Just jotting down my random thoughts

Well, I told myself I was going to get better at keeping up with this blogging thing and man how life just seems to be flying by!
A thought I had the last little while......I heard someone say one day "being a stay at home mom should not be wrote down anywhere as a job." I seemed to think about that everyday for a bit! I did let it get to me though one day as I realized to myself that I probably should go out and get a job to help pay for the piling up of bills. I started to feel in the dumps and felt like I didn't do anything worth while and that I was just the mom....and with being a mom comes what I do and it's really not a "job." I have had some very downer days lately and that comment stuck to me.

However, now that I had a few days to sit back and think more clearly I realize it is a LIE to say that being a stay at home mom is not a job. I have a FULL time job that doesn't end. Everyday seems to come with a new set of tasks. Some days I have more to do then others or more messes to clean then others. However, I wake up every morning making sure three kids are fed, dressed and then clean up the breakfast mess.I have beds to make, laudry to do, clothes to put away, lunch to cook, more dishes, wiping noses, cleaning up messes....the list is endless most days! I realize now that I believe I work pretty stinking hard! I am constantly on the go and when that clock hits 5PM or 6PM my job is not done and I don't just "go home until tomorrow." I realize that I could say that I work double overtimes and have late nights....sometimes I am pulling all nighter shifts! My job of being a mother and a wife doesn't end and so why do I feel guilty for not helping more???? I know that I do a lot, I see that.....but somedays just seem to hit me like a pile of bricks in the face thinking that I need to go get a job.

Why do I say this?...because today and the last couple days for some reason more then ever I realize how much people need to realize that being a stay at home mom is not some easy task. It IS a full time job and it IS hard. At the same time though I realize what a blessing I have to be able to stay at home and raise my children! Many moms out there don't have the choice and must work to stay ahead and live. I count my blessings that I am able to see my kids grow up and watch their milestones in life! I think I need to take it all more as a pleasure instead of thinking it's just an everyday thing. I GET to wake up early and send Ryder off on the bus and I am here to see him come home. I GET to take Brooklyn to school and pick her up. So many times we get wrapped up in the everyday things and I think sometimes it's so easy to say and think "i have to do this or that" when really we should say "I GET to do this today."

I know I am not the best mom, but I try. I try to be the mom my children want to have and wish for. Even through all their fits and tantrums and I hope they realize I am learning too! I'm not perfect. Yes I get mad and grumpy just like them, but I love them! I am learning and growing each day just as they are. I hope and pray that my children know of my hard work; that I try hard to make this a happy place to be! I hope that patience grows in our home as I learn this journey we are on.....that we together can be the best family we can! I am grateful I have the gospel in my life for one. I am grateful for a loving and forgiving father in Heaven who loves me despite my faults. It makes me happy to know what we are sealed as a family and will live for Eternity together!!
May we all take a step back and realize that yes we are moms and yes we have a full time job! We should walk with our heads help high for all the many things we do; even all those unseen things!
((It feels good to get my thoughts out as this blogging stuff is mostly for my journal writing.)) :)

My little bowler

So back around the first part of November my dad asked if we'd let Ryder join the Junior Bowling League. I really was a bit nervous as to if Ryder would stick with it or not. He sort of is a sore loser to say the least. He likes to win in anything he's doing. Sometimes it becomes quite emotional for him if you play a game or something and he doesn't win! (Strange, I know!) :)
My dad is in charge of the bowling leagues and we figured if nothing else we'd drop out if he didn't like it. So dad took him and little Ryder was SO excited. He's been watching his grandpa bowl and his Aunt Misty and the thought of him doing it now was neat as heck to him.
He struggled for the first few times because he wasn't knocking pins over and really wanted to hit pins. As soon as he got just two pins on one of his throws he was upbeat and excited! He has been doing it now for a bit and loves it. He finds it fun and it's a good challenge for him. He tries super hard to beat Aunt Misty each week and loves when Aunt Misty doesn't bowl good. (He likes to get under her skin a little.) They bowl every Saturday here in town so it's easy and cheap for him to be doing!
My dad just told me last week that with his good scores he's been bowling lately (really good for a 6 yr old) combined with his handicap score he qualifies to go to Pocatello and bowl in a Tournament come April. Boy was Ryder happy and thought he was something neat. Can't wait to let him go and see how he does! :)
Here he is getting all set and ready to go up and throw his ball!

Ryder is getting some lessons from Aunt Misty his first week on what to do....

Now he watches as his ball goes slowly on down the lane...

Good luck to Ryder and hoping he keeps on enjoying it and gets the hang of things like his Grandpa and Aunt Misty do!

