My Hero: From "Slice of Life" Prompt

I really don't know how to condense down to one hero. I have had so many. My two biggest heroes have been my parents. I was just telling my husband how I remember my Dad wanting to be relatable to others and struggling with it. So he decided to work on his joke telling skills which means that us kids were the guinea pigs. While we heard some of the same jokes over and over, I learned that you can overcome social fears if you just have the courage to try something new and work at it. I really credit him with my being the outgoing person that everyone sees me as. My Mom has been my hero in alot of areas, but #1 as the wonderful wife she has been to my Dad. She always edified him. She found ways to learn and grow with him and she was always by his side. Another one of my heroes is my oldest sister who has started this blog prompt. When we were growing up there was noone prettier than my sister. All the boys liked her ;) She was smart. She got this big trophy for reading the most books throught out the school year. She seemed to me to be good at everything. She did cheerleading, then she picked up my thing twirling. She played the flute and didn't seem to be terrified like I was about performing on it infront of others and was much better than I at it. She had good ideas like creating the Libby's Stand where we sold peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches and servings of open cans of green beans to my parents and grandparents for a quarter. And no we didn't pay them back for the ingredients that we pilfered from the kitchen. It didn't matter how much we quarreled, if someone was picking on me, she would stand up for me. Once she even tried to take on a teacher, it was probably a good thing that she couldn't find her. When I turned 18, she through me a surprise party. I had always complained about not having any great parties growing up b/c my birthday was right up against halloween and back then halloween parties were big. So she threw me the most memorable and creative birthday party ever. It's even on tape somewhere. When I went through my divorce, she did what she could to help me handle being a single Mom. I still use my homemade cookbook that she put much work into. I have to say it's looking a little worse for wear. When I got married, she knew how much I wanted her there, but there was no way should could make it due to distance and weather so she spent the whole evening before chatting with me about the upcoming wedding and all my bridal issues. So she has shown me that we protect those we love, that we give encouragement and cheerlead for those that we care about, that we get creative when can't do what we'd like to do and we do what we can for others to make this world a little brighter. She's a pretty amazing sister and a wonderful Mom and wife full of rich ideas and talents. I'm pretty lucky that I have her to look up to. What's really cool is that I get to thank my hero and know that she'll read this and be able to see that she's made a difference. So not trying to suck up to the prompter ;) I didn't edit so if you read from the beginning you can see that I just started writing and realized that she IS my big hero :)
Thank you!

Firsts: From "Slice of Life" Prompt

I think my first BIG first....you know the first thing that gave me a real sense of freedom and accomplishment was getting my own apartment. I was in the middle of a yucky divorce and I had a job that paid a little more than minimum wage at Foleys. I was living with my two toddlers, at the women's shelter in Conroe, TX. It was not a fun time for me. You had to share a room with one or more other mothers and their children. And of course not everyone has your same beliefs or way doing things and that could be stressful. Add into that that the kids all had a hard time as their own lives were being turned topsy turvy and you can imagine the stress and tension felt by the adults. We also had to have our kids in bed by 8pm if I remember right, so that we could meet back down stairs for our resident meeting every evening. After that we would split up and do our chores before going to bed ourselves. Well with being in a strange place and Mom being gone all day, you can imagine that my two boys didn't really want to go to sleep. It was then that I developed our bedtime routine that would become a blessing and a memory for my two oldest for a longtime there after. I would read a story out of the picture Book of Mormon. Then one other story of their choice. Then we would say prayers and I afterwards I would sing song after song till they fell asleep. It is so funny, I remember feeling so good about my singing after a fellow roommates daughter put in a song request. I was always so afraid that I would miss the deadline to be at the meeting and get kicked out, but I was always blessed. The kids would fall asleep just in time. But you can imagine my relief when my application for an apartment through HUD housing,( government assisted housing), came through. The apartments were in the worst part of town. Later I was told that it was the area where cops refused to go. My Dad was so worried about us going to live there, and the only way he reconciled himself to it, I was told later, was that their was a lady there that he knew that said she would keep an eye out for me. The apartment wasn't mutch. there was no carpet. It was all linoleum tile. And not the pretty kind if there is a pretty kind, lol. It was the stuff you see in hospitals. The walls were all white. It was kind of dingy but it had two bedrooms. There was no little porch but it was on the first floor and that was a blessing in some ways. Eventually the behaviors of the other people there would drive me to seek shelter till another application went through, but in those first days I was so excited! I was thrilled to be out on my own. Atlast! I was going to be taking care of myself and I was proving that I was capable of it. I was so excited about my little space that I asked everyone over to celebrate Christmas Eve at my house.

