Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas!
Love,
Rachel and the Awesome Family!
Friday, December 11, 2009
The "Baby"
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
misc. blog
Aside from that we bought a new fish tank. I know, we're poor and shouldn't be buying something like that. The thing is that the stand that we have for our current fish tank is starting to give. It's a lot less expensive to buy a new fish tank now than it would be to pay for the damage after our current tank collapses. Plus, once we finally get everything switched out we (and by that I mean Keith) can reinforce our current one so that it is once again sturdy and sell it making up the difference. Keith painted the new stand black with white underneath so we could antique it. It looks awesome! He still has to do the canopy for it and we still need sand before we can start it cycling.
In other news, I have a job interview tomorrow for a job I probably wont get anyway. I'll try my best on my interview just like I always do, however, I do really enjoy being home with Natalie and being here when Ash and Kar get home from school. I seriously don't know how Karlie would ever get her school work done if I weren't here. She has such a hard time staying focused. Some people have an easy time with school, not my Karlie.
Also, you may have noticed that as of this blog I have changed my policy on writing kids names on blogs. I'm still not posting pictures, but I figure that the only people that read this are either complete strangers that randomly find my blog or those of you who I've personally given my blog address to.
Well, we've had a really busy day with church, life, Keith getting home late from work, so now it's time to eat dinner with Keith and go to bed.
All time favorite poem
The Touch Of The Master's Hand
Myra B. Welch
Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile.
"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?
A dollar, a dollar, then, two! Only two?
Two dollars, and who'll make it three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three . . ."
But no,
From the room, far back, a grey-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low, said:
"What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.
"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?
"Two thousand! And who'll make it three?
"Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice;
And going and gone."said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand, what changed its worth?"
Swift came the reply:
"The Touch Of The Master's Hand."
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
A 'mess of potage,' a glass of wine;
A game - and he travels on.
He is 'going' once, and 'going' twice,
He's 'going' and almost 'gone'.
But the Master comes and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that's wrought
By the touch of the Master's Hand.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Getting ready for T-Day and more
Would you look at that! I jumped topics completely in my effort to sit and relax a little longer before it's time to get down to business.
As I'm sitting here I'm trying to think of other things to write about. There aren't a lot of exciting things these days. Little spats with neighbors, applying for crappy jobs that I'll never get an interview for anyway because there are no new jobs right now, kids, housework, and that's it. My life in a nutshell.
I think I'll upload my old blog on here now. I wish I had my really old blog...the one I accidentally deleted!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Miracles
With the good, there is always bad. We've had quite the financial struggle recently. We've been extremely worried about Christmas and what to spend on the kids. We had already decided that we don't need anything ourselves and that we aren't going to do any family gift exchanges. Even still we've been praying to get through this.
Two weeks ago we went to our class and accidentally got signed up as the co-chair people for the group Sub for Santa. We had one other person helping us with this but we were quite scared when we were assigned this. It really didn't help when the announcements barely explained what the group was trying to accomplish and also in the announcement everyone was told to see this other helper and not us so she got more of her list done so we just knew we were going to have to buy what was left on our list. That night we left class with heavy hearts thinking that our girls would have a DI Christmas while we were paying for these other poor kids to have a better Christmas than our own kids would be getting.
Last week when we got to class we were still quite discouraged because there wasn't anymore class time to gather what was left of the gifts. I had planned on arranging with people to meet them to gather anything they signed up to buy if I could. Sadly, no one signed up for anything. I had talked to the Deacon at the beginning of class and asked him to make another announcement but when break time came no one else signed up. Keith and I had already prayed asking that we make it through this season and left everything in God's hands so if need be we would pay for all of the gifts ourselves and trust in God to find a way to make it the rest of the way. As it turned out we were given enough money in class to buy everything we needed and plenty to donate to Sub for Santa so any of the other kids that weren't already bought for can get presents as well. This was the first miracle. I cried when the money was placed in my hand.
Today the other two miracles happened. First, Keith got a new job working for the same company so he'll still be able to finish his degree that he started working on. That's only half of the good news. He'll be working twice as far away in distance but the hours are much better so he'll be able to sleep in an hour and still get home from work at least two hours earlier than he currently does. He'll work "normal hours" for the first time in his life and he'll be making the same pay as he was before when he was doing all the overtime only now he won't be working all the overtime. We're really excited! He's been wanting a change since I've known him. This is also a great career move because he no longer has the fear of losing his job when the START treaty is over and he's working in a field that coincides with his degree. He could actually get great promotions with this job! The second miracle today is that I found out that I can make my ex pay child support without taking him to court by simply applying for the Office of Recovery Services. They will garnish his wages and that's the end of that story. I'm sure that he wont be happy to find that this is what we're doing now, but then I wasn't really happy when I found that he could just quit paying for months.
