Just Because

I love these kiddos!!

I love ALL these people!!!

THE best parents a kid/adult could ever ask for!!

Never a dull moment...

...as per Mom's request, we CAN be serious, but we don't like it.

A Half Marathon and Temple Openhouse

Years ago when Taffy and Tami were training for their first full marathon, I thought (and probably said out-loud) "those two are crazy. Never in a million years could you convince me that running is 'fun'!"  Well...it took a while, but I have crossed over to the dark-side.  Truth is, back then, I was just jealous.  Jealous of all they were working to accomplish and jealous that I didn't have the same work-ethic and determination to do it with them.  Lesson learned.  

For me, running is therapy.  It's very motivating.  It makes me feel like I can overcome my natural man.  It helps me be "centered" and it helps a lot with my overwhelming feelings of anxiety and sadness I sometimes get.  It's way better than any kind of medicine...for me.  It is not for everyone.  I have good friends that need the help of both: exercise and medicine.  Nothing is wrong with that.  I am blessed to be able to manage mine with my exercise.  

Last year I set the goal to run a half-marathon before Sedona was 1.  At one point, it looked as if it wasn't going to happen.  My husband refused to let me give up on it, and once we got back to Rexburg from TX, I started on the long journey of training.  I ran the Zeitgeist Half Marathon in Boise with my Mother-In-Law and her friend, Heather.  We had a BLAST!! I sobbed when I finished.  I felt so many emotions.  But the best one was that of feeling like I didn't let myself down and I had accomplished something that was hard for me to do.  (Pushing a running stroller for an 8-mile training run up and down hills is no easy feat).

So, we set out to do it again this year! It was SO FUN!!! Yes, I now believe running is FUN.  The "dark-side" is fun.  I am not sure of our times.  Time wasn't the goal.  Finishing was the goal.  We ran every step of every mile and we had a good time doing it.  

 These two ladies are such fun running partners.  Thanks for the good time!

 Our "cheering squad" at the end of the race.  I'm so glad they all made the effort to come and cheer us into the finish!  I am trying to be a good example for Sedona.  I want her to WANT to be fit and healthy. Not skinny.  Fit. "Fit" looks different for everyone. I know she won't remember this, but I hope she will know that I am doing my best to lead by example.

Saturday afternoon, Joe, Mariam, Austin, Sedona, and I went to the Boise Temple Openhouse.  Sedona LOVES Temples!! She identifies them in pictures all the time.  She even adds adjectives such as: 

"Pretty" Temple

"Shiny" Temple

"Big" Temple

"Nice" Temple

my favorite is when she says: "Jesus, Temple!"

 Such a great photo!

We did swinging all the way back to Jojo's truck. She was soooo happy!! What a great day!

Family

A couple weeks ago, we had some visitors from AK come to the lower 48!!  My Mom was born and raised in AK and all her family, except one sister, still get to live up there.  It's a rare occasion that we get to see one another. (Thank goodness for the up-coming Oberg Family Reunion!!) But, my Uncle Barry and Aunt Lila (my Mom's sister) brought two of their girls, Sadie and Annie, to visit!  Their oldest, Katie, and her family live in IF right now.  Sulli, Sedona, and I made the short drive to IF to meet up with my Mom, Tess, Tami and her three boys @ Katie's house!!  Whew, that was a mouth-full....

These pictures aren't the greatest and I'm sad about that, but I'm glad we did take some regardless of how they turned out.  We had such a great time.  We visited and enjoyed eachother's company and my Sweet Aunt Lila made a delicious dinner for us all.  Thanks for the fun time and the great memories!!!!

One of all the kiddos that were there. Sedona LOVED playing with Kylie and Brooke.  

They were so good with her!!

Now, these next pictures aren't much different from one another, but I posted them all because they are just FULL of personality.  Especially the two nerd-bots on the far left.  Tessa and Sadie, you two light up my life!!! Seriously!!

 "Photo Bomb" by Owen...

 "Photo Bomb" by Sedona...

Seriously, what are you two doing?!!

Aren't these two just beautiful?! Seriously. I just love them!!

I also love you two....

