Book of Mormon and Seminary!

SO, I have a new respect for Seminary teachers....especially EARLY MORNING seminary teachers!!! It is a hard calling!! I am saying this because I am now one of these seminary teachers and have survived the first three weeks! Our study is the Book of Mormon this year and as the picture above says...there is POWER in this book! My life has been changed since I have read and reread this book. I have been putting in some serious studying lately and my testimony of this book is again reaffirmed. I love how reading the Book of Mormon on a daily basis helps me keep perspective on the things that matter the most. I also have a testimony of seminary. It is so hard for me to get up so early to go to class and so I can only imagine how difficult it is for the kids BUT.... I see the blessings of such sacrifice and dedication. By the way...I have the greatest seminary class ever!! I love these kids and I am amazed at the strength and righteousness they have! Did I mention that this was a HARD calling but it is also the BEST calling! Read the Book of Mormon today and EVERYDAY!!

You may be able to smell me from your computer!

This is my new favorite laundry item!! This boosts the smell of your laundry like no other!! I especially love using it for my towels and sheets!! I have only tried this blue scent so I don't know if the others smell as good. Try them!

Seattle!

We LOVE Costco! Here is the boys and Dave at the first Costco in Kirkland.

We went on the HUGE Ferris Wheel. It was pretty fun especially becausse the boys promised they would not rock the cars like they usually do. (The cars are pretty secure so that even if they tried, the cars would really budge)

The view from the top of the Ferris wheel.

The GUM wall!!!! SO gross yet so facinating all at once!

Nose Goes was our method of who was the one choosing where we went or what we did or where and what we ate.

The Zoo!! I think we had the oldest kids at the Zoo. But we had a good time and even saw the baby giraffe. He was only 6 months old and SO cute!

BSU/Washington game in the new Husky Stadium. That place is huge and SO loud!! Too bad we got killed!!! 38-6 So sad but it was a fun experience. Next time I will bring ear plugs and next time our team will dominate!!

Playing some beach volleyball at Alki Beach. It was such a beautiful day!! I kindof forgot to take a picture of the water :/

Our last vacation with Caleb for a few years. We had a great time, made new memories. But we already have things planned for the "next time we go to Seattle" (inside joke)haha!!!

Whom the Lord calls, He qualifies

I have a new calling!! Early Morning Seminary Teacher!!! I am scared... yet excited to teach. The Book of Mormon is the study this year which makes my job a little easier. I love the Book of Mormon and I am excited to learn and grow right along with my students this year. I have not always been the greatest to study everyday from the scriptures but as I have been studying and getting ready for the year, I have already noticed the wonderful feeling and the power that is added to my life.

Double Missionaries = Double the Blessings!

We were hoping to come home to a mission call but nothing. Bummer!!! But....the next day was another story!! Caleb's call came! Caleb has been called to the Novosibersk, Russia mission! He will be speaking Russian just like Kelsie! We did record him opening the call but I promised I would not post it anywhere online. He only let me record it so Kelsie could watch it. He is a very private boy and that is just fine! Having a child open a mission call is an experience. Secretly, I was hoping that he would be called to somewhere in the USA. But not for me....Clear to Siberia!! What's up with this?????? Even farther away from me than Kelsie! Caleb is SO excited! I know that the Lord has a purpose for Caleb in Russia. The people need his humor and smile and his love for the gospel. We are looking forward to his new adventure!

Bees Knees

We went to Boise for the Fourth of July and during our stay we got to visit the newest beekeeper in the family. James and Julie have taken up the "hobby" of beekeeping. How cool is this?? I just need it to be known that I dislike bees especially when they come anywhere near me!!! But I did put on the suit and I got close up and personal with the bees. It was pretty cool!

Caleb ran into a childhood friend at the movie theater. Nathan and Caleb.....time goes by so fast! Soon they will both be serving missions!

Grandma Madge in her favorite spot at James and Julie's.

It is always fun to visit with the family while we are "home". I realize that I don't take enough pictures but I will try to be better!

I wish I could just hire a professional organizer!!

I was in the mood to organize the other day! Amazing, I know! I think it first started with the "one" junk drawer and then turned into three more drawers, the office drawers!! Here is just a few pics. My husband and boys weren't as excited as I wanted them to be but my daughter clear across the world was proud of me! I did end up with a little pile of leftover stuff....I hate that!! I get so tired at the end and the stuff that is random and you don't know where to put it. What do you do???? So that is where the professional would be handy. Needless to say, I will at any given moment, randomly go and open the drawers just to look at the beauty of clean!! We will see how long I can keep them that way!

The last of the kids to go through Driver's Training. Help me now!! I hate this part! But it will be nice to not have to drive Jacob everywhere. Caleb is a great and patient brother and will be the taxi driver most of the time. I could not for the life of me get Jake to smile! The turkey!! My advice....stay off the roads for a while, Jacob is driving!!

Caleb's Mission Papers are IN!!!!! Now the waiting starts. I feel as if I was just on this roller coaster of a ride?! I have that familiar pit in my stomach and while this is exciting, it is so scary all at the same time!

My Amazing Return!!

I have been working on my daughters blog for her mission and thought that I should start back on my blog. It has been a while since I have checked in and I thought it also might be a good chance for me to write my thoughts and feelings.I don't even know if anyone even reads this but I will just write this for my posterity. SO much transition is happening in my family that it is almost overwhelming. I remember those days of having three in diapers and all of the kids including me crying on the couch when Dave would come home from work. Now my husband may find me crying on the couch when he gets home but it is because I don't have anymore kids in diapers or even living at home for that matter!! Zach is living and working in Boise. Kelsie is serving a mission in Ukraine. Caleb just graduated from high school and is submitting his mission papers in the coming days. Jacob is a Sophomore in high school. I do have to say that I am a very blessed mom right now. My children are all great and strong people. Learning and growing each day.

As for me, I am realizing that I need to find another hobby. I believe that for the last 20 some years my hobby and life has been my kids. Now with three of the four leaving the house I am no longer needed as much and find myself with more time on my hands than I know what to do with. Yes, I know there are many things to keep me busy like church stuff and cleaning the house and everything else but it is a strange place to be. I guess you may not know what I am talking about unless you have been here. I feel like because I was married so young and started and finished having kids so fast, I now have this alone time that I don't ever remember having. There were many days in the midst of dirty hands and taxi mom and endless dirty dishes that I dreamed of this day and now that it is here, I don't know what to do.

As I am writing this I am realizing that I may not have anything to add to my blog! Or maybe this will allow me to try new things, show the world my hobbies and open myself to the world of Pinterest successes and failures. It could be fun! Or not :)

So welcome to my return to blogging. Thanks for letting me express my random thoughts.