Just when you thought it was safe . . .

you have to look at one last Halloween post!
Kiera was really trying to get into character for her costume, Sleeping Beauty. She fell asleep while I was brushing her hair. My children NEVER just fall asleep so it was pretty funny.
Kiera thought the pumpkin smelled disgusting. She has quite a nose on her! She is very sensitive to smells.

Me finishing Kiera's pumpkin. She did all the "freckles." They were little holes poked all over the pumpkins face.

Cambria was the only kid who did her whole pumpkin by herself.

I love my Grandma so much. I am so glad that we could spend time with her. We got to eat a couple of dinners together and take a shopping trip and spend Halloween night with her.

Bubba had so much fun stacking blocks at Grammy's house. WE had so much fun in CA for Halloween. We are so glad that Nevada became a state on Oct. 31St so that we could get every Friday before Halloween off. It was very thoughtful of them. We were glad to see friends and wish we could have spent more time with them.

Next post: What is scarier than Freddy, Jason and Chucky all rolled together . . .? Something you better hope you never have to deal with.

Unprepared

I was quickly approaching the end of my rope. I had already turned off my emotions in order to think rationally and calmly, but I wouldn't be able to hold for much longer. Malachi's hands are red and largely swollen and the two different doctors I had just spent and hour and a half with were medically stumped. They had no diagnosis. Malachi is in misery. He is unable to grasp a spoon or hold a bottle and to top it all off we lost his woo (pacifier) last night and he could really benefit from it's comfort right now.

I had gone to Walmart to buy a new woo, and to get some more Slimfast. I headed to the 20 items or less express lane with my four year old sitting so nicely in the basket of the shopping cart and my two year old in my arms resting his head on my shoulder and crying softly. I waited in line patiently for someone to check out who had way more than 20 items, my total came to $11.03. I slid my credit card. It was declined. Whoops. I wrote a check. It was declined (I had expected the credit card failure but not the check.) I stood helpless and embarrassed trying to sift through my mind as quickly as possible for options. I had decided I would just come back with cash. I hadn't realized it before though I had made small talk with him, but an angel was in line directly behind me. Of course he was in disguise. He wouldn't openly flaunt his angelic likeness. Instead he wore a faded baseball cap over his graying hair and a red t-shirt. His face was kind. His tone was gentle. He asked the cashier how much it was. He said he'd just pay for it too. I quickly declined letting him know that I would return shortly with cash to pay. The cashier told me "There really are nice people." I could have handled more bad news or disappointment, but what I was not prepared for was kindness. My eyes began to swim as I thanked him. He said he had four daughters and sometimes things just happen.

I wrote a check out to him. In the section labeled for: I wrote "being my hero." How do you repay an angel. You can't really unless you pay it forward.

If you know a Frank Larsen, give him a hug for me. His kindness came at a time when it was least expected. He paid for a stranger and he will never know how it touched my heart. Tonight his name will hang on a leaf cut out of construction paper. I will tape it to a picture of a tree we cut out and hung on our wall. It is our Tree of Thanks. Each night after dinner we hang a leaf with something we are thankful for. Tonight I will hang his name. Frank Larsen.

I love Photography!

So I may be an amateur, but one thing is for sure . . .I love taking pictures. I have loved photography from an early age and now I ask myself how did I never take a class? Not in college, not in high school. Where were my priorities? Someday I promise myself to pursue this interest though it will most likely be when all my kiddos are in school. Someday I promise to take a photography course.


This is Matthew.
To see more, click here.

Want me to take your portraits? I ain't a pro, but I'll do a mini shoot for you for $25 that includes a CD. It'll be great. I'll get practice and you'll get pictures to send out in your Christmas card.

I have lots more to say involvng:

A.) Halloween

B.) Lice

Trust me . . .you don't want to miss it.

The Agony of Defeat

When you want something so bad, it seems like you can will yourself to get it. You can taste sweet victory in your mouth, so when that taste turns into the sour taste of defeat, life can be hard to deal with. Especially when you are six.
To the desert dwellers it seemed unbearably cold. The thermostat tapped out at 53 degrees. Spectators were swathed in blankets and jackets and hats. Nothing seemed to cut the chill.