Halloween

I am such a fuddy-duddy when it comes to Halloween.  I just don't care for it.  So, you'll notice I am the only one who didn't get into costume :-(  I also didn't have an "occasion" for getting dressed up.  Well not one that I had time for, anyway.  

 Sulli and Michelle. I sure have loved having them here this semester.  It's the first time in 10 years that I have been in the same town as a sibling.  It has been so fun and I don't want them to go!!

 Now that is the cutest duck I have ever seen!! This was at our ward "trunk-or-treat" that was moved inside the church, due to the 6 inches of snow we had received (that is now completely gone!!)

Now, I don't want to frighten any of you, but....

THIS MIGHT!!!!

There was a costume contest at Austin's work on Halloween night.  He didn't have a costume (he originally was going to be a cop in short shorts with a mullet. So, be grateful you're lookin at this!!)  but felt bad and didn't want to be the boring one at work.  So, he went to DI and K-Mart and came home with all the stuff to be this creepy old lady.  I did his make-up and put his nasty wig in a bun.  Check out the "dashed" eye-liner and the mascara all over the eyelids and cheek bones.  Seriously so creepy! Oh, and he didn't win :-( but he did have fun! He is a good sport.

Cars are the WORST, but Her Imagination is the BEST!!

Sorry for the long hiatus in which you all just got to stare at that not-so-positive post.  But in my defense, sometimes my anxiety gets the better of me and it's hard to be positive when the not-so-positive in my life seems to be closing in on me.  Case in point: Our Volkswagon Jetta broke down about a month-and-a-half ago.  It broke down just outside of Twin Falls. Austin, Sedona, and Markie were left to wait and wait and wait until the amazing rescue team (Joe and Mariam) arrived and drove them all the way to Rexburg.  

That car has given us nothing but trouble since the day we bought it.  To spare you the long story...we recently discovered it needs its engine replaced.  Sweet. Great. Just what I needed to hear. So much for my husband's hard work during the summer.  So much for trying to get "caught up" and put some $ away...so much for trying to do our very best just to have it thrown in our faces.  $2,200.  That's what it will take.  We will have officially put more $ into that car than we paid for it.  

However, there have been so many blessings along the way.  I am trying hard to not focus on the $.  The Lord has (and always will) provide as long as we are doing our part.  

Blessing #1:  The engine didn't explode and cause harm or injury to any of the three precious people in the car that day.

Blessing #2:  A good friend of ours figured out the problem and only charged us pennies, compared to what a shop would have charged us.  

Blessing #3:  If (or when) we do get it repaired, we can sell it, knowing all the major things have been replaced in the last 3 years! Selling with a good conscience=feeling honest.

Blessing #4:  I get to put my Faith to the test and trust that the Lord will help us find a solution and then be grateful for the trial and strengthening of my testimony.

Blessing #5:  We pay our tithing. I KNOW that this one thing has brought us so many blessings in the past.  If we will continue to have faith and be obedient, He will continue to bless us.  Maybe not with $, but with other things we need.  We already had one tender mercy yesterday: we discovered we over-paid on our rent and so we only owe HALF of December!!!  It's the little things that testify to me of how aware He really is!!

Speaking of "little things"....Sedona is MY "little" and I want to end this on a really positive note:

Sedona has a great imagination.  I love watching her pretend and play with her "friends" as she calls them. 

Nala and Tiny are her favorites, by far. (Nala is obvious; Tiny is the little fox)

She is not content in her bed at night (or naps, for that matter) without Tiny, Nala, T-bear, Simba, Ella, and pillow.  She calls them all by name and her Poppy and I know the translation of each one! Finally!! haha...

Here she is, giving Nala a drink from her teacup. 

 Feeding the "line-up."

 She insisted that she needed a sucker for EACH hand.  When I gave in, she hit the two suckers together and said, "Momma! Two!"  

 Going on a walk with Tiny in the stroller.

Making her stroller "pliddy" (pretty) with a brown hair ribbon.

Seriously, this little girl makes me smile every day.  She also makes me feel like I'm going crazy every day....But I am thankful for the opportunity to be her Momma!

Sometimes...

