Mother's Day 2010

First I want to say Happy Mother's Day to my mom and my Grandma Hulsey. So......

Happy Mother's Day Mom.......You're the best!

Happy Mother's Day Grandma......Hope you know how much we love you!

I had a pretty good day. I don't have to cook on Mother's Day, but I get to pick what we eat. I don't have to cook or clean, but this year we went to Pleasant Grove to my nephew Matthew's mission farewell. Since we were there I got a Mother's Day present from their ward.......hand made chocolates!!! Yum! What could be better! I also got the plant from our ward that my friend picked up for me.

My family got me a book......
The Remarkable Soul Of A Woman by Dieter F. Uchtdorf
He is one of my favorite General Authorities to listen too. I could just sit and listen to him all day.

All in all a really good day.

(I can't find the picture of the gifts right now. I'll keep looking and if I find it, I'll replace this with it. :) )

The Stockings Were Hung By The Chimney With Care

In hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there.

with Christmas Eve dinner all done

The tree all trimmed. The presents, how fun.

Now it's off to see the lights of our friends.

Then home to see what games Santa's elves left under the tree again.

We'll play for a while, but it can't be all night.

Or our Jolly old friend will be nowhere in sight.

And though these things are fun,

the true cause to celebrate this season.....

This is the one

only True Reason.

Merry Christmas to all our friends!

The Day Before

Wynn's work is sending him to California to take a class, called PC Demus or some such thing. He flies out tomorrow and flies home Friday night. He will be in class 8 hours a day Monday through Friday. AND I GET TO GO WITH HIM!!!! His work pays for his flight, rental car, hotel room, $65 of food per day, so all we had to pay for is my plane ticket and any personal thing I want to buy. WooHoo! The hotel is right on Laguna Beach. I am going to have a real vacation for once, and all you moms know what I'm talking about. The family goes on vacation, except mom is still mom so it doesn't seem like much of a vacation to her. No kids and 8 hours a day to do whatever I want.

I am going to read. I borrowed a book from my sister, Tawnya, that has all the Jane Austin books in it. Plus I bought a book Monday (I think I put that in an earlier blog) that is a #2 in a series. And I have a couple books I haven't read yet because I was so busy with AmeriCorps I haven't been able to read much since August. I can shop and go to the beach, work out and take a bubble bath, watch tv and eat snacks without having to share! My friend, Vicki, told me to make sure we go to the Newport Beach Temple while we're there.

Doesn't it look pretty? But it is a smaller one so they don't rent the clothing which means we need to remember to pack ours. And we didn't think about the fact that Wynn has been renting his pants when we go. Which means we had to run and buy him some this evening, and they AREN'T hemmed! So I will be hemming them tonight. So it has been a busy day before vacation. We needed to get all the laundry done so I have all the clothes I need to pack. I needed go shopping so I have sunscreen and all those incidentals. I realized it was the library summer kick off program today that I always take the kids to. They have fun rides and treats and get there packets for a summer of earning prizes. How could I not take them to that? And I need to get it all put together so we can leave here tomorrow around noon, which means we're only going to part of church, but Drew will be here to bring them home.

Drew is coming up for a bonfire with her friends, so she is going to my nails and cut Wynn's hair before we leave. She'll be here through Monday and then my friend that lives 3 houses down is going to keep an eye on them. Andy and Leza will be checking on them as well. Drew will be taking them to the first summer matinee for me Monday. Good thing I've already seen it! And my friend should be able to take them to the Tuesday Library movie.

Vicki also told me to make sure we take the ferry to Balboa Island and get a Balboa bar. Tawnya also told me of some places to eat. Her favorite restaurant, Las Brisas is there as well as Crystal Cove Shake Shack.

I am soooooo excited. I don't know if I will be able to post while I'm there. Depending on if the hotel has free internet access. If so, I'll just have to add pictures after I get home. If not, I'll be behind again and get posted as fast as I can while it's all fresh.

That is one of the next things on my list to get...a laptop just for me. I'm off to get packed! Did I mention I AM SOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!

Last Two Days

Last week one of our dear friends that Gary worked for, Lou Wilhelm, took Gary and his friend Phil fishing at Flaming Gorge. They had both worked for him hauling hay and this was his way of telling them goodbye before they left for their respective missions. They were hard workers and he really loves those boys.

Now this has been our last 2 days with Gary before he leaves on his mission. This is always an emotional time. He spent yesterday with us and his friend Chelsey Richman. Though they aren't boyfriend/girlfriend they have become the best of friends. We absolutely love her for the way she helped Gary prepare for his mission. She is a sweetheart. They went to the movie and then he got to meet her new boyfriend/guy friend(?). He approved and said he was a really nice guy.

