Finding Joy in the Journey

These last couple of days have been sad ones in our family. Today we found out that our dog Casey has cancer. I know that we have quite a few family members and friends that just don't understand the whole dog thing. Many of you have heard me complain about having a dog. I didn't grow up with a family dog, and didn't really plan on having one as an adult either. Mike however always had a dog growing up, so when we bought our first home that was the first purchase on his list. A dog can be so frustrating and annoying. They are messy, hyper, they poop in the yard, they are expensive, they want lots of attention, and on and on. But they are also loyal, comforting, protecting, and always loving. We got Casey 7 years ago to replace our first dog who also died of cancer. Watching that dog suffer with it and then be put to sleep because of it was so sad for us. I was convinced that I never wanted to have another dog. It wasn't until she was gone that I realized what a place she had formed in my heart, and how lonely it was without her around. So we decided to try again and got Casey. It breaks my heart to think about doing that all over again. I just loved this past General Conference. One of my favorite talks was President Monson's on Finding Joy in the Journey.  It has been on my mind since hearing it, and ironically I watched it again this past Sunday morning. In it he says "Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. One day each one of us will run out of tomorrows." I realize that he probably wasn't talking about pets, but this thing with Casey makes me realize how quickly things can change in life. Mike noticed a lump on Casey's side a week and a half ago and decided to keep an eye on it. He kept acting normal until this past Sunday when he stopped eating and started sleeping all day and night. We took him to the vet today and found out that this growth is past the point of being operable, and brought him home with some medication that will hopefully make him feel a little better so that he will possibly live through the week. He is an important part of our family and the kids love him so much. Noah calls him his best buddy. We are really going to miss him so much when he is gone. I wonder if we have treated him with as much love and kindness and enjoyed him as much as we should have. Things can change quickly like that in any part of our lives. Unfortunately, we usually don't realize it until it is too late. This is true with our family and friends also, and this experience has really made me realize that I need to enjoy each of my today's, and to be more loving and kind in all of my relationships. We are going to enjoy each today that we have left with Casey.

Who Knew?

Back when I was a first time mom with Megan, I felt the need to be a perfect mom and do things to make sure she was a perfect child.  I would talk to other moms with kids her age, and we would compare what each other child could do.  As soon as I found out there was something she wasn't doing yet, I would stress out that something was wrong with  her, so I would work extra hard on bringing up her skill level.  This led to many anxiety ridden, tearful experiences trying to teach her to use the potty, learn the alphabet, write her letters, read, etc. And it wasn't just me that would be upset when we would have these teaching sessions, it would be her too.  It seemed like the more I pushed her, the more defiant she would be about learning what I was trying to teach her.  I figured out with Sammy and Noah that kids will learn the things they need to know when they are ready to learn them, not always when I am ready. It usually comes at different ages with different kids.  Knowing this has helped me to just relax and enjoy each new thing that they learn. 

Yesterday I was on the computer and Noah came into the office and grabbed a piece of paper and a crayon.  He started asking me how to spell each of our names.  I would tell him the letters and he would write something on his paper.  Sometimes he would ask me what a letter looked like, so I would show him what it looked like.  When he was finished, he came over to show me his paper.  We haven't worked much on learning letters or writing, so I fully expected to see a bunch of scribbles and characters that didn't look like anything to me.  But this what he showed me: (it might be kind of hard to see in the picture)

Apparently he knows his letters pretty good and he can write a lot of them too. I think kids are a lot smarter than we give them credit for! 

Empty Nest

Today was Noah's first day of preschool.  It's a day he has been looking forward to for months, and a day that I have been dreading. It's been tough for me thinking about my baby taking the first step toward being in school.  I really enjoy being home with him, and I know it will be so lonely when he is at school.  Fortunately it is only Tuesday and Thursday mornings for now.  He is going to the same preschool Sammy went to, which helped him to feel more comfortable since he knows the teachers and all the fun things they do there.  He was awake this morning before his sisters were, and was ready to go by 7:00.  When I dropped him off, he was a little unsure, but let me leave without having a breakdown.  He ended up having a great time, and can't wait to go back to school on Thursday!   

