X Y and Z!

I'm finishing out my ABCs today....with all three XYZ. I've enjoyed the ABCs because they have gotten me back in the habit of writing on the blog which is good! So with no further ado...here we go.
X is for Xenogenisis! What is Xenogenisis you may ask? Xenogenisis is a generation of offspring entirely unlike the parents. (yeah...I couldn't think of anything I was grateful for that started with X so I looked up unusual words that start with X. Betcha didn't know there are a TON of words that start with X and have something to do with yellow! hehe) The reason I use this one...is because when you look at my boys you wouldn't guess they all came from me. Nate is tall and skinny with brown hair, brown eyes and very olive dark skin. Tyler is short and still skinny-ish but not like nate, and my blondie with blue eyes and very fair skin. Ryder looks the most like me and is tall but stalky, has reddish brown hair, hazelish eyes (like mine) and skin thats not super fair, but also not super dark. But thats where the differences end sadly. I'd hope I wasn't as stubborn and thick headed as my kids can be...but I know I am. But they are also sooo funny and total goofballs...which I hope I am sometimes. :)
Y is for yards. Yup...like yards in the house. I LOVE that we have grass...and a spot that is just ours like our back patio. When we were living in the apartment it was horrid because we kind of felt trapped inside the house. There was a lil bit of grass outside but it wasn't kid friendly. And the only kids in the complex were the managers kids...who we didn't really like to play with. Here at this new place...there are billions of kids all over the place plus the park that is like a 1 minute walk from our place. I don't know that I could ever go back to another apartment. Hopefully I won't have to :)
and Z!! Z is for Zumba! Which I shouldn't say I'm grateful for since I haven't actually done it yet. But I've heard its sooo fun and its on my to do list when I get a minute. I know soo many people who totally LOVE the class. So if any of you have tried Zumba and wanna share if you love it or not...please do! But I'm rather excited to try it one of these days.
Anyway...thats it for today! I hope you all have a great day and an even better weekend!!

V and W

I need to catch up on my ABCs! So here we go....

V is veggies! Shocker for me I know! But I am grateful for my veggies. I don't love veggies but I'm grateful that I have the ability to eat them as I wish. And hide them in my food to trick the boys and I into eating them. Retarded I know...but when I'm a picky eater and I got picky eaters for kids...we have to adapt. Ha!

W is for Wards. I have been so grateful to a couple of my wards that I have been a part of in the past. The first ward, of course, is my home ward. I have almost always felt welcome and at home there. Every time I go I get bombarded with love and kindness from the people I've known so long and I truly do feel the warmth and love there. The other ward that I have to give props to was my ward on Leigh Hill. That was the ward that I went through my first total repentance process in, I had my first ever calling in that ward as well. Relief Society Music Director I believe. I was in charge of finding and conducting the music for Relief Society as well as Enrichment Meetings and such. I loved that ward. They took me in and loved me. They all came together after Tyler was born and had his first surgery. I miss that ward sooo very much. I'm not so appreciative of the ward I'm in now. There is no warm fuzzies there. I feel stared and and not welcome. I'm really looking forward to (hopefully) getting one of the Enoch homes so that I can move to a new ward where I can further my spiritual side. I've heard that ward is awesome...so crossing fingers.

U and Ryder!

Todays letter is U for Understanding. I am sooo grateful that I have very understanding loved ones. I've done some incredibly stupid things in my short lifetime...and I've been grateful that I have such understanding family and friends. I have some wierd quirks and sometimes like to hermit myself away and its nice to know that my loved ones understand thats just how I am. My mom calls and ensures I'm okay and I appreciate that. Sometimes I need that little push to be able to talk about it, and I am grateful my mom understands that about me. I'm also grateful that I have been blessed with the ability to (semi) understand other people and their situations. I jump to judgements too quickly sometimes and need to be put in check more often then not...but I'm happy I have the sense to really try to understand in the end.

The other topic of the day....its Ryders birthday today. This is the big number 3 for him. I'll tell a secret...I almost forgot. I know it was on the 20th, I just didn't realize it was soo close to the 20th! So...I have no idea what we are going to do today. We'll try to do something fun and exciting. I think he's just excited to have a day of attention actually. So Happy Birthday to my big guy Ryder...we love you and wish you a happy day!

