Happiness

Asher enjoying a cone last year at DQ Considering this blog is entitled Happiness, I should post some things that make me happy. This is from a list I wrote in 2005. It still holds true and I've added some more since then. 1. Spending time with Josh 2. Fun family Activities 3. Alone time 4. Shopping 5. Eating Chocolate 6. Praying 7. Reading the Scriptures 8. Going to Church 9. Using a new shampoo 10. Getting e-mail 11. Getting letters 12. Getting phone calls 13. Drinking hot chocolate 14. Talking on the phone with family 15. Seeing a new baby 16. Holding a new baby 17. Being pregnant with a new baby 18. Having a new baby 19. Watching the boys 20. Playing with Elizabeth This is my blog. My name is Megan Abbott. -Those new baby ones reminded me of how much I love babies! At Ward Conference last Sunday the Stake President told us we were the 2nd ward with the most babies- 44 babies! The other had 47. Wow! I knew I saw a lot but I didn't know it was that many! At a Relief Society d...

As I filled out the paperwork for our certification to adopt/do foster care, I noticed something. Yes, there were the spots where you filled in your name, your birth date, your previous addresses and whether of not you have been convicted of a felon (I haven't). There were also pages and pages of thought provoking questions as well: "Describe why you are considering parenting a child other than your own at this time." It gave me a meager space of two inches. How could I fit the description of the whole process that lead us to where we are today into one small space? Where would I explain the disappointment that lead to promptings to do something different, something we never planned of or thought of before but are now finding joy in it's journey? I skipped that statement and moved on to simpler ones "Do you have any concerns about parenting a child other than your own at this time? (no) And later, after my brain could take no more and was requesting a rest, I rea...

There is a Goodwill 4 minutes away from my home and every other Saturday they have a 50% off sale. I haven't been going much, but the other day I needed a Mom's Afternoon Out and I went. Here's what I found at Goodwill: (all at 50% off) -Hot Pink Velvet Pillow $1 -Black chords, GAP, boys 5T, $1.99 -Black pants, PLACE?, boys 5T, $1.99 (didn't fit Jonah. Oh, well) -Patterned Red skirt with beaded trim $3.50 -White with turquoise sash, David's Bridal, Size 5 but fits Elizabeth, for Easter, $7.50 -Brand New Beeny Baby Rooster, $.50, (I collect them now since they have them all the time there!) This is my blog. My name is Megan Abbott.

Today I am grateful for the Tender Mercies I receive in my life! General Conference is in 4 days. Have you written down any questions that you want answered yet? I am so excited to listen to the words of the Apostle and Prophets for us in our day. Yes, the kids will eventually start losing interest and we will send them outside. Yes, it is a different Saturday and Sunday schedule but I love it! We do waffles with strawberries and whip cream on one of the Conference days. I usually do some kind of fun activity for the kids. This year it is a spinning wheel with each of the Apostles' pictures on it and a treat assigned to each one. We'll see how many apostles they are able to listen to. Life is good. Life is marvelous. I went to Old Navy this morning and fell in love with all the bright colors there. I love it and Spring is coming! My sister Amy and her family return from Japan, after more than 15 months there, in less than a month. I am so excited and wish we could be there to p...

Boy Scouts Little blue shirts Stand out on little Pale faces They are boy scouts And they are my boys. This is my blog. My name is Megan Abbott. ps- The boys are almost 8 and the one in the boy scout shirt is almost 9 but yes, the boys are small for their age!

another pic off my phone. Go ASU! Is it terribly wrong that one of the reasons why I love our new job is that I don't have to make lunches for Josh very often? Happy Friday, everyone! This is my blog. My name is Megan Abbott.

We're taking foster/adoption classes through Arizona Adoption and Foster Care and I'm so excited! They start April 2nd, are 3 hours each and last for 11 weeks. My friend who teaches Elizabeth piano has graciously accepted to watch our kids while we go since they are on Monday nights and I feel bad asking anyone from the ward. She doesn't have any kids and her husband is a med student so it works out well! I am excited, thrilled, hopeful, happy, somewhat nervous, worried and overwhelmed. We have a lot to do still and still need to fill out tons of paperwork, get personal references, and prep our house to pass a safety inspection. The safety inspection can be done later though. This is to do foster care/adopt through the State. Basically it is taking care of the kids that CPS takes away from their Parents. Their main goal is to reunite the children with their Parents. If adoption becomes an option that is just extra. We plan on taking kids younger than Asher- so age 4 or 5...

