Glen 100% at home with us :)
Getting drenched at splashpads
Lounging in the pool
Lots of hugs and kisses from Grandmas and Grandpas
Colorado camping trip
Bike riding in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park
Beth holding her newest nephew in her arms (the rest of us can join in too ;)
A Bluegrass festival
Strawberries topped with homemade whipped cream
Beth working on her business from wherever she's at
Listening to cousins laughing together
Nighttime desert hikes
Summer matinees
Runs and Races
Wending and turning roads, while watching the green mountain meadows pass by
Blue Columbine Flowers (and some Indian Paintbrush too)
Our kids getting spoiled by Aunts and Uncles
Plus, LOTS, LOTS more!
What's on your list of things to do?
Friday, May 6, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Pulling A Late Night
It's me again. Beth.
I am sitting on the couch and taking a quick break from work related stuff. I don't feel much like a typical mom right now; at least not like my original vision of what I wanted motherhood to be.
Yes, yes. I have decided to give my business all I have (after Glen and the kids, of course). It is because of my normal wife and mother responsibilities that happened today, that I have decided to pull a late night shift at "Beth Stowers, Inc." I need to work as hard and fast as I can on getting some essential business building done. And these are things I really don't know how to do. Techie stuff like building websites, starting a newsletter, and making some capture pages. (A capture page is what comes up if someone is trying to sell you something or get you onto their e-mail marketing list. It is a merely a form that "captures" ones information, most importantly a name and e-mail address).
Fortunately, I have some training videos to watch before I embark on my techie adventure. ;)
I really do love to do what I do. In fact, right now, I have the opportunity to work with one of the owners of my company on a new project that no one has ever done before. I thought of the idea. I have many more projects that we'll tackle after this one. And I am very excited about the possibilities! Heavenly Father has guided me as I have worked this current project out and planned it. He has even brought me into contact with the people I needed to meet. Talk about tender mercies and immense blessings! :)
I love that I can stay at home with the kids and do a lot of my work Online. I love my computer so much! I am grateful for all of the information and courses I have been blessed to take. These are things that have enriched my life and given me so much direction and knowledge. I am not the same as I was before all of this.
And to think that it all started with me and Glen getting involved in an opportunity that we came across Online...we spammed a whole bunch of people with it. And we did not make a million bucks like someone told us we could. And someone who actually does make fist-fulls of money doing things this way is rare...
Although I enjoy my work, it is hard and downright tough at times. I go through lots of self-doubt and regret. I have to sacrifice a lot to do this. There's no way I can watch prime-time TV at night. No scrap booking, no baking, no going on long runs...Nada.
Being an entrepreneur is hard work. And as I build a business that is sustainable and gives my family more financial freedom, the work gets even harder. I have struggled through countless prayers, tears, fasting and many sleepless nights because of what I do. I don't hang out with a lot of friends and have a hard time just finding the time to get out and shop for our groceries.
After all these trials, the heartache, the regret of not being able to just sit and be idle, or read a good book; after all of this and much more, the success will be worth it and the taste will be sweeter than it would have been if this would have been an easy win and if Heavenly Father just handed me my dreams on a silver platter.
It's much like having a baby. You go through all the growing, the stretching, the sickness, the changes, and the pain. And then, after all of that, you hold a treasure in your hands. One that you love so much better because of your experiences and what you went through to nourish and produce it.
Well, right now I intensely feel the pressure of my back being against the wall and I'm off to learn more and perhaps put up a sweet website tomorrow.
I am sitting on the couch and taking a quick break from work related stuff. I don't feel much like a typical mom right now; at least not like my original vision of what I wanted motherhood to be.
Yes, yes. I have decided to give my business all I have (after Glen and the kids, of course). It is because of my normal wife and mother responsibilities that happened today, that I have decided to pull a late night shift at "Beth Stowers, Inc." I need to work as hard and fast as I can on getting some essential business building done. And these are things I really don't know how to do. Techie stuff like building websites, starting a newsletter, and making some capture pages. (A capture page is what comes up if someone is trying to sell you something or get you onto their e-mail marketing list. It is a merely a form that "captures" ones information, most importantly a name and e-mail address).
Fortunately, I have some training videos to watch before I embark on my techie adventure. ;)
I really do love to do what I do. In fact, right now, I have the opportunity to work with one of the owners of my company on a new project that no one has ever done before. I thought of the idea. I have many more projects that we'll tackle after this one. And I am very excited about the possibilities! Heavenly Father has guided me as I have worked this current project out and planned it. He has even brought me into contact with the people I needed to meet. Talk about tender mercies and immense blessings! :)
I love that I can stay at home with the kids and do a lot of my work Online. I love my computer so much! I am grateful for all of the information and courses I have been blessed to take. These are things that have enriched my life and given me so much direction and knowledge. I am not the same as I was before all of this.
And to think that it all started with me and Glen getting involved in an opportunity that we came across Online...we spammed a whole bunch of people with it. And we did not make a million bucks like someone told us we could. And someone who actually does make fist-fulls of money doing things this way is rare...
Although I enjoy my work, it is hard and downright tough at times. I go through lots of self-doubt and regret. I have to sacrifice a lot to do this. There's no way I can watch prime-time TV at night. No scrap booking, no baking, no going on long runs...Nada.
