October 2009

Well the trip to Utah was great! Magda and I had a fun time travelling together. I sure learned so much about her life and it was a good bonding experience for us. I got to see three of my mission companions, Heidi, Suzanna and Lillie. I wished I could have seen more of them but it was awesome to hang out. I feel a special connection with each of them. It was great to go to 2 sessions of conference and seeing everything in person. I got so much more out of conference being there and also because my focus was completely on conference and not on my 2 little ones running around.



It is beautiful down there in the fall with all the vibrant changing leaves. I love when you drive and see so many temples, especially at night when they are all lit up. I got to go to the Draper temple which was beautiful.



I went to my mission reunion which was a bit anticlimactic as I expected it to be one of the highlights of the trip but some people I thought were coming didn't come during the time period that I was there (we left early because we had other plans that night). But I did get to see a few people and my first mission president and his wife, the Aki's. It was fun to see the slides of the mission and the memories from that time.



Shopping was awesome down there I got a lot of good deals. I got to see some good friends too which was awesome. Time went by fast but I feel I did what I wanted to do and by the time the week was over I was really missing my family and was ready to go home. It was so much fun to have time for myself and choose what I wanted to do and go at my own schedule. I sometimes really miss that and it's important to get away once and a while to experience that and recharge the batteries so to speak.

I'm excited for Halloween this year with the girls. We had our church Halloween party which was fun. They are at an age where things are really exciting and they have such enthusiasm for life. You can't help but want to make more of an effort for their benefits.

I'm very lucky to have everything that I do and thank God every day for it.

Trip!

Well my husband decided to surprise me and take time off work so I could go to my mission reunion in SLC! I heard about it but didn't think I would have the cash and ability to go. It was very sweet of him to say that it was important because that was a special time in my life. It's true. I think about it 1998 is when I got back and now it's 2009! Wow! I haven't seen some of the people from my mission since 1998 or earlier but some I have seen since but not for over 6 years. The only mission companion I am able to keep in touch with is Punton who lives where my husband is from, which is awesome.

So I'm going with my friend Magda and it's going to be a fun but very busy trip! I'm packing in a lot of fun! I can't wait to see people that I care about and can't wait for the spiritual rejuvination I'm sure will occur! I'll write about it when I get back of course. I'm going to miss my kids like crazy but know they will be having fun with their daddy.

Summer

This summer was pretty good. Busy with working when the kids go to bed of course and sometimes during the day when I have time. The kids are growing like weeds. Karen is going to be 4 in November but she's going on a teenager already! She can be as sweet as pie and so amazing but other times she's testing me and displaying tons of attitude! Kenzie is turning 2 this month and is my good sleeper, good eater and is such a gentle soul. I got to spend 4 days just with her when Karen went away with Daddy for 4 days and it was a treat. It definitely brought us closer and we got to spend time together that we haven't been able to do because big sister was always there to divide my attention.

My garden "randomly planted vegetables" is going well. I've surprised Dave with the amount of tomatoes I got and I have some peas, spinach, carrots coming up and also lettuce. I'm very proud of myself because it was a huge obstacle for a long time and I did it! It may not be comparable to some people's garden but I don't care. It's a success for me and I know that it's something that I enjoy and makes me happy and something I'm going to continue next year and get better at as I learn.

I am definitely a line upon line person. I need to just get things one step at a time and then something makes sense to me or I incorporate the next step that I had never tried before when I'm ready to do so. By the time I'm 60 I should be on top of everything I want to do!

I definitely am aware and trying to ensure a good future for us but I am a live in the moment kind of person since I've had children. I cherish every day with them and so many of the little moments in my day. I understand how fast time goes by and this time wth them is precious to me, something that cannot be substituted with any other kind of success or any kind of satisfaction. I know that they will not remember a lot of the things that happen between us but I am laying the foundation of them having high self worth, and making strong bonds with us and with friends that will help them transition into other stages in their lives. And I keep a journal for them of the special moments of me taking care of them so we will have that to reflect on as they get older.

Anyway I should get going, I'm going to try and write more often. This is something I want to do but of course fitting it in is sometimes a challenge just like so many other things!

Recipes I Like

I thought I'd incorporate some of my recipes that I'm trying out right now. I went through Allrecipes.com and now am going through Recipezaar.com to bookmark recipes that sound great in my email and then I'm going to try them out. If they are amazing, I'll add them here and you guys can try them if it tickles your fancy. I'm going to try these two today.

http://www.recipezaar.com/Fresh-Tomato-Salsa-17054

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spiced-Sweet-Roasted-Red-Pepper-Hummus/Detail.aspx?src=etaf

Dominican, baby!

So Dave and I managed to get away for a week to the Dominican. Puerto Plata actually. Dave had never been anywhere outside of North America before and I we had never been on an all inclusive before so we were super excited. The last time I went anywhere outside NA was 10 years ago. It was definitely time. We had a friend from Kamloops who came to watch our kids for us so we could go by ourselves. That was so awesome! The resort itself was kid friendly, but the plane ride was not and if we would have brought the kids, we wouldnt have been able to do as many things. Safety there isnt much of a concern and it was nice to be alone just the two of us.

Introduction

So this is my cute family. It's crazy to believe that this is my life now! It doesn't seem very long ago that I was single and living la vida loca.

Dave and I have been married for going on six years. For someone who used to be a commitment phobe, that seems like an eternity already but actually it has gone by pretty fast. We have two beautiful little girls named Karen (3) and Kenzie (almost 18 mos). I never realized how much I would enjoy being a mom and how much I would love them. I can't even say I love them. I ADORE them. They are so funny, sweet, loving and the greatest thing in my life. We also have a Basset Hound named Buddy who is about six years old too. I'll talk more about them in my subsequent blogs. Life is certainly an adventure!
I really like the quote by Gordon B. Hinkley:

"Life is just like an old time rail journey ... delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."