An unforgettable Christmas

Last minute we decided to go to Florida. It really was last minute because we weren't sure if we would get on a flight until the night before. My parents had a timeshare for the week in Orlando and the Allen's (my sister and her family who live in TX) were driving so we wanted to go to be there with them. Free flights and free stay...we were there! The flight from SLC to NY was the red eye. We left at midnight and got to NY at 5:30am. I didn't sleep much worried that Sterling would bother the lady next to him as he is sprawled out (when we fly standby none of us sit next to each other except Sterling and me. I'm sure people wonder where are their parents? Luckily, my kids are good flyers and enjoy watching TV and the snacks/drink.) We arrive in NY and need to take the flight to Orlando at 6. Six seats are available (Paul could jumpseat) so we could get on but all the seats are in the exit row which our kids can't sit in so they told us if people will move, we can get on. Paul goes and asks the flight attendants and they said they would do it but then the front desk employee said "I am not taking a delay for this!" so she wouldn't let us on. Flight leaves, we are stuck at the airport. No problem, next flight is in an hour and half. Time to board that flight...it is full so we wait for the next flight for an hour. That flight is full so we wait for the next flight which is in 3 hours. At this point, my kids are getting bored and frustrated that we can't get on. Breanna and Kailene start to cry and say "Why won't they let us on the flight? Why is everyone else getting on the flight?" They did not quite understand the concept of standby. We decided to play some card games and Paul and some kids got some zzz's. Carolers came by and lighted the mood. Who can be in a bad mood when carolers are singing in the airport? They used traditional songs and changed them inserting JetBlue. It was cute and creative.

Finally, we got on the flight at 12:30 (7 hours in the JFK airport) and arrive in Florida. Audralyn (my sister) and Mark pick us up at the airport and we head to the hotel. The weather is nice so we all go for a swim. The hotel is beautiful and equipped with many swimming pool, lazy rivers, slides, and lots of hot tubs. That night we eat spaghetti and get a good night sleep.

Day 2: The plan was to go to Universal Studios aka Harry Potter park but Ava (Audralyn's daughter) got sick so Paul and the boys went and we stayed at the hotel. Girls played in the pools for hours. From the boys' reports, it was the best park. Fun and crazy rides. Harry Potter exceeding all their expectations. Of course, the best was when my mom got wet(long story but hilarious, one of the best part of our trip!). Even 5 hours later when they got back, she was still damp. Lots of laughs. All came home and adults went out to dinner.

Day 3: The girls and I went to Magic Kingdom with the Allens (my parents were leaving and had two extra tickets). I stayed with the younger kids going on the small rides while everyone went on the big rides. There is nothing like Disney World. Four parks and all incredible rides. It was fun singing on the train "Santa Claus is coming to town". Went out to dinner with everyone after the park.

Day 4: Going home. We packed up and went to the airport. Once in JFK, only one seat available so we decided to get a hotel for Christmas Eve. I have never been to New York so this was exciting to me but when I opened up the drapes in the hotel, not much to see. I still sang "Empire State of Mind" by Alicia Keys

New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of

There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

We decided to order pizza at 11pm and read from Luke 2 and then watch the Christmas Story on TV while all the kids go to sleep. I am grateful we could spend Christmas Eve together even if it wasn't at home.

Day 5 (Christmas Day): We wake up early to catch the shuttle to the airport. First flight out to Las Vegas was at 7am. We figured we could then catch a flight to Long Beach and then to Salt Lake. We just wanted to get closer to SL. If worst case, we could rent a car and drive 6 hours home. Couldn't get on that flight (a blessing later). Next flight out was to Burbank, CA. The front desk employee calls up Talbot party of 7 and says "We have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven seats available!" Are you kidding me? It was a Christmas miracle! Only 7 seats available. We flew from New York to California. This was a long flight (almost 6 hours). Most of the kids slept but Preston sure did get mad when his TV stopped working. It was a long, hard flight for mom. Now all we have to do is get to Long Beach and we are home free. Long Beach is about 30 minutes from Burbank. There is a train that we could take but it is not running on Christmas Day so we take a shuttle from Burbank to Long Beach. We get to the airport in plenty of time to catch the flight to Salt Lake. We are coming home. I called my parents and starting singing "We'll be home for Christmas" That song now has new meaning for me. We get to my parent's home around 7 and have Christmas dinner. It was so delicious since I hasn't eaten anything all day. Airplane food just doesn't satisfy and airport food is too expensive. We go home and around 10pm opened presents. Yes, Santa came (aka sister) to our house. After presents, I closed my eyes and fell asleep immediately. What a trip!

Now with all the airports and airplanes being cancelled and closed these past few days we know it was a blessing that we left JFK when we did. He was watching over us and helped us get home. If you asked the kids, they would say it was the worst vacation ever! Actually, they had so much fun in Orlando but the airports were a challenge. If you asked me, I loved it and would do it again (alittle different). I loved being with the Allens and going to Disney World. I loved swimming and being in warmer weather. I loved being with my family making wonderful memories. It was a Christmas none of us will forget.