Gary and his best friend Chelsey

Today was our last day to try to cram all those things in that you always think you'll have time to do before they leave. So what did we do? We went golfing. Wynn has always loved golfing and last Tuesday he took Gary and Tanner and Gary decided he could love this game. So he wanted to go one last time. Wynn, myself, Gary, Andy and Leza (she didn't play) went to Sherwood Hills. (it's 2 for 1 on Tuesdays) This was my first time golfing. I agree with Gary. I LOVE this game. Wynn says I was really good for my first time. I only lost one ball. Yeah me! I forgot my camera though so I didn't get any pictures which I had planned to do. It started downpouring while we were on the course, we kept playing. It stopped and I guess the rain washed off the sunblock because when we were done I was kind of red. Oh, well.

When we got home, Gary and Wynn worked on getting his room packed up. They didn't quite finish, but Gary told him what to keep, what to throw away and what was what ever. I just couldn't do it. I kept crying and that was not what he needed right now. The nerves are still here and he didn't need me crying in his face all day.

At 8:00pm we went to the Stake Presidents office for Gary to be set apart as a missionary for the Texas Lubbock mission for the duration that he needs to be there. It was a beautiful thing. The Stake President was gone so his counselor, President Younkers set him apart along with Wynn and Andy. The whole family was there. It was wonderful. The Spirit was so strong. And now he is a missionary, a man of God and we will be taking him to the MTC tomorrow morning. And though he has been preparing for this his whole life and immersing himself in all things missionary that he could for the last few months, I am going to miss him. I know this is where he is supposed to be. I know this is what he is supposed to do. I wouldn't want him anywhere else at this time. I am sp proud of him and his choices. But I am going to miss him. He is such a good son, brother and friend to all. He is an excellent example to all around him...so loving and kind, even though he has his mischeivous side. I know he's not perfect, but he's close. He is going to be an excellent missionary for the Lord.

God speed, Elder Gary Dean Jenkins. I love you.

IN LIKE A LION, BABY!

It has been nice weather the last few days, the sun shining, the temperature warm, etc. And I am soooooo ready for spring to be here. I love Spring. But now it is supposed to start snowing tomorrow, and last for a few days. I say bring it on. I am so excited that March is coming in like a lion. That means it will go out like a lamb. Is that always the case....no. But usually. And I'm holding on to that. So--- let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. The March lamb is on it's way. WOOHOO!

Toothless

Monday morning I took Gary in to get his wisdom teeth out. This doctor is notorious for NOT giving an antibiotic until after they have an infection. We went to him with Andy and Drew and they both got an infection. Our friends children have all gotten infections as well. It just seems to be a common thing to get an infection when you get your wisdom teeth out. (I had to get mine out when I was 3 months pregnant with Gary. One was impacted & had to come out. Then we were losing our dental insurance the next month, so they just took all 4 out while they were at it. I had major morning sickness & since I was pregnant, they could only deaden me, not put me to sleep. Great experience. My sister Sharon came up to help me with the other 2 kids since she was on Thanksgiving break at the time. Yup, Thankgiving, 3 months pregnant & I got my wisdom teeth out. What was I thinking? I not only got an infection from the wisdom teeth, but it gave me an ear infection as well.) We now went to this doctor again because of insurance and I was prepared to insist on a perscription before he ever started. They were told when the appointment was made that we were expecting to come home with a perscription for an antibiotic. He went over what he was going to do & asked me if I had any questions.

"When you give me the perscription for pain medication, you are going to give me one for an antibiotic, right?"
"Well I don't like to give those out right away because only 2% get an infection from this."
"My husband got an infection, I got one, and both my other son and my daughter got one. (not reminding him that he was the one who took theirs out) I would really feel more comfortable about leaving here today with a perscription for an antibiotic."
"That is odd because it's only 2% that will get an infection, but OK. Not a problem."
It was all civil and nice and I left with a perscription for an antibiotic. He has done remarkably well.

By Tuesday he was getting up and fixing his own food. But he still isn't allowed to go back to work until after his check-up appointment on Monday. On Wednesday night he commented on how we really ought to move the family room furniture because we hadn't done it forever and it was getting boring. (I think was from him having to sit down there in Dec after surgery & now again this week) I told him I had been thinking the same thing. We mentioned where each of us would like it to be. I came home on Thursday from work and he had done the ironing, cleaned his room AND moved the family room furniture....VACUUMING the whole room as he went!!! He put it where I said I had been thinking of putting it. He is such a great kid. So today he and Wynn went snowmobiling (sledding) with friends and just got home. They had a blast. I think he deserved it, but I hope it doesn't backfire since he has been doing so well. He is sooo not the stereotypical sick male. He is a joy to have around.

