Happiness

 Jonah and Ethan, Dec. 2012 Last November Ethan and Jonah were diagnosed with ADD (Inattentive) Disorder. Josh has it, so- as I learned later- my kids have a quite high chance of having it. I haven't mentioned this before, but it's been a pretty big challenge for us and for them. It started in October, when the boys got their first quarter grades back and they had 3-4 low grades that I had never seen on their report card. I knew something was up. They had both done pretty well in Kindergarten, First and Second. Even well enough that we assumed they would have no problem going to a harder school (a charter school) this year. It seems that Third Grade was the level at which they could no longer do well. At Parent Teacher Conferences, we brought up the subject of ADD. "Could their inability to finish work, pay attention in class and get things done be associated with ADD?" we asked. Ethan's teacher dismissed it and said that it wasn't something she thou...

 Quincy, age 1, at the park  My Sister Amy and her family Fox, Cash, Coco and Quincy (above) came through Arizona on their way home from a Texan visit and stopped by for the day. We LOVED seeing them and took them to the park, the local library, Costa Vida (which Amy hadn't had since Utah) and Bahama Bucks (our permanent Hawaii-type Shaved Ice place). Her kids are adorable and so fun to be around! I could wake up to this face every day!    I can't add captions. Here they are: Coco swinging on the swings- she reminds me of my Mom a lot. Amy and Quincy at the park. Cash (age 5 3/4) and our snake Sadie (getting big!!)- which he really liked holding. Coco loved the snake and wanted to feed Sadie a mouse so we fed Sadie later and let her and the kids watch. They loved it!  I love those blue eyes! Later we had Cream Puffs- a family tradition- for his birthday but I didn't take any pictures! :( What a fun visit!

Looking ahead: My sister Amy and family are in Texas visiting his side of the family. They are coming through Arizona on their way back to California and are stopping by here! I am so excited! I hope to convince them to stay for another day as well! Today, in Church, I got released as a Nursery Leader and called as a Beehive Advisor (working with the 12 and 13 year old girls). I'm super excited as I haven't worked with the Young Women before. I have worked with a few of them during a few sub jobs and they are a joy to work with! I'll miss my sweet Nursery kids! Wednesday Activity Nights and Girls Camp Here I Come! :) Foster Care. Here's another blog I found from a girl who is fostering 3 little ones ages 4 and under (and is LDS too!): Adventures of S & L Finally, it's gotten warmer!!! It was about 29-32 degrees all day for 2 weeks and we were freezing! One thing is that Arizona is not prepared for colder weather and so the windows in our home are reall...

For the past 12 months since we have seriously considering doing foster care, I have not read any foster care blogs. At all. This is strange for me, since I love blogging and I enjoy a good blog or two. Late Sunday evening, I googled foster care/adoption and found a blog post with quite a few links to some foster care blogs. Some are pretty good. Some are not so good and some don't even exist at all. Here's a few that I found www.therhouse.com (o.k. this is a fave of mine and I've been following it for since we lived in Maryland. Adoption. Open Adoption. Failed Placement. A momma who has 3 adopted boys, all with Open Adoptions- she talks to their Moms often). www.ohanafootprints.com (a Mom who lives in Hawaii and has a few children of her own, one adopted and one foster child. Pretty good pics!) www.ldsinfertility.blogspot.com (a Mom who has dealt with a lot of infertilitiy and has one adopted girl through fostering and adopting) Her presonal blog is: www.mamamen....

    Opening Presents on 3 Kings Day (Jan. 6th) See Elizabeth's New Glasses? Ethan showing the GAK we made from Kelsy's Christmas present. Thanks, Kelsy!! Let Me Tell You a Story Often, in the mornings, I pray for a chance to serve someone that day. It's fun to see how some prayers are answered clearly and distinctly, while others are answered in a less obvious way. A couple days after Christmas, I said my morning prayers and went about my normal routine. I decided to take Sadie along with me on my run, even though I usually didn't. While I was running, I went a little longer than normal and looped around the kids school. As I passed the kids' school playground I noticed a small blue square slip of paper. I immediately knew what it was (a slip you take to the LDS Temple to get a person's work done). I knew that here was my chance to serve someone that day- to serve the person who lost this paper and the person whose name was on the paper. I knelt dow...

