Busy Week

Jarom had a band concert, and looked so handsome in his dad's suit.  The best picture we could get of him was while he set up the instruments and chairs...I'm so proud of him and all of his hard work.  Bias or not, he's so good looking!  He's still first chair with his baritone in the highest band, Symphonic Band!  Nice work Jarom!!

I substitute taught for an entire week for Mrs. Goodrich, 5th grade.  I was a little worried for two reasons.  One, its the week before winter break, so kids are natrually going to be nutty, and two, It's the week before Christmas!  Oh, did I already say that?  Well, it was the cherry on the top when Raegan designed my lunch bag every day... that was an extra boost.  But the kids all did an amazing job in the class.  I was worried for rowdiness or lack of control I could maintain, but it was total opposite!  Loved those kids and we all learned a lot.  Assist. Principle was impressed and basically offered me a job ... not really, but told me to consider it next year as another 5th grade teacher is leaving.  I was flattered.

Trent and I went to see The Lower Lights with Peter Breinholt as a guess musician.  I like Peter Brienholt...but I won't lie and say I loved the rest of the show.  No doubt they are talented and I even love the southern genre, Love you Trent, but this group was over played in our house...I know you loved it and it was a cool venue.  Glad you got to see them.

Raegan's Piano Recital

Raegan was so excited for her Fall Recital!  All of the students played songs for the audience to sing to.  This helped them learn how to accompany music.  She improved on her song so quickly, that I thought it was no sweat.  Once she was in front of others, she paniced...but I still think she did a fabulous job.  She played the drummer boy, and I think it was the hardest piece given.  Raegan, you are my hero, and you are very talented!

Raegan and teacher, Shannon Ipson

Gift From The Heart

Only I would know what this gift means.  It's not something I want to elaborate on, but to only remember where my heart was/is.  This represents my heart and even sacrifice (that only I know about), and was rejected/misunderstood.  I'm thankful for the lessons of forgiveness that I've so carefully learned and continue to visit.  I've also learned, or still in the process of learning, that not everyone will accept this principle and they have their own choices to make.  I love how close I've come to God and to learn the power of the Atonement.  This Christmas season was rough, trying to stand tall and be courageous for my kids, but it was deeper in spirit and meaning then any other Christmas I have ever experienced.  I pray so much, my pants must have wear markings, but when I feel He isn't listening, I look back to that past many months and see the rocky path that has been so  heart wrenching, but leading in a direction of peace and overall joy.  I know in the middle of storms, I can't make any judgements.  I can only see the path behind and recognize where the Lord is leading me, then I must look forward and proceed with faith.  This lesson is my hardest and most stubborn to concede to, "Let the Lord guide you!", let him share the burden by yoking together.  He will lead you and make your burdens light.  (Matthew 11:28-30)  I find myself trying to do it all.  I will break down, but then with a stern look in the eye, I am reminded of this sobering fact, "Let the Lord guide you".  I am strong, and I am capable of so much as long as I keep God at the head.  I know this for me and know that I am loved, no matter what others think of me, I am my own self.  We all have room to improve and that is all I aim to do.

updated in January

The Tree Of Life

We had plans to hit a live nativity in Alpine, but other family members said the line was extremely long, and it was freezing outside, so after a dinner out, we headed to Draper and was this park.  It had one tree all lit up that they called, The Tree of Life.  Other trees around were also lit, but this tree was enormous and must have taken a great deal of time and effort to assemble.  It was spectacular.

Sick Bug Hits Our House

My poor baby!

This marked the beginning of a long road (posting this in Jan.)  Ammon was the first to grab the nasty sick bug and prolong it with a cough that lasted over 3 weeks.  But to start, he had the chills and a fever...so he crawled into my bed with his coat, scarf and sweats and...anything else he could grab.  Later he passed it on as a gift to other siblings that kept on giving.

Annual GingerBread Houses

The Wardwell family get together every year and do the Gingerbread House tradition.  Gma Wardwell definitely out does her self finding all the fun candies and builds the frame of the gram houses ahead of time.  Kids love it.

Jackson Clayton's Baptism

My little nephew, Jackson, just turned 8 and was baptized.  They leave close by so we were able to attend and support this awesome little guy.

