GoodReads and Brrrrr!

Hey thanks everyone for sharing your ideas! I have heard/read you mention about GoodReads.com on your blogs. I went to the site, YEP! That's going to be a lot of fun!!! Thanks for your help. I'll see you all on GoodReads. If any of you that aren't on GoodReads still have suggestions I'd love to hear them!

On a different note, you might or might not have noticed but I haven't been chirping about our beautiful blue skies and sunshine lately. That's because It SNOWED, A Lot! And it is COLD!!! I have struggled to keep a good attitude. I really need to be able to go outside and let the kids play and go visit with my friends as the kids run free. I'm not sure when it will be warm again.

So much like life... At times we are carried through the heavy weight of our trials other times we are allowed to feel the sudden chill that comes with the harsh realities of mortality. We are never left alone during these times, but oh how bitter cold and windy life can be sometimes. Praise be for the warmth of the Sun when it comes!

Reading Ideas Needed!

I went to the library today and I checked out two books (The Undaunted and Anita Stansfield's latest.) I'm excited about these books. But I need more ideas. I may have asked for ideas before, but I am ready to make a list this time. So hopefully some of you will take a minute and give me some ideas. The last books I read were written by Nicholas Sparks (just to give you an idea of my typical genre.)

I only have a few "guidelines" when it comes to the books I like to read.

1. They have to have something uplifting in them.

2. They can NOT end sad or bad!!

3. No vulgarity or dirty romance.

GIVE ME YOUR SUGGESTIONS!

A Tender Reminder

When I posted yesterday I knew what my post would be about today. I knew that they may seem contradictory. They are in some ways. And then for others they fit perfectly. How could blue skies and sunshine possibly go along with the heartbreaking experience of attending the funeral for a precious baby girl who's family had to say their earthly goodbyes today?

It's hard to explain, but for someone who has gone through such an experience there are actually moments in time during the trial that the words "sunshine in my soul" might actually fit. There were moments where the feeling of our Saviors love and presence was so clear that it could be described as the warmth of the sun dispelling the heavy clouds that most surely threatened to consume my soul. As hard as today was to relive my own sorrow as well as feel the heartache of my dear friend during her loss; feeling the sunshine in my soul again was a precious reminder of the fact that though the journey may seem impossible to manage, nothing is impossible with the Lord on your side. Dear Baby Emma, thank you for this precious reminder. Oh how we wish we could learn the lessons some other way, but Father knows us perfectly of that I am sure.

EMMA JEAN

Emma Jean lived 21 miraculous days upon this earth. During this time, she managed to touch the hearts and lives of countless family members, friends, and neighbors who knew of her journey and mission upon the earth.

Emma was unconditionally loved and cared for by her parents Dustin and Amanda who rarely left Emma’s side. As well as the dedicated medical staff of the SG Hospital NICU who attended to her every need, often going the extra mile. Emma was also loved and snuggled by her three older sisters Kati, Allison, and Shelby and her Grandparents.

Emma’s life upon this earth was hard and short. However, her life with her family will be eternal. Emma lives on not only in our hearts but also in a very real place with her Father in Heaven where she continues to be surrounded by love and is patiently waiting for the time when she will live with her family again. This comforting knowledge is what will get us through the time when we are apart. Thank you sweet little Emma for sharing your precious spirit with all of us. God be with us all, til’ we meet again!

Blue Skies n' Sunshine!

There is nothing more nourishing then blue skies and sunshine. Throughout the last several years I have been blessed to live in places in the world where we are often covered with blue skies and sunshine. During the winter the clouds cover up our blue sky for what seems like too long. However, we are finally receiving the glorious rays of the sun topped off by a wide open blue sky. It seems to refill my drooping soul.

I have a lullabye that I sing to my kid's. I actually started singing this song while on my mission. It's a compilation of different songs that Somehow flowed into my mind and out my mouth one day and has stuck. I've always meant to write the words down. So I guess now's my chance. The song is simply called "Blue Skies."

