Here's my 8 things . . .

8 Shows I Watch
1. ABC News
2. Headline News with Robin Meade (in the mornings)
3. Glenn Beck (when he used to be on television!)
4. Miscellaneous movies
5. Whatever happens to come on when I'm finkling with my 'puter
6. That's it!
7.
8.
8 Things that Happened Yesterday
1. Worked
2. Had burritos with Lacey and the grandkiddies
3. Laid around sick at home
4. Took a two hour nap on the couch!
5. Ate subway that the Big Randy bought for me!
6. Cleaned house
7. Finkled on the computer
8. Ordered Lacey's Christmas Present!
8 Favorite Places to Eat
1. Umm, Taco Bell!
2. McDonald's
3. Olive Garden
4. Pizza Hut (I love the new baked meaty marinara pasta!)
5. Panda Express (only the chow mein)
6. Elmer's (they have a great salad bar and potato and pasta salads
7. Cedar's
8. Rob's Seafood
8 Things I'm Looking forward to
1. Spending my 50 gift card at Macey's!
2. Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving Day Holiday!
3. Paying off bills! 500 to go on our Visa, and then it's on to dad's truck! I'm obsessed!
4. Seeing my Jacie again - I miss him so!
5. Seeing my Chelsea, Shanny and Joshie again - I miss them so!
6. Anytime we can all be together is something I look forward to!
7. Springtime - I don't like fall
8. Amish caramel corn - ooo, I have a craving!
8 Things on My Wish list
1. Not having to work and being able to do crafts and things again - I miss it!
2. Having all my kids living nearby
3. I wish my dad would feel better and be 100% again!
4. I wish I could ease my mom's burdens a little bit - I wish I was more sensitive and compassionate
5. I would like a new speedier laptop
6. Okay, since this is just a wish list, I wish for someone to put me up in a nice condo or something for a couple of months while they came in and completely redid my house, new carpeting, wood floors, paint, granite counter tops, et. etc., with all new furniture, plus new siding and river rock on the outside of my house, new roof, new landscaping, and maybe a new mom and pop living quarters out back so granny and grampy could live with us when they need to!
7. I would like to have less wrinkles, and less gray hair, or not to care about it anymore!
8. New clothes - yeah!

6 unspectacular quirks

Okay Chelsea, here goes:
1. I don't like to eat in front of people.
2. I love macaroni and stewed tomatoes with tons of salt and pepper. I don't eat the tomatoes, I just love the salty and peppery juice with my macaroni!
3. I have a thing about having my hair off my forehead - I think I look like a freak. When the wind blows it off I actually feel exposed!!
4. I love to pull weeds!! I know, I'm a freak!
5. I love the smell of dust! I love to drive down dusty roads and sniff up the dust!
6. I love to stay up super late - On the weekends I stay up until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. I'm like a little kid that doesn't like to go to bed - I've been that way my entire life!

Here's my 9th file, 9th picture

8th file, 8th picture!

Okay Chels, you're on! Here is my 8th file, 8th picture!



It is my adorable little great-niece, Natalie! I love this picture of her! :-D

Okay, tag Shan and Lace!

Stephanie & Christian

So, thanks Chelsea! I have become addicted to the Stephanie & Christian story and find myself checking her sister's blog every day for an update (they are the young Mesa Arizona couple who suffered horrendous burns in a plane crash on August 16th - they are both in critical condition in the Maricopa Arizona burn center and their four young children are being cared for by Stephanie's sister). It is such a sad and tragic story, and yet beautiful in the way that people from all over, including strangers and blog lurkers like me, are coming together to try to help this devastated family. I am both saddened and uplifted by the posts and this wonderful family teaches me a lot about love and sacrifice, faith and acceptance of God's will. Anyway, they are in my prayers every day, and I wanted to post this link to donate to help them with their incredible medical bills which I have read will run in the millions of dollars. If you can help in anyway, I know they are grateful! I am also including Stephanie's sister's blog where you can get updates on how the family is doing.

It's about time!

Well, I have gotten a number of comments that it's time for me to update my blog! I don't know if this is the right day to do it though because I have been feeling a little sad today. I have been lurking around on the "Stephanie and Christian" blog (the young couple that was badly burned in a plane crash in Arizona) and feeling very badly for everything that they have to go through. And, then today I heard that one of our former councilmen, Chris Copstead, who is just my age, in addition to having to deal with his wife having terminal Lou Gehrig's disease, is now having to deal with the death of his two newborn twin grandsons! My heart just hurts for him! Life is sure tough sometimes, and I guess the secret is to try not to dwell too much on the negative stuff that happens, although it is sure difficult at times because you feel like it is just all around you, and you feel kind of afraid like something bad is going to happen to you or to someone you love and there's just no escaping it! And I guess there really isn't any escaping it - that's the point. So, you try not to dwell on it, and you try to help others deal with the things they are going through, and you appreciate every good thing in your life and try not to take it for granted!