It's been freezing cold here. I'm talking ice and seeing your breath during the day cold. Yeah. Even for Arizona. People have been covering their citrus and ficus trees so they won't get damaged by the Frost. How is it in your area? I didn't have a single subbing job last week and I missed it. Badly. I even had to take Asher out for a Mommy-Son lunch date so I could go by the front office and be in the school again. Oh, and to spend time with cute Asher too. (Good thing I have 2 days scheduled this week!) Trying to fill and fill my time so that it goes by fast until we have a little one. Filling my time with: - Books:  Gifted Hands, by Ben Carson, a great novel about a destitute boy who turned neurosurgeon, As Always Julia, letters between Julia Child and Avis Devoto which I have been reading forever and finally had to return to the library. w/Josh, his Mom's stories of growing up the daughter of a Chemist, funniest reading since Tina Fey! - Watching/laun...

  **Disclaimer. All of the below contains information as I know it. It may not all be accurate as I am a second source and often things get lost in the translation, as sometimes happens in my family. I will try to correct any errors as need be. About 6 years ago, in 2006, my Dad was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia . At first I didn't know it was Cancer (yes, I do have my blonde moments and did not realize that leukemia was cancer- I thought it was just a very serious illness). When someone finally came out and said the word "cancer", I was upset that 1) I didn't realize leukemia was cancer 2) No one had used the word cancer and that they had seemed to avoid that word. As a side note, CLL is a cancer of your white blood cells that come from your bone marrow. It is often discovered in older people, especially men. It is not treated in it's first stages but it is treated later on. He went into treatment and did pretty well, considering. He has wonder...

    We can follow His will Over a year ago I miscarried. For the second time in eighteen months. I thought I was over it. But I don't think I am. When that dark door slammed on my hopes, I was devastated. Again. The first one caught me completely off guard. The second one I was more prepared for. I realized that if this could happen to me, it could happen again and it could happen to anyone. I knew that when one announces their pregnancy, that it could be over in the drop of a hat and I tried to prepare myself. When a friend or loved one announced their pregnancy, I was cynical, knowing something could happen. When they gave birth to a healthy, happy baby, I sighed a big sigh of relief. They were okay. Their baby was okay. The heavy door slamming I had faced had not happened to them. It had been one of the worst experiences I had ever had. I didn't know what to do. I was empty and alone. I felt like I was nothing. Useless. Things got better and peace returned. We look...

My sister had a great idea for New Years Resolutions for 2013. Normally I make a few resolutions for the year in 5 categories- Spiritual, Emotional, Physical, Social, and Mental. This year I'ld like to also combine those into 13 things I would like to do in 2013. 1. Have a Foster baby/toddler in our home. We went to the Foster/Adoption orientation last December so it's been a year since we started this whole process. We're excited to start working on it again and help a child in need (end of March/April). 2. Attend as many Book Club Meetings as I can/read the books. Sometimes in summer, I get too busy to read and miss out on our meetings. I hope to keep going all year long! 3. Attend Adult Institute class for our Church weekly/when I have an open day. Our Church does a weekly class for adults and it's team taught by one of my friends so I would like to make it every chance I get. 4. Run a 5k (already signed up for the Mayor's Ostrich 5k Mar. 2 in Chan...

Slower. Not slow or simply slow down. Slower. I want to take my time in doing things. I want to enjoy life, not rushing here and there, to or fro. I want to love and be loved. I want to relish the small moments of:   -playing legos with Asher.   -tucking Elizabeth in at night.   -reading out loud to the twins.   -Baking something sweet in the kitchen.   -A walk to the park   -A talk with Josh.   -Even a shopping trip. I tend to do the opposite: rushing from here to there, one store to the next to get the best deal, hurrying through the next Chapter to get to a rest time. Not anymore. No more rushing, hurrying, trying to fill all my days with busyness. If my body/mind/Spirit tells me no, I will listen. I will take only the sub jobs that won't hinder my relationships with my children. I will simplify my shopping and only go to the places I need to. And I will take the time to be with my children and hubby mentally/emotionall...

 January  February  March- Spring Break  April- Easter  May- Ethan and Jonah turn 8  June- Ethan and Jonah are Baptized  July-Asher turns 6  August- Family Reunion  September- Elizabeth turned 10!  October  November- trip to Utah December 2012 has been a great year, but we are ready for a new year- 2013- and all it's new adventures, challenges and opportunities!

Isn't she GORGEOUS? BTW, Happy New Year!!!