Where has the time gone??

I don't know what has kept me so busy the past 6 months, but I have found myself focusing on things other than my blog during that time. I hope to go back & catch up on the many memories we've had, while at the same time stay up to date on our current happenings. I'll see how good I am at doing both. =)

Jake's new calling

At the end of August, our church had Stake Conference. We got a new stake president. Our bishop was called to be the stake president so we knew that a new bishop would be called for our ward. So many emotions & thoughts went through our minds over the next 3 weeks. We couldn't tell what was personal revelation & what was just our own thoughts. We received a phone call on Thursday (17th) that the new bishopric would be put in on Sunday. Jake & I decided that our thoughts must have not meant anything because we were sure everyone had been called since the announcement was being made. On Friday night at 9 pm we got a phone call for Jake & I to meet with the Stake President the next afternoon. We knew right then that he would be in the bishopric. What an anxious 19 hours we went through until our appointment. We called both our parents (Jake's in S. Cal & mine in Utah for the BYU game). We would have loved for them to be with us on Sunday, but just didn't know if it would work out on such short notice. We attended the temple Saturday morning & afterward felt calm, but still nervous. We went to the interview & it was very special for us. Jake was asked to serve as the 2nd counselor in the bishopric. As soon as we got back in our car we called Jake's parents. They were sitting at the airport waiting for our call. The last flight to get to Boise was in 45 minutes so they would not have had enough time to get our call & drive to the airport. They decided to go to the airport & if the interview was not what we had anticipated then they'd just cancel their flight & go home. They are awesome. They put everything aside they had planned for the weekend & packed up to come be with us. I then texted my mom--she was at the stadium waiting for the game to start. She sent a quick text back & that was all we heard from them. To our surprise, after the game, they checked out of the hotel & drove back to Boise, getting home at 3:30 AM. We have 9 AM church so they got very little sleep. I was really hoping they'd come home, but knew that was a lot for them to drive so late at night & hope they'd stay awake the whole drive. What a blessing it was for us to have both our parents make such sacrifices so they could show their support & love for us. I love them all so much & am grateful for what they did.
Jake knows he has a lot to learn, but is excited, willing & ready to go. We all know we have a lot of adjustment to go through, but as long as we have the right perspective we know it will be a great experience for our family & we look forward to what's in store.

Temple Tulip Bulbs

My sister, Martha, & sister-in-law, Lucy & I went to the Boise Temple early this morning to dig up tulip bulbs to take home to our own yards. Martha heard about it on a blog so we thought we'd give it a try. We got to the temple around 6:30AM & there were already lots of people there digging up beautiful tulips. I couldn't believe how quickly the tulips were disappearing. We had heard there were tens of thousands of tulips, but it was hard to find a spot to go to since people were going so fast. We quickly found a spot & did our work. Within an hour the temple grounds were cleared out & the colors were gone. I had my bags full & an armload of beautiful tulips to take home & enjoy for a while. I am excited to plant these bulbs this fall & will keep my fingers crossed that they grow & bloom next spring.

April Birthdays

April is a busy month for us. Nicole, Brittany & Jake all have their birthdays--within 10 days of each other. Plus, our anniversary is thrown in there, too. I try really hard to focus on each one of them & make sure they have a special day, but it can get hard. I really need to plan better. One of these days I'll figure out how to do it all.

Nicole turned 7 this year. She requested breakfast in bed & loved that!! She headed off to school & then I showed up at lunch time to eat with her. We ate Subway sandwiches together. I hung out with her during recess & then headed home. That evening, we had a little party for her. She was very excited about her presents. I hope she liked what she got.
I decided that I wanted to start a new tradition. I wanted the girls to have a little one on one time with one of their parents, so they get to choose what we do & just spend some fun time together. Nicole chose for her & I to go see "Monsters vs. Aliens". It was fun to sit with her in the theater & have her cuddle up next to me & just enjoy watching the movie & being together. She seemed to really enjoy it, too.
Nicole, you are such a special girl with a tender heart. I hope you know how much we love you & know you have so much to look forward to in your life. Happy Birthday sweetie!!


