hummm :)

So we have had a busy, but not as busy as last week, week. I'm working hard at getting back on my diet this week. I'm going to take it a day at a time this week. It has been fun though to look at the changes in the last few years, I didn't realize how much a difference it had made until I put the pictures side by side. I'm going to post the one from Nathan's graduation, and then the one took today. I'll I can say is WOW. Made me feel really good, and is my inspiration to keep going. I'm at my half way point and am excited to get the other half gone.

Makes me feel like a new person, and more to go:)

this week I managed to work on my goals, writing in my journal while the boys were in Scouts, and several other times. Which made me smile, and think I read my scriptures 5 days this week, I'm determine to make it 7 this week.

Zach got to go to Boy Scouts with the 11 year olds for the first time this week. they were planning things for the next 6 months, it was a new thing for him, but I think he enjoyed it. He and Christian spent the weekend with their mom, and I missed them. Just didn't seem like the weekend without them here.

I was so proud of Christian, I had sent him a word during the week and asked him to figure out how to use it in a sentence. Wednesday while we were driving to Scouts he broke it down into parts and figured out the meaning that way, instead of using the Internet or dictionary.

Last night was Justin's work party, it was fun. We got to visit with a lot of the people that he works with. Then we did some dancing, it was fun to be able to have sometime together. I so enjoyed the time with him. I always find it interesting to spend time with them and get to know them better.

Alice went back to work this week. This made her so happy to be back with her cows. Alice works at the local dairy farm, I'm posting some pictures with her heifer, Sandy, that she is trying to get ready to show at a dairy competition this spring and then a different one at the fair in Aug. Alice was accepted to her dream college a few months ago, Texas A&M. But she has been thinking about going to either Whatcom Community College, or Skagit Valley College instead. She is thinking that it might be the best for several reasons, money, (definitely more in our price range for sure), closer to family (Adair's will be here even if we do move to AZ this fall), smaller classes (I think the smaller classes will make it easier for her to make the transition from a small high school to college a lot easier). We will wait to see what the final decision is.

Brittinay and Nathan are still working on figuring out what they will be doing, it is hard to watch them and they struggle with where they are and trying to make decisions. Struggling with trust and trying to grow up long before either one of them ever wanted to. It is hard trying to push them froward, but to encourage them to make decisions on their own, and not make them for them.

Justin has pulled a muscle in his back, along his ribs, and is hurting badly. He did it sneezing really hard. I was going to give him a bad time about it, but then realized I couldn't as I had sneezed so hard my water broke when I was due with Alice.

Liz-flies home, Zach- Arrow of Light

Wow what a busy week we have had. Monday EARLY 12:30 AM I was up and on my way to take Liz to Sea Tac. We were going to have her take the shuttle down, but was afraid that she would miss her plane if there was a long line at security, so Nathan rode down with us and we got her there. She was early and got through everything rather quickly. We got back up here just in time for me to drive Alice to seminary and get ready and go to work. It made for a rather long day for me, I was in bed by 8 PM :)

Tuesday evening Brittinay and I went to a RS meeting on a book called Love and Logic. It is about a parenting technique. I would be interested in reading the book, as what I got out of the class I didn't agree with all of. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't like the information in the book. I was glad I got to take Brittinay and she was able to meet some more of the ladies from RS. I'm thinking the Relief Society Pres., Kelly, was probably in shock when I got there. She knows I don't like to go to the meetings in the middle of the week because of when I get off work and am usually very tired. I am going to try really hard to go at least for a while to help get Brittinay so she knows more people, and is comfortable with them. Next week there is another one where they will be working on unfinished projects, we are suppose to bring something we are working on to work on and visit, or just come and they are making cards to donate to the Ronald McDonald house. I'm thinking I will go and take some crocheting. I was thinking of taking the book I keep trying to read, but that may defeat the purpose of having some time to just visit with the other ladies.

Wednesday was MEGA exciting. Zach received his Arrow of Light in cub scouts and bridged over to the 11 year old Boy Scout program. I was so cool and I was so proud of all the hard work he has put in to getting his things passed off. Now he and Christian can work on merit badges together if they choose to. I thought it was neat that when he crossed the bridge and received his Boy Scout neckerchief Christian was the one to put it on him and shake his had. I will have pictures next week of this. I did something to my camera so I could take very good pictures. A friend of mine took some for me though and I am hoping to get them this week.