Festival of Trees and Dayton singing group

My sister DeLayne has a singing group my kids are apart of. There was some discussion if she should continue because of chemo. We were worried about her getting sick with all the kids germs and being too tired but I am so glad she decided to keep it until December. I think it has been good for her and my kids love it! Kailene would pray DeLayne got better so she could do the singing group. We always perform at the Festival of Trees. DeLayne looked radiant and almost like Liza Minnelli in her black turban. It was a wonderful performance, even some laughs as younger kids tried to grab the microphone and sing to their hearts' desire.

Temple Square and the Kimball

My favorite tree was the orange one. Breathtaking!

My parents have some timeshares, one being at the Kimball in Salt Lake. I have many fond memories of spending the night at the Kimball, usually around General Conference in October which sometimes happened to fall on my birthday. This year my parents booked the week of the 13th so DeLayne's family and my family decided to go see the lights and spend the night. We met at Crown Burger (a tradition) and walked around Temple Square and saw all the beautiful lights. The weather was wonderful, probably one of the first times I can remember it not being bitter cold. We stayed up way too late (for a school night) playing games and watching Elf. Fun night!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Talbot family!

Why do we go to the temple?

The day before chemo, DeLayne and I (and her best friend from high school, Ali) went to the temple. It is the perfect place to calm your fears, feel the Spirit without restraint, remember what is important, and puts everything into perspective. They needed help in the sealing room so we decided to do sealings. Hershel Peterson was the sealer. If you don't know Hershel, he is a scriptorian and my understanding of the gospel is so small compared to his understanding. At the conclusion of our session, he gave us some counsel and asked us why we go to the temple? He replied with many scripture references and talking so fast that we didn't get it all but the jist of it was we go to the temple because of obedience and service and to renew the Holy Ghost within us. Now we have consecrated the day by our service and now we can go to the Lord and receive the desires of our heart. He quoted 2 Nephi 32:9 (the only scripture I remembered) which states "that [H]e will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul." We all just broke down and cried. It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord answers us in different ways. Hershel did not know our desires, our prayers, our reasons for coming to the temple that day yet he was the messanger that answered our prayers. What a wonderful experience.

Disneyland 2010

We are on the 5 year plan with Disneyland. We go every 5 years and 2010 happened to be the year we go. Thankfully, Disneyland was doing a promotion and since we did service earlier this year, we were able to go for one day FREE! We went over Fall Break. Other family were going to go but with my sister getting cancer, plans changed for them. I curse cancer! We had a great time and officially wiped out everyone, including myself.

We got the kids out of school a day earlier so we could get on the flight. We went to the beach on Wednesday. The kids love the beach. The weather wasn't perfect and the water was too cold but they still had fun running away from the waves. Even Sterling loved it until he fell in the water and got sand in his suit. We went to Costco and bought lunch food and snacks for the next two days. We went to dinner with Paul's real dad, Ernie (this is why my kids are so dark, Paul's real dad is mexican).

The hotel was great. We got a great deal thanks to Paul's brother and fiancee with a friends and family discount. We had plenty of room for our large family of seven. 3 beds, separated rooms, fridge, continental breakfast. The only problem was it was about 3/4 mile from Disneyland. Not a big deal in the morning walking to Disneyland but my legs KILLED at night after walking all day long. The kids had to get in the hot tub first. I think we could have ended the vacation after that. The kids love the hot tub.

We went to Disneyland first. Disneyland is very nostalgic to me. I love It's a small world. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Such wonderful memories for me as a kid. Of course, Splash mountain is also a classic. We were able to hit every ride and the kids went twice thanks to baby swap. Disneyland really has it going on. That is why it is the happiest place on earth. The employees are so happy and they are so accomodating. We did lose Kailene once and it was very scary. We all were aboard the ferry boat and realized she had not gotten on. Paul got off and few (long) minutes later came running back with her. She was giving a store employee her information. Good for her!

California Adventures was the next day. I love California Adventures and now I love it even more now that it has my favorite ride...Toy Story Roundup. So fun and yes I won both times!

Brad loved Space Mountain (made me sick...what is wrong with me? I'm turning into my mom), California Screaming, and Tower of Terror

Preston loved all the rides and was a good sport the whole time.

Kailene loved anything with Mountain in it, California Screaming and Tower of Terror (she went on every ride, with no hestiations)

Breanna loved Autopia and all the rides in It's a Bugs life.

Sterling loved seeing Mickey Mouse. I had no idea he would react the way he did, pure joy. Glad I have it on camera. He can't stop watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse now.

Mom loved Toy Story Round up (of course, top score!), It's a Small World and Splash Mountain. I know, I'm boring.

Dad loved Aladdin. The genie was so funny.

