Giveaway

Hoping to win this! Go here if you want a chance too!

http://www.hapari.com/

Answered Prayers and a Tribute

ADDENDUM: I just have to share this comment that a reader left me, I am so grateful for it, she said it best: Jeanette said...Just wanted to add, after going back and looking at the photos you posted again, I love how the temple is a beacon of light, shining even brighter than the fire, letting us know where the real power lies. Not in devastation, but in hope and faith.

Wow!!! What a night! I live about 2 miles from the massive Herriman (machine gun fire) All night I watched out my window the devastation, it was quite frightening seeing the fire come so close to homes. My family and I said many many prayers last night that the homes would be spared, that the families would be comforted, and that the firefighters would be protected. Our prayers were not the only ones. Herriman is an extremely religious area, and I can only imagine the hundreds of thousands of prayers that were said last night. Our prayers were truly answered! Last night as I watched the fire raging, I thought that there were going to be at least 100 homes lost, if not more. This morning, they announced that only 4 homes were lost! I couldn't believe it! I watched a video taken this morning from a news chopper, and there were homes that were completely surrounded by burnt land, and the house was still standing. Many homes had flames that burnt up to 5 feet away and the home never burnt! They were saying that it was a miracle that more weren't lost, but I know it was a loving Heavenly Father who protected those homes and helped those firefighters do what they did to protect property. It is humbling to see how quickly a fire can roar down a mountain side. Some people were literally running away from the fire as it came towards their homes. I just had to say how grateful I am that our prayers were answered, and that everything looks like it will be okay. My heart and prayers go out to those who did loose so much, one family lost their home of 35 years, and left with only the shirts on their backs, they couldn't save anything because it came so fast. Thank you to the firefighters, police men, CERT volunteers, and National Guards men who are fighting this fire! And thanks to the families of these people who are serving us, I can't even imagine the fear they have felt over the past 18 hours.
Here are just a few photos of the fire. Just a little to close to home for comfort!
















To see more photos, go to KSL.com, or FOX13now.com

I Do Believe In Spooks...

Howdy! Sad that the only time I update this blog is to tell you about my other blog! :D Kinda makes me feel like i am cheating on my blog! Shhhhh...don't tell!
So on September 30th (usual 8:00 time) We are going to make this:
The cost is $12 and as usual includes everything you need. You can check out more photos of it and more details (like how big it is) on my other blog. Click HERE

Answered Prayers

Becca- you said it best, that the best part of a big family is that you have that many more people praying for the ones you love. OUR PRAYERS WERE ANSWERED!!! My mom's surgery was a HUGE success. The test results came back and she does not have cancer any where else! They tested all the surrounding tissue and lymph nodes, and all were cancer free! That means she will only need 6 weeks of radiation and no chemo!!! I am so happy and grateful! I love you so much mom, and you will still be in our prayers!
Thanks everyone for your love, support, and prayers! I love you all so much!

My Mom

I am having a really hard time today. I fasted for my mom today. My family just found out on Thursday that my mom has breast cancer. I don't even know what to say, I love her so much, and I don't want her to go through what she is going to have to. I wish I could take it away from her, and do all the suffering for her. She has been through so much in her life (wasn't raising 9 kids trial enough!:) My mom is all I can think about, and I hope my sister doesn't mind, but I am going to copy a post she did on Mother's Day about my mom onto this post. If you don't know my mom, this is a pretty good summary of my mother and my childhood.

"This year I want to tell you a little about my mom! I know everyone says they have the best mom, but I truly do!

My mom gave birth to 9 kids; 6 girls and 3 boys. 5 of the nine of us are born in a 5 1/2 year time frame. All nine of us married in the temple. All of us girls earned our Young Women in Excellence awards and all 3 boys are Eagle Scouts.

My mom fixed a hot breakfast every morning except Sunday which was cold cereal day. We got oatmeal, cream of wheat, pancakes, waffles, eggs, or biscuits all made from scratch. Nothing from a box. I won't lie and say we loved every hot breakfast. We became pros at hiding uneaten lumpy oatmeal and or drowning it in sugar and syrup! She would find cold bowls of cream of wheat hidden under coats and backpacks in the hallway.

My mom ground her own wheat and made fresh whole wheat bread. She always seemed to time it so it came out of the oven right before we got home from school so we had fresh warm bread with melted butter and sweet honey for our after school snack. If it wasn't bread day, we had fresh warm cookies to dunk in cold milk.