Being an entrepreneur is hard work. And as I build a business that is sustainable and gives my family more financial freedom, the work gets even harder. I have struggled through countless prayers, tears, fasting and many sleepless nights because of what I do. I don't hang out with a lot of friends and have a hard time just finding the time to get out and shop for our groceries.
After all these trials, the heartache, the regret of not being able to just sit and be idle, or read a good book; after all of this and much more, the success will be worth it and the taste will be sweeter than it would have been if this would have been an easy win and if Heavenly Father just handed me my dreams on a silver platter.
It's much like having a baby. You go through all the growing, the stretching, the sickness, the changes, and the pain. And then, after all of that, you hold a treasure in your hands. One that you love so much better because of your experiences and what you went through to nourish and produce it.
Well, right now I intensely feel the pressure of my back being against the wall and I'm off to learn more and perhaps put up a sweet website tomorrow.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Sunday
Beth Here Again...
It seems like each Sunday for the past few weeks, I have been too sick to go to church. It all started with a very bad cold that lasted for a few weeks and then following the tail end of that, I got strep throat a few days ago. Whew!
I have been working on healing my sore throat with natural remedies (and a little bit of Advil) and so far, I am recovering. But today, Glen took the kids by himself to church and I am here at home alone. Because I have been sick so much, I am trying to learn as much as possible from this. Eating better foods are helping my body to heal and I am still working on getting better sleep. It will come...
And I know that Glen is a very capable father. :) I have seen lots of evidence of this lately.
Last night, I thought about my own father. Many years ago, he started to get sick and had a lot of fatigue. He was getting lots of headaches. He and my mom started to see different doctors so they could find out what was wrong with him. After a ton of tests, 17 doctors, a job loss, and lots of heartache and prayers, they found what was wrong with and what could be done to help him.
He has fibromyalgia, the same thing that my grandma (his mom) has. That, along with some other things, were causing his body to break down. He started eating better foods, exercising, taking a few supplements and some medications and his health has improved significantly. In fact, his health improved so much, that he was able to go back into the Army a few years ago. It was a lot of work, but he did it.
And it is still a lot of work now. He has good days and bad days. He has a very busy job as an Officer and oftentimes works from early in the morning to late at night, just like other people in the military have to do.
My dad is my hero. Not only is a hero in how he has handled his adversity with his health, but he is my hero in many other aspects. He always stands up for what he believes in, even if it isn't popular with others. He was a convert to the Church and has always served in his callings and attended church. He has a strong testimony of the Gospel and his faith is strong. He is forgiving and kind.
He is loving too. He shows his love to me every time I see him and is a loving grandfather to my two children. He hugs them, plays with them, laughs with them, and shows them his super-cool computer games. And he listens to them as they talk to him. My children are blessed to have him as a grandfather. And I am blessed that he is my father. There is no other like him.
I am blessed to be a part of my family. While I realize we are all different, and sometimes we can't see each other as often as we'd like, they are really awesome people. It is fun to be able to call my siblings and parents or to text them. Their support, their love and their acceptance of me gives me a lot of strength as I fight my battles. My grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins...they all are wonderful.
And, even when I am sick, they love me and pray for me. It's just perfect.
It seems like each Sunday for the past few weeks, I have been too sick to go to church. It all started with a very bad cold that lasted for a few weeks and then following the tail end of that, I got strep throat a few days ago. Whew!
I have been working on healing my sore throat with natural remedies (and a little bit of Advil) and so far, I am recovering. But today, Glen took the kids by himself to church and I am here at home alone. Because I have been sick so much, I am trying to learn as much as possible from this. Eating better foods are helping my body to heal and I am still working on getting better sleep. It will come...
And I know that Glen is a very capable father. :) I have seen lots of evidence of this lately.
Last night, I thought about my own father. Many years ago, he started to get sick and had a lot of fatigue. He was getting lots of headaches. He and my mom started to see different doctors so they could find out what was wrong with him. After a ton of tests, 17 doctors, a job loss, and lots of heartache and prayers, they found what was wrong with and what could be done to help him.
He has fibromyalgia, the same thing that my grandma (his mom) has. That, along with some other things, were causing his body to break down. He started eating better foods, exercising, taking a few supplements and some medications and his health has improved significantly. In fact, his health improved so much, that he was able to go back into the Army a few years ago. It was a lot of work, but he did it.
And it is still a lot of work now. He has good days and bad days. He has a very busy job as an Officer and oftentimes works from early in the morning to late at night, just like other people in the military have to do.
My dad is my hero. Not only is a hero in how he has handled his adversity with his health, but he is my hero in many other aspects. He always stands up for what he believes in, even if it isn't popular with others. He was a convert to the Church and has always served in his callings and attended church. He has a strong testimony of the Gospel and his faith is strong. He is forgiving and kind.
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| One of My Favorite Pictures of My Dad, When Joseph Was A Newborn. | Joseph Had Jaundice and Needed Sunlight. |
He is loving too. He shows his love to me every time I see him and is a loving grandfather to my two children. He hugs them, plays with them, laughs with them, and shows them his super-cool computer games. And he listens to them as they talk to him. My children are blessed to have him as a grandfather. And I am blessed that he is my father. There is no other like him.