I wish we could say that the kids were angels but they weren't. They still fought. I kept saying We are at Disneyland and you can't fight at Disneyland (didn't work). It got worse as the day progressed and most were tired. We all were so exhausted every day, even the last day we didn't even eat dinner because we all just wanted to go to bed (who wants to eat at 11pm?)

We woke up early and left on the early flight (we were nervous we weren't going to make the later flight). I was so exhausted that I slept the whole BYU game (not much to watch). Overall, it was a wonderful time and hope to do it again in 5 years (or DisneyWorld...I love DisneyWorld)

Testimony, family meeting and singing

These are a little late in posting but I wanted to have it in my records...



9/5 The weekend after my sister was diagnosed with cancer (she was still in the hospital after her masectomy), it was fast and testimony meeting. I had the feeling to go and bear my testimony but not in my own ward but in hers. A little wierd, except that I know many people in her ward (DeLayne seems to invite me to all of her ward functions!) Her ward has been unbelievable. I have never seen anything like it. Sometimes a little bit overboard but they really have taken upon them their baptismal covenant where it states "comfort those in need of comfort". Because the ward took care of the meals and babysitting and housework, the family was able to help DeLayne. How important it was for us to be with her and not have other things on top of that to worry about. It is a blessing to be apart of a church that serves one another. DeLayne could not believe the outpouring of love and generosity. It was overwhelming but it was a tribute to how much of an influence she is to others and how loved she is by many. It is hard to be on the receiving side rather than the serving side.
After my meeting, I went to DeLaynes' ward and bore a simple testimony of the trust we need to have in the Lord. And of the gratitude we had as a family for the charity and Christ-like attibutes they showed to her and her family. I also bore my testimony that miracles have not seized on the earth. And that hopefully we can all learn from these hard and trying times.



9/6 We had a meeting with my family. We wanted to discuss what we can do to help DeLayne and help each other. Very emotional meeting. We all shared our thoughts and feelings and how important it is to stay close to the Lord. My dad mentioned that if it depended on our own faith, individually, to cure DeLayne what would we change in our life. It makes you think. If we really had that much power, what would we change?



9/26 My sister, Audralyn, came to be with DeLayne for 5 days. She lives in Texas and has had to deal with this alone so she decided to come to help and be with family. I love my sister Audralyn! I wish she lived closer. DeLayne decided (last minute, of course) that she wanted all of us to sing in her ward since all the sisters were together. I hate singing especially in someone else's ward. I'm sure they have great talent in their own ward, they don't need the Bluth sisters to invade their ward. Needless to say, we sang the most beautiful song Abide with me, Tis Eventide. During rehearsal, DeLayne told us that this is the song she would sing during those long, sleepless night. Of course, it was not a smart thing to tell us because now the song has emotion tied to it. We were all nervous to sing it without crying. We did make it through it (partly because we got it all out when my dad came over during rehearsal and told us to relax, smile more, and said "it sounded absolutely beautiful"). It was beautiful. A wonderful experience to share with my mom and sisters.

It'a a freak show

My sister, who has cancer, decided to shave her head on Friday. She was tired of it coming out all over the place. I also think it's being able to control something since nothing with cancer is within your control. She decides when her hair goes, not the chemo. I could tell that she was hesitant because she still had a good head of hair after 2 treatments (she actually was thinking she was going to beat the odds and maybe not lose her hair at all) but because she wanted to do it with family and friends and the weather was getting colder, she decided to go along with it. At first she was was looking at our faces for a reaction because she had no mirror and could not see herself and so we gave her a mirror and she freaked! "What am I doing?" she would ask. There were a lot of jokes and comments that she looks like someone from the 80's (especially her mohawk stage) and lots and lots of encouragement and praise on how beautiful she looks. All was well until she looked at my dad. "Oh don't cry dad" she said and as I looked at my dad, we all lost it. Tears were streaming down his face as he looked at his daughter. I wondered what thoughts were going through his mind as he watched his daughter have to shave her head. It was a tender moment between father and daughter. She really does look beautiful. I liken it to being pregnant. Most of us our not at our best when we are pregnant (sick, fat, etc) but there is a glow about us when we are pregnant. That is the same with someone who has cancer. They are beautiful! And don't her eyes stand out.

I was thankful that not everyone shaved their head. I don't know if you remember but when we first learned about her cancer, there was talk of shaving head, sisters and friends alike. I was not on board. I always wondered why because I would do it if she needed me to. But the more I thought about it, it all came down to This is not about me! If I shaved my head, I would get the attention and it wasn't about me! People would think I have cancer, and this was not about me! Thankfully, all decided to just let their husband and/or sons shave their head. Not too much of a sacrifice for them especially since I come from a family of baldies (father, brothers, and brother-in-laws).

Disclaimer: We did have to remind all the young lookers that we DO NOT do this out home. Cutting or shaving your head is not appropriate for young children. :)

Nicest kid in town

My friend told me about a local contest for the "nicest kid in town" for the play Hairspray. I know I'm biased but Brad really is the nicest kid so I nominated him. And he won! So he was able to get 4 free tickets to the play and recognized at the beginning of the show. I told my family that Brad was going to be recognized and of course, they decide to come. We ended up having 25 people of family and friends come and support him. You can bet there was a cheering crowd when his name was called. He was a little embarrassed but it made him feel good. Nothing better than family supporting you! I was so proud of him. He really is a great kid and a great example to his siblings.