Blue Skies

Blue skies shinin' on me, nothin' but blue skies do I see.
Day dreams comin' my way, nothin' but days dreams come what may.

Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day.

I've got a wonderful feeling, everything's goin' my way.

Ahh, Life Is Good!

I feel well tonight! MUST UPDATE!;)

LEIF: Full time student (online classes). Full Time Work at the school as the Librarian Aid and the In School Suspension Supervisor. Primary Chorister. AMAZING Father and INCREDIBLE Husband. Leif has managed to pull off great grades, WOW his work supervisors at work, and cook dinner EVERY night for the last 12 weeks. He also manages all of the chickens and our puppy. Amazing Indeed!

JAKOB: Jakob is growing up. We always say that as mothers. But I think it's because it is always such a shock when we take a moment to compare the days and years past, with the present. I still do school with Jakob regularly as well as Joy School. I didn't say EVERY DAY. But well enough. I'm SOOOO Glad that I took the time to prepare his daily lessons ahead of time. It's made it So much easier to be able to pull out the envelope every day and work on something new each day. I really enjoy the daily random studying that we do together. For example, today we were driving home from the park and Jakob said "Mama, what is the smartest land animal in the world?" I said, "Hmm? I don't know for sure, let's Google it when we get home. We climbed on the computer later and discovered that the Chimpanzee is considered the smartest animal in the world. I figured it was, but it was fun to discover the answer together and learn WHY...

Jakob and I also love to read together. We're up to book #24 in The Magic Tree House Series. They have taught us both about some great places and wonderful lessons. For example, today Jakob was outside trying to build a contraption that he could roll a golf ball down. It took several tries and a lot of thinking but he was thrilled when it was complete. I was able to use a line from the latest book we read and he completed it. I began with, "If at first you don't succeed..." and Jakob finished with "try, try, again!" Lesson Learned!

CALEB: Oh, my baby... He's growing up too. Right now he's teething again. But that seems to be a common occurrence. I just wish the crazy teeth would break through and let him move on with life. He's communicating more and more as the days go on. His favorite words are cheese, thank you, and Papa. He also says cookie, teeth, No, and many other things that we haven't translated yet. Oh how he loves to laugh and tease. And he is a dare devil! No fear. Gone are the days of letting the kids play in the yard while I work up in the house. Sometimes we even have to put a backpack on Jakob and tie a rope to him that is attached to the tree in the yard. That's his Time Out when we're outside and he HATES it! After a while on the rope, all we have to do is warn him about the rope and he'll turn around and come back to the boundaries.

-- Currently--: Leif has turned out all of the lights in the house. The boys have flashlights with lasers on them. They shine the laser somewhere and Leif tries to avoid it (as silly as possible of course.) Lot's of laughter and fun... Good times!

And, ME:
Well, I'm still alive, Gratefully so. My strength is returning in some ways. It's an interesting journey. Instead of giving you a run down of my health, I'll just share some of the things I'm up to these days (And NO I do not mean Weight! Ugg!) Well, on my good days, I keep things sanitized and in a semblance of order. On the not so good days I don't, but I probably get a lot of reading accomplished. The latest books I've read are a couple from Nicholas Sparks. Sometimes, when I have energy, but not enough to do a lot, I work on my prayer rug. It's coming along well. I've got all of the fabric cut into strips. Now I'm knotting the rows and will then sew them together. I really hope to finish it within the next few months (I have to be realistic!:) Other then that, I just try to get through the day without yelling too much and remembering everything I've committed to do. Once a week I am in charge of Joy School for Jakob and our sweet friend River. On Sunday I teach the Sunbeams (3-4 year olds) in Primary. I LOVE IT! And what have I put off that I REALLY REALLY need to pick back up and finish? My Holistic Health schooling. I HAVE to get back to that. I hope to be up to doing that very soon!

--Currently--: Leif has Jakob and Caleb on his lap, reading Caleb's FAVORITE book (Hide and Seek Vehicles). Leif is so much more energetic then I am. The books seem to come alive when he reads.

