On Tuesday I decided to take a drive to Waterton to see how orange the leaves were.   On the way I stopped to take this picture.  I loved the low lying clouds, and something about the hay bails made me happy.   It was such a chilly day I half expected it to SNOW!

Waterton was beautiful as always - though the trees are not nearly as vibrant as they will be in a week or two.

This next couple of pictures- I LOVE.  I know that the photos are blurry and poor quality but I snuck these shots one night at bed time.  I peeked into Abby's room to find Nate snuggled up next to Abby while she read him a story.   It melted my heart!

And then Nate noticed me watching them and flashed me the happiest smile Ever!  That was it - I fell in love with him for the umpteenth time!

One morning this week,  as we were loading Abby's lunch into her back pack I found this:  

Such a happy looking ...um... "paperclip/candy wrapper/gumball man!"   I LOVED it, and felt so proud of her creative inventions.   (Perhaps she takes after her cousin Mya in that way hey Jewel?) 

I had to post this picture of our house as it was when we purchase it almost a year ago.    Actually, I think I took this photo before we even finalized the deal, back when I used to drive through the cul- de- sac several times a day and pray that our little trailer would sell so that we could make this place "ours."    Anyways, this is how it looked then.  Notice the big Rock on the lawn.

That Rock always drove me crazy.  In fact I phoned several contractors in town and begged them to have it - just take it off our lawn.  It just seemed to be a hazard to me as I imagined it becoming a diving board for Sam or something even more wreckless. 

This is our house now, or at least as of Tuesday.   Back in the spring John made me some lattice frames and secured them to the house, so that we could transplant some clematis vines.    We also cut around the rock and thanks to my father in law, as well as some wonderful neighbors and friends in the ward we have accumulated a beautiful array of perennials this year.    All of the flowers are transplants from others!  (Well except for the Dogwood Bush on the far right.  That baby I found down by the Creek and made John to go dig it up for me.   It makes me feel a tad bit Redneck when I think of that.  (I hope that it was a legal thing to do.   ...For John's sake that is) 

Sam and all of the kids naturally LOVE to play on the Rock just as I feared, only now they have an ample supply of flowers to destroy as well.  So, smart thinking on my part eh?  

Oh and Just for Kicks I thought I'd post this picture of our cozy little home taken on Friday!  We woke up to a blanket of snow and fat falling flakes.  The kids were on cloud 9!  And I have to confess, I was pretty happy about it too.   We are probably the only family in town that was glad to see Snow!   We played Christmas music while enjoying snow man shaped pancakes!  

I'm sure all of our loved ones living far away from here are so wishing they could be with us right now!

Other events from this week: For John it has been one filled with meetings, volleyball and Young Mens. For Abby - the beginning of piano lessons (year TWO!) which we are so excited about!    For Sam- this was officially his SECOND week of earning a dollar store toy for good behavior at school. This week his prize came in the form of a bow an arrow which he says he will use to kill a bear with.     Jessica has adjusted to mornings without Sam and Abby around, and has even sat down and painted with me a time or two.   Nate has had some rough nights with a sharp little molar trying to make it's way into his cute little mouth. If only all the teeth could just come in once so we could be done with it. He's just not himself.

We enjoyed seeing John's brother Ben, his wife Kat and their little doll of a daughter Marilyn this past weekend.    We enjoyed going to the temple together and I was able to show off my stellar coordination on several different occasions.  Yes Kat- I really am that clumsy! 

All in all it was a week of accomplishments for those that I love most.   

 How did I get to be so lucky? 

Army tanks, green beens and other random thoughts

I have to rave about Sam for a moment. A week ago him and I sat down and we set a goal together. And when I say we "set a goal together" - I mean I bribed him. At any rate, we agreed that if he could be polite and behave while at school for an entire week then he could chose a Toy on the weekend. Well...he DID IT!!!! Every afternoon when I would pick up Sam from School I would ask his teacher how he was that day and each and every day she told me he had been just GREAT! Yahoo!!!! This was such a relief to me, mostly because it confirms to me something that I have always known about my son. Sam is perfectly capable of controlling his own behaviour.

He'd just doesn't always want to - that's all. ;)

Needless to say, John took him down to the local dollar store and Sam came home a very happy man with a cheap army tank transformer in his little hand. He earned it!