Saturday was a full and busy day. We went over to the Hackwell's for a Birthday lunch. We were celebrating Zach's 11th and Tesher's 2 birthday. We had tried to do this in December, but could never find a day that would work for everyone, so we ended up doing in it now. It was so fun Tina spagetti with a delious salad, and we brought bread sticks, one of Alice's famous cakes, and ice cream. We were there for several hours, the boys all went out and threw/kicked a football around for a while. Zach and Tesher have been buddies at church from the time Tesher was moving around. When ever I needed Zach for something I just go find Tesher. Tesher likes to come to our house and play with Zach and Chloe, and go across the street and see the cows.

When we got home Justin went out with the missionaries for a while and then he and the boys went and cleaned the church house. I was so glad that they did that as some weeks it looks pretty bad. When they finally got home they had a snack and went to bed. Alice went to the farm and then bowling with some friends. I'm glad that she is able to go and do things with her friends again, but worry about her pushing herself to hard and having more seizure like activity.

My fibromyalgia started up on Wednesday and by Thursday evening I was in tears when it was time to go to bed as I hurt so bad. It is frustrating because right now I hurt so badly that it is hard to walk Chloe. She pulls hard on her leash sometimes and it feels as though she is going to pull my arm off. I have been retaining a lot of water this week also, talking to my friend who also has fibro, she says that she retains a lot of water before she starts hurting really bad to. I'm hoping to loose the water soon as none of my rings fit right now and I am tired of hurting so much. I keep telling myself that this too will pass. Justin gave me a blessing last night that I would be able to handle the pain, get back on my diet exercise plan, and have paticene with the children, and find time to rest. I do need all of these things and am grateful for the fact that he honors his priesthood and can give us blessings when we need them

Catching up on things :)

The holidays are over and they have been fun. All of the children were home, which was a just wonderful. It was fun to catch up with Liz while she was here. She also got to go visit family and friends down in Sedro-Woolley and I think that she really enjoyed that. It is still hard for me to think about the fact that she is in college. She just finished her first quarter and did quiet well, GPA 3.8, I'm so proud of her.

Nathan and his fiance' Brittinay are living with us right now. They are saving up to get into a place of their own. While it has been nice having them here, I"m sure they will be glad to get out on their own. Brittinay is expecting and is due on June 11. They are suppose to be having a girl. It had taken me a while to get use to the idea that I will be a grandma at the beginning of the summer. Nathan has been working very hard at quitting smoking. It has been very hard for him, but he just keeps working on it. He and Brittinany have been taking the missionary discussions. Nathan feels that it is helping him a lot, and I feel that it has helped Brittinay learn more about what we believe. The missionaries challenged her to be baptized in Feb. I am hoping that she will take the challenge, but because she believes what they are teaching and not because the rest of the family is a member.

Alice is working hard at school, she has been suffering from seizures, that we found out are caused by emotions. We are setting up appointments for her to see a psychologist and help her get through this. She is having a rough time because she can't work on the farm until she is 2 weeks no seizures. On the upside she was accepted into Texas A&M, her dream college. So it is important that we help her learn to deal with her emotions in a healthier way, or she will need to be staying closer to home to go to college.

I was released from the Primary Presidency last week. I've been in for almost 3 years, it was a bitter/sweet. It was kind of different going to relief society this week. I am determine to read my lessons and be prepared each week. I have also been working on reading my scriptures everyday, and encouraging the family to have family prayer. I wanted to start writing in my journal, so I found it interesting when they encouraged us to start writing in our journals. They are even going to give us topics to write on each week, along with journals. I'm grateful for this as I had tried to start one on the computer, but every time I tried to save it I couldn't open it. I was thinking of starting a hand written one but needed something to write it in. Now I have it:) I will write every other day for now and then perhaps go to everyday. Other goals I have made are to loose 60 lbs by June, write Grandma Mecham and Jonathan a letter each week, and several things to help with my weight loss.

Justin is such a wonderful man. I don' t know how I would make it without him. He encourages me to do my best at everything, while helping me realize that everything the kids do that is not right is not my fault. That I can teach them the things they should do, but can't force it upon them, it's that free agency thing. Justin is hoping to move to AZ the end of the summer. I'm not sure I really want to go as I really love it up here. But he has wanted to go as long as I have known him, so I will do everything I can to make it happen. We are both hoping to find second jobs and start saving up money for the move and to pay off our debts.