My brother Jeff and his kids, and my parents were also able to attend.  Some of Jeff's boys, my kids and Tana's kids enjoying themselves at the luncheon afterwards.

Jarom is the oldest boy cousin here in Utah, and you can see he's the life of the party with the younger boys.  Pretty strong too.  Jarom, Braeden and Ammon

Solar Oven

Tarin worked on a project in school, a solar oven.  She was so excited and did an excellent job at it.  She brought it home and showed me how it worked by putting marshmallows and chocolate chips in it, and with in a few short minutes, they were soft and gooey ready to be devoured.  She tried other more complicated foods and ate it all up.

A Time To Give Thanks

It was nice to spend Thanksgiving in warm AZ.  My kids need more Gma and Gpa Palmer time and cousin time.  It was a lot of fun.

The kids broke out all the classic games and tried to beat Gpa.  The kids got pretty good at it.  Watch out next time Gpa, the kids will be practicing... :o)

While there, the kids loved seeing the new baby chicks.  Ammon loved them so much but mostly loved looking for the eggs each day...or several times a day.  Because the older chickens were molting, they weren't laying eggs.  I know how much Ammon loves looking for them, so each day I'd go out and hide 3 or 4.  He was in heaven!!

Thanksgiving dinner was perfect outside.  It was a little warm for those not from AZ, 84 degrees (a record high), but I soaked it all in :o)  I helped my mom make the pies and several other things.  My siblings came with many other foods, so it was great.  Being all together was really nice.

Next day, Trent and I flew out to Albequerque, New Mexico for a wedding.  Seth Wheeler, Trent's last mission buddy to get married put everyone up in the Parque Central Hotel.  It was pretty cool.

That evening there was a fun little gathering on the roof for everyone to get to know the bride and the groom.  Great people.

Next morning, at the New Mexico Temple, Seth was sealed to his forever bride.  It was so great seeing him finally married and ready to enjoy his life with another.

Here we are all together.  The husbands were all together on their missions and roomed at BYU.  Slowly they all got married.  Seth being the last one to finish that chapter.

Summer and Jeremy, me and Trent, Evan and Cheryl, Chris and Deanna, Jason and Erin

To finish off the night, we all stayed up to talk and play games.  It was a great, short little vaca.

Back to AZ... Gma and Gpa and especially uncle Dan... took great care of our kids...

The morning we left, my awesome brother Dan, took our kids to go boating at Saguaro Lake with my other awesome brother Trevor and his family.

Later that same day, he took them to Tempe Buttes in Papago Park to do a little hiking.

The next day, Saturday--the day we got back, he took them to Tempe Lakes.  

They had a great time.  Thanks to an amazing big brother.

Sunday, we went to my niece, Brooke's mission homecoming talk.  She did such a great job, and had a good mission to always and forever shape her life.  I need to get a picture...

after that, we had an easy Sunday to enjoy.  I took the kids on a walk around the neighborhood.  I saw an ostrich once, and hoped it was still there.  While walking I had to teach my kids what I use to do in the irrigation ditches growing up.  My brothers and I would skip back and forth, side to side...Jarom is here trying it...they all tried it.

 We saw horses, rabbits and ...no ostriches, but emu.

Tarin loved the baby chicks and wanted to try balancing three on one stick...it worked

Finally, Sunday night we took the kids down to the Mesa Temple lights and toured the visitor center.

Then it was back to Gma's to make cookies for the long drive home the next day.  It was such a fun holiday, I wish we lived closer.  Thanks mom and dad and Dan and everyone.  

Chicken Time

Ok, this was a lot of work.  I order chicken cheaper through a company, but it's in its untrimmed form and I like to cut it up ready to be cooked (less prep work at dinner time).  So this was only one box, and I ordered two.  It takes a few hours, and slimmy, cold, raw chicken is gross!  But I endured and the effort pays off.  Glad this only happens once, maybe twice a year!!

Young Women's In Excellence

Although the youth program is much smaller after the split, it's still a great crowd.

