What's that eerie silence?

Oh, it's the lack of cars on I-80. See for those of you who don't know, the back of our house faces the I-80 freeway and when you are in the rooms in the back of the house you hear a constant hum from the cars on the freeway. Particularly in the boys room you hear this, I like to call it my built in white noise.

Well, yesterday a winter storm hit Iowa that is supposed to be the worst in years. We had 50 degree temperatures that melted snow all week and then we had rain Friday, ice Friday night and ice Saturday and then snow...it's still snowing. Last night when I went in to check on the boys before turning in I couldn't figure out what was different. Then it hit me, there were no cars on the free way. Today we count about one or two cars every 5 minutes or so. It's a very strange phenomenon to have a quiet house.

The storm is pretty bad and a lot of people have lost their power, so I am very thankful we still have power and a warm house. Last night was DMU's big yearly formal dance. I had been looking forward to this for so long, but then Wade's suit was in the luggage that got lost on his flight home from UT and the storm hit so we decided to just go out to eat for dinner instead. My friend called me at 8 to tell me she wasn't going and that the mall was closing but the restaurants were still open, so at 8:30 we tried to find someplace to eat. It was all closed so what I had been looking forward to all year turned into a fun 15 minutes away from home and use of a babysitter. What fun! HAHA!

We made homemade burritos, Wade watched tv, and I read my book. Who said we weren't an exciting couple? Church was canceled today so we are building blanket forts, staying warm and watching church movies. Didn't I just post about how excited I was for spring? Go figure!

PS - the pictures off the AP wire, I did not run into my back yard to take a picture of big-rigs on the free way

It's all relative

I can't tell you how happy I am that the sun is out today and it's 45 degrees. We didn't even wear jackets when we ran our errands today. It's just so nice to see the sun outside, hear the water from the snow melting and see grass again. Opposition in all things, right? If we had gone without all those days we spent in the negative 20's , this 45 degree weather wouldn't feel so nice! I can't wait until spring officially arrives!

Thoughts

So I'm not one who likes to post about profound "deep" subjects. I like to keep it light around here however I've been thinking a lot lately about some things and some recent events made me think I should share my feelings on the gospel and how I am grateful that we have it in our life. So I apologize in advance for the long post...

I honestly don't know where I would be today if I hadn't made the decision back in 1998 to spend some time reading and studying the Book of Mormon. I was 18 and a college freshman and I thought I knew everything I needed to know about life (doesn't every 18 year old?). Reading the Book of Mormon changed my life. Now almost ten years later I am so grateful for that decision I made - and for the promptings from my mom, who told me I should read it. I've read it a couple times since then and I read it each day now. I've noticed that days I forget to read I seem to have less patience and feel more unhappy. I am so glad I have the opportunity to read and study the scriptures each day and by doing so invite a good spirit into my home.

I am so glad that I know that families can be together forever. Not just in this life but the next. It's such a comforting thing to know. I hear about shootings, natural disasters, accidents on the news and I am so glad I know this information. How scary life would be if I went though out life and never knew if I would see my loved ones again. Wade is flying to Utah this week for his Grandmother's funeral but we believe this isn't a sad thing, we are all happy that she can return to our Heavenly Father and be with her husband again. Yes, we will miss the times we could have spent with her, but we will be with her again. I've been so some funerals for people not of my faith and most of them were very sad events. I can't imagine how sad I would be if something happened to Wade or my boys, but would also know that if I lived the right way I could be with them for all eternity.

I never really stop to think about how blessed I am that Heavenly Father has trusted me to raise two healthy boys. We know some people who have lost babies, have special need children, or children with illnesses. Every time I pray for them I also count my blessings. Even though Gage might be a handful at times, he is healthy. Each year when we take him for the check up on his heart I see the other children in the office and count my blessings that Gage has never had surgery and his defect has never gotten worse. I joke about Noah's weight but am secretly so happy that he is just as strong and healthy as his brother.

Some of you might know I teach the girls in our church's youth group each Sunday. The past couple weeks the lessons we have been talking about focus on fulfilling women's divine rolls. I know I can be a complainer about some mommy things (cleaning up throw up, sick kids, etc). but I am so glad that I belong to a church that teaches the youth how rewarding being a mother and a homemaker can be. I loved this quote from President Kimball:

“No matter what you read or hear, no matter what the differences of
circumstances you observe in the lives of women about you, it is important for
you Latter-day Saint women to understand that the Lord holds motherhood and
mothers sacred and in the highest esteem. He has entrusted to his daughters the
great responsibility of bearing and nurturing children.
“This is the great, irreplaceable work of women. Life cannot go on if women cease to
bear children. Mortal life is a privilege and a necessary step in eternal
progression. Mother Eve understood that. You must also understand it. …
“Much is said about the drudgery and the confinement of the
woman’s role in the home. In the perspective of the gospel it is not so. There
is divinity in each new life. There is challenge in creating the environment in
which a child can grow and develop. There is partnership between the man and
woman in building a family which can last throughout the eternities”
(“Privileges and Responsibilities of Sisters,” Ensign, Nov. 1978, pp. 105–6).

I really love the part that says there is a challenge in creating the environment in which a child can grow and develop. How true that is! It's easy to turn on Thomas the Train non-stop everyday. It's easy to feed my kid junk food and let him eat whatever he wants. It's easy to let him think it's okay to yell at me, or hit other kids, but it truly is a challenge to teach him the right way to live.