SOO behind....Finally here is Thanksgiving

Man how life has seemed to get away from me. I have had good intentions to get on here and get my blog updated, and as you can see I am behind. WAY behind.
A quick few updates and then hopefully I can use 2012 and do better on staying on top of things.
First, our Thanksgiving. We were lucky enough this year for Thanksgiving to go to my sister Val's. We tired the year previous,but we ended up with a big snow storm that kept us home. This year the weather was nice and things panned out and off we went to Las Vegas!
We were able to have about a week down there which was very much needed and enjoyed! We spend some days going around in Vegas visiting things. One day we went to a couple different museums and saw stuff we never got to see before. We saw some really neat things and had fun seeing the kids enjoy themselves and haul their Aunt Val everywhere! :-)
On Thanksgiving morning we got a suprise and had Bryan show up at Val's house! My mom had no idea and either did the kids. He drove up and was able to spend Thanksgiving there and then the next day as well. What a fun time it was. We haven't been able to all get together since my uncle's funeral in March of 2010! It was so nice to sit and enjoy a delicious dinner as a family and laugh about life.
When it was time to leave I had a hard time as did my kids. They hated leaving Aunt Val's (as they are here side kicks when they are around) and it in turn made me sad we had to leave. I enjoy having an older sister and now that we have both grown up I really enjoy the times we get together!
Here are some pictures of our journey down there. Enjoy but beware I had a bunch of pictures!!...it was SO fun and I hope that we can do the Thanksgiving trip again as a family!

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Halloween 2011

Finally, I am getting caught up on this blog thing a little bit! I finally have the pictures from the kids from Halloween now.

Ryder wanted to be a Transformer this year. Finally we found an Optimus Prime costume and he was so happy. We couldn't wear masks at the trunk or treat so he asked his dad to paint up his face to make him look more like a Transformer. Nils did and I think it turned out really great!
Brooklyn this year took forever to pick what she was going to be. We went back and forth for weeks. Finally one day while in Wal-Mart she saw a witch costume and said that was what she wanted. She said she didn't want to be mean though, a nice one. So we bought it and she LOVED it.
Gavin this year was going to be a monkey again, but one day while online Ryder and I were just searching Halloween costume ideas and Ryder said he wanted him to match. So, we found him a cheap Optimus Prime Transformer costume. Ryder was so stickin excited that they were going to match it was funny. Gavin hated the whole costume thing! He screamed so bad while trying to take pictures we gave him his sippy to shush him and then took pics. So all the pics with Gavin in them, there is a sippy cup. He was not parting with that thing. At least I guess I got some pictures of him; even if there is a sippy cup too.

For Halloween we decided to go try out the wards trunk or treat. We had been a couple years back and didn't really dig it. I REALLY hated the fact that I was buying and handing out candy to people not even in my ward. The one year Nils and I sat in our car and watched as cars pulled up along side the road, kids jumped out (by handfuls) and ran around getting treats then jumped back into the cars and off they went! Not my cup of tea! However, this year we gave it another go and it was well put together and nice. They had games for the kids to play and had an actual dinner for us. It was yummy. I still though am not a trunk or treat person. I think next year we may vote to do door to door to friends or something instead.

Overall, despite the fact that Nils and I are not Halloween people, it was good! I really enjoy getting the kids dressed up and see them get so excited! Gavin did not dig the whole Halloween thing, but maybe next year will be better for him.

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Our trip away...

On October 23rd-26th Nils and I went on a trip out to Branson, MO. Nils had a Reinke convention for his work (the company they do pivots with) and when he had told Bart him and Brandon were getting things ready to go Bart told him to take me and make a little vacation out of it the best we could. So, Nils decided to take me along. It was all new territory to us and we figured it'd be some good time away. We went with Brandon and his girlfriend Hidee.
This was my first flying experience since about 12 years ago when I flew with the school to Mexico! I was way beyond nervous, but at the same time excited.
I went through the excitment of being away and having time alone and then it was mixed with me freaking out and not wanting to leave the kids! I have actually never left my kids for more then two nights....we usually go stay somewhere for two nights on our anniversary & that's the only times we've left the kiddos. They were going to be staying with my mom. She'd was bringing them to our place to sleep at night then to her place during the day.
We had to leave that Sunday morning about 5AM. I am not a morning person, so this was hard! I REALLY wanted to kiss the kids bye again but knew if I went into their rooms they'd be awake and it'd be hard for them and they wouldn't go back to sleep. So off we went. As I pulled out of the driveway that morning I felt so many emotions. I knew they'd be fine, but every worry possible started in my head. :)
We finally made it to the SLC airport. I got the random search in security and didn't really dig that. Man, it seems you have to get naked just to get through security! LOL Finally we were off and flew into Denver. We had about a 15 min wait there then we boarded up again and flew off to Branson.
When we landed in Branson, MO. I looked out and wondered "Where the heck are we!" It was a little airport and did not look or feel like an airport at all. They had us get off the plane and walk down an outside little tarp covered area and into the building. It was strange but neat to experience!
While in Branson the boys did their meetings during the day so Hidee and I went and drove into Branson and found some shops to hit and things to check out. It was a neat town. Not big like I imagined, but by all means not little. My favorite was driving down the town at night time seeing all the lights and things. There was one night after we all ate dinner together that Brandon & Hidee went off to do their own things so Nils and I decided to hop in the rental car and drive and look. It was SO fun. Just to look at all the lights, new sights, and talk without screaming kids and not being in a rush to get anywhere!
The hotel that we stayed at where the convention all was held was so nice! It was situated on a lake front. You had the lake view out the right side (some rooms that is all they had) then off to the left were the mountain view/hill. We were lucky enough to be in some of the rooms that had the middle of both views! It was gorgeous! We had a balcony and I enjoyed the weather out sitting there in the quiet! The weather was great, in the 70's, and it made sitting out there wonderful.
Wednesday we had to head home. We got to the Branson airport and ended up having to wait a couple hours. The weather in Denver was yucky and there was ice so all flights in and out of there were delayed. Sitting in that little airport was indeed boring, but as others told me; 'welcome to the world of flying' :) We finally got to Denver in enough time to run to the next gate, grab a quick sandwich and board the plane. We got into SLC and both said to each other we wanted to go back to Branson cuz we were freezing.
We didn't home to out place until a little after midnight so I decided not to wake the kids cuz Ryder had school the next day. When I got him up the next morning though he was excited to see me. He then went right in to his dad and gave him loves. It was great to be home!!
I had a really fun time! I enjoyed seeing new sights and having a break from the kids. At the same time, I missed the kids and was very grateful when I got to come home to them! I even found I then had more patience with them and realized just how much those stinkers pull at my heart strings. :)
I am grateful for the safety we had on our trip and for the opportunity we had to go. I am already hoping we can have a convention next year and go together!
Here are pics I got while on the trip. Enjoy Branson like we did!

