Alexia's 13th Birthday

There are two things that Alexia is passionate about--changing here hair, and gymnastics.  She told us that for her birthday she wanted her hair done professionally.  So, I called my hairstylists--Mallory at Generations.  Mallory is so awesome!  She is kind of hard to get because she recently got married and moved to Pocatello so she only comes to Idaho Falls to serve her customers here twice a month.  She was able to get us in just a few days after I called her and Alexia was absolutely beaming when she was done.  I think she likes Mallory now too!  She did get to have two of her friends over to spend the night and a few other things.

HALLOWEEN 2010

Lacey--our last Trick or Treater

The clean, bare fridge

What did you do for Halloween 2010?  For me, it started by doing something truly frightening!!  Cleaning out the fridge....I should just ban leftovers!  Really, what's the sense.  Nobody eats them and they just sit in there and take up room and go moldy until somebody (me) cleans it out.  Kelly and Tyler have been gone for four days on a Steelhead Fishing trip to Salmon with Uncle Shawn and Grandpa Madsen.  I hope they had a good time and didn't freeze too badly.  I was planning on taking the girls down to Utah to spend Halloween at Lorinda's house again.  We did that last year since Emmie and Ella were being blessed.  Everyone had so much fun spending time with all their cousins and it was a safe place to just turn the kids loose trick or treating.  However, Lacey came down with the stomach flu Tuesday, night and Lorinda has a sinus infection and a double ear infection.  Therefore, no trip to Utah.  I am not sure why, but I didn't feel like making the trip anyway.  Maybe something would have happened to us.  Who knows?  I am just trying to follow what I feel is right.
This afternoon, Alexia got to go with the cheerleaders from Rocky Mountain Middle School and read to kids at Barnes & Noble for an hour.  Lacey and I wandered around the mall.  I am very proud of Alexia.  She is very good at standing up for the right!  Several of the girls (keep in mind they are only 12-14 years old) decided they wanted frapacino's from the coffee shop in Barnes and Noble.  One of the girls even offered to buy Alexia one.  She stood up to them all and told them she won't drink coffee.  I couldn't believe 12-14 year olds are already drinking it!

It was supposed to be raining and pretty cold, but it turned out to be a calm, beautiful night for our Community Trunk or Treat.  The kids walk around the parking lot in a circle filling their bags, buckets, pillowcases, whatever..and then we all have hot chocolate to warm us up.

This is the closest picture I could get of Alexia.  She is visiting with one of our very favorite neighbors, Marie Jordan

 It's a fun time to visit with neighbors, friends and family! Next, we're off to Grandparents houses for more goodies and to see what the nieces and nephews have dressed up as and to see what loot they have brought in. The kids all run around the house, obviously on a sugar high! They stripped off their costumes and played. My sister, Danielle, declared that Peyton is going as a naked cowboy next year because he complains about the layers of clothing and how hot and uncomfortable they are.  I can't wait to see that Danielle!

The BIG Kahuna!

As of Thursday, Alexia is now The Big Kahuna at Rocky Mountain Middle School!  She was so excited Thursday when I picked her up from school.  She told me that Mr. Moeller has a basket shooting contest in his class.  There are several points from different areas in the class that are worth so many points.  The biggest one of all is "The Big Kahuna".  Supposedly, no girl has ever made that shot, and not too many boys have either.  She gracefully shot the ball 'of tape' into the air, over the back of the couch, rolled it down the back and it dropped straight into the narrow garbage 'bucket'.  Everyone shouted in praise and gave her high five.  Of course, she also won the challenge for her class teammates.  Then, as she walked down the halls, kids were yelling, "Alexia made the Big Kahuna!" and giving her high fives.  To hear her tell the story, you would have thought she won the big Title Tournament.

I'll strenthen thee, help thee, cause thee to stand.

