Keaton's big orange truck that he asked Santa for. Keaton wasn't acting very thrilled about anything and we couldn't figure out why until we had to take him to the doctor the next day.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Christmas
Keaton's big orange truck that he asked Santa for. Keaton wasn't acting very thrilled about anything and we couldn't figure out why until we had to take him to the doctor the next day.
Kids from our Clan.
Our Elie
Friday, December 19, 2008
Family Christmas Letter
I guess I’ll go first and get the worst part of this letter out of the way. Not much to say here. My gut is getting bigger – I am no longer shaving my head but there still isn’t much on it to speak of – still working at Wada Farms but we did move into a new spacious building which was great – still in the Elder’s Quorum Presidency – still the one writing the Christmas letter. One thought about the following paragraphs. The people I am talking about are truly the reason why I get up in the morning and thus I can be very biased.
Emily is as busy as she has ever been. Her workload has increased considerably with the addition of Eliana. She now has four little ones to raise and she does an amazing job. I would never be able to take her place, nor would I want to. I am pretty sure I would fail where she succeeds. I am always amazed with her ability to get it all done and do a good job with her calling as the Webelos leader. Something new this year that has been fun is that we have joined a dinner group. Where Emily takes one night a week and makes dinner for three families and then the next two nights the other wives make dinner for us.
Shaustia had a major milestone in her life this year. She turned 8 years old and was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We were so happy for her and it was definitely a memorable day for all of us. She is an amazing girl soon to be a young woman and has a knack for writing stories and loves to draw. She got braces this year. Unfortunately she inherited her Dad’s teeth. Hopefully they will be off here in the next couple of months.
Austin and Keaton could not be more different in personality. Austin loves video games and television and gets excited about anything remotely related to Star Wars. Keaton could really care less about television and video games. He gets bored with them easily. However, you will find him outside most of the time and he loves to wrestle and play ball and play with cars. The odd thing about Keaton that we find rather interesting is that he is by far the most picky about his clothes. He won’t wear jeans and he absolutely loves the color orange. You always know how Austin is feeling. He is quick to forgive but also quick to anger. Keaton is a tough kid who doesn’t like to show emotion unless he doesn’t get what he wants. Then you know exactly how he feels. Even though they are two very different boys I couldn’t be happier with how they are choosing to live their lives and the way they are growing up.
Eliana is our newest addition and she couldn’t be more wonderful. She has been an absolute joy to have in our home. She is pretty small for her age and that makes her all the more cute and cuddly. It is bittersweet every time she hits a milestone knowing it will be the last time one of our kids will roll over or crawl for the first time. She is crawling and standing up and soon will be walking even though she seems way too small to be able to do any of that. No matter how bad my day is, the minute I get home and hold her in my arms, I find myself calmer and happier. She is going to be one spoiled kid by her dad.
My thought this year comes from a great scripture Revelations 3:16. It’s the one about spewing lukewarm water out of His mouth and likening us to that lukewarm water. I know that in my life I have become very complacent in my calling, in my faith and in life in general. How easy it is to get caught up in everyday life and trying to “succeed” in the world. What matters most in the eternities is pushed aside. I think to myself, “As the kids get older it will be easier to be more faithful.” Home and visiting teaching, keeping the Sabbath day holy, not watching inappropriate movies and TV shows, spending time talking with God and learning of Him – not just at Church. Yes, I go to church and I have a calling, but really how worthy am I to be in the presence of God when I am so lukewarm in my daily routine? We celebrate His birth during this time of year and then try and set goals for the year to follow. Let us remember who brought us here, who gives us breath, and who made it possible for us to return. I hope we all can remember why we are here and why we celebrate Christmas all year long! Merry CHRISTmas!
Monday, December 1, 2008
November
For Thanksgiving we went to Pocatello and had dinner with Tom's family. Everyone was there. We ate of course, played games and visited and everyone left. We went to his sisters house afterward. Tom and the kids stayed to watch the football game and I went to a movie with some of his sisters.
