I have been a little out of sorts lately. I feel more in the holiday spirit than I have in a long time, and yet I get so depressed sometimes. I couldn't even tell you the reason why. Maybe I think about things a little too much, and that makes me sad. But whatever it is, I know that God is there, and He knows what I'm going through. I know He feels my pain, and wants to pick me up and love me anyway. I was just reminded, by a complete stranger, that God is at the forefront of everything in my life, and I should try to pass that on a little more to other people.
I spoke to a woman on the phone at work tonight. She is from FL, and she was wondering about her order and if it went out this month yet. The shipping date shows the 23rd, but it processed today, and it didn't go through. She told me about how she has been struggling, and that she lost a house, had to move, hasn't had a job since March, and is trying to find a job now but hasn't been able to find one because people won't hire people her age. They want the college students. But something she said hit me so hard and right between the eyes. She asked if I believe in God, and that He helps us. I told her I do, and He does. She asked, does that mean that He always answers our prayers and helps us the way that we want, right when we want. I replied no, and she asked, then what does He do? I replied that He still will carry us through the storm, and give us peace in adversity. She said yes, He gives us strength to pick ourselves us and brush ourselves off, and continue on our path, always trying to take the high road so that we will be worthy to live with Him again.
Now, to preface this, I had a rough day at home before coming to work. The kids were doing EVERYTHING possible to undo all the work I was putting in to get things cleaned and organized so we are ready for the weekend. They were pulling out movies and throwing around the disks, took all the cushions off the couch and drug them all over the floor. They jumped on all the beds and kept pulling things out of my nightstand. Ammon kept playing in the toilets while I was trying to get them clean. It didn't matter what was happening, or how I dealt with it, it was just what it was. And I shut down. I couldn't try to deal with all of that and keep my cool. I just wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out. Ammon kept hitting me, and screaming at the top of his lungs at me. I just wasn't winning today.
But God, truly, works in mysterious ways. I think I needed to talk to that lady today. I think I needed to hear that God is there, and that He loves us, and that what we go through is but a small moment, and if we endure it well, we will be rewarded on high. She truly had the spirit of Christmas within her, and she told me that because I listened to her and tried to let her know about how sorry I was about everything and help her that I was a Christmas Angel for her. Well, my friend, you did that for me. I needed this.
Christmas is a time when we feel the love of Christ everywhere. It is a time that people try a little harder to be a little nicer. It's a time when we can forget ourselves and our imperfections and put ourselves out there to help another. I started reading the book, "Jacob T Marely" again, and it is amazing that he went through all he did, and then because he felt bad on the other side he fought to give Scrooge another chance, to escape his fate, and with that he was alright. He felt he could do that bit of good, since he hadn't helped anyone else in his life. But he received redemption in the end as well, and was given his reward on high. I hope that I can always remember this, and that when I feel like I'm not trying hard enough, or my best isn't good enough, or that I am the most horrible person alive that redemption is there for all, if we would but reach out and accept it. After all, that is the reason for the season, to celebrate the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Thursday, December 15, 2016
August things and returned missionaries.
August was really fun! There was a lot going on, but it was all really good!
The boys are doing really well! Ammon is having so much fun walking, and is talking up a storm! He is just loving life, and Michael is starting to really get along with him. They play on Michael's bed together sometimes, and Michael likes to try to read to him (even though he can't read).
Chris and Ashley are now officially living with us for a few months. The went job hunting and found jobs at Walmart. Chris is graveyard and Ashley is early morning. We all went to the splash pad together to celebrate getting through the business of July. Chris made friends there with some of the kids and they started to follow him around the splash pad! It was pretty funny. They all wanted to play games with him.
Matthew and I were able to have a little date weekend thing. We went to the wedding reception for Sam, a girl that I work with at Nu Skin. It was a beautiful place! If I ever have a daughter, Thanksgiving point is the place I think she should consider for her reception. It was all taken care of by other people, the food was AMAZING! and everything was just perfect. Matthew and I took a few pics while there. And it was weird but a lot of the presents that people brought were wrapped in the same paper and the same bow! It was funny! We sat with Jill and Aaron, who are also friends of mine from work. That same night we also went to see Suicide Squad, compliments of Nu Skin, and took Jeremiah and Alyna with us. We ended up with extra tickets and made it into a sort of double date. It was a great movie and the kids were down and asleep by the time we got home, which is pretty impressive. Ashley and Chris babysat for us and they did a great job getting the kids down. :)
The next weekend we decided to go up to Brigham City. Matthew's mom was cleaning house, getting ready for Sister Eve Speikerman to come home from her mission! It is so crazy how fast time flies! I made cookies and cupcakes for the homecoming, and we were at the airport to meet her. Michael was really excited to see Eve, and Ammon was excited to meet her for the first time. I wrote and told her when he was born, but she forgot that he was acutally born on Canada day! Which made her super happy. :) We all went as a family to eat at El Matadors, and we had almost everyone there! It was a great day and we are so happy to have her home. Her homecoming was lovely as well, and even though I had to work, we were still able to go up and be a part of everything.
We also were able to go to the temple with one of my best friends I've had since high school. Jamie and Blake were able to take their adoptive sons to the temple to be sealed to them! It was a wonderful day, and we are so happy that they were able to have this happen!
The boys are doing really well! Ammon is having so much fun walking, and is talking up a storm! He is just loving life, and Michael is starting to really get along with him. They play on Michael's bed together sometimes, and Michael likes to try to read to him (even though he can't read).
Chris and Ashley are now officially living with us for a few months. The went job hunting and found jobs at Walmart. Chris is graveyard and Ashley is early morning. We all went to the splash pad together to celebrate getting through the business of July. Chris made friends there with some of the kids and they started to follow him around the splash pad! It was pretty funny. They all wanted to play games with him.