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Pumpkin Decorating

So Nils and I just are not that big on Halloween. I like seeing my kids get dressed up and excited, but that is about it. (Yep, party poopers!) Just not a huge fan; not sure why but oh well. Anyhow, the kids had asked if we could carve pumpkins. I was up for that. We usually have done some each year. However,to our suprise,our pumpkins in our garden grew very little! They were small and we knew carving them wouldn't be much of a success. So I told the kids we were just decorate them and then I'd go into town one day and buy bigger ones for us to carve. So they each picked their little pumpkin out of the garden. Me being me, I was late getting to it this year so really we only had a little over a week until Halloween. I happened to run into the store that day and found some cute pumpkin decorating kits. I had to buy them; they had my name all over them! LOL So long story short we did the lazy man's way of decorating pumpkins. :) The kids had a blast doing them though and laughed at how funny they were and how scary they could do it. After they put the faces on, they took markers and wrote their names and added a little more decor to them. We made the activity a family night and the kids really did enjoy it.
So, here is our lazy man's decoration for pumpkins. :)

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Ryder turns 6

FINALLY I know, I know. I just haven't had the time to sit and blog so I am a tad behind on this thing.
Our Ryder celebrated his 6th birthday September 19th! Crazy how the time just flies by us. He actually had two birthdays this year. One we did for the family w/ grandparents and then my sister Val was able to be here. We then did one for him and his friends.
For the family party we just had the grandparents and my sisters here. We had subs, cake and opened presents. Easy and quick. Ryder only wanted Ben 10 stuff, but I told them it was for his friends. So I then suprised him and got a few Transformer decorations and a Transformer cake. He thought that was really neat! He is all over the Transformer and Ben 10 stuff I tell ya what!
For his friend's birthday he chose to do a Ben 10 theme. His favorite! Ryder had a blast with his friends. I was nervous to actually have friends come, but after it was all over I was glad I did it. He had fun and I too had fun getting to meet some of his friends he talks about from school, but who I never really had met before. He had them come to the house and we played a couple games, opened presents and ate cupcakes. What a good group of kids too. They just all played and had a great time. No fighting at all and man those boys were so polite in saying please and thank you and taking turns! I was amazed and it was sure nice.
Ryder ended up with a lot of fun things for his birthday. If I remember them all here is what he got between his family gifts and friend's gifts. He got a nerf gun, Ben 10 board game, legos, walkie talkies, Ben 10 shoot thing, puzzles, pencils, clothes, Tag Reading books, and some candy.

For Ryder as well at school they did a little celebration in his class. All day he was able to wear a birthday hat, and they had his name on the board. I was invited to attend the little party they did so I went up. His class sang to him then he talked a little bit about himself. The class then took turns saying something fun about Ryder or something they liked about Ryder. He then passed out treats to them and they all lined up to give him big hugs. He then got to leave an hour early to come home with his mom. He thought having the day be all about him was pretty neat and I think it was really neat thing his teacher did!

So overall a great 6th birthday for Ryder. He is such a great kid and growing more and more every day. He is loving school and is a huge help to me around the house when he is home. I think I have myself a mommy's boy! :) I don't mind one bit either! Here is to another great year with Ryder watching him grow even more!

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