A few weeks ago I finally finished the afghan I had been working on for 3 years! Yes, 3! I started it when I was really manic because I couldn't sit still. Crocheting this helped me to concentrate and made me feel calmer. As I got better and better I didn't need to do that as much so I only worked on it during General Conference. A craft group started up on Friday mornings in Maryland and I would take it and work on it then. I would only work on it an hour or so a week, but anything helped! It feels so good to be done! Now I'm starting a new one. Same style, just new colors. This pattern doesn't require me to count or change colors very often and I like that. Some mornings as a Mom are just really rough. This morning it was time to go to school and Jonah could not find his shoes. I sent them all out to the car while I hunted. I found them, soaking wet under Ethan's bed. When forced to explain, Jonah said that he rode his bike through a huge pond (left over from the ...

succulent plant, Arizona roses from Josh, just for fun kids playing in a tree, Freestone, Gilbert AZ juggling guy on stilts + funny man with a beard, Mesa AZ This is my blog. My name is Megan Abbott.

During Spring Break my Parents came to visit and the days were spent visiting the Riparian Preserve, Going to Freestone Park, Riding the carousel (that's Ethan fake screaming). Putting together puzzles, Reading books with Grandma, Going to the Mesa Festival of Creativity, You could make an origami bird and hang it on the tree as part of a community art project. Asher made a really cute one. There were people dressed up all in a single color, walking around. Jonah said "Mom, this place is weird- that person is all pink!" It was fun! (I think this was a guy!) There was a lego exhibit where people could help build the huge, giant cactus! Goodbye, Grandpa and Grandma! We love you! See you in June! ---not pictured was going out for custard (of course!), visiting Josh at ASU, lots of walks, playing with the doggie, wrestling with Grandpa and yummy food! This is my blog. My name is Megan Abbott.

A bath out of balloons for Jonah. Sometimes I am not grateful enough. I go about my life, living it day to day and somehow, I slowly forget to be grateful. I forget all of the things that Heavenly Father has blessed me and my family with. After reading my sweet sister-in-laws blog post here about her gratitude with a little 2-3 week old baby in the hospital with RSV, I wanted to work on my own gratitude. I'm grateful for: 1. My beautiful children: I have one beautiful, talented, smart sweet girl who can help me in the kitchen, help take care of the boys and can be our go-to babysitter soon! My Twin boys: they are so fun, happy and different. Asher- my singelton boy who I really hoped for. 2. My wonderful husband: He is kind, hardworking, loving, diligent, faithful, worthy and cute! 3. My loving Parents: Even when we are grown up, we need someone to love and care for us! My Parents do a great job of that! 4. A good job: That my hubby loves. Today, I took him to one of my routine ...

What my kids are doing during Spring Break- at least during the down times: eating banana Popsicles and watching TV. This is my blog. My name is Megan Abbott.

Pictures and model by Josh When we visited Josh's Parents for Christmas last year, Josh noticed a small box containing a model boat kit, neglected and collecting dust in the laundry room. He asked his Dad whose it was and found out that it used to be Ben's and he had done some work on it but left it and Braden, our nephew, had expressed interest in it. In talking to Braden, he found that he could have it if he wanted it and he did! He took it home, and found a new hobby! And now I know what to get him for his birthday/Christmas if I am ever in need of an idea- that man is hard to shop for! Wohoo! I am really impressed with how it turned out and I think he is too. Good job, Babe! This is my blog. My name is Megan Abbott. ps- ASU Law School was just ranked #26 out of all the law schools! It was #40 last year. A 16 point jump- way to go, ASU!!!

Josh and Ethan before a ASU basketball game It's a beautiful Monday. The kids are up and sad that they can't spend the whole morning watching H2O and have to come with me to the Wal-Marts to get our van's light fixed. --funny story on that- I went to Wal-Mart and asked them to fix my headlight. They said it was working fine but they could refurbish it for me. I said that would be fine. 45 minutes and $20 later, while I was checking out they said "Oh, your right running day light is out." Aaaahh!! That's what I needed to get fixed I told them. They told me to come back and they would fix it for free. I guess you have to use the right words "running day light" instead of "headlight" when you want something done. The same thing happens with my hair. I can't explain what I want, so now I just print off a picture and take it in and say "I want this". That usually gets the job done. Oh, and if you hadn't read my last blog post-...

Spring is in the air! Spring! Break! It started early this year- early in the year and early with a half day on Friday! Asher went to a birthday party and the kids and I hung out at home, filled up the small blue pool and they watched a movie while I napped. What a way to kick things off! Earlier that day I tried to be as productive as I could- before the flood gates opened and I have 4 kids on my hands! It doesn't sound like a lot, but when I try to take them grocery shopping they tend to melt into a wrestling match on the floor while I'm trying to decide between cereals. I went and checked out a local charter schools- Gilbert Challenger Basic . Arizona has charter schools which are free and ever since I heard several people in our Church enrolling their kids their, I've wanted to check it out. I grilled my neighbor before heading over there (it's a 5 minute drive- near our local Super Wal-marts. I found out that Challenger is a small school- 2 classes per grade level....

