First Day of Kindergarten!

My littlest man started kindergarten!! He was SOOOOO happy to finally be going!! He was up at 10 to 7am. He ate breakfast, got a haircut, took a shower and was dressed to his shoes by 9 am!

Sadly... he didn't start school until well after lunch! LOL

He was so excited for before first day picures that he was jumping up and down!

WOOT! WOOT! FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

Oh yeah!! Oh Yeah!!

We had to find something to occupy his time... so we sat outside and he rode his bike, WITH his backpack on... tee hee hee

Then he wanted to tell Gram that he was going to school today. So I gave him my cell phone...

And he chatted away.. .while riding his bike! ACK! Bad habits start young! Bwahahaha

A few minutes later his bestest buddy and his mom came to get us and we drove to the school.

Our cute little boys!

Off we go! We aren't babies no more...

This is my class!!!

His teacher is just AWESOME!! She is in our ward and we just love her!

Caleb found his desk, by reading his name on a tag! (he is such a smartie pants!) He dove into his paper at his desk and I barely got a goodbye! LOL

Now...here... as the mommy... I have to admit:

I was SO happy for him! He was so happy! I walked him into his classroom. He found his desk. I told him goodbye and "have a great day"! And I walked out the door...

and a few steps away...

my eye lids sprung a leak! I could not stop crying! Even as I type I am getting tears in my eyes! So silly! I am happy for him! I am happy for me. Time alone again.

But I am so sad inside too!

A chapter of my life has closed. It is over.

No more babies that are mine.

They are all school attending little people!

*sigh*

I cried... like a baby.

Yup. I did.

And I wandered around like a lost puppy dog.

Ah. So fun.

On to the next phase of life! Momy of School Age/Jr. High children here I come! *WINK*

Last Day

Today is my last day.

Last day to be the mom of "little kids at home".

Last day of keeping my ever busy "baby" occupied since his siblings, and best friends, all went to school.

Last day to have him all to myself.

Last day of having someone with me... all. the. time.

Last day of a phase in my life that I loved, toughed out, relished, endured and learned so very much from.

It's my last day with my baby at home...

Tomorrow he starts kindergarten...

and life will never be the same again.

It's very... VERY... bittersweet.

Here are some new blog posts... sorry they are not in order for your enjoyment... but since this is my "scrapbook" of sorts, I decided it needed to go chronologically. :) Enjoy!

Baptisms for the Dead

Pinewood Derby 2010

Our dearest friends

Testimony Builder

1st Day of School 2010

Mommy all alone?

A conversation with Caleb, talking about him going to Kindergarten next week...

MOM: Are you excited to start Kindergarten in a few days now that you have met your teacher?

CALEB: Yes. But Mommy! You goin' be all awone at home?

MOM: Yep I am! Sad huh?

To which he replied, "It will be ok... you can come sit outside my cwass and wait for me to be done if you want." :)

What a sweet kid! Such a sacrifice on his part for his sad... and soon-to-be home all alone Mommy! LOL!Ah the joys of putting your youngest baby in school!

Testimony Builder

We had a very neat experience at our house! Jestin has been working on a steel fabrication job for his uncle the last few weeks. Today he was grinding some metal. He said he saw a light out of the corner of his eye and ignored it for a bit. But when it didn't go away he looked down. His shirt was on FIRE!!!

He patted it out frantically and then looked at his temple garment underneath. There was brown burn marks on the outside of his garment, but nothing on the back side.

The kids were in awe... what a testimony builder about the blessings given for our temple garments! I am so thankful he did not get burned today! We feel very blessed!

First Day of School

First day of school 2010

We sent the first 3 kids to school today!

Cameron - 3rd Grade

Emmalee - 7th Grade

Jr. High!!! Can you believe it??

Cody - 6th Grade

They love their school and so do I! I have had many people question our choice about a Charter School, but I know it is what is right for my kids. I love the atmosphere, I love the devotion to America, the REAL America, and the deep immersion into the principles of the founding fathers and constitution. I love that my children are free to learn as fast or as slow as they need to. I love that they teach them the basics from 7 Habits of Highly Sucessful people. I have just loved it all. And so do the kids!