Today was the day for the annual Pumpkin Run. Each grade level raced and the first 20 or so to cross the finish line won pumpkins. Cambria won a pumpkin last year.

Unfortunately this year she followed some bad advice given to her by her mother. "Just follow Spike the Bull Dog. He'll lead you to the finish line.

Spike was on the opposite side of the field from Cambria. So instead of running in a straight line, She zig zagged through the crowed of runners trying to claim a spot behind the Bull Dog. This is what lost her the race. Instead of running to the finish line- she was trying to find the dog. I am sure there is a lesson in that somewhere. Cambria is in the orange sweater.

The Agony.

The comfort.

This little guy came in thrid place in his group. We love him. He offerede to give his pumpkin to Cambria. Isn't that sweet? Who says chivalry is dead?

Birthday, new bed and Halloween Party for FHE

Thank you for all the birthday wishes and cards, phone calls,blog comments and the surprise birthday party! It really made for a special day. I am thankful for family and friends who make my life happy! The night of my birthday we had a super craft night for RS. I was so excited to spend the night painting and gluing and Kai was so excited because he got to go to the high school football game. I still have to finish up a few things but then I will take pictures and post the things I made:)

My mom sent me these pretty flowers.

started this tradition on my 18 birthday when I lived in Hawaii.

They are the perfect Fall bouquet!

On Saturday (the day after my birthday)I was fooled into attending a surprise birthday party for myself. I think the mastermind behind the party was my friend Dee Dee. There was food and cake and flowers and most importantly good friends. We don't really have family around here that we spend much time with. Many of our friends have filled that role for us and we feel blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives.

The day of my birthday, I had help making a yummy birthday cake. Kai mixed it all up and I frosted it.

Malachi has learned how to climb out of his crib. This is a first for me since I usually remove my babies from their cribs before they climb out. I usually need a crib for a new baby- not this time!Kai went to check on him the other night and this is what he found. I tried to buy a bed rail at Walmart but they didn't have any:(

Last night for FHE we attended a Halloween Party! There were so many people there and they had a few fun activities for the kids to play. It was a great night! I had a witch, Princess Aurora and Curious George.

Malachi and Abigail

Kiera, Maverick and Savannah

Fun Family!

Fun Kids!

Fun Adults

Fun Legs!

Fun Cannon!

She couldn't find her witch's broom so she tried out the cannon!

Love that chubby face!

Sleeping Beauty missing her bed.

Happy Halloween!

My Special Day

Forever 29- that's what I'll call it.
October 23Rd is the day I celebrate my birth. While it is no longer a day of celebration with candles and gifts and toys like it was when I was a kid, I still enjoy it. How can anyone not feel special on their birthday. It's like a day filled with the possibility of magic.

These are a few of the memories that are fun to

consider in my brief . . .ahem . . . 29 years:

1. Scoring the game winning soccer goal in double sudden death overtime in the second game of CIF Senior year
2. Being accepted to BYU-Hawaii
3.Meeting Kai in the lounge of Hale 3. He sent my heart a flutter.
4. Surfing Waikiki and the North Shore of Oahu
5. A Dance Performance with the Spanish Club for Culture Night at BYUH
6. Founder and CEO of the first ever soccer club at BYUH (we played Chaminade, UH, HPU and many North Shore club teams- so fun to play soccer on a filed by the ocean!)
7. Marrying Kai- the best man I could ever have chosen
8. Being the Relief Society President of the married BYUH 14TH ward in Laie. I learned so much.
9. Giving Birth to Cambria
10. Giving Birth to Kiera
11. Buying our first house (even if it was in Mesquite)
12. Giving Birth to Malachi

I feel so incredibly blessed to have the family that I have. My husband is wonderful and always keeps me on my toes, my children are great and the way they interact with their dad melts my heart. I have everything I always wanted when I was growing up and I also have everything I never knew I always wanted. What more could you want on your birthday?! (Besides a new shirt or two?)