I am grateful for my awesome family - for my mom and dad and the almost 51 years that I have had them in my life! What a blessing to be able to grow old together! I am grateful for the example that they have always set for me, and for their positive outlook - I know things have been difficult for them and I know that they always try to put on a happy face for me - yeah, I'm no dummy, you can't fool me!!! :-D But, there is still much to be thankful for and every day that I have them in my life is precious to me!!

I am so grateful for my beautiful children. Every one, in their own special way, is my favorite! My dear Chelfee, who stomps and screams and stresses, and inside is just a sweet little girl who cares so much about everyone and doesn't know what to do with all of that. I pray that someday her dreams will come true and she will be a mom! My Shanzolie, the little scrapper whose independent streak is serving her very well as a military wife - I am so proud of her and for the great little family she has! My Lasone-poopone, who always loved her mommy, and is still here and sharing her babies with me. And my Bugs, who has given me great joy and great sadness at times, but who has always had such a great and kind heart and is slowly turning into the fine young man that I always knew he could be! And of course I have to mention my wonderful "in-laws" - Jeff, Tommy, Kelby, and Stephanie - I couldn't ask for better spouses for my kids!!

And then, if that weren't enough to be grateful for, to top it off I have four wonderful grandchildren, and a fifth due in two weeks! They are icing on my cake and truly my greatest happiness. I never thought that I could love my little grandchildren like that, but it is such a pure love without all of the worry and responsibility that parents have. Nothing but pure joy!

Here's a few photos of the little nubbins! I have a great school picture of Tabitha, but I'm too lazy to get off my hiney and scan it in! So, I will try to get a good photo of Tabs and post it soon! Anyway, here's my oldest grandson, Jordan:

Here is my
next oldest grandson, Jace:

And last, but not least, here is my littlest grandbaby, Jayden:

As you can see, I do have the most adorable grandchildren!

Hmm, what else. Work is good, another thing to be thankful for. I'm not much of a career person, but I do enjoy my job and feel comfortable with what I do. I love it when you get to the point in your job when there really isn't anything that is a big surprise to you. You almost always know what to do - that is a great feeling. They are still grooming me for the City Clerk's job, maybe in a couple of years. It's not an honor that I really want, but oh well, I guess you do what you have to do, and it will definitely mean a substantial raise and more benefits, so that is good for the old retirement nest egg!!

I am going to start working on Lillie Anne's blessing dress here shortly, maybe when I have my birthday holiday. I would just like an entire day to work on it in the peace and quiet. It has been awhile since I have sewn, but the dress is quite similar to the pillowcase dolls that I made some years back so I'm not too worried about it! I think it will turn out awesome!

Hmm, nope. I have nothing else. There, are you satisfied Chels?

For the kiddies!

Wow, it's been almost a month! Time sure does fly, it seems faster and faster the older you get! I thought I'd post a bit about what I've been up to and just some thoughts I've had. I'll say right off the top that these remarks are for my children, because I am waxing philosophical this evening and feeling a little preachy, so if that bothers anyone, I apologize!

Let's see, this month has been a busy one. I recently went to Boise for some clerk training. I had an absolutely miserable time and the shyness that has always been a stumbling block for me, and that I thought I had at least learned to deal with and control, reared its ugly head again. I think that I have learned to deal with my shyness when I am in familiar situations, i.e., church, work, etc., but in an unfamiliar situation or with people that I am not comfortable with, such as bosses, etc., I feel just like a shy, vulnerable 18 year old again. It's the worst feeling! I have always said, too, that it's been very hard being a shy, loner-type of person in a very social, community-oriented church. I always feel like the square peg in the round hole, and very aware of my own inadequacies! Of course, we all have crosses or thorns that we have to deal with. That is mine - always feeling out of place and awkward. You'd think at 50 I'd be at peace with it, but I've always felt it was a personal failing to be shy - it seems kind of a selfish way to be, always concerned with what others think about you, rather than being concerned about others. So, I struggle and I deal, most of the time!! :-D

Then, my beloved son left for Iraq yesterday - well, actually Kuwait for now, and then Iraq. This is the second time he has been deployed, and I feel a little nervous and afraid for him, probably even more so than last time because I know what he went through last time (well, at least I know what he told me, which probably wasn't even half of what he actually did go through!). But, although I feel nervous and afraid on the one hand, I also feel peaceful and calm, if you can believe that. I have no control over what experiences Josh will have over there, or what will happen to him, and maybe a few years ago that would have really bothered me, but I have since accepted that I have no control, and I am okay with that. I have shared this before, but for anyone interested, this is why . . .