I am blessed to be a part of my family. While I realize we are all different, and sometimes we can't see each other as often as we'd like, they are really awesome people. It is fun to be able to call my siblings and parents or to text them. Their support, their love and their acceptance of me gives me a lot of strength as I fight my battles. My grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins...they all are wonderful.
And, even when I am sick, they love me and pray for me. It's just perfect.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
My Sisters Wish Esther a Happy Birthday
Beth speaking here:
My younger sisters are awesome! I have two of them. My two brothers are awesome too, and they do such an awesome job of rough and tumble play with the kids. I just love my family, they are the coolest! My parents are pretty special people too.
And those sisters of mine...
I got to see my youngest sister in Utah during Christmas break. She and her husband are expecting a little boy (hooray for baby boys!) and they just bought a cute house. It was a lot of fun to see them. We had not seen them since their wedding and now the two of them seem so grown up. I was 13 when my sister was born. I remember babysitting her and changing her diaper. Time flies!
My other sister just came to see us over the weekend. She has 3 very cute daughters and we just love seeing their sweet family. Joseph and Esther are very close to the girls and had so much time playing hard and laughing and running together. My youngest niece has grown so much since I have last seen her.
Our weekend started with a fun day at a train park in Scottsdale. We rode the train and the carousel there and then had fun at some of the playgrounds. In the evening, my sister and I went for sushi. Yum! :)
The next day, we found a cool mall that has an indoor playground. (I'll remember where it is for summertime...) Joseph got to go to the Lego store there too! And then...we grabbed some In N Out for dinner. I love their protein-style burgers so much! No buns with my burger? Perfect for me!
We celebrated Esther's birthday in style that night...burgers, cupcakes, milkshakes, mmmmm...
Much to her delight, Esther even got a doll that calls her "Mama." Sweet! Our now 3-year-old with her own baby is more than she could have ever wished for...
My younger sisters are awesome! I have two of them. My two brothers are awesome too, and they do such an awesome job of rough and tumble play with the kids. I just love my family, they are the coolest! My parents are pretty special people too.
And those sisters of mine...
I got to see my youngest sister in Utah during Christmas break. She and her husband are expecting a little boy (hooray for baby boys!) and they just bought a cute house. It was a lot of fun to see them. We had not seen them since their wedding and now the two of them seem so grown up. I was 13 when my sister was born. I remember babysitting her and changing her diaper. Time flies!
My other sister just came to see us over the weekend. She has 3 very cute daughters and we just love seeing their sweet family. Joseph and Esther are very close to the girls and had so much time playing hard and laughing and running together. My youngest niece has grown so much since I have last seen her.
Our weekend started with a fun day at a train park in Scottsdale. We rode the train and the carousel there and then had fun at some of the playgrounds. In the evening, my sister and I went for sushi. Yum! :)
The next day, we found a cool mall that has an indoor playground. (I'll remember where it is for summertime...) Joseph got to go to the Lego store there too! And then...we grabbed some In N Out for dinner. I love their protein-style burgers so much! No buns with my burger? Perfect for me!
We celebrated Esther's birthday in style that night...burgers, cupcakes, milkshakes, mmmmm...
Much to her delight, Esther even got a doll that calls her "Mama." Sweet! Our now 3-year-old with her own baby is more than she could have ever wished for...
Monday, January 31, 2011
It's Almost February...
Glen, Beth and the kids had such a wonderful time in Utah and Colorado visiting family. We saw so many people and it was such a whirlwind of adventure! Our highlights were:
Glen will work really hard here and finish school. It should take a year and half. If we still need it, he'll start looking for jobs in Colorado in Fall 2011.
We also have a bit of house remodeling to do so we can sell our house. We are blessed that we bought our house for a very low price and should come out a little ahead when it's time to go.
Beth is working on her business. She has come up with some great plans and has hired a nanny to watch Esther part time while she researches, creates and builds in the office. During Christmas break and shortly after, Beth did a lot of research for ad campaigns to start up, found some awesome places to outsource some of her work to, and narrowed down her focus to one niche.
We are both very excited about this and it will help us get out of the "Rat Race" once and for all. Good things are ahead of us. :) We have been prompted to do this for a long time and feel very good about building an Online/Offline business. It's not network marketing or blogging, although one can always use these ways to earn residual income, as well.
Off to work now...be good and do well! :)
- Seeing Beth's sister, who is expecting. We love her cute little baby bump!
- Having a snowball fight at BYU with Glen's brother and sister-in-law. The snow fell fast and was very thick on the ground...
- Visiting Beth's sweet aunt and cousins
- Driving in lots of blizzards...it's a good character-building exercise ;)
- Sledding in Rocky Mountain National Park with Uncle Chris.
- Hanging out with Uncle David and Sheri
- Celebrating Christmas Eve with Grandma Betty
- Seeing our Grammy, who is almost 100 years old!
- Visiting Great Grandma and Grandpa Woods in their cozy house while a storm raged all around us
- Seeing Glen's parents in a beautiful part up of Colorado...almost way up in the clouds
Glen will work really hard here and finish school. It should take a year and half. If we still need it, he'll start looking for jobs in Colorado in Fall 2011.
