I Hate Excercising

Wish I was one of those people who found great delight in working out my body and spending time sweating while my muscles energize the rest of me....I'M NOT!!!! I don't like exercising and I doubt I ever will. I was walking on the treadmill, running here and there, and saw myself in a mirror that I hung across the room to my side (not realizing it's poor placement). Let's just say that was not a pretty sight to see a larger sized woman, running, sweating, and flopping her body around the treadmill. I think I had a picture in my mind of how I looked and that was definitely not it....can you imagine if I had worn spandex? Now there's a sight...lol... :0)

I Am Doing It!!!

Okay guys....

This is it.....

I am going full board.....

This chunky face will be a thing of the past.... (notice how I strategically placed myself behind my children)

I started my weight watchers again today. I was successful in the past with it and then I let it go. So I am documenting and going on record that I will be working very hard to get much healthier. I am giving myself a little over a year to reach my actual target (loss of 60 pounds needed to hit my "heart healthy" weight--scary huh?). That's the hard part of being so tall...I can pack a ton of weight on :( Anyway, by 40 I should be feeling better than ever. I'm sick of talking about it, wishing about it, and thinking about it. JUST DO IT ALREADY! So here I go...any one want to join me? We could keep eachother going ya know....I can't afford to actually go to weight watchers, so I just do it on my own. But if anyone wanted to jump in, I would love to keep track with friends, check in, and keep eachother motivated. And, if anyone wants to join the party but you don't have the info., I can tell ya what I do and how the points work etc. :) I feel like I'm totally ready for it this time....I know I have cheekbones somewhere on my face...lol. For anyone out there who struggles with weight issues like me, you know that it's a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. Lose the weight, gain the weight. I will make no more excuses for myself. If I want something different, I have to change my lifestyle. So here I go...there's no turning back. My heart will thank me as well as my grandchildren when they have a healthy Grandma not a sick one :) Anyone on board?

Two Weeks and Counting

So the past few nights I have stayed up for hours on end trying to formulate my plan for school this year. It has been eight years since I worked full-time and Jr. High has changed A LOT since then. I'm wondering if I will still have what it takes since I was in my 20's when I first taught...I was still cool then...lol. I am teaching math as well as science, which is something new. I don't know if I want the kids to have daily math in their journals. What do I want to put on my list of classroom supplies? How will I decorate my classroom since I'm teaching two different classes? Will I still be funny? (I used to joke a lot with my students :) I am starting to feel the panic increasing every day. Don't get me wrong, I adore teaching. I love the youth of this world. I love making a difference every day. I just want to make sure I can still do it with the most effectiveness possible. I have to take six classes in the next year to update my license...hoping for some good ones. I'm a bit sad to be leaving Celine at home (my mother is watching her for me) because she is my baby....I will miss her every day. I'm happy to be blessed with a secure job and ability to provide for my family. Quite honestly, I have no idea where I'm going with this post. I figured writing some stuff down would help me organize it in my mind, but I don't think it's helping... ha ha... I'm sure as I take my first steps into my classroom, Heavenly Father will allow my talents to flow back into my mind as I plan out for the year. It's quite exciting as I gear up for all of this stuff....two weeks from tomorrow I will be working. Is that crazy or what?

So...So...So Much

I forewarn you....this post is not for the faint of heart. It is LONG!!!

Wow, I'm not even sure where to begin. We have had a wonderful as well as tragic two weeks in our family. My mind has been reeling and I want to cover all of my thoughts so I have this included in my blog book when I get it bound. Weighing most heavily on my mind are the losses to our family so I'd like to begin with my tributes to those we are missing.