Let's see, what else. We got the Christmas decorations out and put up. Tom moved into a new office at work. It's brand new, it just got finished being built. It's very large and so much easier to get to from our house. I went to Twilight on opening night at 12:30 a.m. with Holly and Heidi and Holly's Mom. I really enjoyed it. I liked the movie and even though there were a gazillion people there it was fun. Keaton and Elie both have a birthday coming up. I can't believe Elie will be one in a couple of weeks and Keaton will be 4. We've been trying to get Christmas and birthday shopping done also. This year I'm not ready like I usually am I still have a lot to think about and take care of. I guess that's what four kids does to me. It seems like I'm behind on everything. I used to like to prepare for things way in advance but I can't do that anymore. I'm usually finally getting things taken care of just before they need to be done. Oh well, I'll just have to adjust and deal with things not being like they used to. Because I'm so grateful for these four children that it really doesn't matter if our house is a mess and I procrastinate. As long as they are loved and cared for.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Halloween
By the time it was trick or treating time Keaton had gone downstairs and found his dragon costume which he had planned on wearing. He just didn't want to go downstairs by himself so when Shaustia went with him he changed costumes.
This was our craft project for the day. The kids didn't have school on Halloween so we made things with play foam. They had a good time and got very creative.
Here is Elie dancing, she gets really crazy sometimes but of course I can never get that on video.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Change
YOU have to do it! The people of the world have to do it. It is the beauty of the democratic nation that we live in. We the people. . . not you the President. If you want that then why don't we let him be King Obama and then he can do whatever he wants and you better hope he knows what he is doing because most kings don't do so well. It wasn't Bush that put the American economy in a depression. It was US. He allowed us to do it to ourselves but this crisis needs to lie squarely on our heads as the people of the United States. We need to learn how to not spend money. Live within our means. Stop borrowing like tomorrow isn't going to come.
It should be interesting to see what a Democratic government does to the nation. I am sure it will make some moves that most republicans would never dream of. Who knows maybe it will be good. I'm thinking that middle class workers are going to get hit hard to subsidize lazy poor people who won't work because they are "too good" for the jobs that are available. I find it interesting when children of rich people join the Democratic Party. Their parents 99% of the time are Republicans. Why? Because their parents had to scratch their way to the top. Work themselves to the bone to get to where they are and their children haven't had to do squat. They are given everything which is exactly why they become Democrats. They don't care if their parent's money is given to the poor because that money has no meaning to them. The poor people don't need more handouts. Why? Think of the word handout. It means these people are sitting there with their hand out expecting help instead of getting up and doing something for themselves. I met people in Russia who hadn't been paid in six months and yet they still weren't expecting the government to just give them money. They went out and found a craft or baked goods and sold them at an open air market. They grew their own food and made their money different ways until they could get paid. Americans are getting so lazy that they won't get the jobs that are available. Frankly the only thing the government should be handing out is money for educations. Pay someone to learn a craft - not to sit on their butts and wait for their next handout.
There will definitely be change. What people don't realize is that change can go both ways. Do you really think that America has hit rock bottom and the only change is going to be good? Have you looked at Russia or Iran lately? We have definitely NOT hit the bottom. So be careful when you hope for change. That my friends and fellow Americans can be a double edge sword.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Keeping Tradition
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Hurling,upchucking and just plain spewing chunks
So Saturday started out so wonderfully. The weather was nice for Austin's last soccer game and afterward we were enjoying a calm day at home with nothing to do. So I played some Rock Band with Shaustia as lead singer and her friend Catherine as our guitarist. I was on the drums. We started our own band and had a blast for more than an hour gaining fans. I'm sure it was mostly because of my mad drumming skills.
So we finished that when I realized Emily was actually upstairs cleaning while I was downstairs goofing off. I love work and can watch it all day so I went upstairs to watch her mop the floors and then started feeling sorry for her and decided I would help out by vacuuming. The crazy thing was I must also be allergic to work because about the time I got the vacuum plugged in and ready to go I started feeling really light headed and a little sick to my stomach. So instead of vacuuming I went and laid down on the couch and let Emily vacuum instead. I also know at about this time Emily thinks I am completely faking it just so I don't have to do any housework. Probably because I have pulled that stunt more than once - just don't tell her that.
So then while I lay there on the couch she gets all of the kids ready to go to the soccer party which oh by the way I am in charge of and paying for. She finally announces that all of the kids are in the car so I try to get up. Not good. Maybe this is more than an allergic reaction to work. However, I know I have to be to this pizza party. I was the coach and need to present the boys their awards and thank them for playing on my team. So I climb slowly in the car. It only took me a couple of blocks to realize that this wasn't going to happen. So I went back to the house and Emily took off without me.