....I have days where I ask myself, "what the heck were you thinking?!"  Today (okay EVERY day this week) has been one of those days.  I just want to curl up in a ball and sleep until I can't sleep anymore.  I want all my stress and my anxiety to just go away. I want to hide in a closet and pretend the outside world doesn't exist. I want a vacation that involves NO child, NO stress, NO SNOW or COLD and some sunshine on my face.  I also want to stop wanting these things because the fact is this: they're not going to happen.  I try to remember all my blessings and think of others who I am sure have it much more difficult than I.  Every time I get like this I think of my sisters and how they each have more children than me (and some that DON'T sleep), coaching jobs, busy working husbands, their own dinner to make, etc....and my cousin Heidi who has 3 kids, one on the way, and is getting ready to go to Med School.  Then there's my friend, Shari, whose husband is gone a lot! He is gone serving our Country and she rarely if ever utters a complaint.  There are many more examples like these in my life.  And then there's me...

So, I apologize for the rant/complaining session, but no matter how much I try to realize how many others are in harder positions than myself it is hard to just relax and release all my stress and anxiety.  Sometimes writing about it helps.  We'll see....

Sometimes All We Need...

...is a little reminder of WHY we do things.  I talked on the phone with my sister Taffy yesterday.  The subject of blogging came up.  I told her that I feel like every one of my posts is the same-old-same-old....a picture overload of Sedona.  I'm sure it's really boring to most people.  So I haven't been as dedicated as I have been in the last year.  

Taffy reminded me that blogging for others isn't necessarily WHY I should blog.  I should do it for ME. To have something to look back on.  Afterall, it is MY form of scrap-booking.  So, I'm sorry if it's boring and somewhat redundant to all of you, but I don't want to miss a thing.

Therefore, you will continue to see tons of pictures of this sweet little thing.  

 The Loves of my life!!

He is such a good Dad.  

 Her concentration face...she gets this one from me.

 I came out of the kitchen the other day to see this little sight.  

That sheep chair is the gift that keeps on giving.  

Her Aunt Dede gave it to her for her first birthday and she finds time to 

give it "loves" every day...multiple times a day.

She is getting really good at pretending.  She brought me this baby doll and this blanket and said "Nap, nap!"  So I wrapped up the baby and she rocked the baby to sleep and laid it down for a nap on MY lap.  So cute!  Look at her face.  She is just too precious.

Finding Joy...

This little minute (as my Grandpa would call her) finds joy in the simplest things.  She reminds me daily how much life is meant to be enjoyed and not just lived.  I tend to become a "survivor" of life when I get stressed and overwhelmed; rarely taking the time to just soak it all in.  I was looking through some pictures yesterday and was filled with an overwhelming feeling of guilt for not being "present." 

Here are some of my reminders:

This picture is just "magical"... 

 I don't get in on very many pics, but I'm so glad I have this little treasure. 

Her smile is priceless. Makes me feel like I might be doing SOMETHING right.

 She finds joy in things as simple as a diaper box and a colored pencil.

Bed head at its finest. 

She climbed the ladder to the top and went down all by herself.

She is getting so big.  Since when?

I swear, I blinked and this happened.  

These rolls aren't just any rolls.  They're the kind my Mom makes.  I don't think I will ever make a different kind.  Whenever I make these, my mind goes way back to when I was a little girl standing on my stool next to the bar table, "helping" mom pat the dough and twist it. I wore the apron Sedona now wears and had the same magical look in my eyes Sedona has whenever she "helps" me.

Often, my Mom's rolls were for purposes other than feeding her family.  They were for other people.  This particular batch of rolls was meant for helping a family in my ward who had just experienced a tragedy.  I couldn't help but think of my Mom and be grateful for all the things she taught me.

Speaking of my Mom, she kinda helped me with this one, too.  She made a beautiful blessing dress for Sedona and felt that it needed an underslip to go with it.  So, she made one out of an old slip she had.

I have been wanting another one for Sedona because, well, call me vain but some of her church dresses just don't look as cute with the white onesie showing at her neckline. I pulled out an old slip yesterday and, using the slip my Mom made as a guide, whipped out this adorable little piece.  It fits perfectly and will serve its purpose as well.

I found joy in making rolls for someone else and in making this slip for my little girl who brings me so much joy.  Sometimes I just need to slow down and take time for the things that bring real joy.