Matthew and I were able to have a little date weekend thing. We went to the wedding reception for Sam, a girl that I work with at Nu Skin. It was a beautiful place! If I ever have a daughter, Thanksgiving point is the place I think she should consider for her reception. It was all taken care of by other people, the food was AMAZING! and everything was just perfect. Matthew and I took a few pics while there. And it was weird but a lot of the presents that people brought were wrapped in the same paper and the same bow! It was funny! We sat with Jill and Aaron, who are also friends of mine from work. That same night we also went to see Suicide Squad, compliments of Nu Skin, and took Jeremiah and Alyna with us. We ended up with extra tickets and made it into a sort of double date. It was a great movie and the kids were down and asleep by the time we got home, which is pretty impressive. Ashley and Chris babysat for us and they did a great job getting the kids down. :)
The next weekend we decided to go up to Brigham City. Matthew's mom was cleaning house, getting ready for Sister Eve Speikerman to come home from her mission! It is so crazy how fast time flies! I made cookies and cupcakes for the homecoming, and we were at the airport to meet her. Michael was really excited to see Eve, and Ammon was excited to meet her for the first time. I wrote and told her when he was born, but she forgot that he was acutally born on Canada day! Which made her super happy. :) We all went as a family to eat at El Matadors, and we had almost everyone there! It was a great day and we are so happy to have her home. Her homecoming was lovely as well, and even though I had to work, we were still able to go up and be a part of everything.
We also were able to go to the temple with one of my best friends I've had since high school. Jamie and Blake were able to take their adoptive sons to the temple to be sealed to them! It was a wonderful day, and we are so happy that they were able to have this happen!
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
The Doldrums
When I was in the MTC as a young missionary I was sitting in a church meeting and the Branch President got up to share a talk with us. I remember him talking very specifically about the Doldrums. I was in the MTC for what felt like years, but it was actually only 2 months, and he said that people who are here for a long while because of needing to learn a language always end up hitting the Doldrums. At the time, I didn't really know what that meant. And then after about 5 weeks there I was wondering if time would ever pass and I would ever get to the mission field. Was I going to know everything I needed to know? Was I as prepared as the people in Chile would need me to be? I was in a trio in the MTC, and there were some issues that came up there as well, and we were locked in a room together until we worked out our issues. The Doldrums! What a horrible thing to face. Just feeling like you are doing the same old thing, every day, and not really moving forward. Feeling like the people who you are around all the time are getting on your last OCD nerves. I didn't ever really think about this again after the mission. I didn't really think about this happening in my normal, everyday living, but alas, it has happened. And on more than one occasion has it happened. I feel myself just existing, just in a state of being, with no motivation, depressed as all get out, and not able to feel like I am moving in a forward direction.
So, what does one do when in the Doldrums of life? Lately I feel very lackadaisical. I see a million things that need to be done, and yet I don't have the motivation to get them all done. I do the basics that need to be done everyday, and I make a list with the intention of doing better tomorrow, because a good night's sleep always makes things better, right? But, it doesn't always work the way I hope. And I don't always wake up with a new zeal for life and for the day. The last couple of weeks I just feel like I am in a daze. I don't feel like my life is moving forward, nor do I feel I am moving backwards. I often have this ominous feeling that something is about to happen. Whether good or bad, I won't know until something happens, but I don't sense it will be a very happy thing. Maybe it is due to some recent health issues I am dealing with. Maybe I am making too much of it. Maybe I just need a vacation, from my problems. Whatever the case, I am needing to find a way out of this.
One of the things that depresses me the most these days is my weight. I hate how big I am, and I hate that no matter how hard I try, nothing seems to help, and nothing I do is helping me to lose weight so I feel good again. It's not even that I want to be a stick thin person like I was in high school. I would just like to lose 60 lbs or so. Is that really so much to ask? Why does my body hate me so? What could I possibly do to make things better or make it seem like it's working. I know it won't be easy, and I don't expect it to be. I just want things to move along. So, I went to the Dr and they gave me some meds that should help a lot. I have lost 10 lbs already, so hopefully that is a good sign!
I want more than anything to help the people around me. I don't have all the money in the world, but I do have lots of experience, and definitely experience in what not to do as well as what would be good. And I know I'm not perfect. I try to use the things I have learned to help me and my family. I try to use those things to help my siblings as well. I feel stressed a lot about those types of things, and I want nothing more than for everyone to be ok, and to have what they need, and to be happy with what they have. It's human nature for us to always want what we don't have. I have tried hard to just want what I have, and be grateful for the things that were put in my path. I want so desperately for my loved ones to learn from my mistakes and not to repeat them. But, Lucifer is definitely working in the hearts of men, and we always want that instant gratification. But then we find that a long time in the future, that all those insignificant times of having that instant gratification, that we have nothing. We aren't really where we want to be because we didn't sacrifice the "now" for the bigger prize later. A good friend once said to me that we need to find joy in the journey. That I should think of the trials and the hard things as the plane ride to the Bahamas. It'll be worth it. I took that to heart, and it has brought me considerable joy, sometimes during really hard trials for me, and I have found that is a good way to live life. It's not about always getting what we want. It's about living in accordance with what the Lord wants, whatever that may be. And that may not always line up with what we think we want or what we think is best for us. Thank Goodness! But, in living that way, I have seen some real prayers answered, and I have seen some really great things happen to our family. One thing I am so happy about and grateful for is that we are almost out of debt. And we are doing everything we can to spend as little as possible because the reward of being debt free will be the biggest relief and blessing that we could ever hope to have. We don't need a ton of money, just need to manage what we do have in a way that we have what we need. For us and our boys. I just really hope and pray everyday that others that are struggling will get that, and feel it way down in their soul. I want them to succeed. And I want them to be able to do that without anyone having to carry them through. We are all capable, and we are all heavenly beings sent here to this earth to learn and grow. And this is one thing that I feel can alter the course of anyone's life. So learning and growing, and accepting other people's decisions, when you know it will bring them heartache I think also adds to this Doldrums feeling. I can't help other people and I can't help myself.
