"Eagle Port of Honor"

I can't speak highly enough of both of my brothers!  Maybe someday, my little boys will grow up to be just like their Uncles "Tater" and "Bebes"!  Maybe someday I will get to show this picture on a slide show at Tyson & Emmett's "Eagle Port of Honor"...(that's what Tyson calls it, haha!).

 More than a year after Taylor did his Eagle Project, and within a year of Heber doing his project, they were able to work the paperwork out to have their Eagle Court of Honor at the same time.  We had it January 29th and it turned out awesome!

 You can't buy the glow that comes from hard work, dedication, and service. 
 Taylor is so handsome!!!

 You can't buy the genuine love that these boy scouts show EVERY DAY to their friends and family.  Heber is handsome & loveable, too.  ...Mitch...I can't believe you got in the shot like that, haha!

 Liberty the Eagle Ambassador came to visit.  It was awesome!  Tyson was amazed at her shiny "boogers" when we were up close.  Oh, goodness.  Boys will be boys, right?

 We feel the missing pang in our hearts every time we take a group shot of us without Erin!  We love you, Erin & know you would have loved to have been there!  We know you are bursting with pride for your brothers, too!

 Senator Allen came and spoke to us!  How we love our affectionately named "Aunt Civil Rights" or "Aunt Civil Defense"...pick your favorite...I just call her "Aunt Civil"! 

Also, I shant forget to mention that you need to look at all of Heber's merit badges...I have never seen so many!  He had a goal to earn all of the possible badges...I don't know if he's reached that goal, yet, but he's sure done an amazing job working towards that goal!

 Linda Abbott of the Gilbert Town Council came, too!  We appreciated her support for Taylor & for our family!

 My mom & dad were so happy that night!  They're even happier that the boys did all the work themselves--they truly EARNED their eagles!  (My dad & his trio, Three2U sang at the ceremony, too).

This picture was actually from the middle of last year, but I included it, because it meant a lot to me that Taylor invited me to be on his Eagle Board of Review.  What an honor that he called me!  I actually didn't get to be in his room because the rules are different than they used to be, but the fact that he asked me to come was enough.  I was so happy to be there when he "passed" his board of review for his Eagle.  He's a great kid, and I love him so much!  I get choked up just writing about it!

I hope my brothers continue on being great American citizens, and continue to apply all the lessons they've learned through scouting.  There is something to be said for getting this far--they have learned lessons that they would have learned in no other way.  Way to be boys!  I hope my boys grow up to be just like you!

We should all strive to be

PHYSICALLY STRONG, MENTALLY AWAKE, AND MORALLY STRAIGHT!

Time to Celebrate: Before/After Weight Loss

You're not going to believe this...maybe you will...when I get pregnant I pretty much blow up like a balloon.  I have no idea why & it's not really fair or fun...and trust me, no one on this planet is more acutely aware of how much weight I'm gaining than I am...when I had Tyson, at delivery I was 50 pounds heavier than before I was pregnant, and my goal with Emmett was to gain less than 50 pounds.  Well...that didn't happen...after the most difficult pregnancy I've ever experienced, I was a whopping 67 pounds heavier than before I got pregnant...that's a lot of weight for just 9 months.  A full 20 pounds of that was pure swelling that fell off within a week of having Emmett, but I was still left with a devestaing 47 pounds to lose.  I knew that since I lost my baby weight with Tyson, that I could do it again.  But let me tell you, it hasn't been easy.

 This is my before picture--Christmas Trees 2009...I didn't zoom in more, because I personally LOVE Stetson's face in this picture. LOL, and I didn't want you to get TOO close of a view of muah.



A year and 3 months later...  WOOT! 

Good-bye Baby weight!!!!

After blood (yes, blood--it happened hiking once),

MUCH sweat,

and yes...there have been tears along this path...

