Christmas in Zarahemla!

Our ward Christmas party was a success. We had a tremendous turnout, way more than I even hoped for, and have had such amazing comments of "the best Christmas party I've ever been to", and "I was a doubting Thomas, but I had to repent for being judgemental because it was wonderful". Wow! The pictures don't do it justice (icky camera, poor photographer). We had a welcome table in the lobby that had a picture of the Nativity w/"Do You Believe?" questioning those arriving. We stamped "Believe" on everyone's hand when they entered & gave them a bag of beans; their currency. When they came in we had a "jungle-type" theme w/ palm trees (made from cardboard carpet tubing), & vegetation around (we asked the members to bring silk/plastic trees from home). We had some Mayan-type designs on the walls & we had the Primary kids color pictures of jaguars, parrots, frogs, snakes, etc. . . and we posted them around the room. We had some tables & chairs set up, but most were laid flat on the ground where people had to sit on the floor to eat. We also had marketplace tables set up where people could buy beads and feathers to make necklaces, arrowhead necklaces, bracelets, and headbands. People came dressed as Nephites and Lamanites & we had great participation (not everyone dressed up which was totally fine). We had a dvd of "The Testaments, Of One Fold and One Shepard" playing quietly in the corner in case there were those wanting to sit and watch. We had a delicious feast of sweet pork burritos (with friend flatbread), lime rice, cilantro buttermilk dressing, chips & salsa, bean salads, and sliced pineapple, mangoes, papaya, banana, grapes, kiwi, oranges, limes, and pomegranate, as well as mixed nuts & chocolate brownies for dessert. We did simple tap water for drink (we didn't even do ice). The line for the food wrapped around the table (we had both sides going to dish up), the width of the gym and then the legnth of the gym, down the middle. It was incredible. I thought for sure we would run out of food, but like the loaves and fishes, we were well blessed. It was a Christmas miracle! The only thing we ran out of was lime rice and brownies, and people even were able to return for seconds.

The Primary children sang "Said Samuel" then we had a "play"/reading about Samuel on the wall & his prophecy of the new star. It spoke about how the day had come when the believers were to be put to death because there was no sign of the coming of the Savior in to the world and how Nephi prayed all day for the sign to come. (Ben was Nephi). Then the reading panned to the Nativity and how the Savior Jesus Christ came in to the world the very day that the sign of a new star was given. We turned the lights on bright in the whole gym (we previously had it dim through dinner) when the day and a night and a day w/o darkness came & then dimmed them again and turned on a big star light when the sign of the star came. We ended signing all together "Silent Night" and closed the curtains with Mary holding the baby Jesus under the new star. It was truly beautiful. I couldn't have asked for it to turn out any better.

I am so blessed to have had a chance to work on this Christmas event for our ward. It was a spectacular amount of work, but it turned out so lovely. I feel the message came across that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and His coming to the earth was known to all around the world, not just in Israel. I can't convey my gratitude for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and His birth, life and death, all on my, and your behalf.

Christmas in the works!

I've been sick. Yucko, sicko. But, am finally on the mend. Thanksgiving was a quiet, low-key, nap on the couch while the boys play video games all day kind of a day. . . . yup, I'm THAT mom! I did manage to get them out of the house on Friday afternoon and we hit the local sled-a-rama. . . . seriously, this is big-time hit the slopes fun. We went again Saturday afternoon. There are kids flying down hills and vales left and right. It looks like a war-zone, only with a lot of smiling and joyful screeching filling the air.

It was cold, and at one point we were innundated by freezing-rain, but it was so delightful to be out of the house and feeling pure enjoyment from the kids. They had a great time. We came home and followed both afternoons with hot cocoa and Thanksgiving pie. Lovely, lovely. PS - umm, yea, you know those 30 pounds I had already lost, umm, well, . . . the last four days of carbo-loading have put on about half of that again. Yeeaaah, tomorrow I've got to get serious again! (but, it was a delightful break)

I am in charge of the ward Christmas party and we are doing a "Christmas in Zarahemla" theme. It will be a big event. I've started decking out the kids in their attire. B is going to be a Nephite warrior (with an identically dressed friend) and they are going to guard the entrance to our marketplace.

We are going to have Sweet pork burritos w/lime rice & cilantro buttermilk dressing, a miriad of cut fruit (mangos, papaya, pineapple, oranges, pomegranate, bananas), nuts, bean salads, tortilla chips & salsa & chocolate brownies for dessert. We will have a marketplace where people can "buy" their meal & side dishes, make headbands and beaded necklaces, bracelets or arm bands, as well as Nephite coloring pages and paper plate snakes for kids to make. We will show "The Testaments: Of One Fold and One Shepherd" in one corner and a back drop for family pictures in another. There is also going to be a shadow-play production of Samuel on the wall & the resulting sign of & birth of the Savior. I am very excited for the experience. I think it will be a great night. I'll post some pictures of the event once it is over. It is taking a lot of my time and efforts right now but I think it will be well worth it.

This time I year I am constantly reminded of our Savior Jesus Christ and how blessed we are to have been given him as our gift of redemption. What a cold and miserable place this world would be if we didn't know of the gift of the atonement and the ability to return to our Father in Heaven after this life.

