Sunday Meals

 JD and I are two very different people with very different expectations when it comes to family meal time. When I was growing up and mom was buttering the rolls, we would grab one and eat it. When mom was cutting berries, we would eat a few. It was never a big deal to visit in the kitchen during meal time and snack while you did. I prefer meal time to be this way, it is a major trigger for JD. JD does not like food to be touched until everyone is sat down to the table and prayer has been said. These two different expectations and ideas on how a successful meal time takes place tends to be a point of contention continually in our home and it has been for years. During our numerous discussions on the matter, the ideas we come up with will sound promising, but let's face it... when something is ingrained in you as a belief and a way to do things, it is difficult to alter your way of thinking, even when it would benefit others to do so. After a long night of contemplating how JD, our children, and I could all win and have peace in our home on Sundays during family meals I came to a conclusion...NO MORE SIT DOWN SUNDAY MEALS.   I have a theory that if we start calling it Sunday fun meal and present the meal buffet-style, it will change the expectation that is present with a sit down Sunday meal. Meals could include pizza, nachos, hamburgers, potato bars, taco bars, etc. We both want to look back and remember the memories made during the preparation of the meal together. JD and I both desire to have joyful visiting, laughter, kind conversation, and happiness in the home. The way meal time starts out often prevents this from taking place on a weekly basis. I have never been a rule follower. I tend to believe that if the rule does not work for the majority, change the rule! We will change how we present the meal and see how things go.
 “The whole concept of 'the perfect meal' is ludicrous.

I knew already that the best meal in the world, the perfect meal, is very rarely the most sophisticated or expensive one....Context and memory play powerful roles in all the truly great meals in one's life.”

― Anthony Bourdain, A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines

Ensign peak and Aquariums

Sunday we hiked up to Ensign Peak, talk about a lung strengthener:). 

The view is beautiful and I love all the tidbits of information about the early saints that you find along the way. We can count it as our Pioneer Day celebration, since due to coronavirus the actual pioneer day celebration has been cancelled. 

Alyssa was born on Pioneer Day. When she was little, we use to tell her that the twenty-fourth of July celebration was for her birthday, and the pioneers. Shortly after moving to Iowa, I went to to get my hair done and asked what types of celebrations they had for the 24th of July? The lady had no idea what I was referring to. Thinking she misunderstood, I re-stated the question, "what do you do for Pioneer Day?" The beautician doing my hair asked everyone around if they knew what I was referring to, and they did not. Apparently, it is just a Utah and Idaho celebration. Iowa may not have a pioneer celebration, but I learned to love their history and appreciate the early saints and pioneers, while living in Iowa. Iowa and the surrounding area is rich with history and I loved partaking in it while I lived there. 

Other Sunday happenings... 

-Ashlynn made delicious cocoa pebble rice krispy treats.

-Britton put the fire pit together so that we could have a fire.

-The boys figured out how to get firewood to make a fire. It was quite a vision to watch.

-We cooked s'mores and hot dogs.

-We discovered the firepit is too small and the only place 

we could put it was the driveway because it will burn the grass.

-We tried to play croquet and could not stop fighting, so we quit:). 

-Sunday was our family's first week back at church since the outbreak of the coronavirus. 

 Monday, JD headed to Montana for work.

The kiddos and I decided to go to SeaQuest Aquarium. 

We were excited for Alyssa and Luke to come for the day and join us.

 I wasn't too sure about the place when I discovered it was inside the mall. 

We all had a fabulous time.  

We all loved watching Luke be observant of everything around him. 

 I believe everyone's favorite part was feeding the parakeets. 

 The megladon area made me want to rent 

the MEG and watch it for some odd reason. 

Alyssa called me before she came and requested that 

Ashlynn wear the matching shirt that she has.  I love that!

I was impressed by all the sea life that we were able to actually touch with our hands. 

It was an enjoyable day.  