We also have a bit of house remodeling to do so we can sell our house. We are blessed that we bought our house for a very low price and should come out a little ahead when it's time to go.
Beth is working on her business. She has come up with some great plans and has hired a nanny to watch Esther part time while she researches, creates and builds in the office. During Christmas break and shortly after, Beth did a lot of research for ad campaigns to start up, found some awesome places to outsource some of her work to, and narrowed down her focus to one niche.
We are both very excited about this and it will help us get out of the "Rat Race" once and for all. Good things are ahead of us. :) We have been prompted to do this for a long time and feel very good about building an Online/Offline business. It's not network marketing or blogging, although one can always use these ways to earn residual income, as well.
Off to work now...be good and do well! :)
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
2010 has been exciting for us and full of a lot of changes. We have been blessed immensely.
Esther is 2 (almost 3) and in nursery at church. She absolutely loves her nursery teachers! She loves to look at books, sing, dance and she is quite a dare-devil. She climbs on things at the playground that make Elizabeth's knees shake. Esther has a best friend named Lydia that she adores and has become good friends with two girls next door. Esther has mastered animal noises.
Joseph turned 6 this year and started Kindergarten at a Montessori charter school. It has been good for him and he has made lots of friends there. Joseph loves to read, build things out of anything (Legos, blocks, car parts, recycled stuff), draw plans of things to invent and sell to people, and run. He recently got a suit to match Glen's and loves to wear it to church. He wants to grow up to be just like his dad. :)
Athena turned 18 this year and she is engaged at school with choir and other great things. When she is not busy with school performances, she is busy getting good grades and having fun with friends. She also plays the organ at church.
Elizabeth has been busy with the house; especially with painting and organizing things. We recently made our casita available for missionaries in our stake to use and the things from the casita that ended up in the house must go. ;) Elizabeth has fun exercising at the YMCA. She also has very strong entrepreneur-tendencies and is working on projects from home to make extra money for the family. **Here's where Elizabeth's life gets really interesting: Because she has dysphagia (trouble swallowing her food), her doctor tested her for several things and one of the things she tested positive for is a gluten intolerance. Now Elizabeth is learning how to cook gluten-free food. And it's pretty fun, unless she really wants a nice slice of baguette with a bit of Brie. Sometimes, there is just no substitute for the real thing, haha... Another side benefit of dysphagia is getting an endoscopy, which will take place at the beginning of 2011. A specialist will stick a long tube with a camera down her throat and take a peek at her esophagus and stomach. Eek.
Glen, the very smart and hard-working head of our household, went back to school and is earning a Master of Ed degree at Arizona State University. He has completed his first semester and is learning LOTS. He likes to ride his bike to school when he can and is having a bit of extra fun with learning how to teach secondary school kids (middle school and high school). He is a Priesthood teacher at church, as well as a ward missionary.
We send you and your families lots of love and prayers for the best blessings the Lord can give you.
With Love,
The Stowers Family
2010 has been exciting for us and full of a lot of changes. We have been blessed immensely.
Esther is 2 (almost 3) and in nursery at church. She absolutely loves her nursery teachers! She loves to look at books, sing, dance and she is quite a dare-devil. She climbs on things at the playground that make Elizabeth's knees shake. Esther has a best friend named Lydia that she adores and has become good friends with two girls next door. Esther has mastered animal noises.
Joseph turned 6 this year and started Kindergarten at a Montessori charter school. It has been good for him and he has made lots of friends there. Joseph loves to read, build things out of anything (Legos, blocks, car parts, recycled stuff), draw plans of things to invent and sell to people, and run. He recently got a suit to match Glen's and loves to wear it to church. He wants to grow up to be just like his dad. :)
Athena turned 18 this year and she is engaged at school with choir and other great things. When she is not busy with school performances, she is busy getting good grades and having fun with friends. She also plays the organ at church.
Elizabeth has been busy with the house; especially with painting and organizing things. We recently made our casita available for missionaries in our stake to use and the things from the casita that ended up in the house must go. ;) Elizabeth has fun exercising at the YMCA. She also has very strong entrepreneur-tendencies and is working on projects from home to make extra money for the family. **Here's where Elizabeth's life gets really interesting: Because she has dysphagia (trouble swallowing her food), her doctor tested her for several things and one of the things she tested positive for is a gluten intolerance. Now Elizabeth is learning how to cook gluten-free food. And it's pretty fun, unless she really wants a nice slice of baguette with a bit of Brie. Sometimes, there is just no substitute for the real thing, haha... Another side benefit of dysphagia is getting an endoscopy, which will take place at the beginning of 2011. A specialist will stick a long tube with a camera down her throat and take a peek at her esophagus and stomach. Eek.
Glen, the very smart and hard-working head of our household, went back to school and is earning a Master of Ed degree at Arizona State University. He has completed his first semester and is learning LOTS. He likes to ride his bike to school when he can and is having a bit of extra fun with learning how to teach secondary school kids (middle school and high school). He is a Priesthood teacher at church, as well as a ward missionary.