Dads And Dog Days

I was "dad" for the day.  It's always fun to have an excuse to see the kids as school.  Hot dogs ran out by the time Tarin came around, so it became pizza...but it's good to see lots of dads there.

after Ammon's lunch finished, I got to spent some time out at recess before Tarin's lunch time

Little Rae has the absolute last slot for lunch...sweet goodness even when last :o)

Ensembles-Quartet

Kind of hard to see, but the judge is in front critiquing Rian and the rest of her quartet.  I had to snap the picture through the door window, but it sounded awesome.  I'm proud of all her hard work.

I Love To See The Temple!

I took this one morning, after a session.  Love this place.  And love that it is a beacon in my life.

I can't begin to tell you what a special place the temple is.  I've gained such a deep testimony of it and it's purpose and the peace it brings to ones soul.  I've spend many hours here and shed many tears that I don't know what I'd do with my lifes' circumstances without it.   The Lord is always near if we but let Him.  Although I've encountered much pain and loneliness, I have never been abandoned by the Lord.  I stand as a witness to this and that he has lifted the weight of my burdens.  I'm still part of much tribulation, but looking back over the past many months, I have seen the Lord's hand even when I felt He wasn't near.  I've suffered much anguish and confusing and wrestled with patience and long suffering, that I can only say that I'm being molded and refined into a person who will be ready to met God when it's time.  Neal A. Maxwell said, "The Lord knows our bearing capacity, both as to coping and to comprehend, and He will not give us more to bear than we can manage at the moment, though to us it may seem otherwise.  Just as no temptations will come to us from which we cannot escape or which we cannot bear, we will not be given more trials than we can sustain."

I have found a new love for people all around me, I see them all differently then before.  It's a purity I can only witness when I'm this close to our Savior.  I have been immersed in such spirituality, that my eyes see so many things differently.  For example, I went to a parenting anxiety class, (can't ever learn enough, right?) and an exercise that was conducted was to name 3 things you don't like about yourself...gosh can't we all think of tons of things... but although I found things to list, I really didn't believe it much anymore.  I see who I am, and why I am and that it makes me the complete of who I am.  I am satisfied with who I am, and for a brief moment, I could see how my Father in Heaven saw me.  I don't think anyone could feel this way unless they are close through scripture, prayer, fasting, temple worship and ongoing searching in the gospel.  Don't get me wrong, I'm far from perfect and far from having perfect thoughts.  I struggle with the woes of my day and with trying to keep my thoughts close to what needs to be, so I can be a better wife and mom to my family.   But to witness even a glimmer of this pure peace, I could never deny it... but can only testify how much staying close to the spirit through these basic essentials the Lord has provided, on a continual basis, is so vital.  It is a constant work that we need to do so we can always have the spirit with us and testify to us.  I NEED this level of spirituality not just for me, but to have that personal revelation conduit open for myself and for my kids and their needs.

Having my existence "attacked" on so many levels has literally thrown me at the mercy of the Lord.  I was alone and knew I had to throw myself at His feet.  I am weak and so broken, there was no other that could do just what is being done.  I know I am loved!   I only hope when there are 'calmer waters' that I will keep myself in remembrance of this act of love that I know I deserve, and keep it close to me.  Brigham Young said, "By developing our individual capacities wisely exercising our agency, and trusting God - including when we feel forsaken and alone - then we can learn to be righteous in the dark...  To be cheerful when others are in despair, to keep the faith when others falter; or to be true even when we feel forsaken -- all of these are deeply desired outcomes during the deliberate divine tutorials which God gives to us--Because He loves us."

I have a firm testimony of God's plan for happiness.  I want, so badly, to proclaim this truth ("oh that I were an angel...") but for now I feel it's a personal testimony I'm accuiring.  Through many blessings I've been given, I know it will be something I can share to others when the time comes.  I love our Savior and Father in Heaven.  They know the torment I'm suffering, but our Father "know(s) how to give good gifts unto [His] children" if we but ask, knock and seek. (3 Nephi 13:7-11)

Dinner and Chocolate Fountain

Having the Strong family move to Utah from California, we needed to get together more often.  Jason and Trent were mission buddies, and BYU roomies.  The kids had a blast and enjoyed each others' company.  

The Strongs have a chocolate fountain business in Cali, and brought one for dessert.  It was soo good!  Glad to be close to such great people.