Relief Society takes over

As you can tell, I haven't had time to write lately.  I have been consumed with daily demands of life and the demands of my new calling.  I am wondering if I will ever feel like I know how to be a relief society president.  The out going president told me when I get released I will be sad.  I am not there yet, so I guess I won't be getting released any time soon!  I wanted to post a picture of Gideon's birthday cake.  His birthday was February 10th.  He had a Luigi cake.  I tried a new recipe from Pinterest with a 3 layer chocolate cake with the middle layer being brownie instead of cake with my favorite Test Kitchen chocolate frosting.  It was very good!  I know that because it didn't last around here very long.  Daven's cake lasted longer than I would like to admit.  It is our year for family birthday parties instead of friend parties.  I like that year!  We will do some fun activity as a family.  We haven't yet done it.  Now that the kids are finished swim team for the season we might have some time for that. We are taking a break from activities for awhile.  I need a break to learn to juggle my new challenges with my calling.  Bridger has had some stress with work lately, too.  That is a good thing about my calling.  I can empathize with more of Bridger's stresses at work.  We had stake conference today.  It was a regional broadcast from Salt Lake.  It was very good.  I actually heard some of the talks!  It is nice to have a Sunday to relax.  I actually took a nap today.  It was very nice.  I could handle more Sundays like this!

Christmas 2012, Daven's birthday, and new calling Ah!

We started out Christmas break 2 days early due to a snow storm that finally gave us a white Christmas.  It was our first Nebraska snow storm.  I was grateful for the extra hands to help me get more chores done at home and have less structure of places to go.  Corban was going to shovel himself a pile of money.  I think he got one driveway done and decided that was enough work.  My other kids played outside in the blowing snow just enjoying it regardless of the cold. 

My sister Pam flew out for Christmas.  My kids were counting the days until Aunt Pam arrived rather than Christmas.  It has been fun for her to be here and helpful to have an extra set of hands at this busy time.  I think everyone was happy with gifts, but I think I overprogrammed myself.  I could have been a textbook example of President Uchtdorf Jenga example where the tower keeps getting higher and higher until it topples.  I toppled, a few times actually.  I talked to one of my other sister's on Christmas day.  Her day sounded similarly exhausting.  I talked to a friend a few days later who expressed her weariness she felt on that day.  I wonder if that is just what Christmas is for moms.  I have made my first resolution of the year 2013 to have a better Christmas.  We will see how I do. 

Daven had a good birthday.  He is such a funny buddy.  He has been talking about his birthday since spring and waiting not so patiently for each season to pass.  He finally made it to Christmas and then his birthday.  When he woke up, I said, "Happy Birthday Daven!"  He said, "No, it's not today.  Trust me."  I laughed.  I think he has heard no so many times that it he was convinced it would never come.  He finally agreed it could be his birthday if that meant he could open his presents.  Waiting until Dad came home from work was TORTURE! He asked me every 20 minutes (no exaggeration) what Dad was doing at work and if it was time for him to come home yet.  Then he was unhappy his party was the next day and not ON his birthday.  He had a good birthday party, too.  I had a hard time planning it because the guest list kept changing and the itinery kept changing.  I made cupcakes using fondant (my first time).  I was impressed with the visual result but no one is eating them :( .  I am not sure I will do it again.  We will see. 

I just was sustained today as the relief society president in our branch.  I am overwhelmed.  I really like being a follower.  I guess it is time to get out of my comfort zone.  When our we talked with our branch president before we moved here, he was very anxious for us to move into the branch.  I told him, "You must need a relief society president."  He confidantly told me that he had just called a new one and didn't need one.  Times change.  I have had peace that it will be okay but my natural man keeps freaking out.  I am grateful my 1st counselor has served many times as a relief society president.  I know who the Lord calls, He qualifies.  I had a lot of gap to fill and my eyes keep focusing on that gap.  It will all work out.  It always does. 

Christmas letter 2012

Some of this may be redundant from items I already posted on the blog, but here goes anyway!
Dear Family and Friends,


2012 has brought many changes for our family, first of which was a move to Nebraska. Bridger accepted a position as a claim team manager with State Farm in Omaha, Nebraska. We found out in February, and by May we were gone. We were blessed to be able to sell our home quickly and find a home that would work for our family. We are in a small community outside Omaha called Gretna. It gives us a small-town feel with all the benefits of a big city very close. We have been very pleased. Our kids have done pretty well adjusting to new schools and making new friends. Bridger is enjoying his new job responsibilities, and attended the Idaho State/Nebraska football game.