We send you and your families lots of love and prayers for the best blessings the Lord can give you.
With Love,
The Stowers Family
Thursday, November 18, 2010
We Blew It Up and Then...We Ate It!
Okay, so I remember the last time I blogged on our family blog, that I promised to do a blog post devoted entirely to Glen. I have to forego that for now, but will do it next time. He's been up to some amazing things. Stay tuned...
Now, onto our firstborn son, who just turned 6 and is loving it...
We had a blast celebrating his birthday as a family and then a few weeks later with his friends. We had a science-themed birthday party and our birthday activities were centered around doing short, easy science experiments.
To kick things off, I cut out bow ties (with scrapbooking paper) in advance and had the kids decorate their own "mad scientist" bow ties. After each child (and parent, haha) was done, I glued a clip onto each one with my trusty glue gun. The drying time was quick and each of wore bow ties for the rest of the party. Then, we had 5 science experiments, present opening, cake and ice cream and the finale science experiment.
We decorated our dining room and front room with green and orange colors and hung pictures of various famous scientists on our wall.
We also had an erupting volcano cake. I got the instructions for that at http://beyondwonderful.com/recipes/desserts/cakes/volacano_erupting.html . I modified it a bit to my liking. ;)
I don't normally buy dry ice (which the recipe calls for) and found it at the grocery store for about $1 per pound. The smallest size I bought was 5 pounds. Never, ever touch it with your bare hands! It's extremely cold stuff. We kept it up and out of the way of curious and inquiring children.
Enjoy the pictures and video of Joseph and his party!
And now, the volcano cake eruption!
Happy Birthday Joseph! We love you! xoxo
Now, onto our firstborn son, who just turned 6 and is loving it...
We had a blast celebrating his birthday as a family and then a few weeks later with his friends. We had a science-themed birthday party and our birthday activities were centered around doing short, easy science experiments.
To kick things off, I cut out bow ties (with scrapbooking paper) in advance and had the kids decorate their own "mad scientist" bow ties. After each child (and parent, haha) was done, I glued a clip onto each one with my trusty glue gun. The drying time was quick and each of wore bow ties for the rest of the party. Then, we had 5 science experiments, present opening, cake and ice cream and the finale science experiment.
We decorated our dining room and front room with green and orange colors and hung pictures of various famous scientists on our wall.
We also had an erupting volcano cake. I got the instructions for that at http://beyondwonderful.com/recipes/desserts/cakes/volacano_erupting.html . I modified it a bit to my liking. ;)
I don't normally buy dry ice (which the recipe calls for) and found it at the grocery store for about $1 per pound. The smallest size I bought was 5 pounds. Never, ever touch it with your bare hands! It's extremely cold stuff. We kept it up and out of the way of curious and inquiring children.
Enjoy the pictures and video of Joseph and his party!
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| A view of the Rocket Balloons Experiment... |
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| More Rocket-Ballooning! |
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| The egg went from here... |
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| To here. |
And now, the volcano cake eruption!
Happy Birthday Joseph! We love you! xoxo
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Running, Moving, and Growing Up
Lots to do and just enough time to do it all. Barely. :)
My official half-marathon training began a few weeks ago and I decided on running 'Shun the Sun' here in Tempe, AZ. The culmination of all of this great fun will happen in November. First things first, I went to Runner's World (Online) to print up a training plan. Goals written down on paper usually help to simplify tasks that are set forth. Easy? Maybe not on some days. But the plan is simple to follow and I'm on track. I start Week 4 tomorrow and am eager for my runs to get longer and to mix some speed into my workouts.
Writing down plans on paper has been quite effective and have decided that I will do this with a lot more of my goals.
Along with my runs, I have lots of weight-lifting here at the house. Lift up one box. Carry it to the other side of the room. Set it down. Onto the next box...;) I've had lots of fun organizing our house, because we just added two more girls to the mix. That's right! They arrived three weeks ago. What are their names? They're both named 'Sister'. :)
We are blessed to be able to host sister missionaries in the studio that's attached to our garage. We had lots of help from our friends and ward members to help get the studio renovated and to get the sisters moved in. Our studio is awesome and it now comes complete with a kitchenette area. Missionaries normally cannot live in a household where there are children, but since they live in a separate studio, things worked out well. It is a blessing for us to be able to consecrate part of our home for the Lord's work.
Joseph has been all smiles lately. We worked very hard to get him into the school of his (and our) dreams and each day I pick him up, he's a flurry of excitement. I love it! He's in a charter school that is Montessori-based and it's such a good fit for all of us. Esther misses Joseph though, and still asks why he doesn't ride back home with us in his car seat. (But, I think she secretly likes being able to have me to herself...:)
Have a happy and blessed week! :)
Oh yeah! Where's Glen in all of this? No worries, he'll be highly featured in our next blog post...
My official half-marathon training began a few weeks ago and I decided on running 'Shun the Sun' here in Tempe, AZ. The culmination of all of this great fun will happen in November. First things first, I went to Runner's World (Online) to print up a training plan. Goals written down on paper usually help to simplify tasks that are set forth. Easy? Maybe not on some days. But the plan is simple to follow and I'm on track. I start Week 4 tomorrow and am eager for my runs to get longer and to mix some speed into my workouts.
