Serious Weekly Wrap-ups!

Monday November 10-I made about 1 million phone calls to make appointments, change oil, etc. Running a household is a full-time secretarial position. I don't mind this aspect of things--however when you are trying to juggle it between, taking care of children, feeding, clothing, household chores...it can be the one more thing of the day!I had success with my phone calls however! We had FHE and that is about all I can remember!Tuesday November 22- My tooth had abscessed this past weekend and I was on antibiotics. SOOO I got in pretty quickly to an Endodontist in Prescott. It was my first visit there and I was impressed with their kind receptionist on and off the phone, how quickly they got me in, and the care package they sent me home with after --strawberry chapstick, travel Motrin, breathe savers, and a bottled water-How cute is that?(I guess when you pay them that much, even the littlest gestures are kind). He determined that the root canal being done was NOT the tooth I thought needed work on it #30 BUT the one right next to it #31 (my molars)-you wanna know how he found out? Oh yeah, this super cold stuff on the tooth--I KNEW immediately as I about went through the roof! I LOVE Dr. Smith! He fixed it !!!! Once again my roots changed directions numerous times, as well as had four canals rather then the typical 3. It took him allot longer than average. He understood why the other root canal on the opposite side had not been successful two plus years ago (the tooth that was removed and put back in). When we are down and out I am going to start selling my teeth. They are the most expensive thing on me!
The kids had off of school that day-so Dan did fatherhood solo. He makes it look easy, but I wonder IF he had to do it more than one day in a row IF that would last? However, I do come home and have to get the house reorganized. His expectations are a bit different with cleanliness and projects getting accomplished!
I got home after LONG stop to ROSS, in enough time to cook dinner and immediately leave for a stake YW and stake YM meeting/w the stake presidency. It was OK that I had missed dinner, I was hurting by then and thought that I might NOT ever chew on that side again (that only lasted one day--then it has been heaven!)

Dacie and Jocelyn hugging

Ryland doing his moon craft

Wednesday November 12- Sweet Jocelyn spent time with us today. Jocelyn is my friends (who passed away a little over a year ago) baby. She is going to daycare at a phenomenal friends house (Carol Langford--who took my kids while I was at Girls Camp). Carol had a hair appointment that day. We took Jocelyn to playgroup with us. It was a fun goodnight theme play day. We wore our pj's, ate cookies and milk, read stories and made moon and star crafts. I actually made it today because we did NOT have to be dressed! ha ha IF every play group could be that I probably would come more often. She ate lunch and took naps with us too! We have really missed her and have worried about her. It was allot easier to watch her this time around then when both the girls were babies (they are only a month and a half apart)!

Dacie and Jocelyn coloring their moons at playgroup

Thursday November 13- This evening we had stake auxillary training meeting. It was our first time meeting with the wards collectively since we had been put in as a presidency, and most of the wards had completely new presidencies. It was our chance to train, get on the same page, answer questions, and introduce the new YW theme for 2009. Our theme for the evening was "following in his footsteps" (does the invitation look familiar Candy?) We had footprints everywhere, handed out socks, passed out invitations with the socks that fit in the shoe, etc. We have been planning quite a bit for this and were a bit nervous. I felt like I did very little besides give"the talk" that evening. We also were in charge of the refreshments for all the women auxillaries that were meeting that evening (RS, primary and YW).Have I told you I LOVE the sisters I work with? Good thing, since we spend so much time together huh?

Friday November 14-Today was Sterling's birthday! See the previous post for today's happenings. I don't think him and I STOPPED all day long!

Saturday November 15- This morning Colton had to go to the middle school for a basketball evaluation. BASKETBALL HAS STARTED for our fam and I am excited--this is a sport I can handle FOREVER. They evaluate all the kids before they play to make the teams even!

Later that afternoon I went to a baby shower for my good friend Kelli Bargar (we had our last babies a week apart). It was amazing to think that this could be me--but I am glad it is was not my turn yet. She is having a boy after 2 girls and her hubby just got called as Bishop to boot!

We had cancelled the stake dance this evening. After our pres. meeting on Tues, a night in excellence on Wed. (that some of the presidency attended), training on Thursday and a fireside on Sunday--we were NOT going to ask leaders to drive to the stake center (as some wards live over an hour away) yet once again. We do know how to say NO!

Sunday November 16- We had a stake youth fireside this evening and it was GREAT! We had 3 recently returned missionaries speak. They had all been buddies in High School,, and one was able to baptize the other one while in HS. One went on a mission a little over a year after becoming a convert to the church. The two (who had been able to baptize the other) had gone on missions at the same time and had done a fireside in the MTC w/ Elder Scott-- there was not a dry eye. IF anyone was doubting serving, there should have been no question after tonight. They were excellent speakers.