Here is what I submitted:

Has this ever happened to you?

Have you ever gone to the store and bought all your groceries and forget your wallet? Yup, that's what happened to me. Both Paul and I forgot our wallets. When it came time to paying, both of us looked at each other and started laughing. It obviously has happened to others because they just had to suspend our receipt. It was pretty funny!

My sister DeLayne

DeLayne came home on Monday. Yeah! I love having her at home. I did not like it when she was in the hospital. I feel much better and more comfortable that she is at home. We do not know anything more regarding her treatments and timeline. She seems to be doing great, though. She moves at snail speed when she walks around but everyday it keeps getting faster. She had her medicine bag removed yesterday (Wednesday) and now just on pain meds so that is an adjustment. We are in the process of starting a blog for her so she can write down her thoughts, feelings, and memories of this experience. I think it will be therapeutic for her and keep everyone informed.

Some thoughts I have had during the worst weekend of my life. I still can't answer why now but what gives me peace and comfort is that DeLayne has a way with people. She can influence people like no one else. This experience will bring about many miracles not only in her life but in other people's life that are affected by DeLayne. There is a bigger picture than we can even comprehend. We must have faith and trust the Lord.

As a family we all gathered together on Monday to talk about our feelings and emotions. This is affecting all of us and we all need to express ourselves and support each other through this. We talked about "giving up" something if that means it would heal DeLayne. What in your life would you be willing to improve upon so that His blessings will pour upon her. It made me think of the people of Limhi in the Book of Mormon who were not living right and had when they had trials they prayed to the Lord but the Lord was slow to answer them. That is why we go to church every Sunday, why we have Family Home Evening, why we read the scriptures because when something unexpected happens the Lord is bound to hear us because we have been living righteously.

I know there will be more heartache, struggles, and tears. As for now, it is good to have DeLayne home.

Breast cancer

My sister has breast cancer. Totally unexpected. It's happening so fast, I don't even think I have had time to comprehend it all. She had surgery to remove the lump today (Friday). She is getting a double masectomy. Even though it's only in one, she feels that she needs to remove both. Now we are told that she tested positive in her lymph nodes...not good. This was suppose to be the" good" cancer. Now some of our fears are coming true. She will have to have chemo and radiation. It might have spread, we don't know yet. This shouldn't be happening to her. She is too young (38). She has young kids (ages 13-2). I don't understand. This has been a very emotional day for me. I don't know how to deal with it. I can't even go to the hospital. I don't think I am handling it well. I'm angry. This shouldn't happen to her. She is so positive and upbeat about everything. She has a way with people. Everyone adores her.

She was told a year ago that it was just a cyst and just to keep an eye on it. They didn't do an ultrasound, they should have. Then they said she will just have to have radiation but now it's worse than they thought so she will have to have chemo and radiation. She is going to lose her hair. My sisters are talking about shaving their hair. I don't know if I can. Am I too conceited? This is really hard. She just wanted to get this out and move on with her life. We have been praying and fasting for her. Her name is in many temples including the prayer roll of the general authorities. I know we shouldn't ask why but I am. Why her? Why now? Why aren't our prayers being answered? Nothing seems to matter now...I just want DeLayne to get better quickly and life to get back to normal.

Football season has begun

Just a little reminder that football season is here! My husband mowed this logo into our lawn. Our bishop wants to paint a big red U on top of it (he is a Ute Fan). Here's to a winning year! GO BYU!

1st days of school

When school starts again it just reminds me that my kids are getting older. I don't want them to grow up because that means one day they will be all grown up and gone. I hate that thought. All but one started school this year.

Brad is in 8th grade. Yeah so much easier than 7th grade (emotionally for me). I am a little worried because he comes home everyday and says he doesn't have homework. Hopefully that changes.

Preston is in 5th with the same school and teacher. YEAH! We love Miss B. Preston loves school and I am happy about that.

Kailene is in 2nd grade. She likes her teacher but none of her friends are in her class but she is making new friends.

Breanna started Kindergarten. This was hard for me because Bree and I get a long so well. She is my little mommy and helps me so much. As she was walking in her classroom she didn't even look back. Not even a I love you mom, I'm going to miss you, Thanks for the last 5 years of my life, mom. Nothing, just walked right in. She did wake up and hug us by 8 am and told us she loved us and will miss us. She still had 4 more hours until Kindergarten. She loves school and even after trying to persuade her, she still wants to go back.

