Newsy

Man, I stink as a blogger, but yet, every few months or so I feel the urge to say something.  So here is a newsy little post:

Christmas - It was great!  On Christmas morning I took the boys and left to go to Mazatlan for 10 days.  It was so warm and wonderful.  My favorite parts were the time spent lying on the beach reading and just watching the waves roll in.  I thoroughly immersed myself with every sense in the beach experience.  I consciously smelled the ocean air, dug my toes in hot sand, watched the waves, listened to the birds and the surf, and enjoyed delicious food on the beach.  I hope that by being so conscious of it I will be able to pull those memories up and relive them as needed.  I also enjoyed visiting with, laughing with, and just being with my boys!  My mom and her husband and my little sister and her husband and darling kids came too.  It was fun to watch my kids interact with their little cousins and to have time to visit with Em and Joe. 

New Years Eve - Em and Joe and myself and all our kids went to old town Mazatlan and ate and a nice little outdoor restaurant on the Plaza Mechado (town square).  Then we walked around a bit and listened to the live music.  My sweet Rocky danced first with his little cousin, Ruby, and then with me.  We then went back to our resort and midnight found me walking on the beach watching the fireworks from all the resorts.  It was  a great way to start the new year!

New job - Suprisingly, I love it.  I was dreading working in Special Ed again, but I really love my students and my schedule and my co-workers.  It is a great job.  I also still love Scentsy and continue to see growth in my business.  I would like my team size to double this year.  That would give me a pretty great income.

Rocky - He is getting tall and strong and is the most handsome boy!  I am told on a weekly basis how kind and cute he is.  He finally found a book series he enjoys, "The Hunger Games".  I think it is because it is very engaging and also it is a quick read.  Austin, Rocky, and I all read the first book of the series on vacation.  Austin and I finished the series and Rocky is 1/2 way through it.

Austin - just got accepted to BYUI - YAY!  He is enjoying senior year and is tall, smart, handsome, and happy.  He should have his Eagle scout award soon (I hope!  just a few more merit badges to finish).

The family as a whole - the big news is that we are going to be in the Hill Cumorah Pageant this summer.  I can not wait!!!  It will be an amazing experience in Palmyra, NY and we will be back east for about 6 weeks (3 weeks just for the pageant).

Bits and Pieces

I have been a slacker blogger, which is fine because there are only like 5 people who ever read my blog.  But here are some random things I meant to blog about, but never did.

Wrestling:
Rocky participated in wrestling this past fall.  He was awesome.  I hated watching it the first 2-3 times, but then I got over it.  I was banned from video-taping as it seemed to make him lose.  Every match I didn't video tape he won.  His fastest pin was in 8 seconds - WOW! 
On his very last match he was in the third period and was down in points 12 - 2.  He had been on the bottom and struggling the whole match (I was video-taping it) and I just thought, "Ug!  He can't lose this one!"  I turned the camera off and looked down for a moment and when I looked back up, Rocky had his opponent flipped over on his back and pinned.  He won!  It was a great way to end the season!  Here are some pics:

Rocky and a couple of his wrestling buddies.

Ha!  Take that! 1..2..3..PINNED!

Some of the moms (missing a few).

Happy boys.

Lunch Bunch:

Every day Austin and lots of other guys invade someone's house for lunch.  I feed them every other Tuesday.  I feel bad for them when they eat at our house because I just throw something together.  They have had pizza here a couple times, a waffle bar, pancakes, sloppy joes, bread bowls with stew, and Arby's Roast Beef Sandwiches one time when I was really bad.  At Toshiko's house they get fabulous homemade japanese food and home cut and breaded french fries.  I'm not sure exactly what they are, but Austin raved about them.  Here are some of the guys playing games after eating about 100 pancakes.  (I got the camera out too late to take before photos.)

Chillin' after a fine lunch of pancakes and oranges.

Getting their "Halo" fix to get through the last couple hours of school.

The left overs of about 100 pancakes!

Thanksgiving:

Somewhere in the midst of the fall we had Thanksgiving.  This is the only picture I am posting of Thanksgiving.

Family:

These pictures were taken in Arizona while we were there for my dad's funeral.  It was a good time of healing and happy remembrances.  I enjoyed spending time with all those who were there to show their love and support, especially my siblings and their families.

My fine boys!

Em and Joe (the coolest aunt and uncle).

Me, Sally, Em, and Joe

Eating at the Firehouse Kitchen in Prescott, AZ.  Very fine food!

Rock and his cousins.

Outside the Firehouse Kitchen with the owner.

Em and Hannah (after Em cut Hannah's hair)

Gabe, Roland, and Jason waiting for the service to begin.

