Come what may and love it!

I know something is really retarded with my blogs. It's probably just me. I don't know! The other blog doesn't work either! I'll just have to paint a picture for you since there are none to be found on my blog!

We've been here for over 2 months now! I like it here a lot! But, I also like to be busy. So, being called to be Primary President of our new ward that split about a month ago is a fun challenge. Talk about being thrown into the mix. I can't complain that I'm not getting to know people right away! I also can't complain that I'm bored. There are 100 kids and 50 in Nursery. After calling every single teacher and leader, we also threw together a Primary Sacrament Program that was on Sunday. I'm beginning to relax now but of course wanting a project. I'm looking at my home wanting to create a masterpiece of design for every inch! Patience never has been much of a strength for me- so waiting for the money to pour in, so I can accomplish all my plans is tough, but I'll live. Elder Wirthlin said "Come what may and love it". I'll try!

I asked the kids tonight at dinner to name one time they felt the spirit today. I was pretty surprised at how quickly they were able to come up with the special moments of the day. And also- the sweet acts of kindness that they did for others that helped create that happy feeling! (Shoot- being self absorbed doesn't create happiness.) I feel like I learn so much from them! How did I end up the mother of these kids? Seriously so blessed :) I would insert a picture right here that shows all 4 of the older kids sleeping in the same bunkbed together! We bought a 5 bedroom house and they want to sleep on the same bed!? Such cuteness.

Go to my new blog

OK- So, I'm so bummed out that this computer will not post pictures on my blog! I opened a blog on Wordpress and it works there. So, I guess I'm switching over for now. The new address is staceystuff7.wordpress.com Try it and then you can see our cute Halloween pics!

We're Never Moving Again!!

So, this is it!! We have arrived and we are never moving again! This is probably our 8th move since we've been married and we are done! I am so happy we found a great house while the market is down here. And it's big enough to stay for a long time! The stress of this whole experience was enough to give Tyson a nervous tick in his neck, Jordyn got sick to her stomach every time we pulled up to the school for a week. JD was throwing up in the toilet= Just kidding, but close! And I am just ecstatic to NOT be a single mother anymore!! This whole time period has ALMOST been too much for our family to handle. It has been nice to be back together and in our VERY OWN home! And to get into a routine and some stability!! To finally have time to blog is a small miracle.

JD is learning new things everyday! It is a challenge for him- he is brave and I think he is up to the task. He is doing things that are out of his comfort zone with all this networking and marketing. He's such a good one on one guy that this is new for him! He is doing a little bit of counseling on the side as well.

Between unpacking boxes and painting the house I have started a Preschool at home. I realize that sounds kind of overwhelming and believe me I've had my moments- but I feel really blessed! Two of my good friends from Houston that moved here a couple years ago (Michelle and Melissa) put their boys in my Preschool and got their friends to put their kids in and I was full before I even started! It has been a blessing because #1 I make money and can still be home with my kids #2 Luke and Joey have afternoon Kindergarten so they get to be a part of it and have 6 friends over 3 days a week. #3 They are all (except one) going into Kindergarten next year so they are all soo cute and ready to learn and obedient and able to do so much- it's fun!

We are loving our house and our cul de sac. I have an endless list of all the new things I want to make our house a home, but for now I am just greatful to have a place to live and to be together as a family!

We are ready and accepting visitors! My sister Lindsay has already come for a weekend- it was really fun to hang out with them. Book your stay in advance- so we can plan for you!

Our 2024 Future Olympians!!

I love this picture because it captures our summer!! We swam every single day!! Well- I should say the 4 oldest kids did! They went to swim practice every day at 8am, and had a swim meet almost every Saturday. I was one PROUD mama! The improvements they made were phenomenal! Their commitment was incredible. They gave their best every time and the results are so easy to measure because they shaved off seconds every meet! And at one meet when Luke and Joey finally "got it"- they shaved 25 seconds off their times each! It was a JOY to watch them and cheer for them! Very fulfilling way to spend time together as a family for us, and to learn to swim, and to get Awesome exercise, and to just have fun! A time I can Yell FOR my kids instead of AT them! (I'm seriously getting better at yelling- I've got it down to about once a month now)


Of course all the kids HAVE to be on 3 different levels. Luke and Joey went to the Bronze County Swim Meet. Jordyn qualified for Silver. And Tyson at Gold. Jordyn could have gone to Gold- but I thought it would be fun for her to really experience a lot of sucess at Silver. And she did!! She came home with 3 Gold medals and a Silver. I was so proud of her hard work and effort!!
Tyson surprised us, even at the Gold Meet came home with a Gold, Silver and a 4th place. Wow! Even though I tell the kids that they are really racing against the clock, to beat their own best time. It seems they are much more motivated when someone is neck and neck!


