Pivital Paths - My Random Thoughts

I love the email that goes around about friends who come into your life for "a reason, a season or a lifetime". Years ago when I first read this, it really helped me to categorize and appreciate all the different friends/family I have.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season

LIFETIME [usually family] relationships teach you lifetime lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person or people involved; and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships, and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant. [i believe these can often be the most painful, yet bring the most growth and true happiness]

I am old enough now to be able to look back and clearly see some pivital moments where friends/family steered me onto a path that ended up really defining who I am....but I didn't know it at the time. I wanted to jot down a few that I can see clearly now (definitely not all, but all my tired brain can come up with...beginning post-high school). This is not a comprehensive list of those that influenced me (because that would be endless)....but more experiences that changed either where I lived, who I met, where I worked, etc...that then led me to pivital changes:

-Brittany Asplund Hanamaikai: Invited me to live with her out of high school. First experience out of the house and on my own.

Tara Heinzen: lifelong friend.....but when I moved home from UT after only four months (swearing to never return), she said "Hey, J, I have an apartment in Liberty Square in UT lined up in a few months, will you move in with me?". I found the word "sure!" coming out of my mouth, and a few months later I returned and LOOOOOVVVED it (met Jessica :-). Changed my life.

-Terra Hartman (roomate): Mentioned some random place she worked called "Ricardo's". A hole in the wall, but when I returned to UT a year later, that was the first place I applied. Life-changing. It was there I met Sarah Roha, and after three years of friendship, it was only through her that I met Tucker.

-Brittany and Karli (again): Decided to go to BYU-Hawaii. Encouraged me to apply with them.....and a few months later we were landing for a year of life-changing experiences in HI! And it was there that I met my lifetime friend Tiffany.

Tiffany Lord: Because of Tiffany's career in teaching Visual Impaired children, I am looking into Master's programs for the same field. Would have never otherwise thought of it.

Emily Wildey: A woman I only met a couple times, but she was Kristy's homeschool coordinating teacher. She mentioned to me one day "let me know if you ever need a part time job....I'll recommend you at my school". And that sparked my beginning of going back to school to get my teaching credential.

Heather Brasil: A friend of mine who happened to start the credential program right before me.....how I learned about National University and she encouraged me lots along the way.


And this just scratches the surface! But these small examples show how others can be such vital instruments in our paths. Simple conversations can be answers to prayers. We may never know when we provide that to someone else.....or when we will experience that. Isn't it awesome to think about? I look forward to seeing this continue in my life.....and the lives of my loved ones.

Jordyn the Pianist

Here is Jordyn's latest song she's been working on. She is playing very slow because she is usually a speed demon on the piano and I'm teaching her that slow is better so you are more precise! She is so good! Both she and Lexi still love piano, which I am so glad about. It's something I really wish I would have put more effort into.

Standin' Tall

Possibly one of the most distinct memories of growing up for me are surrounded by music. My mom speaks the language of music. She was never really formally trained in it, but it spoke to her heart and she surrounded herself in uplifting music. She sang for over 25 years in women's chorale groups, she played spiritual music all the time....especially on Sunday mornings as we prepared for church, she played children's music for us constantly with lots of lessons woven throughout and she even fostered my love for secular music...as long as it was clean (she threw away my Sir Mix-a-Lot "Baby Got Back" cassette single, LOL).

I can remember as if it was yesterday....being dropped off at Jr. High and wondering if my friends would hear the music blasting from our car as I opened the van door.

She would write lyrics of songs that had special teaching messages in them and post them all over the house. She had music for holidays, birthdays, and any other occasion....special or not.

I am so grateful for this. I try to do this with my kids, and I know I'm paling in comparison. But I want to keep trying. One of my most favorite musical memories as a kid comes in the form of any and every Janeen Brady song. We had everything she ever produced. And my favorite was probably the "Standin' Tall" and "Safety Kids" series. The lessons I learned from these song/story/book combos are still distinct in my memory to this day.

So I splurged last week. Spent lots of money we shouldn't right now, but it is so priceless to me that my kids have these same lessons and memories, so I bought the WHOLE set of cds/books! Check out the website if you don't know what these are. http://www.britemusic.com/ (There are also some independent representatives who sell for a bit less on eBay). Peyton is a big young to totally care, but Jordyn (7) and Lexi (almost 6) are perfect ages to soak up this fun way of learning (concepts like honesty, cleanliness, obedience, kindness, personal safety, etc).

