Hello.

I've been sick all week. Why does stuff like this happen? ie you begin a new goal, one that is really good for you and then it gets messed up? I'd been exercising. I was feeling more energy than I had in years and despite hate, hate, hating exercise I have LOVED that. Even my brain feels more alive!

Anyway, so despite hating exercise I got out there in the chilly cold before dawn and did it. I was just a few minutes under my when-I'm-not-sick goal so I was pleased with that.

I've gone back to writing poetry. I am so happy with it and have been quite prolific. (If you have a desire to check it out, click here) It feels like I have a piece of my soul back. In fact, I have entered three of my poems for the Segullah poetry contest. I haven't submitted writing for a contest since I was in Jr. High and was published in the good ole Spanish Fork Press, so this is a big deal for me personally.

I have been laughing a lot lately. Foolishly, I don't do this much. I take myself waaaay too seriously and my abdominal muscles suffer for it, as does my mental health. Thankfully, Cam and I are quite caught up in the sitcom Big Bang Theory. It's nerd heaven and I get all the jokes! We've been catching up on past seasons. Then the other night we watched Arsenic and Old Lace with Cary Grant and we were rolling. Hil-AR-ious!

I talked Cameron into doing the whole Harry Potter event at the District on Thursday. Oh yeah! (speaking of nerd heaven...) We'll be dressing up and doing all the fun stuff there is to do and we're doing it together. That's what's really awesome for me. Cam and I started reading Harry Potter books together (out loud and in British accents HA!) during the second year of our marriage. It's really been a fun thing to share.

My two favorite days of the week are Thursday and Sunday. The mix up of school schedules on Friday and lack of structure on Saturday really irritate me, but Thursday...Thursday is my least busy run-around day and it's just close enough to the end of the week to be blissfully appealing. (Anyone hear me on that?)

Sunday, I am happy to say, has become such a joy to me because of my calling. I love serving in the Primary and even to have people relying on my to do my job so that they can do theirs. Serving has brought me a lot of joy.

Babies seem to be everywhere! So happy about the arrival of sweet little Chloe (see below) and happy to hear about other friends that are expecting. There is a small tinge of baby-hunger, but honestly, when I look at what I have with my kids, I am so happy with them. I love the age that they are all at. I love seeing their progress, what they're learning, how the way they interact with me and each other changes. They are such a blessing and I am so pleased with them.

Oh yeah...a spent a few days as a blond this week. It's part of a very long, not-so-gripping drama of messing with my own hair color and having to bleach out the mistakes and so forth. Currently, I'm back to my normal light/medium brown and as content as a...whatever thing is truly content. Probably nothing getting a few gray hairs. I wouldn't be content in that state.

I'll have to ramble about the kiddies later, but here's an idea of where I am. Thanks for reading, if you got this far, or even if you just read the first stanza, er, paragraph...

I pray hard on Mondays. Ultimately, my prayers amount to "Please, please, help me and each person in my family through this new week."

Dane is off to school. The first day of 3rd (my personal favorite) grade was today.

He was so cool with it. Very excited, though feeling a bit shy that there are a lot of new students he doesn't know this year. I do hope that he'll be able to break away from the shyness and help welcome these new children. We're very excited and happy with his teacher. I really think it's going to be a good year for him. His two good friends are still in his class and really, don't friends make all the difference?

Dane met his best friend in Kindergarten and I am humbly grateful for that no-longer little boy and that he and Dane still just work.

This, of course brings me to Ella...

We got to meet her K teacher today and did some little activities in the classroom. I still don't think she's excited, but I think she's comfortable now. She said her name clearly, each time she was asked and we met a few girls that will be in her class. She starts next week.I know she's going to love school. I look forward to experiencing it through her this time.

Today seems to also be the beginning of a lot of work for me in my new calling as Primary Secretary. I welcome it. I am excited for it. I'm getting organized and hope that I can make good with it all.

Seems like kind of an irreverent title, but when Dane was baptized last Saturday, it seemed to plunge our entire family into a whole new stage.
Suddenly, it was the year that all kids would be in school (Bryce: preschool, Ella: kindergarten, Dane: third).
Suddenly, they were all in Primary classes, not the nursery.
Suddenly, they were all articulate, intelligent, amazing little people.Our family is growing up way too fast, but yet it feels good to see them progress and stretch into who they are.

The baptism was wonderful. We had a peaceful, easy-going morning arriving at the Stake Center at 10 AM. We were joined by my parents Ron & Cindy, my in-laws David & Kathy, my brothers Eric and Ryan and nephew Kyler. My aunt Laurie brought her grandson Brady. Dane's great-grandma Sharon came and so did Cameron's sister Alesha and her family. I was also grateful to have the support of my three dear friends as well as their children.

Two prospective missionaries gave talks on baptism and the Holy Ghost.

It was such a sweet moment to see my husband and my son standing in the baptismal font together, seeing that they were both very touched by such a sacred moment.

While we waited for Dane and Cameron to dry off and dress, the bishopric asked the grandparents to either bear their testimony of the gospel or share memories of Dane. It was so wonderful to hear my mother and mother-in-law share such sweet feelings they had. I enjoyed what my father-in-law had to say about Dane. My father missed his opportunity. I don't know if he'd say he missed it, but I would've like to hear what he might have shared.

Dane received the gift of the Holy Ghost during a blessing from his Grandpa Stringham. He was counseled about many good things during the blessing. There was definitely something wonderful coming from Dane that day. It seemed like every time I caught his eye, there was a greater wisdom in his face. We all agreed that the morning passed way too quickly.

