Pioneers and Receptions

This morning we went to our ward's Pioneer Day Picnic. We celebrated the day the pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley for the first time (the actual date is July 24th). There was fried chicken and pot luck salads and deserts. We ate, chatted, and the kids gave us a parade and then they got to play games. A good time was had by all of us.

This is Emma, Kyle, and B marching in the parade.
Kyle hid behind Emma for all the photos.
Lil' stinker!

After the Pioneer Day festivities my mom joined our crew and after purchasing an appropriate wedding gift we turned the mini-van south and headed for our old stooping grounds. Once there we headed for the local LDS chapel ready to party. We walked through the door and my friend Denise said oh good someone crafty, help us out. So I jump in and help design the bride bouquet. How cool is that? Anyway, we had a very enjoyable time and I even talked the Scout Master into going with us and I am pretty sure he had a good time. I was a wee bit disappointed that we did not get to dance, but we were able to see old friends and catch up with them.

This is Sister Parker and I.
When I was a lone woman in town with
3 kids she took me under her wing.
I can never thank her enough!

Katie and Spencer.

Emma and Elisia.

Me and B.

After the reception we turn our mini van north again. I would have stayed the night but I have to be at a church meeting at 7:30AM in morning.

Going to the Temple & Their Gonna Get Married

Today The Scout Master and I were able to go to the Chicago Temple. I was very excited to go because this was not just any trip to the temple, it was a special trip to see my sister from another mother get married. I talked about this family just a few blogs ago, remember? They were practically my second parents and their son and I were always together? It's the Fellow Family just to jog your memory.

We left the house around 9AM(our time) and got to there around 10:55AM(Chicago time) after snacking on some beef jerky and cashews because we knew we would not have time to stop for lunch. We had to be there and be changed by 11AM. An over turned potato truck and that terrible Chicago traffic contributed to our tardiness. We scramble into the temple and they check our recommends and kindly tell us that we are going to make it. They will always hold the session for a few people, if they need to. Kind and friendly as all temple workers always are. But then I see Margret and she is not changed yet, and I say "Oh, I see her mother." Then they tell me that the session does not even start until noon. Ah, we are an hour early!! So we change and go to the cafeteria for a little snack and a drink. It was nice to have this time to let the stress melt away. While we were waiting I got to talk to some people that I knew and made it to the session on time.

After the endowment session was over we went across the hall to the sealing room. I am always impressed by how beautiful it is in the temple. There I witnessed as Katie and Spencer were not just married but sealed together for time and all eternity. It caused the Scout Master and I to reflect on the day that we were sealed in the Salt Lake temple, almost 11 years ago. It was nice to hear those words again and to be reminded that the Lord loves us so much that He makes a way for our families to be together forever. If we do our part by being obedient to His commands, we can not only return to live in His presence but also be reunited to our loved ones. How wonderful is that? It was a very special day for Katie and Spencer and I was so happy that I could be there to join in.

We changed back into our Sunday best and headed outside to get some pictures. I could not for the life of me find my camera so I don't have any pictures, but there was a very big surprise waiting for me outside. I walk out chatting with the Scout Master and a few others when I see some kids running around. Then I notice that those kids look really familiar to me. Then I see the kids mom....and it is my very good friend Michele whom I haven't seen in almost 2 years. She could not find a babysitter so that she could come into the temple but she had dressed them up and loaded them in the car and driven an hour and a little more to see, me!! I was beyond excited. She had her back to me so I ran up behind her and gave her the biggest hug I possibly could. Remember the cheesy grin? Right back on my face. We giggled like teenagers (I didn't know grown women could still do that, but we sure did). We got to chat, in person even, and I got hugs from the kids too. They of course asked where Emma was. How great is that? It was so great to see her and to talk to her. I really have missed her.

After the photos where over The Scout Master and I were ready to eat. So we headed down the only street we know up there and stopped at the book store where I got a beautiful painting of Christ healing a young girl, for over my piano for half price. Gotta love that. It looks really nice there too. Then we walked across the parking lot to find some dinner and we had a great meal.