(A side note, when I lived in UT, I got to go to church with Janeen Brady for a few years. It was fun to see her each Sunday and remember my childhood love for all her music)

Climbing On

Let us all have a moment of silence...................






Peyton finally did it. She climbed out of her crib.




I knew it would happen. And soon. And at 2 years and 10 months, I've loved and cherished every single minute of her jailed-sleep time.

It was nice of her to last a whole 8 months longer than Lexi did! But....ugh....I just dread the no-naps and the up a million times at bed time. My kids do NOT stay in their bed. It isn't in their gene pool, I swear. No matter what I say, what rewards or punishments I offer, their little heads come peeking out of the hallway.

But more than any of my grieving sleep or peace....it's just another sign of growing up. Why is this so hard for moms to accept? I want them to be independent....but I also want them to stay little and cuddly and sweet and.....little girls.

Stating the Obvious: Life is Hard

Tonight, I found myself actually Googling "Life is Hard". Isn't that silly? Obvious? Isn't that old news? Isn't that something we've all learned over and over again?

Sure. But it never seems to get easier to accept. I've had some of the most refining experiences of my life in the past year. Most of which are too personal to share anywhere, let alone my blog. I know I must be stronger from these trials. But I'm also exhausted.

I try so hard not to dwell on this unavoidable fact of life-being-hard because I also know how much beauty there is. I try sooooo hard to not overlook the blessings. And I'm also aware that no matter how hard things are....they CAN always get harder. (Man, no wonder my brain feels tired. I analyze....and then over-analyze!)

Anyway, I found this advice as I was Googling how hard life can be. I liked it. I wanted to blog it so I can refer to it. It's from this site:

"There are times when life suddenly casts a shadow before us: we suffer for sins we did not even commit, we go through situations we certainly do not deserve to be in. In such times, we have so many questions throbbing at the back of our minds, but the biggest of them all is “WHY?”

We want to know the reason why we had to go through such excruciating pain. We want to know why we were not able to do anything to prevent the terrible things that happened. We want to know why God failed us, why He let us down at the time we needed Him most.

Yet even after we are able to answer these questions, the pain remains, life stands still, and we can do nothing but wait ‘til everything’s over, until we can move on again like we used to, when our hearts weren’t shattered yet into the thousand lonely pieces they broke into. We then come into answering our second biggest question, and that is “HOW?”

How do we deal with the awful feeling of brokenness? How do we start to move on? How on earth are we ever going to smile again?

Like many people, I’ve been through dark and painful moments in my life as well, moments I wanted to skip, moments when what I really wanted the most is to have my own time machine so I can either go back where I was happy, or fast forward anywhere in the future where I can find myself again. But no machine like that has ever been invented yet, and the only way to move from the terrible place where I stand is to go through the dark tunnel ahead that will lead me towards the new beginning I’m looking forward to.

If you’re willing to go through that dark tunnel with me, let us begin. Let us try to answer the only question that can lead us into a better place. How indeed can we ever deal with our grief?

1. Accept the challenge and do my best.

We can never move on anywhere unless we acknowledge where we stand at the moment. Acceptance is the shortest route to peace. Acceptance will help you let go of your WHYs so you can start focusing on your HOWs. Accept that things have already happened. Accept that you can do nothing to turn back the hands of time to undo everything that’s already been done. You can blame everyone, you can blame God, you can even blame yourself but that would never change your situation. That would never help you get out of the pit that you’re in, the suffering you’re going through. Find the way to acceptance, and you can begin to find the strength and the will to move on.

2. Rest when I can no longer carry on.

It is a good thing to cry and mourn for your sorrows. It is good to release your tears, your anger, your pent-up emotions. But there are limits to our powers, to our physical and emotional strength as human beings. We need enough time to rest in order to renew our strength so we can have a better cry next time. Have enough sleep. Force yourself to watch television or buy groceries and give yourself a break. Try to forget your troubles even if only for an hour or so. That way, you do not exhaust yourself to the point where you no longer have enough strength to face the challenges of the coming day. Reserve some of your strength until you are able to make it through.

