Our bathroom had a really bad leak in the floor and we had to remodel. It needed it pretty bad!
Our Family
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Babysitting Co-op
A couple of months back I heard a great idea on swapping babysitting. The jist of it is a bunch of couples switch off babysitting. So I came up with how it would work for us. We have 4 couples with a total of 10 children. Each couple takes one of the 4 weekend 'night's we chose' and watches everyone else's children on their night from 6:00pm to 10:00pm. So I get 3 free nights and on the fourth a house full of great kids. We've done it for about a month now and it's really worked out. You don't have to go out every weekend if you don't want to, but you do have to babysit on your night whether you go out on the other nights or not. I took the first night babysitting and this is how it went:
6:15ish pm Kids got dropped off
6:30 pm Popcorn popping and kids watching Aloha, Scooby-Doo (I love DVR)
8:00 pm Coloring pictures for the kids that got bored of Scooby-Doo
8:15ish pm Started Meet the Robinson's and more popcorn with sprinkles please!
9:15ish pm 4 big fire trucks pull up in front of the house (lights a flashing)
One of the little boys says, "Why are they here?" I said, "The neighbor must
have had a fire at there house." The little boy says, "Yeah their good at putting
out fires (while mesmerized by the lights)."
9:20 pm Parents show up wondering just which child started the fire ;)
9:30 pm Kids all picked up and time to send my own rug-rats to bed.
So all in all it was a pretty exciting time. The kids were great!
The kids seem to get a long very well with each other. The couples seem to really like it also. I just wish Billy could be here to actually go on a date......but that being said, I am very grateful for the break I get.
Thanks Girls for making it happen, Carla, Michelle, and Lisa!
6:15ish pm Kids got dropped off
6:30 pm Popcorn popping and kids watching Aloha, Scooby-Doo (I love DVR)
8:00 pm Coloring pictures for the kids that got bored of Scooby-Doo
8:15ish pm Started Meet the Robinson's and more popcorn with sprinkles please!
9:15ish pm 4 big fire trucks pull up in front of the house (lights a flashing)
One of the little boys says, "Why are they here?" I said, "The neighbor must
have had a fire at there house." The little boy says, "Yeah their good at putting
out fires (while mesmerized by the lights)."
9:20 pm Parents show up wondering just which child started the fire ;)
9:30 pm Kids all picked up and time to send my own rug-rats to bed.
So all in all it was a pretty exciting time. The kids were great!
The kids seem to get a long very well with each other. The couples seem to really like it also. I just wish Billy could be here to actually go on a date......but that being said, I am very grateful for the break I get.
Thanks Girls for making it happen, Carla, Michelle, and Lisa!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Raising Ireland
So on the drive home from the closest Wal-Mart there is a sign that has a baby inside a womb (fetus). Next to the baby in huge letters it says 'GOD SAID, THOU SHALT NOT KILL'. So a couple of weeks ago Broc read the sign to his brothers and sister. So of course they ask what that meant. I didn't want to dodge the question, but at the same time I wanted to explain it without going into detail that would go over their heads. So I explained how some people don't believe the baby in a mommy's tummy is alive until it comes out of the belly. So they want to take the baby out before it can and that kills the baby. They of course wondered why because they felt Parker kicking around in my belly, heard his heart beat, and saw him move in the ultrasound. I told them I really couldn't answer that one because I didn't understand it myself. So a couple of days later Broc came home and said, "Mom did you know Pres. Obama says it's okay to have an abortion?" So again we talked about politics and how some pick Life and some pick Abortion. So last night as I'm doing our taxes I hear Ireland talking to my parents as their getting dinner ready and she says, "I was telling my teacher that Barack Obama says it's okay to kill babies in a mommie's tummy. And my teacher say....Oh let's not go down that road!" I laughed so hard. Maybe I should have not gone down that road either.....
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Are You Self-Reliant?
Lately I've been struggling to find the line between helping someone and enabling them. I have been taught to help when help is needed. But what if not helping is really the help they need?