Brittany turned 10 this year. She is excited cause she gets to start training to be a babysitter. She wants to earn money!! =) Brittany, too, had breakfast in bed. I think this will be an automatic for everyone--oh boy! I went to school to have lunch with her, too, & watched as she played tetherball & hang out with her friends during recess. It's fun to see how my kids interact with others at school. Such a learning experience for me. We had our family party & then she enjoyed her cheesecake at the end. Brittany's choice for her one on one time was to go fishing with her Dad. I thought it was an interesting choice, but it's so Brittany. She loves the outdoors & loves being with her Dad.
Brittany, you have grown up so much & are turning into such a beautiful young girl. I love how you have learned to handle your emotions better & how sweet you can be to others. I love you more than you know & hope you had an amazing 10th birthday!!

Fish release

Brittany's 4th grade class had a great science/nature experiment this year. They had a fish tank in their classroom & were able to watch trout grow. They watched them hatch & then once they got big enough they released them in the Boise River. The kids then had a chance to go fishing. They all had a good time, but it was not the best time of day to fish--no bites. I love it when teachers do great projects that are so hands-on. My kids have been so lucky to have wonderful teachers & to be at such an a amazing school.

Easter Egg Hunt

Every year, we go to my parents' home to have an Easter egg hunt. Each family brings a dozen plastic eggs for each of their kids & hide the eggs in the backyard. Once everything is hid, the kids are split into groups by age & then the hunt begins. The youngest get to go first & the squeals begin. It's so fun to watch the kids run through the gate & try to find their eggs as fast as they can. For some reason, every year there are always some who can't find all their eggs & it takes a while to figure out where they were hid. I guess we, as adults, do a pretty good job of hiding those eggs. This year, there was a special surprise in some of the eggs. My brother & sister-in-law, Jon & Kami, announced they were expecting another baby. We are very happy for them & hope all goes well.

The thrill of bathroom chairs

Brooklyn has a favorite public bathroom--Walmart. She is not potty-trained, but when I take Allie into the stall, Brooklyn learned one day in a Walmart bathroom that they had little chairs she could sit in while she waited for Allie. She thought it was the greatest thing. Every time we go into a public bathroom Brooklyn looks for her special chair. There aren't many bathrooms with these chairs so when we do find one, Brooklyn is as happy as can be.

Drug Movie Winners

Melissa's 6th grade Challenge class entered a contest put on by the city. It was for students to produce a movie about drug use. They worked hard on it & the final project was amazing. I am always in awe when my children do a project on the computer--they know so much about technology & do such a great job. The class found out they were in the final 3 & were asked to go to a city council meeting to find out the winner. They won the contest & were awarded $500 to use how they wanted for the school. They were all so excited & I was very proud of the research they did & the way they worked together.

Pottery Painting

We decided to take the girls down to a cute little pottery shop & let them do some fun painting. They each got to pick out their own piece & then they got started on picking out colors. They had so much fun. They put so much thought into what piece they wanted & what colors to use. It was fun for Jake & I to watch each one of them--I had a hard time keeping my hands off Brooklyn's bowl. I'm too much of a perfectionist & had a hard time letting her do it all by herself. Jake is much better at letting the kids do things on their own. They all enjoyed being there & seemed to have a great time.

The Leprechaun is so sneaky!!

My girls experienced the little leprechaun coming to our house for the first time today. I talked to them last night about how he might come. They wondered why he had never come before & I explained that he is so small that he can't make it to everyone's house, like Santa. They went to bed & were very excited about what might happen during the night. They were so surprised when they woke up. That sneaky little leprechaun had gone into their rooms & pulled clothes out of their dressers & thrown them on the floor. He then put a "Happy St. Pats Day" sign in front of their door that blocked them from getting out of their rooms. As they walked downstairs, they noticed green paper grass all over the place. The kitchen area was crazy..stools were laying all over the floor or on the counters. Their milk turned green, too. They were excited to see that the leprechaun had left a rainbow hanging from one of the pendant lights & a "pot of gold" was at the bottom of the rainbow--actually Rolos. They had a lot of fun seeing what crazy things had happened--they are already hoping he comes again next year. We'll just have to wait & see.
I took pictures of what happened, but I used our new camera & I'm not sure what happened to them. Maybe that leprechaun did something to my camera, too. =)

Don't let it get you down

Life has been really interesting lately. Every time I turn on the news (TV or radio), I feel myself getting heated up & sometimes even boiling. All the worry about the financial scares start to make me nervous & then I feel panicky about what's really going to happen. I've realized that all that I am hearing may or may not happen, but I can't let it pull me down. I have a family to take care of & we need to make our own choices based on what we feel is best for our family. Yes, we can be affected by other's choices & in ways that the bills are passed, but I can't do anything about that. I need to focus on raising my children in a positive environment & teach them to make good choices. If I am brought down by all the negativity then I am doing them a disservice. I want my children to realize that they can be successful in life in more ways than one & they can't rely on others to make that happen. I am going to work hard to not let the news effect me & focus on what's most important in my life--my family.