That's not to say he doesn't still have his moments. When he is not at school, he continues to make us laugh with his crazy ninja moves, monkey imitations, and methods of torture that he chooses to inflict on both of his sisters. Oddly enough though, I'm Ok with that!


Nate has been a bit sick this week. I've gone through the usual debate of "Is he sick? or is he Teething?" I never know. This morning though I finally got a glimpse inside his mouth and sure enough - he's got MOLARS coming up! Poor little bug. He's walking so much now, and has started to wave and clap even if nobody is around to praise him for it. It's been funny to watch him eat lately. For the most part he is a GREAT eater.However, put a pile of green beans on his tray and he has absolutely no time a day for them.

As in not interested at ALL. This usually results in a green heap of bean right below his feet.

I tell ya, he's lucky he is so cute!

My sister in law Rachel is expecting her first child (a BOY) in just a few short weeks. (Ok, who am I kidding - we all know that those last six weeks before a baby comes are the most tediously slow weeks ever.) On Saturday her husband's sister hosted a baby shower for her in Lethbridge. I enjoyed attending, and it was especially nice to get to visit with family and friends.

Lana pulled it off beautifully! I was so happy for Rach and excited for her new addition very soon (but really in like forever) and I can't wait to see Rach as a MOM. She will be such a good one.

I must confess I walked away feeling somewhat sheepish that I was not the one doing this for her. But that's alright, I could not have done as good of a job. Besides, I may not be the most supportive sister in law, but I'm determined to be a much better AUNT! I'm pretty sure all it will take is a whole lot of candy, and an endless supply of Dollar Store Toys. That seems to be my winning approach with kids lately;)


This has been a very hectic week for John. He's definitely adjusted to the back to school routine, and I think he is enjoying things. This week was extra busy however, as it consisted of stake young men's meetings, activities, and Volleyball commitments that were scheduled back to back or even in a couple of instances at the same time. This really had John scrambling and juggling. I remember one particular morning as John was saying good bye to the kids, he told them he would see them...um...well.. the next morning!! And sure enough the kids did not see him until the next day. (Not that they didn't fight me at bedtime and attempt to play the whole "please let us stay up late to see Daddy" card. The little punks!) John handles the busyness really well though, and we both know that things will calm down in a couple of months.

As far as things go for me, I am still waiting for this whole arthritis thing to clear up. It has been a bit frustrating that although things are improving, progress has been so.darn.slow. Still- things are improving! This is shaping out to be a very interesting and tutoring experience for me personally. One that has been both debilitating and facilitating all at the same time! On one hand I find myself wishing that I could just do all of the normal daily tasks that I used to do with such ease. From running, to eating to getting on my knees to pray - everything takes a little more time these days, and involves a little more ache then I'd prefer. On the other hand though, I feel that this is taking me in a direction spiritually, that I should have perhaps been going in a long time ago. It is almost as though this challenge has been tailor made to draw out all of my weakness and is making me change who I am and how I handle things. Definitely an exercise in patience. (And believe me, I have never had any desire to be patient before, so this is a good thing right?)

My thoughts keep going back to something my Bishop taught us in a combined Priesthood and Relief Society meeting a couple of weeks ago. In short, he cautioned us to not let ourselves get into a rut where we expect life to always be convenient, or comfortable, and certainly to not let those become factors that determine how we live our lives on a daily basis. His words have continued to resonate with me in a lot of ways. Not only that, but I've also had the sobering realization lately that there are people around me going through much worse. I don't mean that in an abstract "everybody has trials" sort of way but in a literal "people I know and care about are going down much more difficult paths then this" kind of way. More and more I find myself thanking God that this is ALL I have to deal with. Besides that, I always have the reassurance that this is all very Temporary.

That pretty much sums up this past week in our family. The leaves are beginning to turn yellow and I am anxiously dreaming of future drives out to Waterton. Waterton in the fall is stunning, and it isn't busy, so I feel like I get to enjoy the park all to myself! (What can I say, I'm greedy like that)

I absolutely LOVE the fall!

Thought for the Day

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude. "

My thoughts on Sam

For the past few weeks I have worried so much about my oldest boy Sam. As the beginning of school approached this year, I found myself feeling more and more anxious about how he would fit into a structured school setting. To say he is a busy boy would be an understatement.

Take this past week for example. Last Friday after his first full week of school, I asked his Teacher how he`d done that week, genuinely expecting a positive report. Her response was kind and hesitant as she told me of some of his...um antics of the week. Like the time he went the entire morning acting like a monkey all because I'd sent a banana in his lunch!

