Eight Years, Eight Moves

Yep, that's right, Mike and I are moving..again! We have been married eight years and this will be our eighth move. We are kind of tired of moving, but this move is kind of our own doing. Mike is a civil engineer for the USDA-NRCS (if anyone really wants to know what the acronym stands for, let me know). :0) He gets transferred to different places every so often. But this transfer is one we put in for. We are heading to Rexburg, Idaho! It is kind of a bittersweet move (more sweet than bitter for me, though). We love, love, love Montana and the great people here, so we are sad to be leaving them, but in the same breath, we've missed being close to family, too. So, we are going to give it a whirl and see what it's like being close to family.

We've been super busy...the only reason I'm writing right now is because both monkeys are actually asleep at the same time and I have 1/2 hour before a realtor comes. I thought I'd take a minute to let everyone know where we're heading and why I probably won't be writing for some time! Until then, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Pep Talk...

So, when Brooke was going through her TERRIBLE two's, I used to call Mike daily for a "pep talk." Seriously, I would call him and say I needed a pep talk to get through the rest of the day. If he wasn't available, I'd usually call a sister. I haven't had to call and get a pep talk for a long time, but today was another story...to be honest, though, it wasn't so much for a pep talk as it was to inform Mike of why his house was going to look like a hurricane hit it (well maybe two little hurricanes named Brooke and Emily).

Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Mike and I went down to my parents' house to visit. While we were there, we had family pictures taken (of all my siblings, their kids, etc). So, this morning I was talking to one of my sisters on the phone, while looking at the pictures online. We were discussing which pictures we liked and what not. Well, it was awfully quiet in my house, so I checked on the girls, and they had spilled Honey Nut Cheerios all over the living room floor...not such a big deal, but the cereal dust from the bottom of the box was all over, too. I asked the girls to help clean it up. Mike had let Ginger (our dog) in last night because it was freezing last night. Well, we hadn't taken her water bowl off of the kitchen floor, yet, and Emily decided Ginger needed some of the Cheerios. I told her not to put Cheerios in the water, so she reached in and took the Cheerios out and popped them into her mouth! Yuck!

We finally got all the cereal cleaned up and I called my other sister to talk to her. While talking to her, the girls went downstairs to play. They were playing so nicely, or so I thought. I went down to see what all the giggling was about and found them both in the bathroom with the door shut. Not a good sign, I know. I open the door and a nice fragrance hits me before I realize that my two Costco sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner, plus another bottle of shampoo and a bottle of baby body wash is all over the bathroom rug, Emily's hair and clothes, Brooke's hair and clothes, and wherever else! Brooke was going potty at the time,too. When I walked in she said, "I'm a big girl now because I can wash my hair by myself!" Nice.

After I get that cleaned up, I went upstairs to e-mail my mom and let her know what I want for pictures. Emily started crying, so I went downstairs and found she was tied to the window shade and couldn't move. Her sweet sister tied the shade cord to Emily's back belt loop and Emily couldn't go anywhere! I had to laugh a little, but then explain to Brooke that Emily could get the cord wrapper around her neck or something, and so she was NOT to do this again.

About this time, I called Mike and told him I was ready for my pep talk. He said, "Already? It's not even noon, yet." I said, "Exactly."

The rest of the day was a little better, but I pretty much spent it cleaning my house. We'll see what my little hurricanes come up with tomorrow!

Random Ramblings of Gratitude...

So my younger sis did a post on blessings received, and challenged anyone to post one similar. Today while I was in the shower (my few moments of "quiet" thinking/reflecting time) I was thinking of things I was grateful for as well. These are in no particular order, but just what popped in mind, and they are in no way all-encompassing, either.

I was thinking of the tender mercies of the Lord I've received. Sometimes they are not very big things at all, but just quiet reminders that we are never forgotten about. Sometimes as a parent, you do a small act of kindness for your child, just to show them you love them. Likewise, our Heavenly Father does His own small acts of kindness, just to show us His love.