Writing down plans on paper has been quite effective and have decided that I will do this with a lot more of my goals.
Along with my runs, I have lots of weight-lifting here at the house. Lift up one box. Carry it to the other side of the room. Set it down. Onto the next box...;) I've had lots of fun organizing our house, because we just added two more girls to the mix. That's right! They arrived three weeks ago. What are their names? They're both named 'Sister'. :)
We are blessed to be able to host sister missionaries in the studio that's attached to our garage. We had lots of help from our friends and ward members to help get the studio renovated and to get the sisters moved in. Our studio is awesome and it now comes complete with a kitchenette area. Missionaries normally cannot live in a household where there are children, but since they live in a separate studio, things worked out well. It is a blessing for us to be able to consecrate part of our home for the Lord's work.
Joseph has been all smiles lately. We worked very hard to get him into the school of his (and our) dreams and each day I pick him up, he's a flurry of excitement. I love it! He's in a charter school that is Montessori-based and it's such a good fit for all of us. Esther misses Joseph though, and still asks why he doesn't ride back home with us in his car seat. (But, I think she secretly likes being able to have me to herself...:)
Have a happy and blessed week! :)
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| He's got one foot forward and ready to go onward to Kindergarten... |
Oh yeah! Where's Glen in all of this? No worries, he'll be highly featured in our next blog post...
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Hot Enough To OVERcook An Egg On the Sidewalk
Our true Phoenix summertime heat kicked in last week. Until then, the temperature had been up and down and back and forth, and I was hoping that maybe, just maybe, the summer climate had changed here. Nope. Not a chance. Today is cooler with a high of about 100-ish degrees and fall will arrive in 3-4 months. Until then, we have our 110-120 degree summer weather to enjoy. Thank goodness for swimming pools, splash pads and the library! :)
I have been computer-less for some weeks while Glen uses mine. He's hoping to get a good deal on one soon. He's had ideas about getting an Apple... Meanwhile, I have been busy at the gym. I started training for a half-marathon and of course, love the yoga classes. I've also been painting the interior of our house and it's looking beautiful. In the evenings, I have been scrapbooking and reading. It's been nice to be away from technology for awhile, but I am grateful that we have a Droid to check my e-mail with. :)
Since Glen has had my computer, he's been busy. He applied to ASU to get into a Master's of Education program to become certified to teach secondary school. He will be qualified to teach HS Biology or MS General Science. When Glen's not tearing it up on the computer, he's winning 5k races and training for a triathlon that will be at the end of September.
Here's what else we've been up to:
I got through Cub Scout camp this summer. :) It was awesome and we have great boys in our ward. It was undoubtedly hot, but I went to camp prepared with a big floppy military-style hat and a long sleeve white shirt. It kept me cool and sunburn free. The highlight of my time there was shooting a bow and arrow and a BB gun. Fun times...
Esther desperately wants to potty-train and so we decided to start working with her on it (unwillingly). She has figured out that toilet paper can be fun and how to stay busy while sitting.
In May, Glen and Joseph went on a Father and Son's campout at church. Esther and me? We stayed at home, had pizza and watched movies with a friend and her daughter. Girls always know how to have fun, but Joseph and Glen may have outdone us. After plenty of S'Mores, campfire stories, and scenic hikes, the boys came back home excited and ready to go back out camping right away...
Finally...Joseph is still at it with Legos and improves his skill each time he gets a chance. Here are some shots of his latest creations:
He's got many more where those came from and just loves to design and create. Esther is starting to get into Legos too, and I am so glad that my kids enjoy doing some of the same things I did when I was just a wee one. Some things just never go out of style.
We hope that you are all doing well and blessed and we enjoy reading about you on your blogs and in your e-mails.
We hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July weekend!
I have been computer-less for some weeks while Glen uses mine. He's hoping to get a good deal on one soon. He's had ideas about getting an Apple... Meanwhile, I have been busy at the gym. I started training for a half-marathon and of course, love the yoga classes. I've also been painting the interior of our house and it's looking beautiful. In the evenings, I have been scrapbooking and reading. It's been nice to be away from technology for awhile, but I am grateful that we have a Droid to check my e-mail with. :)
Since Glen has had my computer, he's been busy. He applied to ASU to get into a Master's of Education program to become certified to teach secondary school. He will be qualified to teach HS Biology or MS General Science. When Glen's not tearing it up on the computer, he's winning 5k races and training for a triathlon that will be at the end of September.
Here's what else we've been up to:
I got through Cub Scout camp this summer. :) It was awesome and we have great boys in our ward. It was undoubtedly hot, but I went to camp prepared with a big floppy military-style hat and a long sleeve white shirt. It kept me cool and sunburn free. The highlight of my time there was shooting a bow and arrow and a BB gun. Fun times...
Esther desperately wants to potty-train and so we decided to start working with her on it (unwillingly). She has figured out that toilet paper can be fun and how to stay busy while sitting.
In May, Glen and Joseph went on a Father and Son's campout at church. Esther and me? We stayed at home, had pizza and watched movies with a friend and her daughter. Girls always know how to have fun, but Joseph and Glen may have outdone us. After plenty of S'Mores, campfire stories, and scenic hikes, the boys came back home excited and ready to go back out camping right away...