My heart sank. As parents, it is natural for us to want our kids to go out into the world and you know, share their toys, sit still, and become successful in their own little realms right? And when they don`t behave quite up to par, it is difficult to not take it a little bit personally and wonder just where exactly things went wrong. Perhaps he really was dropped as a child?

In all honestly though, Sam is not a bad boy. Rather, he is a silly boy. He is a very silly boy who loves attention and enjoys, more then anything else, to have others laugh at him. And I don't know about you, but I`ve never met a show off who could stay quiet for long! Sometimes I worry that because he is soo silly, that he will not be taken seriously, by teachers, by classmates, ...or even by HIMSELF. Even worse then that, sometimes I worry that I will never really see the potential that is in him. Yet, other times I find myself wishing that I could just suppress his energetic side a little. Not indefinately, just between the hours of 8-3 when all that he says and does has the potential to reflect on me as a parent.


This past weekend, I spent a lot of time (and I mean a LOT) talking to Sam about manners, and trying to define with him boundaries and expectations for him while he is at school. I was THRILLED today when his teacher pulled me aside and told me that Sam was like a different boy today. So "calm and subdued". She said that she almost wondered if I had medicated him - he was that different. I don't know, perhaps I should be more open to the whole medication route, but I'm just not. In reality, I simply bribed him with a dollar store toy on Saturday if he can manage to be good every.single.day.this.week.


A tall order perhaps. But one I think he is capable of.

I feel in a way as though I am trying to retrain him, and I find myself hoping that he can blend in with the rest of the kids. Be a little less goofy. A little less....Sam.

Which brings me to this great TED talk that John and I love listening to. Sir Ken Robinson speaks about the need for a Learning Revolution. One in which we stop placing kids somewhere along a linear method of teaching and measuring and instead see them for who they are and can one day become. We do our kids a great disservice by trying to train them to be models of what we think the world needs. It has motivated John, as a teacher, to teach in a way that encourages his students to find their passions. It motivates me to look at Sam with more acceptance and tolerance.

Because let`s face it, Sam may always be that kid who acts silly just for laughs. He may always beat to the sound of a different drum, so to speak. I may spend countless more hours teaching him about the importance of manners and proper etiquette. Heck- I may very well spend the next 12 years making ``Good behaviour Charts`` and bribing him with dollar store rewards.


I have to be ok with that. More then that - I have to love him for it. Because who knows- with all that energy - he might just be the one who someday solves world hunger!

And then wouldn't I be so proud!!!






Enjoy this TED talk. Very Funny, and worth the 20 minutes!

Life Lesson #478,592

Sometimes when I sit down to journal about the Days in the life of my family I struggle to know how much of my life I should share. Do I only share the positive or funny moments? Do I share the bad days or leave them out? Do I write about those moments when I perhaps have not demonstrated my best self as far as Motherhood goes- or do I gloss over them and hope that my children don't remember those days down the road? After contemplating that thought over the past couple of weeks, I've realized that the premise of this blog was to do all of the above. To record the DAYS that happen in Our Lives! We are, after all, products of our own experiences now aren't we, and so I've determined that this post will be uncensored and will contain a synopsis of our recent experiences. The good, the bad, and the down right UGLY.

On that note- this summer has been absolutely DUMB! And when I say dumb, I mean it stank! As in "stupid, dumb, boring -hate it!" How's that for a good attitude? I've been sick for most of it, battling what I thought was a weird eye/sinus infection/ allergic reaction type thing. And then there was that sprained ankle that I thought I'd acquired on this Hike, which I spent weeks hobbling around on crutches because of, even though it never really seemed to heal. One day I noticed that the supposed "sprain" began to spread until every single joint in my body was swollen and painful. After some initial blood work, we learned that it was likely not a sprain I was dealing (duh!), and those eyes were not red because of allergies - but rather they were both connected and perhaps a sign of something more serious. The preliminary diagnosis was Lupus. For days and days I tried to come to terms with that. Then opinions seemed to change to that of Rheumatoid arthritis. Most recently a specialist in Calgary has calmed many of my anxieties and told me that I definately have a type of arthritis, though hopefully a much milder and more manageable form than we initially feared. We need to wait for test results before ruling other things out and confirming what this is, but I feel a renewed sense of hope now that we are in the process of figuring this out.