Emma is taking Intro to Voice, Hip Hop and Drama, as well as her main curriculum. She can start chasing her interests NOW, instead of waiting until High School in public school. Next semester she is taking Piano lessons as well! It's AWESOME!!

Cody is taking his 2nd year of Drama. Yep. Drama. In 6th grade. It has been SOOO good for him! He loves it! He really likes his teacher this year. I think he reminds me of Cody...so that is awesome. Great minds and all that. *wink*

 Cam's teacher is also a man this year. He reminds me a lot of our Brother-in-law Greg. In fact, when we met him, we were talking about it as we left the school... to which Cam says, "Yeah, but he doesn't SMELL like Greg!" We all laughed and laughed! He then told us that Greg smells like deodorant. LOL. Who knew?

Caleb is not too happy! He doesn't start school until the 31st. It's "jus' not fair!". Poor boy.

This is my favorite though... Daddy helpin' his little girl with her hair before school *GRIN* I have SUCH a cute family!

Special thanks to Mom & Dad and Ma & Dad for helping us to get the kids the school supplies they needed. And for Aunt Jenny for spoiling Emma with a pre-school shopping trip.

We are so blessed!!!

Oh how I love August storms!! And my home sweet home....

Caleb-ism

Upon observing Mom take her medicines in the morning at breakfast:

Caleb: Why you take dat medicine?
Mom: For my heart.
Caleb: Oh! So da food doesn't go down and break your heart?
Mom (laughing): No! It helps my heart to work right.
Caleb: Oh! So it worked all wrong, but now it sees da medicine coming and works right?

Yep. That is exactly how it works little man! :)

I have been so busy...

and boy do I know it!

July has been full and busy. We had family here, went to a reunion, had a yard sale, had a camping trip and an 11 yr old boy had a birthday, all the while I have been trying to get a ward cookbook made up! It's been a blast and has kept sadness about the non-changing economic status in my life from really getting me down.

I am so excited about this ward cookbook! I have typed in almost 300 recipes so far!! The ward members only have 2 more weeks to get them into me and I have about 2 more weeks after that to get them all entered! Then we will do proofs etc and hope to have them off to the presses, to be arriving in time for Thanksgiving/Christmas gift giving! I have LOVED reading the recipes and imagining all the dear people in my ward making these recipes for their families! It's has been SOO fun!!

Jes and I have been applying for jobs all over. I am secretly hoping I get the crossing guard position I applied for. A few hours a day I could commit to with my heart. 8 hours days I am not so sure. : \   Jes is hopeful that one of the jobs here locally will be "the one" as out of state work BITES so very much! LOL We are leaving it in the Lord's hands, after all we can do, and we are trying to be ok with it. It's tough. But we also know we are not alone... so that brings us comfort. And we keep being told to keep up our businesses too... so we do.

I think the hardest thing for me was this yard sale last weekend. We had nothing with which to pay our house payment. We didn't know what to do. I took the entire week and gathered everything we owned that wasn't SUPER sentimental, or things that could be replaced, and I tried to sell them on Saturday. I tried not to cry that whole morning. Bless my good friend Suzie for coming to help me... and not saying a word when I got a little quiet or would not budge on a price for something (because...well... if it didn't sell...I really wanted it to come back into my house! *blush* LOL) It was amazing! We had some great neighbors stop by, some good things sell, and a small check for JWD Electric come in... and all in all we made enough to pay our house payment and our tithing on what we had earned! It was a little miracle for us... and reminded me that "sacrifice brings forth the blessings from heaven". We must be doing something right... even if the "end" of this trial hasn't yet come almost 2 years later, we still have somehow made it this far. Somehow the Lord doesn't forget us. :) (though I have to honestly admit, I would love less "be patient" answers, and more "take this job on this day" kind of ones! *grin*)

And admittedly, I have seen blessings in our lives that go far beyond financial. Money really doesn't matter. (Hear that certain creditor that won't stop calling me? bwahahaha) My family matters. My testimony matters. My kids matter. My husband matters. Our friends matter. How I treat others matters. My relationship with God matters.