President Spencer W. Kimball [1895-1985] said, "...The responsibility for each person's social, emotional, spiritual, physical, or economic well-being rests upon himself, second upon his family, and third upon the Church if he is a faithful member thereof." (Jan. 2010 Ensign, Becoming Self-Reliant, Thomas Monson)
So I'm learning that the first person you should go to to change a problem is yourself. See what you can do to fix your own problem first. I'm finding in my calling at church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) that a lot of people go to the church first and stop there. They feel that it's the church's responibility and obligation to fix their problems.
Sister Julie B. Beck (Relief Society General President) said, "Self-reliance means using all of our blessings from Heavenly Father to care for ourselves and our families and to find solutions for our own problems." (Jan. 2010 Ensign, Becoming Self-Reliant)
I'm finding that people need to find strength inside themselves. Sure it's really easy to have someone else fix your problem(s). But look at everything your missing out on by not trying to fix it yourself. The Church should be the last resort after exhausting all other options not the first solution. I say this because the last couple of months have been a challenge for me. I've wanted to swoop in and just solve the problems people have. But I'm learning that it doesn't help at all. People that I've helped seem to still have problems. So again where is that line between help and enabling? After reading the Visting Teaching Message (Jan. Ensign) I think I'm starting to get it.
Elder Robert D. Hales said, "It is important to understand that self-reliance is a means to an end. Our ultimate goal is to become like the Savior, and that goal is enhanced by our unselish service to others. Our ability to serve is increased or diminished by the level of our self-reliance." (Jan. Ensign, Becoming Self Reliant)
I know that my Self-Reliance starts with my Spiritual Self-Reliance first. I need to be doing all that I know I should be doing first before I can even ask for someone else's help. So if your struggling with a problem do me a favor and ask yourself one simple question......"What can I do to change this problem?" Because if you've done all you can to solve the problem then our Heavenly Father will step in and help you with the rest. But you must first do all you can.
President Spencer W. Kimball [1895-1985] said, "...The responsibility for each person's social, emotional, spiritual, physical, or economic well-being rests upon himself, second upon his family, and third upon the Church if he is a faithful member thereof." (Jan. 2010 Ensign, Becoming Self-Reliant, Thomas Monson)
So I'm learning that the first person you should go to to change a problem is yourself. See what you can do to fix your own problem first. I'm finding in my calling at church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) that a lot of people go to the church first and stop there. They feel that it's the church's responibility and obligation to fix their problems.
Sister Julie B. Beck (Relief Society General President) said, "Self-reliance means using all of our blessings from Heavenly Father to care for ourselves and our families and to find solutions for our own problems." (Jan. 2010 Ensign, Becoming Self-Reliant)
I'm finding that people need to find strength inside themselves. Sure it's really easy to have someone else fix your problem(s). But look at everything your missing out on by not trying to fix it yourself. The Church should be the last resort after exhausting all other options not the first solution. I say this because the last couple of months have been a challenge for me. I've wanted to swoop in and just solve the problems people have. But I'm learning that it doesn't help at all. People that I've helped seem to still have problems. So again where is that line between help and enabling? After reading the Visting Teaching Message (Jan. Ensign) I think I'm starting to get it.
Elder Robert D. Hales said, "It is important to understand that self-reliance is a means to an end. Our ultimate goal is to become like the Savior, and that goal is enhanced by our unselish service to others. Our ability to serve is increased or diminished by the level of our self-reliance." (Jan. Ensign, Becoming Self Reliant)
I know that my Self-Reliance starts with my Spiritual Self-Reliance first. I need to be doing all that I know I should be doing first before I can even ask for someone else's help. So if your struggling with a problem do me a favor and ask yourself one simple question......"What can I do to change this problem?" Because if you've done all you can to solve the problem then our Heavenly Father will step in and help you with the rest. But you must first do all you can.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
My Kids are Brillant but Billy's Kids Drive Me Crazy!
This week was Report Card week. Ireland brought home a paper saying she would receive an award at school on such and such, day and time. So today I got to the school just in time to see the students come in with there teachers and sit down. I had Zona and Parker. Parker was in his stroller and just about to fall asleep when the Principal starts to give out the awards. Ireland got an awesome award called Shining Star. It's given to the student that goes above and beyond. Broc got the same one last semester. This semester he made the Honor Roll and met all AR goals. So need less to say we've got fantastic kids. We are so blessed to have such great kids.
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