YAY for sun!

It really does make the biggest difference when it's a beautiful sunny morning. I still feel a little low, but seeing the blue sky and spending a little time outside does wonders for my mood. I'm excited that the rest of the week looks pretty good too. Maybe Utah's finally reached Spring.

Other rays of light:

*Snuggles with my sons.

*Freshly mowed lawn (that I didn't have to mow)

*Bradley's excitement about the last week of school activities.

*Actually sticking to my diet yesterday!

*Finally cleaning all of the tumble weed out of my yard. (It's truly amazing how much of that stuff gets into my yard with our "crazy winds" - as Braeden would call them.)

*Naps

*Knowing that when I roll over at night, my sweet husband is there beside me.

Renewed Hope

A friend of mine from my Hall Advisor days asked me to be a guest contributor on her blog. I was definitely touched and honored that she would ask. Her blog allowed me the chance to again reflect on how the light of the gospel has helped me through a struggle greater than myself. Thank you, Lori, for this opportunity.

So...I should include a few Rays of Light:

*Braeden actually sat on the potty...no promise that he'll actually continue this trend, or heaven forbid, do it without clothes ;), but we'll take what we can get.

*Ryan's home from his Cali trip. Glad he had the opportunity to speak at a conference, but even more glad that he's back here with me.

*Bradley's did an amazing job in kindergarten. He's a reading fiend. On more than one occasion, he's said, "I just got distracted. I was reading!" Ah, music to my ears. (But he does still need to eat his meals!)

Thanks again, Lori, for helping me to see the light in my life and feel a renewed sense of hope.

Ray of Light

*Watching Bradley drive off with Grandpa for his very own Grandpa and Bradley movie date.

*Listening to his excited exclamations after he returned from the movie.

*Pumpkin pie!

Ray of Light

It's been too long...

...I can't say my life is fabulous right now. The last few months have been some of the worst I've had, but I made a medication change and I cautiously optimistic that maybe things are looking up. But one way or the other, I still have so much to be thankful for so at the very least I can mention those things that bring a light to my life during the darkness.

*Making apple turkeys with my boys (oh, and one "apple Braeden." He didn't want an apple turkey. You can see him on the right with the spiky hair, not feathers!)

*Hearing Bradley say his line in the primary program perfectly.

*Asking Braeden if he likes preschool and listening to his response, "Sure do!" (pronounced "shore dooo!" with kind of a western accent)

*Getting notes from my 5-year-old that say, "You are fantastic, Mom!" (after he asked me how to spell each word.)

*Having my 3-year-old lovingly pat my arm and say, "You okay. It not hurt." While they take a blood sample.

*Watching the excitement in Bradley's face as he does addition and subtraction. (I'm such a math nerd!)

*Hearing the excitement in my boys voices when their daddy comes home...he gives them every reason to love them.

*Asking Bradley if he'd like me to remove his bracelet from Red Ribbon Week (Drug Awareness Week) only to have him reply, "NO! I don't want people to think I take drugs!"

*Finding out that my insurance paid and extra $125 to my APRN so I have a credit and didn't have to pay for my list visit nor do I have to pay for my next visit...and they weren't supposed to pay anything until I met the WAY TOO HIGH deductible.

*Finally having the energy to exercise more than one time in a week...I'm still deciding if I'm thankful for the fact that I can barely walk today because of it? (That 30 Day Shred is a killer!)

As always I could go on and on. But I know probably what is most important is that I'm recognizing my blessings and making a specific point to be openly thankful for them...it's amazing what that can do...you should give it a try!

At least we know...

Well sadly my news is mixed for today.  We found out (after a long morning) that Bradley has Pneumonia.  About 1/2 of his left lung is full of junk.  He was a real trooper through the Dr. appointment, blood work, x-ray, and return to the Dr. for shots and to pick up a prescription.  Thankfully we know what it is and hopefully he'll be on the mend soon.  There are a lot of what-ifs that we'll have to be careful to watch for, but we'll be praying that things will work out as they should.  Luckily it is NOT contagious so at least we don't have the added worry of wondering who we might have passed it on to.

It's been a long and tiring last few days, but again, at least we know what's wrong with him and I was thinking about it last night, at least we have 2 beautiful boys to worry about.  The Lord has truly blessed us.

Oh, and our sweet Bradley has so much faith.  Early this morning (oh, around 4:30 am) as Bradley was lying in the tub when we were trying to bring Bradley's WAY TOO HIGH (somewhere over 107) fever down he said, "I think you need to give me a blessing, Dad, so I can feel all better."  What faith.  Again, we truly are blessed! 