I started keto on Monday, so I also loved that going kept me out of the house where I would not be around those vicious carbs I love so much!!! I have been pretty anti-keto because it is hard to maintain long term.  But I do know that it works for my body, and that without doing it I can exercise all day and starve and still struggle to lose weight. So Keto it is.

Rambling happenings

18 years ago this August my mother passed away. This past weekend the family was in Pocatello, we went out to the cemetery to visit her grave site. As I was there I felt that I needed to be better about talking about her and keeping her memory alive. While we were in Pocatello Marie, Jd's mom taught me how to use Newspapers.com to add information to Ancestry.com. As I worked on this project, one of the details I noticed about my mother is her name is listed as a helper for many, rarely for herself. This was true for the way she lived her life. Her joy was found in blessing the lives of others. 

This picture makes me happy!

It seems almost unreal that we are able to attend family events whenever we want. 

For so long it was a once a year occasion.

Grant had a soccer game so we all

 decided to go hang out at the park. 

I love these pictures. 

Don't worry the sodas were empty. 

Grandparents are a beautiful gift!

Over the weekend we stayed with JD's parents,

 and had a wonderful time visiting. Marie and I went on 

a few walks around the park and she taught 

me how to add information to Ancestry.com.

We had a delicious BBQ at my dads.

 JD cooked delicious hamburgers, in the pouring rain. 

This last week Ashlynn and I had a spa day. 

We painted her nails and toes. 

 I am not sure how

 painting nails goes with making homemade
bread and strawberry jam,
 but we added that to our spa day.

Friday night Alyssa and Jake went on a 

date and we were blessed to babysit Luke.  I love watching his personality develop.

As Alyssa and Jake were putting Luke in the car to go home Daxon was talking, and smiling to him. Daxon LOVES being an uncle. We all love Luke to pieces!!!

Riley & Madeline on Vacation

Emily came home from her mission in Peru due to coronavirus a few months ago. She is headed back out and going to Anaheim. The family wanted to all get together before she left so  Riley and Madeline are in Florida this week with the Cook family.

I love that Madeline has been keeping me updated on the fun things they are doing. 

Day one Riley convinced everyone to catch little fish. It looks like they had a little better luck with the fish they caught out on the ocean the following day.

 I was unaware until these pictures and a video of Riley

 catching a shark that they had an instagram page called phishing_phippens.

I love that they have this page!

I love the video of Riley catching a shark.

Due to coronavirus they had to 

wear masks all day at Universal Studios. 

It looks like Riley struggled to keep his on:). 

 The boat on the Gator ride got stuck in the marsh. Madeline commented, "Riley

 wished he had his fishing pool."

Daxon mentioned that they were at Top Golf the one day. 

I had no idea what that was. 

Daxon commented, "Mom have you been living under a rock." 

I love this picture, Riley loves kids and being mobile.

This party is right up his alley.

This picture is too funny!

 Riley and Madeline's dad used to be home teaching companions. I remember when Riley would come home from their visits he would comment on what an outstanding person Ryan is. I love that Madeline and Riley have ended up together! Madeline is the sweetest person and a beautiful blessing in Riley's life. 

Today is our first week back at church and we are picking up 

Riley and Madeline at the airport the same time church starts.

 Daxon and I drew the lucky # to go and pick them up!

Rachel Hollis, a world filled with chaos...Take a breath and have faith is the future!

I have been anti-news for years. With all that is happening in the world, I have recently found myself drawn to it. As I have been paying more attention to the news my entire being has began to fill with uncertainty and fear. I have let my feelings lean towards disappointment and dread towards the world we live in.  At a glance, the universe seems to be in complete disarray!!!

What are some of the issues that have caused me to feel this way....