Finally...Joseph is still at it with Legos and improves his skill each time he gets a chance. Here are some shots of his latest creations:
He's got many more where those came from and just loves to design and create. Esther is starting to get into Legos too, and I am so glad that my kids enjoy doing some of the same things I did when I was just a wee one. Some things just never go out of style.
We hope that you are all doing well and blessed and we enjoy reading about you on your blogs and in your e-mails.
We hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July weekend!
Friday, May 7, 2010
A Fun Veggie Trick We Learned
We are working on eating more raw veggies. This will benefit us in so many ways...less heat in the kitchen, less time to prepare dinner, less dishes to wash and, did you know...raw veggies generally contain more live enzymes and vitamins than cooked veggie have.
We started this tonight with cucumbers. Our main dish was loaded nachos (corn chips, cheese, chili peppers, tomatoes, olives and shredded chicken). The kids LOVED it (and so did me and Glen). Joseph ate his cukes up and Esther, well, she did not. Her plate sat and sat and sat. Finally, we had an idea...kids like to sometimes to do things that are forbidden to them, so...
...we forbade Esther to eat her veggies. That's right! And it worked like a charm. Glen and I kept telling her not to eat her cucumbers, while Joseph cheered for her to do. Then Glen and I told her not to listen to Joseph. So, what did she do? She listened to Joseph and ate all of her cucumbers...with a big grin on her face. She got more nachos.
Listen to the video as Joseph reveals why Esther should not eat vegetables (hint: he says that veggies make people stronger and if Esther gets too strong, he and Glen won't be able to handle her). Yes, Esther is strong and has a lot of energy...those darn vegetables! ;)
We started this tonight with cucumbers. Our main dish was loaded nachos (corn chips, cheese, chili peppers, tomatoes, olives and shredded chicken). The kids LOVED it (and so did me and Glen). Joseph ate his cukes up and Esther, well, she did not. Her plate sat and sat and sat. Finally, we had an idea...kids like to sometimes to do things that are forbidden to them, so...
...we forbade Esther to eat her veggies. That's right! And it worked like a charm. Glen and I kept telling her not to eat her cucumbers, while Joseph cheered for her to do. Then Glen and I told her not to listen to Joseph. So, what did she do? She listened to Joseph and ate all of her cucumbers...with a big grin on her face. She got more nachos.
Listen to the video as Joseph reveals why Esther should not eat vegetables (hint: he says that veggies make people stronger and if Esther gets too strong, he and Glen won't be able to handle her). Yes, Esther is strong and has a lot of energy...those darn vegetables! ;)
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Lost Teeth
So, do you remember that Joseph had loose teeth on his half-birthday? One of them came out. Yep, right in the middle of his school day when he least expected it, there it went!
At Joseph's preschool, the kids all brush their teeth after their lunch. Joseph brushed his teeth, spit, and out came his tooth. He told us that it almost fell into the ketchup on his plate (the kids brush their teeth RIGHT after their meals). :) His teacher put it in a plastic baggy for him to take home.
Do you remember when you lost your first tooth?
Here are some pictures of his "less-one-tooth" smile and of the tooth, itself. The tooth fairy almost forgot about his tooth, but she remembered right before bed and that's what counts! :)
This is what Joseph plans to buy with the money he received from the tooth fairy. He is crazy about Legos!
And now...listen to Joseph as he tells about what the tooth fairy brought ($1). :)
At Joseph's preschool, the kids all brush their teeth after their lunch. Joseph brushed his teeth, spit, and out came his tooth. He told us that it almost fell into the ketchup on his plate (the kids brush their teeth RIGHT after their meals). :) His teacher put it in a plastic baggy for him to take home.
Do you remember when you lost your first tooth?
Here are some pictures of his "less-one-tooth" smile and of the tooth, itself. The tooth fairy almost forgot about his tooth, but she remembered right before bed and that's what counts! :)
This is what Joseph plans to buy with the money he received from the tooth fairy. He is crazy about Legos!
And now...listen to Joseph as he tells about what the tooth fairy brought ($1). :)
Monday, May 3, 2010
Bunnies At Our House?
At the preschool story time, our library shows a short, fun video at the end. We have seen all kinds of movies...and I remember seeing some of them as a little girl!
We had the opportunity to see the film called Knuffle Bunny, which is adapted from the book "Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale," written by Mo Williams. It's a great story (and a great show) about a little girl who loses her Knuffle Bunny. In the end, he brave dad finds it in the most unlikely place.
Well...for Christmas, Esther got a doll, who has her own bunny-doll. Guess who just became Esther's "Knuffle Bunny"? Esther carries the bunny around with her, loves it, and takes the bunny to bed with her.
Here are some pictures of Esther with her teeny-tiny friend. :)
Here is some video of Esther with her "Knuffle-Bunny." Stick around, there's a little surprise at the end...:)
We had the opportunity to see the film called Knuffle Bunny, which is adapted from the book "Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale," written by Mo Williams. It's a great story (and a great show) about a little girl who loses her Knuffle Bunny. In the end, he brave dad finds it in the most unlikely place.
