Enjoy The Journey

Home on the Range

2009-02-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

Alex's class performed their yearly music program a few weeks ago. It was filled with songs, dancing and some speaking parts. It's the 3rd time we've seen this particular program (since Hannah and Haylee did the same one) but it was still fun to see Alex in it. He was very excited and proud that night. Alex loves to perform and just lights up when people are watching him. He, and the rest of the 2nd graders we know and love did a great job!

He Is His Mother's Son

2009-02-25T11:42:00.002-07:00

This is Aidan at the Orthodontist's office. The earphones are for the movie he is watching. I guess playing the Gameboy isn't exciting enough- he has do to both.

Finding Joy & Meaning in Temple Worship

2009-02-24T09:39:00.003-07:00

I attended a Stake Enrichment Meeting on Saturday. The theme was Temples. I had looking forward to it for about a month. I guess it's been awhile since I attended an Enrichment Meeting. Do you ever have those times in your life where you're just "thirsty"? That's how I've been feeling lately. I've felt like I'm coming out of spiritual drought and I'm thirsty all the time. It's unquenchable. I can't get enough. Anyway, I was literally giddy all last week about my upcoming Saturday. I knew I would be going to the enrichment meeting and then later that day we had plans to attend the Draper Temple Open House.

The Stake Enrichment did not disappoint me. Let's face it. You never quite know what you're going to get with these things. It's like a movie that everyone tells you about- you're afraid to get too excited so it won't let you down. As parched as I was, I doubt I could have been let down, but it was fabulous!

The first speaker, Sis. Hepworth, shared passages that we should read before going to the Temple and while at the Temple. I wanted to share them.

Before going to the Temple: Read, study and understand (may take a lifetime): Exodus 26:29, Leviticus 8, 2nd Chronicles 6, Moses & Abraham.

While at the Temple (in the chapel prior to a session, etc.): D & C 109

She also shared that those going to the Temple for the first time should be familiar and be able to define the following:

Anoint
Atonement
Christ
Covenant
Fall
Sacrifice
Temple

Another concept that she talked about was "berith" or binding ourselves to God. She talked about us being in an undesirable form but once we "berith" ourselves to God, he can guide us, lead us, teach us to go where He needs us to go. I plan on studying this concept more fully- it fascinates me.

I also wanted to paraphrase a story she told about the Logan Temple. The details are a little foggy but I think I'll be able to communicate the "gist" of the story. I think it came from an Apostle or Temple President. One day (and this may have been a dream or vision... not sure...), a pack of horsemen arrived on the grounds of the Logan Temple. They tied up their horses and began congregating around the Temple.

The Temple President went out to greet them and said, "What are you doing? Who is your leader?"

The leader of the group responded, "I am Lucifer and we have come to keep your people out of the Temple. We will remain here until the Temple Work is stopped."

The righteous leader said to him, "You cannot stop the work. It is the Lord's work and we will keep doing it until he tells us it is done."

The leader then commanded Lucifer and his group to leave and while they were leaving, Lucifer told him that he would distract his people and slow the work down.

The Logan Saints had a hard time for about a year after that getting to the Temple. A brother would arise every morning and announce, "I'm going to the Logan Temple today." But without fail, every day that he announced that farm equipment would break, cows would get out, and major farm troubles would ensue. He finally got smart. He stopped saying it out loud that he was going to the Temple. He would wake up as early as he could and get all of his work done. After he finished milking his cows he would drop his bucket and run to the Temple.

"Drop your bucket and RUN!"

Run to the Temple- that was the message of the story. I'm sure I slaughtered it but I doubted anyone would have a frame of reference if I just told you to drop the bucket and run.

Simple sentence..... but not simple to do. I'm going to try it though. And I do think Satan works as hard on us, if not harder, than he did the Logan Saints so long ago. He doesn't use physical problems with farm equipment and cows and stuff but he uses distractions. Subtle distractions that we don't even know are distracting us from doing what the Lord would have us do.

I'm going to the Temple this week. I'm not going to tell you what day or when. But I'm going. And in my case, it's "Drop the computer... and Run!"

Draper Temple Open House

2009-02-24T09:26:00.011-07:00

We attended the Draper Temple Open House with the Woods on Saturday. It was such a great experience. Of course, "great" is a relative term meaning the best that could be expected when you're waiting for 2 hours with 10 children. It would have been 11 children but Alex went and stayed at Grandmas house because he was really sick. (He and I are going to the Temple tomorrow morning so he can have a chance to see it).

Us 4 adults did so good staying calm during all the meltdowns and the kids reported the following day what their favorite rooms in the Temple were. The most popular answers were the Celestial Room, the Baptismal Font, the Sealing Room and the Bride's Room. (What little girl doesn't just fall in love with the bride's room, huh?)

It was a special day for me (see next post) and I will definitely be increasing my Temple attendance this year.

Our New Super Hero

2009-02-11T08:39:00.004-07:00

Ed and I surprised the kids last night with their Valentines Present- a Golden Retriever puppy.

We named him Clark. As in Clark Kent aka Superman.

Ya.... no super hero freaks around here, huh?

Clark is 8 weeks old and is a very mellow puppy. He plays for about 5 minutes and then has to take a 2 hour nap. His favorite spot so far is under the bookcase.

And I'm happy to report that we've already had 1 successful potty trip outside. So far, so good.

I hope your Valentines is happy and special and maybe a little less work than mine! I really don't mind it- as with most things in life- timing is everything.

What Are You Afraid Of?

2009-01-28T21:10:00.003-07:00

Alex: "Hey Mom! I know what you're afraid of."

Me: "Ya? What?"

Alex: "Obama, Osama, and Yo' Mama!"

I thought it was pretty funny. Alex is so animated and charismatic- it made it even funnier. I love it when they figure out how to tell a joke. He definitely has some charm. Heaven help the ladies in about 5 years!

A Favorite Quote and a Bold Prophet

2009-01-12T22:15:00.003-07:00

I taught the lesson, "Leading the Lord's Way" from the Joseph Smith manual yesterday in Relief Society. It was one of my favorite lessons so far and the whole time I was preparing, I kept thinking of one of my favorite quotes:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

- Marianne Williamson

I kept thinking that the Prophet Joseph was bold and he was strong. He didn't play small to avoid hurting other's feelings. He led and taught with the Spirit. And because he did this, others had the courage to let their lights shine as well. I know that all of our talents and gifts come from our Father in Heaven and we should use them every day to uplift those around us.

My Most Important Job

2009-01-08T22:25:00.007-07:00

My kids all have tell-tale signs when they are not getting enough personal attention. But with Haylee, it's very obvious. She makes a big deal out of everything and incessantly picks at her brothers and sisters. On Monday, I reminded her that instead of acting up, she should just talk to me. She opened up and I promised her that I would make time by Saturday to spend a couple of hours just with her.

Today just happened to be one of those days. You know the kind where everything I had planned ended up taking twice as long as I thought it would. And then just when I finally thought I was making progress, I realized that I left the thing at home that I needed to bring to do the thing I was planning on doing.

I finally walked in the door to eat and then get prepared for my last task of the day- my coupon shopping. There was Haylee with her 2 Utah Flash tickets that she got for free from a field trip. The game started at 7:15 p.m. I wanted so badly to tell her that we would go some other time.... but the thought came to me that in 10 years I wouldn't remember that my shopping never got done but she would remember that I kept putting her off. She would remember that she wasn't a priority right that moment.

So we went and we had a great time. She talked the whole way there (that's another tell-tale sign she is craving attention). I couldn't even follow a lot of the conversation - I just kept nodding and hmmming. And we both enjoyed the basketball game- we joked around and had fun.

And what's a basketball game without one of those huge fingers?

College, Here I Come!

2009-01-07T10:48:00.004-07:00

Well, I'm officially a college student-again. Although it's definitely different than when I was in school in the 90's.

In fact, my classes start today and I have been to campus exactly once. I have done most everything online- application, register, apply for financial aid (which is $0), and both my classes are online so I'm going to college in the comfort of my own home complete with my new plush robe and slippers!

I remember at Ricks trying to register with the phone system- what a chore that was. And while you were on the phone, there were 200 other students on at the same time snatching up your classes. Oh how technology has grown in the last 15 years!

Anyway- it feels good to finally be going back to school. I'm excited for my classes and that I have finally found a major that I can see myself actually doing. It will be a slow-going (and expensive) road but it will be worth it when I'm done.

Wish me luck!

Oh and just for fun... here's a picture of me almost exactly 16 years ago at Ricks:

These are a few of my favorite things....

2009-01-01T13:04:00.008-07:00

No brown paper packages tied up with string on this list! I just thought it would be fun to list my top ten favorite things of 2008.

Of course my tendency when I look back on 2008 is to think about the big and serious things- the things that will last- the things I learned about myself and my relationships: my marriage, my family and my friends.

But this is a fun list- a snapshot of food I've discovered, new things I've tried, products I love, places I've been, and don't forget new technology! I'm not going to say this is a "TAG" but I would love it if everyone who reads this, does a similar post on their blogs. And if you read this and you aren't a blogger (since now I know you are out there and reading me!), e-mail me. We women have to help each other out and we could all use some new ideas for 2009!

So here they are (in no particular order):

1. Bath & Body Works Twisted Peppermint Body Scrub- this is a spa trip in a jar!

2. The Pizza Factory's Chaz pasta with no-carb noodles- world's best grilled chicken sauteed with mushrooms, artichoke hearts, onions, zuchinni, olive oil and italian seasonings over zucchini and squash noodles

3. Disneyland- no explanation needed!

4. Facebook- one place to connect with everyone from your past and present

5. Gap Low-Rise Curvy Jeans- the world's most comfortable jeans- it probably makes a difference that these were second-hand jeans but I want to wear them everyday!

6. Couponing with www.grocerysmarts.com- I have saved hundreds of dollars just since August doing this program!

7. The Palm Centro cell phone- my whole life in one little device- genius!

8. Coaching your kids' sports teams- who knew how fun this would be?

9. The Twilight Series- talk about escaping to another world....

10. Photoshop Elements- not just for editing pictures but creating all sorts of word art, cards, blog headers, etc.

Twas the Night Before Christmas....

2008-12-29T11:54:00.002-07:00

This is all of us in our Christmas pajamas. We are all cozy and warm. Our Christmas Eve wasn't really this calm or without chaos but this is how I choose to remember it. And since it snowed all day Christmas Day, we just stayed in our jammies and played with our new toys. .

A Tale of Two Christmas Cards

2008-12-27T09:00:00.003-07:00

Christmas Letter 2008:

Dear Family & Friends, 12/15/2008

Christmas cards mean a lot to our family. Each night in December when Ed or I check the mail, the kids huddle around to see which family’s yearly update and picture was delivered. Some of you have even developed somewhat of a reputation for being funny, clever and creative- which just adds more fun and anticipation to the activity.

Consequently, our own anxious behavior has caused me to be a bit obsessive when preparing our family’s Christmas Card. Every year the pressure of choosing just the right combination of pictures has me lying awake at night planning and rearranging. This year, the self-inflicted pressure has been even worse since I re-connected with my college newspaper friends.

So after hours on the computer, I created the Perfect Christmas Card. It was beautiful. The picture of Ed and I made us look like we were Parents of the Year. The boys looked like little GQ angels right out of a catalog. The girls’ picture was absolutely stunning. Everyone was so perfectly posed that we looked like the Perfect Family. I felt happy and proud that I had accomplished what I set out to do.

However, as I carried the file around on my flash drive, it seemed to haunt me. I never could make the time to get it printed.

And then I realized that the card that I had painstakingly created to be absolutely perfect was not a true reflection of our family at all. And that I had gotten lost. I realized that I spent so much time worrying about how the card looked that I didn’t remember to worry about the message it carried. Families aren’t perfect- least of all ours. Despite our many shortcomings and weaknesses, we love each other. We serve one another. We laugh and have fun together. We pray together and we pray for one another.

During this time of year when we celebrate our Savior’s birth- that’s what I want you to know about our family. I want LOVE to jump right off this Christmas Card and give you a big hug. If you’re struggling, I want our SMILES to buoy you up and encourage you to keep on going. If you are sick or otherwise afflicted, I want you to know that we will be here to HELP you.

So I headed back to the drawing board to create a new Christmas Card. This time I didn’t worry about the pictures being perfectly posed or perfectly groomed (obviously I didn’t worry too much about appearances since I’m not even wearing make-up in one of them). I used pictures from our October California vacation with the Grovers, instead of our posed family pictures (which I love but are better suited for our living room wall). I created the card with love and care to represent how we feel about each other. And most of all, to represent how we feel about you- our family and friends who have all shaped who we once were, who we are and who we will become.

We hope that this letter and “imperfect” card finds you enjoying this Christmas season. We know that our Savior lives and loves us. We hope that during these uncertain times that you too will feel comforted and uplifted by this knowledge.

Love,

The Huhtalas

First Draft, the "Perfect Card":

Elf This!

2008-12-24T11:01:00.002-07:00

The kids and I made an Elf Yourself video but I'm too cheap to pay for the download so go to these links to see the kids disco:

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/8FeTaWMJ7Kfj1X6D

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Close Call

2008-12-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

A storm rarely slows me down.

Most of the time, it never keeps me from doing what I had originally planned.

Today was not any different- although it could have changed my outlook forever.

Ed and I made plans with his parents about 2 weeks ago to attend "A Christmas Carol" playing at the Hale Center Theater in Orem. We had given them a gift certificate last Christmas which we were sure they hadn't used yet so we invited them to go with us.