 Last week my favorite self-help and marriage coaches announced they are getting divorced. I don't typically put too much thought into the circumstances people I don't actually know find themselves in.  I, however, feel heartbroken for the Hollis couple and their adorable family. They have blessed the lives of thousands and, in my opinion, have let the desire to be famous get in the way of using their own valuable advice. Right after my son Riley came home from his mission, JD and I were arguing about something. Riley is usually pretty quiet but he walked up to us and said,"do you know what your problem is, it is pride. The downfall of every story that we read in the Book of Mormon started with pride."  I did not believe that the problem I was having at the moment was pride. JD not seeing things my way was the problem LOL. The following week, in one of my classes we were asked to read a talk, Beware of Pride.  With each word I read, I knew my issue was pride. The Hollis family does not know me and they will never spend a single day thinking about me. Nevertheless, I, like countless others, have come to love and admire them. Over the last few years my life has been blessed by their advice and goodness. I am a better person and live a better life because of the facade they portrayed and the guidance they provided.  I wish with all my heart that they would put pride and fame aside and focus on saving their beautiful family.  It is clear they know what the steps are to having a successful life and marriage. It is too bad that they became too busy/distracted supporting the rest of the world that they couldn't find the time to use the counsel they lovingly, freely and willingly shared for themselves!

Author Rachel Hollis announces she and her husband are ending their marriage

 I am sad for all the police who go to work every day and fight to protect our rights and freedom, and yet have entire communities hating them.  A month ago the police officers were looked at as essentials and heroes we revered during the coronavirus, and now they fear for their lives when they walk out the door to work. 

Following the George Floyd killing, numerous communities have erupted into turmoil and they are being destroyed. I believe black lives matter, the same as I believe that all lives matter. 

I may be naive, but I feel that when I am not watching the news and media the racial problem no longer exists.  One of my daughters' best friends has a black father. I stood in line at the drivers license bureau the other day and people of all ethnicities were in line talking and communicating with one another as if they were lifelong friends.  I needed help at the store the other day, and an African-American kid came up and helped me as if he had known me for years, I was thankful for his kindness. 

When I am participating in normal day-to-day living, the world seems like a safe and happy place to live. The moment I  turn on the news, I worry if it possible to say enough prayers to make a difference; with all the pain and suffering that is happening from this crazy experience we all call human existence.  As I contemplated this question this morning, I remembered our family discussion from Come Follow Me, Alma 8-12.  As we look at chapter 9 we come across the word REMEMBER over and over. God's goodness and His ability to save is being pointed out ubiquitously.  As we read the story of Alma and Amulek, we find many facets of the story that are disturbing. The city is full of chaos and disarray. Yet if we look between the verses of this story, we find God's grace in the details.

Daxon pointed out during our discussion that we often point out that the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. He stated how important it is that we keep our focus on Christ as we study and learn. The story is great, but we must continually find Christ in the WHY. He pointed out that President Nelson has often emphasised the importance of keeping our focus on the Savior over the last few years, starting with our name change from Mormon, to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Daxon said, "when we build an arch, it really does not matter which part we remove, it will collapse inward.  The other parts of our arch can be our covenants, faith, testimony of the Atonement, priesthood, prayer, church attendance, etc. Christ is in the middle and when one part falls, Christ is in the middle to rebuild/lift it. He is the center, He must be our focus."

  I love the talk given by Elder Bednar, Seek Learning by Faith. In it he comments, "the faith of a true disciple is focused upon, and rooted in, the Savior and Redeemer, even the Lord Jesus Christ."  It is so easy for me to have faith when life is easy and all is well.  It is when life tosses me a curveball that I have to check myself and do the things necessary to feel the guidance of the Spirit. I have learned from experience that difficult times are made worse without the influence of the Spirit.

Elder Bednar also tells us that, "A disciple recognizes that faith in the Savior is a spiritual gift and appropriately seeks for that gift in his or her life."  This gift has been a blessing to me many times throughout my life.  There are times when I have felt fear from living in these "troubled and turbulent times." (Bednar)  Without fail, I have found that as I turn to the Lord in prayer, my soul is filled with an added measure of faith. It is a strength beyond my own, and it sustains me.  I recognize this as a gift from my Father in Heaven and I thank Him for the many times He has brought peace to my life. I am thankful for the gift of faith and I pray that I can REMEMBER, in those moments when I start to feel fear, that Christ is in the details of our lives and the world around us. 