What is the answer here? What can I possibly do to make some of the stress and strain of daily life ebb away? I'm still not sure. The only thing I am sure of is that I can do more of the things that will bring me happiness. I can read my scriptures more faithfully. I can pray to Heavenly Father and ask Him to help me, to bring me peace. I can try to get to the temple more, and I can try to get to church more. I want to feel good, and I know one person who can always make me feel better, even when nothing else seems to work. Heavenly Father understands, and He loves me. It doesn't matter that I am imperfect, and it doesn't matter that I have made mistakes. I am trying, and that matters. He is in my life, and that matters. My sins don't have to be on record forever, and THAT matters. I know things will get better. I can already feel a little seed starting to bud inside and I know things will be ok. I just need to face the trials head on, and fight to keep my head up and do that things that are the most important and that will bring me happiness. Nothing else will really matter.
So, what does one do when in the Doldrums of life? Lately I feel very lackadaisical. I see a million things that need to be done, and yet I don't have the motivation to get them all done. I do the basics that need to be done everyday, and I make a list with the intention of doing better tomorrow, because a good night's sleep always makes things better, right? But, it doesn't always work the way I hope. And I don't always wake up with a new zeal for life and for the day. The last couple of weeks I just feel like I am in a daze. I don't feel like my life is moving forward, nor do I feel I am moving backwards. I often have this ominous feeling that something is about to happen. Whether good or bad, I won't know until something happens, but I don't sense it will be a very happy thing. Maybe it is due to some recent health issues I am dealing with. Maybe I am making too much of it. Maybe I just need a vacation, from my problems. Whatever the case, I am needing to find a way out of this.
One of the things that depresses me the most these days is my weight. I hate how big I am, and I hate that no matter how hard I try, nothing seems to help, and nothing I do is helping me to lose weight so I feel good again. It's not even that I want to be a stick thin person like I was in high school. I would just like to lose 60 lbs or so. Is that really so much to ask? Why does my body hate me so? What could I possibly do to make things better or make it seem like it's working. I know it won't be easy, and I don't expect it to be. I just want things to move along. So, I went to the Dr and they gave me some meds that should help a lot. I have lost 10 lbs already, so hopefully that is a good sign!
I want more than anything to help the people around me. I don't have all the money in the world, but I do have lots of experience, and definitely experience in what not to do as well as what would be good. And I know I'm not perfect. I try to use the things I have learned to help me and my family. I try to use those things to help my siblings as well. I feel stressed a lot about those types of things, and I want nothing more than for everyone to be ok, and to have what they need, and to be happy with what they have. It's human nature for us to always want what we don't have. I have tried hard to just want what I have, and be grateful for the things that were put in my path. I want so desperately for my loved ones to learn from my mistakes and not to repeat them. But, Lucifer is definitely working in the hearts of men, and we always want that instant gratification. But then we find that a long time in the future, that all those insignificant times of having that instant gratification, that we have nothing. We aren't really where we want to be because we didn't sacrifice the "now" for the bigger prize later. A good friend once said to me that we need to find joy in the journey. That I should think of the trials and the hard things as the plane ride to the Bahamas. It'll be worth it. I took that to heart, and it has brought me considerable joy, sometimes during really hard trials for me, and I have found that is a good way to live life. It's not about always getting what we want. It's about living in accordance with what the Lord wants, whatever that may be. And that may not always line up with what we think we want or what we think is best for us. Thank Goodness! But, in living that way, I have seen some real prayers answered, and I have seen some really great things happen to our family. One thing I am so happy about and grateful for is that we are almost out of debt. And we are doing everything we can to spend as little as possible because the reward of being debt free will be the biggest relief and blessing that we could ever hope to have. We don't need a ton of money, just need to manage what we do have in a way that we have what we need. For us and our boys. I just really hope and pray everyday that others that are struggling will get that, and feel it way down in their soul. I want them to succeed. And I want them to be able to do that without anyone having to carry them through. We are all capable, and we are all heavenly beings sent here to this earth to learn and grow. And this is one thing that I feel can alter the course of anyone's life. So learning and growing, and accepting other people's decisions, when you know it will bring them heartache I think also adds to this Doldrums feeling. I can't help other people and I can't help myself.
What is the answer here? What can I possibly do to make some of the stress and strain of daily life ebb away? I'm still not sure. The only thing I am sure of is that I can do more of the things that will bring me happiness. I can read my scriptures more faithfully. I can pray to Heavenly Father and ask Him to help me, to bring me peace. I can try to get to the temple more, and I can try to get to church more. I want to feel good, and I know one person who can always make me feel better, even when nothing else seems to work. Heavenly Father understands, and He loves me. It doesn't matter that I am imperfect, and it doesn't matter that I have made mistakes. I am trying, and that matters. He is in my life, and that matters. My sins don't have to be on record forever, and THAT matters. I know things will get better. I can already feel a little seed starting to bud inside and I know things will be ok. I just need to face the trials head on, and fight to keep my head up and do that things that are the most important and that will bring me happiness. Nothing else will really matter.
Friday, September 2, 2016
Happy Birthday Ammon, and USA!!
My how time flies! It is so crazy that to think a year ago I was finishing my pregnancy and about to bring a beautiful little boy into the world. I am so glad that part is over and I have had the last year to enjoy this super cute little guy! He has brought a lot of love and laughter and light to our lives. He has learned and grown a lot in the last year. It was amazing to see all the growth and the changes in him and in our little family in the last year.
We had several people come to the party, and it was done at the splash pad in Provo. Grandma Gwen and Grandpa Roger came, and Grandpa ad Grandma Great came, and Jeremiah and Alyna and family came. We had a theme that was The Flash, like the superhero, because Ammon seriously is getting around super speedy-like! So, we had hamburgers and hotdogs, and salads, chips, and Velocity 9. We also made a sign that said Happy Birthday Ammon, all done in the colors of the Flash, the Reverse Flash, and Zoom. We also used the name of the burger joint from the Flash, Big Belly Burgers. It was fun, and cute, and the boys had a lot of fun! Ammon was enjoying all the attention, and Michael loved that he got to go to his favorite place, the splash pad. They both had super hero shirts that I bought for them. Michael wanted to be Batman, so his is of course the caped crusader, and Ammon got a onesie that is the Flash! We did the cake while at the splash pad and Ammon decided he really only wanted the frosting, and just kinda picked in it. He didn't get too much into it, but it was cute and fun for him. We went back home to open presents, and he got a lot of cool things. Michael usually takes his toys away from him to play with them himself, but I supervise and then they both play really well together. It's still hard at times, because they're boys, and boys tend to be a little rough around the edges, but they do pretty well together.