My mom was/is an incredible seamstress. She made Pound Puppies, Care Bears, Cabbage Patch Kids, and all kinds of "popular" toys so we still had "the cool" toy. I still have 2 of my Pound Puppies! My mom made everything from summer outfits to bathing suits to dresses. She drew the line at jeans but underwear was not off limits! Every Easter and Christmas all the girls received a new beautiful home-made dress of our choosing. Sometimes a birthday dress too! Many nights, we fell asleep to the hum of Mom's sewing machine. For my wedding and several of my sister's, she made our wedding dresses along with the brides-maid dresses. Mine was hand beaded and unbelievably gorgeous! I was a princess on my wedding day. She has also sewn many of her 28 grand-baby's blessing outfits. Tailored to fit perfectly and just what the new mommy wanted for her baby!

Each year for our birthday's, my mom made us a special cake. When you are one of 9, it can be hard to feel like an individual but we knew that on our birthday it was OUR DAY! No chores, whatever we wanted for dinner, and a fun birthday cake made just for us! This is a tradition I have tried to carry on with my own kids and I love doing it! The cake I remember the most was a carousal cake. It was beautiful with a lacy paper doily for the top. Someone lit the candles and everyone started to sing happy birthday. Suddenly that paper doily caught fire and things got a little exciting! Very memorable!!

My mom did a great job of allowing us to learn how to love living creatures by owning small critters. I can't tell you how many hamsters, guinea pigs, and other small furry critters we had. She drew the line at scales; no snakes or lizards allowed! Many times our little friends would die in the heart of winter and we could not bear to just throw our friends away without a proper burial. Sometimes she knew and other times we just did it, but we would wrap those tiny bodies in toilet paper and place them lovingly in a small shoe box and then freeze them in the extra freezer until it was warm enough to dig a hole in the ground. One time she even gave one of the frozen hamsters to a group of youth on a scavenger hunt!

This post may make my mom seem like she is perfect but she is as human as the rest of us. I can thank her for my amazing procrastination skills. Many times we received our birthday gift only partially sewn with the promise to complete it a.s.a.p. I can keep a clean house but I am not so good at conquering the daily clutter. I have Mom to thank for this skill!

My mom is an incredibly giving, loving, and accepting person. She does not speak ill of others, does not offer advice unless asked for it, and will do anything for you. She has a deep pure testimony of the gospel. She shows this testimony through her every action and word. I love my mom with all my heart and hope that my own kids will feel this kind of love for me someday! More importantly, I hope and pray I will earn this kind of love as my mom has with every tear wiped and hug shared! I love you MOM!" - Melissa Johnson (Finch)

Not only that, but she and my dad have served 3 missions since I have been married. They were just contemplating a fourth, before this came up.

I love you so much mom, and hope and pray that everything will be okay.
You are in my prayers.

Craft Night! (you won't want to miss!)

I can't wait to do this craft night! Fall is my favorite time to decorate, and these are by far one of my favorite decorations! The cost is $10. For more info, go HERE!
Can't wait!

Giveaway!

Hey everyone, I am a looser and no longer keep this blog updated. Sorry, I just enjoy the craft blog world so much more! :) For those of you who don't follow my craft blog, thought you might want to know about a giveaway I am doing. I am giving away handmade anklets. Check it out and enter the giveaway HERE. Love you all! :)

Calling all crafters...

I am going to start getting the wood for our craft night this next week, but I am not sure who all is coming. I've had several people mention they are coming, but I can't remember everyone, so if you are planning on making the candle sticks, please leave me a comment. Also, if you want to do them but can't come May 12th, I will give you the pieces and paint for you to do on your own time, then just come by my house and we can assemble them (takes about 10-20 minutes). Sisters, neighbors, strangers, anyone is welcome! If you want to see what we are making, go HERE. If you can't get me the money by next week, we can work that out- I don't want anyone to miss out!

Craft Night!!! (and new blog)

K so I finally got some fire in my pants and finished putting my craft blog together. Check it out HERE! And I am going to do a craft night - everyone is welcome! The details are on my craft blog, but here is a picture of what we will be making, big n' chunky candlesticks!
Super cute huh? I LOVE mine!

A Funny Thing Happened...

Earlier tonight I was sitting at the computer when I see Logan come out of his room. It became apparent rather quickly that he was not awake - he was sleep walking for the first time that I know of. He took a wrong turn into the laundry room, so I gently tried to coax him back to bed. I realized that he had to go potty, so I took him in, helped him out (he was still asleep and muttering "I want to go home now!") and when he was done he started crying and saying that he had to go poop. So I put him on the toilet, wait a while and get tired of waiting, so I leave for a minute. When I came back, this is what I found. He was sound asleep on the bathroom floor! I was laughing so dang hard and ran for the camera since Max is out of town and I didn't want him to miss out. Too dang cute!


