A Day for Sledding!

Saturday, January 31st--So while I was sulking in what a crappy month it's been, Nate decided to take the kids sledding. We live close to a large hill that slopes down into a concert area. It's great for sledding and is used regularly. Some of the hard core "sledders" make jumps. Today, for some weird reason, there was no one there so Nate and the kids had the hill all to themselves. Nate said the powdery snow made for no-so-great sledding conditions but they all had fun anyway. Our kids inherited their dads' dare-devil tendancies!

What the crap, 2009?

Saturday, January 31st--Okay, so it's the last day of January, 2009. I gotta admit, this year has started off totally crappy! Nathan and I fighting, the kids at each others necks, too many deaths, Nathan's job security possibly down the toilet, rear-ended, my shoulders and neck constantly hurting, I'm sure there's more but it's too depressing to think about! And why, I ask, why? What's ahead? I'm still trying to count my blessings, believe me, I truly am!
However, I am also blessed to have created and strengthened some friendships in women that I consider true bosom friends (I LOVE "Anne of Green Gables"!). We've been able to vent and joke and find laughter even in sorrow, it's been great and very much needed! Thanks, my fellow goddesses!
With Nate's job possibly ending soon (I'm praying SO hard it does not) we decided to do something that might seem a little crazy. We booked a trip to Disneyworld in April. We got some insanely incredible deals on flights and packages while we're there, we just couldn't resist. If Nate loses his job we know, in finding a new job, he probably will have to take a serious pay cut. One that won't allow for our yearly trips to our favorite places, at least for a while, so we're just going to go and hope all works out. We've never done something so crazy with our finances but we're confident that, with savings and investments, we'll be able to hold it together, should he lose his job.
I hope I'm being my typical self and just worrying over nothing but if January is any indication of how this year is going to be, wow..........I just don't want to even think about it. Obama you better kick this economy into gear......and fast!
Sorry if this seems like a pity party, it's not intended to be so. Just thought I'd update everyone on the Armstrong family. Here's wishing for an upbeat February! PLEASE!

My Little Braniac!

Thursday, January 22nd--Elise and I met with her teacher, Mrs. Mair, last week for her 2nd semester SEP conference. Mrs. Mair is about to have a baby so she held hers earlier than the rest of the school. We met in the classroom. I enjoyed it this way because, usually, all the teachers are in the gym and you sit down with your childs teacher for the conference. It is annoyingly loud due to all the families and the children running everywhere, it drives me crazy!
Well, good news again! Mrs. Mair told us that Elise has met all the goals set for her this year, way ahead of schedule. She's reading at a 3rd/4th grade level and her spelling has been so incredible that Mrs. Mair has gone through the list of words and has no more to give her--she's mastered them all! Her math is also beyond a 1st grade level and we've noticed, at home, that she's constantly wanting to learn more and more different types of math. She is LOVING trying to figure out multiplecation and division (and who better to learn from than her accountant dad!). Brady's jumped on the bandwagon too, he is learning addition and subtraction and how to spell, etc. Now we need to work with her a little more at home and create challenges for her as there is a concern she might begin to get bored. We have her writing book reports for her favorite books. She's excited to have started the "Disney Fairies" series, something her cousin, Kayla, got her interested in.
Maybe this post seems like a mom boasting and bragging about her intelligent daughter. It's probably a little of that but more than anything, I am just constantly amazed at both of my childrens abilities and desires to want to learn and be educated. It is never-ending. It has become an example to me to brush up on some things but also push myself to be more educated and enlightened. There may come a day when I don't have the answers to all their many questions but at least we can work on it together and we all can learn. I feel so very, very blessed. I love my little sponges! Great work Elise!

Our 44th President, Barack Obama

Tuesday, January 20th--I just finished watching the Inauguration of Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States of America. He is our new president............and I am proud of that, very proud. His speech brought me to tears many times over. My first thought was, "He gets it!" He wants to fix this messed-up nation and he places blame where it belongs, in everyone. If he can keep the many promises he made in his speech then I believe he may be one of the greatest presidents this nation has ever had. His task is huge, it will not be easy, even with hard work he may still fail, but I have faith in him.