Life with the boys

For about 4 years, S has been missing his top front two teeth (after knocking them out during a Preschool field trip to the park). . . We have been patiently waiting for his permanent teeth to come in and fill in the gaps. The dentist had us wait and wait to see if they would come down on their own. He hasn't minded it too much, however he is over 7 yrs old now, and at that age, a steak-eatin' boy just needs his front teeth. After many years, and x-rays later, it was determined that there was too much scar tissue for the teeth to come in on their own. So, with a trip to the dentist and some good numbing agents, and some icky dental details that we won't go in to . . .

. . . that very night his teeth started coming down. They were sure ready, they just had a hard time breaking through. Yay, hooray, there are teeth there, and they are blazing their way through to take their final places as kings of the top jaw! Thank goodness!! Now this kid can eat his meat! He is a carnivor at heart.


B has been playing football, and he has been loving it! That is him there on the far right in the yellow and white. He loves to hit and is quite an effective lineman. He plays defensive tackle and digs the smack of shoulder-pads in mid-gut.

He is playing 8th grade this year and I cannot believe just how big the kids are. B has always been a big kid, but it is crazy to me to see how big the whole team is. This mom worries about her kid playing with all those buhemoth corn-fed brutes, but I guess another kids' mom is worrying the same about my B. It's all fun and games . . . .

He has one more game this week and then it will be over. He will be sad to see it end. It has been a good season!

Z has also been playing football. This has been his first season and he soaked it up. He played wide-receiver and the coach played him every-single play of every-single game, except one. It was incredible. The poor kid was exhausted but loved every minute of it. Now, practicing was another matter; we practically had to drag him there kicking and screaming. The games, . . . ah, the games. . . . he wishes he could spend every minute playing football games. The kid has skills!

He had a good season and made some good friends on the team. He was pretty torn up after the last game. But, next year is a new year, and he is already looking forward to it.

Yesterday was opening day for deer season. Big B and B got up at 3:30 am and went out for the first day.

B got his very first deer the first 3 minutes of open shooting at about 150 yards (on an open-site springfield model 1903-83 WWI 30.6, according to him). It was incredible. Big B is so proud he is close to bursting. . . .

B is so proud too, and well he should be. She was a big, beautiful white-tail doe. We put up the meat today and got 20 lbs of ground, a good 6 lbs of tenderloin and backstrap steaks, plus a 4lb roast and another 3-4 lbs for jerky. It has been a great thing for him to help put meat in the freezer. He had a great time with his dad and shared some very special memories!

Next was Z's turn. Big B and Z went out this morning at 4am, came back during lunchtime and for time for us to dress out B's deer, then headed back to the woods this afternoon.

They didn't get anything today, but they will head out later in the week to try and fill Z's tag. This has been Z's first year, and he has been so super excited to get out there with his dad. Even without a shot today, Z had a fantastic time. Stay tuned for more news if/when Z gets his doe.

So Z asks me this question . . .

Z: "Hey mom, when is the next time you go to the store?"
Me: "Umm, Z, actually I'm going tonight. Do you need something?"
Z: "Well, I was checking and we are out of gun powder. Do you think you could pick some up?"

Me: "Ummm, sure . . . . I'll grab that just as soon as I buy you a pet rabid wolverine and feed you rat poison for dinner. I'm on it!"
- best . . . mom . . . . ever!!!

30 lbs down!

Today I hit my 30 pounds loss mark!! Thought I'd share my fun news! :) L

You gotta watch this video below. Wow, powerful stuff! (ps - pause my music from my playlist down below so you can hear this song)

It's the Mooostt Wonderful Timmeeee of the Year!!!!

Yup, 'tis the first day of school again!

Mamma happy!!!! Boys, eehhh, not so much!!!

We celebrated with the boy's breakfast choice of Toaster Strudels and Milk. Heck, it was so easy I might do it every morning. (lol) :o)

They all had a great day. I'm soooo relieved. After last spring, and the trials we had with the move and the new classes, they all needed some good school experiences. B is in 8th grade!!!! I can't believe it. . . . Z is in 4th grade!!!!! I can't believe it . . . . S is in 2nd grade!!!!!!!. . . . . you guessed it, I can't believe it.

Aggghhhh, life moves sooo fast, but, oh, so, sweet when it is:

Happy first day to you all!!

- The mom

Good Things to Come

Good Things to Come

Catching you up!

I have been SOOOOO bad with blogging lately. I haven’t had the desire, the patience, nor the time. Soooo sorry to all two of you readers! I promise to be better about it (until I’m not). Well, life has certainly been busy. Let me try and get you caught up. We are mostly settled in our house. We love it and we like where we are. We are all trying to fit in to life here in CP on our little lane.

(I love this view of my front room)

(Balloon Stampeed - this is from our back window)

(this is from our front window) - awesome!
We have been enjoying life here and have been exploring our surroundings. There are some very beautiful places here and the boys are happy to explore and look for adventures.


B has finished baseball. He had a good beginner year. I think he'll go for it again next year.

