looking ahead

With christmas behind me I am starting to feel like a new person...I can actually take a breath! But not for long, I am sure that there will be something else for me to do. There is always something else...I can't believe that its been so long since I have been able to sit down and just relax and actually I am not really relaxing I am just pretending to relax. 

Just before Christmas our newest addition to the family was born. Raechal and Toby had a baby boy which they named Abram Edwin Carron, he weighed in at 10 lbs. 1 oz. and was 21 inches long. He has dark hair and is a really good baby so far. Raechal is doing really good and things are getting back to normal around here...well about as normal as can be expected I suppose. 

The whirlwind of things came as Christmas was just around the corner from when we brought little Abram home...Scott and Ashley got here from Flagstaff  two days before Christmas and it was so fun to have them around and enjoy their company. Christmas was very fun watching the kids open all their gifts, I always get a kick out of seeing them go from  gift to gift not really looking at anything that they are opening. I think Christmas makes me kind of sad too, maybe its because I wish that I was still a kid and I could still have that same feeling when I open things up? I have this let down thing that always happens to me at the end of the day...that makes me feel like I wish that we didn't have to have Christmas?? and I really hate that feeling...We invited Ashley's family over for Christmas dinner again, that was a really fun afternoon, it seems like they are becoming more and more comfortable with us now. I am glad about that! We really like them. Scott & Ashley had to leave for Flagstaff on Monday however, something about a  job? Darn that reality check! The food was way to good and there was way to much of it, I know that the first of the year is coming and those new year resolutions that we all make are really going to have to stick this year!! 

We are looking forward to our other Rachel having her baby in the next few weeks! And she is wishing that it would just come as fast as possible? I wish that it was here so she would already be holding that sweet little boy, but he will be here before we know it.

  The time has gone by so quickly...Shelby will be returning to school on the 9th of Jan. I am already missing her and she hasn't left yet? It has really been fun to have her home for awhile. I know that she is doing well at school and that she is liking it in Flagstaff it still makes me a little sad when she leaves? Guess thats 'cuz she is still my last one at home? Oh well...I still have 12 more days...she's not gone yet! 

With New Years just a few days away I am thinking of all the things I want to do in 2010! Start making your lists....hoping that it will be better for everyone!

I hate Daylight savings time

Not that I am a complainer or anything but daylight savings time..yuk!!! I think why does it have to happen anyway??? Why can't we do it like Arizona does it. Like they don't do it!! I have never ever understood the reason why we do it in the first place. It seems to me that we get sun either in the morning hours or we get sun in the afternoon hours and when would you rather have more of the sun? I would much rather have them in the afternoon hours. When I feel like I can get more out of my day. The last little bit of light that makes me feel like I can accomplish just a little bit more . That's what I would want. But no.... we have to turn the clock back and loose that extra hour of light. I just hate it. It makes the day seem so short and dark before it needs to be. It makes every one grumpy! Don't you feel like that. It makes you feel like you can't do as much??I hate it!! I like that we are already into November though and the days and the nights are getting much more tolerable. I love the coolness and the fall colors. The subtle changes that make it nice to be in California in the winter. It doesn't snow here but it does have its winter and we like it that way. Although we could use some rain. I do love the rain. And I want to have a nice rainy season so next year we won't have to worry about the drought situation. But you never know in California when it will rain or how much? So we can only hope it will!

Shelby will be coming home for Thanksgiving soon, yippee!!! I love Thanksgiving, all the family comes over and the food and fun we all have is just wonderful. WE all enjoy it so much. And we look forward to each year. Not everyone will be home for the holiday and we will miss them but  we understand that not everyone can come for different reasons. WE still love them and send them our love and best wishes for the holiday. 

We were just in Utah for our granddaughter Raeley's baptism. She was so excited and we were so excited for her. She looked so beautiful in her white dress and we were so proud of her as she took this great responsibility on to become a member of our church. She is a great example to her younger sister and brothers and  a great helper to her mom and dad. They are very proud of her too! 