Today it snowed most of the day and we ended up with 8 or 9 inches of snow (just a rough guesstimate). We traveled to the show as planned, leaving more than an hour before the show started to give us plenty of time.

The roads were icy in parts and traffic was thick but we arrived in safety. The play was excellent and we had a great time.

On the way home, probably since it hadn't been snowing for awhile, the interstate was dry and we made our way without much adaptation in driving speeds, etc.

Between the University Ave. exit and the first Springville exit, the car directly in front of us braked and spun around. It crashed into the median directly in front of us and ricocheted off headed straight for us. It barely missed us. As Ed tried to slow down to offer assistance and I started to dial 911 for help, he looked in our rear view mirror where he saw cars skidding and trying to get control. 2 cars missed us by inches- one on the left and one on the right.

I think the driver of the car hitting the median was okay but I still called 911 to give them her location. I explained that we tried to stop to offer assistance but the black ice was so slick that we were unable to stop safely.

I'm so grateful that we were protected and spared from an accident. And it humbled me enough to learn that even though you are most careful, do everything right, educated about how to drive in rough weather, accidents will still happen. And while you can't rearrange your life (especially in Utah) around the snowfall- it is still wise to be prepared and cautious.

It also reminds me, even though I had no such feeling or prompting tonight, that we should listen and give validity to the promptings we have to reschedule or cancel certain events. And that we should remain close to the Spirit so that we may receive those promptings when they will keep us out of harms way.

A Quote to Live By

2008-12-22T08:47:00.002-07:00

This quote was on our Relief Society bulletin this week and I love it. I'm going to post it on my fridge to remind me everyday to simplify and only worry about the important things.

"Sisters, do not allow yourselves to be made to feel inadequate or frustrated because you cannot do everything others seem to be accomplishing. Rather, each should assess her own situation, her own energy , and her own talents, and then choose the best way to mold her family into a team, a unit that works together and supports each other. Only you and your Father in Heaven know your needs, strengths, and desires. Around this knowledge your personal course must be charted and your choices made."

- Marvin J. Ashton

George Lucas- My Hero!

2008-12-04T13:00:00.001-07:00

So he came through.

Rather, his secretary came through. Get real. That's who runs the show anyway.

So while George Lucas is cool and all, Anne Merrifield is the true hero in my book.

Anyway, Alex got his letter and a complimentary Star Wars magazine. Which I thought was just perfect!

And in case you're wondering, "Mr. Lucas has indicated that he will not make Episodes 7, 8, and 9 because he feels the story has a good ending when Darth Vader is redeemed in Episode 6."

Oh- and she signed it "May the Force be With You!" Alex thought that was way cool.

Ta Da!

2008-12-03T16:41:00.004-07:00

Thanks to Amberlyn, I have "one of those" trees.

When I say "one of those", I'm referring to the trees that don't look like they belong in a house full of 5 roudy children and 1 horse (I mean dog). You know, the ones that look like they should be on the cover of a Martha Stewart Magazine. Amberlyn calls them "Ta Da!" trees.

I have been rebelling against the "Ta Da!" tree for quite some time. With 5 little ones, I thought, "What's the point?" And, why? since everyone else does it? Why should I try to keep up with the Joneses? (Let's face it, put my decorating skills against anyones and I pail in comparison....)

Well, 2 years ago, like 4 days before Christmas, our Charlie Brown tree (the opposite of Ta Da!) broke. One leg of the stand completely busted off and the tree fell down. Refusing to go buy a new tree and re-decorate it so close to Christmas, we duct taped it to the wall. Don't I wish I had a picture of that for my blog!

So last year, we bought a new 12-foot, pre-lit tree at Sams Club. Brigette accompanied me to Taipan Trading and assisted me in picking out some ornaments. She informed me (I had to put this advice to use on my pot shelves and fake walls that I displayed last month as well) that I shouldn't be all "matchy-matchy"- that I should change up my textures and colors. This is after I had filled my cart with mostly Americana-type ornaments. She recommended the red jewels and said I should buy a ton of them. Going against my better judgement, I listened to her. And WOW!- even last year, pre-Amberlyn- the tree looked pretty good!

Today, Amberlyn and I hit the 60% off sale at Shopko to add some more sparkle. It turned out fabulous! I'm glad Brigette and Amberlyn know what they are talking about.... I would have completely ruined this gorgeous tree. In fact, it would have looked better right out of the box with just the lights on it than with my choice of ornaments.

I'm so glad that there are people out there that can help me learn how to decorate! Thanks Brigette and Amberlyn for your wonderful work.

Without further ado, here is (drum roll please....) Amberlyn and the Amazing Christmas Tree!

(I should write a cartoon screen play for that title- the Charlie Brown Christmas, while a classic... needs some competition! Plus, I'm living proof that the Ta Da! trees are much more in fashion!)

Hannah Banana- 11 years old!

2008-12-02T10:14:00.007-07:00

Happy 11th Birthday Hannah!

Here are 11 reasons why Hannah is so fabulous:

1. She is beautiful on the inside as well as the outside.
2. She is very talented.
3. Hannah is thoughtful and serves others.
4. She loves the Gospel and is always striving to live it.
5. When she feels the Spirit, she acknowledges it and shares her thoughts.
6. Hannah is very helpful around the house.
7. She loves her brothers and sister.
8. She is funny-- everyone has a good time when they are around her.
9. Hannah puts others' feelings and well-being above her own.
10. She is a great student.
11. Hannah is a very hard worker.

Hannah is one of many joys in my life and while part of me wants to stop time and keep her from getting any older, I am enjoying watching her become a beautiful, smart, and accomplished young woman. I love you sweetie!

Turkey Bowl

2008-11-23T23:16:00.002-07:00

If you're in the area and in the mood for a good 'ole fashioned Thanksgiving Day Turkey Bowl (football game), come to our family friendly version Thursday morning at 9 a.m. at Spanish Oaks!

We will play rain, snow or shine. I'm going to bring a batch of hot chocolate and maybe donuts if you're lucky!

And family friendly means it's not just the boys playing. It's moms, daughters, sons, grandma's, dad's- EVERYONE!

Hope to see you there!

My New Favorite Store

2008-11-18T10:38:00.003-07:00

So I'm still losing weight and finding it frustrating to buy new clothes to have them fit for a month or two- what's the point?

And thanks to Amberlyn, I am now under the impression that the only jeans I look good in or fit me are Gap ones. So since those are $50 or more per pair, I had to find a new way to find clothes that I love, look cute in, and feel cute in. As you know if you've every tried to lose weight that feeling is the most important feeling in the world to keeping the weight off. If I start to feel fat again, well, I'll just become that, right?

DI

That's it! It's perfect. My friend told me she only buys her jeans at DI. So Amberlyn and I took a little trip yesterday up to the American Fork DI (cuz that's where the rich people are) and it was fabulous. I got 3 pairs of jeans (1 Gap, 1 Old Navy, 1 Levi's) for $6 each. I also bought a cute sweater for Sunday ($3) and a Gap jean skirt ($5) AND 1 Gap jean jacket (so cute!) for $8!

And the best news of all? The jeans were all a size 14, the skirt a 12, and the sweater and jacket a size Medium.

Yeah!

Oh... and I've now moved from the "obese" category to the "overweight" category on my Wii Fit.

I'll post a picture once I wear one of my new DI pieces of clothing.

Huhtala vs. Spanish Oaks Elementary

2008-11-12T14:53:00.003-07:00

As I began writing this post, I realized that I haven't shared my 2 previous, similar experiences on my blog and that I needed to catch everyone up before explaining why I feel like I'm fighting a war against my children's school.

First Experience- September
Alex came home and asked Ed what nude art was. He said his teacher showed a picture of nude art and explained some artists paint or sculpt people not wearing any clothes. Alex said he felt "yucky" about it. I e-mailed the teacher (after calming Ed down) and she e-mailed back an explanation. The nude art was on the same page as another picture of art that she wanted to show the kids. She had her hand covering the nude art and explained that artists believe the human body to be beautiful so much of their artwork is depicting the human form. She apologized for her lack in judgement and realized that even though she covered it up, she should not have introduced it in 2nd grade.

Second Experience- October
I was cooking dinner when Hannah, who was reading a book from the 5th grade reading list, asked me what an affair was. 5 minutes later she wanted to know what rape was. She was reading the biography of Rosa Parks for her October Reading Project. I sent the other kids out to play and talked to Hannah. She was a little disturbed by both definitions but we had a good, candid discussion. I e-mailed the teacher and cc'd the principal this time. My position was: 1)when the school sends home a 5th grade reading list, parents think that books on the list are age-appropriate especially if nothing on the list indicates otherwise, 2) Teachers shouldn't put books on a list if they personally haven't read them and, 3) a lot of kids would not ask their parents- they would ask friends or not ask at all. This is dangerous! I also explained that if there was an asterisk by the book or something to alert me to the fact that I might want to supervise the reading of this book that I would have read it first to determine if Hannah was allowed to read it. The teacher e-mailed me back and said that she had met with the entire 5th grade staff and that they were re-doing the list and taking off any book that had not been read by one or more of the teachers. She apologized and thanked me for bringing it to her attention. Hannah now has a new 5th Grade Reading List that contains only books that have been pre-screened.

Yesterday
Hannah came home and asked to speak with me privately. We went into my room (bathroom actually because you know me, I have to multi-task) and she told me that they attended an assembly at school where the "safety instructor" talked to them about good touch and bad touch. The "safety instructor" went into great detail and talked about private parts- why girls have different private parts than boys and vice verse. She also showed a video of a girl who was being molested (I don't think they showed it) by her uncle. Her uncle was touching her private parts and he was making her touch his. The girl had "a secret" that she couldn't share with anyone. Hannah said the whole assembly made her uncomfortable. She said, "I only talk about this kind of stuff with you and Dad." Why are they making me learn about it in school and talk about it? She also told me that there was a 4th grade assembly that last year her teacher opted out of because he said "you should talk about this stuff at home not at school."

I called the office to set up an appointment with the Principal. She didn't call me back so while I was at the school today, I popped into the office. The Principal has had a death in the family so she won't be available for a week or so. That's totally fine. I left another message and told the Secretary to just have Mrs. Tingey call me when she was available and back into the full swing of things. I told the Secretary what my concern was. She told me I was the 3rd parent to complain today about the assembly and that they can't notify parents about those kinds of assemblies because what if the parent is the abuser? I wasn't going to get into it with her but this just got me going! Since when is it the school's job to raise our children? And we think it's going to get any better under Obama? AAAAAAHHHH! (sorry... that was low-blow political jab..... ignore it if you love him)

I believe in sex education in schools. I believe in assemblies that help educate children about dangerous relationships and strangers. I believe in children reading books about the 1960's , and the Holocaust, and all other historic events even if they are horrible. However, I believe that the schools should do all of this WITH the parent's permission, WITH their supervision, and WITH their support.

Who's on the Lord Side?

2008-11-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

I happened upon a blog while I was doing some research for my lesson. Here is the link if you're interested: http://the-exponent.com/. At a quick glance, it appears to be a blog where several LDS women blog about church lesson helps, politics, and other items that affect LDS women.

On the right hand column of the page, there are post teasers that they call "chatter". One of them caught my eye. It said, "Prop 8 Fallout: where do we go from here?" I really enjoyed the post and could sympathize with the writer even though I didn't actively campaign for Prop 8. I am grateful to the church members in California for their hard work and service and I feel that Prop. 8 would not have passed without their efforts.

The comments on the post leave a lot to be desired. A lot of the comments are from "active LDS members" who opposed Prop. 8 and want to let the world know that not all Mormons want to take away other's civil rights. Some comments talk about how it's within their right to disagree with the Prophet and still get a Temple Recommend. The comments criticize the way the church is ran and how church resources (namely $$$) are distributed.

I wanted to post so badly my thoughts on this but I knew it wouldn't come out nice so I refrained. As I read down the comments, I did read a few opinions from those that held my same opinion. I do not think it's right to openly criticize the church and openly disagree with our Priesthood Leaders.

I have struggled with doctrine in the past. I have struggled with local ward leader's decisions. And I have even been guilty of gossiping about these struggles in an attempt to win other's favor and nods of agreement. Misery loves company.

I have learned that my behavior of gossiping about it and creating contention doesn't do anyone, least of all myself, any good. Now when I question something or have a hard time, I first go to Father in Heaven in prayer. Second to my husband and close friends who won't judge me for my opinions. It's during these conversations with Ed and my friends that my heart if softened, my mind is open, and my mouth is closed. I appreciate my friends who can help me find peace with doctrine and help teach me to not feed my rebellious soul.

I didn't feel that the people who wrote these posts were trying to find peace. I felt like they were spreading contention by trying to convince others that their opposition of Prop. 8 was justified. And as I read down the comments, I felt that this contention snowballed out of control. I feel sad for those who don't agree with Prop. 8 but hope that they can find the peace and freedom that comes with obedience.

As I talked about this with Ed- he read me a passage in the book, "50 Signs of the Times" by David J. Ridges. It is long but I wanted to share it:

The book is organized by stating the sign and the category of the sign (as in "Been Fulfilled, "Currently being fulfilled" and "Yet, Future")

Sign #29

"People will refuse to believe obvious truth and will instead adhere to fables and falsehood. Category: Being Fulfilled

This prophecy of conditions shortly preceding the Second Coming of Christ needs little explanation. When people get sufficiently wicked and selfish, they no longer think rationally.