Z is busy in Cub Scouts and counting down the days for school to get out.

S is busy being S and recovering from everything that comes with that.
Big B is working hard and constantly in classes, teaching classes, doing investigations, practicing with teams, on transports, more practicing with the team, etc. . . . The state is putting Specialists on furlough and so he is on a bit of a forced lay-off. It will be okay, but it is just an indicator of the times right now. A bit scary, but we are keeping a positive outlook.

I’m working my new job and really enjoying it. I work part-time so I am super blessed to be home for my kids when they need me. Summertime will be an interesting experiment in just how “responsible” and “mature” they can be on their own. Luckily it isn’t too long each day.
I’ve recently started a new non-diet. It is just a new way of looking at food and how my body processes it. I’m becoming educated and am learning a lot. I have even lost 9 lbs in the process. I’m anxious to continue on and see where this goes. This is my journey.

You have officially been caught up in life at Brown Town!

Work in Progress

Well, our home is most definitely a work in progress. We are settling in nicely though. Here are a few pics of the moving day. I'll work on getting a few pics of where we are now. . . don't judge too harshly, we are in a move.

:o)

I, myself, am a work in progress as well. A very wise friend of a friend of a friend shared this with the friend of my friend, and my friend shared this with me (via her blog):

I Can Do Hard Things.
Life is hard. Sometimes it is harder than one can ever anticipate. Should we run? Should we hide from difficulty? No. We should stand up. Dig in. Make good choices. Press forward in faith. This is the purpose of our existence. We are not on vacation. We are in the middle of the test. We agreed to take it and we prepared diligently. Today is the day to prove true character and unfailing integrity. Should we choose otherwise, we risk stumbling through this life and leaving it without fulfilling our mission. And I believe we will find our purpose--our mission-- amidst the trials and heartache. So should we run? Well if we run, we will be lost.

What would happen if we ran from all our trials and problems? Would life be easier? Would life be less complicated? I have found that facing things head on, as difficult as it may be, is definitely better in the long run than postponing or suppressing. I wonder why, knowing this, it is still so hard for me to face things head on though?

Bill and I decided to take the kids on a week-long driving tour this summer. We have been so discombobulated and displaced with this moving fiasco this last year that we feel we need to reconnect with us, just us. B is 13 in 3 weeks, Z is 9 in 1 week and S is 7 in a few months. The days are flying by and before we know it they will be gone. I know that the small moments are often the most important growing up. We want a full week of "small moments" to create many happy memories. We are going to hit Silverwood, visit Ron in Missoula, stay in Yellowstone, stop by Mammoth and Lava Hot Springs, some sights in Boise and around to family in LaGrande for visits before heading home. Bill even came up with the idea of making memory log books for the boys to work on and use throughout the trip. Gotta love that guy. He can be all tough and stern, but my goodness, he has such a soft side for his family. Just gotta love him for that!! Here he is helping Z with his Pinewood Derby car. I LOVE the devotion he has for his family and am reminded often of why I love him so much!

I have amazing friends!

My last day at the bank was yesterday and my friends made this for me:

Did you see the frowny faces??

and Chy stopped by the bank (after a trip to the dentist no less) and brought me this ultra-yummy cinnamon roll:

How lucky and blessed am I to have friends who are so dear to me???!!!!

Thanks girls, I love you all!!

Hard to say goodbye!

Today was our last Sunday in the Dayton ward. It was fast Sunday so I wanted to bear my testimony and let everyone know just how much I love them and how much they all mean to me. They have been such a family to me and have strengthened me and supported me and kept me going in some really hard times, and celebrated with me in some very important times. I started crying during the second testimony and didn't have the ability to get up and talk. I guess it is a good thing as I didn't really want many people to know that it was our last week. I truly couldn't have made it through had my friends all come up to say "goodbye". It may be a weak and selfish way to leave, but I don't know that I could have done it any other way. It breaks my heart to leave the ward, but, I know they will carry on and will strengthen and support even more people who need it. I will carry on too, in a new ward, which I am looking forward to. It is a great and exciting experience to begin this new adventure. I'm comforted by knowing that regardless of which ward we are in that the gospel is true, wherever we are. I KNOW that we were supposed to be in Waitsburg, and in the Dayton ward, but now it is time for us to move along. Thank you Dayton for being my rock and my guide these last 6 1/2 years!
-Laura

Boys

My sis had her baby; another little boy. He is such a sweet little thing. Isn't he beautiful? Mom and baby are doing well and are healthy and happy. B was memserized by him. He must not remember too well when S was that little. S has informed me that it is time to have another little baby brother. I figure he just wants someone younger than him to wrestle with. :o)


Wrestling practice has started and occupies most of our week nights. It is such a great sport for the boys. They are active, having fun, and really enjoy being part of the team. We may be moving away from our team, but we can't seem to "leave". I have a feeling we will be part of our Mat Birds team for years to come. :o)

The nice thing about wrestling practice each night is at least the boys sleep solidly; they get really worn out . . . . they are determined to have their own rooms in the new house, but I just think somehow we will find them all piled up together like this each morning anyway.