Still in Montana

I have kind of let myself get a little carried away recently here in Missoula. We've been spending more time with family in Spokane and more time doing activities here.

Oaks has just finished his second round of swim lessons at the YMCA. He still is in the Pike class... So we are going to work on that. He loves going swimming but isn't exactly taking easily to it. It seems to be a little difficult for him to get the coordination of it.

I can not believe that he will four years old in just a few weeks. A FEW WEEKS! That kid is growing like a weed. I grabbed a pair of jeans this week for him and put them on and they were ready for a flood. The kid just looked down and didn't know what exactly was wrong with his pants. He's definitely a stud.

Lulu has grown so much. Well it seems like a lot to me recently. She too has developed a little bit of an attitude. Its kind of funny.

Another post

I want to dedicate this post to my friend Suzie. She was one of the best visiting teachers I've ever had. At the time I knew she cared but I can look back and see how much she loved me as one of her sisters.
Anyhow, it's her that has me opening up about my recent trials.
We moved and its been difficult. I'm developing friendships but I still don't feel like I have any that are super deep. I miss that about living in Moscow or Tacoma. In both places I was really blessed with great friends I could call night or day. And we did. Making new friends kind of blows, and not like the beautiful kite in the wind.
I have been struggling today because Chris is out of town... And we'll my motivation for anything went with him. I have a completely new respect for single moms. My sister did it for many years and I was way harsher on judging her than I thought I was at the time. 20/20 right?
Anyhow, I did not want to do anything. My poopy toddler woke me up this morning with his cabelas pop gun (probably one f his favorite toys we've EVER gotten him and the one I have left in the Car since December, no joke) and I wanted nothing to do with it. Plus it was like 30 minutes before my alarm. He's an early bird and full of energy. Shortly after him it was Lulu and then it was all tantrums and nagging.
I'm so used to having help between five and seven thirty pm. I did the dishes today and made food. No cleaning no nothing major. I was just caving into my pity and definitely was treating my body that way too.
I feel like its so easy to drown in your own misery and self pity. I took the chance on Monday to watch the CES fireside with Brother and Sister Bednar. Elder Bednar narrated the story of this young couple and their trials. The one phrase I got out of all of it was something to this effect "it's more than enduring to the end but not shrinking". At first I didn't get it but as today went on I felt it and I did shrink a little but was able to straighten myself back out. I feel like being a stay at home mom is more difficult than I ever thought it would be but also more rewarding as well. I feel like I'm failing a lot in being a good mom, but I can say that I have been trying and trying to not shrink under the task.

That's all I got right at this point in time. I'd love to be able to have more meaningful posts about something or about my kids but this is where it's at currently.

Wow time flies!

Right now I am laying in my dark bedroom using my iPhone to type this... Somehow trying to fool Oaks into thinking I'm asleep so he should be too. Chris is currently on his was to Missouri for work.
I feel the bountiful blessings that are apon my head right now, as I type this. I've know for a while that Chris would be going out of town, basically six weeks. I think it ends up being five weeks over a six week period or something like that. Anyway, way longer than I like.
We want to go on adage yesterday, my birthday, but then we couldn't fid a sitter and Oaks had a flair up f his stomach issues... We've been sick almost since the end of December.
Anyhow, we got asked to take a calling last week and I just about lost it because of all of this stress. Plus the calling was for both of us. I felt over whelmed and completely in over my head with my family responsibilities and then add a calling with no husband for help.
I have sporadically been crying over the past few weeks just due to the pure stress that being home with the kids out any type of help, seriously scares me. I feel like Oaks was given to me because I was supposed to be pushed to be better and well I don't always enjoy the process of developing to be better and Lulu is a hold me" child. If her life was exactly what she wanted it would be 24/7 cuddles with some chocolate almond milk.
I worried about how I was going to Coe, I still kind of do, but I got blessed with knowing I will be okay.
Anyway sorry I haven't posted lately. Ill try to be better.
The photo of Lulu & Chris is in the middle of the night when we should be sleeping but she was wanting cuddles due to teething. Seriously the best thing in the world to see.

My testimony for a friend

I know the church is true. It's Strange to think back, 7 years, I was so young and didn't have an idea about life yet. Yet by the grace and love of heavenly father I was able to meet a young man that changed my life forever. I already knew that I was a child of God and I already had started that relationship, but I had no idea what would be in store for me by joining the church. Over the years I have had trials and horrible experiences that I probably could have skipped right over if I had not joined the church. However, I would have done the largest disservice to myself that I could have. In the last year I have had the chance to hold a calling or two that have challenged me, but they all seem small compared to what is the larger calling in my life which is to endure to the end. I am a stubborn child, my parents can attest to that, but I feel blessed that Heavenly Father saw a chance to inspire a young man to befriend me. My life would be completely different without the gospel as well as you. Heavenly Father answered my prayers when I met that young man and was invited to join the church.

Every year I remember different parts and build a testimony of something else. Prayer is just about the only thing that had gotten me through life recently on all levels.

My friend, I want you to know that Heavenly Father LOVES you and you are his child. He is always there and always looking for your best interest. He knows exactly what you need and desires to help you always. I believe that as his children we are always on his mind, even if he's working on something else.