Life lessons are pouring in. My heart is often so full of love for the members of our ward, my family & friends I can hardly breathe! The things that used to make me crazy with my family, doesn't seem to effect me the same way. I like feeling complete peace. I don't have answers. But I have peace. And it is good!

Park Day in Heber

May 28, 2010 - Heber City Park

And they're off!!

We all rode with Jestin to look at a job in Park City and had a picnic on the way home. It was a lovely, lightly cloudy summer day. Jes was home from California for a couple of days... so we were making the most of any time we had with him!

So we packed a lunch and came home slowly...

Cuddling and ticklin' his Cub's

We LIKE this playground mom!

It was a lovely day! We love being a family!

July 4th at the Lake

Gram and Papa invited us to join them and the family on the lake Monday the 5th of July. We were pumped to go!

This is the one thing Jestin and I do not agree on for family fun! He is not a fan of the boat or of being the on water...

 (especially if he can't see the bottom - saw Jaws at WAY too young of an age! LOL)

and I LOVE it!! I could ride in the boat everyday!

Isn't he so cute??

He put on his "happy face" and went for the rest of us... who LOVE Papa's boat!

Especially THIS little monkey!! He was in "power" heaven! He wanted it fast and loud! LOL!

We got out the tubes and everyone who wanted to got a tow from Papa's boat. :)

Emma and Cody got to be one of the first! Papa kept bucking them out of the tube! LOL!

Code-Man lovin' the sun! He got a little "sea sick" because he laid down when we were stopped and the waves were strong... but otherwise all the kids did great!

Cam's turn!

He rode with Aunt Millie...

Caleb watching... and waiting so very patiently for HIS turn!

"SWEET!! My turn! With my Uncle Greg!"

"Then, Uncle Greg helped me learn to not be scared of swimming in the lake without being able to touch the bottom!"

"I DID IT! Did you see me Mom? I did it!"

McKenly was waiting for HER turn!

Oh I have such cute men in my life!

Kenly and her Mommy!

We had a really good time on the lake!

Emma and McKenly... they aren't related or anything huh??? WOW! I couldn't believe the resemblance!

After a few hours on the lake, we let the kids play on the "beach" - not that Utah Lake really has a beach per se, but they had a blast regardless! It was a perfect afternoon!

Can't wait to go again! Thanks for the invite Gram and Papa!! And a special thanks to the kids Aunts and Uncles! Your riding with the kids, when Dad doesn't love it and Mom knew she was not strong enough to swim etc that day... well... it really means a lot! We are so blessed with great family! :)

Happy 4th of July everyone!!

Randomness from my house:

As I type I can hear one of my chickens singing their "I am master of the universe!" song from just laying an egg. Huh. Reminds me I promised Jes I would go pick up chicken feed for him today since they haven't had feed in 3 days! (Thank heavens I am so good at letting produce go to waste or they would starve! *grin*)

Jes took Cody on his first scout campout this morning. They will be back tomorrow night. I can't quite believe my little man (even as the oldest little man) is a New Scout! He was VERY nervous about going. He tends to love scouts on a "read the book from cover to cover" kind of way. Acutally *doing* the projects is not really interesting to him. LOL. Hoping he finds some passion in it... and not complete annoyance for this super hot day he has to be out in! : /

Emmalee had a blast at girls camp. (Also...a first around here!) They initiated her with a snipe hunt... and she, along with her fellow "first years", fell for it hook, line, sinker and toothpaste on their face (to let the snipes know you are a friend you know!) They almost cancelled Girls Camp because of a Momma bear and her Cub in camp! So glad my husband did not pass on that tidbit of info until she was home again! Sheesh! She said the best part was how strong the Spirit felt while she was there. Sweet! The leaders succeeded in every way!