On July 17th, my 91 year old Grandma passed away from a combination of illnesses due to old age. If you'll indulge me, I'd like to share a few experiences we had with her during the last week of her life. My Mom, Wayland, me and the kids were blessed to be able to take a trip to San Francisco to see my Grandma about a week and a half ago. I remember feeling a bit nervous to see her because when I saw her last she was healthy and strong and I knew she was now be very bed ridden and ill. I also wasn't sure how my children would react.....I underestimated them. Celine especially was very drawn to my Grandma and had no concern for how she looked. For the most part, my Grandma was in and out of sleep...at first not recognizing me but after a day or two her gentle eyes showed she was able to place who I was and that Celine was my daughter. Let me share a little background. My Grandma did not practice any religion and would like to think there was a God, but really didn't believe there was one. She always knew I was very strong in my beliefs and told me once that when she died that I could have my Aunt Sheila's bible because I was the one who believed in all that "God Stuff". That made me smile. As I lay by my Grandma's bed telling Celine stories of my visits to Grandma when I was little, it felt as though my Grandma was not aware of her surroundings at all. I wondered if she would even know I was there to tell her I loved her one last time.....I doubted it. Well, my sweet daughter, undaunted by her surroundings, began singing "I Am A Child of God" to my Grandma. Almost instantaneously, her Great-Grandma's eyes popped open and she reached right out to hold Celine's hand as she sang. Not only did it take great effort, but I knew the song had struck a chord...not being a member of the church, she had never heard that song before. It was a beautifully poignant moment. I can't recall when, but my Mom had told me once that my Grandma was worried about where she would go when she died....I felt this was my opportunity to tell her. Although she closed her eyes after Celine was done, I just quietly shared with my Grandma all I knew of our journey after this life. I told her she had no need to fear and that it was a beautiful place she was going to, where her daughter, great grandaughter, and parents would be waiting for her. I whispered to her that when she was ready, to just let go of this life and to fear no more, for God would be watching over her. She passed away the next day. It brings bitter sweet tears to my eyes when I think of that day. Heavenly Father seemed to hand it to me and I can only pray I helped my sweet Grandma in some way. Families are Forever and until we meet again Grandma.....I love you.

Me, Grandma and the kids about 4 yrs. ago

Me, my brother and my Grandma.

I was 8 and this was one of my

favorite trips because I got to stay

with her for a whole week by

myself. We ate peach ice cream for

dinner :)

In Loving Memory....

On Monday of this week, we were extremely saddened to find out that Wayland's dear cousin, Ursula, lost her husband in a B52 crash off the coast of Guam. Ursula and Wayland's families grew up together in Samoa and our hearts are filled with great sorrow . Siosi was a Colonel in the air force and second in command of the 36th medical group at Anderson Air Force base in Guam. The details and cause of the accident are unknown at this time, but this morning the search for survivors was changed from rescue to recovery as they determined there were no survivors in the six member crew. The love Ursula and Siosi shared was one of those that eminated from the both of them....he will be dearly missed. Siosi's daughter, who lives in Florida with her mother, is on her way to Guam so please keep sweet Gemini in your prayers as she copes with the loss of her father. Ursula is due in three weeks with their long awaited child, so this is a very difficult time for her. I pray the Lord will give her strength from reserves Ursula doesn't know she has and that He will bless her and her unborn baby with great peace at this difficult time. From our family we send love, respect, and gratitude for Siosi and his service to our country. I watch the news all the time and I hear of soldiers losing their lives, but when it hits close to home, it becomes a different story. I regret not feeling more empathy for those who have served and died so valiantly. Our prayers remain constant for Ursula and until we meet again at Jesus' feet, we will miss you Siosi.....

With my heart heavy and mind reeling from these losses at hand, I have spent nights awake thinking about how blessed I am to know Heavenly Father's plan. It has also reminded me that we never know when Heavenly Father will be ready to call us home and that it is never enough to have our lamps half full. I have promised myself I will love better each day. I will cherish moments with family, friends, and loved ones. I will serve more valiantly and live more worthily because I have been blessed with the truth in this life. Where much is given, much is required. I find myself hugging my children more and ignoring agitation. I want to remember this feeling so when turbulence arises, I will pause and grasp the beauty of the moment. I thank Heavenly Father daily for the amazing family I have been blessed with and for Jesus' atonement that allows me to be with them forever.