Afterwards, we all returned to our home for lunch and birthday cake. Dane loves being with his cousins, so it really was the perfect day for him. Hours later we bid farewell to our last guests and none of us could stop smiling about this amazing day.

Thank you for making this wonderful choice, Dane! Happy Birthday, we love you!!!

Cam arranged a get-away for us this past weekend that was most welcome! Yay for good husbands!

On our way to St. George we read The Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling outloud and listened to Miss Saigon since Cam had never heard it and we're going to the show in SLC.

We took our traditional travelling snacks: Double Stuf Oreos, licorice, bagels and cream cheese, string cheese, salt & vinegar chips, and apples. We didn't even have to share.

In St. George we just relaxed. We shopped a bit, saw a movie, ate out and played Lord of the Rings Risk in our hotel that evening.

The next morning we ate the hotel continental breakfast and finished our game right before check-out and going to church at 11 AM.

After church we took the long way home and enjoyed visiting the Jacob Hamblin home in Santa Clara, UT. We drove through Snow Canyon and hiked a bit there.

We visited one of the oldest LDS chapels still in operation in a little place called Pine Valley and we went rockhounding by Central, UT.

We listened to Les Miz and The Phantom of the Opera, read more Beedle the Bard and genuinely enjoyed being on our own on a road trip for the first time since 2004.

Love you Cameron!

So it's snowing...a lot.

I'm not going anywhere so I'm sharing some recent happenings around here in reverse order.


I locked myself and the kids out of the house this morning without phone, wallet and well, keys. I was just walking across the street to participate in visiting teaching and as soon as I shut the door I knew. My saintly partner drove me to friend Angie's house who sadly wasn't home. Then I had my partner drive me to Wal-Mart grocery store. Can you believe she lent me some money, just in case? I figured we wouldn't be a burden on anyone and we could find something to entertain us, IE finding letters, numbers, colors...while waiting for Cameron's meeting to end so that he could come help is get back in. About 7 minutes into our Wal-Mart adventure, I realize there is no way that I'm going to keep them occupied for an hour and a half here (yeah, insert "duh"). Then I turn around and see my saintly friend Angie walking up the aisle with her kids. I'm sure my eyes bulged out all cartoon-like, knowing that I had just been very blessed because not only did she take us into her home, but she fed us lunch too. I know that "this is what friends are for" (as she kept telling me), but it sure is humbling and I feel so grateful. I'm also grateful I can give my visiting teaching partner her money back and didn't need to use it.

Ok, I also locked myself out of my house last night, too. Cam was home and answered the door after I pounded a bit. I was practicing for the Christmas program on Sunday with the aforementioned Angie. Boy, she's been helping me out a lot!

Yesterday was Sunday and a good day. My primary kids sang so well and they appreciated the Hershey's bribery. I also got to see my little sister who had me take pictures of her with her dog. They turned out cute. She's so beautiful.

Then my mom came up to see my kids. They sure do love Gwama Cindy!
Saturday became Mom and Boys day for me and Daddy/Daughter day for Cam. Between normal errands and all the craziness of Christmas errands we divided and conquered. Cam and Ella also baked yummy Craisin/white chocolate chip cookies together. However, we started the day out by taking family pictures for Christmas cards much to my family's chagrin (which shows plainly on some of their faces in the photo).

Friday Cameron and I did something I thought would never happen...we sang together...in public...in performance capacity. I've never been so happy in my life. What a treasured memory! He did so awesomely and even sang a verse of Silent Night/Stille Nacht alone and in German.

The rest of the week I enjoyed time with my family. I love having Dane off-track and home.

We're simply too too excited for next week! We have fun stuff planned, it's Cameron's birthday and of course, Christmas Eve/Day!!! Yay! This is the most wonderful time of the year even if it is 29 degrees Fahrenheit

New stuff from the weekend:

New experience with Mandy (my sister) of seeing Laser U2 at the Clark Planetarium. Although I genuinely enjoyed the show and loved the music, I don't know that I attend another laser show. Not my thing, I guess. Mandy gained a new appreciation for U2.

First Sunday with our new church callings. Cam is in the Sunday School presidency and I am the Relief Society chorus. We'll miss our Primary acquaintances. It's like being new in the ward all over again, but of course I got plenty of smiles and was again memorizing names like crazy.

Ella got new teachers for Sunbeams and she is enamoured with them. I think she'll get a lot more out of Primary now.

We also got a new Bishopric. We enjoyed our former bishop and his councillors and look forward to getting to know the new guys on the stand.

I got a new and very welcomed perspective about my wonderful children.

I've been able to spend time pondering on the great gift that they are and realizing more than ever that motherhood is not a right but an amazing priveledge. I've been able to rethink my influence on their lives and as I ponder a life with no new babies, I'm trying to figure out how to let go a little 'cause these kids are growing fast. Enter a new phase of mothering (but not until Bryce is potty-trained!)



Got to know a new music artist: Kate Walsh. Read this review, it sums it up perfectly. Very folksy. A lot like early-Jewel, but with a better voice. This was really relaxing.

I also have a new attitude about Monday. Sorry, Garfield, but Monday is my new go-to day. I was actually excited about all the housework I could do as the day dawned. To me this is the result of the new trend of Bryce sleeping, ergo me sleeping through the night as well as what a messy weekend we had.

Oh and a new blog look!