I wrote my Dad a poem that year to go with a picture of he and I in my first snow together. This is me reading it to him. The poem was a thank you for believing in me. He had just helped me to buy my first car, so that I could continue forward. I remember my parents brought down my Aunt Lynn that year from Oklahoma. She came to visit too. It was the last time that I would see her before she died. We bought her pink pig slippers because that was her favorite thing to collect, pigs. She loved them as you can tell by the picture. I thought that my Christmas tree was the most beautiful thing ever. It was the one thing that I asked my husband, at the time, for. The boys and I had decorated pine tree cones and I bought ice garland strands. I loved that natural theme and built on it year after year till I remarried and had to merge our Christmas's. In the I even commemorated that first Christmas on our own in my own apartment by buying an our first Christmas ornament.

I have it to this day. I know most people would think that is weird since those are usually for a couple's first Christmas, but for me it's still important to remember that first. The knowledge that I could stand on my own two feet and make it. I think everyone should know that. To have that innate belief in themselves that they can make it, no matter what life throws at them. Lot's of firsts for me that year and definitely a year to feel grateful and blessed.

New Calling and Tidbits

Next week I will be released as a Relief Society teacher and called to be the new compassionate service leader. After talking to my mom about the calling, I'm actually excited. When it was extended to me earlier, I felt they were phasing me out of teaching b/c they didn't think I could handle it with the two little ones and they were giving me a less demanding calling. Now I realize that it will probably be more demanding and very fun for me as I love getting to know people and finding ways to serve others. It's funny that I can look back over the last year and see how Heavenly Father has prepared me to serve in this capacity. From being on the recieving end to giving and helping to coordinate service. There have also been lessons that I've taught that have prepared me spiritually as well. So I am excited and ready to magnify!

As for tidbits, I'd like to know if anyone would like to start experimenting with me in the transferal of energy from toddler to parent. I figure that if this can be accomplished, just to a median point, I might stand a chance against little Red. My poor baby has had his face smashed in by Lil Red and been tripped over and pounced upon by him more times than I can count, due to the never ending supply of toddler energy. Sometimes I can see them as Tigger and Pooh. Although Lil Red has also had the need of many a kiss to the knee and bandaid's over scratches as well. Sometimes he's his own worst enemy. Imagine Tigger's tail falling behind the actual bounce and you'll envision what I mean, LOL! I am grateful though that Lil Red has so much independent spirit built up in him. It is great that I can give him his clothes and tell him to put them on while I keep going with my own readiness. That I can get him to wash his hands and brush his teeth. While I get baby dressed. He truly is a BIG boy! and growing every day ;)

Don't you love the energy in this picture ;)

I know you've noticed that I keep calling our new one baby. I'll have a nick name for him in a little while. He's only two months and in many ways over shadowed by Lil Red, so I'd like to give him a while before I saddle him with a nickname on here. So please bear with the constant referrals to my sweet baby :)

Hope your Sunday was fabulous!

Recent cute photos:please vote :)

These are our recent photos. Some of them I put in here just for fun. But I'd like to frame some of them so please vote on your two favorites for framing. The turtle just popped his head out of the water! cool!

This duck won't know what just hit him, lol. A cheerio!

Father and son. Working together to fatten up the turtles.

I know! What a big turtle!

Mom you know I can't walk yet. Dad, why are you egging her on?