I did not have the privilege of voting, in November. I was irresponsible in checking to see if I had registered to vote. It turns out I had nevered registered when we moved back to Utah. I was upset at myself but very happy to find the one that I probably would have voted for won. I don't claim to be a democrat. I tend to lead towards republican but I don't consider myself a true republican. Maybe it's because of many life experiences, it's just hard to find myself loyal to one party. For some reason, I just didn't feel right about John McCain. I don't have all the reasons for my decision, I know President Obama has been involved with decisions that don't seem right and has angered many by them but I think he's the "tough guy" that can fix this nation. I think he's a good man and has earned honor and respect. I will support him and am anxious to see what he brings to his presidential term. I hope I don't have to eat my words!

Congratulations to our new president! May he be committed, determined, capable, strong and faithful. May he also be humble enough to listen to the American people and address our concerns.

From the Mouths of Babes.....

Recently, I discovered a friend I haven't talked to in years. It was a happy day when I found Becca and was able to catch-up on her life via her blog. I came across this post and LOVED it so I'm gonna copy her. Enjoy! This is a survey with answers given by Brady (B) and Elise (E).

1) What is something mom always says to you? B: Goofball Brady/E: I love you
2) What makes mom happy? B: Hugs/E: Hugs and Kisses
3) What makes mom sad? B: Hitting/E: doing things that are mean
4) What does your mom do to make you laugh? B: sing silly songs/E: tickle me
5) How old is your mom? B: Furdee-fee/E: 33, almost 34
6) What was your mom like as a child? B: Uh, I dunno/E: she would cut out pictures of toys and play with them
7) How tall is your mom? B: 20 inches/E: 6 feet tall
8) What is your mom's favorite thing to do? B: drive/E: play with us
9) What does your mom do when you're not around? B: watch TV/E: sometimes you go to the store
10) If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? B: cleaning chairs/E: being RICH
11) What is your mom really good at? B: washing dishes/E: wrapping presents
12) What is your mom not so good at? B: playing X box/E: doing math
13) What does your mom do for her job? B: muss-shage/E: you massage
14) What is your mom's favorite food? B: potato's/E: mac and cheese
15) What makes you proud of your mom? B: take naps/E: make my lunch
16) If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? B: Mickey Mouse or you can be a girl/E: Sandy Cheeks (from Spongebob Squarepants)
17) What do you and your mom do together? B: hugs/E: go to stores
18) How are you and your mom the same? B: our skin, arms/E: same colors eyes and same color hair
19) How are you and your mom different? B: your hair is brown and mine is yellow/E: you don't have the same clothes as me
20) How do you know your mom loves you? B: make-up songs for me/E: we have fun together

Well, the accuracy of these answers are fairly good! Great job Brady and Elise!
**Feel free to enjoy this survey with your kids too!

Hot Tip!

Thursday, January 15th--Alright, just as I promised a few posts ago, I'm going to share some great money-saving info I found out today. For those of you that have grocery stores where you earn gasoline discounts by purchasing groceries: I was at Smith's getting a few groceries and I was talking to the checker about the savings you can earn on their gasoline by buying groceries. Well, she filled me in on a little secret--if you already figured this out yourself then consider yourself pure genius! If you purchase $90.00 or more in groceries then you get a credit for $0.15 off per gallon at their gas station (pretty good savings and it all adds up!). So here's the tip: Purchase a Smith's (or whatever grocery store does this as well) gift card for $90.00 or more and you get the receipt with the instant savings on gasoline.........THEN you use the card for groceries and get the gasoline savings once again. SO, basically you get the $0.15 off per gallon twice only spending $90.00 instead of $180.00 (or more). Pretty cool, eh? I'm trying to decide if there's anything to feel guilty about using this method...........hmmmm.........not sure but it's still pretty cool, especially in these hard economic times when we're all trying to save money as much as possible. I hope this all makes sense and is helpful!

Happy 4th Birthday, Brady-bear!

Sunday, January 11th--My sweet Brady is 4 years old today. Wow! Time flies so fast, I can't believe it. Today he was sung to for the first time in Primary, he loved it so much!

Yesterday, we met up with my sister, Alishia and her kids, at Chuck E. Cheese. Brady and Elise had lots of fun playing games and earning tickets for silly, cheap prizes. We ate some pizza and dug into a small cake with Chuck E. Cheese on top. We had a great time and it more than made up for the stupid guy that rear-ended us on the way there (no damage to the car, just neck stiffness--blah!).