Dead things and other true stories

I gasped as I entered the large room and surveyed the horrific scene before my very eyes. There were hundreds of them. Motionless. Still. Carcasses littered the area as far as the eye could see. Their arms and legs lay motionless at their side; they had stopped dead in their tracks. I was overwhelmed with disgust and my body fought the wave of nausea that threatened to breach the borders of my stomach. My mind quickly flashed back to a time in my youth. It’s funny how an entire memory can be relived in mere seconds. I was eleven. We were at a restaurant with my family ordering from the menu when my cousin interrupted this routine event with a shrieking scream. I immediately looked to see why such a sound of fear had been squeezed from deep with in her soul when I saw them. There were three of them. Dead, not too far from where we sat. At the time I was unmoved and a little embarrassed by her shrill cry. My cousin couldn't understand why I wasn’t filled with the same sense of horror that she was. I had seen dead bodies like these before. Truth be told, I had even killed a time or two myself. Even at my young tender age I knew that killing was sometimes necessary. Sometimes,
it was even . . .satisfying. I distanced myself from my cousin quickly not wanting to be a part of the commotion that would inevitable come next. The clean up.

Decades later I finally felt the complete and utter horror that my cousin had felt that day in the restaurant; as I stepped onto a scene where hundreds lay dead before me. The only difference between now and other time was the shear number of dead and broken bodies and of course that this time it was on my turf and not a restaurant. How could this happen? How could so many of them penetrate the walls designed specifically meant to keep them out? These intruders must have found the weak link in our armor and it was up to me to locate it and increase our defenses. I have to protect my family. This was supposed to be my safe place. I didn’t know what had caused them to gather and die in this location and I might not find out in the near future but I knew I had to compose my self. I knew I had to think- to move myself to action. I cleared the fog of disgust from my head and got to work. I rolled up my sleeves, went to the kitchen sink, grabbed a paper towel and began squirting it with dish soap almost simultaneously. I wrung out the excess water and began wiping, cleaning and removing the lifeless bodies of ants that had invaded kitchen counter.

One more Dead topic:
I got a phone call from a member of our ward. He needed help at work and wondered if Kai was available. He wasn't. I asked if I should have Kai call him back. He said he would call back if he couldn't find anyone else to help. I didn't know what he needed help with. He called back 20 minutes later. Kai had returned home by this time. Turns out this guy works at the morgue and needed help going to pick up a body. Kai's a good sport. I am sure that is one thing Kai thought he would never do. He dressed up in a white shirt and tie and helped the man in our ward do his job. Could you do that?
I have so much to post about . . . nothing special, but lots of little moments that I don't want to forget.

H1N1
I thought I would share just a little bit of the
data I gathered regarding the H1N1 shot.
Dr. Marc Siegle (for vaccine) and Dr. Kent Holtorf (against vaccine) had differing views and this is what they had to say:

Dr. Siegle said:
-5-24 year olds more likely to contract H1n1
-The older generation seems to have a better resistance to H1N1
-H1N1 seems to be killing people in the age range their 20's-40's (which doesn't seem to fit with the whole 5-24 year olds most likely to get it)
-pregnant women at higher risk
-14 year olds are more at risk than 60 year olds
-people with asthma or other illnesses should NOT be vaccinated for H1N1- you MUST be totally healthy. (this Dr. said he will vaccinate all in his family except his 4 year old son with asthma)
- Says thimerisol should NOT be used in any vaccine.
Dr. Holtorf says:
-Thimerisol should not be used in any vaccine also
-says he is worried about how well vaccine has been tested
-says there are multiple versions of H1N1 and vaccine will not work for all strains
-We don't know what future consequences of vaccine could be since it has only existed for 6 months
-In 1976 an H1N1 vaccine was created and it killed hundreds and caused severe neurological damage in many others who were not killed by vaccine.
- There have only been 24 clinical trials. (The reg flu shot only goes through 2 clinical trials.)
- He says he would never give his children anything that contained thimerisol, but he would consider giving the nasal flu vaccine.

