Blessings

As many (or most) of you know, my calling at church is Ward Choir Director. When the words actually came out of the Bishop's mouth, I wanted to run screaming from the room. But I didn't.

Instead, I swallowed a big, sour lump in my throat and squeaked out an "OK." I don't know many people that would LOVE this calling. But I can think of some people much more qualified than myself. Apparently, that doesn't really matter.

I strongly believe that you accept callings given to you. I don't think church assignments are the same as work place assignments. Church assignments aren't made to showcase your talents and achievements. You don't "earn" your calling (unless you go around the day before saying how you DON'T want the calling...maybe that's payback). hehe Sometimes, a person really isn't suited to a specific task. And, unless there is a legal issue (unfortunately, there are bad people everywhere and they shouldn't be put into certain situations), I think it's best to give your assignment your best effort and let the leadership decide when it's obviously not going to work and find you another job.

I don't really think that EVERY calling is directly inspired from heaven (though many definitely are). Sometimes a job needs to be done and there are several people who are likely to perform it well, or at least try. I DO believe that once you accept a calling, you are supported and given the strength you need to accomplish your task. That's where heaven steps in.

So back to the choir. I have never had a calling that made me feel so uncomfortable. NEVER. Even being a missionary was less intimidating. (Of course, I choose to do that one.) And then to sweeten the deal, I started at the very beginning of my pregnancy. So I got to try to be encouraging and helpful when I felt like crawling into a big hole and murmuring over my afflictions.

But there are some awesome, humble and amazing people who show up each week for choir practice. I'm just glad they come back! I feel like the idiot leading the wise when I'm up there giving direction. I have no formal music training and no experience leading. I had to teach myself how to lead in 6/8 time. And these people thank ME! They are the ones doing all the work and they tell me 'thanks.' It's a strange situation for me.

Then, the past couple of weeks I noticed an unexpected blessing. My personal piano playing has improved. Don't be too impressed. All I'm saying is that I can now play 2 flats or sharps in the music a lot better than I could before. (Don't think I'm ready to sub in Primary, Angela!) I haven't been using the piano for choir; meaning I haven't been spending more time at the piano and therefore getting more practice than usual. I just find my fingers working the keys a little easier.

I attribute this unexpected blessing to serving in the ward choir. I'm thankful for the reminder that maybe my efforts are being noticed. And leading the choir has even gotten easier. I'm glad I didn't run screaming. I wouldn't have believed I could make it this far (even though I still have so far to go). And I'm not saying anything else about any other callings. I can't think of one I really want as they all have their challenges. I'll just do my best for now and wait until I start feeling really comfortable (that's when the next big change will come).

But tonight, I'm just feeling thankful for little blessings.

Not quite a lady

Compliments of Rebekah this morning:

R: Ew, booger. ----- Mommy, there was a booger on my finger.

Me: What did you do with it?

R: Flick it off.

All I can think now is, "I hope it dries before I step on it."

Amazing

My almost-9-year-old and 3-and-a-half-year-old are playing a game of Life together. They aren't fighting. They are even singing their requests to each other. I am amazed. They've been there for over half an hour, too. I think I may need a shot of insulin - and I'm not even diabetic!

Summer Reading and 'Rythmatic

Summer is here! I have 2 1/2 months to keep 5 kids from driving me completely insane. The fighting has already begun. Full force. Daniel is 50% of the problem and Leah is 70% of the resulting noise. Nathan is pretty good at joining in.

In anticipation of this, I re-instituted my summer worksheet program from two years ago. The kids have been doing worksheets for 4-5 days now. They are full of fire and motivation. We'll see how next month goes. For now, they do a selection of worksheets that have been stapled together and assigned a point value. When the papers are done, I check them and then they get to put a sticker on their chart for each point. Every 5 stickers gets them a prize from the prize box. The girls are whizzing through their worksheets. Of course, they are so easy, it's almost shameful. The boys have to work harder, but even if they only did one worksheet a day, I'd be happy. Here are some of their charts. Leah's seems to be missing for the moment.

You can see that Daniel is trailing in the worksheet area. That's no surprise.

But Daniel hasn't been completely without goals. We've also started a reading contest this summer. We're counting pages read. For each milestone in pages, they get a specific reward. Daniel has turned into quite the dedicated reader! He's already nearing his 500 page mark and we only started this week.

