Sweet 16!

Well, today is my wonderful husband - Kirk - and my 16th Anniversary. Sweet 16th! I cannot believe it has been that long. I do not feel old enough to married that long. But at the same time it seems we have been together forever.

So in honor of that I thought I would list a few of his positives - because we always focus on our own negatives.

I call him my renaissance man. I know only a few people like him. He is detail oriented and creative all at the same time. He can look at things from a very common sense way to very over the top when necessary. He is a great artist and has a great head for business. He is comfortable behind the computer, on the basketball court or on a motorcycle. Kids, especially babies, seem to flock to him. It is like they sense that he is one of "the good guys". He is truly my partner and best friend. He respects me and my point of view - and treats me as an equal. He is the hardest worker in the world. I have never worried about our family being taken care of. I feel truly blessed to be married to him.

I look back on the last 16 years (17 with dating) and cannot believe the life we have and have had. The 5 great kids we have - a beautiful home - peace - and true happiness. Our life is not perfect by any means - but life is too short to dwell on negatives or struggles - or let them keep you down.

So today - am just want to tell the world how lucky I am - how much I love my Husband - and how life is truly beautiful!

School is Back in!

Well, school is official back in! This Summer has gone by so fast. Even with the few rough days with all the kids home - it was a great Summer. I really enjoyed being with my kids this summer break. Yesterday was one of those rough days - but ended in a great evening. This is the first year since Amanda was little that I have only had 1 child at home all day. It is a weird feeling - but at the same time has a certain peace about it too.

CJ started 1st grade - which means school lunch and all day school! It does not seem possible he is that old. Adyson is in 3rd, Parker is in 6th and will have about 4 or 5 different teachers this year and a locker - and Amanda is official a Freshman in HS even though she attends the Jr High. they all looked so much older this morning as the headed out to get on the bus. It is so weird to send then to school their first day on the bus and not take them and walk them into the school.

It was so nice this morning to get everyone up - have breakfast and sit and have time to read scriptures together and pray before they headed out for their day. Maybe that is why I feel peace - we were not running around crazy trying to get out the door and not miss the bus. All I know it is was very calm and nice - even had time to take pictures of them before they left.

We went to the zoo last week. Our end of Summer day. We went to the zoo - watched the animal show, had lunch their and the kids even got a souvenir animal water bottle with lunch, rode one ride at the Funland park next to the zoo, and stopped and bought an ice cream cone for each on the way home at McDonalds - and Ronald McDonald was visiting that store and hung out the drive-thru window to say "hi". It was a great day! Nice way to end the Summer Break.

So what to do with myself all day......I wish I could say nothing - but that is a joke. I could spend the whole day catching up on the laundry that is in the laundry room and hallway - yes hallway! Actually I have made a dent in it - but I need to get on top of it. I could deep clean my house after a summer full of kids in the house --- I could spend about a week at 'Ohana trying to inventory and reorganize the warehouse. No there is no rest for the weary. =) But, whit only one child at home - it will be a lot easier to focus on a project.

Summer allergies (or cold), Sunday Afternoon, Quiet House

So I worked in the yard all day yesterday attacking the 3-4 foot high weeds that were taking over the flower beds in the front yard with the family. I usually do not have terrible allergies, but something out there hit me hard. Throat itchy, eyes itchy, watery eyes, runny nose...lasted all day and all night. Woke up this morning achy too. Thought if I could just get up and going I would be fine --- wrong. So I bathed the baby -and made sure everyone else was ready to go, and DH came home for the Church Meeting he had and picked up the kids.(We usually meet him at Church.) This has left me alone in a quiet house. I cannot remember the last time this house was quiet this summer!

Drank a few cups of tea, took a shower and rested. The troops will be home in about 30 minutes. I still feel achy and not so hot - but I cannot stay in bed all day. I wonder if I have a combination allergies and cold or what!

The other day I emailed some family members a quote from a book I am reading. Not one person responded. DH says that maybe people are thinking I am trying to be a "Holier Than Thou" attitude towards them. I don't get it. I am sharing things I have read and learned because I am excited about it. I figure they already know what I have read - but it is always good to hear things again. Anyway, I was really frustrated by the thought that that could be the case. I mean why is it ok to send political, humorous, or even gross stuff through your email to friends and family - but if it religious or uplifting or makes you think it is being pushy or holier than Thou!?!

I love to learn new things and new ideas. I love to even learn them from friends of other faiths. I think there is way more that unites us than divides us.

But it got me thinking....yes, I know I do that a lot. =)
Why is that politics and religion are things we tend to shy away from in speaking to our friends and even family about? Why is it so heated if we do not see things the same? Why can't we listen to each others points of views and respect our differences? Why must the majority of people feel like they have to make you see their way and have to have you agree with them - or they get mad and even very angry at you?

I would love it if my family and friends emailed things they had read and come across while studying a topic. It would be a welcome moment to learn something new or a different point of view. I mean - I don't know about everyone else - but being a SAHM and working my business full time in the Summer - I do not have the time to read and study everything that I would like to. SO if someone happens to get excited about something they have learned - please share! I may not agree with that point of view - but then again I am open to listening to it and may be persuaded to seeing things differently.

I guess being that I am usually slow to take offense ( and I wasn't offended by what my DH suggested - jut confused by the possibility of it being true) I am confused by how people get so upset when someone says something they take offense to. I think in most cases people do not mean to offend - and rarely even realize that they have. SO it is the person taking the offense that has chosen to be upset and angry over what is being said. Does that make sense?

I feel like I am rambling - so off to bed again I go.