One year they were gone altogether.

I am not sure what happened to them.

 

Guess what......

Now I have my very own HEAD.

Headless Santa.

Who thinks of these things?



THIS LITTLE BOY is my GREATEST JOY

How blessed am I to be welcoming this little boy to our home in six and a half weeks.

I seriously can't wait for his sister's to meet him.

He has been stretching a lot lately and sometime I have to tell him there just isn't room enough for him to get comfortable anymore, no matter how hard he stretchs.

 

He got the hiccups the other night while I was reading to Sierra.

She put her hand on my tummy and giggled and giggled at his little body moving.

 

Madison often asks, "What is little brother saying?"

I say, "He is saying I love my sister Madison."

She always responds by asking, "A lot of times?"

I say, "Yes, a lot of times."

 

They have helped me get things ready for his arrival.

Sierra keeps asking if there is anything else she can do.

There really isn't anything left except to set up the crib.

We will do that soon.

 

I am just so happy.

I can't say it enough.



ANOTHER DAY

 Well, it has been just us for a very long time.

For three years Sierra has been in school and Madison has been my bestest little friend.

In six and a half weeks it won't be just us anymore.

I am very excited and a little sad.

 I have been washing clothes and getting the room ready for the little ones arrival.

It has made it real.

As I looked at all these tiny clothes I was overwhelmed with gratitude.

Gratitude for the generosity of friends, who have more than supplied me with enough clothes for the first year of this little guys life.

Gratitude for this little life we will be welcoming into our family very soon.

Oh, how blessed we are.

How blessed I feel to be his mother.

How anxious I am to look into his eyes for the first time and hold him in my arms. 

She and her daddy have set aside Thursday night to study the gospel together, so she will be ready to get baptised.

It was so beautiful to listen to them discussing the gospel and reading the scriptures together.

I was overwhelmed with a feeling of love for him and her and the goodness of their lives.

She was so excited to learn from her daddy.

He was excited to teach her.

 

She has worked so hard this week on studying her spelling words.

She begged me to quiz her one more time before she left for school.

She kept getting 100 percent but she still wanted to practice one more time.

It was a rough list.

All the words made the long e sound, even though they were all spelt very different.

It is so confusing and I wonder why they make those lists so hard.

I am so proud that she works so hard.

I am grateful to be a mother.

I just kept thinking that over and over as I was vacuuming, sweeping and scrubbing my house yesterday.

I know they are very simple tasks and most of the world can't appreciate how important they are.

However, I can.

I love being a mother.

VISTING DADDY's OFFICE

 I broke my lens over Thanksgiving holiday.

I have to get use to less than sharp pictures.

It is hard.

I went into Nate's office today to take a picture for their Christmas card.

Madison helped decorate the office.

Don't you love the little tree?

 

She hasn't been feeling very well lately.

She has been super whinny.

I was so frustrated with her.

Then that night I discovered she had a temperature.

Poor thing.

THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY

I love being with my family.

I went to a 7:30am session at the Provo Temple. Alone. It was beautiful and peaceful.

I and the girls got to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa McKnight and go to the Wendy's together.

I finished my sister Jennifer's quilt top for her little miracle.

We went to JCW's to celebrate my Dad's birthday.

We made rainbow cupcakes for Emma, my niece's, birthday.

We ate good food, Curry, Chili, and a yummy Thanksgiving dinner.

We chatted and laughed and cried and shared.

We marveled at how much we have grown and how much our babies have grown.

We wondered where time has gone.

We loved each other.

 

I know how precious life is and how precious having a kind, loving, supportive family is.

I am grateful for all my siblings and their spouses and children and most especially my parents.

How blessed am I.

SNOW

 Last year it snowed once. It was sometime in January.

I told the girls when it snows again, your baby brother will come.

Well, it decided to snow in November.

Madison was so excited.

She squealed, "Is baby brother coming?"

No.

Sorry.

Madison helped me put the tree up before we left for Thanksgiving holiday.

She wanted to.

She was so helpful.

ASIAN COOK-OFF



Barbara challenged me to an Asian Cook-off.

She is of Vietnamese descent, therefore I knew from the start she would win.

How do I get myself into these things?

We invited all of our friends and cooked our favorite Asian dishes.

Barbara cooked these to-die-for egg rolls. They are stuffed with noodles, pork and Asian mushrooms.

Then you wrap them in lettuce and cucumbers and dip them in a lime, fish sauce.

I think I had five.

She made a delicious curry.

I did teriyaki chicken with carrots and Asian dumplings.

The food was really yummy.

It was so fun to spend time with our friends chatting and eating.

We will have to do it again but this time I may have to challenge Barbara to a classic American food cook-off.

 

It was Elizabeth's birthday.

I am an amateur photo shopper.

Elizabeth loves Justin Beiber.

I photo shopped Justin kissing her.

It is not perfect but I thought it was awesome.

She was a little embarrassed.

Sorry, Elizabeth.... but you are beautiful.

ELECTION

I have been sad about the elections result of last night. However, this sadness has turned to hope as I have reflected on these things....

1. Jesus is my King.
2. I have a Prophet that leads and guides me in these Latter Days.
3. I am a Mother, and there is great power in that.

I love this clip and these quotes. They make me happy and fill me with peace.

I truly love my country!

 

This nation, founded on principles laid down by men who God raised will never fail..... I have faith in america: you and I must have faith in America if we understand the teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Harold B. Lee. Ye are the light of the world [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book co., 1974] p. 351.)

 

How long will it be before the words of the prophet Joseph will be fulfilled? He said if the Consititution of the United States were saved at all it must be done by this people. It will not be many years before these words come to pass. [Discourses of Brigham Youn, comp. John A. Widtsoe [Salt Lake City; Deseret Book Co., 1971] p360.]

 

When, the people shall have torn to shreds the Constitution of the United States, the elders of Israel will be found holding it up to the nations of the earth and proclaiming liberty and equal rights to all men, and extending the hand of fellowship to the oppressed of all nations. This is part of the program, and as long as we do what is right and fear God, he will help us and stand by us under all circumstances (John Taylor, Gospel Kingdom [Salt Lake City; Bookcraft, 1964 p. 219)

 

The kingdom of God is here to grow, to spread abroad, to take root in the earthand to abide where the Lord has planted it by his own power and by his own word in the earth, never more to be destroyed nor to cease, but to continue until the purposes of the Almighty shall be accomplished, every whit that has been spoken of it by the mouths of the the holy prophets since the world began (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctorine [Salt Lake City;Deseret Book Co., 1968] p.76)

 

  

PRE-SCHOOL

Pre-School has started and she loves it.

It is just her and me.

We do a few worksheets that I print off the computer.

We try to read a few simple words.

She loves it!

She was enthusiastically telling her Daddy about it this morning over breakfast.

She was showing him all the pages she has done.

I thought it was so cute.

 



PICNICING

 We had a picnic and went fishing with daddy.

It has been a while since we have done anything as a family.

Dad has been so busy with work.

It was nice to be out in the sun together.

The girls begged me to go on a hike with them.

Dad was determined to catch a fish, but didn't have any luck.

A friend, her children, and her puppy met up with us a little later.

Sierra was in heaven.

She asked today if she could see that puppy again.

I asked her why she would want to.

She said, "Because he made me so happy."

(Forgive her unzipped pants, she walked around all day like that, I guess she felt her pants were a little too tight.
I have been feeling the same way lately, so I get it.)