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Breathtaking

I have been working a ton lately. Some days, I go to work at 8:30 in the morning and don't get home until 11:30 at night. I love my job but I wish that I wasn't away from my family so much. Working this much creates a lot of stress.

On top of that, Joseph and I got thrown a big curve ball last week. There is always curve balls in life and some you can see coming a little in advance. The one we got last week, I NEVER would have seen coming in a million years.

Between work and our "curve ball", it created the perfect situation for Joseph and I to need a break. So we went camping with family to Horsethief Reservoir. On the day that we were to leave, we took a hike and was able to see some amazing scenery.

It really made me stop and realize that no matter what happens, God is good and He is over all. If we put our trust in Him, we can take on anything and it will be for our good.......eventually.

I am so thankful for my faith in God and for the peace I received this weekend. I am also so thankful for this beautiful, amazing world we have to live in and for the privilege of enjoying it......

Camping at Horsethief Reservoir

For the holiday weekend, Joseph's cousin, Jared, and his two boys came to town to visit. We, along with Joseph's brother and his family decided to head up to Horsethief Reservoir and do some camping. In total - there were 6 adults and 7 kids age 5 and under.

It was a lot of fun but the nights were very cold!! Thankfully, we brought lots of blankets to help keep us warm. The kids all had a blast but by the end of the trip they were exhausted and in desperate need of a bath!

The boys eating breakfast

All the kids with Aunt Lisa on the hike

The older boys showing their muscles while trying to move the water jug.

The funniest thing while we were camping was Little Miss Loo. She loves to run around with the older kids and be just like them. Her cousin, Jacob, just became potty trained and loved peeing in the trees. Lexi was absolutely fascinated by this and thought that if the boys can do it, so can she!

Don't anybody tell her that because she's a girl, she can't do it!

Stay Tuned

I will be returning to a regular blogging schedule shortly.....hopefully, I still have one or two readers!

These Are The Days.......

(My title for this post is not referring to the soap opera music. Think opening song from the movie, Cheaper By The Dozen.)

I have not been very consistent with my blogging. I started thinking about blogging yesterday and how I don't blog very often because there isn't a lot of exciting stuff happening in our life. Most days it just feels like the "same old stuff, just a different day".

I also don't take the camera with me very often because I don't think there is anything exciting that is going to be going on. However, after we got back from a Marine Corps function at a park yesterday, I wished that I had taken the camera with me. Not because anything exciting happened, but because this is our life and I want it chronicled.

It really has changed my perspective on blogging and keeping a record of what we do. The truth of the matter is that my kids are growing and learning every day and THAT is exciting and worth blogging about. I want my kids to be able to have something to look back at and see what they did as kids, the funny things they said, and just what our day to day life was like while they were growing up.

So the next several pictures aren't exciting - in fact I look horrid in them! However, this is our life and these are the days......

1 Dog + 2 Puppies = TOO MANY DOGS!

We have had our Golden Retriever, Chester, for about a year. Joseph's parents own Chester's sister, Ginger. They live on 10 acres with no fences and Ginger wound up pregnant. She had 7 puppies.

We happened to be over there visiting and Joseph fell in love with two of the puppies. I thought that it would be fun to bring one home so that Chester had another dog to run around with. I kept asking Joseph if he had picked out the puppy that he wanted to bring home and he would just hold up two fingers because he wanted to bring two home.

I finally caved and we brought home two puppies - Turk and Duke. It was only on a TRIAL basis. They were adorable and we loved having them. A few days after we brought them home, Joseph had to leave for 8 days with the Marine Corps. It was so much work trying to house train two puppies, watch the girls, clean the house, etc., etc. Then, I had some health issues and that was the last straw! The puppies went back to Joseph's parents and they were able to find them alternative homes. I was kinda sad with the puppies leaving but in the long run, I can't handle that many dogs!

P.S. Chester LOVED the puppies and they loved him. I think the hardest part about giving the puppies back was separating them from Chester!