Ammon also had his 1 Year Dr appointment, and he is doing really well! Very healthy and growing like a weed. Needs a little more height, but with us as his parents, he may never get a lot of that. But, he was weighing 22.5lbs at that appointment, so things are going really well. He grew out of his infant car seat, and he is using the other one we bought for Michael when he grew out of the infant car seat. Ammon still hates the carseat, but it's getting a little easier for him. Michael is so sweet and when Ammon is upset on a long drive he will hold Ammon's hand and tell him it's ok, and that he's there to help him. It just melts my little Momma heart! I am so happy Michael and Ammon get along as well as they do. It will be such fun for them to grow up together.
I had a dentist appointment this month, and I wouldn't really even mention it except that we are looking at braces for me. The rest of my appointment went really well, and they said my teeth are looking really good! I need to have a crown replaced at some point because there is a little crack in the side, but other than that, it was good! Which was very relieving to me because it is hard for me to go to the dentist, but I'm more scared of having to have all my teeth ripped out and have a denture. But if I keep getting good things from them each 6 months, then it's worth the torture of having to go in I guess. So, braces could be a thing in my future.
This month is so full of fun things, and the 4th of July is one of those things! We didn't have a lot of money or time off to go up home to Brigham, but we went to a friends house and had a lot of fun. We went to Jeremiah and Alyna's house, and we all brought food for kabobs, and a really hard puzzle. (It took us all day just to find all the edge pieces and get that done.) We also had Chris and Ashley that came to visit us and spend the weekend of the 4th with us. They have such a great view of the fireworks in the whole valley, and have neighbors that light up and shoot off a lot of really big, awesome fireworks, and it was a lot of fun! They boys were super in love with everything and Ammon just LOVED the fireworks! I was worried they may be too loud for him, but he did fine. Michael on the other hand would get a little scared or antsy and want to come sit by me and cuddle for a minute. He had a blast with the sparklers though. Kirk, Alyna's brother, was there with his wife and Michael decided to be his pal. Just followed him around and did everything he did. It was hilarious! Our boys are just too much fun! :) Needless to say, our 4th of July was fun and amazing, and well spent with our friends that are like family to us.
I also got something this month I have been dreaming of having since I got married. My own piano! Gwen found it online for free and it was in decent shape, and I called a tuner to ask questions to see if it would be worth it to get the piano. He was worried about a few things, but it has turned out to be alright thus far. He came and looked at it, and has done the bass strings in a pitch raise, and he will be coming back a few more times to replace pins, finish the pitch raise, and then to finally get it tuned. I can wait though. The piano is just beautiful and it will be well worth it once it's done. The brand is one that I haven't heard of really, Knauss Coblenz. I looked it up and there isn't actually a lot of information on the brand, but I did find out that it was the family that used to make the pianos for the German royalty at one point in history. I don't know exactly how old it is, but it's pretty old. Didn't come with a bench, but we will be looking into getting something for it. And something to hold my music. I was thinking maybe just a filing cabinet and then it doesn't take up a lot of room but will hold all the music I currently own. I'm so excited for the time that it will be finished! :)
Alyna and I took on something neither of us has really ever done on our own. We decided to learn to make jam. It was fun! And it tastes really good! Not sure if we did it 100% correctly, but it turned out alright. Not too shabby for our first try!
Matthew and I also took on something this month we've never done before. We decided to take on a foreign exchange student from Japan. It was for about a week, and it was a lot of fun. His name was Keisuke Moriyama and he came to the USA with some kids from his middle school to learn more English and experience the culture here. He was pretty awesome! He didn't talk a lot on his own, but he did well in answering any questions we asked him. He was at BYU for a lot of the time he was with us, but he spent the weekend with us. We went up to Jeremiah and Alyna's house for the 24th to see the fireworks up there and hang out for the day. While I was at work, Matthew and the boys went with Jeremiah and his boys to the Orem OWLZ game as well. They went to 7 peaks to swim one day and just had a great time. I wasn't able to go to the closing social, but Matthew took the boys and went and he said it was really awesome! I will need to get the pics from him to put up on here of that. All in all, a great experience. We learned a lot from him, and what we could do differently next time if we should choose to do it and I hope that he learned a little bit from us as well.
One of the weekends that we had free we were hanging out with Jeremiah and Alyna, and I learned how to play Magic The Gathering. It was actually a lot more fun than I thought it would be, and now I am learning to build a deck how I would like. We also decided we wanted to find a shaved ice place, (since the one we normally would go to is apparently out of business :( ) and we went to one on center street in Provo. It was really fun! They had a ping pong table there, and hula hoops, and a bunch of college aged kids were there dancing, since there was a DJ. It was a lot of fun to go and just do something in historic Provo and dance and have fun with our boys. It was fun to see Jeremiah get into it as well. Haha!
Matthew had been telling me for at least a month that he had a surprise for me on July 18th. I asked him what it was and he never budged and gave me any hint. So, I made sure that I had July 18th off, and went on with life. The day before the 18th came and Matthew wanted to go and take a walk around the Provo City Center Temple. It was a little random and out of the norm, but I thought it would be good to take the boys there. So, we went there and were just hanging out for a while, and it was a lot of fun! The boys loved it, and Michael kept telling us about how he wants to go there. Well, we had some visitors come to meet us there at the temple. It was Jen and Judson! I was so happy and excited to see them! They are just like family to us, and we don't get to see them often because they live in Oregon. They were coming to Idaho for a graduation, but I didn't think they were coming to Utah since they had just bought a house this year, but I was so stinking excited to see them and hang out with them, and have them in our home for a couple of days. It was a wonderful experience and the kids got along FAMOUSLY! Michael and Ella were pretty much inseparable, and cute little Ember was as small and darling as could be. Ammon seemed to just bask in everything and it was a lovely time. We went out to eat at Tucanos with Judson's mom, who is also like family to us. I can't wait to be able to return the surprise and go to Oregon to visit them. I'm hoping we could pull that off sooner rather than later. So much fun, and Michael was sure sad when Ella left. I was sad too, and Michael and I sat in the front room and cried for about half an hour after they left. But, I was so happy to see them, and so excited to plan a trip to Oregon sometime. :)
The last thing that happened, right at the very end of the month, is my brother Christopher and his wife Ashley moved in with us. They are looking at getting jobs and are very excited to be able to get a fresh start and get their lives in order financially so they can do other things to get them ahead in life. They applied at Nu Skin, but didn't get the job this time around, but they are still hopeful for the future. We are excited to help them and support them in their new endeavors down here in Provo, and are happy to see what the future will bring to our little family.