(Cindy continues to be the light of our lives and the glue of our hearts. She stays busy running children to activities, serving in the young women, and caring for our home and family. Her greatest achievement this year is successfully relocating a busy household 1000 miles east of Pocatello. She hosted 14 family house guests in July, and applies her writing talents when time and demands allow. If you want to see where she’s been, where she’s going, or what’s for dinner, check Facebook, Pinterest, or her blog for scrumptious details.) Bridger's addendum



Corban turned 12 this summer and was ordained a deacon. He said his highlight of the year was going to an indoor trampoline facility called Defy Gravity for his 12th birthday with some of his cousins. The local pool is close to our home and the kids enjoyed being able to walk to the pool many summer afternoons. Corban and Kjerstin decided to continue swimming by joining the swim team at the YMCA. They have both done well and improved on their personal records so far this season. It has been fun to go to swim meets and cheer them on. Corban also got braces this year and is doing well not eating all those foods that are now restricted while he has braces on.



Kjerstin has really enjoyed swim team and all the clubs available at her school. Her highlight of the year was her birthday because it was all about her. She is in the 5th grade choir, the book club, the make a difference club and has especially liked being able to do pottery in the art room at the school.



Brynna turned eight this fall and was baptized. She said it was her best moment of the year. She also got a cat named Henderson for her birthday. This is our family’s first cat attempt; I didn’t know how it would work out. We got him from the local humane society and he seems to be made for our family. He is great. She has been doing gymnastics at the YMCA and is really making progress.



Daven has been busy, too. He did a leap off a sofa and ended up with stitches to sew his lip back together. This made it necessary to get rid of his thumb sucking habit. He has also started preschool this year at the local elementary school. He goes 4 days a week for a little over 3 hours a day. He really enjoys it. His teacher told me that he is ALWAYS so happy at school. He is a happy little boy. He said his biggest achievement of the year is getting his chores done.



Even though Gideon isn’t in swim team or any clubs or school, he has been the busiest of all. He has overflowed our upstairs bathroom sink 3 times! The last time, it was right after his dad finished fixing the ceiling from the previous time. He loves his siblings and was not happy to be home alone with Mom. It has been good that I have started babysitting a little girl Gideon’s age to keep him company during the day. He is a sweet boy and has a smile that can melt mountains.



These sweet children are our life and keep Bridger and me on our toes and in our cars. We are grateful for them. We send our love and wish you all a very merry Christmas.

.

You may have a Gideon if...

You may have a Gideon if....

-you wake up at 4 in the morning to hear Angry Birds being played in the kitchen on your phone
-you try and hide your phone on the fridge and he climbs to the top of the fridge to get it
-you leave a cake and come back and it looks like this

-you find 2 apples with one bite taken out of each one
-you have problems with bathroom flooding
-you have problems with bathroom flooding again
-you have problems with bathroom flooding AGAIN!
-you play foosball with an apple
-you find yourself running down the halls at church chasing an escapee
-you see this smile and all the above melts away from your mind.

Halloween 2012

I think we are finally done with Halloween.  It lasts a while when you have class parties on different days, church trunk or treats, and then the actual holiday itself.  We got our Halloween sugar cookies made and decorated.  We roasted pumpkin seeds. I redeemed myself this year by actually getting our pumpkins carved. It didn't happen last year because there were too many things going on.  I heard about it for awhile, too.  It is always fun while it lasts but I am always glad when it is over, too.  Corban (no photo available) was all of The Avengers.  I thought it was pretty clever for him to come up withon his own.  He had an Iron Man mask, one hunk hand, a meat mallet/Thor hammer, a bow and arrow made from a stick and sting for Hawkeye, and a cardboard Captain American shield.  He wore this to the trunk or treat but decided he was too old to trick or treat.  Kjerstin was a bag of jellybellies.  She kept loosing jellybeans, though.  Brynna decided to be a witch since she now has the black cat to go with it. Daven was Mario (of course).  He talked about being a fireman and Iron Man and Spongebob but when it came to getting dressed it was always Mario.  Gideon was Luigi.  He was SO cute.  When he says "trick or treat"  it sounds like "Christmas tree"  He always said thank you and "Happy Halloween,"  too.  He even blew kisses (unprompted) to some of the people.  My kids insisted on trick or treating the whole neigborhood.  They had fun.  We went with our neighbors who live 2 doors down.  That night they were good and tired.  As Bridger checked on everyone before he went to sleep, he saw their overflowing pumpkins and their "visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads."  Daven has been on a candy diet for a day or two.  I will be glad when it is all gone.  I am glad they had fun, though.  The kids had no school last Friday so they helped me pack the Halloween decorations away and get the Thanksgiving decorations out.  On to the next event!