The furnace update

We never could get the furnace to click on the other night. So we left it, made sure the kids had plenty of blankets & went to bed figuring Wynn would call Friday to have John (the landlord) come fix it. Gary would be home all day so he could be here to deal with it. Then, we got up Friday morning to a nice toasty warm house, so the kids had too many blankets. AND it's worked ever since. Fickle furnace. It's kind of hard for them to see what the furnace is doing if it's not doing it when they come! Not too many more months of having to use it I guess, THEN we'll be plenty warm since we don't have central air in this house. Plus it's supposed to be a warmer week this week, which means inversion. A whole other set of problems with that...me, Lexie & Tanner being allergic to it, it messing with Lexie's asthma so she has to stay inside...at least she doesn't have recess anymore that she has to stay in from.

Anyway, it could be worse than this for sure. Believe me, I've been there & will take what we have now hands down. So we'll just take what we've got & everything will be great.

Should have stayed in bed

Today was the first day back to school/work after Christmas break. I started the day going to work out at 5:30am, it was 3* outside! I went anyway. I got home & the girls left for school & I got me & Tanner ready to leave. It was all the way up to 7* & started snowing as we left the house.

The furnace in the kindergarten section of the school has been having fits all year, & they can't seem to get it fixed. It was freezing there & even though we have all learned to wear our jackets & sweaters when we go up there for reading group, we weren't prepared for it being so very cold. It didn't even seem to phase the kids. It snowed the whole time I was at work & had about 4 inches of snow on the car when I went home.

We have 2 furnaces for the house, but the one for the main section hasn't seemed to be working very well the last couple of days. So when I got home, I got to deal with a kitchen sink that the cold water has been frozen now for 2 days & a house that was as cold as the kindergarten rooms. I fiddled with the furnace since Wynn & Gary had apparently gone stir crazy at home & had been gone doing I'm not sure what all day after their doctors appointment & wasn't aware it had quit working. When Wynn got home he messed with the furnace for a while & finally got it working right. Maybe now the sink will thaw out since the house is finally a decent temperature. I guess it doesn't help that I have had an annoying cough for a week now that won't go away.

But I will get up again tomorrow morning in a nice warm house & go to the rec center in the freezing cold to work out in a nice warm building & do it all over again. Hopefully minus the not working furnaces this time!

Expounding on the previous

Saturday I felt I needed to expound a little more on my experience of that morning, to explain where I was coming from, but when I got home, the computer was having a brain spasm & I couldn't get on the internet. Wynn fixed it Sunday night, so here I am, Monday afternoon, hoping I can remember the things I had to say....

For AmeriCorp, we need to do 50 hours of community service this school year...25 in an 'easy circle' meaning that it is something that is no big deal for us to do. Carpooling for Colorguard took care of that quite nicely & easily. The other 25 have to be in the 'hard circle'. It has to benefit the community, for a non-profit organization & cannot be for church. I thought I had a project lined up, actually putting kits together for CAPSA, but it fell through. Then our study group leader begged us to help her with her sub-for Santa project, there were plenty of hours for everyone! We said yes & she was to tell us when she needed us. I finally emailed her since none of us had heard from her...she had some USU students come & help her the week before instead, so she was all done. So #2 fell through. I thought I had another date lined up to do some things for CAPSA, but it happens to be next weekend, while I am supposed to be in Layton at my neice-in-law's baby shower!!! #3 falling through. At this point I am saying 'Are you kidding me!? It shouldn't be this hard, I already have part of the hours done!' So enter the ward Christmas party, I don't know what we're doing, but I figure we'll go, it'll be good.

Long about Friday night I start talking myself out of going, even though I was feeling so strongly that we needed to go.....It's the one morning I can sleep in, I could actually take my walk in the morning, I could take a bubble bath & maybe actually get some reading done, it's probably just a Church Humanitarian project. Yes, I actually thought just! This is when I realized how horrible I was being about it all and decided we were going no matter what they were doing.

We got there & ate breakfast & then I went around the doors & read what they were doing in each room. THAT is when I found out it was for CAPSA!!! I had to do some quick repenting. Here the Lord was trying to help me get my much needed hours while I was helping someone else & I was being whiney. I have spent the last 3 days apologizing to my Heavenly Father for being so ungrateful for the things I have & almost not doing something he was handing right to me. Very big teaching moment for me with my kids. Yes, I got something out of this, but if I hadn't quit my pitty party & gone, I would have missed the opportunity.....not only to get my hours, but to help someone in need when I have so much.

And I still got my walk & reading time in that day anyway.