First free flight

For Brad's 13th birthday (yes, I do have a teenager!) we promised him a trip to San Fran to see Wicked the Musical, which is my favorite! It just so happened that we were able to get a flight and tickets on Aug 18th, one month exactly from his birthday. We just knew it was meant to be. Brad and I flew to San Fran, got a hotel, tried to get lottery tickets but had no luck and ended up buying tickets 9 rows from the stage! I was in heaven. I could see everything. It was pretty surreal to be at a theater performance with my son since that is what I did with my parents. It brought back many good memories. Show was fantastic!! Theater was beautiful. Elpheba and Glinda came from Broadway so we in for a treat. We stayed the night and hung around San Fran for the day. It was a shoppers-heaven. Now, I must admit, I am not a shopper. So walking around for hours was not that appealing to me or Brad but we had fun and tried to enjoy it since our flight didn't leave until the afternoon. Brad couldn't believe stores could be 3-4 stories, a full level just for a certain gender. We flew to Long Beach and unfortunately, we could not get on the flight that night to SLC so we had to spend the night in Long Beach. The flight home was stressful because we didn't know if we would get on that flight and it was an hour delayed. Ugggh! I guess it's not a good idea to fly during the summer or without Paul (you get pushed down on the totem pole if you are not flying with an employee). Even with all our setbacks, it was a great trip that I was able to enjoy with my son Brad. He deserved it and much more! Thanks to Paul who reassurred me all was well at home when I didn't get home for a day later.

FYI: The trolley's are not free and San Fran is so cold even in August!

Remembering Lola

Lola as a pup & Lola all grown up

Our dog passed away this weekend. She was very young and this was not expected. She stopped eating and within days was dead. I don't understand why she died. Did she eat something? Did she get heartworm? Many unanswered questions. It has been really hard for my family, especially me. I am really not a dog person but Lola was a great dog. She was very obedient, well-behaved, low maintenance and loved us unconditionally. I cried for days. Every time I would think of her I would cry. My heart aches that she is gone. I wonder if there was something we could have done. But, then I wonder if the medical bills would have been too much. I consider a blessing in disguise that she died peacefully in our backyard. We don't talk much about where dogs go after this life. Have you seen the animated movie "All dogs go to Heaven"? It doesn't seem like a heaven to me if there are a lot of dogs barking all night, only my dog (which she rarely did, bytheway, only for strangers). I find comfort and peace that she will be waiting for us on the other side and we will still be her masters. We send off balloons with messages to her in the sky for FHE. We love you, Lola.

Diamond in the ruff

Our new favorite spot-Splash park in Highland. The kids love it!

Some pictures of our 4th of July Festivities

Happy Jetting (JetBlue logo)

My husband just got a PT job with JetBlue. We feel pretty lucky considering they only hire less than 10% of the applications. I had heard that JetBlue has great benefits for PT and you can work at home so I told Paul to apply. Paul applied in October and they contacted us in April. It took a month or so for the background check, etc but now he is in training. 4pm-midnight for 4 weeks. It is up in Salt Lake so he has to leave at 3pm. I'm not use to my husband being gone so long or so late. I'm use to him working about 4-6 hours a day. I don't like it but I know it's a huge blessing for our family. I just have to get use to it. After training he will be able to work from home 4 nights a week (and it changes every 3 months) and still do appraisals during the day. The benefits are really great. Finally our whole family will be covered. Preston has been uninsurable since his seizures. The only way we were covered is if we pay a huge premium or be covered under the umbrella of a company. We consider this to be a tender mercy from the Lord. He is watching over us and protecting us. We are grateful.

Oh and the flight benefits aren't that bad either. All family members get to fly free plus Paul's parents plus we get 4 one-way tickets every quarter any where JetBlue flies. So many options now. A whole new world has opened up for our family. We are excited!

July 4th Festivities

I love the 4th of July. It is my favorite holiday. Most like Christmas. Nope, not me. Mainly because all the family gets together but also because I don't have to give presents to everyone like at Christmas. Don't get me wrong. I love giving presents to others. I give presents to my kids all the time. And I usually have Christmas all bought for by July but what I don't like is my kids expecting a present when I wish they would realize the true meaning of Christmas. I guess what I don't like is being forced to give my kids presents when they might not have deserved a present. I don't like to reward my kids when they are rotten. But I do love to spoil my kids when they are good! Whew, I got off on a tangent.
The 4th of July festivities started on Sunday, June 27th. We went to the Patriotic Service at the Marriott Center. Besides the Glenn Beck patriotic service a couple of years ago, this one was my favorite one. I loved the music, singing, stories, and saluting our soldiers. It made me proud to be an American.
My brother and sister in law came into town and stayed with us. We had so much fun. Kailene was in heaven to have her same age cousin, Davis, to play with. Viva (3) was a doll and could talk your ear off (especially around bedtime). She played on our loft for hours alone. We were able to go swimming, go the Cedar Hills park and tube down the stream, watch the World Cup (my brother is a fanatic!), and BBQ's. We loved the company!!
Saturday we went to Stadium of Fire. I love Stadium of Fire. It brings back so many memories as a kid. It is a tradition and we make it so much fun. Carrie Underwood was great as always. She has the most incredible voice! I love her new songs, Undo it and All-American Girl. The fireworks were spectacular. Preston would ask me everyday if we were going to see the fireworks. He loved them which has not always been the case. When he was little, he would hide under the bleachers. Now he can't get enough of them. Brad was even in Stadium of Fire this year as a scout. He and his 3 other cousins held flags on the grass and got even better seats than us! And of course we love going to the after show in the Cougar room for food and mingling with extended family and friends. We were able to see the Lowe family. I grew up with them. They even named one of their daughters after me (Karalece). The dad just kept hugging me over and over. We hadn't seen them in 15+ years. It was pretty amazing to see them. They are a great and amazingly talented family.
Monday we went to the parade. Nothing is better than the Provo parade. We are spoiled because we always have reserved seating on the bleachers in the shade (with my dad being on the freedom festival board) but his year we were cold in the shade! The kids loved the parade. That night we went to my parents and had a BBQ, baseball at the park and fireworks. I love having my parents home (they have been on a mission for the past 18 months). It was the perfect end to my favorite holiday.
BTW: We have a new camera and took a ton of pictures but don't know how to shrink them yet and get them uploaded. Pictures to come...

