FAMILY FRIDAY

I took some impromptu pictures of my kiddos a couple days ago. Here are a just a couple that I just love...Yes, there is our chicken coop in the background, and a bucket, and a chair growing out of Jays' head. Hey, it is the way things are around here... Nathan is pulling his "rabbit face"that he recently perfected, and Emily is looking just a bit too seductive for her own good.

Each one of their faces match their personalities to a tee. Except for Nathan, who just looks a bit concerned at four children throwing their weight on him...

I wish Aubrey had a bigger smile on, but here is a shot of my three beautiful gals.

We have had a pretty normal, busy week around here. David went to jury duty in Snowflake last week (You didn't know Snowflake summoned jurors, did you? Neither did we.). He also spent a couple days out on the "rez", and helped out in Nathans' classroom yesterday for Parent Enrichment. I hauled four out of seven of us to the dentist a couple times last week. We all came out unscathed, teeth cleaned and/or sealed, and no cavities! Except for Nathan, who unfortunately inherited the bad teeth in the family. He has two new cavities, and has to go back in in a couple weeks to get those filled and to get a chrome cap (I think that is what they called it) put on. One of his pesky fillings refuses to stay put, so we are taking drastic measures and making it a bit more permanent (at least until that baby tooth falls out). He is so excited to get that silver tooth, that you would think he had just won the lottery or something.


Nathan also took a big step along with turning eight, that now involves bobcats, wolves and eagles. He entered Cub Scouts, and has had so much fun reading through his Scout book, and earning his badges. He and I went to his Pack Meeting last month, where he hung upside down and I got to pin his Bobcat Badge on. I can see him taking this scouting stuff really seriously. Let Scouting Begin!

And lest I forget, wasn't General Conference just wonderful?!? I have felt more and more like my Heavenly Father really knows ME, and I can't believe how many times I heard something during the talks that I felt was just for me. My favorite moments that I can think of right of the top of my head are, of course, Pres. Monsons' Relief Society talk on washing our own windows before we judge someones' laundry, Pres. Ucthdorfs' talk on s l o w i n g d o w n, and another one by Pres. Monson about having a spirit of thanksgiving, and being grateful for what we have, and not focused on what we lack. There were many more great messages that I took from conference, that I will share later this week...

Well, there is our family on this Friday...

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I have been thinking a lot about what or who I am thankful for today, and I will start with one of the most obvious picks. I am very, VERY thankful this day for my youngest child Jay Clayton.

He is a wild ball of energy, a "terrible two" and a handful, to say the least. He has been known to write in permanent marker on my walls and doors, smear lipstick on my floors, and break eggs in my piano. He also has a very special way of getting on my very last nerve, causing me to yell and shout.BUT, with ALL that said and done, he is my baby. My last born child and the baby boy I spent every pregnancy waiting for. He is the light of our home, the best little brother ever and the sweetest little stinker a mommy could ever love. Jay has piercing blue eyes that he got from his Grandpa Barton, and a cute little mischievous smile that he, more then likely, got from me. He makes my days happy and BuSy!I have felt for quite some time that Jay has a special role in his life. I knew he was coming from the time I was pregnant with Aubrey. He is meant for something great in his life, I can feel it. He has shown a great appreciation for sympathy and approval. He is always looking for ways to comfort and help. I look forward to the time when we find out all the great things he will be.
I am so thankful this Thursday for my littlest rascal, Jay....

My new approach

I love having a blog. I like updating it, changing the background, reading other peoples' blogs, and checking for comments. But, I have come to a rut in the road. I often find myself knowing that I should update it, but usually feel like I don't have much to say that is worth reading about. SO, my wonderful, sweet, awesome and smart sis-in-law, YES, you Eva!, introduced an ingenious idea that I am now officially stealing. =)

Spiritual Sunday... all about my beliefs, what I learned at church, good quotes, and testimony.

Memories Monday... digging deep and reliving memories from my past. Some good, some bad.

True Confessions Tuesday... honest, bare, truthful, how I REALLY feel and do things.

Wordless Wednesday... no words allowed, just a collection of pictures that mean something to me.

Thankful Thursday... looking for and recording things that I am grateful for.

Family Friday... an update on the happenings of our family and extended families.

Special Saturday... we all know that 'Saturday is a special day', and I don't really know what, or if I will, write on each Saturday, but if I do, I will be sure to make it "special"!

Stay tuned for my different approach to blogging. I am pretty excited! Thank you for the wonderful idea Eva, and thank you for letting me steal it. =) First entry will be tomorrow, Thankful Thursday...

Denial

I admit that I am in denial. I am in denial that my tree is changing colors, my mornings are a bit colder then normal. I am in denial that my grass is fading, and my legs feel cooler in shorts and flip flops. I am in denial that summer is leaving me. It makes me sad and depressed, and makes me want to cry just thinking about all the LONG hours of being trapped inside because of the snow and cold. I refuse to put a "fall-y" background up, so this Halloween one is as close as I can get you.

I already miss summer....

Bad Luck

Stitches have made a comeback. This time they are on ME. And they HURT. This will be a short post, because it is rather awkward and time consuming, chicken pecking, with my usable hand.

So, for those of you that don't already know, I was hand washing dishes on Saturday afternoon. I was washing a glass and it shattered, all while my hand was inside. OUCH!!! and other naughty words too. I finally found a friend that was home to watch my kids while I went down to the doctors office. I now have five stitches on my left, middle finger knuckle. It cut all the way to the bone, so I am on pretty strong antibiotics too.

I will add other news and updates later, but as of now, I have had enough chicken pecking...

Updates

I realized yesterday that I haven't updated my blog in a while. It's not that things were not going on... HECK, there is always something going on... I just enjoyed looking at my sweet husbands' birthday blog for me! He really did sneak that one in, and I was very pleasantly surprised to see he had done it! What a great guy!

Anyhow, other then my birthday recently and the big baptism bash for Nathan, life has calmed down a bit. The kids are doing well in school, Betsy and Jay are still both taking naps conveniently right after Emily gets dropped off at afternoon kindergarten, and once or twice a week I will grab a nap too. AHHH! Miraculous, I know...

David had been AWOL a lot lately. He is pretty busy with his new calling, Elders Quorum President, and then on the days or times he is not doing that, he has been doing a lot of work out on the reservation, where he is gone for 3-4 days at a time. I sometimes feel like a single mom, and sometimes just about lose it, but so far I am still sane, and the kids are all alive and well, so that is good. =) He started 8 credits of schooling, but unfortunately he had to drop his classes. The financial aid was never processed, and because school is kinda pricey, we couldn't pay for classes and books on our own, so he had to drop. GRRRR!!!!!! Maybe next semester NPC can get their act together, and we can try again. (can you tell I am kinda miffed at NPC right now?!?!)

Yesterday at church I realized how VERY much my priorities are off. I spend far too much time wasting time. My life is filled with lots of time wasters, and I am culling back and focusing on the things that REALLY matter. My marriage, kids, and the gospel. That is all that REALLY matters. More time focusing on them, less time wasting my day away. So with that being said, I will say goodbye. =)

29 Years and Counting (by David)

About 10 years ago I met the prettiest thing she came waltzing into the place I worked at EA with the biggest smile on her face, I was hooked!

Since then she has brought more happiness and meaning into my
life than any one man deserves.

She's the only woman I know who can look gorgeous after puking
from sea sickness.

and the only woman that could bring the five
most precious children into the world.

Valerie you have brought so much happiness into my life and our kids lives
you are the only person that could do this.
We will always love and appreciate you!

Happy Birthday!!!