On a lighter note, I want to share some of the great moments we enjoyed of the past couple weeks. While we were in San Francisco visiting my Grandma, we were able to take the children out for a few hours each day. We visited the Japanese Tea Gardens, toured Fisherman's Wharf and sat on the beach soaking in the ocean view. We collected rocks, ate fresh crab and indulged in some Ghiradelli chocolate. I was so, so happy that it happened to be Wayland's scheduled vacation week off work...like I said...Heavenly Father handed this trip to me :) We met my Grandma's live in nurse, Vivian and she was just as sweet as could be. We feasted upon excellent take out food (my waistline is paying for this trip) and took great delight in the cool, foggy Frisco days.

The kids at the Japanese Tea

Gardens

Up on the Bridge

Another shot at the gardens (I took a ton)

I love this shot and I love my girls :)

The kids didn't care how cold it was....they

wanted to get wet!

My Sweetie

Driving down Lombard Street...the curviest

street in the world. My kids were lovin' it. I

had to switch spots with Wayland because
there was no way I could drive the suburban

down it.

Fisherman's Wharf

My Mom and the girls watching the seals.

The Seals...they were really funny to watch.

After San Francisco, we travelled to Carson City (which is my hometown) to visit some very dear friends. My parents lived in Carson for 26 years and the Davis family was our "do everything together" friends. Perry and Carol were some of my parents first friends when they joined the church and my Dad and Perry had known eachother a bit through work. At any rate, they are wonderful :) Their son, Steve was one of my best friends since I can ever remember. We went to elementary, junior high, high school and college together. His younger sister Laurie was always "three years younger" than me and although we spent MANY camping trips, late card nights, and church activities together, it wasn't until college where we became close friends. Anyway, we were able to spend few days being graciously hosted at the Davis home! We enjoyed AWESOME breakfast let me tell ya....bacon, eggs, homemade grape juice and jam, danishes, croissants, muffins, orange juice, chocolate chip pancakes with homemade whipcream on top....I know...is that crazy food or what? Thank you Carol and Perry...it was so, so good. (Again, my waist is paying for this trip) This was not to mentioned the BBQ steak, pizzas, cheesecake, ice cream.....shall I go on? ha ha Not that I didn't love the food, but the highlight of my trip was seeing my friend....Laurie, I miss you tons!!! I wish we lived closer because best friends are few and far between and I truly cherish you :) So without too much detail, I'll share our journey. We went to Lake Tahoe and enjoyed the beach for a day--- took a trip of to old town Virginia City and got old fashioned pictures taken (as seen above...please disregard liquor and weapons..lol..it was really fun) and rode the Virginia and Trucked train---BBQ' at Davis Creek with the Davis' youngest son, Danny, and his lovely wife and family--- learned how to play Hearts and Settlers---enjoyed every minute with our old friends. :) Thank you for making it such a great time at your homes everyone! Even though we experienced the loss of my Grandma, it was comforting to be with all of you who have known me forever. We will be back!!!!

Celine building her stick castle at Tahoe

Jake, Logan, Gabe, and Keenan having fun

Kira enjoying the sun

Logan and Keenan loved catching

crawdads.

The crawdads....Wayland took them home

and cooked them for dinner.

Jake and Logan

The boys in my life. So cute...they were

burying their feet in the sand.

My Mom and Carol

Riding the train

Trajan and my friend Laurie with her sons

Gabe and Nate (Jake is hers too....and might

I add she will be adding baby boy number

four in about a month) EXCITING!

Keenan and Logan...Jake and Celine peeking in

Celine is getting too old too fast.....cutie pie

Daddy and his girl

Trajan and Nate on the train

Another train shot.

Laurie's husband Dan with his boys

MMMMM...good ice cream

Carol playing games with all the kids...they

loved it!!!

And I saved the VERY BEST for last......

I LOVE THIS MAN!