So, life is coming together at last. We are still relatively poor, but at least we can see the light at the end now. We've had faith and put trust in God and found that God is watching over us and taking care of us. It feels good to have God and family together in life. We're very blessed.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Odds and Ends
Oh, we have a new roomate as of recently. It's a mouse! I can't wait for it to move out! You know how our dogs are Rat Terriers? Ha!
Well, that's about all I can think of right now. It's time once again to chase around a little baby monkey!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Here we go again
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Happy 4th of July!
Oh well. Happy 4th of July just the same!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
I am the Champion!!
With z and I in our own car, the competition was on! Before the ride even started he put his whole body diagonal taking up as much space to squish me as possible. I was on the inside and had the forces of nature working on my side. When the ride started I let z push me nearly the whole time but then toward the end I thought, why am I letting him push me, I have the ride on my side! So that was it. I started pushing back, and ladies and gentlemen, I want you to know that at the end of the ride I won hands down! z was squished on his little side and out of breath and worn out!
Hurray! I defeated z and saved the world!!!!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Yay Lagoon!!
Right off the bat z made us go on the White Roller Coaster. I hate that ride but the kids wanted to go on it too. It seems like every time I go to Lagoon I get stuck going on that ride against my better judgment. You should have seen how excited the kids were for that ride though. I remember riding it with my parents back in the day and I can remember my mom holding me on the ride so I didn't fly out. I think I really might have if it weren't for being held in that rickety old ride with crappy seat belts. I opted to ride with K. so I could hold her in just in case. It turns out the seat belts are much better these days but the kids HATED the ride and K. was terrified of the whole thing. She kept her head down which probably made it 100x's worse than what it really was because she also hit her nose on the bar on one of the bounces.
After that ride K. was a bit mad for the next hour or so at Lagoon.
Onto the next ride! It was about 2:30pm and not too hot outside. z decided we should go on the Cliffhanger before it was too late so we could get the getting wet over with. K. and A. were both scared to go on this ride, more so K. than anyone though. She saw them go upside down and wanted to be left off the ride. Of course her mean old mother wouldn't let her. We got drenched from head to toe. Our shoes were soaking, everything in z's pockets were soaking, our hair was soaking. Everything! So after that K. was freezing for the next several rides. The good news, she didn't hate the Cliffhanger other than the soaking part. Oh, and we never even went upside down. Don't know why.
Next we went for the spider. z and I have gone on our own a few times and the line was always too long so we'd never gone on it. K. of course was scared again. Let me just tell you, it was awesome! Even K. loved it! That ride was so fun!!
After that we went to the Colossus. I love that ride! I made A. go on it with me years ago and she swore she'd never ride it again. Too bad, mean old mom made her anyway. Neither of the kids wanted to and K. was scared to go upside down. Turned out to be another ride that K. liked in the end. A. still didn't like it though.
After the Colossus we rode the Music Express since it's one of the kids favorites. That was the treat for going on all of our crazy rides.
Then we rode the Sky Ride back to the other side of the park so we could go eat. It was still a little early so we let the kids go on the Tilt-O-Whirl while z and I sat the ride out. We went and looked at the Catapult, wishing we weren't cheapskates (it's $20 a person!) and then sat down and tried to let all the soggy papers in z's pocket dry out.
We had a free meal from z's work which consisted of two meats (choice of hotdog, hamburger, or chicken) letus, onions, tomatoes, chips, condements, potatoe salad and red jello. Knowing K. would only eat one hotdog I had her get two in case someone else was hungry. A. stuffed her face with three hotdogs, potatoe salad, jello, chips, and a drink followed by her icecream treat. After that she was sick.
We went to do the Rocket, a ride that a year or so I was scared of but z made me go on it anyway and it turned out I love it. K. again didn't want to go on it and A. decided that she was going to throw up and couldn't go on it. When we got up to the front of the line they took A. to the exit to wait and K. by this time had decided that maybe this would be a fun ride after all. When we were sitting on the ride and the guy was checking out our seat belts the guy noticed K. was happy to go on the ride and tried to scare her! It didn't work though, thank goodness! When we shot in the air and felt the rush of going up I thought to myself, I hope K. isn't freaking out right now! When we got off the ride K. was so excited! That was her favorite ride!