I know that Thomas S Monson is the prophet and that he was put here to help guide us home to Heavenly Father. I know that the temple and the covenants made there are te only way to reach our potential as children of God. I know that sometimes God uses "sandpaper" to make us smooth. And I know that the church is true. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Game night and new friends

So we've been in missoula for about a month, less if you count Christmas and the holidays.
During the time in which we moved here to about Christmas we were all pretty sick. While visiting family we ended up in the Valley ER with both kids having ear infections. We probably would not have taken our kids in if Oaks hadn't of told us his ear was hurting. Most people that know Oaks, know that he doesn't really tell you that something hurts unless it is for real. We got into the ER to find out that Lulu had a temp nearing 105 degrees. It made me feel like a horrible parent for not realizing she was that hot. So se ended up with an IV and I was so thankful that Oaks needed to walk around during that period of time in which she was given that. I don't know if I've ever had such a gut wrenching experience as that. I felt so bad for her and the poor nurses felt horrible too. But everyone is all better now and the antibiotics were great and "tastes good" according to Oaks.
We've only been to our new ward twice. I think we will really like it here though.
We met some friends ad had them over for dinner on Sunday. They have a daughter that is about a year younger than Oaks. They were super cute together and insisted on ending the night by twirling in the office chair. We have been really lucky here so far and have yet to meet a bad person yet.
Chris had his birthday! Big ole 2-9. We had chocolate cake with raspberry filling. Thank you Grammy for the berries (Oaks & Lulu's Grammy). We finically finished off the cake yesterday and were wishing for some today! Funny how easily it is to be trained to eat sweets often.
We had been doing some driving around the area for "adventures".
Oaks is a SUNBEAM! A sunbeam, it almost kills me to know that he's in primary now. It doesn't seem like he's been in our family for that long but, so that's how life goes. He's loving primary and his teacher thinks he's awesome. It's interesting to see how he is with other adults that are not family, or like family.
I will have to say that Lulu & Oaks miss their friends R & E terribly, not to mention how much I miss the play dates.
Chris and I feel really blessed to be here in Montana, it feels like home already, when Tacoma never did. So we are excited and hope that life here will continue to be just as great as it has been.

Plus we love all this white stuff called snow!

The last few months

Our life recently = CRAZY!

So we have been particularly busy as of recently. I have not done any type of blogging to speak of once I was called as a RS President, didn't really have any time. That has all changed since then... I'll explain.
October:
I was called as Relief Society President and got two of the best counselors in my presidency. I will miss them very much and felt so blessed to be able to work with them. Chris applied to a job that he had seen in Montana and we didn't think it'd go anywhere. He also sent a résumé to a job in Colorado, that seemed promising.
November:
Chris sent an email to an engineer in Montana at HDR, the firm he had applied to. He was lucky enough to have had a lunch with him while in graduate school, it didn't take long from the time he sent that email. From the time that the email was sent to the job offer was two weeks or nine business days. That was the day before thanksgiving and we need to be living and functioning in Missoula, Montana before January 2nd. So we will be moving to the Big Sky state. Oaks has fallen in love, with my green sparkly shoes. Or as he calls them, green sparkle shoes.
December:
This month has been no fun! I mean no fun! We have spent it moving. We managed to get all of our stuff packed in a week! A week! I seriously thought that it would have taken longer. The funny thing was watching Oaks & Lulu play during all of this packing.
We also took a trip to Missoula to find a rental for our family and pup. During our trip to Missoula we got stuck on LookOut Pass for like 2 hours completely stopped due to a semi truck crash. There's a picture of the hippie van in front of us, seriously had to be a hippie because we saw him. This picture was taken early on in the waiting game. Today, Chris and his dad went today with a family friend to pickup all of our boxes in Tacoma and being them closer to Missoula.
Lulu also turned 1 on the 5th! She's one, already. I can't hardly believe it. I love that beautiful little girl. She is still the happiest kid on the block. I don't know how we do it, but she is always happy and smiling. I love it and she has brought so much happiness into our home.

Life has been a little crazy and to be honest I'm scared and a little excited about this move. Oaks seems excited for a new home, but he's going to miss R & E terribly. So is Lulu for that matter. They have been our life support for friends and social activities. Hopefully we can start doing vacations or visiting each other now.

I actually almost forgot, that Lulu has learned to walk! So now I have another walker in the family. We love this little cutie!



We had a light dusting of snow in Spokane, Oaks did not enjoy it because it meant that it made his trike hard to ride.

Seven years ago

This post was written in December and i was hoping to post it on January 6th but missed it by a few days.

I love writing and thinking about it every year and might just add a few more details each time I write about it.

Eight years ago I met a young man that changed my life. No it was not my wonderful husband, but a young man that has had an impact in my life, for the rest if my life. Every year in the month of December, I think about this young man. I think about the example he set for me and how his family grew to love me. It always makes me think about the birth of Christ and how special each of us are to be children of a loving Heavenly Father.
While I have not kept in close contact with this family or this young man, I tend to think of them often and hope that ther lives are still gospel centered and full of love and joy. This young man introduced me to the gospel and my new life that started a year after that. I was baptized on Janurary 6th 2006 by my best friend. I wish I could say that we are still best friends here and now, but we aren't. He just passed through my life sending it in a completely new direction.
Before I was a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I knew I was a child if God, but I didn't have all the tools that I needed or answers I was desiring. Not to say I have all those things now, but I'm in the process. I knew that this young man was special, he had blue hair and looked nothing like any of my friends from back home. That young mans appearance was probably one of the reasons he had gotten my attention. I had just moved across state and he was my first friend. I feel so lucky everyday that I wake up that I am a member of the church and know that I am loved, looked after, cared for, and that I have a purpose for being here on the earth.
I recently have felt the love so strongly and the guidance in my life from Heavenly Father. My life feels unbelievably blessed and I am so lucky.