The drive home was awful. It was 5:30 Chicago time and that means traffic. It took us twice as long to get home as it did for us to get there. At our last toll booth we purchased and i-zoom so next time we won't have to stop to pay the tolls. Won't that be nice? I am really looking forward to our next trip.

To learn more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and why we attend the temple please go here. That's is were you will find the truth about what we believe.

Friendships/Relationships

The Scout Master with whom I have a great relationship/friendship! (being goofy, of course).

I have to stay this.....I just don't understand some people. You try and try and try and still no matter what you do or how nice you are they just don't meet you half way, or any way at all.

I have found friendships to be hard to make lately. Is this some change I have made or is it the area that I now find myself in or just a set of unrelated circumstances? Maybe I have just grown tired of games and guilt trips.

In my mind any relationship should be founded on mutual trust, compromise and also an understanding for one another. If I can not and you can one time or you can not but I can another time it is up to us both to be understanding about the situations at hand and try to make the best of it. When a person is unable or unwilling to give of themselves freely, without guile, without being able to offer and need nothing in return, they can not open themselves to new relationships. A person needs to be willing and open to change around them, open to being touch and changed by those whom they allow in their lives. Without this they can not offer up their friendship and create new and lasting relationships with one another.

I have had struggling relationship in my life before and was really relived when I was able to give it up without feeling guilty about it. The burden of that friendship weighed heavily on me for years. Information I didn't want to know was thrust upon me. The burden didn't match the reward. And when it was finally given up, and the person was gone I was able to breath again. Sometimes however, you can not give up the relationship that is bringing you down. You keep them for various reasons like guilt, because you love someone who loves them, or because there isn't a polite way to walk away. These kinds of relationships take prayer and patience and balance.

I have always been the kind to wear my feelings not on my sleeve, but tucked in under my covers at home. However, the Scout Master was telling me the other day that, I am the kind of person that believes that a person is good until they prove that they are not. I am glad I am like that, even though at times it has caused me sadness and heartache.

It takes prayer and pointed effort to make some relationships/friendships work. If they don't work at first they may work out later, or they may not. I am one to keep trying to a point. Sometimes you just can't beat a dead horse anymore.

So here I am back to the beginning I will keep trying to make friendships and nurture those relationships that I already had made, give them all a fair shake and see where it leads me.

I know this isn't my usual kind of post, more thoughtful perhaps then my normal family story telling. A trip, some calls, and some other happenings have prompted me to weigh my current relationships and see where they fit in my life, if at all, or if they need more of my attention.

So if you are out there, let try to meet in the middle. I'll start walking your way and you start walking mine. Let's see where it leads us.

Katie Meets Someone Famous (And our trip To Kokomo)

Wednesday morning I called a great lady I knew from Kokomo and asked if we could still come and stay for the night (previously she had agreed to let us stay the night and then I had canceled because I had postponed Emma’s doctor appointment……that’s a long story for another time though). She graciously agreed to let us come and stay. The Scout Master said he would miss us but to go and have fun. I just felt the need to go and see some of my good friends again. After I had made the call to Denise (whose house we were to invade for the night), I told the kids we were going to Kokomo, and if they wanted to go they had to clean up the basement and their rooms before we could leave.

Their response was more then I had expected.

Emma- "We're going back!! I can't believe we are finally going back!!" desperation and excitement in her voice. Like it had been years instead of just months.

Kyle- "We're going to Kokomo? Really we are?"

Bridget- just squealed and ran around picking up toys because she knew something fun was going to happen.

They cleaned up their rooms and the toys in the basement with gusto.

So after the dishes were done, packing was completed and the kids had their lunch we piled into our van and away we went. We arrived around 3PM. We stopped at a good friends place and the kids ran and ran and ran around, excited, happy and glad to be out of the car. After that visit we went to our old ward building. There was a funeral and I wanted to help clean up. I got there just in time to help and see a few people that I knew. I couldn't wipe the cheesy grin off of my face. I hugged them all. That is when I realized something. I had only been hugged at church once since we left Kokomo. I had always felt that something was missing and it wasn't until I was hugging people that it dawned on me that it was the hugs that I missed. I saw/hugged Sister Rogers, Sister Dwigans (the older), and Denise. Then the Bishop and his wife (Dee & Connie). We cleaned up and then we headed out for another visit and some dinner too.