3. Take comfort in God’s greatness, love and strength.

Many people may criticize me for this. But those who knew torment and have survived from it a better person understand the comfort of knowing someone is there listening to you, someone who understands you, all those hurts you’re going through. Someone who doesn’t judge you or condemn you, just someone who loves you and trusts you that if you will only hang in there a minute more, you shall surely make it through.

It may be quite ironic, but I have found my greatest joy in the arms of my God in my darkest hour. I felt him hugging me, comforting me, crying with me. He didn’t just watch me. He didn’t scold me and reprimanded me to get up and be strong and stop being such a fool. He cried with me. He knew my pain and he claimed it as though it were His own.

4. Bear the pain and be patient.

This seems to be the hardest part of all. Pain is pain and suffering is suffering. There is no pill or any kind of painkiller that we can take to prevent us from feeling our hurts. We have to bear it head on and cling to the thought that things will definitely change for the better.

“I have deep sorrow today, and an unclear vision of the future. But nobody ever died of loneliness - only of hopelessness! As long as I have hope, no problem is ever too difficult, no night ever so dark that it can prevent the rising of another day!”

There are times when we are so lost in the dark that no matter how hard we try to find our way, we find not the roads we’re looking for; no matter how desperately we seek, we grasp not the answers, and we continue to grope in the shadow of the night.

But faint not, and fear not the voices that creep in the dark. For in your hour of need, help shall come upon you. In your moments of greatest fear, a flame of hope shall arise and give you peace. The night is short and the voices will soon fade away. Darkness shall falter and surrender to a brand new day.

Take heart; stand firmly and strong, for it will not be long before the awaited dawn.

5. When it is time, stop dwelling on the pain

There are times when the pain finally subsides, and we are given a chance to move on a notch higher. Finally, we have the chance to break free from our pain. The problem however is that many of us choose to cling to our hurts. We let the pain linger longer than they should. Maybe we got so used to it, we don’t know anymore what we’re going to do without it. Maybe we feel mad at ourselves and we choose to punish ourselves for the things we thought we did wrong. Maybe we’re mad at someone else and we want to punish him by punishing ourselves. Whatever it is, it will not help you find your path to living the full life you should be living. Let it go. Let go of your pain and move on.

6. Live from day to day. Or if that is too long, from moment to moment.

There are some wounds that take a longer time to heal than others, and there are some hurts that take a while longer to subside. The important thing is that we stay afloat one day, one moment at a time. Don’t think of how hard the whole process is going to be, you’ll go nuts doing that! Don’t think of all the lonely days ahead of you. They haven’t even arrived yet! Just think of the moment. If you can live and make it for the moment, that is all that is needed to make it through.

7. Claim the strength God gives me to rise above the situation.

There is a strength God gives you in times when your strength is no longer enough. However you may call Him, there is a Higher Power that will see you through. I’ve received it. I’ve felt it coming just in time when I can no longer see how I’m going to carry on. That is why we should never compare our strength with the weight of our problems. We’d probably make a wrong estimate doing that! There is a strength that comes to you to help you overcome whatever you’re going through. Wait for it! It will certainly come and will not delay.

8. Learn everything I can from the process.

When we’re in pain, we seldom realize what lessons we can learn from the process. Though it is quite understandable why we do not give attention to things like that in times of grief, the truth remains that we do learn many things during our darkest hour. It is a time when everything we know and have ever learned are being challenged in an instant. It is a time when we come to realize what it is we value the most in life. It is a time when we get to understand other people better. Let us take advantage of those times when we see things more clearly than we ever saw them before.

9. Protect my joy at all times.

Sounds crazy doesn’t it? This thing you can ignore if you want to, but I believe that joy and sorrow can definitely exist at the same time. Yes, we are hurt. Yes, we’re broken. But yes, we know we’re going to make it. And yes, we know we’ll get out of it better persons than we used to be. Somewhere in our hearts, there is a chamber of joy that should remain intact, untouched, forever guiding us in our most troublesome paths.