We had several people come to the party, and it was done at the splash pad in Provo. Grandma Gwen and Grandpa Roger came, and Grandpa ad Grandma Great came, and Jeremiah and Alyna and family came. We had a theme that was The Flash, like the superhero, because Ammon seriously is getting around super speedy-like! So, we had hamburgers and hotdogs, and salads, chips, and Velocity 9. We also made a sign that said Happy Birthday Ammon, all done in the colors of the Flash, the Reverse Flash, and Zoom. We also used the name of the burger joint from the Flash, Big Belly Burgers. It was fun, and cute, and the boys had a lot of fun! Ammon was enjoying all the attention, and Michael loved that he got to go to his favorite place, the splash pad. They both had super hero shirts that I bought for them. Michael wanted to be Batman, so his is of course the caped crusader, and Ammon got a onesie that is the Flash! We did the cake while at the splash pad and Ammon decided he really only wanted the frosting, and just kinda picked in it. He didn't get too much into it, but it was cute and fun for him. We went back home to open presents, and he got a lot of cool things. Michael usually takes his toys away from him to play with them himself, but I supervise and then they both play really well together. It's still hard at times, because they're boys, and boys tend to be a little rough around the edges, but they do pretty well together.
Ammon also had his 1 Year Dr appointment, and he is doing really well! Very healthy and growing like a weed. Needs a little more height, but with us as his parents, he may never get a lot of that. But, he was weighing 22.5lbs at that appointment, so things are going really well. He grew out of his infant car seat, and he is using the other one we bought for Michael when he grew out of the infant car seat. Ammon still hates the carseat, but it's getting a little easier for him. Michael is so sweet and when Ammon is upset on a long drive he will hold Ammon's hand and tell him it's ok, and that he's there to help him. It just melts my little Momma heart! I am so happy Michael and Ammon get along as well as they do. It will be such fun for them to grow up together.
I had a dentist appointment this month, and I wouldn't really even mention it except that we are looking at braces for me. The rest of my appointment went really well, and they said my teeth are looking really good! I need to have a crown replaced at some point because there is a little crack in the side, but other than that, it was good! Which was very relieving to me because it is hard for me to go to the dentist, but I'm more scared of having to have all my teeth ripped out and have a denture. But if I keep getting good things from them each 6 months, then it's worth the torture of having to go in I guess. So, braces could be a thing in my future.
This month is so full of fun things, and the 4th of July is one of those things! We didn't have a lot of money or time off to go up home to Brigham, but we went to a friends house and had a lot of fun. We went to Jeremiah and Alyna's house, and we all brought food for kabobs, and a really hard puzzle. (It took us all day just to find all the edge pieces and get that done.) We also had Chris and Ashley that came to visit us and spend the weekend of the 4th with us. They have such a great view of the fireworks in the whole valley, and have neighbors that light up and shoot off a lot of really big, awesome fireworks, and it was a lot of fun! They boys were super in love with everything and Ammon just LOVED the fireworks! I was worried they may be too loud for him, but he did fine. Michael on the other hand would get a little scared or antsy and want to come sit by me and cuddle for a minute. He had a blast with the sparklers though. Kirk, Alyna's brother, was there with his wife and Michael decided to be his pal. Just followed him around and did everything he did. It was hilarious! Our boys are just too much fun! :) Needless to say, our 4th of July was fun and amazing, and well spent with our friends that are like family to us.
I also got something this month I have been dreaming of having since I got married. My own piano! Gwen found it online for free and it was in decent shape, and I called a tuner to ask questions to see if it would be worth it to get the piano. He was worried about a few things, but it has turned out to be alright thus far. He came and looked at it, and has done the bass strings in a pitch raise, and he will be coming back a few more times to replace pins, finish the pitch raise, and then to finally get it tuned. I can wait though. The piano is just beautiful and it will be well worth it once it's done. The brand is one that I haven't heard of really, Knauss Coblenz. I looked it up and there isn't actually a lot of information on the brand, but I did find out that it was the family that used to make the pianos for the German royalty at one point in history. I don't know exactly how old it is, but it's pretty old. Didn't come with a bench, but we will be looking into getting something for it. And something to hold my music. I was thinking maybe just a filing cabinet and then it doesn't take up a lot of room but will hold all the music I currently own. I'm so excited for the time that it will be finished! :)
Alyna and I took on something neither of us has really ever done on our own. We decided to learn to make jam. It was fun! And it tastes really good! Not sure if we did it 100% correctly, but it turned out alright. Not too shabby for our first try!
Matthew and I also took on something this month we've never done before. We decided to take on a foreign exchange student from Japan. It was for about a week, and it was a lot of fun. His name was Keisuke Moriyama and he came to the USA with some kids from his middle school to learn more English and experience the culture here. He was pretty awesome! He didn't talk a lot on his own, but he did well in answering any questions we asked him. He was at BYU for a lot of the time he was with us, but he spent the weekend with us. We went up to Jeremiah and Alyna's house for the 24th to see the fireworks up there and hang out for the day. While I was at work, Matthew and the boys went with Jeremiah and his boys to the Orem OWLZ game as well. They went to 7 peaks to swim one day and just had a great time. I wasn't able to go to the closing social, but Matthew took the boys and went and he said it was really awesome! I will need to get the pics from him to put up on here of that. All in all, a great experience. We learned a lot from him, and what we could do differently next time if we should choose to do it and I hope that he learned a little bit from us as well.