When we got off the Rocket A. was ready to go home for not feeling good. We called z's parents to come get her and walked her out to the pickup zone. As it turns out this was part of the last good part of the day.
We went back into the park with K. and hit a couple kids rides. Right after that it started pouring hard! We were right by the Terror Ride so we decided to go on it too since it's a covered ride. Standing in line we got completely soaked once again. When we were done with the Terror Ride we decided that it was too rainey so we left.
It was really crowded there and all the lines were long. They went sort of quick but we didn't get to do nearly as many of the rides we wanted to. Luckily z and I are going to bounce back next Friday with NO KIDS!!! We're going to try out Wicked and whatever else we want to do. I can't wait to not have kids wining to go on all the fun rides only to have them love them after they get off the ride. What a bore! Yay for next Friday!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Boring life
Crap. I have nothing more to blog about. My life is boring.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
no time to blog
I didn't really have anything to blog about in particular anyway though, we've been busy with the yard all weekend. Got rained out and thought that renting the bobcat was a waste but then it dried just enough for us to finish up the necessities today. YAY! We're making progress even in the worst weather in June ever! We could have got a lot more done had weather permitted but at least we're still on schedule for the most part. We'll see what z's blog says though, probably that we didn't get enough done. Blah. He's a slave driver (don't tell). =)
OK. Guess I better finish up my dumb old chores so I can go to bed tonight! Yuck. Five more days until Lagoon! Hooray!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Life in the fast lane
Nights go by fast here. We don't get home until kind of late so usually I'm home about 6pm and z gets here around 7pm. I pick up the baby from day care and then get dinner going. We eat and after that it's nearly bed time. That's our routine lately. It's tough to get everything else we have going on in there with working so late, even though it's really not working late since I get off work at 5pm and z at 6pm.
We've been doing our yard stuff but it's been slow the last few days since we've been so busy. Oh, and because it's been so rainy! Washington relatives, we now know how you feel and I don't like it. Don't get me wrong, I love the rain, just not every day.
The kids have been out of school for a few weeks and loving it. The baby keeps on getting bigger everyday. She's a persistent cute heart that can get into almost anything she wants to. She's learned how to speed crawl and she can stand for a few seconds. She can walk holding only one hand now too. She looks more like her dad than she does like me. She's such a doll!
We're taking the kids to Lagoon next week! I can't believe I almost forgot about that! Auntie Liz is going to babysit the little one while we're off for the day. I love going there and so do the kids, even if z hates it.
Thanks to Auntie Jess e-mailing us about Davis High's play, I'm taking the girls to see it on the Thursday before July 4th. I wish I could take them on the 4th to go with everyone else but they'll be with their dad that weekend. We love plays so all of us are excited to go! I booked us some tickets online and we have front and center seating.
I love July! I love parades and fireworks and bagpipers! All are so much fun!
I can't wait for grass and family picnics! I can't wait to have a few friends over too!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Ode to one of the kids books!
Like your toys,
But never, never
Like the boys.
Can't think,
Brain numb;
Inspiration
Won't come.
Poor ink,
Bad pen;
That's all.
Amen.
Some write for pleasure,
Some write for fame,
But I write only
To sign my name.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
It's raining, it's pouring
Rude to laugh I know, but these are the neighbors that made us have to work in the rain last week since they were hell bent on having their land excavated yesterday.
What you see below is the result of putting a house not made for the lot on the lot anyway with a plan of building a bowl so there is less water that can go into this spot (before the entire lot sloped towards their house, this made it so only part of it does), along with the brilliant idea of running a drain up hill. All I can say is...LOL! Karma.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
busy weekend
The party was a lot of fun with lots of good food to eat! We were all pretty tired at the end though.
Today the kids babysat the baby while z and I were working in the yard some more. I think we wore out the oldest kid with the babysitting thing. She isn't used to having to tend for such a long time. She did really good though, I know she's hoping she doesn't have to do it again for a while though.
I sure hope my wonderful EX family hasn't found my blog, I'd really like to get back into blogging again.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Good times!
Yep. Still laughing today about that one! She was really annoyed with me. It was classic!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Baby Mirror
Monday, May 18, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
KSL-When to give up your drivers license
2. Dents and scrapes on the car or on fences, mailboxes, garage doors, curbs etc. Whenever I go to Walmart ;)
3. Difficulty staying in the lane of travel Sometimes. Who doesn't have this problem every now and then. Lines are faded, other car drives on the line so you have to move over...