The boys read their own books, I read books to the girls, with Leah doing some of her own reading in some very simple books. So far, everyone has passed 100 pages. And as I type this, here is what the boys look like.

We also have monthly contest for reading. I ordered a $5 trophy (a cup mounted on a plastic base) that will be awarded monthly for the most pages read. I expect it to travel mostly between the boys. At least, I hope it travels. Daniel is putting so much of a lead between himself and Nathan, I hope that Nathan will have a better chance next month. I'll probably hang a tag on the trophy with the winner's name and month, so they can keep the "glory" even if they don't own the trophy.

But we aren't all couch potatoes. I bought a croquet game this week. We played as a family yesterday afternoon. It's really quite a challenge to play with a 3-year-old! The kids went out and played this afternoon while I napped. They've spent time running through the sprinklers, re-planting the garden (we froze to death), helping Chad build a picket fence in the front yard, swinging on swings and riding bikes in the driveway.

School starts August 19th.

Mum Mum - Give me gum gum

Joseph has a new addiction. Gum. He keeps toting the stool from the bathroom to the drawer in the kitchen where the gum is. I've had to dig two pieces of gum from his mouth today. But the bad part of it is that I don't know if he's gotten more than that. So of course he's only getting the best taste of each piece. That's probably part of what is driving his addiction.

I have a sweet tooth. The gums I choose are fruit flavored ones. No wintergreen for this girl! Ironically, the kids chew more gum than I ever would. Leah especially likes it, though I try to keep it under one per day, on average.

The family rule is that you can't even have gum until you're 5. Rebekah is patiently waiting for her day to chew. It's a little harder to explain to Joseph. But at least it's Trident. Four out of five dentists recommend it. I wonder what the pediatricians and gastroenterologists say?

Joseph doesn't like Nursery

He really doesn't. Last week was his first "legal" week. (He was 18 months on the 13th.) I was in and out of the nursery the first hour. The 2nd hour they just held him. Once they got past singing time, it was snack time and then the lesson and an activity. He was OK once he had food in front of him. (Go figure.)

Today, I was asked to sub. Chad had taken him in because he'd had to chase him down after he escaped the chapel. Joseph was clinging to his Daddy with tight fists! Eventually, he was brave enough to wander and Chad headed on to Sunday School. Joseph returned to me often. When it was time for singing, he wouldn't sit in the chair, wouldn't let me help him with the actions and didn't want me singing in his ear. He spent the 15 minutes with his head on my shoulder.

BUT, snacks were next. He easily sat in his chair for that! I had to wrap my arms around him to keep him the chair for the lesson and eventually I was able to sit back. He did reach back and check that I was close enough once. He was happy enough coloring that I was able to make a quick trip to the bathroom and when I got back, he was entranced by the bubbles the other ladies were blowing. I guess that makes him my Bubble Boy.

This is my worst kid when it comes to transitioning to Nursery. Nathan and Rebekah hardly gave me a wave 'good-bye.' Rebekah and Leah still wish they could go back. I'm hoping that he will soon find some joy in the experience. I don't see myself as a patient parent sitting through nursery just so my kid will stay. I'm not that nice, I guess.


But is this sweet little face really hiding a tantrum-prone and strong-willed little soul?

You'd better believe it!

I told you I'd post some pictures of both afghans when I finished the second one. Here you go. I finished last week.

This is the blessing afghan. It gets used one whole day and then packed away with the dress/suit for 20-ish years.

Here is the Sunday afghan. It gets more use. I was nearly finished when I learned that the baby wasn't a 'he' after all. It's very pale blue, but looks white in the picture. I wasn't about to start over in pink!

(Oops! I photographed it upside-down. Just stand on your head to get a true view.)

Too Early

The mail comes too early around here. I wonder if we're at the beginning of the route? It usually comes before 9 AM on weekdays. One time last week, it came before 8!

So this creates some problems for me. I don't like to put mail out in the box overnight. And I don't wake up real quick in the morning. So things like bills and b-day postcards don't always get sent out when they should. (I mailed a postcard this morning for a b-day that happened yesterday.)

I just realized another problem that early mail creates. I remembered putting a first class stamp and make-up stamp on each of the two postcards I mailed out today. Well, that should be enough postage to get them around the world! And it only took me 4 hours to realize my mistake. I must be fully awake now. And feeling a little foolish.

Potted Plant Symbolism

I got a little pot of flowers from church for Mother's Day. That's pretty standard fair in my 8 years experience as a mother.