I don't know what happened to the video of Jordyn's butterfly. But Lukie's backstroke is a hoot to watch! I love it, cuz his arms are in Turbo speed motion!

HIKE

When we first moved here in May- 2 of my sisters and I and all our kiddos (11 between us) hiked up a trail in Pleasant Grove. It was really cold- so some turned back.

But at the end was a fun waterfall!! We knew we needed to come back on a warmer day!


So- we came back when it was 95* outside! The water was freezing!!


But it was FUN!!

2 States Later!

We made it!! We have succesfully made it across a couple states with a 26ft Uhaul, with a trailer carrying the Civic. And me driving the van loaded to the brim with stuff that didn't fit in the truck! We actually gave away 2 sets of couches and our truck was still completely packed tight- I don't think there was an air hole in that thing. Regretful for me- we left the Ping Pong table- I kept trying to persuade JD to make room for it, but it wasn't on his agenda. We also left an entertainment center and lots of very good friends! We could have made room for them in the Uhaul, but nobody wanted to take us up on that! As we were packing toys, I made 2 separate boxes- toys they play with a lot and toys they play with a little. Luke said "Mom, we could put Gunnar in that box- we play with him alot!" That's how we feel about all our friends- we'd like to ship them out with us!



This is our view out of my sister's backyard. Hello- Mt. Timpanogos. One year 2 of my sisters and I hiked all day and didn't even get to the top!


We have invaded my sister's house. Luckily it is a large home that seems to absorb us all well. They are sweet to let us be here during this time of transition for our family. We are trying to make every effort to help and not be a burden, but how can 6 more people NOT be a burden. We just keep cleaning and communicating though and it seems to be a Win/Win so far!!

JD is in Henderson, NV during the week and comes home on the weekends. His title is Entrepreneur Consultant. He helps people who have started their own business automate and systemize their business, so they have time to do the things they want to do. He is catching on fast and enjoying it! Although I think we underestimated how hard it would be on our family to be apart! It has actually been a struggle that's also been a blessing because it has caused us to really communicate and really miss each other!

I lined up the 4 boys and they all got their summer haircuts this week! I'm almost ready to do that to myself!

JD has come home one weekend so far! I found a cheap flight for him on Jet Blue to come home last weekend (or so I thought). He got to the airport and realized I scheduled the flight for THIS weekend. And he can't even come back this weekend because of a training. And now we won't see him for 2 weeks! As my Grandma Taylor would say "I'm so mad I could just spit!" JD and I laugh at the movie "Maverick" cuz there's a part that Jodi Foster is trying to help Mel Gibson, but she ends up shooting the guns in his holsters. I feel like that's me 75% of the time.

The only thing really on the schedule for the summer so far is.. Swim team. It's fun to see Luke and Joey's different personalities come out again. Joey went 5 strokes, got tired and grabbed the wall for a rest. Luke would rather die than touch that wall even though he looked as though he could drown at any time. They said we could let Joey try it for a couple weeks and see if he likes it. It will be fun to see them progress! So all 4 kids go to swim practice every single day for an hour. And a swim meet every Saturday. I wonder if they'll hate it or love it by the end of the summer?

Luke and Breanne playing the piano.

The boys got into some sort of argument that turned into a wrestling match. They had to sing "I'll be nice, nice to my brother- kind to each other always a friend. And I won't- I won't be violent- keep anger silent- control within. I'll be nice, I'll be kind. Treat others nice. Make up my mind."

It's my favorite song! You can see they are thrilled to be singing it.

But, brothers always make up and love each other again!

Treasure the moments??