Indeed, wickedness does not promote rational thought. In the face of social trends and political posturing which, to the the rational mind, will obviously lead to the destruction of society as we know it, with its built-in safeguards for human freedom and use of agency, such people stand aghast at truth and moral principles. They flush in anger at those who advocate the standards of the Bible and the gospel of Christ as the basis for the survival of society.

Paul, the Apostle, prophesied in Timothy: He said, 'For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into fables.'

We often apply these verses to the gospel and the tendency of the spiritually blind and deaf to reject its teachings and blessings. This is certainly the case. However, no doubt these verses can be applied also to common sense and rational thought processes in all matters relating to the governing of nations and communities as well as to standards to which the media should be held accountable. The "teachers, having itching ears" and "fables" mentioned by Paul can certainly include the peers of those who would have us pass unrighteous or unwise laws, as well as the peers and fans of Hollywood and other media production centers who insist on the "anything goes" philosophy of entertainment."

I don't post this to be on a high horse or self-righteous. I post this
#1) to remind myself to stay committed to the Gospel of Christ and to not be deceived,

#2) the Second Coming is getting nearer every day and we are in the process of being separated- time to get off the fence, and

#3) to make a stand. Prop. 8 is not about civil rights. It is about the true definition of marriage. I believe that marriage should only exist between a man and a woman. I believe that by stating this that I'm following the Prophet and other leaders of the church, and more importantly, Jesus Christ.

I wonder that in the future, if the Church will make a stand that I struggle to support. I wonder if I have the strength to be obedient. I wonder that while I feel I'm on the Lord's side of the Prop. 8 issue, what will come along to make me tempted to stand on the other side?

AND.... most importantly, do I have the strength to deal with ALL OF THIS while at the same time leading, teaching, caring for, loving and nurturing my own little family?

George Lucas- you are the Man!

2008-11-10T09:22:00.008-07:00

Dear Mr. Lucas,

Enclosed is a letter from my 7 year old son, Alex. He ordered “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” from his book order at school which he received today. As he sat down to start reading the book, he exclaimed, “I’m going to write a letter to Mr. George Lucas because I’m his biggest fan!”

He hand-wrote the letter (enclosed) and I re-typed it to make it easier for you. I had him add a paragraph to the typed version. I told him that he should ask you a question that you could answer if you wrote him back. I explained to him that you are very busy and he may not hear back from you.

When I asked him if he would be okay if you never replied back, he bit his lip, sighed, and nodded- which is his way of trying to be brave.

Thanks in advance and thanks for making great movies that entertain my husband and 3 boys. This way I can get more than a moments peace- 2 hours at least!

Very Sincerely,

Amy Huhtala

Alex's letter to Mr. Lucas:

November 5, 2008

Dear George Lucas,

Me and my Dad are your biggest fans of your books and movies. The book I’m reading right now is “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”. I’ve seen the cartoon and I’m reading the book so I can see if the book is the same as the movie.

I’ve seen all the Star Wars movies except for “Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith”. I haven’t seen this one because it’s rated PG-13 and my parents will not let me watch it. My Dad says you are going to make 3 more Star Wars movies and I was wondering if this was true. If it is, what will you call the movies?

From,

Your biggest fan ever,

Alex Emil Huhtala

P.S. You rock! And I love your last name. I’m 7 and my Dad is 36.
And… You’re Awesome!

We just sent this envelope off late last week and Alex started asking yesterday if he could check the mail. He also asked me this morning at 7 a.m. I'm hoping that it doesn't take forever and they actually write him back- he is so excited. If I don't hear back in a few weeks, I'll have to take matters into my own hands!

Nice Lesson...

2008-11-08T22:30:00.002-07:00

Okay so I know that the RS lessons are inspired and that there is a reason we need to learn about the things in the Joseph Smith manual. I also suspect that by tomorrow at 1:55 p.m. MST, I'll be looking back on a great lesson and regret this venting session.

However... Come On! Give us teachers a break! We're supposed to teach 45-50 minutes on a lesson composed solely of a few paragraphs of Church History and letters written by Joseph Smith to Emma and the kids? Hello!

So these are my ideas so far:

1. Copy and paste each letter from the lesson into an individual letter addressed to Emma and have participants pick a letter out of a basket to read and discuss.

2. Break into groups and have each group pretend they are leaders of 5000 women and have to write one letter to this group of women that will be read in smaller congregations. We'll make this a latter-day experience. For example, these women are living in uncertain times when men threaten to take away all that these women hold dear, including the sanctity of families. What do they tell them to uplift, encourage and give them strength?

Ya- that's all I got. I've been thinking about it for a few weeks. I know it's late notice but does anyone have any profound ideas? Before you do, glance at the lesson to see what I'm up against.

Come One, Come All- Thanksgiving Hodge Podge

2008-11-08T10:39:00.003-07:00

So for the first time in 4 years, Ed has Thanksgiving off! He works New Year's Eve and New Year's Day but has Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day off. I'm so excited and really looking forward to it.

But.....

There is always a but, right?

I was assuming (since I never heard different) that Ed's Mom, Susan was doing her traditional Thanksgiving Day at Grandma's. Come to find out..... Ed and Susan are going to Brigette's (Ed's sister in WA). Which I think is great and I'm glad they are visiting her but leaves us without Thanksgiving plans. (BTW, she told my Ed a few weeks or months ago.)

So I've decided to put on Thanksgiving here and I'm looking for those who would like to join us. So if you know of anyone in the Utah County area whose family members are far away and they don't have anyone to celebrate Thanksgiving with, please let me know. I thought about inviting my ward friends but most families have other family members in Utah and I knew I'd have to get through 25 invites before finding someone who would like to come. That kind of rejection would kill me!

Out-of-staters: This goes for you too. If you know someone here in this area or a member of your own family who can't get home for T-Day, and think they would have fun at my Thanksgiving of Fun- please let me know.

I'm thinking we'll eat around 1 p.m. and then about 3 p.m. or 4 p.m., hit a movie. We're not that much into Football but we do have the one TV in the basement for sports fans.

And, we do have a guest room for any one needing a place to stay for the night or weekend.

So, come one, come 50, to the Huhtala Thanksgiving Feast of Fun!

My Civic Duty

2008-11-04T07:00:00.008-07:00

I am working the polls today.

I got to take an oath and everything.

I thought it would be an easy, quick way to make a $100. Turns out it's easy but long hours and the money isn't so quick. I'll be lucky if I get the check before Christmas.

But it's tax-free. Yippee!

And since my grandmother was a poll worker, I feel like I'm carrying on a family tradition in some sort of odd way.

I hope somebody acts crazy and I get to kick them out or something. It will shake things up a little. Hey, I did take an oath to defend the constitution and every citizens' right to vote freely and without fear. I take that oath seriously.

Did you know that you can't wear an Obama or McCain hat or shirt? You don't get kicked out or anything but you do have to take it off. Or, you know, turn it inside out if it's the only shirt you're wearing.

Anyway- happy voting. And if you come to vote at Larsen Elementary, bring your I.D. because I can't verify your identity even though I know you.

I took an oath!

Ice Pie Comb?

2008-11-03T19:46:00.002-07:00

Every day, Aidan asks for an "Ice Pie Comb". This is toddler speak for "Ice Cream Cone." I'm not sure what started this.....

This summer, we made a lot of homemade ice cream. And if we stopped for a treat it was usually an ice cream cone.

He started out attempting to eat the entire thing, patiently licking the dripping sides. Occasionally, the scoop would fall out but he wouldn't fret. He just continued by eating the cone.

On our Disneyland trip he asked more than once a day. Finally, on the way home, we stopped at a Dairy Queen. He took 2-3 mouth fulls of the ice cream and was done.

He still asks, everyday, for an "ice pie comb". After the Beaver Dairy Queen experience, I started replying, "maybe later" to which he said, "Otay."

Today, instead of an "otay", I got, "But why?"

Are you serious? Already with the "whys?"

On the way home from Hannah's dentist appointment, she asked to stop for ice cream. Aidan was thrilled. He got 3 licks off the baby cone before the "ice pie" fell on the van floor. While Hannah cleaned up his mess, he ate the crunchy, stale cone. Yum!

Hannah and I determined that as far as Aidan was concerned, it's all about the "comb" and not the "ice pie."

Oh dear.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-03T17:22:00.006-07:00

Potty Training Update and Other Crappy Thoughts

2008-10-27T10:59:00.004-06:00

So I've given up with the potty training- Aidan's not ready.

I felt like it was a little early but he's been peeing on the toilet for months that I thought this was my window.

It was a good introduction so we'll try again after Christmas.

The interesting thing is the reason it didn't quite work is so different than the other kids. He WANTS to do it, he CAN do it, he LIKES doing it but I can tell it's stressing him out. He's cranky and sad.

Looking back, it probably wasn't the best idea to get rid of the crib and diapers in the same week. I know, Duh! But he's so agreeable and gung ho about everything, I didn't think of it as being too hard on his little emotions.

Enough about that...

Another thought: one of my friends posted "blah, blah, blah" on her blog. That was the title and that was the body of the post- that's it. All of the comments, including mine were like, "Yep- got it, ditto, I feel the same, etc.

I thought it was just me coming off my vacation high. But others are feeling this way too. Usually I don't feel this way until after New Years so it's not a good sign that the "blahs" have already showed their ugly faces.

I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing: Prayer, scriptures, church calling, service, trying to be a patient, loving mother. I'm even having small periods of time where I feel motivated, purposeful and happy. But then the "blahs" come back.

Why? How can we help each other? What can we do?

Any suggestions?

My Punk Rocker

2008-10-25T21:41:00.005-06:00

Alex has wanted to be a Punk Rocker for Halloween for about 6 months. About a month ago, he became nervous concerning my ability to produce a "sweet" costume. I told him to have a little faith in his old, out-of-style, mother.

Tonight was our ward's Fall Social so he got to try out his Halloween Duds. He thought I was pretty cool putting together such a great costume. I lucked out at DI yesterday when I found the leather jacket and the boots!

The magnet earrings came to me when I was trying to fall asleep last night. He loved them! The costume judges at the party loved them too because Alex was one of the costume contest winners!

On Friday for Halloween, we're going to shave the sides of his head so he'll have a mohawk. He is so excited for the "real thing".

World's Hungriest Baby

2008-10-24T08:00:00.001-06:00

During our outings, Amberlyn and I are always pulling interesting things out of Grace's mouth. (I'm sure Amberlyn does this all day long at home... but I always find it interesting.)

Today, our outing included a quick lunch combined with a Wal-Mart trip. Being the budget-conscience mothers that we are (just recently converted, but hey, we're trying), we used a coupon to get 2 entrees for the price of one. As Amberlyn got up to go pay for our food, she gathered my cash as well as hers.

She said, "Where's the coupon?"

I replied, "I don't know. Did you give it to me?"

She said, "I set it right there on the table close to your side."

We began to pick up plates, silverware, glasses, purses, etc., when Amberlyn pulled the chewed up coupon (pictured below) out of Grace's mouth. We couldn't stop laughing!

Luckily, I had also clipped the same coupon before leaving the house just in case.

It would have been a whole lot funnier to get a picture of Grace as she was gnawing on the coupon with paper pieces amongst the drool rolling down her chin. But, I had to settle for saving the baby-muched wad of paper in my wallet until I could get home to document the damage.

Now that I soon won't have to carry a diaper bag (see earlier potty training post), maybe I'll have room for my camera. Next time, I can catch the world's hungriest baby in action!

Sixth Folder, Sixth Photo TAG

2008-10-23T17:36:00.006-06:00

I'm so glad it wasn't a gay one of me! While I was waiting for it to load I was thinking, "Denise! Did you cheat? Watch me get a ugly picture and I'll have to post it!"

This one is of Ed during our Segway Test Drive experience. His experience was in no-way Extreme (see earlier post titled "Extreme Segway"). In fact, he didn't even try to hop off when I fell. When I asked him later about it he said, "Well, if you were going to fly off a cliff on a Segway and die, I knew I shouldn't follow. Someone around here has to act calm and responsible!"

Where's the fun in that, I ask?

So I tag Amberlyn, Amidey, Dawnyeil, Dawn, Dory, Emily, Hilary, Rindee, & Karin (everyone in my friend's section that hasn't previously been mentioned).

Instructions: Post the 6th picture in your 6th Pictures Folder on your computer. And no cheating!

A Picture Says 1000 Words

2008-10-23T16:54:00.003-06:00

This is what Aidan thinks of potty training. "No Sweat Mom! I got it covered!"

Now if we could just get the "poo-poo training" underway... it would really help.

Any suggesetions? Never had a kid who got the #1 right and not the #2. Or if I did, I forgot.

Soccer Team Group Picture

2008-10-23T09:00:00.000-06:00

We just got this in the mail and I wanted to post the team picture.

It will go up in Andrew's room and who knows where it will end up from there.

BTW... I'm not getting rid of my title as soon as I thought.... A.L & Alex are on the same basketball team and I'm going to give it a shot! No pun intended.

Disneyland Favorites

2008-10-22T15:47:00.006-06:00

Our very last day we changed things up a bit since the little kids were having a hard time going from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Daniel and Ed left the hotel early with the "big" kids (Christopher, Kira, Hannah, Haylee, Alex & A.L.) arriving at Disneyland at 8 a.m. Robin and I came later with the "little" kids (Brionna, Michael, & Aidan). We met the other group at Tower of Terror at 10:15.

Around 4 p.m. we all headed back to the hotel for dinner. After dinner, the guys stayed back with the "little" kids as Robin and I headed back for a few jam-packed hours.