It is indeed a painful thing to grow, but afterwards, you will be glad that you have undergone the process. You will feel stronger. You will feel like you have just been released from your self-made prison. You will carry with you the joy of God being there for you, comforting you in your darkest hour. You will have greater confidence as you learn more about the true beauty that lies within you. And you will move forward in life with greater strides knowing that the things which have caused you pain could no longer touch you and torment you the way it did before. You will overflow in spirit realizing that you have just risen from your former horizon and moved on to greater heights. And you will look forward to His guiding hand that will carry you farther from one God-destined glory to the next."

(Photo credit here)

All About Pey

(If you peaked into our backyard, this is the type of scene you would see 90% of the time. "Which of these things is not like the others"? ha ha)

I wanted to write down a few things Peyton has said or done lately so I don't forget. She's going to be THREE years old in two months (and is totally still my baby, don't make fun). But she is a really funny kid. Makes us all laugh.

- Peyton manages to be naked ALL the time. I swear she has a secret power because in the blink of an eye, her clothes can be OFF.

- She cannot STAND that I am also Jordyn and Lexi's Mommy. She will - all the time, and out of the blue - tell me "You not Lexi's Mommy" while emphatically shaking her head. If one of the other girls even sits by me when she's on my lap....there are tears!

- Jordyn and Lexi think Peyton is hilarious. They always want to pretend to be her mommy, they want to get her out of her crib, they laugh at everything she does. You can definitely tell she is the youngest in our family.

-On the other hand, she is AGGRESSIVE! She is constantly beating up on Lexi and I always hear Tucker telling Lexi it's okay to defend herself! Jordyn doesn't have a problem being aggressive back, but it's not as much in Lexi's nature.

- Tucker was driving away taking the girls to school and I was holding Peyton. As we were waving good-bye, she grinned and said "He's my favorite Daddy!" (good to hear!)

- I have always called Peyton "Pesh" (short for "Precious"). So the other day, I was playfully calling her "Peciosa" (like the spanish version, but without the "R"). Without skipping a beat, I hear this little voice from the other room say " What Mommy-osa!".

- Peyton loves to be tickled (her back, her legs, her tummy). Last night she was sitting by me on the couch and asked me to tickle her. I was doing so, but maybe a little half-heartedly (since it was already 10 pm and I was ready for her to be in bed!). She got off the couch and looked at me really politely and said "Your hands are too small to tickle. I want daddy to do it". She was nicely telling me I was a bad tickler!

- Her favorite things to do are to 1) add "butt" to the end of any word (a tribute to Ms. Eliza, lol)......"Hi Mommy-butt" or "Where is Lexi-butt?"......and 2) shaking her (often bare) butt at people to get a laugh, which works with her sisters or cousins! I try to (calmly) tell her we don't do that, without giving her extra fun attention for it. But she's really fond of it all.

- At this point, the only shows she requests to watch are: Veggie Tales, Max and Ruby, Sid the Science Kid and the Leapster shows (Letter Factory, Word Factory, etc). Not a big variety, but she will watch these few over and over.

-This one is hilarious AND annoying. Peyton has been crying a lot at night lately. She must be having nightmares because the two main things she tells us when we come in are: 1) "There are sharks in my bed!" (sharks? where does this come from?)......and 2)"Jordyn is hitting me" or "Lexi is being mean!" (when they are clearly asleep).

- Peyton asks all the time when she can go see her teacher. It's been hard for her to see her sisters go off to school. Must be strange to be the youngest! And it's a strange combo for a parent because on one hand, I baby her still. Yet on the other, she often gets to do older things because she has older sisters. So she's both exposed AND sheltered?

It's Official!

So I'm officially a teacher.....but without a job. So maybe that's not so official? But I'm officially credentialed! Seeing this certificate makes me so relieved. It is not so much that its HARD to become certified.....but there are so many hoops to jump through that it takes an immense amount of determination and stamina to stick with it. So many state tests, SOOOO many observations (of myself), so much homework, so much being on-the-spot. After I started the program, there were several times I thought "are you kidding? is this worth it?". But I cannot stand to not finish something once I've committed, so I kept trudging forward. I'm really glad I did. I learned a lot!

But it's a strange position to be in now. Lots of excitement that I'm finished....but aren't I supposed to have a classroom now? Not lots of teaching jobs in my area currently. So I'm going to substitute teach full-time right now. A little anti-climatic, but I'm okay with it.

