I don't know why I do this to myself, waiting so long in between posts, so that it takes me hours to catch up. This time of year is so crazy, and to add to my busy personal life, is my calling as the Stake YW President. It has been hectic too. When I was called to this position, I voiced my concerns about our lives being so busy I was worried that I wouldn't have the time necessary to give this new calling 100%. President Prince reassured me that this call is not very busy, just at certain times during the year would I be doing things that would take some time! Well, I can say he didn't know what he was saying!! I have been so busy with this calling, it is busier (if that's a word) than most ward callings I have had, and I never dreamed there would be so many meetings. (I'm not complaining just venting ) So I DO know why I take so much time to post on my blog .... I am too busy to be doing this!!

So I guess I will start back on the 21st of November, we went down to St. Joe's Hospital in Phx for Scott to be cardioverted again. We had to be at the hospital at 5:00am so we went down the night before and stayed in a hotel close to the hospital. They did the procedure about 8:00am which only took about 20 minutes, but he had to stay for several hours afterward to be monitored. This time it worked!! His heart converted back to it's normal rhythm. We know our prayers and the prayers of everyone else have been answered. He has to follow up with the Dr in a few weeks to make sure it is staying in normal rhythm, but for now we are so very happy. Scott is feeling much better, he will continue to be on the medications for about 6 months. If after that time everything is the same, he will slowly be taken off the meds. Yeah!! It feels so good to not have this to worry about (as much) any more. Thank you everyone for your prayers in Scott's behalf.

The next event in our lives, which is always a huge event in our family, was thanksgiving. We had it here in our home, and we love to have people in our home to party and have fun! There were a lot of us here, but that makes it all the more fun. Lenn and Leisha's family were all here, then Danna (my sister) and her youngest son Lance, and my parents all came. We had lots of good food and enjoyed each others company. I don't think we ever got to bed before 3:30 every morning, we paid the price the next day. It was so crazy we had wall to wall people, the little kids had to sleep out in the hall way, and Sawyer my niece even slept in my linen closet, I think she enjoyed it though!

This is in my upstairs hallway and only 1/2 of the kids!

All the guys spent the whole weekend playing Rock Band. They did let us Mom's in on the fun one night, and I do have to say we were good!! I could get addicted to that game if I had time. The little ones even played for several hours, I was so surprised at how well they did, I couldn't believe they could even do it, as I had a hard time figuring it all out. But kids these days blow me away at the many things they can do, they are so smart!! Staying up to play cards all night and singing Christmas songs from our childhood, and watching funny video's on "You tube"was so much fun, everyone even volunteered to help us get out our December billing which was so nice, I wish we had all of that help every month. We got it done in about 30 min which usually takes Scott and I about 4 to 5 hours when we do it alone. (Thanks again everyone). I love Thanksgiving and Christmas, enjoying the time we get to spend with our extended family is something that I look forward to every year. We love our family and feel so blessed to have their love and support and get along with each and every one of them. I don't think there is one person in either of our families that we don't truly love to be around and enjoy spending time with. I have the best in-laws (mom and dad, brothers and sisters) and parents brother and sisters in the world, and feel so blessed to be a part of these 2 families.

Scott on the drums, we could hardly get him to let anyone else have a turn!

Squeezing in my office to watch funny You Tube video's!

Notice the time on the clock (upper middle) yes it is almost 3:00am.!!

I always hate Thanksgiving weekend to end, have to face reality again and get back to life!! We really enjoyed having everyone here, we have kind of made it a tradition to have it here in our home, hope to see everyone again next year!