This schedule worked out great since with fewer people and fewer strollers, we could maneuver the crowds much easier. I couldn't figure out who was dragging who- if it was Robin and I or the kids. After Wednesday's break at the beach, both Robin and I were charged up and ready to go!

Space Mountain was in everyone's "Top 3 Rides" and we were lucky enough to be able to ride it twice in the last hour the park was open (the big kids rode it that morning as well). In fact in the last half hour, we came off Space Mountain, snuck in Star Tours and Astro Blasters, and managed to get back in line for Space Mountain.

One of our favorite things to do was to strike a pose as the rides' camera shot a picture. We raced to the end of the exit to see our photo creativity. You knew your pose was great when before you turned the corner, you could hear the kids laughing. The very last time we rode, I told the kids to pick a pose and we would all do the same thing. They had been bugging us the whole trip to buy a picture so I told them if it turned out, I would buy one. The pics at Astro Blasters were great because you could e-mail them to yourself for FREE!

On a side note about the pictures: we were beginning to think Haylee and Kira were ghosts or vampires or something because whenever they would ride together, the picture would come up blank! We got smart and changed up the seating charts for our Space Mountain pic.

I'm curious.... what is your Family's Favorite Ride at Disneyland or California Adventure?

Not bad for our First Family Vacation!

2008-10-18T21:06:00.006-06:00

I had just a second to post (Ed ran to the store since we came home to find out that we have absolutely no toilet paper) and wanted to say how much FUN we had on our vacation! It was a blast!

I'll write and post more pictures later after I've had time to unpack, do laundry, sleep, etc.....

Disneyland Fun!

2008-10-11T08:25:00.004-06:00

We are on our way to Disneyland this morning! We'll stop in Vegas overnight and then drive the rest of the way tomorrow. We're are so excited! This is the logo I designed for our T-shirts. We will all wear them on our first day at Disneyland- Monday! We can't wait!

It Took Me Long Enough!

2008-10-11T08:14:00.010-06:00

We've lived in this house for 5 years and I just finally got done decorating above my cabinets. I didn't realize when we moved into this house how many shelves there were to decorate..... I'm sure I'll want to change it in another 5 years. Isn't that how it goes?

This is my seasonal shelf- it's the one you see as you're walking into the kitchen.

So I'll change this one each season or Holiday.

South Dakota never had it so GOOD

2008-10-08T14:04:00.003-06:00

Hannah's 5th Grade Class is focusing on learning all of the 50 States and being able to correctly identify them on a U.S. Map. As part of this State focus, they each were assigned a State.

Hannah's is South Dakota. They had several projects to choose from that they could do with their State and one of them was a 3D Map. Hannah chose to make Pumpkin Bars and decorate the top with the Capitol, landmarks, rivers, and other towns & cities. She had a lot of fun doing it and has learned an awful lot about South Dakota.

Who knew South Dakota could be so much fun?

Crazy Hair Day!

2008-10-08T13:54:00.010-06:00

No explanation needed.....

Coach Amy + 10

2008-10-08T13:05:00.010-06:00

This is my Fabulous 1st Grade Boys' Soccer Team! (Back row: Ammon, Carter, Trent, Jacob, Corbin, Andrew (Logan), Coach. Front row: Josh, Ethan, Hayden & Nathan)

The Rec Office called before Soccer started and said they had 2 teams from Spanish Oaks and no coaches. I honestly thought he was calling me to get names of people that could Coach. Turns out, he was asking if I would volunteer. I felt so inadequate- I really didn't know the rules or what to do- but I decided to give it a go.

It was so fun! Andrew (Logan) was so excited for me to Coach his team. We had a little bit of a rough start at practices when he would get mad and burst into tears. Of course, I couldn't ignore the other 9 boys and deal with him so I just had to let him throw his fit and ignore it. After practice, I explained to him why I couldn't drop everything and we talked about it. I think this experience helped him to deal with his coping issues. We still had a few tearful moments in a couple of games but I told him he had to sit out if he was going to cry. Aren't all parents who coach or teach harder on their own kids?

I told myself going into the season that I would remain neutral as far as the winning goes. But, most of my 10 boys were highly competitive and wanted to win. I think knowing that they cared about it and they weren't just doing this because their mom signed them up or because it's just what you do unleashed some sort of coaching monster in me because I became relentless and motivated to help them succeed. Succeeding in sports to me isn't all about winning- it's about doing your best. And if you do your best and play with your heart and still lose than it doesn't matter what the scoreboard says. We still had a few moments of distraction from praying mantises, the urge to wrestle your teammate, a big hole in the field filled with water, etc but overall we did great! We hardly ever got scored on.... mainly because as soon as the ball crossed the center line, I started yelling, "Defenders!" to wake them up. I never really noticed until the end but I was the only coach doing that.... oh well!

After the last game, they all Dog Piled Coach. During the first practice, they were all wrestling and dogpiling while I was talking. So I said, "This is soccer, not the WWF. We don't have time for dogpiles! Wait until our last game and you can dog pile all you want." Of course, their reply was, "Can we dog pile on you?"

"Sure!"

Apparently one of my players never forgets anything so he brought it up before we started our last game. Thanks Nathan!

(Special note of caution: If you ever find yourself in this situation, place the whistle in your mouth before everyone starts jumping on you and let them know when you blow the whistle it means to hop off. This way, you can signal them when you're done. You might not realize that with 10 boys on top of you, you can't move at all. This especially helps if you're claustrophobic)

We finished out the season with a Team Party at my house. It was fun to get all the boys together and let them play without anyone yelling, "Defenders!" My kids planned some fun games for them in the backyard and the family room and we ate pizza for lunch. We also had an awards ceremony. I made these fun trophies for them out of candy. This one is Andrew's and he got the "Dauntless Defender" Award.

The Anderson Family

2008-09-23T14:36:00.002-06:00

Back Row: Aaron Dalley, Ryan Anderson, Tom Tasker, Aaron Anderson, Drew Teemant

Middle Row: Julie (Dalley's girlfriend), Noelle Anderson, Sarah Tasker, Me & Aidan

Bottom row: Mike & Kellie Teemant, Hannah, Logan, Haylee & Alex (Ed is the photograher)

We had a party for Ryan a couple of weeks ago at my house and I was relentlessly snapping pictures. Before everyone left, I was able to get them together for a group shot. It was fun to be able to have one last party.

It's hard to sum up how I feel about working for Anderson Covers in a short, blog entry. I do not regret my decision to leave once the business was sold. I do think it was the right time for me to leave. I do miss working with these wonderful people but change is a part of life- and you have to move on. I doubt that I will ever have another opportunity quite like this one- I think that is probably the thing that I will miss the most.

Anderson was like a family to me- the people there know my strengths and weaknesses and loved me anyway. They were there for me when I had ups and downs and I was there for them. And on the business side of things- what we built was incredible. The kind of growth that we sustained year after year was amazing. I am grateful to have been a part of it.

My Mosiac

2008-09-08T23:06:00.010-06:00

This is a mosiac of me created by Fd's mosiac maker.

To make one:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.

b. Using only the first page, pick an image.

c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker. Save your mosaic and then add it to your blog like a regular photo.

Here are the questions and my answers:

The Questions:
1. What is your first name? Amy
2. What is your favorite food? Mexican food
3. What school did you go to? BYU
4. What is your favorite color? Green
5. Who is your celebrity crush? I'm embarassed to say, but it's Paul Walker 6. Favorite drink? Diet Cherry Coke
7. Dream vacation? Hawaii
8. Favorite dessert? Ice Cream
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Someone who motivates others to achieve what they really want in life
10. What do you love most in life? My family
11. One word to describe you. Optimistic
12. Your nickname. AIM

Extreme Segway

2008-09-08T13:30:00.005-06:00

Ed and I took the kids up to the Kite Fest on Saturday. It's the first annual festival that celebrates our Spanish Fork wind power as well as "green" products. They had a Segway booth there with free test rides. I've always been fascinated by this product and was so excited to ride it.

It was really fun- it's like a wii balance board with wheels and a handle bar. I'm sure after this experience, my wii fit age skyrocketed because 30 seconds after this picture was taken, I was on the ground! I'm not sure what happened but I got going pretty fast and panicked. When I noticed that I was heading over a small cliff, I pulled it hard to the left to avoid jumping off into space. As I did this, I twisted and flew off the Segway. I landed flat on the ground with my hand still attached to the machine. This made it run over me. It eventually came to a stop in some bushes about 5 feet away.

Of course, the employees were freaking out thinking I was really hurt. Ed couldn't come to me because he was on his Segway frozen with the thought that if he moved, the same thing would happen to him. I wasn't really hurt- and I hopped right back on! I told the employee that helped me, "See, look at my kids and and my husband. They aren't even alarmed. It's because I fall a lot." He said I just wanted to do "Extreme Segway" and to cut it out because I was scaring his customers away. LOL

Hannah almost got a video of it but she missed it. So for right now, you'll have to be content with my version of the mishap. Of course, it's funnier to hear the story told complete with hand movements and facial expressions. Oh well- someday I'll learn to be more cautious.

We had a great time at the festival. And since it was free, we didn't break our new budget. The kids wanted ice cream and you know at those things it's so expensive. So we hit the Little Acorn on the way home. This also was a good budget saver.

Here are some more pictures:

The Prompting & Comforting Spirit

2008-09-02T00:08:00.003-06:00

Tonight for FHE, the kids had their monthly PPI with Ed and he also gave them their annual Father Blessings that we traditionally do before school starts (a little late this year).

It was a great evening! The kids really look forward to their interview with their Dad. I'm so happy that they love this monthly occasion. I know they are still young and I'm sure their time will come (the rolling of the eyes and the big sighs) when they seem to hate it. But I know it will be one of those memories that comes up when we're all around the table for a family dinner in 20 years. And I love that the traditions that we have are consistent and stable.

For Christmas 2005, "Santa" left us a family journal. It's just the ordinary journal that you can find at the Distribution Center and is engraved with "The Huhtala Family". I put a copy of my Annual Christmas Letter in there along with the letters I write my kids every Christmas Eve. I also write down the main points of their New School Year Father's Blessings. Haylee was the last child to come in for her blessing. As we were waiting for her and I was reviewing her previous year's blessings, I had an impression come to me that she would be blessed to be protected and spared. This prompting didn't come as to much of a shock since I have had these types of promptings concerning Haylee every since she was born. As I have told a few of you, Haylee is the only one of my children that I cannot close my eyes and see her in adulthood. All of others, I have a feeling of what they will be, look like, accomplish, etc. I don't know why I am not able to see her, but I have always felt that Heavenly Father has been preparing me for something regarding Haylee's time on earth.

Tonight, in Haylee's blessing, Ed paused for a second. He then continued and said, "I bless you that the Spirit will guide and direct you and keep you from danger- that you will be safe." He was pretty choked up during this and the rest of her blessing. After Haylee left the room, I turned to Ed and knowing what I was going to ask, he shrugged. He did not know why he had said that but he felt the words come to his mind and then as he thought about what they meant, he could barely continue with the blessing. I reminded him of my previous feelings and my inability to see her as an adult. As we continued to talk and share our feelings, we both felt comforted by the Spirit and by our knowledge that Families are Forever.

I may not know for a very long time why Haylee was given that particular blessing tonight. And I may not know for a very long time why I'm unable to see her as an adult. But what I do know is that Heavenly Father loves me, my husband, and all of my children. His plan is greater than mine. I must continue to have faith in His plan and His Gospel. And I must be strong enough to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost- wherever they may lead.

Messy Marvin

2008-08-27T17:10:00.004-06:00

So I decided to make cinnamon rolls for the sisters that I visit teach since I haven't visited for a couple of months. Plus I'm having a hard time getting ahold of one of them so I thought this way I'd have something to drop off with the message if I don't catch her.

I turn my back for just a second to put the rolls on the pan and I turn around to Aidan eating all of the flour off of the bar. I can't imagine dry, plain flour being even remotely appetizing so in this case, I think it's the potential for mess making that is the main attraction.

The terrible two's can be quite funny! Of course that depends on how many children you have at one time two and under. I remember the days when they weren't so much fun.

Mind Over Matter & Balance

2008-08-26T10:37:00.002-06:00

I realized something this morning that I love about going to work everyday. I didn't let my children's behavior affect my attitude. When you stay home, it is much more difficult to stay positive and be happy, no matter what situations you are dealing with.

I found myself getting irritated this morning with my children for lots of dumb little things. When I work, I don't get hung up on these dumb little things because I can see them for what they are. When I'm home and my entire day revolves around cleaning, laundry, cheerleading, cooking, to-do lists, errands and so forth - not to mention all the teaching, tutoring, reminding, helping, encouraging and counseling. I do all these things when I work as well but it's not all that I do. And because I'm trying to fit much more "doing" in a 16 hour day, I don't get caught up on everyone's moods. I'm focused, attentive and goal-oriented. All the other things slide right off me.

I guess this is one of the reasons why staying at home is more difficult for me than working. It's either 100 miles an hour (upward progress) or a dead stop (downward spiral).

I really need to figure out how to have some internal balance.

School Daze

2008-08-25T09:22:00.014-06:00

5th Grade, 4th Grade, 2nd Grade, 1st Grade!

This summer went by so fast! It is already time for school to start- I can't believe it. Before school we went to breakfast. It was fun to sit and talk to the kids without the distractions of being at home. They each are so excited for the new school year.

Hannah is such a great student and so self-motivated. Her favorite subjects are writing and math. This year she has the opportunity to win the Golden Explorer Award. It is something they do in 5th Grade. There are about 30 things they must do- some of them are very challenging. Mrs. Davies said last year she only had 2 students win the award. At first, Hannah wasn't going to try it because she said it stressed her out. But after her 2nd day of school and listening to Mrs. Davies explain the specifics, she came home ready to go!