It's a baby boy!

Don't I look good for having another baby? Okay so it's my sister's. My sister just had her first baby. Yeah! He is so cute. 6 lbs 7 oz of pure love. I love babies. That is why I have 5. Am I done? I hope so yet I am struggling. I hear people saying they KNOW they are done. I don't. I want to be. I am overwhelmed and exhausted. It takes everything to take care of my five yet when I see a new baby I think, I want one. Everyone tells me that since I don't know, then I am not done. What?!? I already have 5 and one is autistic. I don't feel right praying about it. Is the Lord really going to tell me NO, don't multiply and replenish the earth even though it's a commandment? I know the Lord understands my situation and knows what I can handle. My emotions get the better of me because I want another baby but common sense kicks in and I realize it's really not that great of an idea. I am at the point where I want to raise my kids not keep having kids. And then I do the comparing thing and look at other women and they are having 5, 6, 7 kids. And then at church I hear how good their kids are, that they never fight, etc and I think what is wrong with my kids? But really I should be saying what is wrong with me because I am teaching these kids, right? Maybe if I had easier kids I might have another...maybe if I don't get so sick when I am pregnant, I might have another...maybe if I don't gain so much weight when I am pregnant, I might have another...maybe if someone else can raise my kids, I might have another...Sounds like I won't be having another soon but he's so precious! :(

Baby Streeter (no name yet)

What are your joys?

Last night for scripture study we were talking about the joys of Alma. Alma's joy was "bringing people unto Christ, being His instrument, bringing souls unto repentance, laboring and bringing forth fruit, and success of his people" (Alma 29). We went around the room and asked everyone what brings them joy. Family, providing for the family, Disneyland were some of the responses. We asked Preston what makes him happy and he said one word: "Brad".

This is just another reminder of how much Preston ADORES his older brother. We were at Lagoon all day yesterday and not once did Brad complain about having Preston with him the whole time. Truth be told, Preston enjoys those rides more than most so he is not a burden but I applaud Brad for his patience and diligence with Preston. He really is a wonderful older brother to him. I have always felt that Brad told Preston in heaven that he will come first so then he will be able to take care of him on earth. Thanks Brad for being such a wonderful big brother!

A must see video

I have nothing to complain about. Life is good. Life is really good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHDvxPjsm8E

Hard lessons to learn

My son has been in a performing group for the past 4 months. He loves doing it but it has been very demanding and time consuming and he has missed out on a lot of family activities. Before he signed up for it, he committed to his cousin to go to Owl City concert in April for her birthday. My sister bought the tickets and 4 months later, we realized it conflicted with his rehearsal schedule. We contacted the director and she said if he missed rehearsal he would be pulled from the part they were rehearsing that night which happened to be the FIRST HALF OF THE SHOW. Oh, the dilemna. I try to teach my kids that every decision has a consequence, good or bad. My son and I discussed the consequences for both. He was so frustrated that he had to decide between two good things. He had worked so hard in the play. He was also very excited to go to the concert with his cousin (you should have seen the excitment in his eyes when he was invited to the concert, priceless!). The decision he made was to go to the concert because he had made that committment first and, unfortunately, he was pulled from the first half of the show. Devastating! I went through every emotion...frustration, anger, mad, revenge, understanding and acceptance, guilt, and finally peace. The guilt was overwhelming! This didn't come until 4 days later. I woke up with extreme, overwhelming, consuming guilt. I cried for 2 hours. As tears flowed, I prayed to my Father in Heaven to "remove this cup". It was too much for me to handle and he did. I have not felt any more emotions since then except peace and comfort. My son handled it much better. He accepted the consequence and enjoyed the experience. We talked about the lessons we can learn from this...