One year I got a pot of flowers that was nearly dead. It felt particularly fitting that year. I can't even remember why (exactly).

This year I got a beautiful, robust plant. Maybe it's because I'm looking so "robust." Anyway, I opened the kitchen window for a little relief from the stuffy kitchen air. Less than 5 minutes later, Nathan reported that my plant had blown into the sink. Daniel followed him with the plant and showed me, repeatedly, how it was loose and came right out of its pot.

I tried to scoop out as much dirt from the sink as I could save, but I was fighting a few dirty dishes. (Oh yeah, like your sinks are empty and spotless at 4:30 in the afternoon!) So now my plant leans a little in its pot. It looks a little weary. And here's where I wax philosophical.

Sometimes you're sittin' pretty in motherhood and all is calm and beautiful. Then, someone opens a window somewhere...even for a good reason...and you find yourself upside down in the sink of dirty dishes. Some of your kids will show concern and rush in to help. Others may rough you up a little more and really test your endurance. Eventually, you'll get helped back into your pot, but life may be a bit off kilter until you can get a little more dirt back into your pot to give you back the strength you lost in the dirty sink. Don't worry - everything will be OK.

Just don't let that plant die. That's a different symbolism I'm not ready to consider right now.

My kids are fighting

I'm about ready to jump in there and show them how it's done.

Someone should come and save them...SOON.

Floods and Pestilence

Sometimes, I think life gets too comfortable. If it's been a while since things have gotten interesting around your house, you'd better be on your guard. On the other hand, our family should be free from troubles for a while. We were just recently visited by floods and pestilence.

The 3rd definition of pestilence on Dictionary.com is: something that is considered harmful, destructive, or evil. We had a wind storm blow through here on Tuesday. It was a pestilent wind storm! Here is a small sampling of what it did to our roof.

(I am short and could only get this much.) We have roofing shingles scattered around our yard and roof. Chad has hopes to get more shingles, tacks and tar before we get hit with a bunch of rain.

But that was not the end of the fun on Tuesday.

As I was going to the store room for Mac and Cheese for the kids' lunch that morning, I stepped in a wet spot at the bottom of the stairs. We get lots of wet spots with 5 kids! I was wondering who had spilled their water down there.

Side note: the downstairs was a DISASTER. The kids have no self control when it comes to the toy and TV rooms. I am at my wit's end and ready to get rid of all kid stuff. I have to tip-toe when I go downstairs because there isn't room for a whole foot!!!!

I didn't get downstairs the rest of the day. That was unfortunate. It was also unfortunate that there was a bunch of JUNK at the bottom of the stairs, including a sleeping bag and a lid to a toy bin. Otherwise, I might have noticed how big that spilled water spot really was.

As I was filling the dishwasher that night, I heard a dripping sound. It wasn't raining and the sound of a toilet flushing is different. I headed down the stairs to what I knew wouldn't be a good find. SPLASH! That spilled water was a huge puddle and it sprayed up on me! Around two corners, I found a huge mess.

To make a long, ugly story short...old houses + brittle pipes + lots of years of gunky build-up = a cascade of water every time you run water down the kitchen sink. And 5 1/2 hours of labor to cut out the old pipes and replace them with new ones = a lot of money.

This is what it looks like at the bottom of the stairs right now. The carpet pad is in the garage. I think it's just about dry. Boy, that sure didn't smell very good. (Especially when they cut into that old pipe.)

It's funny. I didn't think life was getting too terribly comfortable around here. And I sure didn't think we had too much money. I guess someone else saw it differently.

How many Haileys?

While we were eating dinner tonight, Leah started talking about someone named Hailey and said, "Me and Hailey..."

Daniel corrected her and said, "It's Hailey and I."

Nathan jumped in and said, "It's Hailey and me."

Leah responded in a quiet voice, "There's three Haileys?"

Chad and I looked at each other across the table and started laughing.

500...Finally!

Well, the big one is finally here. I'm a little short of my goal, but it's more important to finish (even if it's not the best).

Five hundred posts! I don't think I ever expected to keep up the blogging. It was a slow start. After all, I was a new mommy to baby #4 and my oldest had just started school. Incidentally, going from 3 kids to 4 kids was my hardest adjustment. Adding #5 was hardly a difference. I expect #6 to be the same.