Monday November 17- Oh we started the two part Thanksgiving Family Home Evening. We had the traditional flannel board story of Tommy the Turkey. Dan actually read the story this year (even though it had been a tradition in my family) AND did quite the rendition of it. The children were in hysterics and pretty worked up for bedtime!

Tuesday November 18- My good friend Natalie Taylor (incidentally she is the stake YW pres. and whom I answer phones for) gave me a day of babysitting for my birthday to do anything I wanted. Dan and I decided to go down to the temple! Dan's parents house is under remodeling construction so we avoid it right now with the kiddos. We left at 10am and did not get home until 7:30pm! (2 hours down, and 2 hours back up...with no traffic--yeah right! 2 hour session and a quick bite to eat, as well as a stop at the distribution store to buy a new temple dress and tie). It was a LONG day-for us, I can only imagine what it was for Natalie!

Natalie even went and picked up the boys from school, fed all of them, and had Dacie take a nap. She already has 6 kids of her own--so this was DEFINITELY a present to me. It was so nice to go at a less busy time for the temple. We were also able to be the witness couple which we have not done for awhile. It always makes you pay more attention. The whole world was right in such a troubled time, and it is always nice to be able to put names on the prayer roll for those you know are struggling.

I missed an Enrichment night of a "pre-Thanksgiving" feast where we were taught to do a turkey ( I heard it was to die for)--it was worth it for the temple. Besides I am not cooking the Turkey this year and I got all the info.!

Good thing Dan enjoys attending fake Thanksgiving feasts and making popcorn ball creations with the kiddos-he did all this as he gets to spend extra alone time with the kids while I am at my calling!

Wednesday November 19-Dan is famous! His picture appeared in the local newspaper today doing physical therapy on a patient. They were running an article on the new clinic. It was a fairly good size picture, and Dan is even trying to stand up straight! The kids thought it was THE COOLEST thing EVER that their dad was in the paper.

I went and got an oil change today that I had totally space last week. I had "stood them up", so I am glad I got it done today (but ouch for the checkbook) in time for Thanksgiving travels.

Tonight I went and visited my "home" ward's Young Women Night in Excellence for the stake . They were doing a Miss Value Pageant. They had asked me to speak for 10 minutes on Divine Nature. It was so well done!! The best I have seen. They even gave me a rose and crown at the end!

Thursday November 20- The great thing about having a sister in town is that I can go on long field trips with the kids classes! I decided to volunteer to go on Colton's class field trip to Dead Horse Ranch State Park. I really enjoyed it. We went on nature hikes, listened to animal sounds and tried to match them to pictures, roasted marshmallows, looked at animal furs and skeletons, at lunch, etc. However, it was a different story getting there--we lost MOST the lunches (in the cooler-they accidentally got taken by another field trip), had a mom "freak out" about it and get off the bus and leave, and half way there had another kid throw up, so we turned around and went back. It was quite the adventure!

Friday November 21- Today is my regular day to volunteer in the boys classes. I am starting to rotate between the boys classes. My secret is out with my sister, so other mom's are starting to capitalize on her too. Cara was babysitting elsewhere, so my friend (Desiree McDowell) took the 2 kids for me this morning. It was a BAD morning-we were running really late. I had started not feeling well (which turned into strep throat by Monday), woke up late, had kids screaming for a majority of the morning, I pulled out of the garage while yelling at the screaming culprits and ripped our front rear view mirror while doing it. After getting to the school and helping the classroom kids slice apples and make home-made applesauce-- life was good and back to normal.

That evening I was meeting my friends at 4pm for our twilight night out. My sister Cara (who was going to watch the kids) had fallen asleep on her couch, I finally got her to wake up at the time we were suppose to be leaving. It had just been weird kind of day and this suited it. As you an see all went well (in the past twilight post)!

On a sad and serious note an older patient had a massive heart attack while at Dan's work. They had to do CPR. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. That is the first time Dan has watched someone pass away.They closed the clinic down for a bit to get the ambulance in and have some meetings as a staff. They did everything right, and it could not have happened at a better place with access to defib's, trained staff, as well as the hospital right by. It was a introspective kind of day for Dan. We got to talk allot when I got home later than evening and again in the morning. Life can be gone so quickly.

The Twilight Mommas

Saturday November 22- My visiting teachers came and visited me on Saturday morning. One of them was in the Twilight mothers group BUT it is nice to have them make an additional visit with me just to talk about spiritual stuff too! I went and checked out a early black Friday sale at a local boutique and ice cream shop. I was proud to say that I walked away with only buying a candle!

That evening we went and had the BYU tailgate party at the Hoggard's house-(read past post)

Sunday November 23- I was not feeling much better today. I was going to try and go to another ward's sacrament meeting (after our ward) to watch the Black Hills YW put it on, BUT I was feeling too sick. So I took a much needed nap instead!

WHEW!---It was a fantastic couple of weeks of it!