  

Daxon turns 20

Look at this awesome kid. He turned 20 on Wednesday.

Daxon bought my brother Jeremy's motorcycle. 

I did NOT want Daxon to buy a motorcycle.

 This inconceivable thing happens when your child returns from a mission-- 

they all the sudden want to make all their own choices and decisions. As a mom, you strive to teach your child to be self-reliant and independent. They go on a mission and after being without parental guidance for two years, they come home and the goal has been accomplished. At least the independence part. I find myself excited for my somewhat adult-like children, and screaming inside at the same time. It is tough and wonderful to have your kids grow up. On one hand, you see them being these amazing adults and think to yourself, "I had a hand in that." On the other hand you see them buying motorcycles and you know that telling them "NO" is a thing of the past. 

I have never liked to go to bed before my children. Daxon being home has reminded me what I have learned after each child has returned from a mission. I either need to go to bed before my child, or I will DIE. They don't want to be told to go to bed and they can manage on very little sleep. The hours that age can keep is insane. Daxon has a never ending energy about him. He LOVES working out and being healthy. Since his mission, his love for clean eating and health has increased. 

Daxon has never been short on stamina. This week on my newsfeed,

 this memory of him popped up from 7 years ago. I can't believe he was 13 when he ran the Dam to Dam for the first time. When Daxon 

sets his mind to something he achieves it!

Daxon and Riley are training to do LOTOJA in September. 

Yesterday, after working all day, Daxon rode 40 miles, 

came home and went swimming in the pool, and went to bed late. He had 346% activity on his exercise rings.

He is an energizer bunny and can keep going and going. 

I love that about him!

Daxon wanted cheesecake for his birthday.  Britton had watched enough TV for the day and needed something to do, so I gave him the recipe and told him to make it. Britton responded, "I have no idea how to make a cheesecake."  I responded, "that is why you have instructions, follow them." He did and it turned out delicious! 

Daxon had never been to Maddox, so we took him there for dinner. I love the raspberry butter they have for the rolls! Daxon ordered his steak cooked rare, and it looked as if they had cut it off the cow and put it on his plate. He did not seem to mind, but I know I sure would have.

He willingly ended the evening by watching Dora the Explorer with Ashlynn. You have to be a saint to make it all the way through that movie to make your sister happy. I love that Daxon is home with us. His original return date before Coronavirus was not until next month. Daxon handles being back in our crazy family pretty well. We have the tendency to be intense!! 

One of the things I love most about Daxon is re-discovering who he is. It is interesting that when a child returns from a mission, they initially seem like the same person and yet daily you catch glimpses that they are completely changed. I love listening to Daxon pray and do the sacrament in Persian. I love hearing the insights he adds to family scripture study. I love watching the way he has mastered certain behaviors while being away. I am thankful for the blessing he is to this family!

Family visits

Last week, my sister Jana and her girls came to visit for a few days. 

They had PERFECT timing. The weather was beautiful

and we enjoyed a few fun days out at the pool. 

We loved having the change in routine and amazing company! 

It was the first time Jana and her girls had seen Alyssa's baby. 

I love that Luke and Hannah both have dinosaurs on their t-shirts.

As you can see from the pictures, Luke was pretty happy to meet them. 

Sunday, Madeline and Riley came to visit. They are so fun to have around. This week they bought a  new game called Bocce ball. We all had fun playing it, feeding the horses, playing cornhole, and putting our feet in the pool.

It was sooooo hot on Sunday, this made the rule we have to not swim on Sunday very difficult. 

We all love feeding apples and carrots to the neighbors horses. When you ask the horse if he would like an apple, he nods his head yes. It makes us all laugh. 

We are easily amused!

