Life in the Woodshed

We've Moved

2011-01-17T19:55:00.002-07:00

The Sickies

2010-09-09T14:50:00.000-06:00

We've been hit with the sickness this week. Our sickness? 3 strep and 1 almost bronchitis. Let's just say not much around the house has gotten done. Kids were feeling great & I thought I was too yesterday so we went to the fair. Today is a different story. I'm exhausted and I've got a ton of homework to do.

Campus Observations

2010-08-31T20:41:00.000-06:00

#1 - Most people are rather polite. People hold doors open for one another all the time. And I haven't heard all that much profanity. In fact I've heard more at Sportsman's in 1 day than I have the entire time I've been on campus so far.

#2 - Not everyone is as excited about their schooling as I am. LOL I'm sure that will wear off, but I kind of hope it doesn't.

#3 - As the day goes on the hill on campus gets steeper. LOL

4 Years Ago

2010-08-30T00:25:00.000-06:00

Can you believe that 4 years ago this beautiful girl was born? I can't. She's amazing!! Funny, charming, caring, a bit rebellious, and cute to boot. We celebrated tonight with Grandma & Grandpa McKinnon and the aunts & uncles. Boy did she have fun!

Birthday Dinner Menu:

HM Chicken Nuggets

Fried Red Potatoes

Carrot Sticks

Olives

Grape-Cherry 7up Jello

Milk

Cake & Ice Cream, duh!!

Happy Birthday Myelle!!

I love you!!

Thanks Christine for the awesome cake!! You did a great job
& Myelle loved it!

Oh Boy Birthday Dinner with the special birthday plate!

First Week

2010-08-27T19:10:00.000-06:00

Classes started this week at ISU. I go on Tuesdays & Thursdays this semester. I'm loving it. Loving being on campus & learning in my classes. I feel like I'm no longer stagnant; that I'm headed in some kind of direction and that makes me happy. It's also motivated me to work harder at home since I have less time at home.

Favorite things: Marching Band, watching my kids' excitement to ride the bus, class discussion & lecture(I hate textbook reading :P) and of course my awesome hubby and all his support through this

The kids started school this week too. :D While I'm in class they get to be in ISU's Early Learning Center. They are loving it & had a good first week also. They seem so grown up as they grin when I pick them up & they want to tell me about their days. Even Ben just chatters away telling me about his day. LOL Wish I had a translator.

I sure wish I had my camera to take our picture on the First Day of School.

Like A Refreshing Rain

2010-08-23T01:59:00.001-06:00

If you live in Southeast Idaho you couldn't miss the smoke covering the valley. Hazy, dirty, smoky. Then in the afternoon the clouds opened & it downpoured. The rain cleared away all that filthiness. The air was fresh, crisp, & clean. Everything was brighter and bolder. The grass was greener, the sky was bluer, the grain fields were more golden. Life was good & beautiful. It was a fitting scene for a Sunday and I couldn't help but think of how going to church & taking the sacrament is like a refreshing rain. The grit and garbage that we're exposed to everyday is washed away. I haven't been able to make it to church very often lately because I've been working so much on Sundays. I'll be so glad when I'll be able to quit working Sundays & go to church for that weekly refresher. Life will be bolder, brighter, & more beautiful and that feeling of all that will carry me through the week. Until then I'll try to make the best of it and remember my prayers & scriptures and soon my life will be refreshed like after a good rainstorm.

Home Again Home Again Jiggety Jig

2010-08-20T20:30:00.000-06:00

After an awesome week at Grandma Wood's house Myelle is glad to be home...I think. :) A week filled with fishing, cows, rabbits, the fair, & the rodeo I don't think she wanted to come home. LOL She did miss her little brother though & he missed her. I wish I had the camera to take a picture of her trying to hug & kiss him when we met them at the mall.

I will miss the peace & quiet. Myelle's already mothering him & bossing him around which makes him mad. Ben can't talk a lot & when he's mad or wants something he just screeches. He gets mad at Myelle a lot and he always wants whatever Myelle has. Thus lots of screeching ensues. And they both get a big kick out of teasing the other. Oh those kids might be the death of me!

It's Been Such a Long Time...........

2010-08-19T22:28:00.000-06:00

I think I should start bloggin' again!

Quick update for all of us:

Bentley- will be 18months next month. He's a chunker & learning to talk. Favorite words right now: football, touchdown, clock, momma, dadda.

Myelle- will be 4 next week. She's a little teenager sometimes. LOL Her favorite things are helping around the house, being the mom to her dollies, and bossing Bentley around. She says the funniest things sometimes. Still to come are many Myelle quotes.

Erick-still working at Walgreen's as a Pharmacy Technician. School plans are in the works for him next fall working towards being a "Certified Drug Dealer" AKA Pharmacist. He's been doing some beautiful woodworking for his mom. Pictures to come when it's all finished.

Me- I've been working FT at Sportsman's Warehouse all summer & now in 5 days I'll start classes at ISU again. Pretty excited about that!! I think I've finally figured out what I want to do. Now I just need to meet with my advisor to see if they'll let me do it.

