Can things get better, please?!?

I don't want to complain, but these past two weeks have been really hard.  We are down to 1/2 a car...I say "1/2" because the boys "drifted" in one car and popped the tire and the other car has the steering going out (we don't go far with it because I am convinced that as soon as I do, I will not be able to turn a corner and I will go off a cliff or something!).  Of course, money is non-existent to fix these problems.  There have been other things, but if I dwell on them I might not finish this post!  It's been taxing some days.  We had Stake Conference last night and today and I am grateful for the word that were shared because Scott and I knew they were for us.  Elder Eyring talked about how we choose to face the future...with optimistic attitudes or pessimistic attitudes.  There were days the last couple of weeks that, I must admit, my pessimistic attitude has come out...those days are dark and not fun.  But, I would wake up the next morning and start again...trying with a better attitude.  We had an offer from Scott's boss, a couple of days ago, to get licensed to sell "pre-needs", basically selling people their funeral plans.  At first I thought of things I could do, and then I started to freak out.  I am not a seller.  I don't like talking people into what I think they should do just so that I can earn a buck.  Scott said that he is going to start because he knows the business and knows those who are interested.  Anyway, I might just go in and help mail flyers for him and set appointments for him.  We'll see how it goes.  We know it is an opportunity to meet our needs and Scott's boss has offered to let him have all that walk in.  It will take time and it will be a lot of work.  I know Scott can do it.  I just don't know where I fit in (they offered it to me, too).  I just hope it starts coming in sooner than later.  Maybe the Lord will help and send a little "flood" of people that just happen to need this.  It could happen...

Also in Stake Conference, we were reminded that "We can do hard things".  I know that we can...I just don't want to, some days!  Hard things help us and the speaker counseled us to not "bail" out our kids, but to let them go through hard things.  Let them be sad and fearful and all the emotions that happen when things are hard.  They will learn where to go and what to do and the attitudes of "we can do hard things" for when they are in their later lives, married, working, etc.

Anyway, I know things will be okay.  It's just hard, but as said before "I can do hard things".  I just need to have the right attitude and keep hopeful because the opposite feels like it could tear me apart!  Just keep us in your prayers :).

Our Stake President also mentioned the huge problem Pornography has started to be here in Taylor.  There were several young men that went to work on their papers for a mission, but were held off because of their pornography addictions.  We were so happy to hear the Stake Pres. say that it is not a quick fix, and that you can't just tell someone to "stop"...it's an addiction!  Then today, Scott said that he mentioned it some more in the Priesthood meeting.  Afterwards, Scott had an hour and a half wait until conference started (and I came with the car), and he thought of talking to the Stake Pres. about it, but then thought, "oh, he's too busy...if the chance comes up, I'll talk".  Then a few minutes later, he looked up from where he was sitting and saw the Stake Pres. sitting by himself...for quite awhile.  Finally, Scott decided to go talk to him.  He briefly told him about his fight with it and how it has touched all our boys and that if he ever needed advocates of fighting against pornography, that he was willing to do whatever was needed.  The Stake President looked at him with amazement and said "you are an answer to my prayers".  It has had him so worried about our youth and has felt frustrated as to what to do about it.  Stake Conference is in four months, and he mentioned having Scott maybe do something then.  Scott was a little taken back, but he and I both know the devastation it can have on a family (and I think ours was mild compared to some families), and watching our kids battle with it has been even scarier.  If what we have learned and gone through can help someone out there, then we both will do whatever is asked of us.  I am so grateful to my brother who does this for a living.  He helped us through a really scary time in our lives...especially with our kids.  So, we'll see what happens with that!

Other news, Ashton went to a FFA conference and had to do a presentation to sell agricultural products.  He had to study up on items to sell to help impregnate a cow!  Then at the presentation, he had to sell the products.  Should 14 year old boys be studying this stuff?!?  There were 3 groups who competed and all get to go to State in a month.  Supposedly the more people you have in your group, the better the score, so Ashton said that their score went down 300 pts. just because there were only two of them.  They did good, though, and the judges were impressed that they presented well, even they were the only two.  Ashton was happy and had a fun time.  He is starting to make friends and trying to branch out.  So, in a month, Ashton will be headed down to ASU to compete in agricultural sales!  He is not his mother's child.  They can have it for free...just don't make me sell it to you!

Everyone else is healthy and well.  I am grateful for that!  We haven't been sick for a long time (knock on wood), and I know it's tender mercies.

And...we're done...