The lily pads are getting flowers on them and I love it. 

I think they are so adorable.

Alyssa and Jake got a new car on Sunday. This will make it much easier for Alyssa to come and visit:). She came to visit on Tuesday and Luke tried out the pool for the first time. 

At first, he did not love it but he warmed up to the idea. 

Ashlynn was a little angel and babysat while Alyssa and 

I ran to get things for Daxon's birthday. 

On Memorial Day, we took the kayaks and paddleboards to East Canyon reservoir. We had an enjoyable day. Ashlynn and Britton are more brave than I would like them to be at times. They set a goal to make it to the other side of the reservoir from where we were. I was unaware of the goal and when I could no longer see them I became nervous. I took the paddleboard to where they were and I was sure Ashlynn would be tired and not want to paddle any longer by the time I made it to her. I was wrong. She was as happy and energetic as ever. 

I finished my class for The Science of Well-Being. 

I loved the class and found it to be very interesting. 

I also love that I have a certificate from Yale!

I took these last two pictures off of Instagram. 

Looks like a pretty fun Date night!

Sounds like a pretty amazing treat to me!

FREE SPIRIT- Don't let the tame ones tell you how to live (Jonny Ox)

Last week I was awaken with this overwhelming feeling of GUILT!!!  In this sudden moment the prior days played in my head as if I were watching a movie.  The minutes replayed and I wished with ALL my heart that life could reverse and I could be twinkled back in time for a do-over.  I had expressed that I was overwhelmed in multiple situations over that week due to my child. I went as far as to blame my emotional eating on parenting. I do not think my daughter was listening to me during these immature spoutings, but I was not exactly discreet. One thing I loved about my mother is she continually found opportunities to let her children know that WE were one of the reason she lived her life. We were not a side job for her, we were her profession and her actions expressed that to us everyday! I don't say that in regards to working or not working outside the home.  I mean it in the way she loved us, spoke to and about us, and at times put her needs on the back burner for us.  She loved us without judgement! She never made us feel like we were hard to LOVE, even during times when we were. 

I am praying that I can be more like my mother.  I can't say I will never mess up again, but the other night as I lay in bed I determined within myself to be better. I LOVE BEING A MOTHER!! I love the lessons I learn from my children each and every day. I never want to be the mother who makes my child feel they are hard to love. 

 Ashlynn was born with an energy that puts mine to shame.  At times the boundless ideas, singing, moving, dancing and vibrance can be draining for those of use who were not blessed with this type of  liveliness.  As a mother who was blessed with a  few children who have free spirits, I find they often adhere to their own rulebooks. You can tell them the proper guidelines to follow, they will listen, determine the portions they feel are useful, and then carry on. I have found when all is said and done, these children surprise us daily. They are passionate and full of life, it is never a dull moment when they are around. Every instant is worth being enthusiastic about, and perhaps a little animated. They are leaders of themselves, and predominately march to their own drumbeat.  

I remember growing up, I had a tendency to be too much for people. Let's be honest, at times I still can be:). I believe it is one of the reasons why I am taking all of these classes--to learn communication and people skills. As I learn, I can see the vital part interpersonal skills play in having happy and successful relationships in life. We do need to be careful that in developing these skills we don't change too much of who we are to fit what the world tells us is acceptable. I have found that the more we tame the eccentric in us, the farther away we get from our genuine selves.  

I love watching the passion that Ashlynn lives her life with.  I love the way she laughs OUT loud. We are all blessed by the free spirit Ashlynn has. Her exceeding joy brings adventure to our family's life!  She has decided that her Aunt Lacey has discovered the key to happiness, which is having animals. 

I love girl movies and one of my favorites is "What a girl wants" with Amanda Bynes. At the end of the movie the dad articulates this speech to his daughter, it goes something like this.

"It comes down to this, I love you, Daphne. (Ashlynn) 

I wouldn't change anything about you. I wouldn't change one hair on your head."