Honestly, if I didn't think some people were enjoying keeping up with our crazy little family, I likely wouldn't continue. I do keep a journal, though that isn't nearly as colorful as my blog. And many of you have been quite encouraging. So I feel like maybe I make a few friends through my blog. I'm a little surprised some of you keep coming back...especially since you don't even know me or my family outside of Blogger. I guess real life does have a bit of comedy in it after all. I'll have to try to notice it more.

It took me 3 1/2 years to blog my way to 500 posts. I don't have any plans to reach 1,000. If I get there, great. If not, it means other things are guiding my life. Hopefully, I'll be able to share most of them and keep the blogging up. I mean, don't we all want to know how Joseph's potty training goes? And Leah starts Kindergarten in the Fall, with Rebekah starting the following year. And of course, we'll want to see the new baby when she starts crawling. But I hope that Joseph starts talking long before any of that. THAT will be a major post!

Now enough sentimentality. Did you want news? It probably does not come as any surprise that Chad's mini van did not win any races at the Pinewood Derby last week. Unless you count coming in last. But it was a winner. It beat out a Rolls Royce for Most Unique. That earned our family a little package of Almond Joys to share. There were some pretty competitive men there that night. We were just there for the fun...lots less stressful. Oh, and the root beer floats. Yummy.

I let Nathan take the pictures, so we've got a lot of pictures that need to be deleted. But it was very difficult to get a picture of the action. ZOOM! Here's a shot of all the cars that were there.

On Saturday, there was a Baby Animal fair. The kids had fun going from baby to baby. Leah touched everything she could get to...including the giant boa(?). It was a little chilly, because we got there early, but we beat the crowds (most important).

We worked in the yard on Saturday. I mowed the lawn. It was the first time this year. What a difference it made! And what a sunburn I had on my arms. (I got a lot of attention for that at church yesterday.) Chad tilled the garden and we planted our small selection of plants. I expect about half will make it. Good old gardening in Eastern Idaho. It froze that night and the next.

Sunday was Mother's Day (as I'm sure you all knew). My kids were not well behaved for the occasion. They made sure I knew I was a mother. I held a short choir practice, despite the holiday. We had a pretty fair turnout. We sing next week - otherwise, I wouldn't be such a task master! But our choir sounds great. It's obvious they are working hard.

Today was my monthly doctor's appointment. We did another sex check on the baby...since the doctor was only 80% sure last month. While he was looking at the screen, he asked me what he'd said it was last time. We both saw something completely different this time. I saw the girl parts before he said anything. (Did you catch my hint a few paragraphs ago?) So I have a beautiful pale blue baby afghan nearly finished. It will be a fun thing to joke about...I guess! He said he'd look in two more months, but I don't see much reason to...it was pretty clear.

And while I was sitting here, ignoring my children's pleas for this and that, Joseph came up to me looking like this! Good thing there aren't any pictures planned.

This is what happens...

When you try to get a picture of Chad with his eyes open. It's very difficult. We have to tell photographers ahead of time that it will be a challenge.

When Rebekah decides it's time to change the toilet paper roll. She's very proud of the fact that she can. And now I have little partial rolls around the house for blowing noses.

When you leave the eggs in Joseph's reach. He learned at Easter time that you can crack eggs. Too bad the chickens won't lay hard-boiled eggs. It would be easier for all of us.

When you take the eggs away from Joseph.

When the big boys decide to have their own Pinewood Derby. Chad created a mini van. We aren't expecting it to win much of anything. We'll let you know how it does at the derby tonight. :)

I KNEW she was smart...but a genius?

We were riding around town this morning. The radio was playing some random song. Leah pipes up from the very back of the van, "Mommy, what does articulate mean?"

I'm thinking to myself, I must have heard her wrong. "Articulate?"

"Yeah, what does it mean?"

OK folks. How many of YOUR 5-year-olds have asked you that one? She's my first. I was trying to remember if the radio had used that word. I was pretty sure it hadn't come up. That's a pretty big word...even for the grown ups. And then I'm wondering what other words should I be prepared for? Onomatopoeia? Lasciviousness? (our Stake President couldn't even pronounce it) Transliteration?

Obviously, she is a genius. There is no other explanation. Then she said she heard it on "Word Girl." Go PBS! Can they teach her how to clean up her socks and respect her parents? Of course, I still believe that she is at least half genius. She hasn't watched TV for the past few days at least! What a memory.