Latest Happenings

There hasn't been much going on to capture on camera, but my life hasn't seemed to slow down. I guess just the everyday things to do keep life busy. The past few weeks I've just tried to get back on a good schedule with working out, housecleaning, kids activities, church calling & keeping track of Jake's schedule. Time is flying by so fast. I can't believe it's March already. Before I know it, it'll be Spring Break, then our big birthday month (3 birthdays in 10 days) then the last month of school. YEAH!!
Melissa-she has been enjoying middle school. Her Challenge class did a video for a district contest on drugs. We watched it last night & they did an amazing job. She has been working hard on learning some violin songs & performed them today at Festival. She earned her Faith in God award & is really looking forward to Young Woman's this summer.
Brittany-she is fighting being sick right now. She was sick last month & has been hit hard again. She has already missed 6 days of school this semester from being sick. This is not normal for Brittany. She continues to love piano & is very disciplined. She is up every morning practicing before she goes to school--without being asked!
Nicole-she, too, has been sick a lot lately. She & Brittany have had different symptoms, but seem to be sick at the same time. She has perked up alot this afternoon so she is hoping to go to her friend's bday party tomorrow.
Allie-she just got signed up for preschool for next fall & is so excited. She is so ready for kindergarten but misses the cut-off date by 17 days. I have never had my kids in preschool before, but I felt because of how ready she is for school & not going for another year then I gave in & signed her up. She is going to a great class & the teacher is so fun. We are both really excited.
Brooklyn-she continues to amaze us. She is so adorable & I love having conversations with her. She has an incredible vocabulary & talks about all sorts of topics. She is definitely my baby & I love her hugs!
Jake-he is incredibly busy with his new office. He has a list forever long of things to do, but he is very dedicated & hard-working & continues to cross things off & get more organized. He spends many hours & long days at his office so we miss having him around, but we know it will pay off. He will have an open house the end of this month & hope that will bring in even more people as patients.
I have been sick the past 2 weeks, but I think I am finally seeing the end of it. I am so ready for Spring so we can open windows & let fresh air into our home. I am getting ready to plant flowers in my pots so we can have some color outside, too. I love spring--warmer weather, birds chirping, sunny skies, beautiful colors, things coming back to life. It's so refreshing!
We all just continue to plug along & enjoy the good things in life.

Valentine's Day at our favorite place

Jake & I spent Valentine's Day in our favorite place--his new office. We took over all the things we've been collecting for the last few months & put together furniture, set out decorations & cleaned. It was so nice to see it come together after all these months. I love to see the decor make it more warm & welcoming.
We started around 4PM, packed up our cars & headed over with our kids. We had hoped they would watch a movie while we worked, but that didn't last very long. After an hour, I took the kids home, got them settled, packed up the car again & went back to the office. We worked for a couple more hours & then went out for a bite to eat. We went back & cleaned things up good--the dirt just seems to be in the air. We've had it cleaned twice already, but the floors & counters were still grimy. The construction workers have some odds & ends laying around so we piled stuff in boxes so it looked ready for business & not like a construction zone still. We finished around 10PM & just are so happy with how it's turned out. I am so proud of Jake!!
Here's some photos of Jake's office. There are still some things to do (like hang photos, mirrors & clocks--marble for the desk in the consultation room--computers/tvs still to be hooked up--), but these are the ones I have for now to show off. I took them at night so the pictures came out darker than how it really looks. I'll post more when the office is more complete. Click on the photos to see a bigger view.








Waiting Area in his office. There is a wall fountain that still needs to go on the wall by the tree.









Reception Area


















The main bathroom--I love glass tiles!





Supply Room--still empty. We need those boxes!!










Hallways to the operatories



Sterilization Room (Lab at the end)

IT'S THE BIG DAY!!