Haylee has Mr. Bradford this year. He is the famous 4th grade teacher at Spanish Oaks. He has a way of motivating the kids to learn and holding them accountable for their own work and behavior. Haylee is a great student. I was so impressed with her hard work last year. Her 3rd grade teacher told me she wanted to challenge Haylee and give her harder spelling words. My reaction was, "But she studies all week just to get the basic words down." She said that Haylee always scored 100% so she wanted to push her a little. Haylee did not back down from the challenge and kept scoring 100% even with the advanced words. I know this perseverance will pay off as she goes through school.

Alex is a natural. At everything. I never worry about him and academics at school. He is very smart. He loves to read and enjoys learning about things even at home in his free time. (For Christmas, we got him "The Dangerous Book for Boys". It is the best book ever! If you have boys, check it out!) He is motivated to do well and wants to please his teachers and his parents. His teacher Mrs. Sanders will spend some time on values and choices this year. This will be good for Alex. (I'm hoping the 2 instances of cheating last year were isolated incidents). Sports continues to be a main thread in Alex's life. He is in soccer right now and can't wait until next year when he can start playing football.

Andrew (some of you know him by Logan) is at school all day. Heaven help us! He is my only child that is not self-motivated to do well in school. In fact, he could care less about learning. He has done a good job of keeping his reading skills up this summer so I hope he will continue to improve. He has a very tender heart and I'm sure has already fallen in love with his teacher. He exercised his independence by choosing to be called "Andrew" this year. Even though he is totally a Logan and I would like to refuse to let him go by Andrew, I am proud that he cares enough about something to stick to it. I am desperately trying to call him Andrew at home so that he does not develop 2 personalities. Although if it means he is motivated and excels in school, a split personality may not be a bad thing.

Now we're down to one at home. I quit my job so me and 2 year old are spending our days together. I'm trying to enjoy it, especially since he will be a kindergartner in 2011. Sobering thought.

Aidan, Take 2

2008-08-25T08:53:00.004-06:00

So I've decided that someone should just invent an item that you would normally wear everyday that will start videotaping as soon as your mind thinks, "I should get this on video!"

Aidan was cutting up paper and dropping it off the side of the bar exclaiming, "Whoo Hoo!". It was the cutest thing but by the time we got the camera out, we had to coach him to do what 1
minute ago was a spontaneous act.

We did manage to capture the gist of it and at the end you can see by the evidence of the crashed pieces of paper how much fun he was having!

Random Thoughts from My Soap Box...

2008-08-18T19:50:00.006-06:00

Our Ward is having their first Relief Society overnighter in September and I'm so excited! Unfortunately a lot of my friends in the ward are not excited- and are not planning to go.

This is where those of you who are in my ward stop reading if you don't want to hear my opinion on this. (Of course now that I said that you must go on...) I'm dying to share my thoughts and my only other option was Testimony Meeting so feel relieved that I chose my blog instead....

So personally, I feel like this is the best type of activity our RS Pres. could ever plan. We have like what, 1/10th of all the primary kids in the world in our ward alone? Obviously that's exaggerated but for those of you who don't know, over 50% of our ward is under the age of 12. So my point (one of them) is that how many of us get to leave our husbands and kids EVER completely free of guilt and apology? Not many. This is why so many of us are early to Enrichment.

Fortunately for me, I have a husband who is constantly encouraging me to have my own free time and get out of the house with my friends. When the kids were little and I never left, he would have to call my friends and say, "Come get her- she needs to get out and won't go on her own. I'll even watch your kids!" (On these occasions, Ed would end up with anywhere from 3 to 7 additional children to entertain - all under the age of 5 or 6)

I know that this is a rare quality in a husband and believe me, I am sooo grateful. But for those sisters who don't get a lot a free time to be with other women- this is a FREE PASS. It's a church activity.... how can you feel guilty, apologetic and all of those other sorry words when you are taking time to fill your lamp?

One of the other reasons I am so excited to go is the chance to talk to, hang out, be silly, play games, laugh and cry with women in the ward who I don't get the opportunity to be around through normal church service. I have never been in a ward where I could literally sit down with any one of the 100+ sisters and have a meaningful conversation. Seriously- every woman in our ward is that amazing.

I've heard mentioned that some of the women are worried about cliques and groups. This type of activity breaks down those walls- it eliminates them. Take Girls Camp for example. Young Women are just an earlier version of ourselves, right? I was so proud to see our YW at Girls Camp unite and serve each other. This is why the Church has Girls Camp. Because when you are on a mountain or in a canyon, the Spirit is all around. That quiet beauty that constantly whispers, we are children of a Divine Being who loves us, inspires and motivates us to become one. It is easier to love each other and serve one another when we are removed from the daily chores of our lives. When we get a chance to be with other women minus the children, husbands, homes, cars, and other responsibilities, we are more open to becoming one. Gone are the comparisons, the inadequacies, the doubts. All that's left is our open hearts.... and bad camping hair!

I really feel strongly about this (can you tell?)! We need activities like this to catch our breaths. Fill up. Recharge. We need each other to do this.

And for that 1% that might read this and go, "No- I don't need it. I'm fine." Well, then don't do it for yourself. Do it for those of us that need you.

Phew! This soap box is sagging with my weight. (But not as much as it used to!)

Help! Project Illiterate....

2008-08-18T00:16:00.002-06:00

Those of you who are crafty (Dawn, Denise, Amberlyn, Robin... you know who you are)

I happened onto someone's blog that I do not know. She posted a comment on one of my friends' blogs and since her name was Amy I wanted to see who she was. (To be honest, I really don't like it when my friends have other friends with the same name as me... I'm totally serious.... I know... issues!)

Anyway- read some of her posts... she sounds hilarious! I sooo want to be friends with her. (If she would change her name!) Sorry-got sidetracked..... she has a blogshop where she sells things. My problem is I can't figure out what she is selling- I mean what do you do with them? It's way cute stuff- I just don't know what it is.

So can you help me out? Go to Karin's blog and read Amy's comments on the State Fair post. She is the only other Amy that's not me.

So clue me in on the big secret. And get a Jacob/Edward bookmark while you're there. Also- check out her Twilight shirts - what a freak! (I mean that in a good way!)

That's enough about me...What do you think about me?

2008-08-17T23:41:00.004-06:00

Denise posted this on her blog and I thought it would be fun...

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn’t matter if you know (knew) me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog.

WARNING: Do not leave this post without making a comment!

Cake Heaven!

2008-08-17T23:11:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, Dawn and her kids came down for my birthday. She brought me this beautiful cake (the bow is the back so this is a side view) and some Simply Vera Wang flip flops from Kohls. I can't decide which is cuter, the cake or the shoes! The shoes would have to win only because I get to wear them over and over. AND you all know how much I love flip flops!

The cake isn't just good lookin'. It tasted amazing! See more of Dawn's cakes at www.dawnscakes.blogspot.com.

Thanks Dawn- you're my BFF!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-08-07T19:52:00.002-06:00

So today is my 35th Birthday!

It's been a fabulous day. I started by sleeping right through my alarm at 6:15 a.m. telling me that it's time to go swimming. Then, Ed awoke me with the heavenly aroma of a Betos breakfast burrito. (I ate half and only the filling.) He was kind enough to take the kids to swimming lessons while I continued to lounge around in bed.

The kids showered me with gifts from the dollar store as soon as they got home. They were so excited that they handed me their cards before they even signed them!

Amberlyn and I went out to lunch to celebrate my arrival into mid-life. We went to PF Changs and had the works! She gave me kitchen knives (which Denise will be thrilled to learn since she told Amberlyn about the sad nature of my kitchen). BTW- my kitchen utensil collection is just fine.....

While we were at lunch, Mary (a friend from work) and Tyler (*her "friend") surprised me at PF Changs with a beautiful collection of roses! The most perfect part? There are exactly 35 roses (12 in wrapping paper and 23 in the vase). I felt like a beauty queen!

Thanks Ed, Kids, Amberlyn, Mary and everyone else who wished me a Happy Birthday! I got like 35 texts too!

*You know how it is when you're single- you're always afraid to "define your relationship". But they are the cutest couple and I'm secretly hoping they get married. Guess it's not a secret anymore! Don't kill me Mary- no one really reads my blog anyway! :)

Good Job Girls!

2008-08-05T09:19:00.003-06:00

Stadium of Fire

2008-08-05T09:03:00.002-06:00

What a crazy Fourth of July week- all the practices, shuffling back and forth to and from the stadium.... it was fun!

So Betsy and I decided to meet at my house at 5 p.m. The girls had to be to the stadium at 7 p.m. I went to Sally's and bought 3 sets of fake eyelashes, the extra pair for Chalese. So about 4:30, Haylee came up with wet hair and since Ed was standing around, I put him to work blow drying Haylee's massive head of hair. I laid out the eyelashes on the table as I was attaching them to Hannah's eyes. I got one side glued on just as a gust from the hair dryer came sailing across the table. I looked down and her other eyelash was gone! Betsy and Chalese were walking in at that moment when I started to fa-reak out! I can never just let anything go so I continued to twirl around the kitchen while yelling and cursing. Finally, Betsy's reasoning overcame me (she had been telling me to let it go for minutes on end.) Chalese didn't really want fake eyelashes anyway despite my insistence that we stop at Sallys on the way to the Stadium.....

Once we got to the stadium, I was as calm as a cucumber. They make all these threats that if the girls aren't lined up on time that they could be replaced by an alternate dancer. This is very stressful to know that you spent all this money and time and if you're late at all- it's all over. So like I said, once we got there- stressball here was A-okay.

The girls performed fabulously. Thanks to my luck at getting great seats on craigs list, we could see the girls perfectly. I was so emotional when they were dancing- I can hardly sit through any performance of theirs without balling. I'm such a proud mama.

Miley Cyrus actually put on a great show. I'm sure that I like her music more than the girls.

After the show, I bought the girls official Miley Cyrus Stadium of Fire 2008 t-shirts. Haylee and Chalese put them on right away. Hannah decided she would wait- she was still trying to figure out if liking Miley was cool or not.... (ohhh to be young again)

On the way home, we drove with the van door open since it was soooo hot and since we were crawling through traffic anyway. This seemed to make the girls very nervous- they kept asking Betsy and I to close it. What rebels we moms are! A car full of BYU guys kept bugging us that our door was open... (I've forgotten how little effort it takes to entertain a zoobie). When this car full of boys heard that we had "Stadium Dancers" in the car, they erupted into cheers and congratulations. Haylee couldn't stop giggling.

It was a very fun night!

During Picture (since I'm not done)

2008-08-04T22:08:00.005-06:00

August 4, 2008

186 pounds

Before Picture

2008-08-04T20:32:00.001-06:00

July 2007

230 lbs.

My "Secret" Weight Loss

2008-08-04T18:26:00.005-06:00

So most of you now that I have struggled with losing the baby fat. In my case, baby fat refers to the pounds I gain when I am thinking about getting pregnant, when I am pregnant, when I'm post par-tum, and during the two years that I'm trying to take care of a newborn.

Since in my case, the vicious cycle has repeated itself well before the previously mentioned two years has gone by, I have never really made it a priority to lose that weight.

5 kids, 20 extra un-lost pounds from each pregnancy = 100 pounds!

I decided that since my child-bearing ability changed last fall that it was now or never. So I began working on losing the weight.

I came across a Fabulous program and am happy to say that after 4 months, I have lost 43 pounds! For details on this program and my experience see http://www.confessof2fatgirls.blogspot.com

Now- why the secret? Well- 2 of my BFF's (Denise & Robin) have recently lost a lot of weight. In March, we began planning a girls weekend in Las Vegas and I knew I was going to be the only "fat one" there. I wanted to surprise them so badly that I decided not to mention my efforts on the phone, on my blog, etc.

Truth be told, I also didn't want to mention my efforts in case I failed. Other than my family, Robin and Denise are the 2 most people that I want to be proud of me.

This was highly motivating for me. I had a goal to lost 40 pounds by July 17th. And knowing that they would see me and "freak out" made me push myself harder than I ever have.

So I met my first goal. Now I'm working towards losing 7-10 pounds per month for however long it takes me to get to 130 pounds. I'll probably even out about 150 eventually but I would like to be 130 just once more in my lifetime (and not when 95 yrs. old taking my last breath).

Sidenote: Some of you may read Amberlyn's Pounding the Pavement blog which can be found by clicking on the link at the beginning of this post. When Amberlyn started the blog, she invited me to post on it as well (I am the other fat girl). I told her that I would be happy to... but I was trying to keep my weight loss efforts a secret from Denise and Robin. So we, I mean I, decided to create an alias to post under so that I could remain in secret. I just have to say that after this experience, I understand why Batman and Superman have such a conflicted existence. It's a full time job to keep up an alias and your real life at the same time. Anyway- if you follow the pounding the pavement blog at all you know that there are a couple of posts from "Mandy"- this is a nickname for Amanda Covington, my alias. Sorry to deceive you. If it's any consolation, I have more of a conscience than Batman and Superman so I couldn't keep up the charade.... this is why there are only a few posts from her.

Coming Soon....

