PRESIDENT HINCKLEY AND GOOD, BETTER, BEST

Passing of President Gordon B. Hinckley
Beloved Church President Gordon B. Hinckley, who led The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through 12 years of global expansion, has died at the age of 97. President Hinckley was the 15th president in the 177-year history of the Church and had served as its president since March 12, 1995.


I am so sad that President Hinckley is gone. Although I am so happy that he is with his wife again. It is hard to imagine not hearing him speak again. He was an amazing prophet and I feel so blessed to have been alive when he was the prophet of the church. I loved how much he respected women and encouraged husbands to repect their wives and let them develop their talents. I loved how he had a love for people of all religions and of all nations. His thoughts and quotes are some of the most profound thoughts in my mind at all times and will forever be with me throughout my life. When I think of President Hinckley or hear him speak the spirit touches me and I always without fail have the desire to be a better person, daughter, mother, and member of the church.

When Brynlee heard that President Hinckley had passed away she said, "mom I don't ever want Grandma and Grandpa Black to pass away I will be so sad." Brynlee loves every Sunday because they come over to dinner and jumps at any chance to go over to their house and spend time with them. In Relief Society today we had a lesson on good, better, best things that we fill our lives with. This really got me thinking today that I need to fill my life with the best things. I need to make studying the scriptures, going to the temple and visiting with my grandparents a priority into my weekly schedule. These are the best things that I can fill my time with and need to do better at. For the last year I have gone to the temple twice a month until the last two months. I have missed it the last two months and I need to get back in that habit. My grandparents are the neatest people I know and I need to make visiting them at least once or twice a week a priority. I know this is one of the best things I can fill my time with. I love their company and I am always learning from their loving, calm, sweet dispositions. They adore the kids and love any second they get with them. I will regret not spending more time with them if anything happended to them. I went to our Stake Women's conference on Saturday and Virginia Pierce Priesident Hinckley's daughter spoke about studying the scriptures. I know this is something I need to do better at. I am struggling with some answers that I need right now from Heavenly Father and I know that the best way to get the answers is through scripture study. I once heard Sheri Dew say that, "if you want to talk to God you pray. If you want Heavenly Father to talk to you, you read the scriptures." So this is what my goals are to put the best things in my life. And fill my time with the best and most important things in life. I love you all and I challenge you to think about what the "best" things are that you can use to fill your time!!

GIRLS NIGHT OUT!!

This is not the best picture but oh well I wanted to capture a picture of our fun girls night out. Jen, Suzi and I went to 27 dresses on Saturday night. It was a great movie and I recommend it to anyone who likes a good love story. It was so much fun to hang out with the girls, see a good chick flic, talk, laugh and relax. They are always so much fun to be with and I am so blessed to have such great friends. I can always tell them anything and they always have the best advice. I have always known that I can rely on them and that they will be there. We have been friends for 17 years. We have had so many fun memories together and I also know I can always count on them to share in my grief, to cry with me, laugh with me, get mad with me, set me straight etc. I am one lucky girl to have these true life long friends! Thanks for a fun night girls it was much needed and very rejuvinating!!

OUR CRAZY WEEK

This has been a crazy busy week for our family. On Monday I spent all day getting ready for the competition that I was directing at Lone Peak High School. Tuesday was the competition and everything went really well. It ran smoothly without any problems and everyone agreed that it was a success. I was so glad that everyone was happy with the outcome and how it ran. I loved doing it and I am looking forward to directing more competitions next year. Needless to say I was exhausted from all the planning, build up, anxiety and a long day. I came down with bronchitis on Tuesday. Monday night Beckham was up all night and so early Tuesday morning I took him to the doctor and he had his second ear infection this month. Stock and Bryn have been really sick with bad colds as well. So anyway we have had a week of sickness but we are all on the mend now. Tuesday evening Brynlee had a dance performance at Timpview High School at their basketball half-time. She had a blast and did such a great job! My mom took her and video taped it for me since I was at my competition. I was so proud of her she did it perfect and had the cutest smile. She was so thrilled and said, "she was sad that it was over so fast and she wanted to do the dance three times." Heather and Josh took Beckham and Stockton to the Bingham Basketball game and they had a blast! Thanks Heather and Josh! Stockton loved the game and he is so determined to learn how to dribble a basketball. On Wednesday I went to the doctor and I got medication for the bronchitis. I always get it so I know that a z pac is the only thing that will get rid of it for me. Brynlee had dance on Wednesay and Stock had karate. He keeps telling me, " mom I like karate better than pre-school." He loves karate and is always asking if it is the day to go. On Wednesday evening I judged a Region Drill Competition at Clearfied High School. And Thursday were Hazen Pictures for Brynlee's dance. Friday was Bryns gymnastics. Wow am I glad last week is over!!

