My life

That's me sitting up at the counter there.  Sure we don't have a dog, and a new house like that, but everything else is exactly how it is.  Although, the picture isn't showing the "recipes" behind the counter that Peyton made for me.  (flour, sprinkles, juice, milk, lemon pepper, oatmeal, etc etc)  It is distributed in every tupperware container I own and half of it is on the floor itself.
Legit!  I don't know what it is... but the last two weeks our house has been a darn explosion!!!  I can't keep up with my two.  I'm about ready to get rid of every toy in the house, lock up every cupboard (I've already locked up the fridge), and hide every marker, crayon, stamp or art supply.
Oh wait, I know why this is happening all of a sudden.  The no TV thing.  A wise lady told me once that if I take something away.... I need to replace it with something else.  Here's to an evening brainstorming some alternative activities!!

Delaware Trip

I've got to write down some of my experiences before they fade away as a lost memory.  This story that I'm about to tell starts four years ago.
Eric and I were living in Massey, Maryland and attended Smyrna ward in Delaware.  Our best friends, the Shahan's had some good friends, Helen and Leann.  Leann had been Rachelle's sister's best friend growing up...... Helen was Leann's mama.  Well, Leann ended up getting baptized and Helen was heartbroken.  Helen was a HUGE anti-mormon!  Well super looonnnnggg story short..... the Lord definitely softened Helen's heart right up!  I really got to know her first when she came to a Relief Society Activity for our church.
I had been asked to sing a beautiful song, "Live like you believe" for that evening.  After  that evening she came up to me with tears in her eyes thanking me for the beautiful song. I felt a kinship with her then.  A couple weeks later, I got a phone call from Helen asking me if I'd be willing to sing that song for her baptism.  Of course I said yes.  I remember what a joyous day it was when she was baptized.  So many tears of joy were spread!!  Helen has one of the most kind souls I've ever met.
Fast forward the four years.  We've moved around a few times since then but one day I got a phone call from Rachelle.  She was inquiring if I would be willing to sing for Helen's funeral when she died one day.  Surprised, but I definitely said yes.  As it turned out, Helen had a very large brain tumor and her expectancy was very very short.  Helen wanted to plan her funeral herself so it wouldn't be a burden to anyone after she was gone.
I then went to Utah for a month.  A couple weeks after I returned, I was cleaning my kitchen when I heard an audible voice whisper that I needed to practice the song for Helen.  I complied and ran through the song a few times.  I then checked my facebook....... Rachelle, Helen, and Leann are avid facebookers and I knew that if Helen's status had changed, it would be on there.  No word.  I practiced the song quite a few times that day.  And as strange as it may seem, I felt Helen's love as I ran through the song.  It warmed me inside and out.
The next day, I came down with a horrible cold.  One of the worst I've had in quite some time.  I couldn't sing a lick....... it was also the day that Helen died.
The funeral was scheduled a week from that day.  As the week progressed my anxiety levels rose.  I knew how much it meant to Helen to have that song sung at her funeral.  The day before the funeral, and I still couldn't sing a lick.  I had sooooo many thoughts run through my head that day.  I almost called Rachelle numerous times to bail on her because I really could not sing.
Instead I decided to have a little faith.  I received a priesthood blessing, we all piled into our car and headed down to Delaware the day of.  I attempted to sing the song a couple different times in the car as we drove..... still nothing.  Surprisingly, I was calm.  My heart was at peace.  I think I knew a miracle was about to happen.
When we got to the church.... our accompaniment hadn't shown.  She finally made it a few minutes right before the ceremony started.  We ran through the song a grand total of ONE and a half times.... my voice still not up to par.  She was frazzled because her day had been so crazy and she'd been late.  But as we said a prayer together, I felt even more at peace.  I knew that it would be alright.
Helen's funeral was beautiful.  It was joyful..... full of wonderful stories about her life.  Wonderful testimonies were born!  Then we were up.  As I looked over the congregation at so many familiar faces I started to feel the nerves.  I started into the song and I was cracking all over the place.  I couldn't sing!!!  I felt panicky for a couple seconds thinking, "Maybe it wasn't God's will that a miracle happen today."  Then, as I looked over taht crowd again at a rest......... I saw smiles, I saw support and love.  And that's when I felt the prayers from the week, the prayers from the crowd, Helen's spirit buoy me up.
My voice became clear, the music swelled!  I had not only walked forward in faith, I leaped and I know because of that, we were so blessed.
I'm grateful to a Heavenly Father that knows everything!  He loves us and wants us to have faith in Him.  I had been inspired to practice that song right before my sickness hit so that I was prepared.  A definite miracle.  God is good!!

My sassafrass!

I've got this little girl who is cute as can be, but oh soooo sassy!  I'm freaking out a little bit because I see so much of me in her.  Heaven help us!  Ways that Sadie Mae and I are similar in personality: 

#1.  She becomes obstinate when told what to do, especially when stern!  

#2. She loves all things girly!  The more bracelets, headbands, and necklaces on, the better.

