Music

Greg gave me a wonderful Christmas present this year. It was a CD with my favorite song of all time on it. It is this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUhU0HgTq94 This is my dad's favorite song, and he has passed on his love for it on to me.

If I had never read the bible,
If I had never read the book of Mormon,
If I had never heard of Jesus Christ,
If I had never been to church,
If I knew nothing at all
and I heard this song, I would believe. I would believe that the people who sang this song knew something- knew something so big and so wonderful, I would do anything to find out what it was.

When I listen to this song I can feel the truth of it in my heart, my stomach, all of the way down through my toes and all the way out of my fingers. My knees tremble a little bit, and I find it hard to breath. After hearing this song, I want to give all that I have up. I want to cross the plains in a hand cart; I want to sail across the ocean to a new world, I want to go serve a mission.

When I listen to this song, I can remember. I really think I can remember my Heavenly Father's hug. His face. His love. What it was like to be in Heaven with Him.

Then I wonder if it is just me. Do other people feel it too? Do other people feel like their heart is going to burst out of their skin when they listen to it? My mom told me once that other people don't. That they are too busy with T.V., work, activities, etc.. that it is too hard for them to feel it.

This is my plea to you. Forget everything else. Forget your anger. Forget questions. Forget your job. Forget T.V. Forget the craziness you call life. Forget everything else and remember why you believed. Life is hard sometimes and it doesn't all make sense. BUT it is still true.
This song is why I believe.
( if you listen- make sure you listen to the whole song. It is long, but worth every second. )

Christmas 2011

Ali turns 7

If you want to cry your eyes out....

This is why you wait to paint until the kids are in bed Goof ball



This is after the 17th time that we shampooed our carpet in our room. I just thought if we kept going the water would get clear......guess not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLoRhBpecNI

If you love Indiana, and you are moving away, and it's Christmas time, and you want to cry your eyes out for hours on end, then listen to this song above. I can't even let my mind have any quiet time because if I do, this song starts playing in my mind.....

baby love- Liam

I love Liam. I love babies. Things are crazy around here most of the time. But I am really enjoying my baby moments with him. I always take time out of every day and just enjoy the fact that he is my little baby, and I love him. My heart hurts a little inside when I think about him being my last one. I tell myself he is still a little baby. When he is trying to pull himself up on a chair-- I tell myself he is still a baby. I love him. I love my baby. I LOVE to hear him laugh.

Mom's 60th

So we really surprised my mom for her 60th birthday!!! She REALLY had no idea. I thought for sure that my Dad would spill the beans. We surprised her at a bowling alley in Fishers. She thought she was going to return watching Craig's kids to him there. It made me sooooo happy to see her so surprised. She did not look happy-- Just super surprised for almost 10 min. It was sort of between surprised, crying, shock, and about ready to pass out.-- I am going to be happy for a long time thinking about it. I love my mom so much. She is my best friend. She always has been. When I was a teenager, we never fought like most mothers and daughters do. I love to talk to her on the phone. And I also feel like she always understands She it the best. I love her.My family - so glad I am not moving away from them!


Best friends

my brothers

Half of Jack, Alora, Eliza, Aunt Nancy, Ali, Liam, Enoch, Hannah, Noah, half of Shad

( that is as good as we could do with the kids)

Bruce and Jack

The Scotts and Grandpa bowling

Ali!

I didn't get out my camera until the last 10 min. It is so crazy with so many kids that it is hard to remember to take pictures. I took all these pictures one handed while holding Liam in the other arm.

halloween

I love Halloween. It is my favorite holiday. Dressing up and candy. The part of me that likes to rebel likes it too. For some reason some people don't like Halloween which makes me like it all the more.

Watch us Grow!

So my friend just posted her new family picture on facebook. We really need new family pictures, but it is sooooo easy to think I will just do it next month. Looking at her picture made me want to look at all of ours. :) It really made my day.

My chunky Ali. ( And i thought it was hard with one kid)

Shaddy. My one baby that looked different than my others. Bald and pale. I love you.


And then Enoch came along and changed our world.

Who thinks Greg looks handsome?

Lebantucky

I love Lebanon. I love it sooo much. Sometimes I might not act like I do and sometimes I think I don't love it. But I do. When Greg got his job in Carmel, I knew I didn't want to live there. When I think of Carmel, I just have bad images in my mind that probably are not true any way. ( Rich stuck up snobs everywhere who think they are better than everyone and they don't know how to work hard) Greg and I prayed hard to know where to live. I had the idea of maybe living in Lebanon. I always had fond memories of Lebanon mainly from the wonderful people I knew there growing up ( Jessie Miranda, The Vinson Sisters, Tydel, the Howland Boys, Jason Salvinis, the Monns, there were others too )My sister went to prom there and she told me how the whole town comes and watches the students walk into prom. They have bleachers set up and lawn chairs and the students walk down a red carpet with a spot light and they called out their names. ( Since I have moved here I think I have gone every year). i loved that idea and small town things like that. So we decided to visit the branch. When we went to church in Lebanon, it felt (indescribable).... like home... like peace... like pure happiness....like right. I remember that Byron Law spoke and some of the Young Men spoke about the Young Men's Program. I felt the spirit so strong. Which looking back now if funny because while we love our Young Men, the program is still growing and struggling unlike are crazy remarkable Young Women's Program. Greg and I both knew that this is where we wanted and needed to be. I was so thankful to such a clear answer to our prayers. We have tired to leave several times ( wanting to live in a ward and not a branch, wanting to live closer to Greg's work) but each time we are pulled back to Lebantucky. I love you Lebanon.