Thimerisol is a neuro toxin- also know as mercury and it is used in all/most multiple dose vaccinations (this includes childhood immunizations). To get any vaccination that does not have thimerisol in it you must request it and often you must pay more for it. (I actually did this with Cambria's vaccinations) Along with being a neuro toxin that actually collect and stores in you brain, some there is much debate as to whether or not this ingredient causes autism and Alzheimer's.


Bull Dog Pride
There is no mistaking that I live in a small town. I can't say that I completely hate it anymore, but I still won't say that I love it. There are some really perks that come with small town livin'. One of those things being that teachers have connections- so do principals for that matter. Kai's mom in the Principal for the elementary school that Cambria attends. If you know Cambria, then you know that she likes parades. She doesn't just like parades, she longs to be in them.
Good old Grandma (or Maama as we call her) called and invited us to be in the homecoming parade with her. I don't think she wanted to walk alone:) I hesitated for a moment (because it is not my dream to be in a parade) and finally agreed knowing what it would mean to my eldest. It was fun. We even threw candy out to the adoring crowd.

Mini Cheer

Those of you who know me know that I come from a world of boy. The girl thing is new and exciting to me. My girls got to participate in a fundraiser event that the cheerleaders put on for the one and only high school in our town. For a week the girl's got to learn two cheers and perform at the football game's half time.

When I say that my kids learned two cheers I should put that in quotes or italics or something, they had fun, but I don't know how much was really learned. They couldn't do the cheers for you today if you asked them to and it has only been two days. I need to put them in a really good dance class so they can learn to move like girls. Kai loves to dance and he has been very generous in passing on his knowledge to his children. They can do the funky chicken, the sprinkler, some scary modern dance moves and the dance where you shake your knees back and forth while moving your hands in front of them, OH and don't let me forget the ROBOT. Big sigh.

Aren't these two really funny faces. They make me laugh. I just love these little girls!

Oh yeah, the other good thing about small town teacher stardom:

As parents we weren't allowed to go down onto the field to watch the performance until one minute before half time started. I didn't like this idea because it hardly gave me a chance to set up a good place to take pictures and watch the show (turns out my pictures turned out bad anyway). I walked to the ticket booth hoping for leniency when I saw our ward primary president taking tickets. She said I could probably get in just because I was Kai's wife. I walked to the ticket place and asked about getting on to the field with my pink mini drill ticket. She said I would have to wait until half time (even though I saw a cup on her table where she had already accepted other pink tickets identical to mine.) I said "Um, I'm Kai Davis's wife do you know him?" She said a little to loudly "Oh you're Kai's wife, well then you get to go right on in!" She promptly stamped my hand with a bull dog paw and sent me on my way. I was glad it worked.

Until the next time . . .ALoooooooooooooooooooooooha!

I guess I better add this:

I have decided not to vaccinate. I never get the flu shot and I have never given my kids the flu shot. I didn't know if I needed to make an acception this year or not but I have decided not to. I know that there are risks in getting sick, but I just don't feel comfortable the vaccine.I don't think it is bad to ask why someone decided to get the vaccine. Who knows, the reason that made them decide to vaccinate might be something that would make you consider it. That is why I asked in the first place. I am sorry you had that experience.This is why I decided not to:1. I don't like thimerisol and where I live you can't get a vaccination without it2. You have to be completely healthy to get the shot- we have all had colds for the lst two weeks3. I just feel uncomfortable getting a vaccine for something like the flu. I know people have died from it, but I wonder what their current health situation was like in the first place. Were they relatively healthy? Were they dehydrated? Were they unable to control their fever? Were there other complications?4. I just don't feel comfortable with the actual make up of the vaccine. 6 months is not along time to be tested. We have no idea about long term effects. In the late 1800's one military doctor used to give a spoonful of arsenic to cure malaria. If he had know what we know now- that would never had happened.This is long and I hold no feelings of contempt for those who choose to vaccinate. I won't even think bad thoughts in my mind:). We all have our own reasons to do so and who really knows who is right. Only time will tell.