Family Home Evening

Note: This is religious-themed post. If that will offend you or cause you to think that I am preaching to you, QUICKLY exit this page and whatever you do, DO NOT click on the comments link.

A few weeks ago, we had a sacrament meeting specifically focused on Joseph Smith and the Restoration. They concluded the meeting by saying the Stake Presidency had requested each family to have a FHE on the topic within the next few weeks. We finally got around to it this week.

It was Rebekah's turn for the lesson, so she essentially held the pictures while everyone talked around her. There wasn't anything special about the lesson; it was just your standard retelling of the First Vision. Joseph did try playing the piano through much of it. Maybe that's something to really make it stand out.

Anyway, at the end of the lesson, Chad gave each of the kids a paper to draw their version of the First Vision. I promised them I would "put them on the computer." So here we go! I apologize for any hard-to-see shots. The scanner doesn't care what I actually want to do with the pictures.

This is Joseph's. I think this is from that night. I don't see any other pictures that he could have done. It appears that he didn't work completely alone.

Here is Rebekah's picture. She has mentioned (several times) that it is a picture of her (left) and Joseph Smith (right). You can see that she is really good at likening the scriptures to herself, because I'm pretty sure she never actually met him.

Leah worked very hard on hers. Here is Joseph by a tree. One tree equals the entire grove.

Nathan's is very colorful (as usual). And as usual, Nathan didn't actually do the assignment. This is a picture of Joseph retrieving the gold plates. It's still part of the Restoration. Right? ;)

And we end with Daniel's. He is really a pencil man. The strawberry shortcake really cut into his coloring time. You can see he understood what the picture was to represent. Notice that every one of his trees has a single knot or hole on it? :)

Family Home Evenings are looked forward to in this house...by the kids. I admit, I would be relieved to skip some. But they usually do end up with good results and it's a fun, but informal way to teach some of our values and beliefs to the kids. I look forward to the day when they actually do TEACH their own lessons and prove to me that it has all been worth it.

I'll probably be ostracized for saying it.

But I'm saying it anyway. It's my blog, right?

I have a little problem with a current tradition that happens after every High School prom. Perhaps it happens in your ward. I'm talking about wearing your dress or tux to church on the Sunday following the dance.

I can't even remember if this happened in my ward while I was growing up. I can't remember if I participated. Maybe someone from my high school and neighborhood can help me remember. Regardless, I'm sure I wouldn't have had the same opinion then that I do now.

I have two reasons why I don't like this practice.

The first one has to do with the idea that there is a lot of vanity in wearing taffeta and yards of lace to partake of the sacrament and participate in gospel discussions. We can read in Isaiah chapter 3 and 2 Nephi chapter 13 to find out what the Lord thinks of such vanity. I don't know how much we're focused on Christ when we're thinking about how beautiful our clothing is, or reliving the magic of the night before. You get my meaning.

The second reason is that I wonder how it makes the girls and guys who either didn't get invited, couldn't find a date or just didn't have the means to go feel to see everyone parading around. It's harsh enough to sit home that night and think that there is a fabulous party going on without you. But everyone is supposed to be equal at church. That is definitely a place that salt shouldn't be poured into the wound!

And the adults like to compliment the kids on their beautiful clothing. That's understandable because they are beautiful. But who is gushing over the modest, humble clothing of the other kids? Is there any gushing going on during the rest of the year?

I don't judge the families of the kids who do wear their prom clothes to church. I understand it's just a fun tradition and a way to get another opportunity to get your money's worth out of an expensive gown. I just think that Sunday worship services aren't the place for the tradition.

What about a fashion show during mutual night? Then the kids that weren't invited or didn't have a fancy dress could find a dress to borrow for the night. Everyone likes to dress up and feel like royalty - even if it's just a Tuesday night with the girls.

It will be an interesting experience to see how this plays out in our family when the kids are old enough to be attending prom. I certainly hope that they get to go. But even if they do, I don't want them wearing their dresses and tuxes to church the next Sunday. Stay tuned for that one. Daniel will be eligible for prom in 2017.

We went to Thailand

That was once mentioned as a possibility for celebrating our 10th Anniversary (I served my mission in Thailand). I was pretty sure I would either be pregnant or nursing and so not sure how likely it all would be.

Well, as it turns out, I was right. We're also broke, too. So a real trip to Thailand was not even considered. But we got as close as we could.