2008-07-27T12:35:00.005-06:00

I have one more week of craziness and then I will catch up my blog. I have so many fun things to write about. Stay tuned for the exciting details of:

- My "secret" 43-pound weight-loss
- Hannah & Haylee's awesome performance in Stadium of Fire
- The end of Softball season
- My "Girls Gone Crazy" Fabulous weekend with Robin & Denise
- The "Party Every Day" week of the Beatty girls' visit to our home
- Family picture event
- Heritage Ward Girls Camp

I'll make sure to attach lots of pictures too.

Although you'll have to go to Denise's blog to see the one of me in the bathroom!

Who Needs a Green Thumb?

2008-05-26T21:25:00.002-06:00

Turns out that even though I haven't got a green thumb- I can still keep an orchid alive. I've had this one a whole year! Ed gave it to me Mothers Day in 07. Everyone I've talked to says these are hard to keep alive and very finicky. Which is funny because I've killed every plant I've ever owned- usually within 4 or 5 months. This is the first time it's bloomed 5 different flowers! I think it's absolutely beautiful.

4 Down and 1 To Go

2008-05-26T21:15:00.006-06:00

Kindergarten Graduation!

I can't believe it! This is him and his teacher, Mrs. Olson. She has taught all of the kids- 4 Huhtalas in 5 years! I asked her if she was tired and ready for a break from our family. :)

I'm proud of Logan and happy that he finally caught on to school. He didn't start reading until about January so I was a little nervous. Turns out it just took him awhile to "warm up" to learning.

Congratulations Logan!

Any Ideas?

2008-04-19T13:50:00.003-06:00

Next month, my RS lesson is "Gifts of the Spirit" from the Joseph Smith manual. This is a fabulous lesson and I'm really excited to teach it. It happens to fall on Mother's Day. And as a favor for all the moms, the men in the ward are covering Primay and YW so that every single woman in our ward can attend Relief Society that day.

All the women in our ward can be a pretty intimidating bunch. Now, I'm not one to intimidate easily and I wouldn't say that's what I'm feeling. I actually feel more honored that this happened to fall on my Sunday. I feel a great responsibility to uplift and inspire these women. They're leaving their stewards in the hands of the men to become my stewards so I want to make it special.

So if you haven't read the lesson, could you? And please pass on any ideas you have on how to present the lesson. Thanks for your help!

BYU Who?

2008-04-19T13:35:00.004-06:00

My friend Misty is a Ute fan.

Actually, let me rephrase. My friend Misty is a University of Utah fanatic. There are only 3 things, that I've found that she loves more than the Utes.... her husband, her boys, and her dog. Other than those things, she lives for Ute football and basically anything waving the crimson flag.

She invited me to an Utah vs. BYU gymnastics meet. I thought it would be fun for the girls to go too. So the 3 of us, escorted by the Utes #1 fan, Misty went to the meet. It was so fun! Actually watching a meet live instead of on TV was great! The Utah team was in a totally different league. It was exciting to watch the routines, especially when someone "stuck it". It happened to be the last meet for 3 of their seniors so the stadium was packed and the crowd was great.

We had a great time- it was fun hanging out with my girls and Misty. And I even let Misty think she converted us...... until football season. :)

Damn that Hannah Montana!

2008-04-05T16:46:00.003-06:00

So the girls decided yesterday that they wanted to perform again in the Stadium of Fire. Since they have performed before, the dance studio's, owner Tresa was happy to make room for my girls without an audition. We dropped off a check and we're good to go.

Until..... I got online and tried to purchase a Stadium of Fire ticket! They are sold out! Rumor has it, they sold out in half an hour. What? This is crazy? In previous years, I didn't even buy my tickets until May or June. Well, guess who is performing? You got it- Mylie Cyrus! Now for those of you who aren't from around here you may not know that she performed in SLC about 6 months ago. That concert sold out in 6 minutes. So they added another concert night which sold out in about 1/2 day. A lot of these tickets ended up on Craigs List and Ebay for double or triple the cost.

So... Number 1: A lot of these people who bought SOF tickets don't even care about the event. They are not going to go. They are going to try to make a killing on the tickets that they bought. Number 2: I am not willing to allow my 10 and 9 year old girls go to the SOF without me in the stands. I'm not willing to pay $150 per child so that I can sit outside in the parking lot and wonder what they look like on the field.

Had we been prepared or decided to perform sooner we wouldn't have had this problem because the dancers of each studio had a chance to pre-purchase up to 5 tickets. The only reason my girls decided to do it was because the next door neighbor girl decided to and they, being veterans of the event, wanted to support her (the neighbor girl passed the audition but with a few conditions so she needs a little help) I'm proud of them for wanting to support her and do it with her. But now I've got a find way to get into the Stadium of Fire without paying another $300 for a ticket!

Here are my ideas so far:

1. E-mail all the radio stations and Good Things Utah to see if they'll take pity on me.

2. Talk to everyone I know to see if they have any connections whatsoever that can help me.

3. Let the Studio owner know that I need a ticket in case one of the other dancers' mom's has an extra ticket to sell. (I have already done this)

If you have any other suggestions, that would be great!

You know me, I will not stop without a ticket in hand.

Solemn Assembly

2008-04-05T16:37:00.004-06:00

I don't typically wax spiritual on my blog (not intentionally really- just don't do it often) but I wanted to mention what an awesome experience this morning's session of General Conference was for me and my family. Usually on Saturday's we half-heartedly listen because we are taking care of Saturday chores, shopping, etc., but this weekend I wanted to make sure we sat down as a family for the sustaining of our new prophet, Pres. Monson.

I felt the spirit so strong when I was asked as a member of the Relief Society to stand up and sustain him. It also gave me a chance to bear that testimony to my children as Hannah and Haylee were asked to stand and sustain him as well. What a wonderful gift we are given to have the Holy Ghost to testify of truth and what a wonderful blessing to have a living Prophet! I'm grateful for my Savior and for the restored Gospel.

And on a lighter note, I'm grateful to have a break from church twice a year!

Water Logged

2008-04-01T21:06:00.002-06:00

This was so adorable! I hollered to Haylee to bring me the camera- quick! He loves his baths- in fact I haven't had a kid that didn't love bath time. Anway- thought this was cute so I wanted to share.

April Fools!

2008-04-01T21:03:00.001-06:00

So I thought I would do something fun for April Fool's Day. The boys actually thought it was dirt! They should make gummy worms brown- it would be more convincing.

Doggie Periods

2008-04-01T00:06:00.003-06:00

OK- I know this is the last thing you guys want to read about but Sadie is on her period again. We have never gotten her fixed because we really wanted her to have puppies at least once. Well, I threw away her "panties" because she had outgrown them and never went to Petsmart to get a new pair. So, Ed and I being inventive, put her in a Pull-up. Well, actually, it's a Good Night-but same concept.

Oh! The things I do for this dog - we love our Sadie Lou!

Reasons for Allowance

2008-03-29T23:21:00.004-06:00

I never used to pay my kids allowance. There is a lot of work to be done to keep a home running and part of being a member of a family is doing your fair share around the house. That was my philosophy. So the only way they got paid for chores was if they asked for, were assigned, and completed an extra job.

Surprisingly, no one really asked for these extra jobs on a consistent basis.

I realized that by not giving them an allowance, that I wasn't creating a situation to teach them about tithing, money management and financial obligations.

So we started paying them a weekly allowance that is equal to the amount of daily and weekly chores that they are assigned. I pay them the last Saturday of the month (I can remember it better like this- kind of like a bill).

Well, the boys have been getting invited to a lot of b-day parties- much more than the girls. They each got invited to a friend's party Friday night. All of these parties were getting old. So I put a new rule into place.

If you get invited to a birthday party and would like to attend, you are responsible for buying the gift. I thought this might deter the boys from wanting to go on Friday. Nope. They ponied right up! They each gave me $10 (all the money in their bank) to get a present for their friend.

At first, I felt a little guilty since I don't know any parent who makes their five year old pay for their friend's present. But then I realized that this helps them learn exactly what I wanted them to learn in the first place by paying them an allowance.

So tough or not- this is way we're going to roll when it comes to friend's birthday parties.

(Side note: Isn't it funny to watch how each child saves or spends their money? It's like an inherit trait or something. Haylee is our saver (she has over $50), Alex is our spender, too soon to tell about Logan, and Hannah has figured out that quality matters so while she doesn't save just to save like Haylee- she will save for a specific item rather than buy the first junky thing she sees at Wal Mart.)

Here? Already?

2008-03-29T22:59:00.003-06:00

Hannah had her first babysitting job today.

So I was sitting around the house in the early afternoon just watching the first 4 episodes of Dancing with the Stars that I had missed in the last couple of weeks when a woman from the ward called and asked, "Does your daughter babysit?"

I said, "Well, she's 10."

Miranda: "Right. But she seems so much older."

Me: "She is very mature and very responsible and I do leave her home alone with her brothers and sister occasionally and she does a great job but she hasn't really had any official babysitting jobs."

This didn't matter to Miranda. She had called all of the YW and there was absolutely no one available. So I asked Hannah if she wanted to and she said yes. She ended up babysitting about 3 hours for Miranda's 4 year old and almost 2 year old.

She called me 3 times to ask for guidance.

How did I get here? When did I get here? Obviously I know the answers but for the love..... we're here already? It just seems like yesterday that the was walking around in her dress-up high heels and her underwear fully accessorized with a beaded necklace and tiara.

I'm old. My kids are old. And I want time to slow down.

I do feel proud and consider it a compliment however, that others think my daughter is responsible and mature. And I think it's to her credit as much as it is mine.

And now more than ever, I'm trying to "Enjoy the Journey" and not wish it away- because this is it..... I'm trying to enjoy each day I have with Hannah and my other children because it won't be long before they're gone.

Oh... and her and I are going to make a babysitting bucket this next week so she'll be prepared for her next job. At least she is still young enough to think that having her mom help her with this project is a good idea!

Easter Sunday

2008-03-26T18:50:00.006-06:00

Easter Sunday was great! Ed's sister, Melissa, asked him to bless her baby so we went down to Santaquin at 1 p.m. for a luncheon and the blessing was at 3 p.m. We did an Egg Hunt in between. We had several people taking our picture so half of us are looking at the wrong camera but this is as good at is gets.

The girls and I had kind of a black and white theme going on and the boys were supposed to be blue and green. But Ed wore a white shirt since he was doing the blessing. My color scheme obviously looks better when the boys and girls are pictured separately.

We finished off the day with a family walk around the neighborhood (it was beautiful here) and then while the kids played, Ed and I jumped on the tramp together. It was a very fabulous day!

I Fight Dirty!

2008-03-19T22:15:00.002-06:00

This was on Dawn's blog and I thought it was funny. You have to think of the worst neighbor kid ever on your worst day ever. Then you'll get a high score!

A Little Ditty....

2008-03-19T13:36:00.004-06:00

not about Jack & Dianne.

I must say the funnest (I know... not a word.... one more reason why my blog was rated at a Jr. High reading level! See Denise's blog for details) thing about blogging is coming up with funny titles. At least they are funny to me- I must say, I crack myself up! Nothing new to you though.

So- this is just a little ditty to say Hi and I'm thinking about all of you! I wish I had all day long to sit and blog- I absolutely love it. I was just re-reading some of my posts and your wonderful comments and realized that this forum is great for sharing my thoughts and feelings. Your comments help me so much. (BTW- damn you people for visiting my blog and not leaving any comments! ) Don't know if there are any of you out there- but there is your warning if there are.

Have a great Wednesday (hump day- what a funny term for Wednesday- I prefer Friday's for this). Ok- that might have been a little over the top but I know all of you are laughing your heads off! Probably laughing at me- but I"ll take it.

We all need to laugh more! Let it out- it's fun! Life is fun. Have a brilliant day!

Mary Kay Order

2008-03-18T17:44:00.003-06:00

I'm doing a new MK order in the next week or so. I can't really publish the details so if you want something- just e-mail me and I we can correspond that way. What I can say is this, "ouya illwa etga yma iscountda ichwha isa iftya ercentpa." So e-mail me!

Yeah! I did it!

2008-03-12T22:49:00.002-06:00

I was tired of my old background and it's 10:50 MST.

Which means that it is is 12:50 EST and that is the time zone where my Professional Blog Designer lives.

I guess I could have waited another hour and she would have been up at 2 a.m. but I thought I'd try it myself.

What do you think?

Title Piece

2008-03-05T16:37:00.003-07:00

You know the name of my blog is Enjoy the Journey- and I just have to say, that I am!

Enjoying the Journey that is.

You know when the kids were young, I could never see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was convinced that they would be small and helpless FOR-EV-ER. And now, here it is, about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday- the boys are quietly playing downstairs, the girls are at Activity Days and the baby (who becomes a toddler next Monday) is sleeping. I am so blessed! Seriously, most of you had to suffer through me having four kids four and under- you saw the chaos. Heck- half of you were it the midst of the same chaos yourselves. I love this stage of my life where I have just enough time to myself. I'm doing so many fun things- some new some old.

I get to go to Book Club once a month. Just finished reading our March selection, "The Thirteenth Tale."

I play Bunco once a month. I quit this for about 4 months because book club and bunco were on the same night and I've been doing book club longer so I chose that. But now they are on different nights so I get to go to both.

I get my hair done regularly. Right now I get it weaved with 3 different colors. A blonde, a red (borderline fuschia - love it) and a dark brown. I love the way it looks! She does one red to every 2 blonde and brown so the red just adds dimension- it's not overpowering and obnoxious. And I have a style that is easy to do but looks like I spent a lot of time on it. Fabulous!

I am loving playing with "my look". I just got new glasses- they have kind of a deep purple frame. They have transition lenses when I walk outside so they turn into sunglasses. And I got some green colored contacts for when I'm not wearing my glasses. So cute!