Braces and Swim Meets!

Corban's favorite meal that I make is homemade macaroni and cheese.  I don't make this often because not everyone feels the same way as he does about it.  I made it last Monday night.  What was the occasion you ask?  Corban got braces on.  Memories of my junior high years where for days after my adjustments, my diet was limited to very soft foods is flashing through my mind.  The thing was, even my homemade macaroni and cheese was too painful for him to try to chew and it was difficult to swallow due to an appliance they placed across the top of his mouth.  He asked me to blend it up for him.  That is how difficult it was to chew/swallow and how much he likes the homemade macaroni.  I feel like we are getting more official as having a teenager in the house. 

We also had our first swim meet.  We got up at 5am Saturday to drive to Beatrice ( pronouced Be-at-rice).  We dressed, loaded and left at 6 to get there by 8am.  We set up a camp of sorts in the gym at the YMCA there.  We laid out a blanket, camp chairs, our cooler and stuff (clothes, toys, books, electronic devices to occupy the day).  We were told to expect it too last until 6 pm.  We were done at 2 since one team didn't show up.  It was most interesting to watch and observe.  I was tired as can be though.  I went to bed after midnight and less than 5 hours of sleep was not good for me.  Both Corban and Kjerstin were a little nervous but both did well for their first swim meet.  One Saturday a month until March, this will be our life.  The kids were out of school on Friday so we went to the YMCA to swim for fun.  I did a few laps.  I was surprised how tired I got and it gave me much more respect for them. People in our house seem to like to swim.  We were talking about New York City the other day.  Corban said it would be so cool to go there.  When asked what he would like to do if he was there, he said, "Swim."  It is the most exciting thing to do wherever we seem to go so we make the best of it!  Cannonball anyone?

Baptism

Brynna was baptized yesterday.  I remember when I was eight, I had to wait for a month before my grandparents could be there so I could be baptized.  That is what I remember most about my baptism.  I am sure Brynna feels similar (maybe not, our kids are supposed to be better than us.) Time moves so quickly for adults and so slowly for children.  I know she has anticipated this day greatly.  The program was a bit of a stress.  I felt the counselor in the bishopric was unhappy with the way we had done things although he approved it all.  People were trying to swap assignments so they didn't have to do this or that.  The morning of the baptism, Kjerstin and Brynna were fighting.  I finally got mad and I think the spirit departed from me.  The was a quibble about the refreshments to be served as well, and they didn't have a child size jumpsuit for her.  I was very stressed.  Seeing her baptized was beautiful, though.  In a way, I wished I could go back and be so clean again.  I know I can repent but I am afraid there are sins that I have forgotten that I committed that I never repented of and I just don't know if I will ever be as squeaky clean as when I was baptized.  I liked the comment in general conference thought that partaking of the sacrament weekly gets us more clean each week so we can finally really be clean when we die.  I think with events like this, Satan is trying to distract us from what is really important.  I am usually gullible enough to fall for it everytime.  Seeing her baptized brought it back, though.  I was grateful for a father who was worthy to baptize her.  I thought of the promptings in the temple that is was time for another child.  I thought of being on bedrest with her and delivering her in the hospital with the epidural worn off.  I love that child and I am grateful I am one step closer to helping her make it back to Heavenly Father again.  (I will post a picture later :)
I cried when I heard the announcement about missionary work.  I am excited for all those sisters who can now serve missions at younger ages.  It was a life changing event for me and I am eternally grateful for it.