Ahhh, Life is Good!

And The Baby Is....

Turns out that there's a 50% chance that it's a girl, and a 50% chance that it's a boy! Ha. ha. We were bummed this time that the baby was still too little to tell. We've found out this early before. But oh well. We'll know for sure next time.

Life's moving along. I HAVE to go to bed. So I'll try to get some details out... WORK BRAIN--- Thinking... It's not working. The boys are growing up, and I am growing out. Not much else to say. It bites either way! Gnight...

A Time to Be Grateful

Every night I crawl into bed, get settled, and then it starts. My mind begins to compose. Sometimes it's the next children's story that I want to write for my kids. Most of the time it's a blog post perfectly worded and detailed. However, it's only my mind that has the energy for such things. I have often wished that I had a small laptop computer that I could set above my pillow as I lay in bed (I sleep on my stomach) and I would type out my thoughts. The only problem is that I am not a perfected typist. I can't type without glancing at the keyboard every so often. Back in the day, I would just drag myself out of bed to my computer and be grateful in the morning to have the finished product down on paper. Not an option these days. Once I'm down, I MUST stay down. So, unfortunately the compositions are short and choppy. But, such is life. Or, as I might say on occasion "it's all about the season you're in..." Yes, the season...

Well, my heart is still weighed down with sorrow for my dear friend and her heartache. But I have found comfort through the Atonement as well as the occasional talks with her where I am able to glean from her strength. This is a precious time for her and her family. A time where the power of the Atonement is in full swing and it can be felt by all who come in contact with this dear family. They are being carried in the arms of the Savior. And they will be carried for as long as they need. Gradually, the Lord will allow them to feel the pain of their loss more prominently, but if they will stay close to Him He will never be far distant. A truly amazing experience...

So Leif and I have made a firm conclusion. This is not to be taken too seriously, yet not too lightly. I am allergic to pregnancy!:) Yes, it is true. Yes, you can laugh with me. I try to take away the edge with the humor of the statement. But in reality, it can only be true. I absolutely Love my babies. Which is why I have been pregnant 5 times. But it has become abundantly clear to me that if I had not learned from each pregnancy ways to medicate my situation, I would be utterly useless for the next nine months. So now I will take a moment and thank Father in Heaven for guiding Leif and I to all of the medications that make this possible. Thank you for making Zofran affordable enough to take two pills every day. Thank you for Phenegren every night. Thank you for Zoloft that helps me cope. Thank you for Tylenol that brings down the random fevers. Thank you for the Liver medication that will keep my liver functioning properly thus keeping me from peeling my skin off from the itching. Thank you for ultrasounds that keeps us in tune with the baby's health and well being. And thank you for everything in between!

I need to end this on a more uplifting note. My blog has been a drag lately (it always seems to mirror me. Funny how that works;) Hmmm? Let's see...

OH! I'm excited for Friday. We have a doctors appointment and we're hoping to follow tradition and find out what gender the baby is around the 13 week mark. Wish us luck! Also, I have an eventful day planned tomorrow. But I will write about that when I have more details. So, until then I will say good night!

A Season of Sorrow

I have had some of my favorite scripture verses floating through my soul for over a week now. I have pondered them. I have read them to my family during family scripture study. But today, they truly applied. "A time to be born, and a time to die... a time to weep and a time to laugh... a time to mourn, a time to heal, a time to break down... a time to embrace..."

Oh how my soul sorrows tonight on behalf of my dear friend and her precious family. She gave birth to her baby last night by emergency c-section at 38 weeks along. We celebrated and cried together this morning with the belief that surely the worst had passed. Not so... They discovered this afternoon that their baby will not survive and tonight they begin the journey of letting go... Oh how my heart aches for them.

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

uhhh...

I need a distraction. I'm not sure if this is going to work. I was looking forward to better days. But now I've caught some junk and it's not good. But hey, I told myself I would let up on the complaining and get back to being overwhelmingly grateful. So we'll see...