And I love knowing my family is complete. It's such a great feeling knowing I listened when I had the promptings to have another baby. I have no regrets. Now that I can't have any more children, it comforts me to know that I obeyed when I was told to have more kids. Can you imagine my pain, my anguish, if in hindsight I had ignored those promptings? It's unimaginable to me.

I'm sure there are more things that I am loving about this part of my journey- actually I could go on and on. And I know that life will not always be about me and all the fun things I get to do but right now I'm enjoying it!

Confessions of a Skinny Girl

2008-02-26T20:36:00.002-07:00

I was talking to a friend (who is skinny- I mean thin as it gets skinny) and she was saying how her daughter who is 10 years old is always eating. She was asking me how I keep my kids from over-eating. That conversation wound it's way to the serving size of a Hershey's kiss (her answer made me gasp! in surprise). This conversation (and other recent friends' blogs) started me thinking, "What would it be like if I was skinny?"

Disclaimer: This post is strictly for laughs- I am not wishing to offend anyone - skinny or otherwise.

Confession #1: I could only eat 1 Hersheys kiss at a time so what is the point of buying a whole bag?

Confession #2: I would get so constipated because there would be hardly any fat in my diet (and I need fat because I don't have a gall bladder.)

Confession #3: I wouldn't have any more friends because they all loved me when I was "fat and sassy".

So I'm happy for now being on the chubby side- this sounds absolutely dreadful!

Primary Jamboree

2008-02-22T18:36:00.008-07:00

The girls had their Recognition Night Sunday and I videotaped their performance. My Hannah choreographed the entire dance. Haylee coordinated music, hair, outfits and how to end their dance. The other dancer Hannah is Amberlyn's oldest daughter.

Other than the minor criticisms from me, their perfectionist mother, (which BTW I did not mention to them) it turned out pretty good. Their clogging teacher was very impressed and asked them to perform it at the dance studio's spring recital in May. Please excuse the lamo recording job (technical things are not my strong suit).

The Flu

2008-02-21T09:07:00.002-07:00

I actually got the flu. The one on the news. I remember saying to Robin one year, "How do people die from the flu?" Well, now I understand. And believe me, I won't be going without a flu shot ever again. (Even though this year the CDC said it was only 40% effective)

It started with a cough on Sunday. Then in the middle of the night, I woke up with a 102 degree fever. I've been in bed ever since.

My poor kids! Ed worked Tuesday and Wednesday so they were pretty much on their own. Hannah woke me up Tuesday night and said, "Mom, it's 7 o'clock. Dad's not home yet and we haven't eaten. Can I make pancakes?" By the time Ed got home, hunger was averted and the kitchen was getting cleaned up.

Wow- it's never easy to be sick but to know that things will run without you and you don't have to crawl out of bed to tie a shoe or do someone's hair is a really great thing.

Ed has the rest of the week and this weekend off which means I can relax and get better. But I've already been in bed for 4 days- how much longer?

Dream Guy

2008-02-15T23:56:00.006-07:00

Ed is so great to me! He bought me my "pajama-gram two weeks ago for V-day. When it came in the mail, he was so excited, he had me open it right away.

Also- I really wanted flowers. And I've been married long enough that I know when I want something that rather than drop hints and hope he catches on that I should just say what I want. So I got flowers yesterday at work- white roses. He proposed to me with white roses. And it didn't lessen it that I had to tell him that's what I wanted.

I'm still working on his V-day present. I'm a slacker. But that's okay too- because there have been plenty of years where I spoiled him.

Thanks honey! You're the best!

Let it Snow.... okay STOP!

2008-02-06T16:43:00.000-07:00

I'm sure there are areas of the country that have more snow than this (like in the backwoods of Montana) but it has been such a crazy winter with a snow storm just about every other day. As you can see- on the left side of our house, you can completely walk up and over a 3 foot fence. In some areas of our neighborhood, you can do that with a 6 foot fence. The boys (and the dog) are sure are having fun though! Me? I just want to wear flip-flops again- my toes need to breathe.

Technology Impaired, but Grateful

2008-01-29T23:16:00.000-07:00

In the age of cell phones, texting, instant-messaging, i-pods, blogs, etc., I've often felt handicapped. Since most of these things became mainstream in my late-twenties while I was busy having babies and figuring out how to pinch a penny- I've been lost.

However, lately, I've figured out how to use these mediums to do many worthwhile things and I'm so grateful!

Ed and I started texting each other when we have something to say throughout the day. It's been great for him since he works in a hospital and can't answer a cell phone. My mom and I text as well- we remind each other to watch American Idol, etc.

As you well know, I've been consistently posting messages on my own blog as well as checking my close friend's blogs almost every day. This has allowed me to become closer to them despite the thousand plus miles between us. I can even hear their voices as I read what they've written. I"ve been uplifted as they've shared their testimonies. I have felt awe at their amazing strengths and accomplishments. Most of all, I've felt love and acceptance.

Robin and I sometimes g-mail chat online - how wonderful that we can connect like this. Chatting is a great way to talk because you can multi-task at the same time. And if you ever wonder what I'm smokin' on my blog you surely don't want to g-mail chat- it's even crazier..... Robin can handle it though- she's an uber-IM'er!

And, occasionally, as I'm just getting into bed, Ed will hand me an earphone bud attached to his i-pod and play me a romantic, relaxing song. What a great way to fall asleep!

All of these devices and programs can surely get out of control quickly but when used for good purposes, and in moderation can really help you cope with life! I love technology. It still takes a back seat to a nice, handwritten, snail-mail card but I love the immediacy of it all.

Sweet Serenity

2008-01-24T22:23:00.000-07:00

Spanish Fork now has it's own little piece of Heaven. It's called Primrose Retreat- and it's a full-service Day Spa & Tea Room (Whatever tea room means. It sounds posh though, right?).

It's fabulous! I have been there 3 times. But tonight I had to take a picture because I went with Amberlyn and it's probably our last girls thing just with the two of us before she has her baby.

Tonight I had a peppermint pedicure- it's was wonderful and I'm going to wear flip-flops tomorrow to show off my beautiful feet. Nevermind that there is 3 feet of snow on the ground at my house. Nevermind that it's supposed to snow 5 out of the next 6 days.

I can't wait for all of you to visit me and we'll go together!

What more could a little boy ask for?

2008-01-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

Little boy- not baby. Can you believe it? I can't. My baby is almost 2! Anyway, I found this on the camera today and thought it was the cutest thing ever. Ed said Aidan climbed up on the bean bag to read his "Cars" book and Sadie followed him up. Next thing you know, they are both fast asleep. A boy with his cars and his dog- what else is there?

So What?

2008-01-22T17:16:00.000-07:00

(New & Improved Version) As I was responding to Hilary's blog entry about scrap booking, I started thinking about how we (and maybe it's just me so from here on out instead of assuming it's you too, I'll refer to me) all have an over-achiever's complex. I seem to think that I should be able to do everything and be everything when it comes to anything motherly, wifely, or womanly. I look at what someone else has done or is doing and think to myself, "I should do that," or "I need to make time for that" or "If I was a good mom, wife or woman, I would do that." But why do I think this way? I am truly warped! I know that all women are different and have different strengths and I would never want any of you to look at something I do and feel bad that you're not doing it. So why do I continue to rake myself over the coals because I should be doing something that I'm not. Do I think I'm a super-human? Of course not! When I think through it instead of letting my super-hero, over-achiever self kick-in, I know that I'm on the right track- I know that my day is well-rounded and that by the time I fall into bed, I have done my best at every role I play in some one's life. And I am very secure- I know I'm capable, smart, worthwhile and let's not forget HOT! (I know I say this last part jokingly, but I really do look in the mirror and think I'm one good-looking chick- from the waist up). So I'm making a goal to be okay with my so whats.... I'm committing to not think I'm superwoman. Here are some of my so whats- feel free to share yours- it's therapeutic to say it out loud.

So what if I don't scrapbook- I have all the digital photos printed each year and place them in a numbered photo album chronologically. (This is what got me thinking)

So what if I don't cut coupons or belong to any grocery guru club. I shop for my family and make an effort to provide healthy snack choices for my kids and cook dinner almost every night.

So what if I don't refinish furniture or constantly think of ways to decorate my house. I take care of what I have and try to save for something new each year.

So what if I don't go to the gym everyday. I try to make good food choices and stay active.

So what if I'm not eloquent or diplomatic. I always make time for my friends and try to serve them. (This one sounded a little arrogant when I added the so what so I changed it a little.)

So what I don't sew, quilt, or crochet. I know how so when I do want to do those things, I can.

These are only a few- you get the idea. I'm going to try this the next time I feel like I'm not doing enough.

It's Mr. Ed & No, not the famous one (cuz he was a horse!)

2008-01-21T17:48:00.000-07:00

Because I am a faithful follower of My Amazing Blogging friends, here is my answers to Tag, My Husbands It.

What’s his name? Edwin Carl Emil

How long have you been together? We got married on October 17, 1996 which is about how long we've been together since we never really dated first. Won't bore you with the details since you all know them.

How long did you date? We didn't. I'll quote Denise, "When you KNOW, you KNOW."

How old is he? 35 HAH HAH!

Who eats more? Him- always- so why the heck am I the fat one?

Who said I love you first? I don't remember- all of those normal dating rituals are a little hazy.... oh!- that's right because didn't follow any of the normal dating rituals.

Who is taller? Ed's 6'2" to my 5'6"

Who is smarter? Ed about anything medical, constructional, logical, or historical. Me in the common sense, I can remember things without a to-do list, kind of way.

Who does laundry? Ed does- on his days off. I put away the clothes.

Who does the dishes? Again, quoting Denise, "HELLO, the kids!"

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me- why are all you people trying to define it?

Who pays the bills? We do it together- a recent development.

Who mows the lawn? He does until our kids are old enough that I can say Hello! The kids.

Who cooks dinner? Generally me, although if I have a girls night out- he is not scared to take care of it.

Who drives when you are together? If I can't ride without making any comments, than I do.

Who is more stubborn? Duh- do I really need to answer this question? (It's me if any first-timers are reading)

Who kissed who first? Again- normal dating rituals? Not us. But I do remember our first kiss. It went something like this. From opposite sides of the room after we had just "decided" to get married. Amy: "So since we're going to get married, shouldn't we kiss?" Ed: "Ya.... I guess so." So we met in the middle and sealed the deal with a kiss. We've never looked back. We did look look around a little this past year. J/K We just had a pretty rough year last year.

Who proposed? He did, officially, 7 days after the above mentioned version of a marriage proposal.

Who asked out who first? He did. On August 27th, he asked me to go to the Mt. Timpanogos Temple Open House - he had tickets for Sept. 11th. We just happened to already be engaged by the time Sept. 11th rolled around. Here's the official timeline (all occurring in 1996):

August 22-24th: Met at a Branch campout in Moab

August 27th: Asked me out on a date

August 28th: Decided to get married

Sept 4th: Officially proposed to me at Deer Creek at Sunset

Sept. 11th: First Date

Oct. 17: Married

Mind boggling. Although something occurred to me while looking up these dates. (I always knew them by day and not date). One of our very good friends, Luther Smith, died in a car wreck on August 22nd. He was visiting his fiance's family in Atlanta when he hit a truck head-on going freeway speed. We attended his funeral, separately, on August 26th. Looking back, I wonder if the loss of Luther's life played a part in our urgency. Maybe we were more tuned to the Spirit because of this tragedy. Most often when someone attends the funeral of a friend you contemplate your own existence, your own purpose. So when God told me to marry Ed, I listened. Because I knew he knew what was best for me. And the only thing you know for sure in this life is that if you listen to God, everything will be alright.

Who has more siblings? Ed. He has 5 sisters- I only have one obnoxious little brother.

Who wears the pants in the family? Most people would say me- only because I'm more stubborn and I don't need to make a to-do list to get things done. But really, we wear the pants together- one on each leg. We're learning to manage the family and the kids together. Each of us is qualified and trusted to make everyday decisions regarding the kids and other misc. daily tasks. But on the big things, we decide together- usually each of us trying to persuade the other. There are definitly perks to being a woman and I do usually get what I ask for... and so does he... it's just that I usually ask for for more.

Alexander the Great

2008-01-16T23:04:00.000-07:00

So Alex is great but made a not so great choice yesterday. He cheated at school. Some of you may be wondering what makes a First grader tempted to cheat..... recess. So Alex has daily homework that he turns in every morning. Apparently, if you don't turn it in, you cannot go to morning recess. He is supposed to finish the homework page every day after school and put it in his homework folder inside his backpack when he is finished so he is not scrambling around trying to find stuff before school. Yesterday morning at 8:30, be began looking for his homework folder and couldn't find it. You know about how much effort a first grader puts into looking. I've helped him out before but I felt it was time for him to be accountable and I try really hard to not be one of those "rescue-ing moms". So he went to school unprepared. I never dreamed he'd would turn in someone else's homework so he could go to recess! Obviously, I found about his behavior after school- we had a long talk- he felt the weight of making a wrong choice and was very emotional. At dinner time, this was his "Low" - that he cheated. I also made him admit his wrong-doing to his father and apologize to his teacher. I hope he has learned his lesson. When I was is first grade, I stole a Little Kitty eraser out of some one's desk in another class and put it in my own desk. After lunch, I pulled out my new eraser and showed everyone. I think that's how I got caught- everyone knew I hadn't ran to the store during lunch time.