So to wrap it up, (because I think I could write forever today) I want to thank my mom for her promptings nine years ago. I know my parents tried about everything with me - and yes, most of it did actual sink in. If it hadn't I can only guess as to where I would be right now but I'm almost positive my life would not be as peaceful as it is right now. Kudos to Wade's mom for raising a faithful young man who is such a great husband that I can be with throughout eternity. Good luck to all of us who are still raising our families. May Heavenly Father bless us to do it well and successfully.

doll house

So I guess this is the boys version of a doll house. As close as you might get around our house anyway. Gage's friend gave him these great blocks that we use for many things - towers, race tracks, car jumps, sticks, and now, houses.

This morning he built what I assumed was a track, but then he took two cars which he named, Noah and Gage and put them in one room. Then he took two other cars named, Mommy and Daddy and put them in the other room. He told them it was night and to go to sleep. Then a scary monster truck came and scared the little boy cars and they had to run to where Mommy and Daddy cars were sleeping. The Daddy truck then came and scared the monster car back into a cave.

I must admit that I was relieved that the Mommy car was a small sleek blue sports car. At least I wasn't a semi-truck or bull-dozer.

Happy Valentine's

Q: What do you do when your husband is in school and they have too many classes and tests scheduled for the week of Valentine's day to go out and have a fun day with you?
A: Host a party for the other wives like you

For the second year in a row one of my friends and I hosted a party for all the moms/wives of students and it was a blast. We had a potluck lunch with lots of yummy dishes and tons of kids and great conversation. We had about 15 adults and tons of kids running around. I had way to many pictures to post, so this one is just of the most handsome boys at the party. I might be a little bias.

Bowling

We went to a first year, second year Pod. bowling party this past Saturday. This was Gages first time bowling and, man, did he have fun!

It wouldn't be a podiatry party without some cool shoes.

Gage's friend Owen and his pink ball.

Gage was soo excited the whole time we were there. He was dancing all over the place and LOVED throwing the ball and seeing it crash into the pins. Thank goodness for bumpers because there were a few times we honestly didn't think the ball would ever make it to the pins, much less knock some over. Each time it was Wade's turn to bowl he would sit on floor and yell "GOO DADDY" really loud each. Who know bowling could be so much fun.

Assistance Please

Sorry to post again today, but I am really in some need of assistance. I feel I am a fairly organized person, but every time I go grocery shopping and come home I have to re-organize my pantry. Perhaps I don't have enough storage for all the canned food storage I like to buy and keep on hand, but I really just need some suggestions.

How do you keep your pantries organized? I only have one pantry with five shelves. I already have 6 months of food storage upstairs in Gage's closet, so there isn't much more room there. Do any of you guys use those rolling can shelf things? Maybe I need those. Ideas? Ideas?

Happy Birthday Wade!

Happy Birthday (a day late) to Wade! He turned 31 yesterday and I hope he ended up having a good day. He always says he doesn't want anything planned, so this year I did just that. He requested Oreo cookies instead of a cake and had fun at a Superbowl party we went too. He thought he had got away with the perfect day until I let the cat out of the bag and they ended up singing to him at the party. Everyone deserves a little embarrassment each birthday, right?

He says he feels old, but with his fun personality I can't see it. I don't think he's changed a bit from the 23 year old Wade I first met and fell in love with. He is always thinking of new ways to make me laugh and having fun with the boys. He is a great dad and the best husband.

Someone at school told him they thought he was 24, so my hope is that people think the same of me when I turn 31! I hope he had a great day!

What's been going on

Well, Kathy, one of my sisters came to visit me the last few days and what I've learned is when I quit reading blogs - people post and post a lot.

Anyway, it was fun to read and catch up with everyone. Kathy and I had a good time, she flew in Wednesday night and flew out this morning. Thursday we drove over to Williamsburg to the outlets for shopping. It was a good outing, Gage and Noah were pretty decent shoppers and I was able to spend a lot of my saved Christmas money on new "post-baby" clothes. Friday we did some more shopping at the mall and then went to the Des Monies Botanical Center. I should have taken my camera so I could have pictures to post and/or scrapbook but I forgot it. It was a nice outing either way and such a nice place to go in the winter time...warm tropic weather is always a plus when it's in the negatives outside.



Wade was able to watch the boys so we could have a girls night last night - we had yummy Cheesecake Factory and then some more shopping at the mall without a nagging toddler. The plan was to rent a movie on pay-per-view when we got home (since nothing at the theater looked worth $10) but when it got time to rent one we decided we were too tired and just watched Law and Order. Wade thinks we are party poopers, maybe so, but it was just nice to have some adult conversation.

Just so everyone doesn't think we are total poopers...did watch a movie "The Magic of Ordinary Days." I recommend it, however, it's a Hallmark movie so you might have a hard time finding it in a rental store. My sister had seen it, and then read the book, then sent the book to me to read. I prefer the book to the movie, but either are good if you are looking for some quality reading/movies.

Side note: Noah is 3 months old today. I can't believe that he is so big. He loves when people talk to him and he likes to smile and talk back. He is doing much better on a schedule which is sooo nice!