After I woke him up he just put his thumb back in and went right back to sleep!

So then as I am downloading these pictures, I remember a similar instance with Max!
This was about two years ago, and at 3 in the morning Max sits up in bed in a panic, keeps tapping me on the arm and insisting that "we need to get out of here!" He then grabs his pillow and crawls over me to get out of bed, only to curl up on the floor next to the bed and go back to sleep. Funny thing is I couldn't wake him and he slept there the rest of the night. I got a good laugh about that one too and am so glad I took a picture for proof! He looks just like a bigger version of Logan!!!

Like Father Like Son!!!

From Newborn to Crawling!

So I can't believe the last pictures I posted of Josh were when he was a newborn and now I have a full fledged crawler!!! Here's some video of the first day of crawling. In just a few days he became pro and now there is no stopping this monster!



And just for kick and giggles here's some photos from the past 8 months.

About 6 weeks old. He finally learned to love his swing!

About 2 months old, he loved to look at bright books. He was so good at lifting his head early because he is a belly sleeper and has been since day 1

The three musketeers. (3 months old)


Josh was a little lost boy for Halloween (4 months old)


Rachel made a bed for Josh one morning to keep him happy. (4 months)


Logan and Josh with their sleepy faces bright and early one morning. (5 months)


Josh finally learned to sit up (5 months)

Watching tv in moms room (8 months)


He decided to help me "un-decorate" valentines decorations by eating a wreath! (8 months)

I need opinions!!!

For some reason I think I need to start a new blog, because I am so fantastic at keeping this one updated! But I am determined to try.
I am going to start a blog where I will post all my projects. But I am having serious issues deciding on a name. My favorites were "Which Craft," "Holy Craft," and "Monkey See Monkey Do," but they are not available! :( So PLEASE vote on the poll to the right. Thanks! And stay tuned, I have some dang cute ideas and am seriously thinking about doing a monthly craft night again.
Suggestions are welcome too! Just leave me a comment!

# 7

cell phones
At least I WAS greatful for them! Mine suddenly for no apparent reason stopped working the week before Thanksgiving and it is driving me crazy not having it! It's a good thing I have the strange ability to remember phone #'s, so I am okay there, but when I am out and about and can't call, it drives me crazy. You all know me- I LOVE to talk, so I hate being limited.
I always complain that I don't like my Blackberry, but now that it doesn't work, I suddenly Love it - go figure.

#5 and #6

#5 Prayer
I am so grateful that I have a constant open "line" to my Savior. I love it that there are no monthly fees or taxes or busy signals, call waiting, or dropped calls. My Savior hears my prayers anytime, anywhere. I am constantly amazed at His love for me. I have such a strong testimony of prayer and I think the majority of the day I am saying small prayers for the littlest and biggest things. I don't doubt He listens, for I have seen proof time and time again as my prayers are always answered.

#6 All those who help me during Sacrament Meeting :)
Thanks so much Ali for watching and seeing when I have to leave with Josh and just coming and sitting with my kids without me even asking. It's so nice to know they are cared for. Thanks also Karen for loving to hold babies - especially my drool monster! It was so nice today to be able to actually hear the testimonies and feel the spirit so strong. And thanks Brother Hill for entertaining my kids from the seat behind us with all your drawings and stencils - they love it. I tell you - I have the best ward ever!

#4

It's 1 in the morning, but I couldn't go to bed without posting or it would never happen.
So # 4 is ...
...I am so grateful for the best neighbors in the world! I LOVE my neighborhood! Here's a shout out for all you who are constantly there for me, from watching my kids ALL the time, to killing giant spiders with a gazillion babies on their backs, to sitting on lawn chairs and eating popsicles all summer long, to helping me chase down mice in the walls, to driving our Christmas tree home for us, and for all those who were willing to do it :), for all those times they lend me stuff when I am out of the main ingredient for dinner on a Sunday - or any day of the week for that matter, and all the countless other things I always seem in need of. Thanks for putting up with all my crazy quirks and endless projects. I couldn't make it without all of you!
And thanks to Jeremy for fullfilling your "calling" so well! :)
(once he was asked what his calling in the ward was and he replied, "helping the bishops' wife!" -the sad thing it is totally true - hope you don't mind me sharing! :)

31 things to be grateful for

So it's been forever! Life is just crazy here. Between 3 kids and Max being bishop and traveling more than ever - I never can find time to sit at this computer. But, as Christmas nears, I can't help but feel extremely blessed and I want to post one thing I'm grateful for each day of this month. See, I'm already 3 days late - that's me for ya!