It was the Primary Program today and we are DONE with it for the year!!!  The reason I am so excited is because I play the piano and this years program had 12 songs!!!  That is a lot of songs for a program.  Usually they have about 8 or 9.  It went really well and Scott said that he heard no mistakes...I fooled him!!!  I just kept doing what my grandpa always said and that is if you mess up, keep going...so that's what I did.  I liked how they wrote the Program this year because if a child didn't show up, then it didn't matter to the script, but if they did, then it added to the script.  I have been in some where the teachers would read the parts of the children missing and it is kind of distracting.  Anyway, it was good this year.  We were laughing because every Primary Program there is something that a child does that is so innocent, but so funny and this year a little girl was telling the story of Jesus being baptized (quoting the scriptures) and the adult leader was helping her by whispering the lines to her.  So the girl said that after Jesus was baptized "he went straightway out of the water and the Spirit descended on him in the form of a duck"!!!  It was so funny.  She was so embarrassed because she was really trying hard to say what the leader was saying, but dove and duck are too close when you are whispering!  It was funny.  After the meeting, I got to go into Primary and they decided to have a sing-time day!!!  It's not as exciting as it sounds because I had no idea what songs we were singing and that was fun...(not so much), but the chorister was fun and for some reason on a couple of the songs I did fine until the last note and for some reason I couldn't get the last note, so she would have the kids hold the note until I found it.  It was fun and made me laugh (by then, I was so tired I didn't care!).  I do love the Primary songs, though, and I really am not complaining...I'm just glad the stress of performing is over.  I have always had stage-fright and  was able to keep my eyes off the audience today, so I think that helped (plus several prayers before!).  On to next year's songs!

this is the puppy...named "Trouble"

This is Sally, who comes to visit...

This week we were able to babysit a puppy.  The boys have been wanting another dog and we keep telling them that it just isn't smart, especially because we are hoping to end that phase of dog raising when the kids all leave (Shep will be 12 or so, and I know Angel will be gone by then).  Anyway, it was fun to babysit this puppy, especially seeing Angel pounce around chasing it and playing with it like she was a puppy, too...but she's 12!  Dallen went with the family of the puppy on a camping trip and boating trip.  He got to go tubing and kneeboarding and catch crawdads and got really muddy...it was a perfect trip!  The water was even warm!  This family lives two doors down and have 4 boys and 1 girl.  The neighborhood will never be the same.  The funny thing is that they have another dog, Sally - a boxer, who will walk into our house and camp out with our dogs, eat their food, and just hang out if the door is open.  It's pretty funny.  The other day, I realized that Dallen does the same thing to their family!  He walks in, camps out, eats their food, especially if their door is open!  So, I thanked her for letting Dallen come over and she thanked me for letting Sally come over!  I think it's funny.  Anyway, when Dallen came home from camping, and this is what happened...

They were zonked out by 6:30 pm, for the night...there was no moving them, either.  Angel was so exhausted from playing with the puppy and Dallen was so exhausted from boating.  I think they missed each other, too.

Ashton and I got to go on a day date yesterday.  It was just Dallen and Ashton home.  Alec and Calvin drove down to Phoenix to visit their Aunt Heidi and cousins and attend the mission farewell of Jonathan Hooper...the first friends the boys made in Mesa and is a true blessing in their lives.  He will be serving in the New York, New York mission.  Did you know that mission included Bermuda?  I had no idea.  Anyway, back to Dallen and Ashton.  So, Ashton asked if I would like to go to the movie with him...just the two of us.  I said, "of course" and then I told Scott that it would be just him and Dallen home and so they decided to go horse-back riding (Scott's boss has 4 horses and is always telling us to help ride them because they need the exercise).  Scott and Dallen went riding and Ashton and I went and saw "Hotel Transylvania".  It was a really fun/cute movie.  We had a good time.  We'll have to do it again.

Scott and I, then, got invited to go to a fundraiser for the Heritage club which helps restore old buildings and history of the area.  We were invited by the Click family.  Brad and Craig Click are in our ward and Brad invited us to come.  We really like being around them.  They are really funny and witty.  Their wives are really nice and according to their husbands are "too serious", but they are just as fun.  We met some really nice people and had a great time getting to know the Clicks better.  It was kind of an initiation into the community :).  We are all for that!  Anyway, the program was a celebration of Arizona and the area and it was fun to learn some new things.

Everything else is going good.  We have "trunk or treat" this year at someone's house...usually you have it at the church building, but because everyone has so much property around here, we are able to do it at someone's house!  It should be fun.  I always like playing a game in the back of our car for the kids to "earn" their treat.  I'm not huge on decorating, but big on games...gotta go with my strengths!  We'll post pictures next week.

One year older, and wiser, too ...

I just had to share, first, what I get to see every now and then.  I was in the house, kids at school, and I went to let the dogs outside and as I opened the back curtains and opened the door, this is what I saw!  It took my breath away. It was actually a double rainbow, which seems to happen often.  It was so bright and amazing and literally in my backyard!