SO Yummy!

Caramel Chocolate Cinnamon Apples . . . m m m m!
If you are fortunate enough to live in Mesquite (or Scenic or Beaver Dam) then you are in for a treat. My friend Lori sells these lovely little treats for four dollars a piece. She sold out of her last batch at our boutique on Thursday but in two weeks she will be making more.

My mouth is watering just thinking about them. My preggo Sister in law ordered 4!
I am not joking when I say these are the best candy apples you will ever have!

Let me know if you want one and I will tell you how to get in touch with Lori. You can pay her when she delivers them to you:)

I have a lot more to post about but it will have wait!
For a little more info check out Say It Sweetly!

TODAY! Craft Boutique!!

First off, I really appreciate every one's thoughtful comments about H1N1. You all have given me a lot to think about and I appreciate the discussion. I would love to hear more thoughts about it if anyone feels so inclined to make additional posts as more info becomes available or more of you have personal experiences. I also have some research to post about it but I'll do that when I have a little more time. Thank you so for for commenting!

I wanted to announce this:

If anyone happens to look at this blog today and lives in the Mesquite area . . . please come. It will be OUTSIDE on the front lawn of Angela Shaner's home right behind Maverick's gas station.

The prices are great- so much under $20! Buy something for you or make a dent in your Christmas shopping list! Bring your kids . . . don't worry about finding a baby sitter!

Call all your friends and tell them today! (sorry about the late notice!)

A Penny For Your Thoughts

Please Comment on this Post!:)

That sounds like a desperate plea and in a way it kind of is . . . but not for the reason you may think.

I have heard so much about the H1N1 virus (the horrible flu) and about the the H1N1 immunization. I want to know what the rest of the mother's think out there. Is it safe? Will you vaccinate your child with H1N1? Tomorrow Glen Beck is having a panel of doctor's on his show. The hour will be spilt giving equal time to doctor's of opposing views. One half says- Don't get it -it's not safe, the other half says you'd be crazy not to protect yourself. So how do you know who to believe? Is it safe or isn't it?

I really want to know what other moms are deciding and their reasoning behind it. Will you please leave your thoughts in comment form? Pretty please?

General Conference Weekend

What a great two days! There were so many great general conference talks. I found myself getting teary and emotional so many times. During the first session this morning Kai built the kids a huge tent to crawl through while they listened to the speakers. Kiera said it was the best Sunday ever!

During the second sessions we had three young men who came to join us. They go to church even though their parents don't. I have so much respect for them because what kid would go to church if they didn't have parents encouraging or forcing them to go. One young man is actually an investigator. He has been attending seminary as well as Sunday meetings and the weekly young men's night activities. He said conference was so amazing.

These missionaries have been working hard to teach him. Me and Kai think it is so funny that they are on a tandem bike! (I hate them; the bike not the missionaries- I broke my arm riding one when I was nine. I had to have two surgeries, four pins and lots of therapy before my hand even started to work again a year and a half after the brake. I saw that two seater bike and my whole body is seized with fear- not really, but I sure don't get the warm fuzzies when I see those kinds of bike.

Speaking of warm fuzzies- President Monson got a full jar of "warm fuzzies" for his birthday- each one representing an act of service that a young primary class did. I thought that was such a cute idea.
I just wanted to record some of my favorite quotes from conference. These are not perfect verbatim quotes because I can't write that fast anymore:)

President Monson said "Those who give themselves in service to others save their own lives."

"We spend too much time on things that don't matter at all in the grand scheme of things."

As a family we will now ask around the dinner table each night what we did to help someone earlier in the day.

Elder Holland:
"Love. Healing. Help. Hope. This is the power of Christ to counter all troubles in all times. That is the safe harbor of the gospel of Jesus Christ that our Heavenly Father wants us to find.

Some one's Great Grandpa said of the Book of Mormon:
"No wicked man could write such a book as this, and no good man would write it unless it were true and he were commanded to do so."