I learned so much at church today.  I cried pretty much the whole 3 hours.  Lately, I have been feeling pretty much like I am just going through the motions of life without really living it.  In a sense you could say I was feeling "past feeling".  I have felt physically and spiritually week.  Today, despite of the usual crying and fighting before church, it was a good day.  I was touched by the testimonies that were born by John and Dena Price.  Their family has been through so much this past year, but they are so strong and faithful!  In Sunday school we learned about Jesus Christ through Isaiah.  In Isaiah 40 we learned that Heavenly Father "giveth power to the faint; and increaseth their strength.  He will renew my strength; mount up wings as eagles; and help me to run and not be weary; walk and not faint".  I have always loved the hymn "How Firm a Foundation" but I guess I haven't contemplated it for a while.  There are answers in that hymn for me... 
"Fear not, I am with thee, be not dismayed, for I am thy God and will still give the aid.  I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand". 
 I have known these things, and been promised these blessings for a long time, I had just forgotten them.  Lastly, in Relief Society we learned about having faith.  Faith involves doing all we can to bring about the things we hope and pray for.  President Kimball said "that many of us want to have health and strength without keeping the health laws.  We want to have prosperity without paying our tithes.  We want to be close to the Lord, but don't want to fast and pray.  We want to have rain and to have peace in the land without observing the Sabbath as a holy day and without keeping the other commandments of the Lord."  Everything just meshed together so beautifully.  It is through small and simple things that great things come about.  I need to recommit myself to doing the small things that Heavenly Father has asked us to do.

First Day of School 2010-2011

August 30, 2010 started a new school year for us.  This year marks a new stage in our life.  We now have kids in all three stages of school.  Tyler is a freshman at Bonneville High School, Alexia is in the 7th grade at Rocky Mountain Middle School, and Lacey is in the 5th grade at Ucon Elementary.  For the next two years, my kids will be on their own in their own schools.  Alexia can no longer make Lacey take her lunch money to school for her and get her homework for her.  They each are responsible for their own lunch and homework.
Our highway has also been reconstructed to a four lane highway instead of two, which has brought changes to the busing situation.  The kids are no longer allowed to cross the highway (THANKS GOODNESS).  They have to be picked up and dropped off on the same side of the road that they live on.
It was pouring rain that morning and I was so worried about the bus stop that I forgot to get any First Day of School pictures.  I will have to get some taken soon before they grow too much!

Funeral's

I took Alexia and Lacey to the funeral of Wanda Harris.  I was her visiting teacher for a while when they were in our ward and we became close friends with her only grandson, Nate Rasmussen, and his wife Brooke.  Nate and Brooke moved to Oregon about the same time that our ward was split and we were no longer in the same ward as the Harris's.  We have gone to visit Brooke and Nate once in Oregon and keep telling the kids we will go back and visit them again.  They have had to come back to Idaho four times for funerals!  Wanda's husband, Bud passed away in January and Brooke and Nate told us how sad they were that hardly anyone came to his funeral.  Wanda's funeral was on Saturday, so I decided ahead of time that I needed to go.  Kelly and Tyler were gone with the Teacher's and Priest to float Hoback Junction.
I didn't want to go through the line for the viewing so I just took the girls into the chapel and sat down to wait.  I didn't give it much thought that this was the first funeral the girls had ever been to.  About half way through the talks, Lacey turned to me and asked,"Mom, what is that long box up there?"  I just turned to her and told her it was the casket.  Then after a few more minutes she asked, "Is she in there?"  I told her "Yes" and didn't say much more. (I had been crying and continued to cry through the whole thing).  As I have thought about this over the last few days, I am glad I took them to a funeral of someone they weren't really connected to before they have to attend a funeral of a loved family member.  I know it is only a matter of time now before we will be having one of our own.  I know I have more explaining to do, but it helps just a little bit, knowing they kind of know what to expect. 
I hate funerals!  I was crying harder than the family members were and ended up with a headache because of it.  I guess I have been given the gift of being able to "mourn with those who mourn".

Lacey's tenth birthday continued

Lacey and Kalli Harris at Ross Park in Pocatello for her 10th birthday

This year Lacey really wanted a Pogo Stick. I still don't understand why, but she got it anyway.