4. Getting lost Yep!
5. Trouble paying attention to signals, road signs and pavement markings Well, if my mind is on something else...rarely though.
6. Slower response to unexpected situations No, you have to be on the ball to drive in the kind of traffic we have and not crash.
7. Medical conditions or medications that may be affecting the ability to handle the car safely No.
8. Frequent "close calls" (i.e. almost crashing) Every single day!!!
9. Trouble judging gaps in traffics at intersections and on highway entrance/exit ramps No.
10. Other drivers honking at you and instances when you are angry at other drivers I don't get honked at much but other people make me mad a lot!
11. Friends or relatives not wanting to drive with you I know z gets scared of my driving. Kids are used to it though...
12. Difficulty seeing the sides of the road when looking straight ahead Uhh. What does that mean? Our eyes are on the front of our heads.
13. Easily distracted or having a hard time concentrating while driving And this is why I don't text in traffic. Can't do it!
14. Having a hard time turning around to check over your shoulder while backing up or changing lanes No.
15. Frequent traffic tickets or "warnings" by traffic or law enforcement officers in the last year or two Not lately. =)
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The worth of a woman...
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Swine Flu?
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Yay for dentists!
So back to today...we went to the dentist today and first off, it was a much nicer office. The staff was nice, there was more than one dental hygenist, the dentist didn't look discusting, and guess what...I have one broken tooth. That is the extent of my dental problems. So now, all these hours later I'm still sitting here absolutely discusted that the first dentist would have happily tore up my mouth to the point where I would probably end up with dentures sooner rather than later, when I have only one broken tooth! I'm really mad that there really are this type of horrible dentists out there!
Mental note to all...if you decide to see a dentist in Kaysville, stay away from Dr. Douglas Kimball!!!!!!! I wish I knew how to report him so he would loose his license!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Better late than never...
This is the tower of our hotel we stayed in.
Our hotel had dolphins
View from our room
Thursday we laid out and got burnt, Friday we decided to go on a walk by the ocean. We found the power lines for our hotel...
And pure beauty
It was an overcast day, kind of cold
On the rock we found sea urchins also called pin cushions
And z's awesome find...a pink conch
We were offered to move hotels for the last night because they were over crowded. We took them up on this offer because it also comes with a free three nights any time within the next year. (YAY!) Here is the hotel we moved to, it was just next door so this picture is taken from our hotel's beach
Lobby of other hotel, it was a lot more upscale
And these are out on their beach, it was beautiful!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Sad News
Mental note to all: Should I die before my parents or my siblings, they are not allowed at my funeral nor do I want them to receive news of my death either. They don't deserve to grieve for me.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Here's a post for ya
We're down to just over a week before z and I get married and run away to Mexico to enjoy the beach and sun. I can't remember if I said this already but the place that we're going is the same place that we went to a couple years ago. I didn't realize it then because they were cleaning the pools, but this place has dolphins that you can watch and pet. Isn't that cool! I can't wait to be there enjoying the time of being alone with only Keith and the tropical beauty of the ocean.
We were going to try to go tanning a couple times before going but we'll see if we make it that far.
I'm worried about leaving Baby K. I know she'll be in good hands but I'm still gonna miss her!!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Quick update
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Working out...hooray!
I've decided that it's time for me to get in shape again and I'm happy to report that Denise Austin and I have grown up together! Years ago I did her tapes and loved the excercises but hated how overly cheerful she is. Seriously, it should be a crime! I bought one of her dvd's this weekend remembering the bittersweet feelings I hold for her and was happy to find that now she's older (like me) and while still cheerful, not so cheerful you want to choke her. If only you could excercise once and be skinny again!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Catching Up
N. is cute as ever! She acts like she's almost ready to sit up. She's such a cutie.
UTA all the way!!
Today was my first bus ride ever. It wasn't so bad! Thanks to my phone's GPS I was able to find the bus stop even faster than the normal way I would have taken. I was 10 minutes earlier than the bus I was planning on taking so I got on, saw how crowded it was, found a seat, and people watched my way to work. The bus nearly emptied when we got to the church office buildings. Overall it was an enjoyable experience. No fighting traffic, no swearing at people that cut you off; sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. This will be my new way to work on Thursdays and Fridays at least. I have a friend here at work that rides the same bus (although I didn't see her on mine this morning) who will show me where to catch the bus when it's time to leave. How exciting, I know! ;)