While in Utah we had a chance to reunite with some dear friends of ours. It is always fun to meet up with friends you haven't seem for some time and talk about the good'ole days. I'm not so sure the restaurant we were in totally appreciated the time and the tables we were taking up but they didn't seem to notice and we didn't care either. We did learn one thing while we were in Utah and that is that it had been way too long since we had seen our friends and that we should do it more often. I totally agree!

Fall is in the Air

Finally the air is starting to feel cooler, thank goodness! I was starting to think we were going to just skip fall and go straight to winter. Is that possible? Anyway...glad that the evenings are colder and the days seem to be not as hot. I can finally start to get more things done. That hot weather just takes it out of me. I can't seem to fight through it like I used to be able to do. Plus, the air conditioning is just too hard to leave and go into a super hot garage and work. Yuk! 

I have a bizzillion things on my list, which usually means that I won't be able to get everything done that I want to, but I will have to start somewhere, and if the list is long it somehow makes it easier for me to pick and choose the things that need to get done first? That probably only makes sense to me?

 Oh well..October is not usually my favorite month. Halloween always is a hard holiday for me to enjoy for some reason. Maybe as a child my mother didn't let me have the candy or something , I 'm not really sure why its never been a fave, but I never look forward to it. This year we will be leaving a few days before and going to Utah for our first Granddaughter's(Raeley) Baptism.Which will be on Halloween day in the morning. She will definitely remember her Baptism day for the rest of her life! Funny that it has to be on that day? But it is. So it will be a different Halloween for us this year than it the past.We'd better take all our warm clothes though its already snowed in Utah, it could be an early winter? We will be in Utah so all the cousins will be trick or treating together, which will be a first. That will be really fun for them, they don't get to see each other that often. It will also be fun for me because Shelby will be coming up to it also. We will be missing Scott& Ashley though due to them not being able to get off work. But working is good. I haven't seen Shelby since we dropped her off in August and it will be nice to give her a hug. I know thats just a mom thing. Hard when those babies leave home no matter how old they are, it still takes some time to get used too!

 I love Fall, the leaves turn color (although here in Ca not very many trees turn color) the weather changes, it gets dark earlier(which I hate) Things slow down a bit. I love the fall because I can start making soups again. I love a good bowl of soup. And trying new recipes is fun...especially on Sundays when we have the family over. I'm not sure that they always appreciate my skills as a chef, although I haven't heard much from them on the whole dislike thing, they could do the cooking?

what do Dr's Know?

   We just thought Josh & Rachel were having a girl....they are really having a BOY

now....updating the ultra-sound yesterday. Wow...someone had that one way wrong and it was kind of sad because once you start to think about that tiny little baby growing inside of you ...you start to like who he or she is? Its not like they have a choice or anything.... they are having a boy!! And Josh is very excited that he will now have 3 boys. I am still in shock about the whole thing. I never really gave it much thought. It is kind of funny that Josh will have all boys!! Not that boys are just the best to raise or anything, but he will definitely get a run for his money. Now that is something that just warms my heart. The one that I really feel sorry for is Sydney...she will be the only girl for a long while around here amongst all these little boys. We will all have to make sure she doesn't get beat up on too much. Or she will have to learn how to defend herself one or the other.

       The end of the summer is fast appproaching and school is starting for everyone. We

 finally got Shelby up to Flagstaff. I think it was traumatic more for me than it was for her.

 I am sure she will do just fine and will love being in a beautiful new place. I on the other

 hand will have to get used to the fact that now that all my children are raised my life is not over? I only thought that we would be empty nesters, but no sooner had we moved Shelby 

out the door when Raechal & Toby and Kids moved in. We are happy to have them it actually makes things not so quiet around here. A lot not so quiet!!! But really...they will be with us for awhile until things turn around financially for them and for us. Times are tight right now for everyone and we felt it was a good time to combine households and see if we could help each other out for a time. Sacrifices on both sides have been made and we will all make the best of this together. So far....So good!!! 