Once back in the house I laid back down on the couch and just was feeling so guilty about not going to the party. Normally I am lazy enough that I don’t really care but this time I knew I had to be there. So I got up the courage and got into the Tahoe and went to the pizza party. As I drove over there I really didn't think I was going to make it through but once I got there and started to talk to people and pretend like I wasn't sick - I really didn't feel all that sick. In fact the entire time I was there I was fine. Isn't that interesting that when we really need to step up and get something done even though we don't feel at all like we can - something in us rises up and allows us to get it done. I also am a firm believer that the mind is a very powerful force and we can control more than we think we can if we can be the master of our own minds. Just like me forcing myself to feel good while I was at the pizza party. Then we went home. . .
Once I got home it was another story. I went downhill fast. I was quickly in bed and just forcing myself to think about other things because I knew what was coming on. I lay in bed and watched TV and read a book just dreading the moment when the lights went off and I actually had to try and go to sleep. The inevitable moment finally came and it took all of about ten minutes after the lights were off before I was running to the bathroom to vomit.
*****Graphic comments about throwing up past this point. Read at own risk************
I don't know about you but why do we have so many words for the act of vomiting? Throwing up, upchucking, spewing chunks, puking, blowing chunks, retching and so many more. You can find all of these wonderful names at www.vomitnames.com and no I am not making that site up! Click on it. I dare you.
It is Tuesday night and the last time I threw up was on Sunday morning. My shoulders and neck still hurt from the violence of tossing my cookies. It is actually a really amazing feat to be able to churn your insides in such a way that involuntary upheavals cause Arfie McBarfie to come up to say hi. All of this just to help you get whatever toxin you decided to introduce to your system knowingly or unknowingly out. It is an amazing process that God himself built into our immune system to help us live just a little bit longer so we can ignore Him just a little longer.
However, I don't know about you but I have said many prayers in front of the porcelain throne. I personally think he uses the influenza just to get us on our knees every once in awhile. A cruel trick but I bet there isn't a single person reading this blog who has not at one time or another in their lives said a prayer at the base of the white goddess. Mine went something like this
"Please, please take me now. Finish me off because I know it will feel better than I do right now. However, I know you probably won't actually kill me because I am supposed to do something with my life and I promise that if you take away this torture that I am going through right at this moment I will forget that I promised you anything by the time I wake up tomorrow morning feeling fine and will continue to ignore you until the next time I am in a desperate situation like the one I am in right now. And while you are granting wishes can I wake up with ten million dollars in my bank account?"
I'm pretty sure that is how it went. Anyway I digress. So I felt like my insides were going to become my outsides and of course the heaving doesn't happen just once. With me it goes on many many times until just before I think I am going to pass out. Then it quits and I try and cry myself back to sleep which doesn't happen because the Wicked Witch of the West just started twirling my house like a top all the while cackling "I'll get you my ugly bald guy if it’s the last thing I do!". Which frankly she can have me for all my wife cares at this point because I am whining like a baby, leaving chunks of breakfast lunch and dinner all over the bathroom floor and my breath smells like I just ate Eliana's last dirty diaper (I wonder if that is why I got sick?).
The next day I still felt horrible and it didn't help that the Colts once again lost miserably. However, the bright side of it all was I was just fine Monday morning just in time to go back to work! (That last sentence was said while rolling my eyes and my voice was dripping with sarcasm)
Now if I have done my job and you have actually made it to the end of this post I am guessing you are feeling just a little bit light headed yourself and wondering if you aren't just coming down with something! You're Welcome!!!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Hubby Tag
1. What is his name? Tom
2.Who eats more? He does but sometimes I match him.
3. Who said, "I love you" first? He did.
4. Who is taller? He is.
5. Who is smarter? It depends on the subject but mostly he is.
6. Who is more sensitive? Definitely me, too much so most of the time.
7. Who does the laundry? I do, I'm magical.
8. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do.