Stocky's face has healed really well and I don't think that it will scar. I think Bryns really learned her lesson and she felt really bad. I stuck to my guns and she didn't play with friends all week. I was proud of myself that I didn't crumble and give in. Actually she didn't even ask if she could play until Friday because she felt so bad about it.

DINOSAUR MUSEUM

One of the kids favorite places to go is the Dinosaur Museum. Stockton had his birthday party there last year because he has been obsessed with dinosaurs for a year and a half now. He is still so into them and asks on a weekly basis when we can go to the Dinosaur Museum. His favorite dinosaur is a t-rex. I think he has every imaginex dinosaur that is sold at target. Brynlee's favorite dinosaur is a long neck because they are nice. She points out every long neck to me in the museum. Beckham was hilarious running through the museum growling like a dinosaur the entire time. They were all in heaven. The kids love the shark exhibit for some reason and they love digging in the sand. Thanks for a fun time at the dino museum kids!! I love you all so much and I love to see your enthusiasm for life!!

OUCH!!

On Friday night The kids and I went to Alvin and the Chipmunks with my brothers and some of their roommates. We had a great time. Trent, Marcus and I took turns following Beckham around the movie theatre the whole time. On the way home Stockton could not get comfortable and was whinning for like twenty minutes. Then him and Brynlee started fighting over a coat to lay on. I think Brynlee's nerves were shot from listening to him whine for so long. The next thing I know Stock is crying so hard saying his face is stinging. When we got home I was literally sick when I saw Stockton's face. Bryns had scrateched him on his face. This picture actually looks a lot better than what it was two days ago. I keep putting antibiotic on his face like 5 times a day praying that it won't scar. Stockton has the most handsome face and I would die if he had a big scar on his face. At church today of course everyone was asking what happened. They kept saying, "did a dog get him?" Brynlee would fess up and say that she scratched him and then hug and kiss him. At least she feels sorry about it. But she can't play with friends for a week. I felt so bad for Stocky and his favorite thing in the world is to sleep with me. So I told him he can sleep with me for a week. So sad.

GRANDMA JOHNSON'S BIRTHDAY

Tonight was my Grandma Johnson's birthday party at my aunt Caroline's house. My Grandma is such a fun, cute lady. She is a character. She loves disney characters and always wears disney shirts. She has every musical animal that you can think of in her house that dances. My kids absolutely love that. My friend Kathy calls her my pink grandma because she loves pink and her whole house is pink. She loves to dance. Her and my grandpa ball room dance and they go dancing often to the murray arts theatre. She loves little kids and she always seems so young because she chases them around the house and gets down to play with them. She is such a sweetheart. She always tells me that she knows that we were friends in heaven and that we chose each other. I love you Grandma! Happy Birthday.

Brynlee loves playing with the cousins on this side. She was just pacing around the house all afternoon counting down the time until she could go and play. Stockton and Beckham and I all took a three hour nap this afternoon. It was heaven.

SLEEPING UPDATE

Thank you everyone for your comments and ideas on getting my kids to stay in their beds. I have been sticking to it and it is working. The first night they were in their beds by 8:00 but it was rough they kept sneaking out over and over and I used the Super Nanny approach and just kept putting them back in their beds. When that wasn't working I was sure that the ticket with my Stocky boy was going to be putting his blanket in time out because he is obsessed with his blanket. Thanks for the idea Lyndsay LOL. But suprisingly this didn't seem to do the trick. The next two nights progressively got easier and they got out less times each night. But tonight I discovered the trick that is going to work for me. I am so excited about this. My kids always want to know if they can play with someone when they get home from school. So tonight I told them that if they get in bed when it is bedtime and they don't get out of bed then they can play with a friend tomorrow. But if they get out of bed then they can't play. AMAZING!!!!! No one got out bed even once. I am so happy tonight. Thank you for all of your ideas. You are all such great friends and moms.