Ray of Light

Okay, so I'm REALLY trying to stay positive here.  BLAH!  Bradley has been really sick this weekend (i.e. fever that spikes up to about 106.4 degrees and that's while on Ibuprofen & Tylenol!).  Needless to say it's been a long weekend.  And to add to it, Braeden had a fever before Bradley so I thought Bradley had just picked up what Braeden had, but now Braeden has a fever again.  Pullin' my hair out here!

Anyway, my "Ray of Light" is that we actually have medications to help keep the fevers down.  I honestly think if this had been many years ago Bradley may not be with us anymore.

This will go away...this will go away...this will go away...my boys will eventually stop being TOTALLY cranky...eventually...RIGHT?! 

Ray of Light- You're Welcome, Vegetables

Bradley, Braeden, and I were eating lunch today and I realized how blessed I was when Bradley said, "Hey, I want some peas, carrots, and corn like you have!"  And this is after already eating some cucumbers.  I've really been blessed to have good eaters.

And little Braeden has been all about saying, "You're welcome!"  Sometimes he says it when he should say "please," or when he should say "thank you" and when he says it in the right context it is almost always before someone says "thank you" to him.  I just love it.

Ray of Light-Bradley

Bradley announced to me today, "Did you know it's February?  The weeks are flyin' all over!"

I guess his preschool teacher must have said that the weeks were flying by.  

I love it!

Ray of Light- Monsters!

This evening I was gone at a book group.  Upon arriving home, my husband told me I had to go downstairs to see the sign that our son made him put on his bedroom door.

It just made me laugh.  Of course I'm sad that he's scared of ghosts, monsters, and bad guys (his father is the one afraid of solicitors...maybe he should have included the IRS as well), but I love how a sign made him feel confident that he was safe.  Oh, the innocence of youth.  I love it!

P.S. Apparently after Ryan had written the note, Bradley realized they hadn't said anything about aliens.  Ryan asked him if good aliens were okay, and after they'd established that good aliens make cookies, even though (according to Bradley) they don't have hands, he was okay including the bad aliens in "bad guys." 

P.S.S.  This is my 100th post!  YAY!

Ray of Light

So I realized, that while things have been crazy, that was no excuse for me to stop noticing the good things around me.  So here are a few from the past few days:

*I love the way the light reflects off of snow.  It makes for such a beautiful, bright day.

*Welcome to the new generation...instead of imaginary friends, Bradley constantly has a "computer friend" playing with him all the time, as well as often a "computer bad guy."  I guess he's played enough computer and video games to be used to playing with someone all the time, even when he's really not.  It just made me smile.

*I've GOT to get a picture of it next time it happens, but we have a corkscrew willow tree in our front yard, so the branches are all twisty and curvy...really pretty cool.  But what makes them even more cool is frost.  It's happened a few times this year, but when the branches get a thick layer of frost on them it's the coolest thing.  I'll try to get a picture next time it happens and post it...even though it won't do it justice, at least you'll get some idea of what I'm talking about.

*I was having a pretty hard morning today, and then I FINALLY pulled myself out of it enough to go down and exercise, and I'm so glad I did.  It really does wonders for my emotional state.  It doesn't make everything all better, but it usually allows me to actually function.  Thank heavens for those positive endorphins.

Ray of Light- Bradley

This was definitely a proud mama moment. As part of a homework assignment, Bradley was supposed to answer the following question:

Finish this sentence: I am thankful for (fill in the blank) because...

This was Bradley's response: I am thankful for presents that I give to people because I like to give them to people.

Let's just say I was pretty darn proud of my sweet little boy after hearing that.

Ray of Light- Fall Fun

Yard work is not my most favorite of all tasks, but if having to do it means we own the home, then somehow it doesn't seem quite so bad.


Raking leaves seems to be the requisite fall yard work activity. Bradley has been DYING to help Ryan rake the leaves. For weeks he'd ask, but our dear little tree was still hangin' on for all she was worth, but recently, she produced a beautiful blanket upon our grass and Bradley got his wish.

It was the cutest thing to peek out the window and see Ryan and the boys having so much fun. There are a lot of things in life that make me happy, but somehow watching my husband and sons have fun together ranks at the very high, if not on the top of the list.

Here are some shots of the fun (p.s. Since I'm a totally paranoid mom and this is a public blog, I purposely didn't give you any super cute face shots):

Bradley proudly helping Daddy...he loves having his own rake.

Ready...Set...Jump! Seriously...what else are piles of leaves for?!

"Splashing" in the leaves!

"Leaves are falling all around...On my head and hands and toes!"