Sally and cousin, Jodi.

This was the sparse little desert cemetery where dad's body is buried.

Me and my siblings with Rosemary, dad's wife.

Hanging out at home:
We spent lots of fun hours enjoying each other's company.  Sometimes with friends, sometimes just with family.  These are my favorite times!

Austin, so tall and handsome!

Lulu, the dog.

This is just a wierd picture.

Playing x-box in the garage.

goofing off

Gotta love having friends over!

Taking a break from wrestling around.

Rocky was showing us some of his songs for band.

One of my all time favorite pictures!

I AM THANKFUL!

I am thankful! 

I am thankful for:

pay at the pump gas stations

cars with butt warmers and great heaters and air conditioning - can you imagine being a pioneer?!

stadium theatre seating at the movies

movie theatre popcorn

gorgeous tropical islands (where I wish I were right now)

my swimming pool

paper clips

chinese food (americanized, of course)

incandescent light bulbs - I don't want to have to switch to flourescent

microwaves

hot showers and baths (I take about 2 baths a year - but I do love them)

computers and blogs

books - I love to read... LOVE to read!

Plain White T's - a newish band I decided I like

other great music

no snow on the ground - SO thankful!

Christmas lights - they should be mandatory from Nov to March because they take the gloom and make it bloom!

hair dryers

California in the winter

the ocean - anytime

But mostly I am thankful for my life and health.  I am thankful for my boys - they give meaning to my life. I am thankful for the gospel and my Savior, and the Plan of Salvation.  I am thankful for my family, for my dad and my mom, and brother and sisters.  I am thankful for my healthy body and mind and that my children are healthy - in mind, body, and spirit.  I am thankful for my little dog, she is a joy. I am thankful for the lessons I have learned.  I am thankful to be an American, and I am thankful for those who sacrifice to keep our country's ideals.  I am thankful for all those who came before me and paved the way.  I am thankful for the very nice roof over my head, a closet full of clothes, a pantry and fridge full of food, and heat and shelter.  My needs are met, and for that I am thankful.  I am truly blessed, and I am thankful for my multitudes of blessings.

I am thankful!

Moving Forward

We all have times in our life when we just move forward.  Regardless of what weight we have pulling on us, we just go forward.  Moment by moment, step by step.

Today I had the opportunity to work for a while with three other women of various backgrounds and life circumstances.  As we talked and got to know each other I found out that one of the women got divorced about a year ago.  She is happily remarried, although her relationship with her ex-husband is very bitter.  Another of the women is at retirement age, but still working part time and her husband retired recently.  She is struggling a little with him being home all the time without a passion or hobby to occupy his time.  She also cares for her aging mother who lives with her.  The other woman is recently separated from her husband, and he has moved to another state with her youngest child who is still in high school. They will probably be divorcing and may have to file bankruptcy.

As we talked, the topic of doing the best you can, in spite of your circumstances was a recurring theme.  I shared how a friend of mine was paralyzed in a car wreck when she was 19.  I have been with her numerous times when people have said, "I just don't know how you do it.  I couldn't handle it.  I just couldn't do it."  On a few occasions she has responded with, "Well if it happened, you would have to handle it.  You would either handle it well, or you'd handle it poorly."  After sharing this bit of wisdom, we all nodded in agreement.  Things happen, you don't get to choose everything that happens in your life, you only choose how you respond.  The retired lady said to me, "Well, you are so cheerful, you will be okay."  To which I responded, "I guess if it's going to happen and I can be happy, hopeful and positive, or I can be negative and morose, my choice is to be happy.  It's the only choice I can make."

The past 18 months have given me circumstances to which I have had to choose my response.  I couldn't control the facts, just my way of dealing with them.  As a result of the facts, I separated from my husband.  Financially, it was the worst thing we could do, but emotionally, I had no choice.  During the 8th month of our separation I was laid off.  Three months later, he moved back in, because we were going under financially.  He had taken a paycut at work, rather than being laid off, and I couldn't find another job.  The financial drain has been ongoing, and it has been one of the most draining things I've ever experienced.  During this same time, I found my relationships with my family and extended family stressed, some of them to the point of breaking.  I've lost a few dear friends who no longer will return my calls or emails.  And now, I am just a few weeks away from my divorce being final. 

If you were to ask my friends how I am doing, they would say that I am doing well, handling it all amazingly well.  And they would be right 95% of the time.  This is a choice.  Sometimes I make it for myself, sometimes I make it for my kids.  Sometimes I make it because I feel I have no other choice.  And sometimes, I make a different choice - but not for very long.  I choose to be happy.