Memories through the Years with Heidi

When I am really behind in my life….my tendency is to want to do nothing. But alas, I know from experience, that doesn't really help.  So, I guess I will start somewhere.  How about first with a big LATE 40th BIRTHDAY to my sister, Heidi!  I was trying to find new pictures that I didn't use for my sister Jennifer's Birthday, back here.  I am sorry, Heidi, the 90s were just not a good look for us.  I swear most of the pictures I found were really terrible.  

Like this one circa 1990…what is going on people?  Jennifer was off at the BYU, and she might be grateful about that.  Michael and David are looking pretty cute.  Heidi looks good.  Me? When your bangs are as tall as the entire length of your head, that is when you know a terrible fashion mistake has been made.  Oh, well, good times...

Jennifer graduated from High School in Belgium.  She left straight to college when we moved to Kansas.  Heidi and I became a lot closer here as we spent her last two years of High School together.  I have lots of fun memories at church, seminary, firesides, and dances with her.  Back then we just didn't take pictures like we do now, so the few we have are really lame.  I still think this one is funny, because it just shows us (or more me) goofing around as normal.  

Here we are at Heidi's High School Graduation with Dad.  

This was my 16th Birthday Party, at you guessed it, Girls Camp.  Thanks to Heidi and my mom, they surprised me with a little party and I REALLY was surprised.  Heidi was always taking care of me through those years and beyond. If I needed gum, Heidi had it.  Clothes to borrow (or steal)…Heidi.  Spare change?  Heidi.   She was always responsible and organized and I depended on her to  help me out of any situation.  (Probably not the most healthy thing, but what are big sisters for!?) 

After we moved from Kansas, we moved into my grandparent's house for a summer.  Mornings began like this…all dressed up and wide awake for family scripture study.  This must have been on my birthday again.  Heidi is cuddled up with her baby blanket, as usual.  (She still sleeps with it.)

Warning:  Another hideous picture.  (Mom, you look good.)  This was at my Senior Commencement Dance.  Where did I get my dress?  It was Heidi's Prom Dress from a couple year's earlier…thanks, Heidi!  I am pretty sure I borrowed every single dress I ever wore to a dance.  That is what you get for being girl #3.  

Before you ask yourself about Heidi's mushroom cut in the above picture….remember the year was 1993/1994.  Think "Sleepless in Seattle".  

Remember Sam's first wife?  We thought she was so cutting edge and chic?  When I see this picture of Heidi, especially in that loose flowing dress, it just reminds me Sam's wife in the movie... 

Hey, I am no Meg Ryan, but in looking for a picture of Sam's first wife, I found this picture. I would say my dress is pretty close there!

Now jump back about 12 years…here we are in Maryland I believe. 

Heidi, cousin Rebecca, and I.  (Logan, Utah)  

We were in my Grandma Adams's front yard during a vacation. Of course, we were doing some sort of play.  

Thirty years later… (Gilbert, Arizona)

Over the years Heidi was always supportive of me in track, cheerleading and gymnastics.  I still remember in 6th grade she told me she would buy be a shake from the local Burger King in Germany if I won my mile race.  I didn't win, but she still cheered me all the way.  It was fun to be able to pay her back last year after all the times she cheered for me!

Love the bangs here…a little rabbit hunting trip with my Dad when we lived in Colorado.  Someone in the store took this picture of us.  

Heidi and I (Just loved that little kitchen set!)

Probably my least favorite picture of us…taken in Turkey.  I kind of wish we had adopted the local fashionable Burka at the time, it would have hid our scary hair. At least we brought our Liz Claiborne purses with us to the Mediterranean

Probably my favorite picture of us...

Thanks for all the laughs...

Happy Late 40th Birthday, Heidi Ann!

I LOVE YOU LOTS! Thanks for all you have done for me through the years! 

I hope that this next decade brings much happiness and joy!  

Time and a Season

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to week, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance…."

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

This is one of my favorite scriptures and overall concepts that brings peace in life. 

 However, to be honest, whenever I hear the actual scripture…I just hear it read in Kevin Bacon's voice. You know what I am talking about.  Footloose anyone?  ("a time to DANCE")

If I am not thinking about Footloose I start singing "Turn, Turn, Turn" by The Byrds…think Forrest Gump Soundtrack, 1994.  