That's us in a nutshell....more to come.

Things I Didn't Expect as a Mom

2010-02-04T16:08:00.004-07:00

1. I am a human kleenex.

2. My kids would love baths so much I'd let them have one almost everyday to play.

3. How important having a doctor that is good with kids is.

4. Suckers can make anything better.

Settling In

2010-01-27T18:52:00.002-07:00

Well folks we're all moved in to our new apartment. I have to say that we absolutely L.O.V.E. it!! Still haven't found my camera in the mess of things, but I will soon. I've gotten a lot unpacked already.

The kids are still adjusting, but rather quickly I might add. Myelle keeps telling me "I like our new apartment."

Tomorrow's the Day!

2010-01-22T11:35:00.002-07:00

We'll be moving. Yay!! We're finishing up the packing today. (In fact I should be packing right now rather than blogging, but here I am.)

Thanks to Rachel H. for coming & helping me pack for so long yesterday! I wouldn't be this close to being ready without you.

Pics of our new apartment coming soon.

Giveaway at A Few Good Things

2010-01-20T09:32:00.002-07:00

My friend Jessica is having a giveaway on her blog. Check it out & enter here. I'm a bit jealous of the craftiness. Good luck to you all, but secretly I hope I win. ;)

You Know You're a Band Geek...

2010-01-18T21:38:00.002-07:00

When a great song comes on & instead of singing along with the words you sing the part you played in your marching band show. :D

Blaring trumpet solo to ensue. Wah wah wah wah.......

6 Days & Counting

2010-01-17T20:58:00.002-07:00

Only six more days until we move. I'll be packing like crazy this week. We sign our lease on Wednesday & can start moving in. I'm going to move a few boxes before, but the big move is on Saturday. I want to thank in advance all the family & friends that are helping us move. You guys are the best!

Just as We Were Getting Caught Up

2010-01-16T22:58:00.003-07:00

We got another medical bill. It seems like that happens every time. It's depressing. At first I was mad that Erick had to go into the ER & be admitted to the hospital. But after a bit I realized it was the best thing for him & it wasn't his fault. (Sorry Honey I can be so wraunchy sometimes...I know I'm working on it.)

Now I'm just stressed. And so I eat. More than should be humanly possible. When it hurts...I stop & sleep. Things will look better in the morning.

This too shall pass.

*****

And I love my mom. She is the greatest. Today she came & picked up my kids at the drop of a hat so I could go to the hospital with Erick. And when I got home I found she had done my dishes, vacuumed & cleaned out my fridge. Thanks Mom!! (If I knew how to do the heart symbol I'd insert one here) You are the greatest!

Yahoo!....Goals

2010-01-15T21:39:00.003-07:00

I got the player off my blog. :) My internet must have been having issues when I tried before. Yippee!

******

One of my goals this year is to be a better housekeeper. I don't mind tidying up or vacuuming or even doing laundry. However, I absolutely hate doing dishes. Hooray for the dishwasher we are going to have in our new apartment! I now set a goal to unload the dishwasher as soon as it's done & load my dirty dishes right into it.

What's your least favorite chore?

Help!

2010-01-14T22:21:00.003-07:00

I keep trying to remove my music player off my blog & it won't let me. Any tips, suggestions, how to's? Thanks in advance!

Back Up & Running

2010-01-14T17:00:00.004-07:00

We have a fully functional keyboard & fully functional screen again! Hooray!!

As a quick update:

We are moving. Erick got a job as a Pharmacy Tech at Walgreen's in Blackfoot. We were going to try to stay in Idaho Falls because it wasn't that far of a commute (30-45min depending on the weather) & we love our ward. But we found much cheaper housing in Blackfoot. 7 days & counting until we sign the lease.

2009-09-24T12:57:00.005-06:00

Myelle loves to watch movies. I try not to let her watch them very often, but this week we've been sick so we've just stayed home & vegged. We've been watching lots of movies. We watch the usual PBS stuff in the morning then choose from a plethora of DVDs to watch. Her favorite right now:

Enchanted or "Princess" as Mye calls it. She's really big into princesses right now. I'm pretty sure we've watched this at least once a day for the past couple weeks.

What she's watching right now:

It cracks me up that she loves this movie! She likes it for the singing & dancing. She'll get up & dance to it.

An Old Pic

2009-09-20T11:43:00.002-06:00

Aww. Look at my cute little girl that isn't so little anymore. I think she was about 18months here. She's 3 now.

Sparse Posting

2009-09-15T11:15:00.004-06:00

Hello all! I haven't forgotten my blog. My "n" key does not work so I have to copy & paste everytime I want to use an "n." Makes for a really long process to post anything. I have had lots of things to post & I will get to them sometime. Hopefully sooner than later. In the meantime, have a wonderful autumn!

Hard Thing of the Day

2009-09-04T19:14:00.003-06:00

I had to do a very hard for me thing today.

No it wasn't dealing with a screaming teething baby.

It wasn't potty training my 3 year old.