Amidst all of the trips, good times and sad times, Wayland and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. We spent the day with our friends at Tahoe which was befitting since we spent some time up there two weeks after our wedding for my open house (hosted by the Davis family). After all these years, I find myself wondering how I got so blessed with a husband that is my best friend. I wouldn't know how to define myself without Wayland because he is so much a part of me. Wayland is my rock when times are tough and my soft place to fall when I need him. He is my greatest opponent and my biggest fan (we're quite competitive :) He loves me with all my flaws and keeps me in line when I need it...lol... Way knows me so well now that he can finish my sentence or hold my hand right when I need it. I love the fact that nobody knows either of us as well as we know eachother and that our dreams are all built together. I love talking with him for hours about nothing in particular (especially since Trajan can babysit now and we actually get to go on a date once a week :) He doesn't care that every time we sit down to watch a movie, I fall asleep. And I don't care that every time I drive the car, he goes to sleep. And neither of us care that we are aging to the point that we fall asleep at the drop of a hat like that...lol... I love that he is knowledgeable in the gospel and that he guides our family with the priesthood. I want nothing more than to grow old with my handsome husband who has blessed me with five beautiful children and a life that is so wonderful. I love you babe....Happy Anniversary!

Count My Blessings

Blessing Number One--A Job

As most of you know, I have had an up and down ride of trying to get a teaching job in the Clark County School District. It's been about four or five months of working all the people I know because I didn't want to be in a school far away. So as it turns out, Molasky Jr. High offered me a position, and then (accordingly to my luck) the school district put on a hiring freeze about three weeks ago. So I never got offered the job. I went to my mailbox today and low and behold, I received an offer of employment with a $5,000 raise. Is Heavenly Father so good to me or what? I always try to remind myself when things seem to be going wrong that if I really have faith, I shouldn't worry. So I was a bit stressed about the job, but I knew I'd figure something out. What a blessing that Heavenly Father was guiding it all along. I'm taking all the paperwork down tomorrow because I don't want to tempt fate. Who gets hired in the middle of a hiring freeze? Hopefully my principal felt inclined to pull strings or something because I have the offer in my hands. Very awesome in this economy to have my education....so all you Young Women out there listen to President Monson. Get your degrees and education--sometimes they are very important :)

Blessing Number Two--My Family

My friend, Jamie, sent me a blog of a sweet family here in Las Vegas who lost their child in an accidental drowning this past June. Her blog is so inspiring and her words eloquent. As I cried reading her words and seeing pictures of her precious angel, I hugged each of my children a little tighter this evening. I watched the words as they came out of my mouth so they didn't sound as harsh as they might at times. I really stopped and listened when they spoke to me. You should take some time to read the blog.....what an amazing woman this mother is. The blog is called http://www.adailyscoop.blogspot.com/ Jamie was right.....the words were life altering. My husband and children are my greatest blessings other than the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Blessing Number Three--Aveeno Anti-Itch Spray

So, I got a letter from my home owners about weeding on the side of our house and I must admit I've ignored it a bit. I watered my garden and plants this evening and then decided to weed while it was cool. Little did I know that I was weeding in a patch of ants. They were all over me and I have hundreds of bites it seems. I came in the house and the kids said "Mom, there are ants all over your shirt!" It was so gross. Thank goodness I live in a place where I have medicines to help myself and my children (especially Keenan who has a 103 fever this evening).

Blessing Number Four--Humor

I read something so funny today. It went something like this: As I get older, it's harder to lose weight because my body and my fat have become such good friends. Totally made me laugh :) I'm glad I can take most things pretty lightly and I'm grateful for good friends who send me funny emails to brighten my day.

Blessing Number Five--The Fix It Man

My Dad is awesome! Because of him I know how to put in a new garbage disposal, change out a toilet, paint shutters 15 feet in the air, and fix leaks under sinks. I learned how to clean my dryer vents with a leaf blower, check my own oil and change a tire, as well as how to patch walls and grout my sink. Anytime I need anything, he is right there....helping me fix it. And because I think I can do anything, I've started making him teach me how to do it instead of him doing it. Whatever will I do when he is gone? He is a wonderful blessing!