#3. She's a screamer!! 

#4.  She loves her sleep!

#5. She a pent up hyper sort!  haha

It really is soooo fun!  She cracks us up all. the time.!!

Temple Trip with some friends

This past weekend we got to go to the D.C. temple as a family and meet our friends the Shahan's and Poquita's for a session.  It was wonderful!  The temple always is.  Eric and I, with the Shahan's did the first session.  We could NOT believe how crowded it was.  That temple is huge but there were people that had gotten to the temple and tried to get in the 10 o clock session and were finally able to make the 11:30.  The line was that long.  Never seen anything like it.  We seriously can not WAIT for the Philly temple to be finished.  It will be closer and the D.C. temple is getting so busy so it will be nice to spread out the members a bit.  Because of the wait and the over crowded ness of the day, we ended up going to a session that they showed the old movie for the endowment.  As soon as we finished I ran out to get Poquita's so they could make the next session and Eric and the Shahan's stayed in the temple so they could do a second session as well.  I was able to go to the temple a couple times in Utah my last trip so I'd seen the new movie.  I was ok to do the babysitting so everyone else could enjoy the temple a little longer.    

 She was cracking me up.  She'd flirt with this little guy, then get all flustered and super excited and run over to me screaming.

 I'm grateful I was able to help out by babysitting but I'm telling you.... it wasn't easy.  The three older girls had already had two hours with the babies by the time I came out and were kinda over the whole babysitting thing.  By that time, everyone was long overdue for naps and lunch as well.  Trying to keep 6 children under the age of 5 contained and relatively quiet while in the visitor's center was slightly stressful.  We did end up losing the 13 year old for 45 minutes but I figured she'd find us eventually.  All in all, it was a really great day!

 We walked the nature trails by the temple, watched a movie in the visitor's center, took lots of pictures, ate lots of food, and I pretty much have a handful of gray hair now I'm betting.  haha, just kidding.

 After the temple, we were off to Cafe Rio!!!  Delicious!  I can't say how much it means to me to be able to have friends liek the Shahan's and Poquita's.  My family is all in Utah and I miss being near them soooooo much!!!!!  To be able to call up these gals whenever I need them, they come to our family's events that mean the most, we vacation together, we hang out, we spend some holidays together.  It means the world to me... it truly does!!!  They are our family, away from family!

Awkward vs. Awesome

Awkward Vs. Awesome

Awkward

-Peyton throwing the most horrible tantrum while we're in line at the grocery store.  As I look around, as soon as my eye meets another person (worker or shopper) they quickly avert their eyes as if they weren't staring.  Kids these days.
-At the family reunion, we were taking a stroll around the lake with all the children.  As some of the cousins start to laugh, I realize it's because my son has unashamedly dropped his drawers and is peeing a stream right there in front of everyone.
-The looks the librarian gives us as we bring our laundry basket overflowing with movies to be checked out.  I get that there are 35 movies in there and we only get them for a week.  I have my reasons, sheesh.
-My friend texting me in the middle of stake conference wondering if those high pitched squeals are indeed from our Miss Sadie.... why yes, yes they are.
-The new obsession Sadie has...... She always seems to find a bra and drape it around her shoulders...... and leaves it there all day.
-That moment at Young Women's (our ward has recently joined mutual nights with the other ward in our building) that a young man in the other ward mistakes me as a young woman and is bragging about how much he bench presses.  He literally sprinted off when a girl walked over and called me Sis. Hess.  Poor fellow.
-Showing up at the Relief Society stake activity in jeans and a t-shirt.  Apparently I didn't get the memo that it was sunday dress.  Whoops.

Awesome

-The wonderful woman behind me in line at the grocery store that was doing her darndest to help as Peyton is pitching a fit.  Helping put my items on the belt and distracting Sadie.
-The fact that Peyton is indeed potty trained.  100%.
-General Conference weekend:  Eric let me sleep in, we packed up bags and bags of things to keep the kids entertained and headed off to the church.  In between sessions we went through a carwash, went to Rita's, got to go on train rides and played at the park.  In between sessions on Sunday we got to feed 8 missionaries while they played with the kids in the gym.  Wonderful weekend!!!!!!
- Date Nights with the kids:  Eric dropped Peyton and I off at the library so that he could get the rotors fixed at the shop.  Sadie and Eric got to chill out together.  Peyton and I checked out a bunch of movies and books together, then headed to the pizza parlor next door.  We split a piece of pizza, some fries, and pop then read a bunch of our books while waiting for Eric.  I absolutely tootely LOVE our date nights with the kids.  There is nothing like a little one on one.
-The cute things that come out of Peyton's mouth.  Tonight's funny was: "Daddy does lots of stuff.  He builds stuff all up.  He's a construction worker guy.  He's good at feeding cows too.  And he makes dinner for us too."  Me: "What else is daddy good at?"  Peyton: "That's it."  haha, we were dying laughing.


We have sooooo many "awesomes" in our life.  I truly feel so blessed!  But I'm also grateful for the "awkwards" that keep us laughing and life a little more interesting.