I've also had several new thoughts running through my head...one of which is to continue with school and get more specific in my certifications. What I'm leaning toward at the moment is a Visual Impairment AND an Orientation & Mobility certification (like my good friend Tiff!). That would give me a little more of a niche. Since working with children with visual impairments is a profession in high demand, most colleges have grant money to offer if you complete their program. Only problem is, there are only two colleges in California who offer it. And they aren't accepting applicants at the moment (due to lovely budget cuts).

Anyway, so many thoughts jumbled around in my head at what's next. But I really am happy substituting right now. I will still get classroom exposure and experiences....but will be flexible at the same time. Not sure where this path will continue to lead me, but for now I'm giving myself a big high five for getting to this point of completion!

First Day Of School!

It's 8:51 am....the older two are at school.....and I already don't know what to do with Peyton! I have always said it, but I swear having one kid is so much more pressure than multiple. More peaceful....but more pressure. Especially with a kid like her who loves to be on-the-go! If I had money, we'd probably go shopping everyday!

This won't last forever though. I don't have a teaching job yet, so my plan for this year is to substitute teach nearly every day. Tucker is building up our company, Watch Me Draw!, and since he needs to be gone mostly after-school, he can be home with her during most days. Pey may also get some fun days with Grandma....and eventually pre-school.

This morning, as I took my girls to their first day in their new classes, I had a weird out-of-body feeling, like "how did I get here? how do I have a first and second grader? how am I a mom to school-age kids? when did all this happen??". Very strange.

Jordyn and Lexi were both really excited. They were nervous and didn't want to eat their breakfast due to a stomach full of butterflies, but they had no hesitation about going into their classroom....no tears.....no clinging to mom. Thank goodness! But I still got a kiss and hug, in front of their friends! Not too old for that!

Jordyn! 2nd Grade..............................Lexi! 1st Grade (her hair is VERY specific to her request, including the piece hanging in front!)


Sisters! but at different schools :-( ..........................Mom with her girls


In the background they were fascinated by a praying mantis! ..........and then in the car!



Lexi (met her teacher yesterday) with Mrs. Zapata!........and then in class the 1st day!



And Jordyn with Mrs. Stone! She came highly recommended and she has her church friend, Madison, in class with her!



Oh, and by the time I finished this post.....I'm a lot less worried about what to do with Peyton. She's really enjoying having the house (and toys) to herself! She lined up all her babies and made a bed on the floor with them! (and when I asked "what are their names?"....she said "Karla, Karla and Karla!")

Back to School Dinner

Last year was our first annual "Back to School Dinner". Tonight, we did it again. It's a very simple concept and I hope we continue it as a family tradition. The kids absolutely love it.

I let them pick the menu. This year it was:
Mashed potatoes and Gravy, Orange Chicken, Caesar Salad and Rice

Plus, they got to each decorate their very own cake for dessert, along with ice cream.

We used our "fancy" glasses, and filled them with their beverage of choice: Pepsi (caffeine free, because bedtime is precious to me!).

The kids wore some home-made crowns and I had some Beatles playing in the background. We just talked about their feelings on the upcoming school year and how excited they are to be in 1st and 2nd grades!

We ended the evening with Tucker giving the girls a father's blessing for the upcoming school year. And then they played outside until the 487th time we asked them to come in and take showers. It was a good night.

David Archuleta

Last month when Jordyn flew with Tucker to Grandma Maxfield's funeral, they ran into David Archuleta while getting off the airplane. I'm not sure Jordyn knows exactly who he is, but she thought it was really fun to take a picture with him! Sadly, I sent Tucker with just a disposable camera (which he was teased for all weekend) because I needed the digital camera, so this is the best quality pic we got.

Backpacks - Getting Creative!

We've been doing the whole "get ready to go back to school" thing, as is typical for August for most families. Last year, I wanted to get them good backpacks that were cute, different and wipeable. So I did some research and found these online from an Australian store. They looked nearly brand-new all year, and I liked that they wouldn't mix them up with any other kids backpack.

Well, this year we are tight on money and their packs are in such good condition still....so I gave the girls a fun idea of decorating their backpacks so they were "new" for this year. They picked out some puffy paint and had a blast decorating their backpacks with whatever (gulp) they wanted to do! It was fun, gave them creative control and cost only $7!