I pulled up in the driveway of my second family. They had no idea I was there. I felt excited and thrilled and that cheese grin was plastered right there on my face. I walked through the entryway and knocked on the front door. I felt excited and scared, I did want them to think that I was rude for just stopping by. I waited.......the door opened, I was grinning I saw the face of the person opening the door turn from wonder to recognition and she was smiling too!! I about cried. I was just so happy to see her. Margaret Fellow is like my second mother. I can't tell you how many mornings after seminary I was at her house or how many times we have chatted, or how many times her oldest son and I were together. We were like brother and sister. Anyway, we spent the next hour and a half in catching up and updating phone numbers. Talking about the up coming wedding and how her daughter-in-law is doing. I missed seeing Jeff, since he was at work....but it was nice to feel loved and included for just a little bit.

After that we were off to the church again so that Emma could join in with the girls her age in a little Faith in God activity. She was so excited to see them. And since it was a mutual night I got to see quite a few more people (though not as many as I would have seen, since it was only the Beehives and deacons that night). I hugged, laughed, chatted and cheesy grinned at everyone. One of my favorites is Brother Shafer. He told me when he heard that The Scout Master had lost his job he was hoping that we would come back. I was secretly hoping that as well (don't tell the Scout Master). He told me that they missed us. We miss them to. I even talked to our old home teacher.....his wife just had a baby!! What?? I didn't even know she was pregnant. There were a few more of those surprises as well.

When the activities for the evening were over we followed Denise home to her house. We stayed up late! Listening to her hubby's old records and a song I had never heard before, Bing Cosby's Kokomo, Indiana. The words really hit home for me. Anyway, we had ice cream, and snacks and talked and the kids played and played and ran around. With my 3 and their 4 that made 7 crazy happy kids running all over the place. Around 11:30PM we finally got them settled down and close to bed. I don't when they finally went to sleep.

The next day (Thursday) Denise and I packed lunches (she was sooo good to us, feeding us and giving us the comforts of home) and got all the kids into her van and off we went to the Children's Museum. Were there awaited us experiences even I never dreamed of!

All 6 kids in the van. (her oldest didn't come along)

The new outside of the Children's Museum in Indy.
It has changed so much sine the last time we were there.

We flew to Egypt.

E, M, B, & M sitting pretty in and Egyptian apartment.

B riding a donkey in an Egyptian farm house court yard.

The tent maker's wares.

I don't even know what to call this.

Emma took this picture of us at an Egyptian Coffee House.

Kyle picking the statue's nose.

After our little tour of Egypt we headed down to the cafeteria for a little lunch. Where we consumed sandwiches, chips, juice pouches, and other lunchy foods. After which we headed down to the Dinosphere. Were cool things were about to take place.

This is where the story turns from our fun times to probably one of the neatest things that has happened to me. There my kids were. Digging in the dino-pit. I was desperately trying to take a good picture of B doing her thing and she just wasn't having it. While I was shooting away I was chatting with the very pretty lady next to me. Her little drooling baby was crawling there next to B and I told her how cute I thought he was. He was all smiles. I notice what I believe to be her husband and thought they made good pair. She was blond and had a nice bit of eyeliner on. The more I looked at her and the more I talked to her, the more I thought she looked really familiar to me. She was nice and I said "She (meaning B) is just not going to let me get a good picture of her." to which this lady laughed. She called her other son "James, let's go," as she stood I checked out her outfit. Differently from out of town, she was dressed was to mod for Indy. Then she brushed past my shoulder with her two sons in tow and it dawns on me who she was. Could it really be? I look at the worker there with a quizzical brown and she says to me "Yea, it's her." What?? Did I just stand there talking to Gwen Stefani like a dumb mom? Yes, I had.

After this Denise and I stared noticing that the couple had a nanny and a Museum lady with a radio. Ms. Stefani and I kept running into each other. She even held up B when she got a little close to their youngest and tripped, threatening to fall over. Her son Kingston James and my son Kyle played together at the train table for quite a while. I was trying so hard to not take an obvious picture of her, while still talking a picture of my kids. It was a struggle not to say anything to her.....I tried really hard not to let her know I knew who she was. I was trying to stay really cool and not scream......"I know who you are, can I have your picture?" But she did slip into a few of my photos. You will have to look really hard.