7 Things I Would Never Say

We were tagged by Jeff and Amy to post 7 Things that Mike and I would never say.  Here's what we came up with:

7 Things Mike Would Never Say

1. Not tonight - I have a headache
2. I wish I went to BYU
3. Do you like my outfit?
4. I can't wait for the Twilight movie to come out
5. Please and thank you
6. Tell me how you're feeling
7. I could really go for a soak in a hot tub

7 Things Stef Would Never Say

1. I've come to a decision
2. I'm not going to shower today
3. I want to eat fish tonight
4. I don't feel like going shopping
5. I won an argument with Mike
6. Let's go camping this weekend
7. Turn up the Pink Floyd

Now we tag all of you who read this to make your own lists!

Good Things Come in 3's

Alissa tagged me with this list:

Good Things Come in 3's

3 Joys

1. Mike
2. My kids
3. My friends

3 Fears

1. Getting old
2. Being lonely
3. Tornados

3 Goals

1. Balancing my checkbook
2. Getting some decorating projects done
3. Organizing!

3 Current Obsessions

1. My caterpillar (actually Sammy's)
2. Twilight Series
3. The Olympics

3 Surprising Facts

1. I've never mowed a lawn
2. I am obsessive about showering
3. I'm not a very confident person

I tag all of you to do this list too!

Here We Go Again...

I'm still sitting around waiting for the lazy days of summer to come, and instead my kids headed back to school this morning!  How is that possible?  It seems like just last week I was stressing about what we were going to do all summer to stay busy, and now it is over.  The girls were both very excited for school, although Megan was also nervous about starting Junior High.  Actually I have been pretty nervous about it too.  And instead of having me take her to school for the first day like usual, she opted to go with a friend so that they could walk in together. A little sad for me, but I understand. At least she is letting me pick her up today. I don't feel like I should have a daughter in 7th grade yet.  Sammy did much better this time around - starting kindergarten last year took some getting used to.  Now she's a big 1st grader, and feel much more confident about the whole thing.  There weren't even any tears when I left. Now we have a couple of weeks, and then Noah gets to start preschool.  He is very excited about it.  My Mom asked if I was looking forward to having some free time to myself.  I'm not sure that I am, but I guess I'll get used to it. Until then, I will just enjoy him while I still have him home.

California Fun!

After waiting for what seemed like forever, our summer vacation that we were so excited for has come and gone.  We had such a great time.  Things started off a little rocky when we arrived in California with one less bag than we had checked in at the airport.  Fortunately, it was the bag with all of our toiletries, although for hygiene sake we couldn't go without most of the stuff in it. After a few trips to the store to get what we needed (at the expense of the airline) we were good to go again. Our bag finally showed up 9 days later, the day before we came home! The first few days that we were there my little brother Jeff and his wife Amy were there too. After they left, my sister Nicole came with her family.  Even though we were packed in my parents house pretty tight, it was so nice to be able to spend time with my whole family.  

The weather was so nice while we were - in the 70's the whole time.  It even felt a little chilly when we were at the beach.  It made coming back home just that much more dreadful because it has been so hot here. The kids also were able to experience their first earthquake while we were there.  They thought that was pretty cool - not nearly as terrifying as tornadoes!

We stayed very busy - we didn't want to waste any of our time.  Here is a list of what we did - followed by pictures.  Went to an Angels game, miniature golfing, rode go-carts, climbed rock walls, went to the beach, went swimming, shopping, the Newport Beach Temple, played at the park, went to Wild Rivers Water Park, went to Los Angeles to the American Girl Store, went to the Orange County Fair, and ate at a lot yummy restaurants that we miss so badly!  It was a great trip, and we were so sad to leave.  Sammy cried for 3 straight days after we left.  We can't wait to see everyone again!