Fresno Grizzlies Game

Last week, we went to see a Fresno Grizzlies baseball game with the McLeods. There was a GREAT deal: $11 per ticket which included a free hot dog and drink, ticket to Wild Water Adventure Park, and a round of Blackbeards Miniature Golfing. It was a bit hot and we left after the 5th inning, but we had fun!




(This face of Paxton's is my favorite!)

Our Sunday

My girls, this morning, before church. Aren't they cute?

Today was a good Sunday. I was in a surprisingly peaceful mood today. Often, on Sunday, I fight the urge to be antisocial and have fleeting thoughts of not going to church. I never give into that urge, and I usually am fine once I'm there, but for some reason I fight it often. I can be a bit reclusive at times. Anyway...

You would think that today I would have felt that a little EXTRA because I had to speak in sacrament meeting. And I had to do sharing time in Primary with my 10 year old class. AND, I had to be more on-the-ball than usual because Tucker had church meetings early this morning (and every Sunday going forward) so I was getting the girls ready solo. But, like I said, I was surprisingly calm.

At the risk of sounding wimpy, I really dread getting the girls ready....especially by myself. Of course I am perfectly capable of it, but I just have to really prep myself for the drama that unfolds. With three girls, there is ALWAYS some hair/clothes/shoe issue/or for the two year old its the "I just want to be completely NAKED" issue/or my 7 year old wanting to squeeze into size 5T clothing.... and it feels like I'm on a reality TV show trying to figure out the secret combination to win the prize (which is getting out the door on time). In fact, sometimes it can get so extreme with tears and complaints that I think it must be a set-up and any minute someone will laugh and say "just kidding". But that hasn't happened yet. So often, it feels easier to stay home than to go through the process. (ha, wish me luck with school this year!)

All in all, I really do love having girls. I love having MY girls. It's familiar, its fun, it's comfortable, it's something I know well. But it is SO draining SO often. They truly do love each other so much, and I am so thankful that all three of them play together ALL the time. But mingled with that playing is just flat out exhaustive drama. I'm pretty certain I better get used to it because I don't see it changing soon. Embrace the drama, Jamie!

Surpise Party - Happy 65th Birthday!

One of my most favorite people in the world, my mother-in-law Jeannine, turned a very young 65 while we were staying with her. We all thought it would be fun to try to pull off a surprise birthday party for her. But with a family our size, PLUS Tucker & I were staying at her house....that is no small feat. Jeannine is a planner, and notices everything. So we did have to tell a few "white lies" along the way. We made it sound like we were all really busy the night of her birthday, but that we'd plan to go to dinner the following night. So Neal asked her if he could take her to dinner the night of her birthday....and she was NOT okay with doing that while we were "stuck at home". She was cute, she kept saying "Neal, I do not want to go out to dinner while I could be spending time with my children who are visiting!". So I had to make up somewhere we were supposed to be that night so she would GO to "dinner".

We all met up at the park earlier that day and decorated, brought food, got blocks of ice for ice-blocking, my father-in-law prepared yummy potatoes and ribs in the dutch oven, I made a cake, etc, etc. And we had to do it all in secret.

So when Jeannine got off work, Neal got her in the car to go to "dinner" and had to make a few stops to stall for time (we weren't quite ready). When his final stop was at a park, Jeannine was surely a little irritated and wondered what in the world could be so important at a park?

They got out of the car and we all yelled "surprise!!" from the top of the hill! I think it took like 10 minutes for it to sink in what was happening!

It was a fun celebration. Annie made strawberry pies (Jeannine's favorite) and I made her a bday cake (because I like to!) in the shape of Mount Olympus, in honor of her recent achievement on the Mount! We prepared "65 things we love about Gam" and presented it to her (which caused lots of tears), and ate and played and had a fun time!

(Jeannine with her sister and niece)


Me and the Mt Olympus cake


ice blocking!


Maren and Tucker .....competition's ON!...............Lyndsy and Tucker


All the grandkids who were there....................( I love this pic of cousins River and Peyton....they play and fight constantly!)

Seemless Socks.....Save Me!!

My oldest daughter, Jordyn, has some definite sensory issues. And this definitely manifests itself with clothing. It is no secret that we've battled clothing for a few years now. And with the school year fast approaching (th 19th) I am feeling so anxious!