No TV

So we don't have TV anymore..... at all.  This story begins a few months ago.  My friend and I were talking one day and as the bishop's name was brought up we both said almost at once, "Their family is perfect!  I wish I had a family like theirs."  You have to know these wonderful people.... you really do.  The bishop and his wife are sooooo sweet and dear to each other.  They go to a weekly ballroom dance class together, they hold hands everywhere they go, etc.  They're just ADORABLE!  Their kids are all wonderful and so great!  The youngest is on a mission now!
Well, the other day I was over at the bishop's house, doing his wife's (Lisa) hair.  As we got talking I jokingly asked her, "What's your secret to such an awesome family!!!"  I was thinking she would just laugh it off but she got really serious and told me her three secrets....... which aren't secret at all.  The secret behind it all is to stay consistent.
#1.  Read your scriptures.  She recounted how she taught seminary for many of their kids' growing up years.  So she would get up early, take her older kids to seminary with her while her husband stayed at home doing scripture study with the younger ones.  Then they usually had an all together scripture study as a family in the evening.
#2. FHE.  EVERY SIINGLE WEEK, NO MATTER WHAT!  She emphasized how important the consistency part was and not how elaborate the evening turned out to be.  Sometimes their FHE's were just a few minutes but they did it without fail every week.
#3. No TV.  She swears by this one.  She told me that because of the no TV thing, her kids had to use their imagination more.  They stayed more active.  They did more as a family.

The #3 is what resonated with me for weeks.  I didn't grow up with a TV and I see it as such a blessing in my life now.  This is DEFINITELY not the way of the world now.  Someone hears you don't have TV and they're like, "WHAT, how do you survive>??!!"  I get that.... which is half the reason I wanted to get rid of it.  We survived because of the TV.  I needed to clean or get something done and I sent Peyton in to watch a show.  Some days, more often than not, turned into marathon TV days.  And I'm sure lots and lots of people that have TV don't use it like we did.  But it became my go-to babysitter.  It became the thing that we did as a family in the evenings.  We'd have "family time" and sit around the TV flipping channels.

Our contract ran out in September and after much discussion, we just decided to get rid of it.  I have soooooo many things in mind for my family and the TV was getting in the way of that.  Ya know what, I'm not sorry we did it.  There are the occassionaly evenings that Eric and I will be like, "Dang it, Duck Dynasty was on tonight."  Oh well.  We had to go to the church building to watch conference this year.  I can't watch my favorite shows anymore.  Football season is on and we're missing all of it.  ETc ETc ETc.  But you know what, we've had more quality time in the couple months we've been without TV, than the couple previous years combined.  We started a family game night on Sunday (whereas before, we had been glued to the screen) Hide and seek is usually on the agenda as the game of the nnight, but it's soooo fun!  FHE has become more regular.  The feeling in our home has changed.

I'm loving this new "no-tv" thing!!

Fall Fun

I love fall!  I live for fall!  I wish I could marry fall...... ok maybe not that far.  One weekend we had some free time so we hustled off to Country Creek Produce to pick out some pumpkins and hang for awhile.  Had to get there in between rain showers.  

 The kids LOVED the corn bins.  Like giant sand boxes but with corn kernels.  We could've stayed in there all day.

 They had a ducky catapult.  You slam the hammer thing down on the end and the ducky flies into a wading pool of different targets.

 And we loved the kid's mazes.  Straw bales and pipes.  Big hit for Sadie suprisingly.

 Of course we had to stop and pet the baby calves.

 Climbed on top of the giant straw bale maze to cheat......... I went through with the ol' trial and error technique.  Hit a dead end, then turn around and go the other way.  I get through and Eric's on top of the dang thing mapping his way out..... unbelievable. So I had Eric and Peyton get up there at the end for a picture.

 They had this awesome pumpkin cannon!  That thing had some power to it.  If you hit a car (had two junk cars, and a semi trailer) with a pumpkin, you got a special prize!

 Peyton was so serious about his pumpkin picking.  Had to find the most perfect one!

 And, the pumpkin cannon was cool alright but UBER super loud..... not such a hit with Sadie.

 "Found the perfect one mom"

 She has loved that pumpkin ever since....... this pumpkin picking is serious business for my kids.  There is definitely some attachment to those pumpkins after all that hard searching.

 He was super excited that he found the perfect size (with mommy's help) but it was MUCH too heavy.  That kid needs to load up on his Wheaties.  Puleez.

 We just got a new fenced in backyard so we've been outside quite a bit, testing it out.

 Is it horrible that I love that cry face?!  One day she will refer to it as her ugly cry but for now.... it is sooooo cute!  As long as it only happens once a week.

 She waves bye bye quite well.  When she says hi, it sounds like, "hi-yah".

 This comes with the territory but both of our kids have been master moo-ers since they were little!

 I think it's all in the lips...... see how round they are there.  Like I said, master moo-ers, up in here.

 MOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Hope everyone is enjoying their fall as much as we are!!!!!