I could go on an on, but for today, these blessings are on my mind. I am so grateful for the life I have been given. I have so, so much.....truly awesome!!!

Five Unimportant Things About Me

This post will cover my tag sent from Kelli and Katie...sorry it took so long girls. Now I have to think of five things that will even be interesting to you all. I'm quite boring ya know :) Here we go.....

1. I can stuff 17 grapes in my mouth at one time. This may not come as a shock to those of you who have heard my big mouth blabbing for hours. I discovered this one day when I was a YW and we had nothing to do. Go ahead....give it a try and see how many you can do. I bet my mouth has grown since I was 17....I should try again.

2. I wish I lived somewhere more beautiful than Las Vegas. I love to hike, camp, and nature walk. Where I grew up, if we were bored on a weekend, we were within an hours drive of some of nature's beauty where we could hang out for a day or camp overnight. I miss the pine and aspen trees as well as the cool crisp air when autumn arrives. I love the four seasons more than anything. I have also wanted to take that leap of faith and just go for it somewhere new with that kind of weather, but it is very scary to do. Leaving friends, family, and security is hard....maybe someday I will make it :)

3. My dream job would to be a professor at BYU. When I attended BYU I loved it so much that I told my family over and over that I would love to return and teach teachers how to instruct children. Of course, that would mean more school for me. Now that Vegas has a hiring freeze...it may be just the opportunity I need. HMMMMM......something to think on.

4. I have a bad habit of answering questions for Wayland and all of my children. Someone will ask them something and I will answer before they even get a chance to. I don't know why I do that....it pops out unwilling :)

5. I'm actually quite shy with people I don't know. For example, if I see someone new at church, I have to tell myself in my head that I should go up and say hello and introduce myself. It doesn't come naturally to me. Nobody actually believes me because I overcompensate by being abnormally loud. Then I open my mouth and insert my foot saying something stupid. When I was younger, I didn't care what anyone thought. Every entry in my yearbook says..Becky, you're a spaz :) As you could probably guess, being a stake missionary was my hardest calling ever and unfortunately I did not fulfill that as well as I should have. :( Now I find myself sitting back a bit more than I should...."let your light so shine" :0)

There ya have it.......like I said....not much of nothin' .....lol.....I tag EVERYONE on my list! If I get a tag you are all getting it too (except for those who already have...you are off the hook this time :)

Been a While :)

Okay, so I've been gone for a couple of weeks and didn't blog for at least a week before that, so now it's been almost a month. We've had a lot of fun so I'll try to catch up a bit.

Well, when school ended, we just swam everyday and tried to prepare for the heat that was coming. I did 900 loads of laundry, reorganized every bedroom, put winter clothes away (not sure why we even have them) and cleaned out my downstairs closet (quite a feat). I weeded the garden well because I knew I wouldn't do it again (the garden is lucky to survive through July here) and I moved my outdoor plants into shady areas so they could have a shot at surviving the desert heat. I cleaned our garage and organized it a bit, but it's already disorganized so that was a waste of time. :)

After that week, we went to Bass Lake, CA to attend my neice's wedding. Celine was her flower girl and my nephew the ring bearer, so I posted some of those photos. Melissa was a beautiful bride and the day was really nice. I'm partial to the cute flower girl of course :)


Princess Celine


Pretty girl..she was very brave and
walked down the isle throwing
the flower petals.

Celine and her cousin Robert

The wedding was at a resort so we got to spend lots of time swimming in the lake and the pool. My older brother had a boat and took the kids out tubing all over the lake. I think that was their highlight of the trip. About two hours before Melissa's wedding, the skies got dark and it started thundering and lightning. Rain trickled down a bit, but we were fearful it would ruin her outdoor ceremony. But sure enough, it cleared up about an hour before and it actually cooled off the area to a nice temperature (it was 100 before). This was the same lightning storm that sparked over 800 fires in CA that week. The ceremony was beautiful and I send out my best wishes to Austin and Melissa. It was great to reconnect with friends and spend time with family.