Cameron is B.O.R.E.D. Summer is making him crazy! When he first started school he struggled SO much with schedules... and now? He struggles without them. *sigh* We are trying some new tactics to curb the constant conflict he seems to have with his siblings ('cause you know... he's bored!) Instead of yelling at him (which does nothing but give him the attention he wants - negative or not - and never stops the episodes) We have been pulling him out of the situation and asking him to explain how what he was doing effects someone else... and how he would feel if it were him. Sad as it sounds, it is annoying to try and be loving and speak softly when all you want to do it bop him upside the head and tell him he knows better! LOL! It really has been working... and I think it boils down to the fact he just needs some one on one time and to know his opinion matters. (Even if he doesn't reallize he *has* that opinion until we talk it out) It has been a humbling experience. Frustrating. Annoying. And rewarding. Can't believe how different you really have to be with each kid! They all respond so differently!

Speaking of differently... just a funny side note... if I reprimand Cody in the slightest... he disssolves into tears and is devastated that he was "yelled at" - even if I NEVER even raised my voice. Interesting I tell ya! LOL! Kids sure keep you on your toes!

Caleb LOVES summer! He is in and out all day long! He loves sprinklers, the sand box, any and all bugs or spiders, popcilces and his "man car" (plasma car). He went to his kindergarten physical and the Dr. said his BMI was low. I laughed! This little man eats all. the. time! He just doesn't sit still long enough for it to stick to his ribs! LOL! He is very indifferent about going to school. He would rather play.

This week is going to be crazy fun at my house. Started last night with dinner at Ma's. My brother Brent and his family from WA for a week and a half, so we did an impromptu meal. We also had to throw together Jes and Cody's packs for scouts last night before we left for dinner, because I was not prepared for it to be the end of the week already! Bwahaha! We stayed at Ma's until 11pm. It was a good visit. BUT! We got Jes and Cody out the door to scout camp at 7:30 am.

Today I HAVE to get a bunch of financial begging over with. Loan modification wants another update on our finances and a hardship letter. Credit Union, after months of being in contact with them trying to work out payment arrangements to keep our car and truck, they just NOW offered to re-structure our loans (extended terms/lower interest rates) and lower payments for us. Um. Hello?? We could have saved our credit if you had offered that MONTHS ago! *sigh* So fun. More begging there. It really is tough to take - we aren't that in debt... we just have NO WAY TO PAY. It stinks. This too shall pass. We know we are not alone in this particular trial.

After the desk work all day today, as well as some house cleaning, car cleaning and some final trailer cleaning; then Jes and Cody get back tomorrow and I have to get them all cleaned up and up to my Ma's in Pleasant Grove for dinner and family photos (since my Bro is here :) ) Hopin' it is all do-able.

Sunday will be the usual crazy that is the Dorius household, and then of course I must spend at least a few hours working on the ward cookbook (did I mention I was making a ward cookbook?) I have asked for recipes for months... and now that the deadline has arrived I am finally getting tons of recipes, which is so fun and makes me SO excited, but leaves me with something that really needs my attention NOW. LOL! I can't wait to see and use the finished product though! The women in our ward are amazing and I am excited! :)

Then next week we will have houseguest in and out and will try to do many fun things while they are here that don't cost $$. It will be lovely! Including a Girls Night with pedicures and chick flicks. We are stashing the boys in my bedroom upstairs so we can play! *grin* Then the end of the week we will caravan for the family reunion! I can't wait to see my grandpa!! It's been way too long! (a crappy side effect of the economy)

It will be fun and distracting... which is JUST what I need. And I am looking forward to being so busy... just hopin' my heart will hold up for me in this heat! I SO want to enjoy this week!! xxcrossing fingersxx and saying a little prayer. Family is the most important!