Thankfully, the pain I felt for the past couple of weeks that once felt so debilitating, is now subsiding and life is feeling more and more like "normal" to me again. I have learned a few important lessons about myself through this experience that I hope not to forget. I have to admit it was a bit disappointing to realize how quickly I lost all desire to be optimistic as soon as I no longer enjoyed the comfort and conveniences that I had taken for granted up until now. In short, I have handled life like an absolute chicken. And not a cute little chicken like this:

But rather, a down right, selfish, coward of a chicken. It was a difficult realization for me that I too easily allow FEAR to take over and control how I respond to things. I would like to think that I'm not the type of person who would buckle so quickly under pressure, but I suppose moments like this reveal to us a bit of who we really are. Fortunately, I managed to let only those closest to me see me at my lowest. You know - John, the kids, my brother and sisters, a few of my "luckier" neighbors, oh yeah and my visiting teaching companion and let's see...oh anybody else who happened to ask my how I was at any given moment. There is nothing like being discreet eh! Can you say BIG BABY? I have spent many days trying to FOCUS on the true sources of strength in my life, and despite the fact that I've let this little blip consume so much of our family time lately - there have been some great moments in between that are definitely worth mentioning:




School began this past week! The biggest excitement this year has got to be the fact that Sam has now officially entered the wonderful world of kindergarten. My sister Jewel was so kind to take Sam to school each day this week for me, so I spent most of each day imagining that Sam had perhaps grown out of his rambunctious behaviour that was so typical of him at preschool. However, on Friday I talked with his teacher, who kindly and politely mentioned that Sam sure is "a very busy and silly boy." For example, there was Wednesday when I made the mistake of sending a banana in his lunch box for snack. Naturally, this meant that he had to act like a MONKEY for the rest of the day! There is a part of me that is tempted to just have Jewel drop him off and pick him up indefinitely. I'd rather not know how things are going!

Abigail was SOO excited to begin grade 2, especially because she now gets to have my Aunt Karen as her teacher. She proudly comes home and exclaims that she is the only one who gets to call her teacher "Aunt Karen" while all the other kids have to simply say, "Mrs. Toone!" Abby came home discouraged one day though- because she just wasn't sure if she wanted to remain a member of the BOY HATERS CLUB. For a moment I was touched by her all inclusive sense of kindness, but in the end I encouraged her to continue hating those boys - for just a few more years!




The start of school also marks the end of John's Time off which is always hard for me to come to terms with. September is by far the busiest month for us. Not only does John go back to work, but he immediately begins coaching volleyball which always makes for a hectic time. This year he will likely be even busier then ever as he was recently called to be the Young Men's President in our ward. That is September in our family for ya, and you know what... it really is not that bad. John juggles things well, and I have a renewed desire to be more supportive(ish) of all that he needs to do.

Jessica has felt dreadfully left out this past week as every body else leaves for the day with bag lunches and book bags in tow. I've had to appease her with promises of future walks to the park, mornings reading books, and lots of crafts! She seems to have accepted all of the above and asks me every five minutes if it is time now for her "Special Mom School" to begin.




Little Nate has begun walking! His steps are limited to under a dozen at the moment, and they are still shy and unsteady - but he is taking those steps - and his eyes light up EVERY time he manages to walk further then he did before!


Yesterday we drove out to Waterton for the first time in weeks and weeks! It was packed, and John and I resolved to never go out there during Labor Day weekend again. Still though- it felt good to be in the mountains again, even if we did have to share them with hundreds of other people. John took the kids out onto the lake and they managed to find a spot that was secluded enough for them to catch a fish. I sat along the shore and watched the people around me, and tried to listen for Sam and Abby's excited shouts that floated across the water every time they got even a bite. The leaves are just barely beginning to change color and I am looking forward to a lot of beautiful days out there this fall. September and October are by far the two BEST months in Waterton!

Our Sunday schedule has changed and today we were finished church by 11:30 am. Can I hear an AMEN to that! It was glorious. We spent the afternoon napping, reading, eating, painting together, and soon we will settle down with a bowl of popcorn to watch Americas Funniest Home Videos before the kids go to bed. Can a day get any better than that?

Today I'm feeling especially grateful for all of the blessings in my life. For siblings and family who are always there for us. For kids who make me forget myself, and for a steady rock solid husband who sees and knows all my faults, yet never holds that against me! Now is that love or is that love!

Have a great Holiday Monday!!