Happy New Year 2022

 This has been a crazy past couple of years. I’ve missed keeping this scrapbook for the family, so I’ll be posting some past events and activities as I remember them. I did keep track of a few things through Instagram so I won’t have to only draw from memory. 

Busy, and then Not

Life here is so busy.  Kids in scouts, Achievement Days, all four school aged kids are in school plays. Callings, volunteering, school, work travel and dating time.  But then, we get to have down time.  This past week was Spring Break for all the school attendees.  We had nothing planned and did nothing.  It was so nice.I love not having anyone dictate what my family does, and how we spend our time.  The kids get a little bored, but really it's okay to bored.  It forces them to talk to each other and do things together.  It's good for them.

This semester is over on April 8.  I am getting pretty excited about it.  I have decided not to take any classes for Spring semester this year.  We have vacations planned and I have done homework for the past two years while on vacation.  I also felt that it is important to be able to spend time with the kids and do some projects and make some quilts and do nothing if I want.  Last summer I took three classes and I felt like any free time I had consisted of me telling the kids I couldn't do something with them or to be quiet so that I could study.  Not fun for anyone.  After my tough semester in accounting last semester I need a little break.  I love my English class, and I'm really acing it.  I have received "A's" on all of my papers and I even earned a 100% on one.  I could blow off the final group project and have an 87 in the class, but I won't.  I have a 99% right now.  It's a much better feeling than last semester when I really considered dropping out of school.  I am also taking a break this coming semester because I will be taking ACCT 202 and English 301 in September.  I think I will be a little busy, but I think I can do it.  It will take so much prayer.  

The kids are doing well.  I think they are ready for summer, but they can push through for 43 more days.  I am counting down.

Tomorrow is an Arrow of Light ceremony.  The awards I made are really nice. I didn't make an arrow, but I did make some nice plaques.  It is going to be great.

This Past Week

This month instead of having a formal pack meeting, I decided that we should have a Cub Scout family hike.  We went to South Mountain and hiked about 3 miles.  It was so much fun and all of the kids did a great job.  Amelia only had to be carried for about 200 yards of the whole hike, though she was much slower because she is two and has short chubby legs.  She is so cute.  When she and Steve made it to the trail head, the other kids and I cheered for her and she ran to us and gave us big hugs.  While we were waiting for her and Steve, Amy got to pet a horse.  She was so excited.

I was having a conversation with my mom on the phone and I said "Last Sunday ....blah blah blah."  Well Burke was listening to the conversation and he said "That was the last Sunday?"  Then on Saturday, I told him we needed to have baths because we had church the next day.  He said "No we don't, you said it was the last Sunday."  He was really upset because he doesn't like his primary teacher and didn't want to go to church.

This week we had a really busy schedule.  Every night there was a game or a play or play practice, or a concert or mutual.  I told the older kids that next semester they are only allowed to choose one activity.  I can't keep this up!  We are not having quiet family evenings. It has been too much.  There has been more bickering, and blaming and chores are not getting done.  We have to stop this now.

"Mothers who know do less. They permit less of what will not bear good fruit eternally. They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home. Mothers who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world’s goods in order to spend more time with their children—more time eating together, more time working together, more time reading together, more time talking, laughing, singing, and exemplifying. These mothers choose carefully and do not try to choose it all. Their goal is to prepare a rising generation of children who will take the gospel of Jesus Christ into the entire world. Their goal is to prepare future fathers and mothers who will be builders of the Lord’s kingdom for the next 50 years. That is influence; that is power."  Julie B Beck 10/2007

Thankful

We had a really nice Thanksgiving.  The Despain family from our ward came over and shared our dinner with us.  The food and company were both good.  This year we chose to have our turkey deep fried.  It was good, but next year I'll probably just make it the way I always do.  This was the first year that my gluten free pie crust turned out well.  It was really good.  I also used some of the pumpkin I canned to make the pumpkin pie.  It too was really good.  Steve commented on both the better tasting pie and the pie crust.  That made me happy that he was happy and liked it.

I have so much to be grateful/thankful for.  I have children to love, a husband to care for, food to eat, a nice home to live in, water that comes directly to my home, water that turns hot with the turn of a handle, a gas stove, an oven three freezers and two fridges, sewing machines, skills to use the sewing machines, a desire to learn more skills to help my family become more self reliant, chickens to gather eggs from, a love of learning, a husband who supports and loves me, a healthy body, and of course the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I am so grateful to have the knowledge of the restored church of Jesus Christ in my life.  I am thankful for the new Phoenix temple and am looking forward in attending there.  I'm also grateful that this semester will be coming to an end in 19 days.  I am worried about accounting, but if worst comes to worst I will just have to retake it.  I am not going to give up.  I know A can learn this, it may just take more time.

The chickens are doing great.  We are getting a lot of eggs.  This month I will be keeping track daily on our calendar.  They are fun and funny.  The kids still like them a lot.  I am still dreaming of buying some land to do a little more with. 

Stressed to the Max!