Ray of Light

So now that I've written my whinny post, I do want to let you know that I haven't stopped looking on the bright side of things.

My sweet boys have been struggling with getting up too early lately. I wish I could just blame it on the time change, but since it was happening before then, I guess that scapegoat is out. Anyway, we've really been working to help them sleep until at least 7 am so they aren't totally tired and grumpy all day.

Not today (but today was REALLY close), but the 2 days previous they've done it! HALLELUJAH! They are SO much happier when they sleep until then, not mention mama is a LOT happier too.

Miracles DO happen!

This past weekend was fun and busy with Halloween and what not, but one particular event made my weekend. I was browsing the blogs that I check and my 4 year old came into the room. I figured I'd try to hit the blogs of people he knew. At one of them we found the following movie. I could definitely see how this was funny, but to him and his cute little 4 year old mind, it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. I don't know how many times he asked to watch it. It just brought such a smile to my face. Needless to say, this and the next video posted have been a large part of my weekend.



If you can't see the player, click here!


After seeing the one above, we found him some other funny cat videos. The middle of this one (cat vs. fan) was his FAVORITE part.



If you can't see the player, click here!


How simple is his pleasure. I love it!

Ray of Light- Halloween

In some ways it seems kind of ironic that I'd have Halloween down as a "Ray of Light." For many, Halloween conjurers images that have nothing to do with light...but not at our house.

We really enjoy Halloween, but not for the dark, scary, or sinister side, but for the costumes, kids, and candy side. My 2 darling boys were crayons this year (yes, I did recycle last year's costumes, but if they still fit, why not?!). In true 2 year old form, Braeden wouldn't wear his hat, so he was a pointless crayon, but they still looked cute nonetheless.

At first Braeden wanted nothing to do with his costume. He even had 2 other occasions to wear his costume and even when many other kids were wearing theirs (commonly motivation for him to do things...good old peer pressure), he still refused (literally kicking and screaming) to wear his. I suppose it's all about proper motivation...chocolate. We just had to ask him if he wanted to get chocolate...which being my son, he naturally did...but we told him it was conditional on wearing his costume. Let's just say the crayon outfit was looking pretty good about then.

Armed with a red and navy crayon, we set out to pound the pavement in search of chocolate. Bradley, being 4, was a natural. He was all about knocking/ringing to get the goods and without much practice Braeden was right there with him. And when they were later joined by another friend Braden (my friend Susanna 2 year old son) the 3 of them made quite the team.

This is where I really think my "Ray of Light" comes in...the excitement in their eyes. No, it's not some noble act that inspired them, but it is something that I think is part of every happy childhood. I remember the excitement and anticipation of Halloween. I loved it. And how simple and sweet is their amusement. Candy isn't some huge event, but being the sweet children they are, enough to light up their whole month, let alone the evening of procuring the candy.

Then after tromping home (with little Braeden literally dragging his bag...he wouldn't let me help him carry it), we sat down to dinner. With our children's early bedtime, we went and finished earlier than most so we obviously didn't eat dinner in peace...but that made it all the more fun. Both my boys were so excited each time someone came to the door. Bradley was especially excited about being the "candy sorter" (i.e. the giver of candy). Again, this was another simple act that placed the light and joy of anticipation in their eyes. How sweet that they were as excited to share candy with others as they were to receive their own.

Often, as I look at my situation, I think about children and how little things amuse them. When I stop to get excited about the little things, I find my life much more fulfilling. How would it be if we were all more easily amused by what life has to offer...I think we'd have a far less cynical and depressing world.

Now don't get my wrong...the chocolate involved in the night's events did contribute to my happiness (yes, I'm amused by chocolate too), but again, the biggest sense of satisfaction came in the excitement and light in their eyes. That sweet and simple anticipation characteristic of our most precious gift...children.

Ray of Light

It was about 10:45 pm last night and I was about to crawl into bed (this is early for me) when I heard funny noises from the monitor. Braeden had been coughing a bit in the last few days so at first I didn't think anything of it. But then I heard the noise again.

Ryan and I decided it wouldn't hurt for one of us to go check things out and that was definitely the right decision. I came into the bedroom to find Bradley covered in throw up! (And NO that is not my "Ray of Light.") We quickly went into parent mode and got the messy bed and son cleaned up.

While Ryan was bathing Bradley he mentioned to him that he would give him a priesthood blessing*. First of all, I was SO thankful that I had a husband that was worthy of doing that. I was also really touched by what sweet faith Bradley had. He knew that this is what needed to happen for him to get better.

