Painting our Future: April 2009

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

News

I have been putting this off. Some of you have already found out and some of you have not. There have been some BIG changes around here the past couple of weeks. Some I have dealt with well, others...not so much.

As of 2 weeks ago Clint is no longer in the Weber State Nursing Program.

We don't know what's going to happen now, or where we will be.

So much emotion has gone into all this and I can't express the depth of it all to you, there simply are not words.

After the storm though there is always a calm and an awakening. Clint and I are so very grateful for a loving Heavenly Father.

When one door closes another one opens. I have learned so many important lessons through all of this. It has been a huge lesson for both of us. Before, during and after. Clint is grateful for the time he spent in the program and doesn't regret trying it, even though it was an expensive lesson to learn. He has learned a lot about himself and what he is capable of.

So, what now? I'll let you know when we figure that out.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

The past few weeks have been a challenge for me and I found this quote today while doing some searching for comfort. I liked it so much; I wanted to share it with you.

"Our challenges, including those we create by our own decisions, are part of our test in mortality. Let me assure you that your situation is not beyond the reach of our Savior. Through Him, every struggle can be for our experience and our good. Each temptation we overcome is to strengthen us, not destroy us. The Lord will never allow us to suffer beyond what we can endure."

~Elder Robert D. Hales

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Swimming with Grandparents

On Monday Kaily was feeling better so we decided

to go down to SJ and enjoy an FHE with my parents. They have a membership to

the community center there and invited us to go swimming. The kids had so much fun. Kaily's favorite thing was the alligator slide and Conner's favorite thing was all the falling water. He loves to splash! We had a great time, thank you Grandma and Papa Kemp for a great time!

A new perspective

Before I got married I was known to just carry my DL and

debit card in my back pocket. I didn't own a purse, I didn't want a purse, even though I was told all the time that I should get one. Before the back pocket I had a day timer that I carried around with me everywhere I went, but it got bulky and I hated caring it around, it left me without a hand to do things and then it was the matter of putting it down when I was someplace b/c I hated leaving it in the car. I also had one on my mission that I loved. After I got married my husband was appalled that I would just use my back pocket for things. He tried to convince me that I should be like all the other woman out there and get a purse. I dug in my heals, I was NOT going to have a purse.

You may be asking yourself, "Why is she so adamant about NOT having a purse?" Well, that is a good question but it has a silly answer, it was TOO girly. I have never tried to be a girly girl, just the opposite, I was trying to NOT be one those girls. I would say that as if I was going to catch something, like it was a disease.

What does this all have to do with anything? The wallet has lived a great 5 1/2 years and is now dead. I am at a loss of what to do now that it is gone and won't hold anything I put into it anymore. My day planners that I once had have also died. What to do, what to do. I have been looking for something for weeks to replace my wallet. But there is always something wrong with the ones I look at. I got online the other day and found this day planner that has an adorable purse that goes with it. I LOVE IT! I was shocked that I would want this purse, but really, I do. Why don't I just get it? The planner with the purse costs more $ than I can justify. Clint told me to just get it if I like it so much. I think he likes the idea that I want a purse. SO, I will continue to search for something I love as much as I love this, and hopefully it will cheaper, but in the end I might just end up getting it.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Pictures...WHY?

I wanted to get some good pics of Kaily and Conner in their Easter outfits. So here is how the photo shoot went, in order...

Conner didn't want Kaily touching him and Kaily was trying to be a good sport. I got tired of trying to get Conner to cooperate with me so I let them go their different ways.

This is my little poser. She told me she was going to be a model when she gets older....We'll see.

Easter Egg Hunts

On Saturday morning at 7 am we went to an Easter egg hunt that Macey's grocery store was putting on for the kids. Kaily was so excited and it didn't take long for Conner to figure out what to do. They came away with SO much candy! Then we headed over to a local park where the city was

doing another egg hunt and the kids got to see the Easter Bunny. We got there a little early and it was all we could do to keep Conner fr

om going off on his own to get the eggs. The city did a great thing this year, they split the kids up according to ages. Conner was with the 0-2 yrs and Kaily was with the 3-5 years. They both came away with more candy than they know what to do

with. When we got home we talked to Kaily about the real reason we celebrate Easter and Conner went to bed. It was a great day for the kids and a LONG day for Clint and I.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Another Lesson Re-learned

Have you ever had "one of those days"? You know the kind I'm talking about...You start off the day just fine and then all of the sudden life hits you between the eyes and then the rest of the day follows after that one moment and you just can't seem to get the "fineness" of the morning back. That happened to me the other day. I won't bore you with details but I learned something about myself...I know, another lesson? Here is it...There is a saying out there that goes something like this, "An idol mind is the Devil's playground." Well, I think that when you're feeling out of sorts that is also when Satan tries to get you to think negative about all sorts of things. The night of the "out of sorts day" I had a LONG, wonderful talk with my husband. As I expressed the emotions that were building up inside and the thoughts that were being placed there a wonderful thing happened, they stopped. By having open communication with the man I love and expressing my inner most thoughts it gave Satan no more room to play. And now...I AM HAPPY! A lot can be said about communication, but I re-learned that as long as Clint and I keep our lines of communication open the adversary can't put a wedge between us in any way. As long as we are striving to be "one" we will continue to move forward. I am so grateful I married the man I did. I'm thankful for his love and devotion to me and his children, his devotion to the Lord to try to always seek his will in all things. A quote from President Monson came to my inbox that day it said,

Facing Challenges and Difficulties Mortality is a period of testing, a time to prove ourselves worthy to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. In order to be tested, we must sometimes face challenges and difficulties. At times there appears to be no light at the tunnel's end—no dawn to break the night's darkness. We feel surrounded by the pain of broken hearts, the disappointment of shattered dreams, and the despair of vanished hopes. We join in uttering the biblical plea 'Is there no balm in Gilead?' (Jeremiah 8:22). We are inclined to view our own personal misfortunes through the distorted prism of pessimism. We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone. If you find yourself in such a situation, I plead with you to turn to our Heavenly Father in faith. He will lift you and guide you. He will not always take your afflictions from you, but He will comfort and lead you with love through whatever storm you face.