One of the weekends that we had free we were hanging out with Jeremiah and Alyna, and I learned how to play Magic The Gathering. It was actually a lot more fun than I thought it would be, and now I am learning to build a deck how I would like. We also decided we wanted to find a shaved ice place, (since the one we normally would go to is apparently out of business :( ) and we went to one on center street in Provo. It was really fun! They had a ping pong table there, and hula hoops, and a bunch of college aged kids were there dancing, since there was a DJ. It was a lot of fun to go and just do something in historic Provo and dance and have fun with our boys. It was fun to see Jeremiah get into it as well. Haha!
Matthew had been telling me for at least a month that he had a surprise for me on July 18th. I asked him what it was and he never budged and gave me any hint. So, I made sure that I had July 18th off, and went on with life. The day before the 18th came and Matthew wanted to go and take a walk around the Provo City Center Temple. It was a little random and out of the norm, but I thought it would be good to take the boys there. So, we went there and were just hanging out for a while, and it was a lot of fun! The boys loved it, and Michael kept telling us about how he wants to go there. Well, we had some visitors come to meet us there at the temple. It was Jen and Judson! I was so happy and excited to see them! They are just like family to us, and we don't get to see them often because they live in Oregon. They were coming to Idaho for a graduation, but I didn't think they were coming to Utah since they had just bought a house this year, but I was so stinking excited to see them and hang out with them, and have them in our home for a couple of days. It was a wonderful experience and the kids got along FAMOUSLY! Michael and Ella were pretty much inseparable, and cute little Ember was as small and darling as could be. Ammon seemed to just bask in everything and it was a lovely time. We went out to eat at Tucanos with Judson's mom, who is also like family to us. I can't wait to be able to return the surprise and go to Oregon to visit them. I'm hoping we could pull that off sooner rather than later. So much fun, and Michael was sure sad when Ella left. I was sad too, and Michael and I sat in the front room and cried for about half an hour after they left. But, I was so happy to see them, and so excited to plan a trip to Oregon sometime. :)
The last thing that happened, right at the very end of the month, is my brother Christopher and his wife Ashley moved in with us. They are looking at getting jobs and are very excited to be able to get a fresh start and get their lives in order financially so they can do other things to get them ahead in life. They applied at Nu Skin, but didn't get the job this time around, but they are still hopeful for the future. We are excited to help them and support them in their new endeavors down here in Provo, and are happy to see what the future will bring to our little family.
Monday, August 22, 2016
June, Glorious June!
June was really exciting for the Hemby's. Lots happened, and there were anniversaries, birthdays, and fun things happening. But first things, first, the boys!
Ammon is 11 months old! I can't believe that he is almost a year old. It's crazy how fast time flies. He also has gotten in 2 more teeth! He is so adorable with those teeth! GAH! He also is trying to walk by himself. Sometimes he will, and sometimes he won't try at all, but when he does try there is no fear of it. I think within a month or so he will be walking all on his own.
Michael is growing and getting into all kinds of mischief. He definitely has his own opinions and likes to be called anything but his name. When we took him to nursery he wouldn't tell them his real name or how old he was until they called him Captain America. So, when we came to pick him up from nursery the leader said, "So you are Captain America's parents! He wouldn't tell us how old he was until we called him Cap". So funny this kid! I apologized to the nice nursery leader and let her know that he is 3 and his real name is Michael. I hope that if he ever gets lost (heaven forbid!) that he will tell people his real name. Otherwise we are going to be hearing over some intercom, "Could the parents of Captain America please come and get him from Customer Service". Never a dull moment with him. He also had a dentist appointment this month and he did great! No cavities, and he actually let them in his mouth to clean his teeth, to do the fluoride, and also to try to do x-rays. They didn't get super good ones, but they did get him to cooperate. So, yay for small victories! He hates taking a bath lately, but he loves to play with his brother more, so I guess I can deal with a struggling toddler to take a bath if he is nice to his younger brother. Haha!
Funny thing about Michael taking a bath, he LOVES the splash pad! He really does love it and we decided to go with the boys so that we could all relax and take a load off. Ammon did pretty good with the water, so long as he wasn't in it and he could just play with the little spitters on the end of the pad he was good. I even got Michael a new swim suit. The shirt works great, however, the shorts were a little bit too big, so they kept falling off of him. Haha! Poor guy. We got a pic of him picking up his shorts since they fell all the way to the ground. But it was fun for all of us. Yay for family time!
This is the month that is always so exciting to me, and yet I am always hesitant to get my hopes up. It's my birthday! And I share that birthday with my mom. I always want to do something with her and I always make plans, but there have been more than a few times that those things didn't work out. But, this year was pretty awesome. Our birthday and Father's Day fell really close to the same day, so we all went out to Tucanos for our birthday and Father's Day celebration. It was a new experience for Mom and Dad, but they liked it, and the men even got a cool glass to take home as a little father's day gift. The boys loved it as well. I'm sad we weren't able to use our birthday coupons, but good none-the-less.
Something else really awesome and amazing happened this month as well. Christopher got married! Matthew and I were invited to be in the wedding party, and we tried to help the best we could. It was a beautiful day, and everything went really well, except that Chris was feeling a little under the weather in the middle of the day. (I think he was dehydrated.) They are an adorable couple and we are so excited to add Ashley to the family. Matthew and I were able to be inside the temple with them, and her grandpa was the sealer. It was his anniversary that day as well, 49 years and still going. He said some things that I will never forget. The thing he said that struck me the most was the 2-2-2 principle. He said that there are 2 things you should do each week as a married couple, to read the scriptures and pray together. There are 2 things you should do each week, and that is to have family home evening, and go to church. And the other 2 stands for 2 things to do each month as a newly married couple. Go to the temple and date night. Life gets hard, and things get in the way, but when we make time for these simple things each day, week, and month, we are allowing the Lord to be in our lives and help guide us to the best of our abilities. Anyhow, it was a really fun day, and they are a beautiful couple. We are so happy for them both!
