Apparently I'm aiming for once a year update! :)

Check out the new family pics!  My darling friend Amy Schafer of Red Mountain Photography took these fabulous pictures early one hot July morning.  She was able to shuffle us into position for numerous shots, nearly 300 pictures in 45 minutes time so we hardly broke a sweat.  Way to go Amy!  Way to make it bearable and even fun! We were rather under a time crunch as McKendra was headed off to BYU, and Dan has been working in Florida.  So---it was this certain Monday morning that Dan was in town, or hope we could get it together in December.  So---8:15 in the morning in AZ in July can still be quite toasty, but Amy was a super hero and got it done!  Love it!!  I love the fabulous slice of life that pictures can be!  These people are truly my favorite!

Full Of JOY!! Seriously she came wired from Heaven with smiles and gladness!

This guy is a comedian! Who knew?  Plus a terrific soccer player, piano player and overall nice guy!

Fun older brother who is a little too smart for his own good!

Beautiful Kalissa nearly 14 and full of sass, but funny and talented too!  

Fabulous McKendra off to experience the fun of glorious learning at  Brigham Young University!! 

20 years goes pretty quickly so it seems!  I love this wonderful man!

Sometimes it's fun to be the youngest!

Beautiful girls that I adore!

Notice Kyden is on his tippie toes!

Love this one of my handsome boys!

Awwwww! :)

Family Pictures a little slice of time and Heaven!

Ideas that I love!

I love good ideas!  I love how they can simplify or enrich your life.  I have a few ideas buzzing around in my head, and I need to write them down before they have flown and I cannot access their goodness. 

1st.  Okay listen to this---we do big birthdays around here.  Sometimes too big.  We do a big ol breakfast, often special lunch at the school, favorite dinner, plus crazy yummy desserts, gifts, and every other year a party or a family event.  I was thinking that if I made a one page birthday planner in which the birthday kid can write down all their fondest dreams of food, events, gifts and etc...then at the end we would have a possible plan written out, a sample of their handwriting & a journal of what happened.  If the kiddo asked for way too much, then mom can make a note of what actually happened.  Then this birthday plan can be slipped into a scrapbook or journal helping to chronicle the day!  Plus extra bonus, this birthday plan can be posted on the fridge to help build the anticipation and show that kiddo that you value them and are planning to make sure they are celebrated!  Love it!  Now ideally, I am going to add a birthday service!  I want my kiddos to know where true joy comes, and it has never been from the accumulation of stuff.  For my birthday I got to go to Feed My Starving Children with a whole group of extended family!  It was a blast! (Plus I got to go on a long wonderful, day date with my handsome hubby!)  I'm absolutely writing up a birthday planner for Big D who just turned 16 this week.  His party is next week.  It's a bit retroactive for the actual day, but we'll have a record of the celebration in addition to the pics.  He got a smart phone--(sans the data) oh yeah, life is good to that kid!  :) 

2nd.  I've just barely gotten on top (wow that's an exaggeration)...I've just barely started to sort pictures, programs and paperwork of my 5 kiddos.  I've done a little along the way over the years, but as I added children and callings, I of course grew exponentially behind in scrapbooking (or as I like to call it PROOF of a good childhood!)  Well, my oldest is a senior (Gasp) and I am putting together a yearbook page for her, and I was thinking wouldn't it be grand to make a page of each child per year that features them in different events and activities of that year.  I'm only planning to have 4-6 pages per year per child, but an overview page of many faces would be an ideal and super cute way to conquer the seemingly unconquerable.  How to do this:  One computer folder per child per year filled with faces of the year i.e. Kyden 2013 filled with soccer, swim team, piano, Halloween, birthday, Christmas and etc.  It will be a great snapshot of that year and their cute faces!  I can see how these folders will come in handy over the years for senior year, eagle projects, birthdays, yearbooks, mission and wedding.  Love it.  Gonna do it! (Really I am starting today!)

3rd. Including in FHE...stories of childhood and of grandparents.  We just were introduced to the "My Family" pamphlet during Sunday School.  We LOVED it so much, that we will incorporate a family story in every FHE.  It can be based on a story from a grandparent, or a childhood story of the kiddos.  It really gives the kids a sense of belonging to a great family and since we do belong to a great family...let's capitalize on it.  IDEALLY, I could also journal a few lines in a family journal during/after FHE to write down the story.  Then we would have a mish mash collection of funny/charming and testimony building stories.  This is doable.  Own it and do it!

