Wonderful blessings!

My Grandparents at Natalie's blessing (May 2004)

Lately I have been thinking about how much I have been blessed with wonderful grandparents in my life. My parents grew up in the same neighborhood and ward, so my grandparents all knew each other long before my parents ever married each other. I grew up thinking it was normal to visit one side of the family, and then go directly to the other side of the family for more "Sunday night" visiting. Both of my Grandmas took turns watching us after school when my mom had to work, so I have spent countless hours at their houses.... and for those who know we just moved out of my Grandma and Grandpa Hiatt's basement you can really say COUNTLESS HOURS! All of my grandparents are wonderful and kind and have taught me so much through their example and love. It wasn't until about the time I got married that I realized just HOW blessed I have been to have all of these grandparents. Geoff only has one living Grandma, and she lives in Colorado, so we rarely see her. He has very few memories of grandparents at all. I am so grateful for the role my grandparents have played in my life and love them all very much!

My Grandparents at Staci's blessing

(Nov 2006)

My Grandmas at Jackson's blessing

(Nov 2001)

It's 5:30 and I haven't made dinner yet... so why on earth am I posting?

I just had to write a quick memory since I was thinking about it. I have been enjoying reading childhood memories from some of your blogs, so I thought I would give it a try. I think I was about 10 when my Dad thought he would teach me a lesson about making and managing money. He was always trying to teach me how to save my money, so I wouldn't go and spend it on gum, fingernail polish and stickers at Skaggs Drug Store, but it never worked. Anyway, he took me to Price Club... remember before it was Costco?... and bought a big box of candy bars. If I remember right they were Butterfingers. He told me that he would buy the box for me and then I could sell the candy bars for 25 cents each and make a profit. He told me that I would have to pay him back for the candy bars he bought, but I could keep the profit. I guess my father hadn't figured out quite yet who he was dealing with. I wasn't one to "sell" the candy, but would feel much better about myself and this whole situation if I could brighten someone's day by "giving" them the candy. When all the candy bars were gone I think I had a total of 25 cents to pay my Dad back with. He never made me pay the rest back to him, but he also never tried to make me sell anything again. And I still blow my money on gum and stickers. Anyway, just a random thought and a funny memory to me.

Happy Easter!

Here are our wonderful Easter pictures. We only had a minute to take them of course, but at least we remembered to take some this year. Happy Easter everyone!

Easter Egg Hunt

Today we had an Easter egg hunt at the park with Grandma and Grandpa Morgan and Geoff's brother Brent, his wife Leticia and their family. It was a beautiful day (40's... but SUNNY!) It was especially a good time for Natalie because she has been praying for the snow to melt for the last 2 months so we can go to the park again!

Have I ever told you Jackson has a lot of girl cousins on this side? He has a 10 month old boy cousin, and one on the way. Can't you see the thrill in his face to be doing this picture?
Grandpa Morgan took Staci on a ride, and she LOVED it!

Aren't trikes the best?

Natalie was excited to find her first Easter egg.Jackson searched and searched for this egg.

Natalie with cousins Lexi and Kaylana

Staci found her own Easter treats on the ground
Some eggs were hidden so well, only a grown up could see them.

Staci just thinks she is so big... just saying what her brother and sister say. Happy Spring, by the way. I have never been so ready for it!

Hmmm.... pretty much nothing blog-worthy today.

My life, as a whole, is pretty much the same stuff day in and day out. I am sure most of you know what I am saying. I can't post the pictures of our latest vacation, until we take one... I can't blog about the cool new things I am doing to my house, until I have a house of my own to do things to. I can't even post pictures of my husband, until I see him! My Grandma (who I am pretty sure is one of 3 people that looks at this blog) said I should put some pictures of myself on my blog so they can remember what I look like. So, I gave Jackson the camera, and told him to take a picture of what I look like pretty much every day. If you don't know by now that this is me.... well, this is me. Take it or leave it! Ha ha!

Staci and her Ice Cream

I've been thinking about it, and I don't think I have ever just given Staci an ice cream cone before. I usually don't have ice cream around and I NEVER have cones, but happened to have cones left over from when I made Natalie's castle cake, and a little bit of ice cream... so I let her have some. Do you think she liked it? She is such a funny baby! All I have to do is just give her a little attention (poor 3rd child) and she just hams it up as much as she can.

This is Me...

Do you ever feel like I do?! I don't know why, but any time someone needs anything, and even a lot of times when they aren't in need at all, no matter what the situation, whether I feel good enough to do it, or even if it is not any of my business, I always think I have to volunteer to help in some way. Now, most of the time, I think this is a good thing to help others - and it brings me a lot of joy to serve, but especially over the last few years with my health problems, why do I feel like I HAVE to volunteer, or I am a bad person? My Mom and Dad told me once that guilt was not for the things that you would maybe like to do, but don't do... but merely for sins that need repenting of. So why do I always feel guilty? Does anyone have the answers to this question, or ever feel the same way!? Anyway, I had to chuckle when I saw this housewife picture with her desperate plea because I sometimes feel the same way!

