BLOOD!!!!

Blood Orange that is.

And he likes it!!

But it makes you wonder doesn't it....

The rest of the story...

Here's the rest of the story pictures of when my sister was here. All the cousins had a good time. Some more that others. {Rozi and Tim played so well and had a great time!! Benji, and Haliegh.... not so much!}

While my sis was here we had a chance to go to the temple. It was nice! I always love going there and being able to feel the spirit and to learn. It was a nice chance to hang out with just the adults as well without having all the crazies around. {bless Taylor's heart {she's my baby sitter... she took on 7 kids all by herself!!}

Rozi and Tim decided that our horse needed to dress up for Halloween.

Pour girl was so tired at dinner. Rozi really took a liken' to Steve. It was cute to see the way he acted around her and how gentle he was when he was holding her... maybe I could see us with a little girl.

Here is Rozi and Tim. They both have such great imaginations. They had so much fun with their little games and the things they did.

Believe it or not Tim on only ONE month older than Rozi, and that's only because he decided that he was done cooking early and was born 10 weeks early. You really wouldn't know that seeing the two of them stand next to each other.

In this picture is Benji, {obviously} and Boon is behind him. Rozi is holding Haleigh and Tim is sitting next to them. James and Tommy are in the back. I think this is the only one I could get of all the kids

Because this is what the rest of them look like. Benji is a camera hog and likes to be front and center when I pull it out.

Here's a good one of all of them except Benji.

Ooo here is one of them all together but nobody is looking at the camera.

If I would have looked a little closer through my view finder I would have centered this and it would have been a good picture.... but really 7 kids. 8 and under.... with the majority of them under 6. I was happy just to have them all on the same block...

We tried to get a picture of Benji and Haleigh together. They too are just a month apart and Benji is twice her size... apparently I grow them big.... it's all the crisco sandwiches I feed my babies.... Anyway, we tried to get a picture of them together but they just would not have it.

Clearly they are too close to each other even now.

It was fun having Erika and Nick here for a little bit. It was sad to say goodbye, but soon enough we will be moving closer and hopefully visits will be more often.

My Day

{Prompted by Cocoa at Chocolate on my Cranium}
A typical day for me....

I usually wake up at 6:00-ish {after Steve has to poke and prod me to wake up} and I usually find Tim snuggled up next to me. Most of the time have no idea when he came in. But I like the snuggle time with him. Tim likes to play on his own. He has a great imaginations and can play for hours in a corner by himself, so the little extra time just with him is nice. I will wake up and read my scriptures, out loud, because Tim likes to hear me read the scriptures to him. {I can also hear Benji starting to wake up.}

After my own scripture and prayers, and a bit of time in the bathroom to get ready, I will then start getting breakfast ready. I am trying to be better about making breakfast for Steve before he leaves. Many of my breakfasts I will prep the night before so it's easier in the morning.

I will get Benji out of bed and get him a cup of milk and hold him for a bit until he is ready to run. At this time the boys will roll out of bed and then we will have family prayer before Steve leaves for the clinic.

Then I will start cleaning up and helping the boys get their chores done, and start prepping for school day.

While Benji eats I'll usually eat with him so he is not at the table by himself.

All of our morning prep is done between 7:00-9:00, and right at nine we start our school day.

From 9 to 1-ish we are doing our school work. I usually through a load of laundry in the washer and will pick up the school room while the boys are busy. It seems never ending to be picking up their room!! {they play sleep and school all in the same room}

After lunch the boys will finish up what ever is they need to do, and I will start dinner prep. I also do a clean up in the kitchen and try to find time to vacuum.

In the afternoon I will fold laundry while I have one boy read to me.

Benji goes down for a nap between 1-2 and I will send the boys in their room or outside to play.

At 3:30 I am back int he kitchen to really start dinner. Making dinner seems to take longer these days as I always have helpers. If they are taller than 3 feet it's a good help, if they are shorter than that I am usually pulling him off the table and out of the cupboard while I am trying to get dinner ready.

We eat at 5, or when Steve gets home.

After dinner we clean up the house, the boys usually have to clean up their room, so I will clean the kitchen and pick up the living room. And I will try to do any breakfast prep for the next day.

At 7:00 I will read a book to the boys and at 7:30 we have scripture reading and prayer as a family. The boys go to bed at 8:00.

I am a night person. I will watch a little TV, and be on the internet for a bit. I will also prep for school for the next day, and answer any emails that need to be answered.

I try to get to bed by 10:00... but usually it's more like 11:00 or 12:00.

Then I do it all again.


{But I can already feel that today is not a typical day.....}

I.am.sorry.

I am sorry.

Three pretty easy words to say. They are short words and separately they are just words, but when you put them together they make a very powerful statement.

I am sorry.