That's her right there in the middle with her son in the stroller.
Her blond hair and stripped sweater.
Honestly I am not sure how I took this picture.

If you look in the back ground of this picture, they are there.

When our visit at the Museum was over we headed back to Kokomo, where we said our good-byes, and traded one van for another. I want to thank the Isaac's for having us over last minute and for treating us so well. I really felt at home there. Thanks so much!!

We headed into town where we picked up some corn dogs from Emma favorite ice cream place and took them over to our last stop this visit. The Hines. They were kind enough to let us eat and get in our visit. Randy and Annette are the best people. We had a nice visit and the kids and I turned our van north and traveled home. Thankful for those we got to see and sad for those we missed. Emma even wished aloud that we had been able to stay for Sunday. Next time, my dear girl, hopefully next time!

We are Party People

It's party day here at our house hold. We had two parties to liven up our day. First off was Kyle's 5th Birthday Party. The theme? Army Men. The time? 11:00 AM. The Place? Our house. Activities? Opening presents, eating cake, and an impromptu pizza lunch. Yes, we ate cake first and decided on pizza after that. Here are the pictures.

The Party Boy

One little, two little , three little.....

Opening presents! He really wanted these Transformers!

This the the Ghostbusters video game that he has been
talking about since December. It wasn't even
released until June. He was always asking when
June was. He was so happy to finally get it.

I made him this army cake.

Blowing out the candles.

Happy he got them all blown out!

Chocolate cake! YUM!!

Party #2

Aunt Audrey and Uncle J decided to have a fun and festive 4th of July party. Theme? Food, Family & Fun. Time? 5PM Place? J and Audrey's Place (dare I nick name it Green Gables?) Activities? Eating, chatting and blowing things up. We arrived a little after 5PM. Hot dogs on the grill and other tasty items where available for enjoyment. While waiting for darkness to fall we did a few sparklers, a lot of snappers, and watched the neighbors light bottle rockets and roman candles. After dark the fun began with the BIG bangs. We were delighted by J's pick in fireworks. The kids were all asleep in the car upon our arrival home. It was a good night.

My Toe

This is my toe. Remember when I told you that on beach day I hit it against a concrete ramp? Maybe I left that part out, but I do remember telling all that I hurt it. Well, here is it days later. It looks broken, it feels broken, but in fact, is not broken. I had an x-ray on Tuesday (the 30th of June). The doctor was sure it was broken. But the scans showed no fracture. The next day I got a call from the office and they said an x-ray expert (I don't know what they are called) had checked my x-ray and confirmed that there was no fracture. Go figure. So here I am at almost 31 and still haven't had my first broken bone. *Sigh* Now I am hoping that it never happens. It is a blessing to have such strong bones!!

5 is Fantastic

This is Kyle. Five years ago today he was born into this world after a very scary spinal (that didn't work) and what seemed like a very short sleep for me. When I groggily awoke from my drug induced stupor I was presented with a dark haired, scrunchy nosed, little bundle of boy. I was very happy and The Scout Master was chest button popping proud.

So on this day five years later I found myself in a place of some parents nightmares and every kids best dream, Chucky Cheese. Not just any Chucky Cheese, but one that at one time was a Show Biz Pizza, one that I went to as a child. I was not only reminiscing over the last five years of my little man but also some happy highlights of my own childhood.

We played games and rode little rides. We turned in ticket slips that I had been saving for a long time. I picked out a little bowling set for him. He loved it. We had a really nice time. All the kids were really good and really enjoyed themselves.

I am so blessed by our Heavenly Father to have Kyle in my life. He is loving, kind, active and healthy. He is also really good at sharing. He has a great smile and gives really good hugs, though he will only kiss me on the cheek and only accept kisses from me on the cheek. His big interests right now are army men, transformers, and he knows more about the Civil War then any other 5 year old on earth.

Happy Birthday little Man!! We love you!!