Ok, but seriously, I think it helps put everything into perspective.  For sure it puts the "big" things into perspective.  Things like dying and whatnot.  But it also helps with the little things that we sometimes tell ourselves we are missing out on.  If you are not getting to that vacation you dreamed off, not working out like you wanted to because you are occupied with little ones, pretty much anything I feel bad about "not getting too" I just chalk it up to not being the season for right now.   I think the key to enjoying the stage of life when your kids are really small and you really can't do much, is to just get over it.  Accept that you can't go skiing all the time, go on the same vacations,  whatever it is that you used to do.  Once you get over that already, you don't sit and feel bad about it in your head every time you are faced with a hard choice.  And looking back I never regret those things I thought seemed like sacrifices at the time.  Little things like, not getting to ride barely any rides at Disney Land because you are 7 months pregnant.  (And you have a cranky two year old, and you look hideous.)

Having a new nursing baby on your family beach vacation kind of puts of a kink in your "relaxing" time at the beach. Going out on the boat and wake boarding isn't usually happening.  And to top it all off, if you only looked cute and skinny you could handle it all.  But instead you are wearing a pregnancy swimming suit and it is impossible to nurse discretely.  It is all a sacrifice, and one that you won't give a rip about later.  

Even trips to Exotic Locations were more like this…(diapers, floaties, strollers included).

Not a lot of snorkeling and hiking about.  My recommendation?  Just get a local pool pass if you want to take the kids to the pool.  

I like our season of life right now.  I wish it could just stay.  It will only be a few years and I will never again have all my kids living under one roof, and I won't have a squishy toddler that can say pretty much anything and it sounds funny. 

I love gymnastics with Annie…she is the one is Gray Sweatpants and the pink top.  

With four boys in a row, Cub Scouts seemed like it would go on for years, but in only two more years, no more Cub Scouts…THAT seems crazy.  (Michael received his Webelos Patch last night.)

Dance parties...

One old enough to drive, and one young enough to squish. 

And even moments like this one I found captured on my iPhone.  I am trying to plan the week out and Sophie was having a meltdown on the counter, and some child that took the picture obviously thinking it was all very funny.  

 It makes me sad, but I know I just need to enjoy each season, and just like there is something to love about Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall…there will always be something good to find about the season of life I am in.  

Want to know what is good about Winter here?  I was thinking about January and February and was thankful that God gave us Downton Abbey to watch during those months.  It gives us something to look forward to after Christmas and gets us through to March, when Spring is right around the corner.  See, you have to find joy in the small things.  So when I think, "I can't WAIT till the next Season of Downton!"  I just remember that with Downton, comes Winter, and then I can wait.  

Enjoy your Season.  

It feels like Spring and Tragic Pie Story

Today my Dad took Luke skiing with him and I wish I was with them!  It is BEAUTIFUL outside with some serious sunshine.  My kind of ski day!  I feel Spring in the air and I love it!

We took Sophie for skiing for the first time with the family on President's Day.  She loved it.  

It was also a beautiful day, but very windy up top.  Since I was with Sophie though, I stayed at the bottom of the hill.  

She looked so cute!  There were some younger kids there that day, but I think she was the perfect age.  Old enough to "sort of" get what she was doing.  She is fearless and very competitive, so that helps!

Dad and Sophie

Mom and the girls…with the hula hoop.  It is a saving grace skiing with a little one.  I used it on Annie too and it made things a cinch!  And don't even laugh at my outfit.  It's vintage…circa 1998.  It is seriously so dorky and my kids laugh at me, however, a new ski outfit for mom never seems to make it to the top of the priority list. 

Sassy Sophie and Annie all grown up now.  

Can't help it…had to throw in this one cause what is that face? 

Little kids just make everything look cute.  Puffy ski gear…cute.  Boots, cute.  Mittens, cute. 

Check out that happy face! "Come on, Mom!"  It was awesome having EVERY kid there!  Finally!  Maybe one of these days I will see the older boys ski.  They did come down and do a "family" run with us, but usually I don't see them all day!

Joshua is so lucky, he seriously has the best friends and they all live really close. They do everything together.  I wish this picture showed what they looked like this night a little better.  They are COVERED with mud.  Like, covered.  Good work guys. 

I am so glad these two have each other. It is so cute to see them watching TV cause they usually hold hands.  I love it. 