I know that as Clint and I pray together it strengthens our marriage and helps us to be unified. I am so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for my knowledge of Him and his teachings.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Little Lessons

As we were watching Conference this morning I had a learning lesson from my little children. There has been a lot of stress around here lately with everything that is going on and admittedly I haven't been the greatest, nicest wife. Often I find I loose my temper at the end of the day when I feel spent, I snap at small things my children might be doing. In all, I feel like I need to start over. Last night, after yet another fight with Kaily about eating her dinner after she complained that she

was SOOO hungry, I was putting her to bed and she apologized to me for throwing tantrums and making me sad. I remembered a favorite line from Anne of Green Gables, "Tomorrow is fresh with no mistakes in it." I told Kaily that and she really liked the idea that you can start each day fresh, that once you say your sorry you can really start over and try again. So, back to that epiphany during General Conference...I was sitting on my bed watching Conference when Conner turned the corner looked up at me and caught my eyes. He then smiled the biggest smile and ran to me with arms out stretched so wide so that I could lift him into my arms and he could hug me as big and tight as his little arms could. My heart melted and before wanting to get down again he planted a big wet kiss on my lips. The conversation I had with Kaily ran through my mind about fresh starts. I couldn't help but feel the love of my Father in Heaven as the spirit taught me. Everyday is fresh with no mistakes in it and that's because of the

Atonement of Jesus Christ. Because of that gift I too can run into the outstretched arms of a loving Father who knows my MANY faults and loves me even when I know I disappoint him or maybe make him a little mad at me. Just as Conner got so excited to embrace me so does our Father get excited, and longs to embrace us, His children. In those moments it's amazing to me how fast I forget and start getting angry with these little ones. I think sometime we think because in this life we are "grown-ups" that we no longer throw tantrums and we are better than our children. But to an all-knowing, eternal Heavenly Father we are still children and in more ways than I would like to admit sometimes we all still act like children from time to time. I feel that in so many ways I am just beginning to understand the eternal nature of love, and forgiveness. For this knowledge I am truly grateful.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Conner walking

Conner has been walking for awhile now, but I haven't been able to get him on camera. At the end you'll here me asking him to sign, he decided not to, as you can see. He is saying light off while he walks b/c the light in the front room is off.

Conner's new Love

While I know they aren't the best things to feed my kids, they love them

and they are quick and easy for those days when I don't feel like cooking. They are corn dogs. Kaily has always loved them, but Conner was more a fan of the outer part than the hot dog inside...That was until a week ago when he realized that he can hold i

t by himself and be a big boy. Right now he wants to be with every one else at the table, or in his case standing on a chair or sitting on the table. While I don't typically like him to sit ON the table it does keep the mess to a minimum on the floor. I just have to clean and scrub the table every night instead.

The other thing he LOVES right now is to climb. His favorite thing to climb is the computer chair. Once he's up there he wants some one to push him so he spins around in circles.

Preschool Day camp

Kaily went to Day camp at her Preschool today. She had so much fun! They demonstrated different instruments and the sounds they make and then let the kids check them out and even play some. Kaily loved the Violin and the Guitars. Then they had the kids go to craft time where they had a review of different musical times such as "modern", "Baroque" etc. The teacher finished by talking about the ornate bead work of the Baroque period and had the kids then make their own beaded people. Kaily had lots of fun and is very proud of her "little man". From there they went to tumbling and played relay games, did a tumbling course and climbed the wall. She loves her school and I'm so glad! She has learned so much.

Friday, April 3, 2009

"When I was a teenager"

Kaily is fond of telling stories. Lately she has started her

stories like this, "Mom remember when I was a teenager..." I always smile and ask her when she was a teenager. She tells me, "A long time ago, remember?" I tell her she hasn't been a teenager yet and she will always reply, "UGH! Mom, just let me tell my story...When I was a teenager..." The other day she switched it up and said, "Remember when I was a mom..." I've tried to tell her that she is still a little girl and she informs me that she is grown-up and she knows better. I'm so glad my 4 year old knows so much, I don't know what I would do if she didn't. (=

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

14 months

* I like to eat at the table, not in my high chair * I love to go for walks * I love to be outside * I love to be read to, but only on my terms * I LOVE to climb on everything * I like to play with whatever Kaily is playing with * I can sign "please, more, milk, water, shoes and sorry" * I like to unravel the toilet paper and have learned to flush the toilet * I don't like it when someone leaves the room even if there are still lots of people around * I don't like carrots * I think everything should be a phone * I like to sit on Mom's lap while she is on the computer or trying to do anything * I like to follow Kaily where ever she goes * I love to empty things, boxes, drawers, clothes hamper... * I like to throw things away, but not always in the right place * I like watching sports with Papa and cuddling with him on his chair * I love to laugh * I ALWAYS want to eat * I love chocolate milk, but only in a bottle * I love to cuddle * I love to be tickeled by my family * I LOVE to tease * I walk all over the place now * I love to smile * I have 2 teeth on the bottom and 2 molars * I love to go to Grandma and Papa Kemp's house * I love to play with my sister * I bang my head on things when I throw tantrums * I LOVE to eat ANY food that anyone is eating * I sleep by myself * I love playing * I LOVE music * I can stand alone * I wear size 3 diapers * I wear some 12-18 month and 12 mon. clothes