Quarters

So I am having a quarter life crisis 2 years late. Do you know I don't really have any hobbies? I don't really go any where for fun. I don't really do anything for fun either. I like to take a shower. I like to eat and sleep. And that is about it......I like it when the house is clean and quiet but that never happens at the same time.

It all started when I was supposed to make a profile for moromon.org . I was supposed to tell about myself. I was like "I have four kids." That was only four words. But those four words take up my WHOLE day. Don't get me wrong. I love it. I love my kids. I love the screaming, the dirt, the cookies, the silly songs, the park, the library story time, the books, the walks, the Star Wars toys , the dress up, the hugs, the poopy diapers, the nursing, the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and the dancing. I love it all, but... all of that stuff is really about my kids. What about me?

SO I decided to try to have more of a personality. It is hard to know where to start. I don't have time for a hobby. When I have tried in the past, I just get angry inside. All of my responsibilities keep me from sewing, reading, singing, soccer, running, etc.... I really should be asleep right now instead of writing this. I will be tired tomorrow.

SO I think I am going to start collecting quarters..... for my quarter life crisis I am having. I like quarters. I always have. I like to arrange them in order of their dates. Quarters. Quarters. It's a start.

Zoo

Greg had game night tonight with his dad, brother, my brothers, and Stew. That means me and all four kids. Which wouldn't be so bad if he didn't have a YM golf fund raiser last Saturday. So I took the kiddos to the zoo to wear them out. Enoch fell asleep on the ride home at 6:00 and I didn't wake. I moved him from the car to the couch. When he still stayed asleep, I took him straight to bed.

I think he looks soooo big in this picture. 5 months!

Enoch was the Grumpy Old Troll from Dora the Explorer. I think the bridge made him think of it. This guy gets me every time. I just don't know what to do with him.

"I'm the Grumpy Old Troll who lives under the bridge. I'm the Grumpy Old Troll who lives under the bridge......."

Enochese

I am really bad at speaking foreign languages. I was awful at German in High School and I have tried to learn Spanish over and over and I can barely say "Hello, how are you?"

But one language I am really good at is Enochese. I will translate some of the following.

Enoch: I am tried.

He really means: I need to go poop.

Enoch: I am hungry.

He really means: I am tired.

Enoch: That's not fair.

He really means: That doesn't make sense.

(For example: If he sees a girl at church and mistakes her for Jesus, but then realizes it isn't Jesus because it is a girl. And he knows that Jesus was a boy and that there was not a girl Jesus- That is not fair.)

Enoch: or

He really thinks: and

( For example "You may have a candy treat OR ice cream." He believes he is going to get a candy treat AND ice cream and will let you know for several hours the lies and injustice you have told him.)

Big Dilemma

Sometimes in life we are faced with decisions that are hard to make and when you are about to make them you feel that panic creep up inside you. It always starts in my stomach and feels like it pulls me in. Today was one of those days....

.....Liam was finally asleep....

.....Enoch was happily playing....

The Dilemma.
What in the world should I do with my free time???!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Vacuum my dirty floors?

or shower?


I knew I only had a few minutes to make the decision. Every second I hesitated was one less second I had to get the task complete. Both needed to get done. I was stinky and the floor was gross.

So I did the impossible.

As quietly as possible, I whipped out the vacuum and vacuumed my floors as fast as any mother has ever vacuumed. While I was turning the power off to the vacuum, I was taking off my clothes to jump into the shower. I knew I didn't have much time. I lathered up at recorded speed. As i stepped out of the shower, I heard, "MOOOOOMMMMMYYYYY!" Enoch needed me to get him a drink. But I had done it. I had successfully showered and vacuumed. This day was a success in my book. Life is good.

Bad day

Do I look awful??? I feel awful.

So I have had a bad day. My daughter does not have a brain tumor, my husband didn't leave me, I didn't have a miscarriage, and no one has died. I know it could all be a lot worst. But I still had a bad day. I get so mad sometimes when my kids do not do what I say. Getting ready in the morning is awful. They get mad at me because I make them ..... get dressed.... brush their teeth..... put shoes on.... Ali told her friend that she hated me when I asked her to come down stairs and brush her teeth. I just lost it. I started yelling and screaming. I made Shadrach upset too. I sent them both to school sobbing ( I am sure the school is wondering whether or not I am an abusive parent.) I was really upset for several hours. I am normally not an upset person. I don't really yell or scream or stay mad. BUT today I did. I was so mad I starting taking out all of the Toys in Ali's room. Luckily I have a wonderful sister. What would I do with out her. She took off of work and came up to talk to me. She knows how to make all the awfulness better. I am feeling much better, but soon Ali and Shad are coming home. I hope they can forgive me. They really are great kids. I think sometimes I just expect too much from them. - Sigh- I guess all I can do is try better. I am trying to use it as a teaching moment of what to do when you make a mistake. I wrote them letters telling then I was wrong and that I am sorry.

Shadrach is 5!!!

This is Shadrach and his best friend Tyler
Most of his birthday party friends. Everyone was from church except Tyler. It was just easier that way.

We had his party at the Sprinkler Park in Zionsville. It was 99 degrees that day. SOOOO Hot. But I think he still had fun.

Shaddy McFaddy