Well...for Christmas, Esther got a doll, who has her own bunny-doll. Guess who just became Esther's "Knuffle Bunny"? Esther carries the bunny around with her, loves it, and takes the bunny to bed with her.
Here are some pictures of Esther with her teeny-tiny friend. :)
Here is some video of Esther with her "Knuffle-Bunny." Stick around, there's a little surprise at the end...:)
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Halfy-Birthday to our son, Joseph!
This week has been busy! (But we love it).
Joseph celebrated his half-birthday on April 27, 2010. We had a fun dinner from Taco Bell and had fun eating a strawberry cake Joseph picked out at the store. He's 5 and a half now and growing wiser by the minute.
He is also very excited about two loose teeth he's got...
Here he is with a special plate we got from Aunt Judy. The moment he saw it, it became his. ;) It has a heart shape outline in the middle of it.
Next, he and his candles are shining for this camera shot.
And here is the video we took:
It was an awesome day with Joseph and we had such a fun time. Mine is the next half-birthday celebration. We'll see what kind of cake I come up with. :)
Joseph celebrated his half-birthday on April 27, 2010. We had a fun dinner from Taco Bell and had fun eating a strawberry cake Joseph picked out at the store. He's 5 and a half now and growing wiser by the minute.
He is also very excited about two loose teeth he's got...
Here he is with a special plate we got from Aunt Judy. The moment he saw it, it became his. ;) It has a heart shape outline in the middle of it.
Next, he and his candles are shining for this camera shot.
And here is the video we took:
It was an awesome day with Joseph and we had such a fun time. Mine is the next half-birthday celebration. We'll see what kind of cake I come up with. :)
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Joseph Interviews Glen in Las Vegas...Watch and Learn the Secrets.
We went to Las Vegas for the first time. I had a Leadership Conference at The Venetian and Glen bravely and boldly took Joseph and Esther around to see some of the family-friendly exhibits on the Strip. This one-of-a-kind interview takes place in front of the Bellagio, where we had just seen their famous fountain show. Our jaws dropped in amazement and Esther danced to the music like it was nobody's business.
We're back at home now, enjoying the beginning of Summer. The temperature is in the high 80's now, and hitting 90. Time to get into the pool!
We went over the Hoover Dam too! What a thrill! They are building a bypass bridge that will help traffic to zoom right over all the slower-going sight-seeing-traffic around the dam. They've done a lot of great work here!
Here is a cute picture of our family that a German couple took. We bribed Joseph NOT to smile in this photo...just for fun! heehee
We're back at home now, enjoying the beginning of Summer. The temperature is in the high 80's now, and hitting 90. Time to get into the pool!
We went over the Hoover Dam too! What a thrill! They are building a bypass bridge that will help traffic to zoom right over all the slower-going sight-seeing-traffic around the dam. They've done a lot of great work here!
Here is a cute picture of our family that a German couple took. We bribed Joseph NOT to smile in this photo...just for fun! heehee
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Happy Easter! :)
Happy Easter!
We kicked off the weekend with face paintings for Joseph and Esther on Friday. Joseph was a tiger and Esther was a bunny. Cute, so cute! Later, we went to Aunt Judy's house for an evening of delicious food (Aunt Judy makes killer enchiladas) and fun!
So, Easter was a lot of fun also! We had a great day with watching General Conference and loved all the great, awesome talks!
Here is a bit of what we did:
We hope you had the most wonderful Easter ever!
We kicked off the weekend with face paintings for Joseph and Esther on Friday. Joseph was a tiger and Esther was a bunny. Cute, so cute! Later, we went to Aunt Judy's house for an evening of delicious food (Aunt Judy makes killer enchiladas) and fun!
So, Easter was a lot of fun also! We had a great day with watching General Conference and loved all the great, awesome talks!
Here is a bit of what we did:
We hope you had the most wonderful Easter ever!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Go On...Touch A Truck
The area we live in is very family-friendly and has many activities that are held for the community to attend. One of our favorite events so far is Touch A Truck. Lots of and lots of trucks are parked in a huge parking lot at a nearby community college. The types of trucks are varied-fire trucks, cranes, tow trucks, trash trucks, semi trucks, buses...you name it, it was there. The great thing about this event is that the community has an opportunity to see how the trucks work. Climbing on them is encouraged! :) Following is a video I did with some of the highlights we took footage of. We'll be back next year! :)
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Our Christmas Joy!
Christmas was full of lots of laughter and cheer in our house! We enjoy it every year!
It only took us 15 minutes to get this cute photo done!
And the kids look so sweet in this one...
The kids are dressed and ready for Santa to come!
And Santa came...
Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Could It Be? Look At What Came Around the Bend...
The night before, we made the royal icing…
Put the trains together…
And the kids helped me clean up…
The next day, Joseph was so excited to decorate the train (especially the engine), he got up a little after 5am! Finally, after hours of breakfast and getting dressed and preparations, we were ready to go!
Joseph worked hard on his engine…
Esther helped out with the caboose work…
And then Glen made the nicest engine tender...
Here is our completed project! What fun!
Now...it's time to eat! We hope that you are enjoying your Christmas seasons!
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