Tonight we had a party with Nate's family. Brady's dinner request was chicken and rice. His party theme of choice was Spongebob Squarepants. His....er, I mean Nates, cake request was a Costco cake (Nate LOVES the leftovers! he he) We ordered a white cake with cream cheese filling and chocolate frosting--Costco messed up and did chocolate cake, making it my favorite. Luckily, Brady ate it happily! He received some fun gifts: two Nerf guns, Spongebob coloring book, Buzz Lightyear art stuff, a Mickey Mouse sticker book, money, a Star Wars light saber (it's so cool, the light changes from green to red, depending on if you want to be a Jedi or Sith), a Crayola Glow Station, Crayola art supplies, and a Hot Wheels track (secretly I think Nate REALLY wanted this for himself but will enjoy playing with Brady). It was a great night for Brady! I got a migraine shortly before everyone got here so I just tried to make it as fun as possible for Brady without showing my painful grief--I hope everyone was able to have fun and just enjoy themselves without feeling sorry for me, I'll be okay (pain meds are finally kicking in at 10:00 pm).

**Brady, you are my sweet, crazy, manipulating, negotiating, cuddle-bug. You have brought so much joy to our family. You endure so much and amaze us with your strength. I can't imagine what you go through on a daily basis as we work to manage the diabetes. We pray for a cure constantly but, even without one, are confident of your ability to adjust and adapt to anything you want to do, including T-ball this year. You are smart, talented, imaginative and a good friend and student--both in pre-school and Primary (Sunbeams). We look forward to all that is in store for you this year and all the years to come. We love you so very, very much!

Love, mom, dad and Elise

Amazing Discoveries!

Thursday, January 8th--I don't watch Oprah very often but I LOVE catching her "favorite things" or whatever she calls it every year. I missed it in 2008 but every other year has been so fun. I, too, discover "favorite things" during the year, yet FAR LESS expensive than hers. I've always wanted to do an "Audra's favorite yearly discoveries" as family Christmas gifts but found it a little too costly so I've decided, whenever I discover something amazing, I'm just going to post it on my blog and then it's up to whoever if they want to try it out or not. Some will be food but others will be things such as cleaning products, books, toys, good finds on my favorite websites and so on. I hope you all enjoy and end up feeling the same way I do about these "treasures". And PLEASE share with me your amazing finds!

So here's the first of the year: Costco's (Kirkland) Caramel Macadamia Clusters. WOWSERS, they are good! I'm feeling a little guilty that the first find of the year is a sweet, fattening treat but I couldn't help myself. They just looked so tempting sitting there with the hundreds of others on that wooden pallet! Luckily, they are rich and a few at a time is more than enough. If you've discovered these fabulous clusters than you know what I'm talkin' about! So incredibly good! I'm taking them over to a friends house tomorrow night and we're screening the old B-movie classic, "Xanadu" (love it!). If you're a fan of the flick, clusters and are in either the Eagles Gate ward or Mt. Airey ward, you're invited.......let me know!

New Year's Baby (Updated 1/5/09)

Sunday, January 4th--I wish this post was a little more upbeat but it won't be, warning you ahead of time. Nope, not announcing any new developments in the baby-making cause--just that nothing has happened in that department yet for us.

The neighbors on Gullane Road (the street I live on) have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby-boy Alonzo. His due date is January 1st. He decided to stay in a few more days making his mother and 3 sisters crazy with impatience--dad seems to play it cool but we know he's just as anxious. Well, yesterday Kathy's water broke and she spent all of yesterday and into this morning in labor. She noticed some bleeding this morning and, rather than the home birth that was planned, rushed to the hospital. The staff in the ER put a fetal heart monitor on her tummy and could not find a heartbeat--mysteriously, a part of the placenta had torn away from her uterus and cut off oxygen to the baby........he died. She delivered him a few hours later.

The family informed one of the neighbors before church and then word traveled fast during church. I was asked to sub in Primary, normally I don't mind but today I could barely stand it. A few of my neighbors went to the hospital during church and were pulling up as we were getting home from church. They shared their tender experience with raw emotions, triggering the ones I had been holding inside just so I could get through the Primary lesson for the precious 5 year-olds I taught today.