Tomorrow is the first day for Jake's office to be open. It has been a crazy week & not everything has fallen into place. The office is so close to being done--lots of little odds & ends and landscaping left. Nothing that would hold back Jake from doing dentistry. However, it would be nice if the UPS truck would deliver his supplies!! Jake & his staff were there Friday at 8AM ready & waiting for the UPS man to show up. The hours ticked by & they finally called to see when it would arrive. They couldn't get through to who they needed to talk to & left messages. At about 2PM, the truck pulled up next door, so his front desk gal, Jenny, ran out there & talked to the guy. He told her he came at 9:20 & 9:40, but there were only construction trucks there so he thought no one was there to take the boxes. Are you kidding me? He didn't even walk into the building & check. Jake finally got a hold of someone on the phone locally & they would not agree to send the boxes back to his office. The boxes are in a trailer surrounded by other boxes so he'd have to wait until Monday. Hello...that's when he is opening his office for business. It didn't matter how much Jake pushed they wouldn't budge. So, his patients have been moved back to the afternoon & they are keeping their fingers crossed that the truck will show up first thing in the morning so they can unload 40 boxes, unpack, sterilize & set up before the first patient arrives. It will be a hectic day, but it's ok. This is what we've worked towards.

Busy Times, but Wouldn't Change It!!

For the past several months we have been working on Jake's office--getting it designed, picking out all the details, watching it go from a dirt pad to being framed & finally almost seeing the finished product. Jake is just days away from opening up his own dental practice!! This has been such a long wait for him. Since he returned from his mission back in 1994 he has looked forward to when he would be the owner of his own dental office. I am so proud of how hard he has worked. Everything didn't just fall into place for him, either. We graduated from college in 1997 & here we are 11 years later. However, I don't think we would change any of the trials, stresses or experiences that we faced to have made it go faster. It has been an amazing ride & I know we are both stronger for all that we have gone through.
His opening day is scheduled for February 16th. He will be open on Mondays & Fridays and then continue to work at Willowtree the other days until his patient load increases enough to be on his own completely. It's hard to believe that his office will be ready by then, but things are cruising. All the equipment is going in now, carpet is finishing up and the cleaning crew comes in next week. We are so happy with how it looks. It's not the easiest job to design the inside of a dental office (Jake has put a lot of trust in me), but we really like it & have gotten several comments on how good it looks. I will post the finished product once it's completed.


This is Jake's business card. We are working on getting them out to businesses & individuals & hoping it brings people into the office. Anyone interested?--give us a call. =)

Funny how kids think

This morning at 6:30 AM, Brooklyn comes into our room. She walked around our bed to my side & I hear this THUMP. Next thing I know she just starts bawling. She makes her way to my side & tells me she hit her nose. She apparently ran into the foot board of our bed with her nose. I picked her up & pulled her into bed with me. I held her for a little bit & she kept sniffling. She sits up & tells me "Mom, my nose doesn't work". I wasn't sure I understood her so I asked her "What?". She repeated it again & I just started laughing. Jake let out a chuckle--I thought he slept through this whole ordeal, but I guess her crying did wake him up. I realized her nose had gotten stuffy from crying so much. The only way her little mind could explain to herself what was going on was that her nose just stopped working & she couldn't breathe through it anymore. What a funny little girl. I love how your little mind works, Brooke!!

Cuddle Time

Brooklyn loves her Dad!! Out of 5 girls, she is the biggest "Daddy's Girl". She can't get enough of him. It's so cute to see her just run to her daddy when he gets home & give him the biggest hug. She asks for him throughout the day wondering where he is & when he'll be home. She likes to just sit by him whenever he sits down--if he's on the floor, she's right there to climb into his lap. I think Jake really likes it. He is always so good to hold her when she wants him to & let her go do errands with him. What a great Dad!! Tonight, Brooklyn was not ready to go to bed so Jake pulled her into bed with him & read to her out of the Ensign magazine. She was enjoying every minute of it & stayed there a long time. Why don't they sit still for me?

New room for a new year

We have been telling Nicole for a while that once Brooklyn learns to sleep in her big bed than we would move things around & she could have her own room. We decided to do it on New Year's Day. She was so excited!! We put Brooklyn in with Allie & Nicole got Brooklyn's room. All the girls were willing to help so it didn't take too long. Jake was great to put the bunk beds back together & hang things on the wall for us. The results turned out great & all 3 of the girls are happy. Nicole loves her new room & promises to keep it clean just like it is now. I think she will--at least for a while. =)