       We were just saying that the summer didn't seem to be as hot as it usually is? And what happpens??  The heat is on!!!!  It is just crazy how hot it has been this last week and it seems

 no end is in sight? I can't wait to see the electric bill this month? Yikes!!!! I really hate it when it gets this hot, I feel physically sick. It makes me not want to do anything but lay down. I know that sounds silly but...its really does make me feel like that. I am trying to ignore it but I am not doing so good at it. I find myself wishing for fall. The only thing I don't like about that is the loss of light so early in the evening. I just wish that we didn't have to turn back the clocks. I think that is the dumbest rule. 

Why not?

Time just goes by way too fast! I have decided that it would just be a lot easier if I just didn't try as hard to find the time to keep up with everything then maybe I wouldn't get so far behind with everything I am trying so hard to keep up with? Wow!! Did that make any sense? Probably not

 I am still recovering from the fact that its July and its already half way over. I haven't even started feeling like I have accomplished much this month and the list is growing in leaps and bounds for next month. Soon company will be knocking at our doors and the list of things to do will go on the back burner. Oh well....I would gladly squeeze my grandchildren than work on those lists of things anyway. Except that I have to send Shelby off to college at some point and she would probably like to have a few things when she goes? Oh...we still have August I suppose but it will be here before we can blink. We are going to  have to be very efficient once the company leaves or we will be in big trouble. 

The results are in...Raechal is having a boy...and Rachel is having a girl...or at least that is what the ultra-sounds are telling us? And the have moved Rachel's due date up to mid January. Well...we will be seeing blue and pink how fun is this going to be. And what a shock that is going to be for Josh? He will get used to it(and love being the daddy of a little girl)! He just doesn't know it yet. We are excited for both of them. 

My sister and I have been doing a little genealogy work lately. It has been fun getting back into it I must admit. Although it does take hours and hours. That is why I stopped doing it along time ago. It is such a commitment. And I started doing other stuff. I just need to do alittle here and there so I don't get burned out this time. That's the key I think. I still like scrapbooking and  all the other stuff that I do. Its just finding time to do it all!

New Beginnnings

        Well...graduation is over and as far as I can tell nothing has changed except that I feel older and not a whole lot wiser yet? What happened? My last child has left the womb so to speak and I have the feeling that its still not over. Not that I feel its ever over, I am still parenting all my children in one way or another, all 5  of them. But this seems different? I don't know if its because I know it is the last one or its because its the most difficult one or I don't want it to be over? In the back of my mind maybe there is some deep fear of mine telling me wait, this one just isn't ready to leave the nest yet? Is there something left undone? Did I do enough to prepare her for what is to come? I'm just not sure? I have never had to second guess myself like this before. I have to say I really don't like this feeling.

        The last few weeks have been so fun. Just before graduation Jessica and her family surprised us with a visit. It was fun to have Josh, Raechal and Jessica attend the graduation ceremony with Mitch and I. Then during this time my friend that used to live on our street that moved away several years ago came for a visit. It was great fun to see her and spend time with her. Shelby and her daughters  grew up together and have stayed great friends over the years too. So all the neighbors have been going places to gether and having great times, and the kids having been hanging together until all hours of the night. Exhausting...right, but very fun. And sad now that they had to leave and go back to their own lives in Geneva, Illinois. We will miss them dearly until the next time we all can be together again.

         Now its on to Summer and the hot weather is finally here. Its one week until the 4th of July when we usually go to the Beach all day and night. But not this year! Because...we have two mommies that are pregnant! yes....Raechal Carron who is due at Christmas and Rachel Owens who is due in February. Yippeee....two new additions to the family. We are so excited. And we can't wait to hold those new little babies when they come. Congrads mom and dads!

been awhile...

       I think I must say that everytime I haven't written anything for awhile?