Hannah Canna

2008-01-16T22:48:00.000-07:00

do anything.... she is a very talented young lady. But the thing I've always loved most about my firstborn is that she didn't know she was different than any other kid. She thought every kid her age could ride a two-wheeler bike when they were 2 years old (thanks to Denise). But lately, she is starting to realize that she is extraordinary and is getting a borderline superiority complex. I know it's because of school, dance and church teachers who praise her incessantly. She getting her first taste of adults besides her parents thinking she is fabulous. I want her to know she is special but not feel prideful and superior. I want her to feel confident but not arrogant. I don't know how to do this... but the good news is she still thinks I'm fabulous which allows for some pretty cool conversations. I guess as long as she is still talking and sharing things with me we still have a shot.

High & Low

2008-01-16T22:29:00.000-07:00

I've been struggling with enjoying dinner time and with the start of a new year, I've re-committed myself to making dinner every night with the intention of making meal time true family time. I heard something in Relief Society that I thought might help and tried it out. It's called High & Low. Around the dinner table, each family member shares with everyone the best thing and the worst thing that happened to them that day. The kids have loved it and dinner time is now one of my favorite times during the day. It gives us a chance to connect daily with the kids about their lives. If there is something we need to speak more in depth about, I can make time for that child later on in the evening. I love that as the kids get older, I want to spend time with them- as opposed to counting down the days until my next Girls Night Out.

Getting Together

2008-01-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

Robin asked when we were all getting together in a comment so I thought I'd take the lead and start the conversation. I think we should plan on somewhere easy for all of us to get too like Vegas or California and sometime after June (since Denise and Robin are available to leave home around June). We could even do one of those short cruises that go along the Southern shore of California. Or if we needed to be budget-savvy, we could stay in Vegas. Obviously, this conversation started with Denise, Robin and I but we would love it if Hilary and Theresa and others could join us. (Dory and Amberlyn included!) It's all about somewhere for us all to connect and hang out because we are Moms and we need vacations! Anyway, feel free to leave your suggestions and let's get it planned!

BTW- The past get-togethers have been a blast! I promise you will have fun- laugh alot, eat alot and relax a lot. You will not want to miss our slumber-party conversations for sure!

We Love the Wii!

2008-01-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

Santa brought our family a Wii for Christmas and it's a total blast! We played it tonight for family home evening. In fact, this the 2nd week in a row we've played it for FHE. Who needs to go to a bowling alley when you can bowl at home with Mii's that look just like you? We've waited 10 years to get a gaming system and I'm so glad this is the one we chose! It's great family time and everyone loves to play it. It's very inter-active and the thing I love most about it is you don't just sit there and play it- you have to get up and move around. We're all a little goofy over this new toy.....

My little "Frogger"

2008-01-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

Aidan loves his baths! Especially with his new towel!

I've Been Tagged

2008-01-13T17:43:00.000-07:00

A. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
B. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

10 years ago: (Jan 1998) Ed and I had a month old baby and were living in an apartment in Pleasant Grove. We were tag-team parenting to avoid putting Hannah in Daycare. Wow.... we were broke! But happy- and I can't believe the things I didn't know back then.

5 things on my to-do list today:
1. Finish my Relief Society Lesson
2. Catch up on my blogging- as per Denise's instructions.
3. Get ready for another fun-filled week!
That's all I have because today is Sunday and I don't make to-do lists on Sunday.

Snacks I enjoy:
Popcorn
Edamame
Anything chocolate
Crackers and Spinach Dip
Fruit

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Buy a cabin
2. Buy a Corvette
3. College funds for my own kids and anyone else I could help
4. Pay off my mortgage
5. Vacation everywhere

3 of my bad habits:
1. Biting my fingernails
2.Impulsive decisions
3.Quick Judgements (although you know I'm usually right!)

5 places I have lived:
1. Wichita, KS
2. Rexburg, ID
3. Las Vegas, NV
4. Provo, UT
5. Spanish Fork, UT

5 jobs I have had:
1. Administrative Asst.
2. Retail salesperson
3. Executive Asst.
4. Owned a paper route
5. Owner's Asst.
(Man- I sure do a lot of assisting.....)

5 things people don't know about me:
Let's get real.... all of you know just about everything about me. I really can't think of anything- that's because I'm a blabbermouth and what I think.... I speak. So- here is a lame attempt:
1. I have always wanted to write a book
2. I have always wanted to move to Hollywood and become famous
3. I love to dance
4. I love to drive really fast- when I'm by myself.... I'm crazy and I love it! I especially love to drive that canyon between St. George and Vegas- ooh baby I need a decent car to drive it in- not so fun in the Caravan.
5. I was a diver in High School

I tag Amberlyn, Hilary & I'm re-tagging Dory because she didn't post it after Robin tagged her!

A Year in the Life of the Huhtalas

2007-12-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

(to be sung to the tune of “Twelve Days of Christmas”)

In the year of oh seven, the Huhtala family: Fully finished their basement

In the year of oh seven, the Huhtala family: 2 surgeries and fully finished their basement

In the year of oh seven, the Huhtala family: 3 kids in dance class, 2 surgeries and fully finished their basement

In the year of oh seven, the Huhtala family: 4 school-aged children, 3 kids in dance class, 2 surgeries, and fully finished their basement

In the year of oh seven, the Huhtala family: 5 different sports, 4 school-aged children, 3 kids in dance class, 2 surgeries, and fully finished their basement

In the year of oh seven, the Huhtala family: 6 swimming lessons, 5 different sports, 4 school-aged children, 3 kids in dance class, 2 surgeries, and fully finished their basement

In the year of oh seven, the Huhtala family: 7 church callings, 6 swimming lessons, 5 different sports, 4 school-aged children, 3 kids in dance class, 2 surgeries, and fully finished their basement

In the year of oh seven, the Huhtala family: 8 ER trips, 7 church callings, 6 swimming lessons, 5 different sports, 4 school-aged children, 3 kids in dance class, 2 surgeries, and fully finished their basement

In the year of oh seven, the Huhtala family: 9 hours of traveling, 8 ER trips, 7 church callings, 6 swimming lessons, 5 different sports, 4 school-aged children, 3 kids in dance class, 2 surgeries, and fully finished their basement

In the year of oh seven, the Huhtala family: 10 acts of service, 9 hours of traveling, 8 ER trips, 7 church callings, 6 swimming lessons, 5 different sports, 4 school-aged children, 3 kids in dance class, 2 surgeries, and fully finished their basement

In the year of oh seven, the Huhtala family: 11 family sayings, 10 acts of service, 9 hours of traveling, 8 ER trips, 7 church callings, 6 swimming lessons, 5 different sports, 4 school-aged children, 3 kids in dance class, 2 surgeries, and fully finished their basement

In the year of oh seven, the Huhtala family: 12 baby faces, 11 family sayings, 10 acts of service, 9 hours of traveling, 8 ER trips, 7 church callings, 6 swimming lessons, 5 different sports, 4 school-aged children, 3 kids in dance class, 2 surgeries, and fully finished their basement

We hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas! We feel our Savior’s love daily and are so grateful for this Christmas season to remind us of His birth. We will try to “do a little more” in 2008 and we challenge you to do the same.

Love Always,

The Huhtala Family- Ed, Amy, Hannah, Haylee, Alex, Logan & Aidan

*Some of these numbers are just for the sake of the song- see back page for more explanation

1. The basement is finished and just in time for our friends to come from Virginia and Oregon. We had 6 adults, 15 kids and 2 dogs under one roof for 4 days! It was a blast! We can’t wait for them to come again.

2. Haylee and I both had surgery this year. Haylee ended up performing in her dance recital just 3 days after her emergency appendectomy!

3. Alex joined the girls this year by taking a clogging class. Now we have 4 cloggers in the family! Haylee took ballet and clogging this year and Hannah did clogging and modern dance. The girls also performed in the Stadium of Fire (Provo’s Freedom Festival).

4. Time flies! We never thought we’d have 4 kids in school. Logan started Kindergarten and loves it. Alex is doing awesome in 1st grade. Haylee loves 3rd grade and is excelling in all of her subjects. Hannah’s 4th grade teacher is fabulous and she ended the term with straight A’s.

5. Well, it was only 3 different sports but it really felt like 300! We had baseball in the Spring, Soccer in the fall and a new edition this year… wrestling. Alex and Logan took wrestling for the first time. I thought they would be perfect at it since this is all they do at home. Alex placed 3rd in the Nebo Wrestling Tournament. Hannah and Haylee were on the same soccer team and placed 3rd in the league. They are quite the dynamic duo.

6. One of the things the kids look forward to the most about summer vacation is swimming lessons. They had a great time this year and also managed to avoid that community pool parasite.

7. We really only have 4 callings if you combine both mine and Ed’s (me 3, Ed 1). But I definitely wanted to include something about our ward since it is such a big part of our lives. We absolutely love our neighborhood and have learned so much from the people around us.

8. Yep- like all of you, I’m pretty sure we had at least 8 ER trips…. What family doesn’t?

9. We only took one trip this year- to St. George over Labor Day. We met my mom there and mostly just hung out at the hotel and in the pool. The kids loved it! I did get to go to Washington D.C. in July to visit Denise. I had so much fun although I do not recommend Virginia in July- holy humidity!

10. Acts of Service- We’re trying really hard as a family to serve one another so that we can have harmony and peace in our home. The kids do a great job of helping each other out.

11. Family Sayings- Ed and I have developed what we like to think of as clever ways to get our point across. I coined the phrase, “If you have time to kick it, you have time to pick it up.” Ed’s favorite is, “If you’re not gettin’ to bed… you’re gettin’ in trouble.” And the long-time favorite, “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.” Alex thinks our family has too many rules.

12. Baby Faces- Aidan is a hoot! One of our favorite things is to take turns pulling a face for Aidan to copy. He can glare and raise his eyebrows, among other funny faces. We’ve all had fun teaching him new ones and new phrases to say while he’s at it. It’s been such a joy having older kids to play with the “baby” and of course to help out as well.

I've Earned It.... Right?

2007-10-27T19:16:00.000-06:00

Okay- so good moms keep a clean house.... and hiring a maid or a housecleaner is for the rich people. So what if one day you feel like being a good mom by spending time with your kids instead of cleaning. Or worse, playing Natzi-mom to get them to clean? What then? You hire a housecleaner like the rich people! So obviously I've had some experience with this. This week, (I'm on my third week of recovering from major surgery) I know I needed to clean and bad. But I'm still not 100%, etc. Plus, while I was down recovering, the kids have basically just lived without their Mom. Dad has done the shopping, the cooking, the running errands, the cleaning (or not- thus the theme of this blog) and everything else that's needed to be done. Earlier in the week, I started to think about the weekend and getting bummed because my husband had to work all day long on Saturday. So I decided that I would do something fun with the kids but then realized that the house was in need of some TLC of its own. I wanted to hire a housecleaner so that I could do what I wanted to do. Ed had a real big problem with this. Who pays people money to clean their house? That's just a luxury we have not earned. Well.... I won. I chose my family over a clean house. And it really is that black and white to me. Who cares how much it costs? It's not like I'm going to do it every week but twice-three times a year? Perfect. So the kids I came home after being gone about 9 hours- I opened up the door to the slight smell of Pine-Sol. Never have I smelled a better smell. The smell of a clean house- that took all day long. But it didn't take me all-day long- I spent all day being a good mom. (By the way, I highly recommend the movie Game Plan- it was great!)

2006-10-22T14:19:00.000-06:00

Taking Time Out for Us

2006-10-22T14:04:00.000-06:00

My husband and I just took our first vacation in 10 years without the kids. We went to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It was the best trip I've ever been on. It was so nice to take long walks on the beach, hand-in hand and even just relaxing by the pool felt like Heaven. 10 years was too long to wait. Having 5 children has taught me the importance of taking time out for me- making time to do things I like to do so that I can feel renewed-rejunivated and be a better mom. What I didn't realize until this trip was that we need those time-outs as a couple too. It was great to re-connect with Ed and remember why I married him in the first place. Our daily lives are so filled with necessities of running a family (and have been since our 2nd year of marriage) that I've forgotten why I love him so much. I've forgotten how funny he is- how he makes me laugh. I've forgotten how sweet and thoughtful he is. I've forgotten how much fun we have together. Now, obviously, going off on a tropical vacation is not going to happen for another 10 years - but we can make time to spend together each week, each month and each year so that when our family is back down to just the two of us- we still want to spend time together and still want to be married.

Kids Say the Funniest Things

2006-06-14T20:49:00.000-06:00

Have you ever thought that if you wrote down all the funny things your kids say that you could fill an entire book? I love the way their thoughts just roll right off their tongue. They haven't developed that filter- you know the one in your brain that keeps you from saying some really embarrassing or stupid things. Adults (most of us) have become really good at censoring our thoughts for human consumption. We've also become really good at not saying things- not complimenting and praising people when they deserve it, not saying I love you, not sharing what we really think because it's not politically correct or we wonder what someone will think of us. I love that my kids just say what's on their mind. It cracks me up most of the time and humbles me too. My five-year old says to my husband the other day, "Of course Dad, I'm 5! My brain is big!" Then there are the really tender moments when he says, "Mom, do you know Heavenly Father is true, and he loves us?" and "Mom, you're beautiful." It's also so funny when they mispronounce words like my 4-year old says some-a-body and Alex who says Bemember instead of remember. I just corrected my six-year old who called popcorn- potcorn. The list goes on and on of funny things they say. I know that most of the time I'm so wrapped up in what I need to get done in a day that I don't appreciate the little things (or little people)- and those little things aren't going to be little for too much longer.

2006-05-26T11:22:00.000-06:00