9. Who pays the bills? I do.
10. Who cooks more? I do. Every once in a while I make him do it.
11. Who is more stubborn? We're both pretty stubborn, but I think I'm more so.
12. Who is the first to admit they are wrong? Not me!
13. Who has more siblings? Tom
14. Who wears the pants in the relationship? Tom, but he lets me put my two cents in.
15. What do you like to do together? Watch t.v. or movies, hang out with Holly and Shon, and do fun things with the kids
16. Who eats more sweets? ME
17. Guilty Pleasures?
18. How did you meet? He was my home teacher for a while before we went out.
19. Who asked whom out first? He asked me.
20. Who kissed whom first? Tom kissed me.
21. Who proposed? He did, and I was afraid he wasn't going to.
22. His best features and qualities? He's very loyal, hard working, and fun. He's also tall, dark, and handsome.
I tag whoever wants to spotlight their husband. You just have to leave me a comment that you did it so that I will check!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
All about Emily
I have known Emily for just over nine years now. We will be married for nine years on the 1st of October. You would think after nine years I would know everything about her. the crazy thing is that I still am learning new things about her all the time. What I do know is that first of all she loves me very much. That means a lot to me. I have always thought she was a little crazy to say yes to a marriage proposal from someone she had only been dating for three weeks but she did and here we are. And how thankful I am for that. She committed to me to be my wife and if there is one thing about Emily is that if she commits to anything it will get done and so far she has done very well on that commitment even when I haven't made it very easy on her.
The second thing that I know about Emily is that she loves her children more than anything. I know she feels more like their slave than their mother sometimes but she does so much for them and asks for nothing in return. I admire my two sisters that are very successful at their jobs and they are amazing women, but when I compare them to what Emily does and how much she sacrifices in order to stay at home and deal with what she has to deal with - they just don't hold a candle to her. You can say that you would be bored to be "just" a house wife but frankly I could never do it. Who wants a job that doesn't ever end? I get to leave my job and come home and do something different, and eventhough I help around the house and take care of the children when I am home, I "get" to leave and go to my job. Emily doesn't have that luxury. She literally works 365 days a year at the exact same thing day in and day out. I could never do that and it seems to me that more and more women in this day seem to not be able to do it either. For this I am very grateful that Emily is one of the strong women that can be a stay at home mom.
The third thing I know about Emily is that her mother was her best friend until the day she died and that Emily's family - Father and brothers and sister are very important to her and that she loves them very much also. She also shows them this love and tells them often. This was a hard thing for me at first because my family, although we love each other, we don't show that love in any outward expression. She would literally do anything for them and they would in turn do anything for her.
The fourth thing I know about Emily is that she is very loyal to her friends. She is so thoughtful when it comes to making sure they are happy and taken care of. She worries about them a lot and is always trying to find ways that she can help them out and actually gets frustrated when they won't let her help them. (So Holly start letting her take care of your kids more often!) The thing is Emily is kinda the quiet sort and has a hard time making friends. However, once she has made a friend they become friends for life and become just as important to her as any of her family.
The fifth thing I know about Emily is that she is a clean freak. Yes, honey, I called you a freak. And for good reason. Our house is extremely clean all the time. It drives her crazy when it isn't. Now, I'm no slob and I like cleanliness too, but I don't come close to Emily. This is actually one of my favorite traits about Emily. I like it not only because it is nice to have a clean house but she also teaches our kids to be clean and they will take that with them throughout their entire life. It is part of being responsible and eventhough they don't clean up like Emily would like them to sometimes, they are still learning how important being clean is. There is a miracle that happens in our house anywhere from once to three times a week. One day when I go to get dressed my sock drawer and clothes in the closet are getting a little scarce and then magically then next day my sock drawer is full again and my clothes are all there again. It is incredible. I think we have magical elves or something.
The last thing I am going to mention about Emily is this. Emily is a righteous woman who is raising a family the right way. She is caring and beautiful and wonderful and has a difficult life with four small children and one really big one. She has as strong a will to succeed as any executive of any successful business. However, while their success is measured by how much money they bring in, her success is measured by lives touched and changed for the better. So far honey you are more successful than Bill Gates himself in my eyes. I miss you and can't wait to see you tomorrow! I love you.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
School & A Full Calendar
Keaton in his new Colts jersey so he can be like Dad.
Elie's 8 month picture! She's so cute and silly.
Elie has learned how to clap.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Fun in the Yard & School!!!
Shaustia and Austin started school today! They were so excited and ready to go back. Austin thinks it is so cool that he gets to stay all day and eat lunch at school. We had back to school night last night to meet their teachers. I think it will be a good year for both of them. There are quite a few kids in Austin's class that we know, but there are only a handful that we know in Shaustia's class. I guess I was ready for them to go back too. I usually get sad when school starts again and I didn't think I was ready for them to go back. But I was just fine and of course so were they. Now we will have to get ourselves back on a schedule which will be very good and hopefully it will help Elie to start sleeping better again. Keaton starts preschool next week and didn't think it was fair that he didn't get to go today too.