 Anyway.... Shelby and I took a little trip a few weeks ago to Flagstaff for her college orientation. It was a little intimidating at first to her(or at least it seemed that way to me) but she rose to the occasion quickly. It was a 2-day event, where she stayed overnite in the dorm, with girls she had never met before. It was definitely eye opening... and she got a little taste of what it will be like in the fall. Good or Bad and I am not sure either way, I think she is excited about leaving home, or it seems like she is and I am thinking even if she isn't that excited about it she isn't going to tell me because she is so determined to go. We did talk awhile about living  in such a small space, that seemed to be alittle alarming to her. I think after living in a big house all her life and then going to a dorm room, will take alittle getting used to, and that is going to take some time to get used to. But I am confident she will have such a great time making the change to college life that she won't even know that she is changing? Wow!! My little Shelby is growing up!!!!  :(

       I think that empty nest syndrome is starting to settle in...oh know I am starting to feel like hummm.... changing that pink and orange room into another craft room( just kidding) I already have one of those. I won't be doing that I still plan on having her come home, at least once in a while to see her Mom(if I can talk her into it?)  

       We got to see Scott & Ashley while we were in Flagstaff. They are doing great. Scott is feeling prettty relieved to be out of school for awhile. He is still looking for a job, as they are planning on staying there for a year(or they think?) Who knows? We are hoping to see them some time in July. The summer will be here before long. Gosh....graduation is just a few weeks from now. Where has the time gone?

sick again!

I am so sick of being sick! Really...I got the flu thing way back in Feb. and then I just never really got completely over it I  guess. I kept having this little tickle cough and dripping thing going on in the back of my throat. Sick ...I know? Anyway..after it going on and on and taking all kinds of over the counter meds I went to talk to my wonderful pharmacist and he told me I should just go to my doc. Soooooooo..I called and got an appointment. He wrote me a prescription for some really expensive medication(10 pills exactly) one a day. Hopefully he said this should do the trick. But if you don't seem to be getting any better after a week give me a call and we can switch you to something else. What? Are you kidding me? Does he even know what it is I have that is making me sick? I just want to stop this darn coughing and constant dripping down the back of my throat thing so I can feel better! I know(secretly I just need more sun,you know what I mean?) Vacation? Some place that is sunny and warm(a lot?) Maybe that would make me better, some good old fashion vitamin C from mother nature. Now someone just has to tell Mitch!! 

  Yesterday I took Shelby to the airport and sent her to Jessica's for a few days. In hopes that she would have a little time off during her spring break to relax(with four neices and nephews)HA! It was her idea? Anyway she landed safely and is in the custody of her sister. What she does for the next few days is up to her and I will not be responsible for any of her actions? All kidding aside I want her to have fun, and I hope she is having a good time. We will be getting her back mid day on Sunday. just in time for church.

 Sunday..that reminds me. Its Easter..yea!!! I'm not sure that I am always the most religious on this special day but I try to be. It is always fun for the little kids because they get all the good stuff.(the baskets?) I've never figured out that whole thing of Jesus and the Easter Bunny but everyone likes chocolate and no one ever complains so I guess it all works out somehow??? I got a ham from Honeybaked yesterday on my way home from the airport.(yum) and the rest of the meal I really don't worry about too much( I love deviled eggs) and as long as we have plenty I'm happy. I will miss the rest of the family though and as always I wish they could all be here to be with us. I love them all!!!

Where did March go?