Oh! And exciting enough... Jestin had some small job to do every day this week!! Woop Woop! We will take whatever we can get! He is so talented on so many levels and can do SO many different things... I just want him succeed!
I was so thankful! After all of our belongings I have listed to try and sell to make ends meet I finally sold my sewing machine... to Cinderella! Really I did! This gal called and wanted it... she was from SLC area, but would be working in Payson and wanted to know if she could stop on her way by my house and buy my machine! When she came to the door she was in full Cinderella costume! She even had the Snow White voice!! I felt like Disneyland had come to visit! I was amazed! (she goes to little girl parties for her job) I stood on my tounge when I answered my door though... I SOOO wanted to ask if the mice were slackin' on the job and that was why she wanted my sewing machine! Bwahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway... I have much to catch up on here. It will have to wait a bit... but I promise pictures are coming. Just thought I would get an update out there ;) Hello to all our family and friends... we hope and pray things are well with you!!! ((hugs))

Where O where have we been?

It's been weeks. I know.

Life really threw us a curve ball and we have been trying to absorb, sort, justify and enjoy. All at once.

I have much to update, but for now you get my random questions...

• Why when you need something for first thing in the morning, it never fails that the website is down, the printer won't print and everybody needs you all at once?
• Why is food poisoning so painful? For the amount of pain, in the waves I experienced them, last night I feel slightly jipped that there is no cuddly newborn to love out of the deal! LOL
• Why does cantaloupe turn my 5 year old into a sneak? Shouldn't candy cause such a shift in personality?
• Do you think a 5 year old will get some tummy troubles for the half of a cantaloupe that he consumed tonight?
• Why would they have 8 year old scouts go to Day camp at 6 am... but the 10 year olds go at 1:30 pm? I think they hate me.
• Why is it when you finally act on an answer to a prayer... you still can feel so sick and unhappy about it?
• How do you let go of someone who hurts you, over and over, without knowing it (or caring?) without hurting them in return?
• Where is a good place to "run away"? Where ever you go... you always have to come back. LOL.
• Why is chocolate such a great way to improve anything? And why is Coldstone 10x better than chocolate?
• Couldn't chocolate or Coldstone NOT make you fatter when there are times you really "need" it? That only seems fair!
• How did I ever get so lucky to be married to my very best friend, my greatest champion and someone I am still so madly in love with? (and who is super hot! hubba hubba!)
• How is it possible I lived over 2 months without him? It seems like a dream...
• Why can't I confront those that need confronting without being so afraid I will not be understood? But I need to stand up for myself and I want to be heard... do I really "need" to be heard? That is the question!
• Why are little white lies made out to be so insignificant? Sometimes they hurt the most.
• What would you do if the Savior came tomorrow? I have been thinking that a lot lately.
• Where would you like your life to go? This is one I think of too.
• Who matters most to you? Yep. It's in there.
• Why do you keep going, keep believing, keep trying? That one is what I have found the answer to this last little while. It is a personal question we all must find the answer to I guess.

It is SO nice to have Jestin home. Oh... he is home now BTW. LOL. No more work in California for now. Our family is complete again. It has been a lovely week+.

Well.. there is much to do tomorrow... and much to sleep off tonight... like being up all night last night being sick... I promise I have not forgotten that I have a blog. I will be back!

Two of our dearest friends...

When I was a "crazy woman" and drove to California to get Jestin, these two sweet friends of ours made a great sacrifice and took all four of our children for me for 4 days! And they have 5 kids of their own! LOL They did a great job of making it an easy thing for the kids... they played and worked hard while they were there. It was perfect. Cody took this picture when, one evening of fun turned into dancing in the livingroom! It is so cute!

Thank you Austin and Amy... from the bottom of my heart!! I can't even begin to tell you how much your friendship and support has meant! LOVE YA!!!!!

Baptisms for the Dead

Emmalee got go and do Baptisms for the Dead in the Provo temple with our ward. It was her first time in a temple since we were sealed when she was 1 month old. We have such a great group of kids! It was a beautiful morning!

Emma and one of her best friends, Jessica.

We can't wait to go and do them together as a family at "our" temple... Mt. Timpanogos!