Mom wanted a pic of his blue eyes. My guess is that they won't be blue for more than one more month, maybe.

Okay this one is getting printed and frame so don't bother to vote on it. I think I'm going to do a double with one of Grandma W. on the otherside with him from Easter.

There should have been so many great pics from this bluebonnet shoot, but James was hungry and crying in more than 80% and John wouldn't look up b/c he was pouting b/c I woke him up from a nap. I swear I've only had one fun blue bonnet picture shoot and the two older boys were about 7 and 8.

This one had potential. Unfortunately I noticed what Isaac was doing. Aaaargh! The Turkey!

So sweet! Amadeus adores little James!

I love the colors in this one!

we've had alot of time lately with their cousins by Aunt S. This picture was too cute.

So tell me what you think and don't forget to vote!

Sealing Date Set!

We are so excited, as can be expected, to have a date set, and to know that our entire family will be sealed together on May 8th. I'm so happy that I have such a wonderful Mother's Day gift to look forward to. I went for a walk today and thought about what this means to me. To know that I will be sealed for all time and eternity to such a special man. I can't believe that we've only been married for 3 years. I thought about the many experiences that we've already been through together. Just to list a few...

my Dad's fight with cancer and his death, two pregnancies and births, one miscarriage, many family home evenings, and Isaac's appendectomy.

to me those were the big spiritual experiences, where much growth has taken place, but there have been other simpler moments where I know we've grown considerably as well. I know that I was blessed because I chose to listen to the spirit at the Fall single's conference in 2006. I shudder to think that if I hadn't I probably would have gone my way and he his. I am so glad that I have a second partner to balance me out and to talk to about ideas and goals and decisions, the first being Heavenly Father of course. It's amazed me how much we've grown as a family and as a couple in such a short time. I know that Heavenly Father truly blessed me in my choice of a spouse because he chose for me a man that was humble enough to want to learn with me. I can't wait to enjoy so many more experiences with him as our children grow older.

I am also excited that both of my older boys have chosen to be sealed to us. I know that it will make the day that much more special.

Thank you, all of you who have continued to pray for this blessing in our lives!

Baby is almost here!

The doctor took me off of Breathine yesterday and said that at 36 weeks and the size of baby that we could let things take their course. It was funny b/c I could tell that he thought hard about whether or not he wanted to let me go. B/c right before I left I was coming off the breathine and had a huge contraction, but because my cervix wasn't widened by much he decided to let me go home. I'm so glad because while I continued to have contractions all day long they haven't gotten regular or strong enough to do anything till this morning at 1:45. I'm heading to get my husband up now as they are super strong. TTYL
:)

The New Picture for My Heading and Other News

The new picture for my heading is of Lil Red pondering his latest art drawing with his new markers and craft/cooking apron that he got for Christmas. It is one of the many beautiful pictures that have been taken with our fabulous camera. The funny thing is that Big Red has opened up a new avenue of interest in Lil Red by buying a cheap but nice camera on ebay. I can't believe that my ALMOST 2 year old is going around with a camera around his neck snapping pictures and using a tripod. It's hilarious. I'll have to put up the pics of him taking pics later. I just don't know if Big Red has down loaded them yet or not b/c I can't find them. Life around here has been fun. I think everyone needed a break from Mom's hurried pace. Between the cold weather and me being on bedrest, life has been pretty simple. We have spent alot of time on the game Peggle with a great deal of ribbing and teasing about shots and excitement and good shots. If you go to my Mom's blog, the link is labeled 'Mom's newest', you'll see some embarassing pics of me with my mouth my open. Last night we took a break and played "Risk". I've decided that for a quote "simple game", it sure is complicated. There was so much competitiveness that my Mom was threatening us all.
I've really enjoyed having my Mom around. I think each of us kids would steal her forever if she'd let us. Good thing she has a life ;)
The boys started back to school last week and Lil Red is going as stir crazy as I am even if he does get out for little jaunts in the car. But I hear him now so gotta go.
Hugz!