Speaking of eternal families and weddings, Matthew and I also celebrated our Wedding Anniversary! We have been eternally married and sealed for 8 years now, and boy has the time flown. Life has only gotten sweeter and more full. We have gone through a lot over the last 8 years, and for the 6 years before that as well. For our Anniversary we were kid free! Thanks Mom for taking the boys for us! She kept them a couple of night for us and we were able to just go and do and not have to worry about anything. Matthew got our house all cleaned up and set it up like a hotel, since we couldn't afford to go to one. He replaced the batteries in the sconces in our bedroom and got some sparkling drink and little gifts for me. He used rose petals to line the way. He also took me out shopping to get a few new things to wear, and a new Kindle so I could get my e-books back and get some new ones I could take to work with me. (Our other kindle bit the dust, so this was a nice surprise!) We also went to a movie, Now You See Me 2 and then went to Smart Cookie and dinner as well. Fun day! We also were able to go to the wedding reception for a really great friend of ours from Matthew's days in Familiar Ring. It was a really beautiful reception, and the food was AMAZING! I loved it! It was fun to be at someone else's wedding when we were celebrating ours. Kinda nostalgic, and good times. It was very relaxing and a great end to a busy month. :)
We also had some very good friends in town this month. Matt and Diana were here with the kids and we went to the splash pad with them. Michael had so much fun and Ammon was deciding whether or not he liked the water or not, even though he has done this once before. Anyhow, we spent a lot of time at the splash pad that day and it was a lot of fun! We won't get to see them again until Christmas, but it was really awesome to see them.
Ammon is 11 months old! I can't believe that he is almost a year old. It's crazy how fast time flies. He also has gotten in 2 more teeth! He is so adorable with those teeth! GAH! He also is trying to walk by himself. Sometimes he will, and sometimes he won't try at all, but when he does try there is no fear of it. I think within a month or so he will be walking all on his own.
Michael is growing and getting into all kinds of mischief. He definitely has his own opinions and likes to be called anything but his name. When we took him to nursery he wouldn't tell them his real name or how old he was until they called him Captain America. So, when we came to pick him up from nursery the leader said, "So you are Captain America's parents! He wouldn't tell us how old he was until we called him Cap". So funny this kid! I apologized to the nice nursery leader and let her know that he is 3 and his real name is Michael. I hope that if he ever gets lost (heaven forbid!) that he will tell people his real name. Otherwise we are going to be hearing over some intercom, "Could the parents of Captain America please come and get him from Customer Service". Never a dull moment with him. He also had a dentist appointment this month and he did great! No cavities, and he actually let them in his mouth to clean his teeth, to do the fluoride, and also to try to do x-rays. They didn't get super good ones, but they did get him to cooperate. So, yay for small victories! He hates taking a bath lately, but he loves to play with his brother more, so I guess I can deal with a struggling toddler to take a bath if he is nice to his younger brother. Haha!
This is the month that is always so exciting to me, and yet I am always hesitant to get my hopes up. It's my birthday! And I share that birthday with my mom. I always want to do something with her and I always make plans, but there have been more than a few times that those things didn't work out. But, this year was pretty awesome. Our birthday and Father's Day fell really close to the same day, so we all went out to Tucanos for our birthday and Father's Day celebration. It was a new experience for Mom and Dad, but they liked it, and the men even got a cool glass to take home as a little father's day gift. The boys loved it as well. I'm sad we weren't able to use our birthday coupons, but good none-the-less.
I also made some treats and goodies for work for my birthday as well. It was fun to make some stuff with my boys! Michael especially loved it. We also took the boys to the play place inside the mall and it was Ammon's first time going and really being able to get around. He isn't fully walking yet, but he is crawling around and pulling himself up pretty good. It was good to see them playing together and having fun!
Something else really awesome and amazing happened this month as well. Christopher got married! Matthew and I were invited to be in the wedding party, and we tried to help the best we could. It was a beautiful day, and everything went really well, except that Chris was feeling a little under the weather in the middle of the day. (I think he was dehydrated.) They are an adorable couple and we are so excited to add Ashley to the family. Matthew and I were able to be inside the temple with them, and her grandpa was the sealer. It was his anniversary that day as well, 49 years and still going. He said some things that I will never forget. The thing he said that struck me the most was the 2-2-2 principle. He said that there are 2 things you should do each week as a married couple, to read the scriptures and pray together. There are 2 things you should do each week, and that is to have family home evening, and go to church. And the other 2 stands for 2 things to do each month as a newly married couple. Go to the temple and date night. Life gets hard, and things get in the way, but when we make time for these simple things each day, week, and month, we are allowing the Lord to be in our lives and help guide us to the best of our abilities. Anyhow, it was a really fun day, and they are a beautiful couple. We are so happy for them both!
Speaking of eternal families and weddings, Matthew and I also celebrated our Wedding Anniversary! We have been eternally married and sealed for 8 years now, and boy has the time flown. Life has only gotten sweeter and more full. We have gone through a lot over the last 8 years, and for the 6 years before that as well. For our Anniversary we were kid free! Thanks Mom for taking the boys for us! She kept them a couple of night for us and we were able to just go and do and not have to worry about anything. Matthew got our house all cleaned up and set it up like a hotel, since we couldn't afford to go to one. He replaced the batteries in the sconces in our bedroom and got some sparkling drink and little gifts for me. He used rose petals to line the way. He also took me out shopping to get a few new things to wear, and a new Kindle so I could get my e-books back and get some new ones I could take to work with me. (Our other kindle bit the dust, so this was a nice surprise!) We also went to a movie, Now You See Me 2 and then went to Smart Cookie and dinner as well. Fun day! We also were able to go to the wedding reception for a really great friend of ours from Matthew's days in Familiar Ring. It was a really beautiful reception, and the food was AMAZING! I loved it! It was fun to be at someone else's wedding when we were celebrating ours. Kinda nostalgic, and good times. It was very relaxing and a great end to a busy month. :)
I love my family and all that goes with it. I love my boys so much and my husband with all my heart and soul. The best things in this life are the memories, the moments you get with those you love that you treasure for your whole life. It will be fun to look back on some of these things with my boys and see just how much they've grown. Here's to a long a happy life full of memories! :)
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Stuff from May
I know this is a very belated post that details how the Hemby's were doing in May, so I apologize for that. It's been a crazy few months, and still more crazy to come. But here is a rundown of all the fun things we did in May.