The Sunday after Thanksgiving Jentry and I went up to Snowflake to Brock's farewell. He is going to Chicago on his mission and will report on Dec 3rd. Jen and Brock have gotten to be good friends since becoming teenagers and getting to hang out at our Heap Reunion every year. Becky, Brock's mother is my cousin and she and I were attached at the hip throughout our childhood and teenage years. We have always been very close, we have grown apart over the years just because of our busy lives and living away from one another. It's so neat that even though we don't talk often, when we do get together and have time to visit with each other it's as if we have never lost touch. I truly love and admire Becky, she is a strong woman, and truly an example of endurance, faith and compassion! She will always be like a sister to me. Anyway, we went up the the farewell, then over to Becky's house afterward. I was able to see some friends and family that I haven't seen in over 10 years. It was so good to laugh and reminisce with everyone, it really made me miss them and a little nostalgic about my childhood! It's good to get together with people from your past once in a while, I wish it were more often! It was fun too, to spend the time with just Jen and I, I really miss her and riding in the car for several hours with just her and I was good. Brock will be a great missionary, Good Luck Brock!! And Becky!!

More posts coming soon!!

Sad Day

This is Cole with the dogs the day he returned home from his mission.

Okay you can chalk up another 5 or 6 trials to add to my list. It seems like everyday something hits our family like a brick, and today was no exception. We have 2 dogs, Ruger who is a brittney spaniel and Keesha who is a Akita. Ruger is the oldest, we got him when he was only 6 weeks old, Scott actually saved his life when he was born, he is now 14 years old. We got Keesha at about 8 weeks old, and have had her for over 13 years. Both of these dogs are great, they are a part of the family. The last few years Ruger's health hasn't been that great, he is deaf and has arthritis, and he has mini seizures once in a while, so Cole really thought he might not be here when he got home from his mission. They both were doing good, but this morning when Scott got up, he looked out our window and saw Keesha laying on the ground out by her kennel, he could tell immediatley that she was gone. He went out to check on her, and yes she had passed away sometime in the night. There were no signs as to why she died, so this made it so very hard. The kids had a really hard time going to school, and we all shed many tears today. Cole and Jen and been here for the weekend, so Scott had Trent and Cole go dig a grave for her on our property. This was very hard on Cole, he is so passionate about those dogs, and gives them the most attention out of all of us. He worries too, as we all do about Ruger, and how he will handle her being gone. After they buried her, Cole had to head back to Mesa to work. He had a hard time leaving Ruger, and just kept telling us to keep an eye on him, to make sure he was eating and drinking. We all wonder if Ruger will be around much longer now that his best friend is gone. He has been whining and crying all day, it is the saddest thing to watch him wonder around sniffing the air and looking for her. I don't think I can stand to watch him be so sad. We really thought he would be the first to go because he was the one who has been in bad health. We still don't know what really happened to Keesha, but this family will really miss her. She was the most loving, sweet, funny dog. She will always have a special place in our family!

Happy Birthday Brynee Boo!

Today is Brynley's 6th birthday, she shares her birthday with a really good friend who she says she is going to marry someday. It is Sterling Sorensen, Sterlin as she has always called him. I think they both think they have to get married since they share the same b-day and are the same age. It is pretty hillarious the way they act when they see each other!! Anyway, she kind of had 2 days worth of birthdays. Sterling invited her to his birthday on friday night. He had the neatest party, they went to a ceramic shop and each got to pick out something to paint. Then they had cupcakes, Sterling was so sweet and wanted to share the Happy Birthday singing and blowing out candle moment with Brynley. It was so dang cute. They blew out the candles together. Then because it was their birthday, they got to put a print of their hands on the wall in the little shop with their names next to it. So cute!! Sterling gave Bryn some flowers, which is now a yearly tradition. She just feels so special!
Because she got to go to the party on friday night, her birthday, we decided to have her party with family on Saturday night. That way Cole and Jen could be here to celebrate with her. She was so excited to open her presents and to have her "Hello Kitty" cake.
Brynley is a very special little girl! She has such an imagination, loves to dance and sing at the top of her voice, loves primary, thinks it is so cool that people call her little Jen, the only one in our family to adore kitty cats. She is a real girly girl, but hates to have her hair done, loves I mean loves school, and is so sad when there is a holiday with no school. She is the top student in her class, and loves to read and learn! We have truly enjoyed her sweet spirit for the past 6 years. She is one of the most precious, beautiful little girls in the world, inside and out, we truly feel blessed to have her in our family! We love you Brynee Boo, don't forget it!!