More good news! I got my phone in the mail and it is up and running! Yeah!! It is so hard to be stuck without a phone. But I will admit in some ways it is nice too.

DISCOVERY GATEWAY

We went to Discovery Gateway today. This is the kids favorite place to go. That is all that they have been able to talk about since they found out they were going there yesterday. Stockton woke up and was half way asleep talking about discovery gateway. From the time he woke up until the time we went at 2:30 he probably asked me 70 times when we were going. Beckham absolutely loved the balls. That is his favorite thing in the whole world. Brynlee, Cam and Caleb built in the construction area and had so much fun. I took the cutest picture of them in their goggles but the numbers on my camera to download are messed up and I couldn't find the picture. Stockton was just happy to be there and loved playing with everything. We had them go upstairs and do an art project which was really fun. Brynlee and Caleb were into this the most. Ang just so you know Jen and I decided that we do want to plan on going every Tuesday. Suzi we missed you. It is so fun to get our kids together and chat. Somehow it just makes you revived when you get together with your friends. Even if you are crazy chasing kids most of the time. Thanks for a fun day girls.

HELP!!!!!!

Okay so I know that my friends are some of the most amazing moms I know and they are going through the same things as me right now so I need some ideas on keeping your kids in bed when it is bedtime. I have become very relaxed on this issue since I have been on my own. I think this is for a number of reasons. The first is because I don't have someone to help me keep them in bed and inforce the rules. A male is always good to enforce bedtime rules. Have any of you noticed this? That is one thing I miss. And two I don't have a husband who lives with me that I am wanting alone time with. Oh and let's not forget three I like my kids to sleep in as long as possible so that I can too. I prefer nights to mornings. Although when I go to the gym early in the morning I do feel really good. Anyway, I do need some time to myself and I know they would feel better if they went to bed earlier so I need your ideas and ways that you keep your kids in their beds. If only they could all stay in cribs. Becks is no problem. I put him down at 7:30 or 8:00. But Bryn and Stock get out of their beds a million times and a lot of the time end up sleeping with me. So any ideas that you have would be wonderful!

I'M SORRY

So I am going to start this out by apologizing to everyone who I need to call back and haven't. The first reason is Becks dropped my phone in Smith's and it shattered and I have yet to go and get another phone. The second thing is I started my masters degree in Educational Leadership at BYU this week. It has been a crazy few weeks but I think I will be in the swing of things in a week or two. I have also been studying for the GRE which is a test I have to take next week for my masters degree. When I told my professor I had three kids under the age of 5 he said, "Oh and you just do this in your spare time?" It's true I already felt so busy with my kids but now I have added this. I really enjoyed myself this week though and it was a great way to get my mind off of things. I have a passion for education, teaching and learning! It felt great to be back in a classroom. I am very blessed to have amazing parents who are helping with my kids while I am gone. Just two nights a week.

I have also been judging drill team competitions every weekend and will be this whole month. Last weekend I judged in Delta. This weekend I am judging at UVSC. This year I have also started directing. So I will be in charge of a region competition in two weeks. So I am sorry that I have been bad at calling you back but I hope all is well with all of my friends. I will call you as soon as I get a new phone. Love you all and have a great weekend!!

NEW YEARS AT THE CABIN!!

Happy New Years! I have a great feeling that this will be a great year for all!! We went to the cabin for new years and we had a great time! We played games, went sledding, snow mobiling and watched movies. It was so much fun to be with family and to relax. Mom banged pots with Stockton when the new year arrived! Stockton loves the cabin he kept asking me if we could stay there forever. I actually kept thinking that it would be nice to stay for awhile. It is just so peaceful up there and it is so nice to get away from the city. We don't have cell phone service and it is so nice to just enjoy the outdoors and the company your with without having everyone on their phones. It gives you time to just think when you are in the mountains. Which is much needed right now in my crazy life. When Brynlee got warmed up to snow mobiling she didn't want to stop. Beckham loved riding the snow mobiles and sledding. He is game for anything! We love you all and pray that 2008 brings you all of the happiness that you deserve!