4th. This idea we are currently doing (bonus points) We have pinned a poster to the wall next to our dining room.  Everyone has a different color sharpie and everyday everyone writes down something they are thankful for.  Wow!  I LOVE this.  I feel that as a group our family is focusing on the good!  Focus on the blessings and suddenly the trials seem temporary or inconsequential!  Phew!  My 9 year old son has written these words this month so far:  Talents, An Education, Veterans, The Gospel, The Book of Mormon, Candy, Birthdays & Math.  Wow!  I am learning from that kiddo! :)  Who writes math?  

Yesterday with my cub scouts we earned the computer Belt Loop, I had each of them type this quote on the computer and print it out to accomplish the requirement:  Gratitude makes what you have enough.  So true.  So gloriously and simply accurate. 

Ok.  That's it.  Now I know where to add the ideas that stop for a landing in my thoughts, and I'll know where to come back to access them, and share a picture of two of the ideas that I put into motion!  Look for samples to come :) 

Why dreaming is necessary

You know that saying "housework makes you ugly"...I think there may be some truth to that.  Now having said that:  lack of housework makes your home unbearable...at least for me.  However, I would like to pontificate a bit about avoiding ugliness. 
There are certain activities that we tend to repeat daily, weekly and even monthly.  For example:  laundry (almost daily here peeps), food prep, food purchase, food clean up--Dishes!  (Seriously!)  While food may bring joy and lovely sustenance it is a time zapper to the extreme! Cleaning counters and floors via vacuuming, mopping and etc.  I could elaborate more, but you get the gist.
I think several days in a row of repetitive house cleaning can really affect the beauty of a person.  We are not talking about skin texture or fullness of hair (although I'm sure all these cleaning chemicals do not help :)  I am speaking of the inner personality beauty that pours out of a happy person. 
That is not all friends, let's talk about little people management.  Getting them up in the morning, getting them fed and prepped for school, not to mention daily instruction and reiteration in creating good habits:  make your bed, brush your teeth, manage hair, practice the piano, pack a lunch, tidy your room, help with homework and etc.
I'm sure we could all compare lists of things to accomplish this day and commiserate that it is often too long to tackle in a measly 24 hours.  It's really a shame that we have to fit sleep in there...just think of the time we could free up----although let's be serious here---Lack of sleep is the key component to UGLINESS.  We have seen it in children and we have experienced it as mommies.  That is why there needs to just be an unwritten rule for mommies of new babies and mommies of sick children:  "You must only read, play or nap with your children today...your list can wait!"  Anyone who has several interruptions during the night needs a break! 
Okay, so let's just say that we have established that we are all busy.  True. 
I think we can also safely say that attending to the loving/training of our children, housework and the endless food prep is necessary. 
But can I put a word in for dreaming? 
You are good at something, you are probably talented at several things.  We all are! 
Gordon B. Hinckley said: "Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured." 
I think using your talents and following your dreams helps to alleviate the dull activities like dishes and laundry.  We all have chores---so just do it...set a timer and beat that timer and just get it done! So if you want to still be beautiful despite the lines of experience that may be starting to show on your face INCLUDE YOUR DREAMS ON YOUR LIST and DO IT, or make a plan to make it happen.  
I've wanted to write children's books for several years, and it's never really been the time as I have been neck deep in taking care of my cute peeps, but this feels like the year.  Truly though, I am out of practice dreaming...in that big space inside my chest that was brimming with dreams and potential is a little bit of doubt that likes to call itself practicality.  Yeah, practicality while it has it's uses, still seems to press dreams to the background until they become old, shrunken and unrecognizable. 
Wow this will not suffice! 
So I have been dusting off my dreams and writing a few children's books.  Mostly it's fun and it is also a tiny bit terrifying.  What if I don't succeed?  Well----Who cares---part of living is just simply going for it.  If this dream turns out to be an exercise in learning, then that will be stinky, but maybe valuable.  Every week for years I have read out loud to classes of elementary school students.  Just think how fun it would be to read them one that I wrote! :)  Fun dream eh? 
I'm going for it!  I have to give it a try.  I don't want to sift through my old dreams in several years and see that over time they have become renamed:  "Regrets." 