I had it all planned for a month. We went to a Thai restaurant and stuffed ourselves with DELICIOUS, spicy (couldn't talk) Thai food. Then we checked into the Thailand room at Destinations Inn, a newer themed-suite hotel in the area. Here are some pictures from their website. The room has evolved a bit (like all 4 windows in the last picture are covered up with murals), but this is pretty much what it still looks like.



When we arrived, there was sparkling cider chilling and cheesecake in the fridge. In the morning, they served a simple, but yummy breakfast at your chosen time. There were no kids, the phone didn't ring and we could sleep in as long as we wanted. Unfortunately, we've been programmed to wake before 8. It would take drugs to sleep in any longer than that.

My mom and step-dad came up from Utah and stayed with the kids for the night. The kids had a lot of fun. I'm a little worried about Nathan, though. He didn't realize we hadn't come back later that night - even though he didn't see us until 9:30 that morning. I DID tell him. Next time I'll make sure he looks up from the computer when I'm talking to him.

Thanks to my mom and step-dad for the over-night stay and for the help with the pasture fence and cow herding. The timing couldn't have been better!

On a sad note, the last little kitten died this weekend. I hope the next time this momma cat finds herself with kittens, she'll be more interested in mothering them. If not, I'll get her fixed because these kids don't need extra sadness like that! I'd even gone ahead and let Leah name the poor thing. I'm proud of the way my kids handled it. I don't think I would have been as good about it at their ages.

Who's Counting?

I am! Joseph has one more week in Relief Society before he's legally old enough for Nursery. I have been taking him in there to play for the last 7 weeks or so - just for the Sunday School hour. But I sit in there with him since he's not quite 18 months. I have just about had my fill of getting my hands full of toys that 30 other little kids have been chewing and sucking on. Joseph likes to load me up then walk away.

Sometimes I get to stay in Relief Society if Joseph can find enough to entertain himself. Last week it was a little toy horse that one of the great-grandmas handed to him. He went from woman to woman (and then back again) bouncing that horse on their knees. It was very cute and got us chuckling, but not very kind to the teacher.

Today, I wasn't sure we were going to get to stay as Joseph was pretty cranky. While he wandering around the room getting smiles from the grandmas, one of them pulled out a small ball of blue yarn. Genius! What a great toy!

Joseph found all sorts of things to do with that yarn and before long he looked like he'd escaped from a giant blue spider. He had several feet of yarn, looped several times, trailing behind him and was wrapped in 3 or 4 rounds of string - all the while trying to pick up the ball in front of him by pulling the string, therefore making a bigger tangle. It was very funny. I had tears in my eyes from trying not to laugh. Several of the women were bouncing softly in their seats in silent laughter.

Eventually, I had to untangle him. That meant I had to take the ball of yarn and he wasn't happy about that. While he was writhing in frustration on the floor, another g-ma (the RS Pres.) threw a package of fruit snacks at him. Instant change of attitude! We survived the rest of the hour slowly eating those.

It's a little sad to think we only have one more week of the fun. But also a BIG relief! It's getting harder for me to bend over.

Much Better

Apparently, there were enough phone calls after the last unannounced field trip that the school remembered to include a note this time.

I feel better.

Happy 10th!

It's our 10-year anniversary today!

We were married on the only dry day in a string of rainy ones, in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. The tulips were blooming (my favorite flower).

I felt like an old maid at 25 years old in Mormon-ville. I had dated quite a few people and was despairing that I would ever find one I was willing to change my name for! (I had some "good ones" in High School, but the ones after my mission were not only disappointing, some of them were down-right frightening!)

Chad and I officially met 15 December 1998. Our first date was to Applebee's. It took us long enough though...we had been in the same ward at BYU! That's when my youthful looks worked against me because Chad thought I was only 18 (too young for him) when I was really home from my mission almost a year!

We dated for a few months and were engaged 15 February 1999. Nearly two months later we were moving into our first apartment in Las Vegas and soon the family was growing. Now, 10 years later, we're waiting for baby #6, we're in our 5th home and the future is bright.

I know life isn't perfect, nor the people in it, but I came pretty darn close to it in Chad. He's a hard-working, honest, dependable man. He's an AWESOME daddy. He's a sensitive and "equally-yoked" husband. And he's our Forever.

Happy Anniversary, Chad! (Ten more years from now we can go out without finding a babysitter!) I love you.