Have you heard this one?:

The Girl in a Whirl by "Dr. Sue" (Vickie Gunther)

Look at me, look at me, look at me now!

You could do what I do if you only knew how.

I study the scriptures one hour each day;

I bake, I upholster, I scrub and I pray.

I always keep all the commandments completely;

I speak to my little ones gently and sweetly.

I help in their classrooms!

I sew all they wear!

I drive them to practice!

I cut all their hair!

I memorize names of the General Authorities;

I focus on things to be done by priorities.

I play the piano!

I bless with my talents!

My toilets all sparkle!

My checkbooks all balance!

Each week every child gets a one-on-one date;

I attend all my meetings (on time, never late!)

I'm taking a class on the teachings of Paul;

But that is not all! Oh, no, that is not all...

I track my bad habits 'til each is abolished;

Our t-shirts are ironed!

My toenails are polished!

Our Family Home Evenings are always delightful;

The lessons I give are both fun and insightful.

I do genealogy faithfully, too.

It's easy to do all the things that I do!

I rise each day early, refreshed and awake;

I know all the names of each youth in my stake!

I read to my children!

I help all my neighbors!

I bless the community, too, with my labors!

I exercise and I cook menus gourmet;

My visiting teaching is done the first day!

(I also go do it for someone who missed hers.

It's the least I can do for my cherished ward sisiters!)

I chart resolutions and check off each goal;

I seek each "lost lamb" on my Primary roll.

I can home-grown produce each summer and fall.

But that is not all! Oh, no, that is not all...

I write in my journal!

I sing in the choir!

Each day I write "thank- yous" to those I admire.

My sons were all Eagles when they were fourteen!

My kids get straight A's!

And their bedrooms are clean!

I have a home business to help make some money;

I always look beautifully groomed for my honey.

I go to the temple at least once a week;

I change the car's tires!

I fix the sink's leak!

I grind my own wheat and I bake all our bread;

I have all our meals planned out six months ahead.

I make sure I rotate our two-year supply.

My shopping for Christmas is done by July!

These things are not hard;

It is good if you do them;

You can if you try!

Just set goals and pursue them!

It's easy to do all the things that I do!

If you plan and work smart,

You can do them all, too!

"It's easy!" she said.....

And then she dropped dead.

I remembered this poem that my friend Christa in British Columbia sent me quite a while ago. I think this is the problem with many women in the Church today... we think we have to do it all! We have to be "that woman".... the only problem is "that woman" doesn't exist! We all just have to give ourselves a break!!! For starters.... I know..... I'll blog 'til all hours of the night!! For real!

Yesterday was the start of Daylight Savings Time. I have rarely lived anywhere but AZ, where they don't "celebrate" the summer days by making them longer- heck, when the sun finally goes down it becomes cool enough to swim -so I don't know much about it. I figure it's OK, but I have to tell you that some people think they are actually getting MORE daylight because of it, instead of just different hours of daylight. On the news last night they went into some of the parks and out-door facilities around the time it used to get dark (6:30-ish) and were asking people how they felt about having another hour of daylight. My immediate thought was "Hmmm... I wonder if they do this EVERY year, or if in the fall when it goes back to standard time they interview people and ask them how they feel about it being so dark all of a sudden." Anyway, these people that were being interviewed really gave some insightful answers like, "Yeah, it's really great... usually it is dark by now, but not anymore" and "it just feels like it is still so early and it is really 7:00 at night." Aren't those great thoughts? So news-worthy.... Anyway, I am not often up before the sun, but, of course, Geoff is always up way before the sun, and where it used to be somewhat "light" by the time he got to school, it is now competely dark.... and that is the side of it that I don't celebrate. Oh well, just my little thought for the day.

The difference between boys and girls... at least when I grab my camera

While your boy acts like this....


Your girl acts like this......

Boy.....

girl...... get the picture?

Jackson just loves to pose in his underwear....

See what I mean?

Swimming in February?

Last Friday we needed a break. We hadn't seen Geoff all week, so he came home a little earlier than usual and we went to the Clearfield Pool. This aquatic center is one of the things my kids were most excited about moving to Utah for. We had been there a couple of times when we were just up here on vacation, so they already knew they loved it. It has a little park area in the shallow water (with slides and water shooter bicycles) and a big water slide....and the best thing about it is that it's all indoor.... and inexpensive, too. A couple of these pictures are from another time we went (because I wanted to show a little more of the pool and I didn't take enough pics this time). The one with the water slide is Natalie about to go down with her Aunt Katie. The other one with Natalie with all of the different faces was a mistake. I have no idea how I took the picture, but I think it is pretty cool anyway. I never could get a good picture of Staci.... she would NEVER hold still. Imagine that.