We had a fun couple of weeks. We got to see Alex Boye' in concert here in little ole' Snowflake, AZ.  Scott and I got to have a pre-concert dinner with him, but basically we had dinner, he took pictures with everyone, grabbed his food and left.  Scott's boss is a patron of the Arts here in town and couldn't go, so he gave the tickets to me and Scott.  We sat at a table with the Temple President and his wife, President Baldwin, and then a couple from our ward, The Neffs, and another couple, whom I don't know.  We haven't gotten the picture back, yet, that was taken of me and Scott and Alex, but if I get it, I will post it :).  It was fun meeting him and I can't imagine living that life.  The concert was in the high school auditorium and it was really fun. He is so entertaining. Our favorite part, of course, had to be when he had all the Scouts come up on stage. I was sitting in the very back and all I had was my phone (not great at taking pictures), but here are all the Scouts that were there...there are quite a bunch in this predominately Mormon community :). He did this song with them, so imagine this going on with all these kids...it was a lot of fun. As he was teaching the steps, Ashton was kind of in front and Alex looked over and said, "What is that? It looks like you're going to the restroom!". We were all laughing, and Ashton, the good sport, was laughing, too. He still thinks it's funny. Anyway, it's a fun song and Dallen, especially has been singing it all week :)

It was Calvin's birthday this week.  He is now 17!!!  My kids are so kind to me because we don't have a lot of money, but they understand and I hope, appreciate, that I really try to do all that I can for them.  Calvin has been wanting a "hobby", and so with his birthday money (instead of opening presents), he decided that since he loves cars, his new hobby would be model cars and that he would paint and design them like he would real cars..."it's good practice", he said.  So, these are the two he bought and is going to start with...

Then, he had it in his head how he wanted to set up shop.  The kid's computer was zapped by lightening one day (the Computer Store in town had 8 come in from the same storm!)...and yes, it was on a power cord!  Anyway, so, I told him that the desk was free to use because the computer is not being used right now, and that is what it was on.  So, this is the little set-up he came up with in his closet

He's got his "paint booth" set up, as well as his work station (the closet is pretty big!).  I told him when he paints, he will have to leave the door open so that the fumes don't make him high :)  I don't know if they are that powerful, but I don't want to take any chances :).  

He bought a fun painting tool.  He can spray paint the model paint.  Anyway, cars have always been an outlet for Calvin.  If he's not drawing designs on them, he's thinking of ways to make them better.  

During the day, he had a job interview!!!  On his birthday!!!  He was so nervous.  It was with Kmart, and it's that time of year they are looking for seasonal work, so he applied.  He got a call back and has a second interview next Friday (because he's in school during the week!).  He was so excited.  I really hope he gets it. He works so hard to get a job.  He's put in so many applications and he just needs a foot in the door so that he'll have something on a resume to apply to other places with.  He is an example of perseverance and patience.  It has been hard, but he keeps going and trying.  

Then Calvin and I went to lunch.  He said, "I don't want it to be expensive, I just want to go out with you and dad".  Scott had a really busy day, and couldn't break away for lunch, so Calvin and I went to Sonic :).  It was fun to hang out with him and that he wanted alone time with us/me.  Then I was going to pay for the boys to go see the movie "Here Comes the Boom" (I thought it was a good/funny movie and wanted the boys to see it), but Alec had gone out on a date (didn't tell us that he was), and Dallen got invited to go to a haunted barn/corn maze.  So, for cheaper, we bought the movie "Avengers" (Calvin hadn't seen it yet) because we couldn't rent it anywhere in town, and stayed home and watched that and had some pie (we forgot to bring out the ice cream!).   

He said he had a good day, and I am glad.  He's a great kid and we were reflecting on how it seems weird that he's only "17" because he has seemed so much older.  

The rest of us are doing well.  Derrek sounded like he was doing better this last week, and that is good.  I know it will be hard for him, but that is fine.  We all need a little rough patches to remember when things are good.  Alec and Calvin, both at different times, rolled their quad in the yard on the same day!  Calvin scraped up his face pretty good and then felt dizzy for the next day or so...even fainted in the shower!  Alec wouldn't go help him or check on him because he was naked and so he came and got me and just yelled to Calvin, "are you ok?".  Calvin got up and said, "dude, I think I just fainted" and Alec said, "yah, you fell hard".  That's when I came in and I'm just glad he was ok!  Alec scraped up his hand and such pretty good and after that, they decided they are going to sell the thing!  

Ashton, I think, is no longer in FFA...well, he at least can't go on their field trips, because he wouldn't sell their fundraiser of at least 5 boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts for $10 each.  I asked him why he wouldn't sell at least five and he said "Mom!  They are $10!  That is so expensive for donuts!".  I just laughed because I realized I have taught them well, but have missed the whole point of fund raisers!  So, I told him to see if he can still do it, but I haven't heard anything and it is up to him whether or not he wants to stick to it.  I just thought it was funny he wouldn't sell them because he thought they were too expensive and couldn't ask others to pay for something that was so overpriced!  Love it!

Ashton also caught a large horny toad during 2nd period this last week, at school, and carried it around all during school (I'm not sure how he got away with that!), and brought it home.  The poor thing!  Anyway, it escaped out of the box Ashton had it in (Ashton tends to forget to put a lid on...we've lost a frog, snake, and lizard because of this!).  Anyway, we found it and as part of it's defense, it shoots blood from it's eyes and so after that, we let it go outside.  Poor thing!  

Well, I think that's it for this last week.  Check out Derrek's blog (elderderrekbowler.blogspot.com) for updates on him and my parent's mission blog is fun to read, too (steurersinitaly.blogspot.com).  They all seem to be doing well.  We'll hear from Derrek tomorrow (Monday is his P-day), and so I am sure I'll be posting another letter tomorrow from him.