    I am sitting in front of the computer once again wondering why I am keeping this blog going when I am seldom adding anything to it? I read other peoples' and I think they are great and then I come back to look at mine and just shutter. I guess it is a work in progress. I do still love to write just not always on the computer yet.( still use my journal). This month has been very interesting as far as March goes, (in like a Lion and out like a Lamb)? Our weather has been kind of typical for March I suppose, maybe a little less rainy than some years. I know some of us have been wishing for more Spring weather though. With Spring officially here as of the 20th some of our days have been getting warmer and much lighter later. Which has made me much happier. I love the light later in the day, it seems to make me be able to squeeze just a little bit more out of the day. Maybe thats because I hate getting up early and seeing the sun, that makes the day seem way to long (I know that sounded way crazy) I think it is one of those no kids at home, I don't need to get up that early anymore thing? Or maybe I don't want to get up thing? I haven't decided yet, I just know that some days it just doesn't work me getting out of bed early and staying up really late any more. I have been watching Glen Beck a conservative tv host(political) in the afternoons, he is very funny, but he also has a lot of information that you don't hear on the regular tv news stations. I have come to hate watching the normal tv news because most of the time they seem to just skim over the important things and just tell you what they want you to know. Not what is really going on. WoW!!! Our World is going crazy out there and there are a lot of people worried about the way things are. I know that on the whole there are some people that think we have a government in place to help with that, but right now our government isn't doing a very good job. And I think we need to let them know that they aren't doing a good job. We should all be writing or calling our legislators and expressing our concerns over their spending habits and try to get our government to listen to what the people want, not what the polititions want. For too long they have had too much control and its time to take back that control and put it into the hands of the Amercian people. I don't know if you get tired of everything being all messed up but I am.  Well, now that I have that off my chest...I am glad that Conference is coming up. I really need a spiritual feeding. My cup is running on empty lately. Maybe it is the confusing times we are living in I don't know? Maybe it is the longing for answers to the future of our country? Do you think we are getting any closer to the 2nd coming of Christ? It has to be something that others are feeling or have thought about besides me. I am looking forward to hearing all the messages and feeling the spririt that is there. I wish that we could go, but not this time there is too much that is going on just before. My niece Brittany is getting married on April 2nd. We are all so excited for her and her family. They have been planning for months and there is a family dinner the night before and she will be taking her own endowments out in San Diego on Sat. March 28 so this next week is going to be full of lots of family stuff. I can't wait to see her. April 2 is also Josh & Rachel's wedding anniversary , they have been married for 5 years( wow, where did the time go?) That's the second time that one of Glade & Suzanne kids have been married on the same day as one of our kids. Tyler & Melissa were married on the same day as Toby & Raechal (July 7) Funny huh?

Its okay we're keeping it in the family!! :)

back at home

Travel always makes me tired. We had a fast trip to Utah and back over the President's weekend. We left on Thursday after a long day of getting things done, like fixing the car(which was just suppose to take about and hour and turned into an all day job) which was why we didn't end up leaving for utah until 6:30 pm. As it was it ended up ok and we stayed the night in Mesquite and got up the next morning and finished our tri up to Spanish Fork to see Jessica and the rest of her gang(the grandkids) minus Drew (he was on a work related trip). The time always goes so much faster than you want it to especially when you don't get there until the 2nd day of the trip. But we tried to make the most of things and jumped right into the craziness.  Jessica needed the time to unwind a little and the kids were so happy to see all of us. They have all grown like weeds(where does that comes from?) Tanner entertained us from the minute we arrived. He was the cutest and his Grandpa was quite charmed by him. The girls have gotten so tall this year, so much has changed. When we live so far away it makes such a difference when we don't see them all the time. We all miss them so much.

Of course we had to enjoy eating out at least once while we were there and went to one of our favorite places the Brick Oven for lunch on Saturday. And of course it was snowing. I wasn't really prepared for the snow. We live in California after all. We really don't have any clothes for the snow, but we did our best and ran quickly to the car to avoid as much cold as we could. (I know I am just silly, but I really do hate snow) Its cold!!!!!!   Lunch was great though. And the kids loved it too. After lunch we had to run a few errands then back to Jessica's for awhile. That night Mitch and I met up with some good friends from Sandy, Ray and Marilyn Anderson. We met them at this little restaurant in Lehi called Porter's Place. It was really fun, not because the food was all that, but the company was great.They are great friends and it is always good to see them and catch up. We never see them often enough, or for long enough. Maybe some day we will. It was getting late and very cold when we finally said our goodbye's.  On Sunday we all went to church together. It was fun going to their ward with them. The kids were really good. Which when we got home we found out that it usually wasn't so. Anyway... it was a good day and Drew got home right after we did.  It was nice to see him and the kids were excited to have their dad home if just for a day or so even it he was going to be leaving again in a day. His scheduling is awful right now, and poor Jessica gets the home duty alot. Good thing he makes up for it when he can. Our ride home was not bad, I didn't have to drive at all this trip. Between Mitch and Shelby they did all the driving, I just read my book. It was great. The weather wasn't all that great. We had ice and rain and snow and wind, it was crazy. But nothing that really stopped us from driving at least. Lots of traffic though. It slowed us down right after Las Vegas but its right where we thought it would. Up until then things were pretty smooth. Wouldn't it be great if someone could come up with a better way to get back and forth to Utah quicker though.(without flying) duh? More lanes? Bullet train? Something?   Good trip though and I am looking forward to the next trip. Maybe to Arizona?