When you make one mistake, the Lord does not reject you (or kick you out). It's not one strike you are out. I am so grateful for the atonement which allows us to repent from our many and continous mistakes.

Learn from small mistakes now that have minimal consequences than large mistakes later that could have catastropic mistakes.

Every decision we make has a consquence, good and bad. Learn from your mistakes. Go through the emotions but when it gets to be too much to handle, pray to your Father in Heaven. He already suffered for our mistakes. We don't need to suffer more than is needed. Again, I am grateful for the atonement.

You are not replaceable. You are of value and great worth. One of the messages they were sending my son was that he was replaceable. After all the hard work and sacrifices, someone else was going to take his place. I didn't agree with that AT ALL! No one can take his place.

It really matters how you treat others even if they are in the wrong. I was treated poorly and at first treated them the same way. I apologized to them for my behavior. I recently read a quote that said it all "...take responsiblity for our own behavior that a change of heart can take place."

Excel in whatever you can do. Since he was pulled from the first half, he helped out back stage until it was his part. He had a very good attitude. And when he came on, we cheered and secretly knew that the show was better from then on out.

Follow through with your committments. Follow the rules and respect those that make the rules. As much as I didn't like the rule they set, I understand it is there to produce a good show.

When all is said and done, family is the most important. This play will soon only be a memory but you will always have family. I was proud of his decision, as hard as it was to accept the consequences, because he chose family.


This ended up being a testimony-building experience. It was a positive experience for Brad which I am grateful for. He actually wants to do it again but we are going to take a break because it was so demanding and he seemed to miss out on many important events (chores, FHE, scripture study, family vacations). I am very proud of my son and have learned many things from his decision-making capabilities and his positive attitude. He is a good boy and makes us very proud as we see his spiritual growth. It is a priviledge to be his mom. I love him so much.

Pics to blackmail Sterling one day!

This is what happens with no nap and no supervision!

Thank goodness for older sisters to dress you up so pretty!?!

Time to potty train?

Spring Break 2010

This year we went to St George for Spring Break. It was a spur of the moment decision since my friends mom's let us use her condo to stay in and Brad couldn't come but we tried not to have too much fun without him. We went down on Friday and first went to Cottonwood Cove Park. This is a fun park with lots of new and dizzy equipment. I thought I was going to throw up watching my kids spin. The weather was so nice. We went to dinner and then to the oulets. We rented a movie and went to the condo.

Saturday we went to a park close to the condo and then headed to Pioneer Park. This was Preston's favorite place. I had no idea he loved to climb so much. He was in his element. It was fun to try to squeeze through the small crack. Do I dare say that Paul did not make it through(in his defense, he says many kids were trying to get by so he gave up :)). We ate lunch and then headed to Sand Hollow. On our way, someone motioned that we had a flat tire. Sure, enough. So we pulled over to the nearest tire store and 20 minutes we are back on the road (it was just a nail, thank goodness). Sand Hollow was too windy so we decided to go to Hidden Valley Park. It obviously got it name because it is Hidden. This is a great park because it is hidden. It has kid-friendly equipment and even water for those hot days (it was not turned on for us, bummer). The kids had a lot of fun. We played here for hours. At one point we were the only kids playing on this playground. We then went to Main Street and played with the fun water stream in downtown. We ordered pizza and ate at the park. Paul has a friend in St George who works for IHC Life Flight. Paul hooked up with him while we were there and he told us he had access to a pool OR we could tour one of his flight planes. Thinking we could go swimming anywhere we chose to see his planes. We had to go since Sterling LOVES planes and loves to see them and pretend to fly a plane and crash it. My prediction: Sterling will be a pilot when he grows up. It was so cool!!!! I love the picture of Sterling looking at the planes.

Sunday we went to church, walked around the temple grounds and headed home.

Michael Buble-Best Concert Ever!

For Christmas, my husband suprised me with tickets to the Michael Buble concert in March. All my sisters and their husband went. I can't think of a more romantic setting than being at a concert with Michael Buble and my husband. I love. love, L O V E his songs. One of our favorites is "Everything". He put on a great concert. Very memorable and wonderful (even with my one clogged ear.)

Ear infection saga

I got strep a month ago and it turned into an ear infection. I can't remember the last time I had an ear infection. It was so bad! I decided to document it. Sorry to bore all of you.



Day 1-Ear starts to hurt. Went to Young Womens more out of obligation than neccessity. Took some ibuprofren. It hurt off on and on that day. Took some sleeping pills because I couldn't sleep with the occasional pain.

Day 2-Ear hurt all day. Slept most of the day. Cried and screamed for 2 hours (Paul was out doing an appraisal). It was so painful. Took more ibuprofen. Didn't help. Couldn't stand the pain. Went to the ER around 1am. Told me I had an inner ear infection (Duh...Disclaimer: I don't like doctors, they state the obvious and I have to pay them what I already know. Just to let you know, I have a brother and brother-in-law who are doctors and I know not all doctors do that.) I asked him how long it will last? 2-3 days sometimes 10. He prescribed pain medications and antibiotics. Finally could go to sleep.