Ammon turned 10 months old! He keeps moving along and doing everything he can to get into everything he can. He is crawling all over the place, and has started pulling himself up on the furniture. He loves to play with his brother and he loving food! He likes to try to feed himself when he can. Such a cute little guy!
Michael is still such a character. Always playing and wanting to be a super hero. He is warming up a little better to Ammon now, and even will play with him sometimes. It's super cute.
I also was looking for a dress for Chris and Ashley's wedding, and I finally found one that I liked. I also worked on my hair style for that as well, and it took me a few tries, but it ended up looking really cute. In that same vain I decided that I wanted to try dressing up a little more than I do. Sometimes when you don't feel good or feel pretty, getting dressed up and doing your makeup can help lift you up so you can face another long day. It seemed to work pretty well. Got a lot of compliments at work.
We also had company this month. Grandma Gwen came to visit, and to help me with a couple of things. She helped me to make little signs for my boss at work, and she also helped me to finish the guest book for Christopher's wedding. It was really darling, and they liked it a lot. We decided to go out to eat one of those days to one of our favorite places to eat here in Provo, Los Hermanos. It's a great little Mexican food restaurant. We went there and ate and it was so much fun, especially for Michael. He also went with Grandma Gwen for a few days as well. It gave Matthew and I a little break and lots of fun for Grandma and Michael.
Mother's day was also celebrated in our house, despite the fact that I ended up having to work. My boss was even going to let me go early, but so many people called in that she wasn't able to let me. But, while I was at work, Matthew and the boys spoiled me a little by making me a great dinner for when I came home. One of my favorite dishes, Turkey steak, mashed potatoes, corn. They also did a dessert for me that I was planning on doing for myself; chocolate covered strawberries! My favorite! They also got me a few little gifts that were amazing and I was so happy to have some new books and fun things to do while I'm at work.
One of the weekends we went to the bridal shower for Ashley and we had a great time! I got to meet a couple of her family members and some of our family came as well. A lot had other things to do that day, but we had fun talking and getting to know everyone. It was also really fun to talk to my Aunt Melanie. She cracks me up! Great fun talking to everyone again and great desserts. Cause, really, who can pass up a party with great desserts? :)
Jeremiah and Alyna came to our house one weekend (out of many that we hang out), and we made a birthday cake for Jeremiah. His birthday was on Mother's Day, so I tried to make him something so that he could feel special too. Haha! Anyway, Alyna and I put our heads together and made him a cake, a coconut cake with coconut cream pie in the middle. It was our first attempt, but we decided that we will make some improvements for next year and see about getting it perfected in the next couple of birthdays. We also want to try making a pie-ca-chi. That would be a pie, cake, and cheesecake all rolled into one. And one day we will be brave enough to try it.
It has been a fun and happy month, with much more fun to come next month! Weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and much more! I love seeing all the fun little things we do together as a family. It's so crazy how big my boys are getting. Life just keeps getting better and better.
Ammon turned 10 months old! He keeps moving along and doing everything he can to get into everything he can. He is crawling all over the place, and has started pulling himself up on the furniture. He loves to play with his brother and he loving food! He likes to try to feed himself when he can. Such a cute little guy!
Michael is still such a character. Always playing and wanting to be a super hero. He is warming up a little better to Ammon now, and even will play with him sometimes. It's super cute.
I also was looking for a dress for Chris and Ashley's wedding, and I finally found one that I liked. I also worked on my hair style for that as well, and it took me a few tries, but it ended up looking really cute. In that same vain I decided that I wanted to try dressing up a little more than I do. Sometimes when you don't feel good or feel pretty, getting dressed up and doing your makeup can help lift you up so you can face another long day. It seemed to work pretty well. Got a lot of compliments at work.
We also had company this month. Grandma Gwen came to visit, and to help me with a couple of things. She helped me to make little signs for my boss at work, and she also helped me to finish the guest book for Christopher's wedding. It was really darling, and they liked it a lot. We decided to go out to eat one of those days to one of our favorite places to eat here in Provo, Los Hermanos. It's a great little Mexican food restaurant. We went there and ate and it was so much fun, especially for Michael. He also went with Grandma Gwen for a few days as well. It gave Matthew and I a little break and lots of fun for Grandma and Michael.
Mother's day was also celebrated in our house, despite the fact that I ended up having to work. My boss was even going to let me go early, but so many people called in that she wasn't able to let me. But, while I was at work, Matthew and the boys spoiled me a little by making me a great dinner for when I came home. One of my favorite dishes, Turkey steak, mashed potatoes, corn. They also did a dessert for me that I was planning on doing for myself; chocolate covered strawberries! My favorite! They also got me a few little gifts that were amazing and I was so happy to have some new books and fun things to do while I'm at work.
One of the weekends we went to the bridal shower for Ashley and we had a great time! I got to meet a couple of her family members and some of our family came as well. A lot had other things to do that day, but we had fun talking and getting to know everyone. It was also really fun to talk to my Aunt Melanie. She cracks me up! Great fun talking to everyone again and great desserts. Cause, really, who can pass up a party with great desserts? :)
Jeremiah and Alyna came to our house one weekend (out of many that we hang out), and we made a birthday cake for Jeremiah. His birthday was on Mother's Day, so I tried to make him something so that he could feel special too. Haha! Anyway, Alyna and I put our heads together and made him a cake, a coconut cake with coconut cream pie in the middle. It was our first attempt, but we decided that we will make some improvements for next year and see about getting it perfected in the next couple of birthdays. We also want to try making a pie-ca-chi. That would be a pie, cake, and cheesecake all rolled into one. And one day we will be brave enough to try it.
It has been a fun and happy month, with much more fun to come next month! Weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and much more! I love seeing all the fun little things we do together as a family. It's so crazy how big my boys are getting. Life just keeps getting better and better.
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