Sometimes we say them so often that the words will just roll off our tongue with no meaning to them at all. It's just something we say after we bump into someone and then keep walking in the other direction.

I am sorry.

And then there are those times when we have to be humble enough to look someone in the eye and apologize for the wrong doing that we have done.

Those three words may not be big, grand words but sometimes that is what needs to be said.

I was wronged and all I wanted was to hear those words. To know that the person was sincere. I want to build a friendship again, but I can't. I didn't realize how important those words were to me. I didn't know that I needed to hear the words 'I am sorry'.

I have a hard time trusting someone who can't apologize.

I have realized that an apology will not come.

I have also learned that I need to make sure that I am humble enough to apologize when I need to. That I make amends and that I do it completely. Time does not heal all wounds when one is unwilling/can't apologize.

I am sorry.

There is such a big impact when those words are used, and used sincerely.

I am sorry.

At the beach... in January

My sister came to visit me! I was so happy to have visitors. She brought her husband, and 3 kids. So yes, there were 7 kids in our small house. But all the cousins had a great time together.

Our first excursion was to the beach. Erika and her family live in Utah... and not only is it a land locked state... it is also January and it's cold.

So off to the ocean we went.

I love that Tim has the boogie board around his ankle... he is very serious about having it with him... even on the beach

This is a great picture of the two of them. I love the way the sun is shining on them. {Tommy and James are at a birthday party, so they were not there to join us}

The seagulls were around looking for a hand out, and this guy was talented, he could catch the cracker in mid-air.

My cute sister and her husband getting ready for a swim. I thought the water was a bit chilly, but they both enjoyed it. Erika once jumped into Lake Michigan for a dollar....ONE dollar on a dare.... I like to be warm.

Here are all the kids trying to get the birds to eat out of their hands, which they did!! These birds were brave and got really close. There were no fatalities, but my niece Haliegh did get bit and needed a band aide.

It was a lot of fun having them here for the week. There is more to come!!

Mine looks better than yours...

This is what my Sloppy Joes look like.

Don't they look pretty!! So colorful! I love when my food is colorful. I have a hard time eating that are beige, it just doesn't look appetizing to me.

Do you want this great recipe?? You'll have to head over to Simple, Healthy, Tasty {my friend Tammie is the mastermind behind the recipes} This recipe is Sloppy Veggie Joes

Go make something colorful tonight.... or tomorrow night for dinner.

Not Like Lot's Wife

Do you remember the story of Lot's wife? Lot was living in Sodom and Gomorrah and God told him to leave because it was so wicked. Lot asked God to save the city if there were even a few people who were righteous, and unfortunately other than Lot and his family, there was not even one other righteous person in the city. So God told Lot to take his family and leave the wicked city that he was in.

Lot and his family left and Lot's wife turned to look back at the city. Had she followed the Lord and looked forward she would have been safe, but instead she turned and looked to what was behind her... what was in her past.

So at this new year I'm not going to look back as what was. I am going to look forward to what will be. I am not going to forget the lessons that I have learned, but my eyes are forward to the future.

We are planning a big move this year. Steve will be finishing up school and we are going to head back west. And while I won't miss Florida... at all! but I will remember the things that I have learned here. I am looking forward to making new friends and putting down some roots and have a white picket fence.

I have a few goals that I am going to work on, and I haven't done too well in the past, but I think that was the reason is that I was like Lot's wife and was to much in my past.

So this year I am going to start fresh, and new and make some realistic goals that I can really work on and achieve.

1- I am going to get up in the morning and be productive while the house is quiet. I am going to get up to pray and read my scriptures, I am going to make breakfast for my family. *I will do this on our school days... weekends and breaks I'm totally taking advantage of!*

2- I am going read along in the Relief Society manual.

3.I am going to work on my homemaking skills... making bread... creating and sticking to a menu... making our home feel peaceful and a place where the spirit can dwell.

4. I am going to try to be more girly. Being in a home with a bunch of boys I sometimes get lost in the sea of blue, and dirt. I'm not exactly sure yet how I am going to do this but I am going to make it a point to dress up a little bit, I think I'll feel better when I do.


Four things... that's it. I think I have some things that I can work on that are actually obtainable.

I am going to keep my eyes forward while remembering the lessons from the past.

Here's to a great 2012 with all the adventures and excitement to come!!

Since he was 3

When I tell people that James has been wanting to play the violin since he was three I get all different kinds of looks.... pretty much the "yeah - right" kind of thing.

But here is at 3 playing his "violin"

He has come a long way from "play" the toys and humming the music to actually playing the violin. But he is getting it and is getting better and better. I hope this is something that he sticks with for a long time.

He is a boy.... and when he is not worried about other things like legos, and sticks, and dirt and stuff... he is pretty passionate about playing his violin.