Kathy, Tony and all of their family were in a hospital room with baby-boy Alonzo (name TBD) being passed around to those that wanted to hold him. He appeared to be asleep and still warm to the touch. I wish I could have been there but felt another person, who is not family, in the room might be too much.

I could never begin to imagine what emotions and thoughts are going through their minds. Everyone is asking, "What can I do?", "How can I help?" I'm not sure there is much any of us can do but just keep being their friends and support them, as always, while they cope, grieve and ponder on Heavenly Father's plan for their family--if anything, just hug them a little tighter and longer, smile a little brighter. Yes, baby-boy Alonzo is guaranteed a place in Celestial Glory, he will be reunited with his family again, someday.

For now, I pray the Alonzo family can move forward and find reasons to celebrate and be joyful. I pray their memories of this day will not just be tragic but tender and touching. A gift, a beautiful face to the precious angel that will watch over all of them the rest of their lives, reminding them to do their best to make sure they are reunited in the Celestial Kingdom as an eternal family. The tears flow as I type this. Life on Gullane Road will be quiet and solemn for a while, we are all sad, we mourn and ponder our own paths in life and all that is in store. Fortunately, Spring will be here before we know it and life renewed. Hopefully, new life for my family and, with courage and strength, new life for the Alonzo family.

*Update (1/5/09): Kathy & Tony named him Phoenix. There will be a grave-side service for family. I was able to see pictures of him today---an absolute beautiful angel with dark, curly hair (just like his dad). They are doing as well as to be expected, still very numb. A volunteer at the hospital made molds of his hands and feet and cut a little of his hair to place in an envelope as well as include a gold ring that they fit to the size of his little finger. I am always so amazed at how well-prepared hospitals are for whatever circumstance comes along, they treated the family and little Phoenix so amazingly well. Phoenix was cared for so reverently as he was cleaned and wrapped snuggly. Later on, when the nurse came to take him away she gave Kathy & Tony the blanket and onesie he had on and then took a white blanket and wrapped it around him. The family said their last good-byes and then the nurse carefully took him out.

**For those of you that know the Alonzo family and wish to know more, please feel free to call me. And PLEASE keep them in your prayers. If you're attending the temple, please remember to include them on the prayer roll. Thank you so much!

Happy New Year!

Friday, January 2nd--It's Friday night and I've spent the last two days, off and on, pondering the year 2009. What's in store? Will it be a year full of trials and hardship or happiness and joy? I suspect all four will occur but hopefully more happiness and joy. We have some vacations planned for the year, including Disneyland, as usual. Before you roll your eyes, hear me out......if any of you have been to Disneyland with a young child you know why Nate and I crave that place--it is absolutely intoxicating!
I think something I've thought the most about is to make better choices. There's a full spectrum of what that means to me. It's hard to explain so I will just keep it at that. I pray that our Father in Heaven will provide me with strength and courage to do so.
I keep hearing these three things over and over and over again, in my head: "Simplify", "Be prepared" and "Let it go". I know what each of them mean to me and I'm happy to say I'm working on each challenge. Simplifying is just getting rid of things that clutter my life. If you're selling something expect to hear me say, "no thanks". If you're asking me to take on something that takes me away from my family (on top of the long list of things there already are) expect me to say, "sorry, no can do". Getting prepared is something I've been working on for the past few years. I've been getting food storage and emergency preparedness items. Opportunities have flooded in for ways to stock up and the tips and advice have been endless. I am enjoying what has been learned so far--there is still much to do and learn but we're headed in the right direction and that's all that matters (by the way, did you know one of the items that is needed the most but rarely found in emergency preparedness is toilet paper) Letting go has been the hardest and I believe I will struggle with this challenge for the rest of my life. There are many behaviors, many decisions, many comments, lack-of-courtesies, and lack-of-respect that I don't understand, I never will. Thoughts of these things keep me up at night, they gnaw at me as I wrack my brain trying to make sense of it all--the "enlightenment" never comes and it would be best to just "let go". I hope someday I am able to.
What the year holds for me and my family, we don't know yet. But we pray for the best and are optimistic for all this year will bring. Best wishes to all of you for 2009!