The 8 and 9 year old girls from church surprised me with Valentines they hung on my door!  What a sweet surprise!

My sister Jennifer just  put new couches in her family room She called and said she was getting rid of their beloved couches they have had for 11 years.  I volunteered to take the old ones off her hands since we don't have couches in the basement.  However, once we got them to our house, I decided (and then talked Ryan into) putting our leather sectional in the basement and these in our family room.  I love it!  Even the boys all like it better!  (Seriously guys, trust me on these things!)  I switched pictures around, and moved a dresser into this room, and presto…new family room without a single trip to the store. Just moving things around.   

I love to switch furniture and decorations around.  Like REALLY switch it around.  Sometimes I have to talk people into my games.  I am so glad Joshua can do it now and I can usually snag a friend of his and I don't even  have to bother Ryan with my silly plans.  I blame it on my military upbringing. I am used to change and moving, so it is just my way of "moving" without moving.  It makes me happy, especially since we are renting our house and I can't sink my paws into anything to make any perm.  changes, and I don't have money to go buy new things, so this gives me my "fix".  I swear, if you hate your house, or you want something new, just move things around, clean it up, organize something, and you will feel much better!  With all my winter decor gone, I am doing some serious de-JUNKING and donating. Spring is in the air!

And finally, speaking of cleaning….while on a weekend away in Utah I purchased this Chocolate Cream Pie.  I could not bare to part with it, so set it on my front seat for my ride back to Idaho.  Of course, I got hungry on the way home and tried to eat some with a fork, while balancing it, and lets just say one tap to the break and this happened.  So tragic, and yet so typical.  I think it was the universe speaking to me, trying to save me from hours of calorie ridden bites of cream pie on my way home.  (Did I mention it said each slice had like 560 calories?)  Every time I am greedy and try to take something home with me, it gets smashed, and by the time I get it home it no longer even looks appealing and I might as well just chuck it.  I can sadly report this from experiences just this week- smuggling donuts home from a Relief Society gathering for my kids, and then cupcakes from a birthday gathering only to drop them on the cement and then shamelessly trying to salvage them anyway.  

And that is the end of my pie on car floor story.  

PS At least I didn't try to salvage this one.  (Don't think I wouldn't have tried if I could.)

The week leading up to Valentines

A week on my phone...

Facts about Sophie:

*She dresses herself everyday. 

 Lately, I just go with it.  Sometimes I suggest a change.  She gets dressed the second her eyes open and often I am downstairs cleaning up from the school kids. 

*She loves "spicy chips". 

*She likes the dogs and they like her. 

Thanks to a dear friend I got a manicure AND a pedicure last weekend.  A very rare treat.  It makes me feel happy every time I look at my nails. 

Another rare treat…I spent two days with these ladies and it was so relaxing and fun to catch up and give each other encouragement as mothers!

A staple at Grand Targhee Resort died this week after a battle with Cancer.  As I read about him, it makes you want to be the kind of person that influences everyone around you for the positive.  It doesn't take much, often just a smile.  

Sophie accidentally spilled her drink at Costa Vida.  She felt so busted she made the funniest face, but of course I didn't get it captured soon enough.  She still looks a little busted here though...

She is a softy...

Annie and her twin friend Isabella.  Seriously, when I have them out in public together they look like twins!

Making Valentines is hard work.  

Ryan has been out of town and it hasn't been to bad, but last night I was feeling the stress as my house looked like this and James needed homework help and there was no dinner on the horizon.  AHHHHH!  Deep Breath.  

This morning it was worth it because they were so excited to bring their Valentines and Boxes to school.  This was the conversation I overheard as we were rushing to get out the door:

Michael: "So, do you have any ladies you are gonna give a Valentine to?" 

Luke (really contemplative and serious): "No, there are not really any hotties this year."  

Luke took this of me last night bringing the girls up to bed.  Both wanted me to hold them.  I didn't make it far.  The older boys have been awesome this week helping me get the kids to bed since I have gone to my exercise class twice, (it is at 830 at night), had a school board meeting, and a late night trip to the store.  It is amazing!  They are getting more responsible and they can actually put the little ones to bed in a pinch.  With 4 boys as the oldest I wasn't sure if this would actually happen.  Horray!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO RYAN!!!!!  I LOVE YOU!!!!  Hurry home!  XOXO