Day 3-On good drugs-slept most of the day. Had no appetite (if I lose weight, this will be the only good thing that comes from this!). Kids did some easter hunts. Paul took them and ran errands with them all day. Sad to miss the YW broadcast at the Conference Center (had tickets) but watched it at home.

Day 4-Didn't go to church. Slept most of the day. Had to take drugs every 4 hours plus ibuprofen.

Day 5-Felt pretty good as long as I took the drugs every 4 hours. Went to lunch with Paul. Ear started hurting afterwards. Took more drugs and slept.

Day 6-I am nervous because I am almost out of drugs. Ear still hurts especially at night. I take 2 before night and wake up in the night to take 2 more. Ear still plugged and I can't hear very well out of it. I tell my kids to speak up but they actually are speaking softer. So frustrated!

Day 7-Took kids to the dentist (4 kids+many cavities each=we are in the wrong profession!) Didn't take any medications this morning. Ear started hurting. My brother-in-law called in more drugs for me. Phew! Went to Michael Buble concert. Fantastic show. I loved it! No pain, only can hear out of one ear, though.

Day 8 to Day 12-Hard time getting to sleep most nights. When it's quiet, I hear a pounding in my ear. It is hard to concentrate.

Day 13 to present day-Thinking about going to the ENT. Ear is still clogged. I can hear out of it but it still pops. Doctors say it will go away. When? Soon? Tried many home remedies...yawning, chewing gum, mineral oil, garlic, onion, ear candles, neti pot. It seems to get better every day. I have gotten use to it. It's a little annoying that it hasn't unclogged yet. I'll let you know if/when it does!

Breanna's birthday

Breanna turned 5. We had a princess party for her and had a surprise guest come to visit...her favorite princess, Belle. We had a makeover for the kids, put glitter on their face, painted their fingernails. Belle played cute games with them and we took a picture of them with her.

I am not going to like it when she goes to Kindergarten. She and I do everything together. She is my helper and is extremely nuturing. She wakes up in the morning and is ready to help mom. It is not uncommon for her to say "Mom, what can I do for you today? Can I clean the bathrooms or dust or I know, how about both!" I love that girl!

Brad received his Star Advancement in Scouts last month. He is well on his way to earn his Eagle. His leaders think he will get it before he is 14. I love scouting. It is such a good program and we really have enjoyed it. We have so many options here with Pow Wows and Scout camps. It's a great accomplishment. Way to go Brad!

Go Vikings!

One of the Young Women in my ward is a cheerleader and told me about this great fundraiser for her. I usually get recruited for fundraisers because I am in Young Women's and am a succor for helping out my YW but this one I really liked! The girls went for 3 days and learned cheers and a routine. They performed during halftime during the last PG game. My girls loved being with the cheerleaders. Not sure if they have a future in it but they were so cute!

Lost teeth and special award

Kailene lost her first tooth at the end of January and 2 weeks later lost her second tooth. She wouldn't eat all day because her tooth hurt. Paul used the floss method and out popped the tooth. She said it didn't even hurt. I do not do well with lost teeth. Even as a little girl, I hated losing teeth and waited until they were hanging by a thread. It sends chills down my spine to see loose teeth, especially when they are playing with them with their tongue. Gross! I took some pictures but would rather not post them. They give me the creeps.

Kailene got an award at school for Curiosity and Creativity. Her teacher said for "always doing her best work and being kind to everyone". Kailene loves school and is already reading at a 3rd grade level (she is only in 1st grade). She loves to read. She is a good friend and always includes everyone. I just wish she would transfer that positive energy home when she is with her little sister. Good job, Kailene!

Disneyland here we come...

This year Disneyland is giving out free tickets. You must volunteer in your community and then Disneyland will give you one day free for each member that volunteered. We went to the Living Planet/Aquarium in Sandy. We had never been before and thought it would be fun to feed the sharks. So we didn't get to feed the sharks ( I guess you need a little bit of training first, bummer) but we did do some easy counting, sorting and cutting of brochures for 2 hours and then they gave us an inside tour (even going behind the scenes). The coolest part was touching the sting rays. The pictures are blurry because they are from the iphone. We need a new camera so bad!

Sledding and Glaciers

Every year our neighbor invites the neighborhood up to their cabin in Midway for sledding and lunch. It is really a lot of fun! This year was no exception but it seemed we did have more injuries than usual. Preston got wiped around as he crashed into a tree and came up with his nose bledding. Of course, he wanted to hurry and get it cleaned up and back to sledding. I got wipe lash as a young boy from another group crashed right into me (I was off to the side!) and knocked me right off my feet. I was holding Sterling and was worried he got hurt. I hit my head pretty hard because I had a huge head ache and was quite sore the next day. Nonetheless, the kids loved it. On our way home we stopped at the glaciers located in Midway. It was beautiful.

(The pictures were taken from the iphone since our camera was out of batteries)