In General Conference a couple weeks ago, we were instructed to enjoy the moments in motherhood and life. After all, isn't that what we remember the most- certain moments. We've had a couple moments in the last week- some that I'm not sure I want to remember, but know that unfortunately I will. It is totally embarrassing though funny enough to share....
Our family was asked to sing in church. We chose the song "Love is Spoken Here". It's truly AMAZING that JD even said YES to doing this. But, we have such a small ward and were trying to help contribute to the spirit of the meeting- so he agreed. We get up there to sing and Jordyn and I start on our part. The spirit was there to help us out and I could even see some ladies starting to tear up. It was sweet. Then the boys started to sing their part and I realized that nobody can hear Luke and Joey at all, so I gently pushed the microphone down towards them. (At this point, our friends in the back said "Uh-Oh.") Well- Luke (5) saw his opportunity to be a STAR! He grabbed the microphone and started singing right into it quite loudly. I obviously didn't anticipate that! So when Tyson started laughing- I quickly gave him that motherly look (the one that says "Stop that- right now!"). However, probably the fact that I was already shaky and nervous about being up there and the sound of Tyson's giggle made me start to giggle! I stared at the wall trying to gain composure and sing the rest of the song. It just seemed like the harder I tried to be serious the more impossible it became. I think at one point that JD was the only one singing cuz the rest of us were giggling! It was horribly irreverent and embarrassing.
When my sister Lindsay and I were children we got sent away from the dinner table SOOO many times because we got the giggles and couldn't seem to be normal enough to eat dinner without getting out of control. Well, the 7 year old in me still comes out sometimes! BUT, I guess I can learn some compassion from this. For my own crazy kids and the cute Primary kids in my care who are not purposefully trying to be irreverent or disobedient- they just get a little rowdy sometimes! So- Laugh all you want- just not in Sacrament meeting at the pulpit!

The Littlest Dancing Star

Dancing With My Stars!!!

Deeper Thoughts

I know that whenever I talk to a friend or teach a lesson about something I've learned- it always stays with me more for some reason. Maybe it's just in the sharing of the emotions. Or maybe I actually feel like I am accountable to live that way once I tell someone else what I've learned. That has been the case with my last blog- I shared a win of having a house of order and then realized that if I'm declaring that - then I also have to actually keep up with that. And it's actually helped me KEEP the house in order more so. So, with that being said- I wanted to share some deeper insights to things I've been learning so that I can concrete them in my mind. And maybe create some value for anyone else who cares to read this blog.

I taught the Valiant 9 class at church for the month of February. The lessons were all about Nephi from the Book of Mormon. I love Nephi anyway- but as I prepared for these lessons I gained a much greater appreciation for how much God loves us!

I'ts Amazing to me that God asked Nephi to build a boat to take them very far across many rough waters- what a huge undertaking! He also didn't just drop tools from Heaven, Nephi had to make them. He knew what God asked him to do and got right to work. My favorite part of the story is in 1 Nephi 17: 8 that says "Thou shalt construct a ship after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters." The last sentence hit me like a ton of bricks! The picture that came into my mind was God's big hands carrying Nephi's boat accross the water safely to their destination.

It seems to me that if He will do that for Nephi and his family- He will do that for me. And that Heavenly Father is a lot closer in my life than I had ever knew before! In verse 13 of the same chapter it says "...I will prepare the way before you.... and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led."

I took Pres. Eyring's counsel from the last General Conference to keep a journal every day of how you have seen the Lord's hand in your life. It was a little different for me to give specific credit to Heavenly Father for all the little things that went well and that I enjoyed in the day. But, it's also helped me see that He carries our family over smooth and rough waters. We have to do a lot of work!! In a sense- we must make our own tools and then build a huge boat. We can't afford to be lazy like Laman and Lemuel, we must get right to work and do what we know we must do. But, as we do that we will know "That it is by me that ye are led." And also in verse 40 "he loveth those who will have him to be their God." Which to me means that I must keep acknowleding His hand everyday and do what what He wants me to do and not always what I want to do.

This might be kind of weird for a blog, but .....Thanks for allowing me to share my heart with you!

House of Order

A dinnertime tradition is to go around the table and tell a couple of WINS for the day. I thought I would share the insights of our family.

Jordyn: Enjoying Cade growing up. Being the top reader in my class. Getting good at rip boarding and basketball.

Tyson: Getting myself ready for school 4 weeks in a row (which includes guitar practice before school) because that means I get a late nights on Fridays!

Luke: Wrestling on the trampoline with my brothers.

Joey: Playing with Cade. And earning Bobofet in Lego Star Wars II.

Cade: Being the center of attention!

JD: Learning about Accounting with his friend Emmet.

OK- my WIN is long because I'm the writer of this blog so I get to give my own perspective....
Courtney: Having a house of order! I've always been a sub- par house keeper! I like having a clean house, but it hasn't always been on the top of my priority list. My college roomates will laugh at this story but I remember sitting at the kitchen table together having a pow wow about how we were going to divide up the cleaning of our apartment. I remember saying "This kitchen table always seems so dirty." Laurie (who was constantly cleaning up!) said "Well, then clean it!" I always thought that was a good answer to me- the lazy cleaner.