Elder Holland closed his talk with his testimony saying:
" I declare to the world that the Book of Mormon is true. That it came forth the way Joseph said it did. That it was given to give happiness and hope to the faithful in the travails in the last days."
Christ said "Whosoever treasureth my word will not be deceived."

Michael T. Ringwood of the 70 said:
" Some may find they have periods in their lives when it is easy to believe the word of God- Like when we are children. Sometimes we realize that it is not the circumstance that made it easy to believe but the commitment to be on your knees more in prayer more often that you read the scriptures more often. When we live the gospel daily our softened hearts are able to hear the whispers of God.

I witness that the willingness to believe will come from doing those seemingly insignificant things taught to us since our youth. It will bring an outpourings of the spirit. Read. Pray. Attend church. Be submissive and gentle full of patience.

Jesus is the Son of God. He is our shepperd and those with easiness and willingness to believe will hear his voice."

Elder Christofferson (sp?)
"We all posses moral agency and the right to be accountable for the consequences of our choices."

"Moral discipline is the consistent exercise of agency to choose the right because it is right even when it is hard."

"The societies in which we live have failed for more than a generation to foster a moral discipline. They have taught that truth is relative and that everyone decides for himself and herself what is right and what is wrong. Concepts such as sin and wrong has been condemned as value judgements."

As the Lord said "Every man walketh in his own way after the image of his own God."

"As a consequence self discipline has eroded and societies are left to try and maintain order and civility by compulsion. The lack of internal control by individuals breed extreme control by governments. Our increase reliance on laws to regulate our behavior is a measure of how uncivilized we've become."

An internal moral compass is the only thing to improve societal decay." ________________

There was more that I like but I'll spare anymore writings . . .

This is how we ended the day . . .

Brrrr, it's cold outside!

It is officially official. I have desert children; children who love the sun and heat.

Yesterday morning was perfect. It had cooled to 80 degrees and the breeze in the air was actually cool instead of fiery. I opened the van doors to escort my brood to school and what do you think I hear them say?
One says, "Oh, it's s o cold!"
And another says, "Mom, you should have checked the weather so I would have known to wear a jacket!"
And I am sure if the other could speak he would say, "I need a blanket to wrap up in- it is freezing!"
(Big sigh) I thought it felt wonderful.
This morning it was even colder. It was only 74 degrees. Cambria had goose bumps.


I thought this flower in my back yard could make a good object lesson for my young women's class. It didn't survive Kai's edging and I was ready to clip it of win the spot on the stem where it broke, but then I thought I would leave it and see what happened. It had no flower on it at the time. But look at it now. Despite being broken and beaten, it decided to bloom anyway. It even has two more buds that will soon bloom as well. I though this could be a good life analogy. We all have trials. We all get beaten and bruised at times, but we can bloom anyway. We can bloom despite heart brake and despair and trial and tragedy. There is always hope.

In other news, I have a few upcoming events that I am very excited about. When I became a mother it defined me. I have loved every moment of motherhood tremendously, but I haven't really done much over the last 6-7 years that were just for me. So, I am really excited to go to Time-Out for Women (a two day conference in St. George) in November. There will be some great speakers and two musical performers and I can hardly wait to attend. I am also hoping to recruit a few family members to go with me. We have to register by October 5Th and you get a ten dollar discount if you have a group of five or more. I am so excited!

Also, I am signing up to take a two day writing seminar in October with some professor whose name I can't remember. I am so excited because I have been trying to write a novel and sometimes it is pretty hard. I also don't really know what to do after I finish the novel (if that ever happens). I want to know about getting it professionally edited and how or if to get an agent to help me submit it to different publishers. Little Brown and Co. won't even look at a manuscript unless it has been submitted by an agent. I hope to get some good ideas and get pointed in the right direction.

This is also the month of my birth and I am happy to announce that I will be 29 (again). Also a few friends and I are hoping to do a few boutiques again this year and I am just really excited to have things to look forward to.