I love the Fall!

Dustin is finally home. He and his dad got a moose together. It looks like it was a big one. We took a family drive up through Swan Valley and had a picnic at Indian Creek today. The leaves are starting to change colors and it was so pretty. Drew had fun throwing rocks into the creek. Life is good again. My family is together and my favorite season is coming on. It is cool how going through a tough moment can make you appreciate the good moments so much more. It makes you realize how much you've been missing out on and taking for granted. My eyes are open to my blessings again--we'll see how long it lasts!! :)

The best. . . The worst. . .

I am of the opinion that becoming a mother brings the greatest joys of life. I am also of the opinion that motherhood holds some of the worst moments in life as well. I have just survived a little of the latter. Yesterday would rank up there as one of the worst days of my life. Now I want you to understand that I know there are much, much worse things that could happen and I will take this recent trial to any of those, but I hope I don't have to relive this experience for a long, long time. Now that I have this huge intro here's what it all comes down to: the flu! Drew threw up 14 times yesterday!!!! I changed my clothes 4 times and Drew's 8 times. I did three loads of laundry washing blankets, pillows, clothes and rags. I've cleaned my rug with four different cleaners and I will probably use them all again tomorrow just for safe measure. By the end of the day I was so drained. My mom stopped by with some Gatorade for Drew and I was sooo grateful for the visit. She took over for a couple of hours reading Drew stories. He loves to read stories with Grandma. Even my poor mom didn't escape the destruction--sorry mom, I know you've been thrown up on before, but you should be past those fun times after raising 8 of your own. So far today our score is zero. Hopefully it continues and proves to be a twenty-four hour flu that is over for good. So, of sorts, I feel like I have lived through a rite of passage for moms. I feel for those of you with more than one sick child at a time (I'm sure my day will come). And I am especially sympathetic for those of you that do this all as a single parent. Dustin gets home tonight and I will gladly end this run of single parenting. Thanks for letting me share my trial--here's hopin' the bug misses all of your homes!!!

I'm a hunting widow

Okay so I'm only a "widow" for 2 weeks. Dustin left for his once-in-a-lifetime, "dream" hunt in Alaska early yesterday morning. He and his dad are hoping to bring back big moose heads to put on their walls. Dustin's will hang happily in his shop (I just can't handle the fright of walking past a dead animal on the way to the bathroom late at night!) I have two hopes for their adventure: they survive (no major injuries or death--other than their prize animals of course) and they have a great/marvelous/amazing time (making it worth the large price tag). Okay, so, I don't really understand the enjoyment in hunting: no shower, stinky, sweaty, way to long, way to cold, camping trip. Not to mention the killing an animal part. No offense to those of you who do enjoy it, but it's just not my thing. But, it is Dustin's thing and he really is living a dream so I am happy for him. And, I am learning a new appreciation of the meat Dustin brings home--it's way better than anything I could buy in the store! Anyway--I love you and miss you Dustin--not that you will be reading this anytime soon being out in the middle of nowhere as you are, but maybe you can catch my loving vibes tonight as you shiver in your tent listening for scary bears that I sincerely hope are not hungry for stinky men out for their moose. Hopefully these next two weeks go by quickly!

My first "tag"!

So my sweet sister-in-law Cheryl tagged me and here goes The eight. . .

Things I am passionate about. . .
1. Dustin
2. Drew
3. The rest of the great people I call family
4. How the money gets spent
5. Music
6. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
7. Food--mostly sweets
8. Flossing

Words or phrases that I say often. . .
1. What? (Trying to make sense of Drew's "words")
2. I love you
3. How often do you brush and floss your teeth?
4. Don't touch that!!!
5. Noooo!!!
6. I'm so tired!
7. Drew is out of milk
8. Shhh! Drew's sleeping

Things I want to do before I die. . .
1. Learn to play the guitar
2. Live in a real home (not the back of a shop--even though I love the beautiful work you did Dustin)
3. See as much of the world as I can
4. Make as many friends as I can
5. Teach my children the things they need to know to succeed in life
6. Go to a Celine Dion concert (she has an amazing voice!!!)
7. Write music to share with others
8. Do all that I can. . . (2 Nephi 25:23)

Things I've learned. . .
1. Life is not fair (I learn this over and over and over again--it's starting to sink in)
2. It's best to just say what you need to say at the right time than hold it in until it either escapes or explodes at a not so appropriate moment
3. Daily flossing really is necessary to have truely clean teeth
4. The sacrifice and work invovled in becoming a parent is totally worth it because the sweet little people make life so much more meaningful and fun and exciting
5. Honesty is the best policy, but some people just don't really want to know/hear the truth
6. Endurance is easier than stopping and starting over and over again (this applies to many things!)
7. Music has power to motivate (for good and for bad)
8. Don't let other people's opinion of you go to your head (most of the time they are being way to mean or way to nice)
*Disclaimer--ok so maybe I haven't truely learned all of these (except for the flossing thing) but I am working on them!

Places I would love to go or see. . .
1. Hawaii
2. Havasupai Falls-they look gorgeous!
3. The Sacred Grove
4. Alaska (right now would be good--I miss Dustin!)
5. The other 40 beaches of Florianopolis, Brasil that I didn't make it to
6. The places the Savior walked
7. An M&M factory (it's a nickname thing)
8. Eastern U.S.--New York, Boston, Washington D.C.
*And many, many more places!!

Things I currently need or want. . .
1. Company (I miss Dustin)
2. New glasses--mine are soooo old!
3. Sleep
4. Milk and dog food (for my two "babies")
5. Food storage
6. Wisdom (to use in parenting, my Young Women's church calling, and marriage and more)
7. More Jolly Time Kettle Mania popcorn (my new addiction)
8. Someone to tune my piano

People I tag. . .
1-8. Well, how about anyone who happens to read this and wants to share :)

Winnie the Pooch

This summer we decided to add some fun to our lives (mostly for Drew's sake) and got a puppy. Drew loves her!!! They are so cute playing together. Today I finally grabbed my camera to capture their fun. They mostly torture each other. Drew makes Winnie yelp with his tight squeezes and Winnie can knock Drew flat on his back when she races over to jump on him, but they still seem to enjoy each other's company. They squeal with delight when they see the other coming. What is it about little boys and their little dogs that is sooooo cute!!!