As you all know, Lacey was involved in an automobile accident on August 30, 2001. It was a horrific accident and I heard from many people, including the highway patrolman, that it was amazing that she survived at all. I also managed to be "on the scene" of the accident, and was quite traumatized by everything that happened, including a long drive to the hospital following an ambulance that I believed was carrying my dead daughter, because they drove with no flashing lights and I assumed it was because they weren't in a hurry. I since found out that it was because of the lateness of the hour and the lack of traffic - but what did I know! So, after that trauma, about 6 days after Lacey came home from the hospital, 9-11 happened. I remember sitting in the livingroom, with my poor injured daughter downstairs sleeping, and watching the horror unfold in New York City. I was so afraid - I went into the bedroom and woke up Randy and we watched the two towers fall on the television. And then shortly after that, we received word that a major bridge that connected South Padre Island to the mainland of Texas had collapsed after an accident with a barge or towboat or something, and that Shannon and Tommy were stranded on the island. I just felt so crushed with the weight of everything and so afraid. The fear was just overwhelming!

In the midst of all of this, and dealing with doctors, and attorneys, and police officers, and trying to keep my poor daughter's spirits up, and wondering what was going to happen in the world, I went numb for awhile, but then afterwards fear and depression set in and I could hardly function, everything felt so out of control. So, in the midst of this, I was reminded that I had volunteered to teach a class on something or other at a Women's Relief Society Conference at the Stake Center. This would have been about 3 1/2 weeks after Lacey's accident, and about 2 weeks after 9-11. I DID NOT want to teach the class, but I also felt like I should take my own advice that I had given Lacey to get right back out there, and not wallow in self-pity. So, I decided to go ahead and go. I felt awful! I taught the class, and all I wanted was to go home. But, I was kind of stuck there so I decided to go into one of the mini-classes which was being taught by the Stake President at the time, President Smidt. It was kind of a question and answer class where people could write questions on a piece of paper and submit them anonymously to theStake President and he would answer them. Well, I don't remember exactly what I wrote, but I took a piece of paper and I asked something about, what do you do about being so afraid. I think I rambled on in my question, but the main point was that I was afraid.

I will always remember this. After President Smidt had collected all of the papers with all of the questions, he chose one and read it - it was mine. I think he knew it was mine, not because I had told him, but because he knew about Lacey and I believe the spirit told him it was my question. He looked at the question and said some general-type things that I don't recall very much about, and then he looked directly at me with his piercing crystal-clear blue eyes, and said, "There is not one thing that goes on in this world that Heavenly Father is not in complete control of." And, I don't know - it's hard to explain, but those few little words spoke peace to my heart, and I felt calm and settled for the first time since Lacey's accident. I felt like Heavenly Father was mindful of me and I had just received one of his tender mercies. And I also felt like he was mindful of Lacey and that even though I could not see the purpose or reasoning behind this accident, there WAS a reason and purpose behind it. I realized that I didn't have to be in control, because he was. There is order amidst all of the chaos, and we may not understand, but we will someday. Sometimes we don't know what that purpose is, but our Heavenly Father always does.

What's my point? The point is that I think about this often and it gives me peace. When I think of my son going off to war for the second time, my heart is at peace. I know that Heavenly Father is mindful of him. I have no control, but Heavenly Father does, and my job is to accept that and whatever else comes along and to remember that he is in charge. One of my favorite scriptures is "Be still and know that I am God," or in other words, as I like to say "Take a chill, I got it covered!" So, I can let my boy go off to war and be at peace, and that is something that I am very grateful for! I can accept my daughter's accident and not wonder why it had to happen to her. I can also see the many blessings that have come from that experience. I can accept my dad's illness and be at peace knowing that Heavenly Father is in control and things will work together for our good. I can look at the world around us, with the crumbling morals, and perilous economy and think how fortunate we are to have a prophet who leads and guides us, and counsels us on the things we need to do to prepare. We are not alone! We just have to listen.

So, for my kiddies, I hope you also will have peace in your hearts and know that you are not alone, and that Heavenly Father is in control. Life may not be easy and you may not understand everything, but if you remember that all things happen for a reason and try to stay close to your Heavenly Father through personal prayer and scripture study, you will feel the comfort that only He can give. I love you all - my precious jewels. XXOO Mom