T and other stuff

T is for Tyler! Ty is my little buddy. I love him to death and the family wouldn't be complete without him. Hes such a sweet kid and always (almost) willing to help out with his brothers or chores around the house. Unless its been a long day for me and I really need the help and he "doesn't feel like it" but thats a different story. He is also a very stubborn kid, and likes to drive me crazy. When he gets in trouble, he laughs. I hate it. Most kids say sorry or cry, which I could handle. But he LAUGHS! I even got so far as to swat his bum one time, and he LAUGHED! It defeated the purpose. So that can be a titch frustrating but I still love him all the same. So thats my letter for the day. On to other things.

I have been extremely busy the last two days. Wednesday was a workshop in Salt Lake with Bank of America. Anyone who has talked to me about my job knows that I HATE working with Bank of America right now so going to this training was a good thing to get contacts and escalation numbers. We shall see if they actually work. Another thing that was good was that it opened my eyes to the way other agencies are running their program. This program is my baby. Its all mine. And I learned there are alot of things I personally need to be doing to make the program better and help clients in a better fashion. It was extremely helpful. We also closed the job posting and are going to be going over applications and setting up interviews. I'm VERY excited about this because I need the help.
The last bit of good news...H let me know yesterday that my application for those houses I talked about it a previous post is looking good and I'm one of the top runners soo far! This makes me very excited! So we shall see how that goes.
Anyway....best wishes to everyone on a good Friday and a great weekend!

S is for School

S is for School! Even though I'm not in school (I would like to go back some day and finish my degree but that will be later) I am very appreciative of the great school system we have here. Nate and Tyler both LOVE going to school and their teachers are fantastic! Every single one of Nates teachers has been soo kind to him and soo aware of his needs. They have really helped him feel at home and look forward to going to school. Even though Tyler was a little antsy at first to go to school, his teacher has really warmed him up and he is enjoying school much more now as well. She is a very sweet person and I'm grateful to her as well.

The other plus side is that they really do look at the needs of every child and help them learn their way. Nate is leaps and bounds ahead of "average" and I owe it all to do a great preschool...then great teachers at school. He is reading, writing, and doing math all at a level higher than expected. Tyler I don't know about yet, but I do know at his orientation the teachers said he was very much ahead of the game and they were impressed by his capabilities.

That brings to me to my next "school" thanks. That would be to my daycare. They are amazing. As I said before, I owe them for teaching the boys such good skills and ensuring they are ready for school. I can't believe its been two years since I've been taking the boys there and they are excelling wonderfully. I know Ryder will be the same when he goes back to school.

Anyway...thats it for the day. I have a SUPA busy day catching up from meetings in SLC yesterday so I wish everyone a splendid day and I am signing out :)

R

R is for Ryder of course! Ryder is my lil man. He is cute, and adorable, and funny....and a pain in the tushy, and stubborn, and a lil whiney... :) He is a special lil guy and he has taught me alot about patience seeing as how he's forced me to use it more so than the other two boys lately. The terrible twos definitely hit him. Its kind of interesting though....He will be happy and laughing and dancing, then split second later hes pouting and whining. I don't understand his mood swings and I kinda hope they go away soon...but its still rather entertaining. My favorite is when he gets in trouble. He has two reactions and I'm not sure how he decides which one to use. The first is he gets mad, screams, won't move, hits, does anything imaginable to be irritating. OR he will look up at you with those cute little puppy dog eyes, get a lil teary (with the whole bottom lip quivering) and say "sowwy" and either pat your arm or pet you. Its kinda cute. At daycare lately, he will semi mix the two and say "No Ms. ____ (whoever is telling him no)!" Then do the quiver lip pouty pet the teacher sorry thing hah! He's not my child at all...nope :)
So...today is a tribute to him. He keeps me on my toes and I love him to death...and its his birthday next monday! So here's to you lil dude...I love ya!