This is definately a rambling post. You might want to... Just kidding my arms are too tired to type... Plus, Jakob's voice right in my ear is NOT helping me... Mama? Mama? What you doing? MAAMA!... Mama quick!

Alright, I'll try this later. Seeyall!

Question!

Is it legal to be THIS tired!??

Seriously! This question hits me in the face every day around 3:00. I know some of you can relate.

Sorry. I'm functioning. But only for the absolute necessities of life... YES, my Christmas tree is still set up in my living room. Wish me luck tomorrow as I try to tackle it and huck it over our balcony (Well, I guess Leif will actually do that part;)

Mama's Birthday - Thank you everyone!

Well, I feel extra Loved! There is no way I can reply to all of the phone calls, emails, Facebook wishes, and blog comments from friends and family who took a moment to wish me a Happy Birthday. You are all wonderful and I am really grateful for you.

I did have a great birthday! I wasn't feeling all that great. But that ended up being okay because my good friend kidnapped Jakob from me for the day. So it was just Caleb (who was sick and sleepy) and me. So I rested the whole day.

Leif surprised me with roses, a new skillet, a TY stuffed animal, and a new brush. He also made me a yummy German Chocolate cake. We didn't have any big plans. But our good friends (the Jensen's) ended up dropping by to visit. So we had a great visit along with cake and ice cream.

Thank you everyone for your love!

Final Recap of The Christmas Festivities

Oh My Goodness, Oh My Goodness, I am so far behind....

Hopefully this post will be interesting. If not, just chalk it up as a "For The Record!"

We'll start with the few days leading up to Christmas:

PRE-CHRISTMAS:We went to Erik's house (Leif's brother) and played in the deep snow with them. Erik brought his industrial snow blower out and blew all of the snow into a pile. The guys then dug out the middle and made a snow cave. So we had fun climbing in and out, taking pictures, and throwing snowballs. Stacy then made us an awesome meal with yummy goodies on the side. Hot cocoa being part of the days festivities as well, of course. It was a great day filled with fun memories.

We sold our camera. So I'm still working on gathering photos from everyone elses cameras.

Our advent candle scripture reading didn't go over as well as we had hoped. The kids are still too little and by the end of the day we were lucky to be cheerful enough to just read a verse of scripture before bed. So, hopefully it will go better next year.

We were blessed this year to receive a beautiful bedroom set from some friends for the boys. It is a bunk bed set made of sturdy hard wood with shelves, a desk, dresser drawers, and a toy chest. The boys were THRILLED and I was even more so. Jakob was heard saying, "It has everything I could possibly need!" Now he says, "I have a jungle gym right in my room!!" A true blessing.:)

CHRISTMAS EVE: We had a wonderful Christmas Eve gathering with some of Leif's family. The highlight for me was sitting around together and singing Christmas Carols. Leif's mom has stacks of vintage music books filled with great songs. It was a wonderful night filled with the Spirit of Christmas. Grandpa Baron also read a couple of stories to all of us. One of them was Glenn Beck's Christmas Sweater. The kids loved it and it was the perfect introduction to Caleb and Jakob's Christmas Eve gifts. My sister sent them each a beautifully handmade sweater and a hat (and gloves for Caleb). She even made Lady Bug a sweater. She is very talented and the room was filled with ooo's and ahhh's as we passed around the soft sweaters and then had the boys try them on. To close the night Leif read from the Bible Luke chapter 2 (Christ's birth). The spirit was strong as he read and Grandpa Dixon followed up the story by adding his testimony of Christ's birth with a reminder that it is Christ's life that we should celebrate throughout the year and try to emulate. A precious night, indeed!

CHRISTMAS: Christmas morning started out around 7:00. So, not too bad. The kids woke us up, we woke grandma and grandpa Baron up, then we went into the boys' room to wait until they came up. Leif and I told the boys stories of what it was like for us when we were little waiting on Christmas morning. Leif crawled up into the new bunk bed and played with the boys as I got things a bit more situated. Grandma and Grandpa arrived soon and the gift giving and opening began. No disappointments here! Jakob got his first remote control tank. Caleb got enough trucks to carry and army, and we're all enjoying our splurge (a Wii.)
After the gift exchange was finished we all gathered down to Grandma's where she made us her traditional (I don't know how to spell it!:) Ellboskeezers breakfast. It's a Scandinavian breakfast that her mother used to make for them when she was growing up. So the morning was filled with much giving and grateful hearts. The rest of the day was filled with music, food, and fun!