Family Day in New Plymouth

Several weeks ago we headed out to New Plymouth to watch Joseph's cousin, Cody, wrestle at Districts. He placed high enough to be able to go to State tournaments the following weekend. It was fun to go and cheer him on. The girls would even yell, "Go Cody!", during each of his matches.

After the wrestling tournament, we headed to Parma to hang out with Joseph's Uncle Aaron, Aunt Karen, and cousins. Joseph's uncle and cousin train and fight MMA (mixed martial arts) and so the "boys" decided to have a wrestling match of their own.

Then, after having dinner at Aunt Karen's sister's house, we watched a UFC fight on t.v. It was a late night (I don't think we started the hour drive home until well after ten at night!) but we were so glad that we were able to spend the day with them! Thanks Aaron and Karen!

Joseph and his Uncle Aaron

Uncle Aaron and Little A (he's not so "little" anymore)

Joseph and Little A

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

I finally uploaded pictures from the camera to the computer today and there were quite a few. Enjoy a glimpse into our life the last several months....

Making A House A Home.......And Other Tidbits

I won't even address the fact that I haven't blogged in a LONG, LONG time. I am just going to get on with what I have to blog about. I better start with a family update (if I blogged more often, I would be able to skip this formality).



Joseph has been BUSY, BUSY, BUSY with school. It is so important to him to get good grades and I am thankful that I am married to such a hard worker. He is only taking 12 credits this semester, but his Calculus class takes a lot of time. He has been doing so well this semester and it looks like he will continue to be on the Dean's list. He is also in the Honors College which means he has priority registration (gets to register first). I already have him registered for next semester........with a whopping 17 credits. Hopefully, we will be able to balance everything!



I have been busy with the girls and working more. One of my main weaknesses is being self disciplined and a good manager of my time. There is so much in life that I want to do and so much in life that I need to do. There never seems to be enough time for it all. I get really frustrated with myself because if I wasn't so LAZY, I could get a lot more done. I have been finding some hope in my scripture study. I just keep trying and hoping that one day the Lord will bless my weakness to become my strength.

The girls are doing well. Paige is loving preschool and can't wait to go to kindergarten. Unfortunately, she is an October birthday and so she misses the cut off to go this coming year. She will be home for another year before she embarks on the adventure of school. I can't believe how fast she is growing up. She loves to help with anything that Joseph and I are doing. She is starting to write and read several words. She is always making me smile with her vivid imagination.

Lexi is still my ornery little Lexi. She is so much fun and is expanding her vocabulary daily. She scowls at everyone for the first five minutes she is around them. She won't be bullied and sometimes beats up on her big sister. Her daddy hangs the moon in her eyes. She is also a big helper. She especially loves to help unload the dishwasher. I am so thankful for the wonderful opportunity and privilege I have of being the mother to my two sweet, beautiful girls.

So, now that the update is wrapped up......on to my current rambling thoughts. I was at a friend's house lately and she has such cute things in her house. She really has made their house a home. She makes a lot of her home decor herself and it looks great. I came home and started thinking. We have lived in our house for three years and I absolutely love our house. However, from a decor standpoint I don't feel like it is a "home". The only rooms that have any decor to them are the kitchen, dining room, and living room. The only reason those have anything done is because my mother has come over and helped me.

I have also been inspired by Joseph's cousin who is so CREATIVE. She can take a piece of what I would consider, at first glance, ugly junk (and walk away from) and turn it into something absolutely amazing. I wish that I was more creative and that I could see potential in more things. I usually never think past my first impression of the "ugly junk". I have started to read some blogs of women who decorate their home by finding potential in junk and turning it into treasure. I have felt inspired with the things that these women have been able to create. I have been amazed with the transformations that have taken place with a little paint and "repurposing".

So, now I am on a quest to make my house more of a home. To really analyze each room and figure out how I can really make the most out of the space......both decoratively and functionally. I want to love house even more and really feel like it represents me. I don't have a lot of money to spend on it so I am really trying to get past my first impressions of "junk" and see what treasure I can make of them.

So, I want a little advice from any of you that still read my blog..........what do you do to make your house a home and represent who you are? Where do you find your treasures in hiding?