NationalGeographic.com I took a day off from the internet yesterday. I did check my e-mail though. I couldn't help it. It took 5 minutes! Ok. Maybe 10. I can't say I liked it, but I did get more done! If I had to do it over again, I would proclaim one day a week "basic" day: e-mail, blog, read my top 5 favorite bloggers (any family of course, NieNie, Nat, CJane) and that's it. That would take me about an hour. Or I could write 2 posts one day and then just post that one and quickly skim to see if anyone has written anything that can't wait until the next day. Josh is now no longer an often reader of my blog. His job keeps him too busy. This is good, but I miss him. It reminds me of when we got married and the first normal day after our honeymoon he came home at 10 pm. I was teaching and would get home at 5 pm, make dinner and be alone for the next five hours. That wasn't going to fly. We talked and he began to come home at 6 pm. And somehow things worked o...

I am happy. Contentedly happy. My husband came home and ate dinner with us yesterday- a pleasure we hadn't had for the past couple of days *a big conference at work*. Mitt Romney did great on Super Tuesday! There can be good news seen on the front page! My Parents are coming to visit for Spring Break next week. Double Hooray! I got a 10 minute massage at the mall last night after family home evening. Divine! Our dog has gotten used to her Gentle Leader leash and walks with her are usually a treat. I live in the most beautiful land- sky bursting sun rises, 2 hawks flying over the stretch of open fields, the air warm and balmy with a slight March chill to it. Asher is back at school and my home is quiet and still. Jonah is student of the week this week and he has excitedly done something new each day *today is show and tell and he brought his bey-blade from Christmas- after choosing and rejecting several other things. We are two steps closer to finding out what is going on with Eliza...

"There will come a time when only those who believe strongly in and work hard for families will have them closely around them. " Spencer W.Kimball This is my blog. My name is Megan Abbott. ps- and now, if you will excuse me, I am going to go lay down for a bit. Asher was up last night with a fever and Jonah with a scary dream. This family work really is hard work!

A certain 9 year old told me today: "Mom, I am ugly. My face is square. I am chubby and I have a mustache (she has a chapped upper lip.)" It was one of those moments. Those moments that you hear about and you wonder when it will happen to you. I was sitting in her room, on the floor. She was sitting on her bed and we were chatting. It was fine until I mentioned how much Heavenly Father loves her. That brought tears, a shake of the head and this confession. I lovingly took her to the mirror to show her who she really is. A daughter of God. I showed her how shiny and thick her beautiful hair is. I showed her how she was definitely not chubby and how her face was definitely not square. And then I covered up her chapped mustache with a little make up (was that wrong?) Later, while closing up for the night, I had an "aha" moment: the best way for me to be a good Mother is to have a close relationship with my Heavenly Father. When I close toHim, He can let me know what my...

Freestone Park, Gilbert, Arizona Last night, over a dinner of french toast topped with strawberries and powdered sugar (Josh was gone, so dinner was simple), Asher turned to me and asked "Mom, are we celebrating Dr. Seuss' Birthday tomorrow?" "Sure!" I responded. "Oh, good!" he said "We'll have the cake right after dinner!" I guess I'm making a cake today. Which is okay with me since Josh's car is in the shop and he took mine today. Already I've vacuumed the whole house, made said cake (it's yet to be decorated in more strawberries and cream), walked Sadie, read the newspaper, dusted and did two loads of laundry. On the schedule for later today is matching socks, unloading the dishwasher and walking to pick the kids up from school. Good thing it's date night tonight! In N Out and a show at the local observatory. Did you know that Arizona has such clear skies it is home to 14 different observatories? This will be our fi...

My beloved Spain! Via Online My mission- Bilbao, Spain. So gorgeous! Via online Yesterday, through facebook, I found a link to an inactive blog from 2 years ago from my mission- the Spain Bilbao Mission. They dissolved the mission in 2010- so sad for me- and this blog was from that time period. I loved looking at the pictures of the mission, reminiscing about a few of the same places I had been to- the mission home, Bilbao, La Coruna, Victoria. One member that I knew now has two children who look to be 7 and 5. She was engaged when I knew her and we weren't sure things were really going to happen, so it was great to see that. Two things that struck my mind. It seemed like the mission was running normally. Same kind of Elders- tall ones, shorts ones, funny ones, smart ones. Same kind of sisters- cute ones, Spanish ones, happy ones, serious ones. Same kind of Mission President with his wife. Although they are definitely different people, it seemed to me as though it was the same play...