Christmas Birthday

Today is Ruby's birthday!  With snow falling much of the day, her new toys to play with and special breakfast, it felt a little like Christmas.  The girls are growing up fast and Mark and I are trying hard to soak it in before it passes us by.  Especially with Siri going to middle school next year, we're in a really sweet spot right now. The older 3 all at the same school, still sharing a room, usually get along together. Life is good. All the girls are doing well at school. Ruby loves to do homeschool on Tuesdays. She still goes to the hospital every 28 days and is on the same trial drug, taking a pill at home every day. Her next scan is the end of March.

I got a new calling at church, now helping with the youngest class of Young Women in our ward. Its only been a week but I love it! I'm also teaching a small group training class at VASA every Monday 9am and a spin class every Wednesday at 9. I love it. I love helping people. I love having to learn and prepare ahead of time. I love the little bit of nervous I feel being in front of people. Excited that it's March because that means spring, and change, and my birthday!

We've had some fun ski days this winter. Siri has the 5th grade passport so we've been able to take her a few more times. She's also in the school musical that is in April, "Annie". Jane is loving tumbling class and is so brave...in February I dropped her off at Camp Magical Moments in Swan Valley, ID at a camp for kids who have a sibling with cancer. She didn't know anyone and was one of the youngest kids. She had an awesome weekend and wants to go again. We got to see our friends, the Harper fam while we were that direction. Love and miss them!  And let's all give a round of applause to life without diapers (except at night)...wahoooo!  Potty trained Annie and she's doing great. I heart not having to change her bum anymore. Its my favorite and my best.

Mark has been trying to get out touring about once a week this winter. Its good for the soul. He is waiting to get a new tooth so in the meantime, he loves smiling ear to ear without his retainer in, or fakes that he suddenly got hurt and will pretend he just lost his tooth. And to back it all the way up to the end of December, miss Jane turned 9! Such a fun day to have a birthday! We love her so much and are thankful for her. We went ice skating, she got frozen yogurt with cousins, and a party at Liz and Dan's.

The girls each made a goal, accomplished it, 

so we got to go stay at a hotel!

Ruby's birthday date with her bestie cousin Sam

Deer Valley ski day with Grandma Carol. A perfect sunny day!

Ruby is a prime example of kindess

love my girls!

Annie loves to visit Brother Dallon, and his candy stash.

Visit with the Harpers!

Jane excited for her weekend away.

Growup birthday party for a friend of ours...one quality about Mark I love is that 

he knows how to PLAY! Like, all the sweat and somersaults kind of play. 

Another hospital day.

Mark's latest skillzzzz...baking bread from natural yeast. Best.Smell.Ever.

Young Women's activity with Siri

Cute sis Liz got a new knee and is doing amayzzzing at recovery!

hey there buckaroo

love our trips to St.George

Fresh glazed Krispy Kreme per her request

goal aim growth progress habit change transform ambition

 I love the topic of personal growth. I love the endless potential we each have...and its all in us already. We just have to find it :)

Today I shared a few thoughts regarding physical goals as one of 4 areas of goal making our church has asked us, specifically the youth (ages 8-18), to participate in.

I loved having the thoughts and purpose, the why of physical goals, floating around my mind as I went about this past week.  I haven't yet made any solid new goals for 2020, but I'd like to. The words that stuck out to me during our church meeting most was when someone said to ask. Ask God "What am I lacking?" to help us guide our goals. Then he followed with, "If you don't get any answers, just ask your wife. She'll be able to tell you". It was so funny.  But really, the advice of asking is what I feel like I need. There is SO. MUCH. INFORMATION. in the world. There is no end to the ways I want to change and improve, especially how to go about it, and that can be overwhelming. So to ask, and think about, what I want to do next.

Here were a few of my favorite gospel related quotes I came across as I studied this week.

     We are most commonly attacked by doubt, fear, indecision, hesitancy, etc first with our thoughts. How important it is for us to be the boss of our thoughts! I often, and easily, get switched over to auto pilot in all things. I'm so thankful for what I've learned thus far, and what I will learn, about changing myself and reaching goals. I have words, goals, quotes...directions to my brain, hung around the house and in my room. I need all the reminders I can get!  

    I have also been reading through my older journals. A few pages stuck out to me from 3 years ago.  Annie was just a couple weeks old, on oxygen. I was recovering from a c-section. Ruby was sick (throwing up and fever). The washer was broken. Mark was out of town. The minute he came back I handed him a bottle and I took Ruby to the ER (because you do that when you fever and have a port). I was worried about this being our last Christmas all together...anyway you get the gist. I was exhausted, in all regards of life. I am SO thankful for all of you who were able to help us. I couldn't do everything and I will always be grateful for you. Taking care of the girls, cleaning our house, bringing meals. I love you.

Autmn and chilly

This morning was a stay-home-and-make-myself-get-things-done morning. Annie and I are often out the door somewhere in the morning, but today we stuck around. And really, I didn't want to go anywhere or do anything. Changed light bulbs, getting things in and out of storage, and took time for a walk around the block. Annie kept begging to go to brother Dallon's house. Frank Dallon is in his late 80's, and lives around the corner from us. To Annie, brother Dallon=dum dum sucker :)  So, we went. Delicious came wafting out his front door, so we went it and had a few bites with him while he chatted and ate his breakfast. I write about this to remind myself how much I love spending time with older people and hearing about other peoples lives, their stories.

It's sunny and chilly today and I'm thankful we've had a good bout of fall weather. The past two to three days I've had immense gratitude for my life and health. A neighbor and her 2 boys were hit by a car, an old friend and co-worker facing invasive cancer for the second time with a wife and 3 little girls. Another family friend, father of 4, diagnosed. Awareness of war and reality of refugees. And also struggles right here in my own immediate home. Its a balance between focus here as a mom, and looking out across the street and across the globe to find where I fit in and how I can help. Sometimes we need to narrow our focus to what's in front of us. Sometimes better to get out and about.

Saigon with Mark, a fav place we like to go out to together

Annie put me down for a "naptime"

Filming day with reps from Roche. 

Great to share our life, home and story (but tiring too!)

Allll the cabin fun this summer. We went every chance we got!

That one time Siri got sick, and then sicker, and didn't do anything for 3 days straight.

Pneumonia.

But she got better in time for her birthday!

Jane loooves to play!

this is often where you'll find Siri

Our visit to San Fran to speak at the Genentech conference 

and a quick day with Aunt Jenn!

Annie's new BFFs from the neighborhood

Hospital dayzzzz are usually long, lots of crafts and drawing.

PET/CT coming up Oct 16th

We like CoreLife too. And then I go home and bake a treat ;)

Happy Birthday Liz!

Our hosting of the 3rd annual Tortellini (the name of our street) pie night!

...there were about twice as many pies as pictured nom nom nom

yard work. then more yard work.

hike to Bells

Stonehaven Dental (where Mark works, and the dentists we see) do a free movie night every 6 months. The girls loved the show. 

Student of the month!

I love getting cavities filled!-said no one ever

You know when you just feel depressed, on the verge of crying, and don't want to do anything, blah.

This trip to the Quarry trail helped me get my head out of a funk and it worked.

Jenn Kate came with other Cali friends for General Conference!

Hi girls. I love you.

Love family dinners at Grandma's

Got to visit my friend in town and these 3 kiddos could have 

sat with this puppy at Wheeler Farm alllll day.

Lessons from Brother Dallon

Siri makes stuff like this just for fun. I love her brain.