Melissa and my brother, Michael

The Newlyweds

All the kids right before the wedding.

The day after the wedding, we headed to Yosemite. All I can say is BEAUTIFUL! I wish I could live somewhere as nice as that. The waterfalls and rivers were breathtaking. We stopped to hike up to a couple of the waterfalls and rivers. The kids enjoyed throwing in sticks and racing them. Definitely something to be said about the simple things in life.


The kids and I at the top of Yosemite


Bridal Veil Falls


The boys hiking around


Beautiful river and forest ... you can't really
see the waterfall in the background.


Trajan by the Merced River

We then came home for a day to do laundry and repack for our next trip. We were then off to Utah for Wayland's family reunion and spent about week there. It was so much FUN!!! Every day we had different activities to participate in and on Saturday it was Samoan day. The kids learned much about their culture by weaving baskets, making polynesian food, and learning some of the language. The kids and I stayed on a couple days to go to Seven Peaks and enjoy the Utah weather. Needless to say, I did not want to return to Vegas. I really can't stand summers
here :( Just too hot!

Logan and his cousin Atoa


Kira with her cousins


Wayland and Junior with Keenan and Dallin


Celine with her "best cousin". They were
pretty much inseparable.

So now we are to today, which is inside our boring house of course. I've been cleaning up and doing laundry, watering my plants again to try to save them, and trying to be creative for the kids. We are excited because a niece and nephew on Wayland's side came to Vegas to spend the weekend here, so I hope I can make it fun for them. Of course, swimming is on the agenda, but I need to get some other ideas....so any help will be great! We plan on a BBQ for the 4th, two baptisms on Sat., and hopefully a date on Sat. night. ( I wanted to see Get Smart...we'll see). Trajan needs a physical for scout camp next week and two boys to sign up for football, so I have a bit of running around to do. It's nice to be home in my own bed though :)

So here are some little things I learned over the past two weeks:

Tidbit #1. Remember that great teaching job I was hired on to? Yep, one more stumbling block. The state of Nevada has a huge deficit in it's budget and of course a huge chunk is coming out of education. They have placed a hiring freeze on all teachers and will take teachers out of specialty programs to fill the needed spots for the next year. Guess I will be making a resume up....any employers out there??? I'm definitely looking :) Honestly, keep your eyes and ears open. I will be needing a job :)

Tidbit #2 Don't go down the turquoise tunnel slide at Seven Peaks water park with a child on your lap. I almost drowned Celine at the end of the tunnel. The sad thing was the life guard couldn't stop laughing. Nor could the one at the top of the slide who was trying to hold my tube with her foot so I wouldn't slide when I wasn't supposed to. Poor thing got me twice

Tidbit #3 Utah has mosquitos...forgot about that.

Tidbit #4 I have gained five pounds in one month without eating much of anything. Of course I'm not counting the junk food in the car. Maybe I'll just go stand outside and sweat until I lose it all.

Tidbit #5 When you go on vacation without your husband, you love him even more when you get home. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Tidbit #6 Be careful in K-Mart. We had to do a scavenger hunt all over Orem and had to try on clothes in K-Mart and take a picture. The security guards almost arrested us. Luckily, one of Way's uncles was a cop. Could the clue that we weren't really shopping have been that Wayland needed to try on a blue dress?

Tidbit #7 The new swimsuit I got is great when I'm not on a water slide. The skirt flipped up so high I couldn't even find it. Could that be why the guards were laughing so hard?

Tidbit #8 Tan fat is much nicer than white fat. I noticed that on myself as well as others while observing the patrons of Seven Peaks.

Tidbit #9 Watching people fall down makes me laugh really hard.....even if they're hurt. I don't know why, but it is the funniest thing ever.

Tidbit #10 Having a good old fashioned water fight with friends and family is a blast. I sit back too often instead of just jumping into life and going for it. Life is too short cherish every minute.

So for now, off I go to swim in my skirted suit with a black and white polka dot top. I know that's a sight you can all picture. :) haha hee hee