Do I Dare.....

Even try to catch up at this point? We have had such a busy Summer and especially the last few weeks since school started, I haven't had the chance to blog about it all!!

First off I am thoroughly enjoying the "back to school schedule", we are up and going early every morning and the day just feels more, and is more productive! Lexi has to be to the bus by 6:40am and then Grace is there at 7:40am so by 8am it is just buddy and I!

Lexi went back to school on Thurs. Aug 12, she started Middle School and was BEYOND
excited!! For the first time she has a locker and she was even able to "open it on her first
try!", when she got home that afternoon at 3:10pm (they have longer school days here than in
Vegas), she told me she felt like "she had always belonged there" (only slightly dramatic). Lexi
has always been a bit advanced maturity wise, so I think getting out of Elementary school is
exactly what she needed!


She is playing the flute in band, which makes me happy since I also played the flute, (which I
would still have if I hadn't traded it in for a guitar in college, but don't worry I don't have the
guitar anymore either since my mom decided to give it to my BIL, whatev, I'm not bitter or
anything. I kid I kid). Back to Lexi, it was fun to show her how to hold the flute and help her
figure out some notes, she felt really good the next day when she was "the only one that
knew how to hold it!" I love that as a 6th graders she still gets excited and impressed with
just the simplest of achievements, she must be like her mother! Yup, that's us, just simple girls!








Grace had an assessment day on Aug.12th, but she didn't officially start until Monday
Aug.16th. Grace is in the 1st Grade and after the second day she told me she "wanted to go
back to Kindergarten, because it is more fun." It has been a huge adjustment for her,
going from half days to full days, she is exhausted after school! I have been surprised by how
much she loves sitting at the table with Lexi after school doing homework, I think it makes her
feel like a "big kid", but hey no complaints on my part!

So far it is going well for her, she likes her teacher and she is making some new friends. I love my
sweet Grace, school doesn't come so easy for her, as we were walking to the bus stop on the first
day she looked up at me and said "You know what I dream about mom?, I dream
about being the SMARTEST girl in the world!" with tears coming to my eyes I said,
"Well if you keep working hard you CAN be the smartest girl in the world." which
she responded with "Or I could just wish on a star." touche Grace, touche. I pray that
things will start to get a bit easier or that she will at least be given the strength to overcome her
struggles.

(and if my Spunky girl wants to be colorful and bright who am I to say no)

Just A Simple Girl

I have been trying to convince my husband for years that I am just a simple girl, no need to try and move the earth for me, just a little TLC, and not the "Say Yes to The Dress" kind. I find myself smiling and happy at the most unexpected, yet pleasantly surprising things. So as once perfectly stated by a nearly nun, children loving, border crossing Maria "Here are a few of my favorite things"


Men standing in line to use the bathroom

A vanilla ice cream cone from Goodtimes

Sitting on a bench and "people watching"

Walking around Home Depot or Lowes looking at power tools

Garage sales/Craigslist/thrift stores

Trying a new recipe for dinner and my family LOVING it!

My kids eating popcorn while watching me do Zumba in my office

Riding my cart through the parking lot at the grocery store

Reading in bed while my husband works on his laptop next to me

Tim McGraw in a white t-shirt, jeans and his cowboy hat (this is a new find)

When my friends and family call just to say hello

Long evening walks with my man

Dreaming my way through Target alone

Listening and getting my groove on to my favorite songs while I get ready

The few hours in the afternoons when two kids are at school and one is asleep!!

Google-ing all the places I want to visit someday

...and knowing that in just a few days I get to see my Mommy and Daddy!!

(thanks Rachel for the photo)

See I am TOTALLY A Simple girl, no, really, I am!!!

Spiderman in THE HOUSE!!!

Having a little boy has brought so many new things into our house and lives! James is ALL "Boy", he loves dirt, swords, guns, cars, sports and comic book characters, especially a web flinging, wall scaling, red suit wearing Spider man!!! I MEAN HE REALLY LOVES HIM, in fact he thinks he IS him, no, really, he does! He tells me several times a day "I Pider man, mom", he thinks he can climb walls, mirrors, ceilings, and when he watches it he sings the theme song! A week or so ago we got him is very own Spider man action figure and for the following several hours he just kept repeating "Pider man, Pider man, Pider web, Pider man...." over and over and over as loud as he could! We LOVE our "Pider Man" and I am so glad he decided to stay with us!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Sunday Scripture: Forgiveness

D&C 64:9,10

9 Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.