What dreams keep you alive?  What dreams fill your heart with hope?  What can you contribute to the world in a wonderful way that will fill the world with beauty AND your soul at the same time.  Don't let those dreams fade.  You can do it!  :0)      

Okay we're still here...

I don't know if we can just skip 5 months and pop back onto the screen. I'm not sure, but apparently that is JUST what I am doing! Do NOT expect a full report, how about a few items. These are a few things on my mind:

1. Massive Rainbow cake in 6 different round cake pans waiting behind me on the kitchen counter to be put together! Woo Hoo! The Blue and Gold Cub Scout dinner is tonight people---and ya gotta bring the goods!

2. Numerous Dishes----(seriously) to accommodate the 6 different color layers from aforementioned cake! Hee Hee! Too bad I'm the grown up and have to do them!

3. My oldest is a sophomore---that means only 2.33 years until taking off to college! I feel the need to do lots of fun and fabulous memory making before she goes away! Childhood is pretty short! We did just visit Disneyland last week over spring break! Delightful.

4. Another blog----I know! Can you believe it? I thought blogging was passe, but I'm going to start another blog---specifically to uplifting thoughts and actions! Wow! Here I go! Visit me there! acheerfulthought.blogspot.com...but not yet, cause it's not ready ;) Or maybe it is...peek if you like!

5. I love my little 5 year old daughter---she is so full of joy, she can bring a smile to my face on the craziest of days! You should have seen her utter delight over the rainbow cake! Woo hoo! This is a fun life!

6. Life and Death. My hubby is out of town for a couple days visiting with his grandfather and aunts, as his grandmother just passed away. It is not really sad, she had a FULL life. It just reminds me life is short, except for some people (like my mom).

7. Ponder---the word of the day, maybe even the decade! Reflect and ponder and connect! I believe all of these words have to do with aligning ourselves with God. I'm grateful for everything that helps me to see with a proper perspective!

Okay---really that's it for now! I think---a titch of randomness after a long absence from bloggerdom. I hope you are happy!

How fun is this???

Well I have two darling girlie friends that I adore, and it just so happens that all the stars aligned and we were able to get together for a fabulous weekend of frolicking!

So what does one do? Um---some seriously fashion forward toes...yes, a must! Julie---where are your cheetah toes? Or are they fabulous and crazy gifaffe? Mine are still on by the way!

Look at these luscious flowers at the Rexburg temple, BEAUTIFUL. Incidentally for all those that did NOT know---the temple does close down at 3 p.m. on the day of the General Women's Broadcast! (I'm just saying!)

On the way to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, there is a very inspiring sign---that begs to be in a picture!

Here are our most beloved HOSTS at the Chateau Nef! Horseback riding, quad riding---seriously how fun it this! Evan was a kind man, saddling up the horses and keeping the quads running!

Three friends capturing the lovely surroundings! You know you have to take a picture---to help keep all the memories fresh!! I love these darlings!

Apparently no one's arms are long enough to get our entire faces----so here's a slice!

Friends for more than 20 years peeps! How lucky I am to know this girlie!

Okay so...a confession...we made fudge (the recipe is on "Get off your butt and bake"---called "Oh Fudge") and it was evidently quite challenging to wait for this decadent treat to set, because soon enough we had the whole tray and spoons in our lap sampling (read: hoarking) the goods. Yumminess. This is the life. If my children read this I will ardently deny any participation of such frivolity.

Julie and I laughed and chatted on the plane non stop. We have months of conversation just waiting for the right time!! I think we ALMOST got caught up! Almost...

Back to school

Swimmer of the Week!

Well Ms. Tali boo received a little award ribbon from Swim Team today and was pronounced "Swimmer of the Week"

When we asked her why she received this illustrious, career advancing award, Tali said:

"Because I do the butterfly so well!"

Further we inquired: "How do you know you do the butterfly well?"

To which 5 year old Tali replied: "Well today I was swimming and Coach Jordan stopped me and I thought Dude! I so do not need help!"

"Why did he stop you?"

"To give me a five for swimming butterfly so well"

Well there you have it friends. Tali is loving up the summer and dashing through the lanes in swim team! Hope your summer is happy too! (Dude!)