People used to look up to me.  They would depend on me for help, or ask for advice.  People could count on me.  I was some what respected as a mother who had it together.  I don't think that's true anymore.  Over the past four years something has happened to me.  I'm not sure what it was.  I have added two children to the family, started school, trained for a marathon and a few other races, and have pretty much lost my mind.  I am not the mother I want to be.  I am not the mother I used to be.  I do not have it together.  I cannot remember important things.  I cannot remember non-important things.  I am super stressed out because of my lack of remembering, especially in my Accounting class, which I am not doing well in at all.  My Family Foundations class has been hard for me to swallow this past week.  It is showing me all the ways I am not doing what I should be doing.  It is reminding me how I used to be, and showing me the awful truth of who I have become.  I am not the super mom I used to be.  I am not enjoying my kids to the extent that I used to.  I don't have time to.  I am not prioritizing properly, and I am not budgeting my time well.  My house is a disaster.  My kids don't like me.  I don't know what to do.  I don't want to quit school, but I may need to take a break.  I want to be the mom I used to be.  I want to be the mom my kids will like.  I want to show my kids that they are more important than school.

I have been doing a little research and I think I may have some mineral deficiencies.  I have ordered some cod-liver oil to take and also I need to take my other vitamins and eat more healthy foods.  Since I have not been running, I have not been using healthy foods to fuel my body.  I have been stress eating and have gained 22 lbs.  It stinks and I hate it.  I follow the menu plan but I eat junk in between.  No good.


I love this quote from President Monson.  I know it is true.  I just have to remember it is true.

" We know where we came from, why we are here, and where we will go when we leave this life. We know that we are children of our Heavenly Father and that He loves us. We know we want to return to Him after we leave this earthly existence. We know that what we do—and don’t do—here in mortality is of utmost importance. We also know that, should we fall short, our Savior has provided us with the precious gift of the Atonement and that, if we change our lives and our hearts and take advantage of the power of the Atonement, our sins and shortcomings will be forgiven and forgotten."

President Thomas S. Monson
"Be a Light to the World"
November 1, 2011 BYU Devotional

Now that I have that off my chest, I want to share that Amy Katherine Winn was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on November 22, 2014 by her father Steve Winn.  It was a nice program.  Michael gave the talk on baptism and Sister Trusler gave the talk on the Holy Ghost.  Mike Haynie played the piano for us and Suzette lead the music.  Tommy and Alexis gave the opening and closing prayers. Amy looked beautiful.  She is the sunshine in our home.  I love her so much and am so happy that she is part of our eternal family.

Choked-Up

I have not been able to watch any of the rehearsals for the Cultural Celebration.  I didn't even consider it as an option.  I know the kids have been working hard, and they really don't need any unnecessary people there getting in the way.  Steve has been at every rehearsal.  He is the YM president.  He is also a Captain of 10 which means he'll be at the actual performance.  Today someone posted on face book a video of the opening song for the celebration and it had me completely choked up.  I can see Tommy in the front row of the yellow group.  It is so impressive to see so many kids performing, and taking their part in the temple dedication.   The day after the Super Saturday all day practice, all of the youth in our ward bore their testimonies in Fast and Testimony meeting.  It was the more inspiring and wonderful meeting.  Seeing the youth go up to the stand in droves was more than I could handle.  I cried all through the meeting.  So did Steve.  So did a lot of people.  This Cultural Celebration has been a blessing to our youth.  They have felt the Spirit.  They have felt God's Love.  They feel an ownership of the temple, and want to go there because they feel it is theirs.  It is amazing.

Click this For the video...

Happy Halloween /It Finally Feels like Fall!

Last Friday was Halloween.  I confess it is not my favorite holiday.  I don't like candy, I don't like my kids to have candy and I don't like the idea of going door to door begging for candy.  I didn't buy candy to hand out (though fruit snacks are pretty much candy), Steve took the kids trick-or-treating, and Tommy handed out our fruit snacks.  I do love the costumes, though.  It is always fun to dress up. I loved dressing up as a kid, and still do a little.  Alexis went to a party where she was Rapunzel from Tangled.  Tommy dressed as "Bill" wearing a white shirt that had a "Hello, My Name Is..." sticker on it.  Michael was Batman.  Amy was an 80's girl complete with pink lipstick, and crimped ponytail.  Burke was Spider-Man and didn't take off his costume until yesterday.  Amelia was a fairy princess with wings and a crown.  They all looked great.  I was happy because all Halloween stuff was 50% off at Goodwill Halloween morning.  That was where we bought the majority of our costumes.  I spent $20.  I did have to go to Wal-Mart to buy fabric to alter Alexis' dress since it didn't have a back or sleeves, but that was only an additional $4.  Not too bad.

I am feeling some relief in my accounting class.  I talked to my teacher and there is extra credit work I can do and he drops the lowest exam score, which is so great.  I am hoping to earn an 80% over all for the class.

The temple dedication is fast approaching.  The kids have been working so hard to perform in the Cultural Celebration.  They will be in the front row and I know they will do a great job.  I'm not sure they completely understand the uniqueness and special-ness of this event.  I don't know if they realize the spirit they will feel when President Monson enters the stadium where they will be performing.  I don't know if they realize the blessings that their participation in this temple dedication will bring to them.  I am so grateful to have another temple in the Phoenix area.  I love the new Phoenix temple.  I love the work we will do there and that we do in the other temples.  I am grateful for my eternal marriage and my husband.