The problem is, even when I take her shopping with me to pick things out, she'll get them home and often not wear them again. I've learned that when I hear the words "I'll wear it tomorrow", that actually translates in to "I'll never wear that again". I should learn to not take tags off until after she wears something for a full day!

So this anxiety sent me on a Google quest for something I should have done loooooong ago: seamless socks. (Here is the site, and they're even on sale....stride rite brand). So I ordered 14 pair and hope this buys me back a few years of mine AND Jordyn's lives.

And don't even get me started on shoes. Oh my gosh. Shoes. I also ordered two pair off that site (the were half off) HOPING, PRAYING and CHANTING for a miracle that they don't bug her! I have conquered my need for her to look picture-perfectly put together, and will settle for her wearing the same pair of shoes every single day (which usually happens with her) if they mean she will be comfortable and happy. I cannot stand dropping her off at school in tears, and that seemed to happen way more often than it should've last year. Wish us luck!

Mount Olympus! (9,000 feet elevation)

Directly out the back windows of Tucker's parents' house is a particularly large mountain, Mt. Olympus. You can't help but stare at it, and Tucker has often thought how much he wanted to hike it. So this summer, that thought became a reality!

Tucker's parents - having often stared out the window and thought the same thing - decided to join him on this endeavor. They are (a young) 65 years old, and were a little nervous if they were up to the challenge! Soon, my sis-in-law Maren, my nephew CJ and myself joined the challenge.

So we woke up dark & early on Saturday morning (4:00 am) and headed toward the mountain to start our hike by 5:00. We were excited as we anticipated the 6+ mile round trip hike, which extended nearly 5,000 feet elevation from our starting point. It was estimated to take around 6 hours round trip, and since Tucker is an excellent hiking guide, he made sure we were equipped with plenty of water, food and snacks.

It was a beautiful ascent..the weather was gorgeous and actually felt as though an air conditioning was blowing on us! I loved it, and it made it so much more tolerable to hike that steep of a grade. CJ (who is 23 and in great shape) was behind me and I kept apologizing to him for needing to stop and catch my breath because I couldn't even hear him breathing! He could have done that hike twice as fast as us, I'm sure.

We reached the ledge just before the top in nearly four hours, and still had another 20+ minutes to go....but that last 20 min turned into some rock-climbing. By that point, I was so worn out and we were SOOOO high up, I was ready to just wait there while everyone else went to the very top. I'm so glad I didn't stop there. The last part was more technical, but my favorite part for sure. It was amazing to be THAT high up and to see the entire Salt Lake Valley - and so much more! Just incredible.

Once we ate our food and took some pictures, we started our descent. By this point, some nausea had started in for me (I'm still convinced I had some elevation sickness) and we were pretty tired. Going down was not as hard cardio-wise, but my toes were jamming against my shoes for 2 1/2 hours......it turned more hot.....and I was nauseated. So the way down was definitely the hardest for me. We kept passing hikers who were just starting their hike at the hottest part of the day, which I TOTALLY didn't understand. We even had to share water with two hikers who didn't have any and would have probably died! (Side note: my nausea lasted for three days, reminded me of how horrible it is to be prego.......and my toenail is falling off. But still worth it!)

All in all, it was a great day. It was so fun to share this experience together with family. I was so impressed with my in-laws.....they may as well have been 40 years younger with how well they did!

We passed a few children on the hike....so I'd love to do it again someday, and maybe even with my kids! They would have to promise not to complain though, because I would have not been able to sympathize at all. In fact, we kept joking that if there were a helicopter available to take us back down for $100, it would have been totally worth it! Thanks guys, for the fun experience and memory!!!!!


(In the beginning, all fresh and ready to go
Maren, CJ, Tucker, Me, Jeannine and Neal) ...............When we started the hike, it was dark



only part way up, and look at the view! ........................the last rock-climbing steep part



taking a breather and then....................................at the TOP!!



I was trying to smile with the HUGE cliff next to me! And Tucker has NO FEAR!





This pic is the best....it is on the way down and we are not faking our faces (except CJ who said he'd hop back up the mountain if someone offered him $1,000....the rest of us said NO WAY!)