10 I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.

I have often thought of myself as a forgiving person, I try not to take offense too easily and let things go.  Though recently I have discovered there is a great deal of pain that is still unresolved from a long time ago.  In my previous "legal obligation" I was repressed and suppressed, and I think that in some ways in order to punish myself and him I take it out on others, namely my husband and kids.  I realized that forgiveness isn't something you just say or do in one swift motion but that you have to work towards it, and that sometimes long after the offense, there is still a required effort to forgive and then, let go.  It is hard when the one that has hurt you is not there to see the pain they have caused, they aren't there for you to tell them, and most likely they are living their lives without ever thinking about it.  The responsibilty falls on me to pray and seek the ability to forgive.  I am the one being damaged by the lingering anger and pain, and I must make a decision to forgive him, to forgive myself, and replace it with the love of my Savior.  I am not there yet, but I will keep working on it.

All my Love,

Coming to the End of Summer

Well this past week I had aspirations of doing some fun things with the kids since it is their last full week of Summer break before school starts.  It didn't really go as planned but I think we still got out and did a few things, Monday we went swimming with our friends the Andersons and the kids LOVED it!  Grace had been anticipating the Ward Swim Party the previous Friday but when the afternoon thunderstorm moved in it was canceled, which for Grace, means devastation so when my friend Jen asked us to come down to their community pool I was ALL for it!

And if your sister won't let you out the gate when you want out........

.......it makes you sooo mad!!!!

This little love is my friend Jen's daughter Lucy and I just want to eat her, so funny and so expressive!

Tues and Wed we played at the park and hung out at the house just chillin! I must say that while I like to get out sometimes, I am kind of a homebody and I don't mind having days where we aren't scheduled and busy! However I have had TONS of editing to do so that took up much of my time.

Thursday evening we went over to the Kelley's for a birthday for our nephew Jr., aka Baby Will, aka Little Will, aka Little Willie, seriously the poor kid won't know his name because EVERYONE calls him something different lol, he turned 3 so we went over for a mini party.

Friday I woke early to head out to some garage sales, my true love, (it was a friends that is moving) where I ran into a new friend, Michele, from my ward, she and I headed to another garage sale and then back to my house to hang out for a little while. Michele has the cutest little girl my kids were wanting to hold her and love on her, poor thing. After they left we all got our chores done and headed to the library, where I had to handle some mean girls that were playing tricks on Grace, James was addicted to the water fountain, and Lexi wanted to check out every book they have. Since I am already reading a few I restrained myself from checking any out.

As we were leaving the library Jimmy called to say he was on his way home, which made me very happy since it was a little early. He said that he and Rob were gonna go hit some golf balls but thanks to the normal afternoon thunderstorm they changed plans and we decided to have dinner and then they went to do boy stuff at Best Buy! I got the kids to bed and then enjoyed some quiet time reading for the night!!

Saturday we were up and going pretty early because Lexi had a practice with the activity day girls who are singing in church Sunday.  While she sang, James and I headed to another Garage sale (another friend is moving) :(   we hung out and talked and James enjoyed punch and cookies.  Then it was back to pick up Lexi and home to work around the house and eat lunch, followed by an afternoon out with Daddy.  He sweetly took all 3 kids out to spend some time with him, I was able to edit and take a short nap, then we were off and headed to Granny and Grandpa's for dinner.

 After a delicious "Granny cooked meal", we played out in their back yard for a while enjoying the beautiful Summer evening!

I am gonna miss the luxury of lazy days and Summer evenings here in the big CO, but getting back to a school schedule will be nice too! 

SYTYCD!!!

I have LOVED SYTYCD (So You Think You Can Dance) for years now, since season 1 baby, and this season I have a NEW favorite! Oh he is just amazingly talented and such a cute boy, Kent Boyd!   He is a small town farm boy that just graduated from High School.  GO KENT!!