I almost forgot today! O and P

I can't believe I forgot my ABCs today. Anyway...
O is for Opening! Or more like job opening. We finally posted for the job opening here to help me out! I'm rather excited. I'm starting to feel overwhelmed with my case load so having assistance will help tons and I'll be able to give better quality service to ALL my clients.
P is for Planes! I am an impatient traveller...I hate driving places because it takes forever and a day. This is why I am grateful for...planes! They are quick! And kinda scary. But its worth it to be quick! And I will REALLY appreciate them in December when I go to Washington DC. I am soooo very excited about that! I have never been back East before and even though it will be snowy...I am SOO looking forward to it! I can't wait! This is yet another reason I love this job...I've travelled more in the last year than I have my entire life. It's been great! :)
Anyway...hope ya'll have a good day!

L is for Love

Of course once L came around I'd use the word Love. I'm a hopeless romantic! And I do appreciate love. Although I get to my thinking sometimes (I might need to have more of a night life so I don't have so much time to think) and have really thought alot about love lately. I don't know that I have ever felt that true deep down feeling of love with another person not family. I thought I had it with Danny, but that was short lived. I know he didn't love me or he wouldn't have treated me the way he did. I've thought I've loved others since him, but I really don't think it was love. So this comes to my next train of thought. I wonder what love does feel like?

I do love my boys very much, but its a different kind of love obviously. They drive me crazy, tempt me to use duct tape and bailing wire often, and totally trash my house. Yet I love spending time with them and am soo happy I get to be their momma. They have the cutest little intricacies (sp?) that make me smile every day and I am soo proud of them. (Although Nate just tried to buck me from my chair and it took me about 5 minutes to figure out how to fix what he did to my chair....bailing wire?)

So anyway....I'm sure grateful for those that I do love and love me in return. And that kind of love is unconditional I believe. And I hope I can find a guy to give me unconditional love someday that is meant to be between a husband and a wife. Till then I will prepare and wait :)

The Pressure is ON!!

So...mom told me the other day that my sister Steph checks the blogs every day to see whats going on with us...and I am HORRIBLE and writing every day. So the pressure is ON! I am going to try to get on and say whats going on every morning (unless ya know...work gets in the way...or I get hit by a bus on the way to work or something). To follow route of my SIL Betsy..I'm gonna start my ABCs. That way I'll have something to post. So I'm gonna start the challenge! :)
So today.....is A.
A - is for Appreciating.
I have truly appreciated all of my friends and especially my family for always being here for me. Tough times or good times...I know I can rely on them. I know I always have a safe place to fall and someone to call when I'm super happy about something (even if its small and kind of retarded to everyone but me).
To my parents... they have always been a lending hand...watching the kids in a pinch, lending a hand when I need it, straightening up my house while I was gone to a meeting (I LOVED that!), lending money when I'm too tight even if it was very much protested, just being there for me when I don't wanna be home alone...the things they do are countless.
To Tony and Valena...Tony will always find a way to make me laugh. He is a jokester and I know I can always count on him for anything. Valena is awesome...since I first met her shes always tried to include me in activities and do what she can to help. From hanging out with me while her and Tony were dating to teaching me how to drive a stick shift to including my kids in her awesome daycare. I love that she is part of this family!
To Scott and Betsy...I'm so thankful for Scott and the good example he is to the boys. They LOVE going on quick trips to get a soda or candy with him and going to see him at the fire station. I love that he honors his priesthood and was able to be in the circle to bless Grayson with his name and blessing. That meant more to me than I think he will ever know. I tear up now just thinking about it. Betsy has always been there for me too. I've loved the dynamic she brings to our family and that she is soo organized. I really envy and appreciate how strong of a person she is and how she has always been there for me no matter what.
To Steph and Les...even though they are far away, Steph never misses a birthday call (even on Graysons birthday which was a HUGE deal to me...you will never know how much I appreciated that Steph). I love that she is soo resourceful and has such a deep understanding of Heavenly Father and his plan for us. She has given me advice and shared her testimony with me more than once and it has helped me out in alot of situations. Les I haven't been around a ton but he is a good dad and every time I've been around him he has laughed and joked with me even though he's rather quiet normally. I appreciate that he is a good husband and father and is such a good example for us.
So to my family....I love you so much and I want you all to know how much I truly do appreciate each and every one of you. I would not be where I am today without every single one of you.