A few minutes later we were tucking him back into bed and as usual I was going to give him a hug and kiss. He puckered his lips to give me a wet one. I felt so bad, but I had to let him know that I was just going to kiss his cheek.

This was of course confusing to Bradley...not being aware of exactly how germs work, so I explained to him that if I kissed him on the lips I might get sick too.

I then asked him, "What would happen if Mommy got sick?"

Without hesitation he replied, "Well I'd have to have Daddy show me where the stuff was so I could give you a blessing!"

How sweet is that?!

I feel so blessed to have such a caring, sweet, and faithful little boy.



As a side note...he is feeling much better today and this will hopefully just be a 24 hour bug.

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*Priesthood Blessing: A blessing given by a Melchizedek Priesthood holder, by the laying on of hands and by inspiration, to one who is sick or otherwise in need of special counsel, comfort, or healing. If the blessing is for the sick, consecrated oil is used (James 5:14-15).

Ray of Light

Today's Ray isn't something unique to today, but it is something that I was reminded of again today. I took my kiddos into the doctor for their yearly well check and they're as fit as can be. I just feel SO blessed to have 2 beautiful and healthy kids. What a blessing.

Past Rays of Light

Okay, so my last post was a bit heavy. Phew! So let me lighten things up a bit by sharing some of the "Rays of Light" from these past few days.

*I'm REALLY a soccer mom! I know that doesn't sound like much to aspire to, but I'm thrilled. I was SO proud of Bradley as I watched him play his little heart out in a game of "bunch ball" (as my dad calls it). He put all of his little effort into it and loved every minute of it. I'm so proud of him and would be even if he hadn't made 2 goals!

*We were able to visit my grandma on Sunday. She's in an assisted living facility because of her Alzheimer's. She has been REALLY low in the past, but it was SO good to see her this weekend. She looked happy and healthy (of course relatively speaking for a nearly 85 year old women). She was SO proud that she's been able to walk (without her walker) to all of her activities. She graciously shared some hand strung bracelets with us (Bradley was SO excited...he's been totally into bracelets lately). It was just so nice to see her and see her doing so well.

*I've been in kind of a slump as far as exercising goes...someday maybe I'll get out of it and stay out of it for good (in and out of the slump seems to be my pattern), but both yesterday and today I've exercised. Yes, that's only 2 days, but we'll take every little positive we can find.

*Oh, and along the lines of the last one, it didn't rain on us (Braeden & I) while we were out walking. It was definitely threatening, but we were in the clear. YAY!

*Again, related to the last one, Braeden was SO upset with me for putting him in the stroller. Seriously, all the neighbors were looking at us (he's got lungs...what can I say). I would have let him cool down first, but we had to get Bradley to preschool. Anyway, he finally calmed down and so I didn't have to listen to him scream for the 45 minutes I was out walking, maybe only 5.

*Ryan and I sang as part of a double quartet for the adult session of Stake Conference* on Saturday night and we didn't sound half bad. I think the arrangement was beautiful and we definitely had the help of the Lord as we shared the sweet message of this song.

*Then on Sunday (in spite of some technical difficulties our building was having receiving the transmission) we were able to hear the inspired words of the Lord's chosen servants at the general session of stake conference. How blessed we are to have modern day prophets.

*Sunday was a BEAUTIFUL day which made for a beautiful night. After getting the little guys tucked in bed we enjoyed a refreshing evening rocking on our front porch rockers and reading. What could be better than that?

*I'm sure there are many more I could write, but we'll leave it at that. Aren't we all SO blessed. I love it!

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*Stake Conference: A semi-annual conference held for the members of a stake. A stake is a group of congregations or wards, generally about three thousand to five thousand members in five to ten congregations.

Ray of Light- Sudoku Son

Bradley is a bright kid...always has been. Even when he was only 18 months he knew all of his letters and the sounds they made. Trust me this is not bragging, he just came hard wired that way.

He has recently taken up Bejeweled and for a kid that's just barely 4...he's good! Heck, he has the highest top score of family (he WAY beat my score and I'm pretty good).

Anyway, I figured, "If he enjoys Bejeweled, then maybe he'd like Sudoku." Surprise, surprise...he loves it.

I bought him a few kids Sudoku books and he did 20 puzzles yesterday out of Learn & Play Sudoku for First Grade. Sure they're easier versions, but still they're for first graders and he did them.

Again, I'm not trying to brag. I figure he's got interests and so you might as well feed them.

The "Ray of Light" from this is not that he was so smart to be able to do them, but more that he was enjoying the same type of puzzle games that I love. I can't wait until he grows up and we can do speed mind games...I know he'll whip me, but it will be so fun. I love it! It made my day!