It wasn't being at home all day long by myself while my hubby was working extra temporarily.

It wasn't finding the motivation to do my housework.

It wasn't going in to pay rent not knowing whether or not we'll be able to make rent next month.

It wasn't figuring out which bills are absolutely necessary to pay & which ones will get skipped.

No, it wasn't any of those things that seem like they'd be hard.

It was having to tell my daughter that "No, we couldn't get an ice cream cone from the ice cream truck this time." And when she asked "Why?" Telling her "Because we don't have the money to buy that ice cream."

You see one of the joys of living in the city is that during the summer the ice cream truck comes. It's only come to our neighborhood 3 other times (that we know of) and I've always let M pick one of the $1 ice cream treats for a special treat. This time as the truck's music announced its arrival my heart dropped. I knew I would have to say no to most likely the last visit of the year.

The look of disappointment on her face broke my heart and brought me to tears. I think it would have been easier had she thrown a tantrum or made a big scene. I was actually expecting her to do that. However, she merely said "Okay," and then went off to play some more while the neighbor kids ate their ice creams. She acted quite "grown-up" and it kind of made me sad, yet very proud of my big little girl.

Edited to Add: BTW...I totally think that M not getting an ice cream is a good thing. There needs to be times when she doesn't get what she wants and I know that's good for her. It just isn't easy to see your kids disappointed no matter how good it is for them.

Homework: Dear Friend

2009-09-04T01:06:00.003-06:00

My awesome friend Jessica turned me on to this wonderful lady & her blog. You can join TravelinOma for class too. It's free!! Anyway this is my first assignment of the many I hope to complete.

(BTW I'm not sure how to put & link pictures from another site yet so I just hyperlinked the words. Soon I will be able to do pics too. :D )

Dear Friend,

I know you are worried about your husband's recent layoff at work. Knowing you like I do, I'm sure you feel upset, stressed, confused, and scared, but I trust your instincts. You seem so resilient that I'm sure you can bounce back from this difficult time with more spring in your step than ever. You've never given up on anything yet so why start now? If you put your mind to it you can do anything, including this.

You are doing the right things in turning to the Lord for comfort and answers. Try to cut your husband a little slack while he sorts through his own feelings of frustration. As his wife it is not your job to fix it for him, but to stand by him through it all as he finds a way to get things done. You will both learn and grow much more if you trust in the Lord and let each other fulfill the roles you were meant for.

Remember the Lord loves you, as do your family and friends. This too shall pass.

Always,

Your Friend

Feeling Blessed

2009-09-02T11:54:00.002-06:00

My house may not be very tidy or very big. There is always some chore that needs doing. A batch of laundry needing taken care of. A hurt feeling or owie needing attended to. A crying baby that wants fed/held/rocked to sleep. There's meals to be cooked. Shopping to do. Clothes to be mended. Feelings of inadequacy & imperfection often creep up about being a good mom, wife, friend, person. It's a scary time of our lives right now filled with worry & uncertainty. How do we know that we're doing what we're supposed to? How will we make it through?

I turned to prayer & the scriptures for comfort & answers. In doing so my faith has grown & I've been able to buoy up my husband & comfort him while he struggles with feelings of frustration at the situation that's been thrust upon us. I found I can be there to support & love him no.matter.what. And that that is all I need to do...what I'm supposed to be doing.

After a night of tossing & turning with worry & stress I woke up this morning & was enjoying the quiet this morning before my kids woke up. I found myself caught up in my thoughts. Next thing I know I'm tearing up. Not because I was sad, but because I was feeling so blessed. At a time of such uncertainty in our lives right now I was overwhelmed with the knowledge of how much the Savior loves me & my family.

We are buoyed up by friends, family, & members of the ward. I feel inspired by the many wonderful people I have association with. Whether they be from high school, college, or anytime after that I am grateful for them & their wise words & inspiring stories. I am grateful that they are willing to share with those around them. They have become my network of support even though they may not know it.

I have a wonderful little family that is sealed together for eternity. I am blessed with a loving hard working husband, who strives to live righteously & lead our family in good. Who provides as only a father can. Who wants me to stay home with the kids no matter how tight things are because he knows that's where I want to be & where the Lord wants me to be & will stick up for me & that decision when anyone criticizes it. Who loves me for me no matter what. Who doesn't mind if the house is a little messy. Who thinks I'm a great mom especially when I don't feel like it. Who understands I can't do it all. Who is my best friend in the world.

I have two great kids that may drive me batty at times, but I know they love me unconditionally even for my imperfections. Those precious moments we share when they cuddle up to me or when only "Mommy" can make it all better. When B looks at me with those big blue eyes that say it all..."Thanks for feeding me...Thanks for holding me...Thanks for being my mommy.....Thanks for loving me."

I truly am blessed with the things that matter.

2009-08-22T00:33:00.003-06:00

Dontcha just wanna squeeze his little cheeks? I do and I do constantly do it. :) Poor kid. He's growing up too fast though.

And yes he does look EXACTLY like his dad. Crazy.

Love the hair too.