I am eternally grateful for the husband I have. I don't know how I got so lucky (blessed) to snatch him. He is a perfect fit for me; he truly is my best friend. Whether I'm venting about this or that, or just having a plain old conversation, he is a great listener. He has taught me more than anyone or anything on how to be a better communicator and listener. I love asking his opinion on things, because I usually get a better insight on whatever issue is on my mind. He is so kind to people, too. He is like a big teddy bear. I am fascinated with the way people are magnetized to him. The old adage of "strangers are friends we haven't met yet" definitely applies to Mike. He makes every one feel comfortable and at ease. It is a quality I would love to have. He's also taught me a lot about other things, but I'll leave it at this for now.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a mother. I have always wanted to be a mom. When we were in high school, we were asked to write an essay about what we wanted to be, career-wise. I wrote about wanting to be a homemaker. I interviewed moms that stayed at home and have always wanted to be with my kids. Mike and I made a deal, as long as I didn't have to work outside the home, I wouldn't complain about where we lived (and believe me, we've lived in a few towns I don't want to reside in again!). So far, I haven't had to work outside the home.

And, how could I not mention the two beautiful girls that call me mom. They are so different (different could be an understatement here). But they bring so much joy into my life. Sometimes I am in awe that I have been entrusted to raise these kids. They can bring out extreme emotions in me, but I love them dearly and would not exchange these little monkeys (I mean girls) for anything. :0)

I am also grateful for my family. My parents for planting the seed of the gospel in my life and for nourishing it until it took roots of its own. I'm grateful for my brothers, for being there to listen to my woes of dating and for encouraging my to spread my wings a little further. I'm grateful for my sisters...they continually are patient with me and my craziness...I'm so glad they are willing to listen to me (sometimes for hours), laugh with me, and cry with me...they are great consultants, too! I'm also grateful for my brothers-in-law...they are so much fun to be around...I love my sisters-in-law, too. I consider them to be some of my greatest friends and am glad they accept me for me. And can I just say I hate referring to them (brothers and sisters-in law) as -in laws. I consider them siblings. And I consider my siblings as the greatest friends I could ever ask for!

Whether you are an old friend or a new friend, I am grateful for you. My friends have been so good to me. I love that they keep in touch with me, even when I neglect to call them forever (sorry). My friends have been great examples to me and I cannot express my gratitude for buoying me up in my times of need. Thank you.

And lastly (because this is probably boring most of you and is getting a little lengthy), I am grateful for the gospel in my life. This encompasses so much, I don't really know what to say. I am grateful for my testimony...for knowing I AM a daughter of God, for knowing I WILL be able to return to live with Him once more, for knowing I CAN repent of my mistakes and wrongdoings, and I KNOW the power of prayer is real...I see the proof of it daily. I know the fullness of the gospel has been restored to the earth through a boy who prayed in earnest in a quiet grove, and that today we have a living prophet who is the mouthpiece of the Lord. I know that the true priesthood is here on this earth and I know that the scriptures are true...I get excited when I read something and that little light bulb above my head springs to life with new light from an "a-ha" moment--a new understanding. I know that if I live the best I can, I get to be with my family forever, and that is a great comfort to me.

So that ended up longer than I thought. Thanks to whoever read it all...but I think it was more for me anyway! My sister said she could read back on her post of blessings when she gets discouraged and be encouraged through reading what she has to be grateful for, and I suppose I can do the same! I'll leave the same challenge, too, since Thanksgiving is approaching and we are all a little more mindful of the things we've been blessed with. If you want to post it on a blog, go for it, or you can just do a little private reflecting of your own!

Halloween Fun (plus some)....

The girls had loads of fun with Halloween this year. Emily was Eeyore for Halloween. Emily wasn't too sure about her costume, but as soon as she figured out she gets candy when she wears it, she thought it was a good idea. Brooke was a witch (again) this year. I asked her what she wanted to be for Halloween this year, and she said, "I want to be a witch. A nice one."

For Enrichment in October, I made a Christmas table runner. I do not claim to be good with a sewing machine...so when I made this runner and it actually tuned out decent, I was pretty pleased with myself and my little project. Here's a picture of it (Sorry about the quality, but I don't have the best of cameras, yet...I keep hinting for one for Christmas, so we'll see if I get my wish or not!).

A side note....can any of you believe it is already November? In my brain I knew it was just a short bit away, but I can't believe it is already here...before I know it, it will be a new year. Where does the time fly?