So I feel like our home is becoming a well oiled machine. The kids know what's expected and what's going to happen if they fall short on their responsibilities. They know their rewards if they follow through. Sometimes I feel like we're running a business because we have systems in place to take care of issues. So, I guess our business is -FAMILY! It may sound structured- but my brain really likes order! These are some of my favorite things that we have structured into our family system. Date night is every Friday night and one individual child gets to go with us every other week. Everyone gets one free hour of TV or game cube time a day- which they don't always even use, but they can build it up and save it for Saturday. (There is also incentive to earn more time by making healthy choices like exercising, reading, service) No afterschool snack til homework is done. Silly Daddy time for an hour on Saturdays. Everyone helps clean up dinner. Chores on Saturday morning that they get to pick from a list that I make. Family Home Evening every Monday. Family scripture study most nights. Family prayers every morning and night. Nothing too unique, but we are constantly trying new things to do better. So if anyone has any ideas or things they do with their family that they love- I would love to know about it! Even if it's simple- usually simple is best anyway. Just post your thoughts- I would love to hear them!! (Also, how to get pink egg dye out of the carpet?)

I'm really enjoying and seeing the benefits of a clean home and enjoying the spirit of it! The only problem is Jordyn has my old attitude and she thinks I'm way overboard on how I like things just right! A place for everything and everything in it's place! Ahhhh, it's a peaceful feeling I can get used to!

I only have a few pictures to share this time and they are of Cade, since he is the one changing and growing the most currently.

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW JUST 16 MONTHS AGO WE HAD THIS:

AND NOW WE HAVE THIS!!!

The sad face is some mighty big teeth coming in!

February 2008

Well- the month of February was a Great one!
Tyson started Cub Scouts and had his first Pinewood Derby this month. I think JD and Dave (his friend) had more fun working on the boys cars then Tyson and Alex did. And I had fun painting it. So... it was a family affair.

I volunteered to coach Jordyn's Basketball team and that has been lots of FUN! Although, my competitive side has risen to the surface! It's different being a coach vs. player cuz as a player you get tired. After the game, I had to run around the walking path a couple times just to get my adrenaline out! Even though I don't know a ton about basketball-it's been fun learning and teaching the girls.

We've been doing a lot of reading this winter (a lot for us)...
Courtney's recent reads:
The 3 Stephanie Meyer Novels- I must admit I was addicted.
The Wednesday Letters- I can't remember who wrote it. It was cute.
Crucial Conversations- Kerry Patterson- Excellent!
Hidden Treasures- Leslie Householder-Awesome!
I'm currently reading:
The Star Garden by Nancy Turner
Forgive For Love- Fred Luskin- Really Great!

JD's recent reads:
Jackrabbit Factor- Leslie Householder
E-Myth- Michael Gerber
You Were Born Rich- Bob Proctor
Skeleton Man- Tony Hillerman
2007 Landlords Guide to Taxes
Crucial Conversations- Kerry Patterson
Currently reading: Peacegiver by James Ferrell

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Tyson's Pinewood Derby Car

Cade in the clown wig. He knows how to climb

onto the table now. He's the biggest messmaker I've

ever seen in my life - AND FAST! And he has

our whole family wrapped around his little finger!

Teaching Cade manners!

January 2008

I love to relish the happiness in simple moments like these! JD was wrestling with the kids and Cade came over laughing wanting to jump on the stack of kids! Apparently he is not my baby anymore!! Joey licking the syrup off his plate on a normal Saturday morning. And Jordyn giving Luke a makeover. Is that blue blush? Clearly, potential blackmail.

Tyson got baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on January 5th! It was such an amazing experience for me as a mother to watch him listen and learn and love the gospel! Tyson is such a good boy- he is always friendly to others, shares and loves to help others and make them laugh. What a day! What a great kid!! I was quick to snap a shot of JD as he grabbed too small of a jumpsuit and was fishing for a larger one. How cute.

"Arrgh, me Harties!!!" That's what Tyson wrote on his Pirate hat he made at Luke and Joey's birthday party! It was the first year for them to have a friend birthday party! I made the treasure chest cake for the pirates to find at the end of their treasure hunt. They loved it!

I was wondering why Luke is growing out of his pants, so I put Luke and Joey back to back and this is what I found. This summer the lifegaurd almost didn't let Joeyon the waterslides because he was barely below the line and Luke was barely above it! And I always thought they were the same height! Crazy.

Even with our 5 boys to 2 girls ratio- Jordyn and I still have some feminine influence in this house.... The other picture is showing my 5 year old boys playing Jordyn's Polly Pockets in the sink with their shirts off.

I feel so technological, now that I figured out how to put this video clip of Jordyn on here. Her jump rope team is called the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and I pretty much think my daughter is Amazing! Hey- I'm a mom- it's my job to think my kids are the best in the world!