Sterling giving Brylee the traditional flowers, isn't that so sweet!!

Their handprints on the wall behind them.

Poor Coley!

Wow after this post I will be pretty much caught up on my posting for a few days. Nothing like doing about 2 months worth on one night.

Last but not least of our bad luck lately.... Cole was drawn for a mule deer tag this year which started on halloween day. He was looking so forward to this, not being able to hunt due to being gone on his mission, really made him excited to get out and do it again this year. Well while he was working on Thursday, he was spraying (for bugs) in a back yard and was up on a brick wall, when he stepped down to get off, he stepped in a pot hole and twisted his ankle really bad. I have seen many of sprained ankles in my time, (most of them my own) and this one is by far the very worst I have seen. In fact when I saw it, I worried it might be broken. He insisted that it wasn't, but was really bummed, and wondering how he was going to hunt. They do a lot of hiking up and down mountains, and he didn't know if he could do that. But of course this didn't stop them from going out. He was going to go no matter what. So we just pumped him full of ibuprophen and iced it each night. So far he has done okay, just in a lot of pain at night when he gets home.

Man I hope our run of bad luck runs out very soon!!

Halloween 2008

I'm not a real fan of Halloween, I don't know why, I guess you could call me the halloween scrooge, but I hate all the stuff that comes with this holiday. Trying to decide (or have my kids decide) what they want to be, getting them all ready the day of, then all of the candy they get, which most of it ends up getting thrown away because they don't eat it and it goes bad.

Every year the kids' school has a Halloween carnival the night before Halloween. My kids insist on attending, which is a lot of fun for them, but each booth gives away a cup full of candy everytime they play the game. So between the 3 of them you can imagine how much candy they come home with. Then on Halloween night the stake has a trunk-or-treat at the church, which is very well attended, everyone and their dog comes out to that, so that too means way too much candy. I wonder, can you freeze candy? Will it last until next year? I spend so much money buying candy for the trunk-or-treat, only to come home with more than I have given out. I need to find a way to save it for next year!!

The kids did have fun dressing up for those 2 nights, and of course Scott is hardly ever here each year to help me with this fun task, because it is during hunting season, and heaven forbid they should miss a day of hunting to spend with the kids on Halloween! Oh well maybe when I'm really old I can enjoy this holiday a little bit more.

Kids Awards

When we made the decision to buy a few acres in Cornville, (I know sounds a little hillbilly doesn't it) and build a house, this would mean moving my kids into a new school. All of our older children had attended Dr Daniel Bright Elementary in Cottonwood and we loved that school. Crue had gone there for kindergarten and first grade, so having to put them out in the Oak Creek School was a little scary for me. I had heard a lot of good things about this school, but still was a little reluctant to move them out of a school I knew and really liked. Crue started 2nd grade in Oak Creek last year, and Brynley was in the pre-school. They both really did well and loved it. This year Crue is in the 3rd grade, Brynley is in kindergarten and Kashley is in pre-school. They all 3 are doing great!! Needless to say all of my worries were for naught. The school had their quartley awards last week, Crue was awarded the math award for his class, and was on the Deans list, missing the principals list by only 2 points. Brynley was awarded the writing award for her class. They both are at the top of their classes (if it's okay to brag) and are awesome students. The school has turned out to be great for my kids, the classes are really small, only about 15 - 16 kids in each class and such a close knit student and teacher relationship. I have grown to be grateful we moved our kids to Oak Creek afterall!

Traditional Pumpkin Carving

Another family tradition for Halloween, carving pumkins!! This year we each got our own pumkin. I got the cool stencils to trace onto the pumkins, and we each picked one. Scott and I were the stencil pokers ( you have to go around each stencil and poke holes into the pumpkins following the lines on the image ) Then Scott and I were the carvers. All the kids really do is cheer us on, and they do love getting messy and scraping out all the insides. I do have to say Kashley didn't enjoy this part at all, too gooey and gross!! They did turn out really cool, but we did do it a little too early, by the time we were to take them with us to our stake annual trunk or treat, they were almost too shriveled to see what they were. Good thing we took pics!!