So here is #1 -
I'm very very very grateful for my husband Max. He is such an amazing dad and husband. I am grateful for his love for me and the Lord. He is so faithful in all he does and serves as a constant reminder to always try to be my best in all I do (still have a lot of work to do). Love you Max

# 2 -
I'm grateful for my children (as I sit here Josh is crying and Rachel and Logan are fighting over who gets to play with baby Jesus - go figure) But, snot, poop, drool and all, I would never trade them for anything! (atleast not at this moment - ask me tomorrow! :) My kids also serve as a constant reminder that I need to try harder to be better. I love them with all my heart.

# 3 -
My baby swing. I couldn't get squat done without it. Josh isn't far from outgrowing it - and I have no idea how I'll survive without it!

Stay tuned and I'll post more tomorrow, and I'll try to add some pictures too. Love you all!

By Apointment Only

A funny thing happened to me the other night. It was late and I was trying to fall back to sleep after feeding Josh. Max started to snore. The only time he snores is if he is on his back, so several times each night I make him roll over so I can sleep. So I lightly tap him on the shoulder and say "Max! You're snoring! Will you roll onto your side?" This is what I got in reply, "Call Brother McMullin and set up and appointment to see me, then we can talk." I started giggling like a school girl into my pillow - apparently even the Bishops wife needs an appointment to talk to him!!!
And Yes, he was asleep when he said that! :)

Joshua Hyrum Jenkins

Monday, June 22, 2009
7 lb 13 oz
20 1/4 in long
incredibly adorable!

I'm so sorry for all of you out-of-staters who have been waiting for this post, here it is, just a week late! (typical of me) So, IT'S A BOY!!!! (just in case you hadn't heard!) He finally came into this world at 5:30 pm on Monday, June 22. After a long day of labor, they finally told me just after 5:00 that it was time to start pushing. Compared to the other two, it was relatively easy (as if pushing out a baby is easy). No tearing, and no episiotomy! Which means no stitches!!! Healing has been quite nice this time around, I only downed the pain killers for 4 days compared to two weeks with the others. As to be expected I am exhausted, just ask my neighbors who have heard him screaming at 1 or 2 in the morning! :) But, when I look at how adorable he is, it makes it all worth it in the end! So without further ado, here's those long awaited pictures!

IT'S A BOY!!!


When he came out he was MAD!!! The nurse who took him kept saying how strong he was and that we better never leave him anywhere, because he won't be there when we get back! I told her I knew he was a wiggler because I felt him completely rotate in my stomach atleast 4 times that last week of pregnancy. He even tried to escape his little bed, I looked over and his little hand was in a death grip on the side as the nurse was trying to check him out. We tried to get a picture but missed it.


Proud and exhausted mommy



Proud and well rested daddy :)


Rachel wanted a girl, but couldn't resist falling instantly in love with that cute little face!


Logan is just excited to have a baby!
He kept asking "Is he mine?" - yes, forever and ever!



One big happy family - just minus mom who is still paralyzed from the epideral.


A very tired mom and Joshua after coming home from the hospital. (2 days old)


All in a days work - Joshua chillin' with daddy while he works on the computer. (3 days old)


We tried to get an open eye shot, didn't work too well. He sleeps like his daddy. (3 days old)


Hangin' out in the swing. (5 days old)


Finally that open eye shot we'd been waiting for. (6 days old)


This kid loves his car seat - he'll sleep for hours in it. This was after coming home from the ultrasound. (7 days old)


Can't resist taking a picture of those huge yawns!


His latest photo - he's asleep on the bed while I'm doing this post. (I know I'm a bad mom letting him sleep on his belly, but hey, I'm in the room and he sleeps ten times better and longer like that!) (9 days old)


ULTRASOUND UPDATE...
So he had his ultrasound yesterday, and it went pretty well. His right kidney still has quite a bit of fluid on it, and the left has a smaller amount. But here's the good news, the uretercele that was in the bladder has completely disapeared! Although that confuses me because they said that was what was causing the fluid in the kidneys. So now I wonder if that is gone now, will the kidneys slowly drain on their own? I am sure hoping so! I am going to ask my doctor for another ultrasound in about 6 weeks to see, so that if we can avoid those other painful tests, we can. I think he has been so blessed by all your prayers. Thank you everyone!

And thanks to my incredible mother-in-law who stayed with us for over a week, and ran my house for me. The meals were great and she left my house so clean, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! And thanks to Max for taking this whole week off to help out with the kids, he is loving it and so are Rachel and Logan. Thanks also to all my wonderful neighbors for all the yummy food and all the help with my kids. I love you all!