Catching up

      Its raining today and I am actually glad that it is. I really do like it when we can experience a little winter here in Southern California. I really enjoyed the few weeks of summer like weather that we had but, we all knew we were not done with winter yet. Besides.... according to our state we are in a drought and we need all the rain we can possibly get. Although I'm not sure exactly how the rain works to add to all the total amount that they count. I read the folder the water company sent out and it showed a lake in 2003 that was completely full and then a picture that was taken last year 2008 and it was almost empty. But they said it was because of all the lack of snow in the higher elevations. I am not really sure how the whole thing works, but I think we need to pray for more snow. But they say(It never snows in sunny California)isn't that a song?

My neice Krisitin Owens was married to Chris Tobler last weekend and it was so fun. It was a great party and they were so lucky that it was last weekend and not this weekend with the rain. Its amazing how that stuff just works out, isn't it? They did plan ahead for that just in case it did rain though. My other niece Brittany Owens is getting married in April. She is getting really excited too. In fact, we just got her bridal shower invitation in the mail the other day. These two girls were born just a few months apart to different brothers and have been good friends their whole lives. Lived in the same area, gone to school, church and many activities together. And now they are even getting married within four months of each other. It is pretty amazing.  We are so happy for them both.

Shelby just finished up finals this week. She can't believe she didn't study for any of them and she thinks she passed them all with A's and B's. (we'll see when that report card comes)? She does seem to be having a pretty easy year of it. I think for some reason her classes and her teachers seem to be either not teaching her anything or they are all taking time off of teaching this year. Seriously, I am starting to get worried. I'm not sure that there is anything I can do about it. It is her senior year. She is done, in 6 months. (Hmmmmmmm ..)    I think that I am going to finish up the laundry which I hate doing and then I am going to start on dinner(won't Mitch be surprised?) This week I have been so busy and so has he. I don't think he's noticed that  neither of us have eaten at home all week.......or together for that matter.

what's next?

       I  finally am getting around to writing again. I haven't been feeling it. There are other things that have been taking priority. I know that I should feel different about this, and Raechal keeps telling me that one of these days she is actually going to sit down with me, or talk me through a few things over the phone so I will actually be able to do a few things with this blog beside write. Although just writing has its merits it is getting boring and I guess that is why I am not always very excited to write anything. Shelby says its because I am boring(haha) so much for giving birth to her. And she thinks I'm going to pay for her  to go to college next year?

  What's with the weather? Summer in January? I think the rest of the United States is probably wishing that they could live in California though. I would rather have this weather than the 20 below that they are having in Chicago. It will get winter like again, it always does.

Jessica and her family are on their way here as I am writing. There is a family wedding this weekend. My neice Kristin is marrying Chris Tobler from our Stake. Our family is very excited for her and her family. And it will be fun to see a lot of the family for this event. Scott and Ashley will not be attending because of school.  And we thought that  Jessica wasn't coming either but surprise, they worked things out so that they could. They will be staying with Raechal though, because we will have Mitch's brother and his wife and their daughter at our house. I am sure we will still have a house full, as they will all still be over at the house a lot. The more the merrier lets say. I can't wait to hug all my grandkids, Its been a while since I have seen them. I miss them all.  Living in Utah seems so far away....

January is and has always been a month of new beginnings. I still can't write 2009. It will take me awhile. I hope it will be a much better year for us than 2008 was.  I am trying to list    those things most important to me but the more I try the longer the list gets.  

          FYI:Boring  (shelby says) so I won't list them. But you get it. I'm sure you have one of  those too. I did enjoy our Ward Conference. And our new Stake Goals for the year.(repeat of last years) updated. but I liked the card idea. I love Pres. Brennan. He really knows how to get you thinking. He makes it so easy.You gotta love that.