POST CHRISTMAS - NEW YEARS: Leading up to Christmas we didn't know how I would be feeling as the pregnancy progressed. So we didn't make any plans for traveling. As it turned out I have been blessed with strength this pregnancy and we were able to travel. So we loaded up and headed North. We stayed for several days and visited with Leif's sister and my parents and brother. The fun memories mostly revolve around food since that is what I was required to do in order to stay well, EAT. And eat we did. It was fun. We enjoyed a birthday party at Leatherby's (a local favorite Ice Cream Parlor.) Jakob and Grandpa Hunt made memories as the shared a gigantic Mud Pie from Red Robin's. We enjoyed the diving show at the Mayan restaurant, and many more yummy treats, including a delicious soup made by Grandma Hunt. My Mom and Dad talked us in to seeing Avatar on the big screen while we had the chance. It really was amazing!

I can't really say that we welcomed in the New Year. By that day I was feeling pretty pregnant and it was time to come home. We watched the Jazz game and had pizza delivered on New Years Eve. Then we were woke up by fireworks at midnight. So hopefully this upcoming year will be as easygoing as our celebration was welcoming it in.

BACK TO REALITY: So here we are the holiday season's come and gone. And we're back to reality. Sunday night we were talking about the fact that Leif was going back to work the next day. Jakob looked at me seriously and said, "we really need to do home school, Mama!" I was grateful that he recognized it's absence and I didn't have to fight him the next day to get back into the swing of things. In fact we've taken a step forward and he is working on his reading along with other things. He's doing well. I took a Dick and Jane early reader and rewrote it to be geared more toward Jakob. It's really helped!!

The Wii has also been a great addition to our world. We have never been so active as a family. Sad, but true. Whatever works, huh? I've found that I feel better when I'm up and moving. So I try to do something on the Wii Fit Plus every day. Today I did my Yoga routine and earned First Place in the Hula Hoop!:) Jakob LOVES the island bike ride and the obstacle course. Leif loves it all!

It sounds like Caleb may get the back seat in our world. But that's not actually the case. He's right along side us with whatever we're doing. He runs with Jakob or stretches with me. He reads his books while Jakob does his school work. And then, there are the times that he's in Time Out. That's after he tries to push me over as I'm pretending to be a tree in Yoga. Or he's pulled Jakob's feet off of the board and covered it with his body instead. Or, he's decided to rip the pages out of the library book. So, Caleb is just as involved in our everyday good and bad as Jakob, Leif, and I. In fact, he's rivaling Jakob in making sure he's the center of it all.

When it comes to the new little addition. We are all very excited and Jakob is extra sweet at times because he recognizes what is happening and he's very excited for another baby. He'll come put his head on my tummy and try to listen to the baby. And if I tell him I need a bit of extra strength, he knows that means I need a hug. And then there are the times that I have to remind him that I do NOT have the patience or the energy for his attitude, he takes that as a cue to shape up or go to bed! The latest warning has been, "Do NOT wake me up during nap! Or No Wii!" I haven't heard him once today!;)

Leif is working hard as usual. He's back to work at the school and I know they really appreciate his good work and his good influence. He has signed up for 12 credits online this semester. He's actually going to earn his Bachelors Degree in Public Administration within the year. Then he will move into nursing. So things are looking good and secure. So that is comforting. I am truly grateful for my good husband.

Well, I turn 31 tomorrow. Last year Leif surprised me with a beautiful camera. This year, we sold the camera (paid some bills) and I ordered some nice shoes and clothes. No surprises that I know of:) and I'm perfectly content! Truly Happy!