...here is my weight loss award acceptance speech:

I would like personally thank my husband, Mitchell, for being so supportive and watching the children at any hour of the day or night that I wanted/needed to exercize (and thanks to my mom for also helping with the kids & inspiring me to celebrate this milestone now instead of waiting a few more months until I lose x more pounds, because this has been a big accomplishment for me).  After many prayers for help, I believe that Heavenly Father answered my prayers in the form of the following motivating people with similar health goals:  my running partners including my DAD, and brothers Taylor and Heber, my "coach" & friend Ashley, and my friend Rachel, my Slim in 6 group: Kari, Pam, Carol, Ashley, Anjuli, my weight loss e-mail diatribe that included people already listed and Cherryl, too, all my friends from any of the Beach Body series--P90X & Insanity--I love you (wish I owned the DVD's, but thanks to Kari for sharing and motivating!).  I should also give a shout out to The Biggest Loser Workout Video, the fitness channel, the Spark People website, my sister's health blog, the gazelle machine given to me by my friend Meghan, Sue's treadmill, the most recent 10K race I participated in, and the heart rate monitor on loan from Ash.  And I mustn't forget to mention the website Operation Beautiful that helped me with my self-esteem along the way, Jodi's surplus of make-up that helps me feel pretty, and I need to thank the YW program for helping me to remember what true beauty really is. 
Seriously, you guys ARE THE BEST! 

*No thanks to the gym that fraudulently sold my membership to another company and cost me a lot of time and money fixing it...especially because it's the SAME gym whose child care center (in ONLY 1 VISIT, mind you) gave my children pink eye and the worst case of croupe that I've ever seen resulting in the depletion of our Emergency Fund at an ER visit to stop my baby's chest from convulsing and having spasms every breath he tried to take.   Also, no thanks for the 8 Weeks to a Better You program, in which I miserably lost my $20 and motivation, resulting in a few steps backwards (it was a nice idea, but it just didn't work for me).

Not All Emoticons are Created Equal

In the eternal scheme of things, I suppose this doesn't even matter. . . . . .
                        . . . . . but let me tell you about something that bugs me!

If your cell phone carrier gives you the option to create a signature at the end of your text messages, and when that signature lets you include an emoticon, your cell phone company needs to be smart enough to transport the emoticon correctly to ALL other cell phones, not just people who have the same make and model.  I'm so irritated. 

All I want is for my cute little heart before my name to transport correctly to my friends' phones.  Is that too much to ask? 

Apparently it is too much to ask, because all they see is <<**D-Jo>. 

That is SO LAME! 

And when my husband wants to send me a

kissy face emoticon, all I get to see is :X  

TOTALLY NOT COOL! 

Will someone please coordinate the emoticon languages to something universal that all the cell phones can read?  I CAN'T TAKE THE EMOTICON INJUSTICE ANYMORE!  : )

A Few Moments of Joy Can Make You Forget the Pain

I have many, many cousins.  Of all of them, my cousin Jilliam has the most unique story.  In my opinion, he has a sad tale--a situation that breaks my heart and makes me wonder what the Lord possibly has in store for him when this life is over.  What is in that mansion in Heaven that will make up for the nights and days of loneliness, and the life-long struggle of having a disabled body?  It will have to be glorious, because I cannot even imagine what it could be....

Jilliam is not the usual case in a group home for disabled people. 

He is mentally sound, he is literate and witty, he understands you and can communicate back...

...if you are willing to wait long enough to listen. 

Jilliam was born with Cerebral Palsy, and so his muscles did not develop the way they should have.  His hands and body cannot function in the easy ways we take for granted, and if he wants to communicate, someone has to hand him a stick and he will pain-stakingly use his body to bend over and push one key at a time.  A conversation that would take you 2 minutes could easily take him 20.  I can tell you from personal experience that it is worth waiting to hear what he has to say.

For Christmas last year, he worked on this gorgeous card.  It was my favorite Christmas gift by far, and it still makes me cry that he gave this to me.  This card, given on Christmas Day was the sweetest, most thoughtful, and unexpected gift I had received.  I will save it forever!

My family came to visit Jilliam with me, and we all had a wonderful time.  We sang him some carols and then we all sang O Holy Night with his computer machine. :) 

We made some funny faces and laughed so hard!

And Jilliam raised his arms to flex his BUFF muscles to match the BOD cologne the family gave him.

Tonight we were able to have a Surprise Party for him!  It turned out GREAT!

It's a good thing we only had one candle, because we forgot the matches & had to modify how we planned to light it. : )

Jodi and I decorated his front port in the middle of the night so that he would wake up to confetti, streamers, and a sign calling him an OLD MAN for his OVER-THE-HILL 40th Birthday.  : :)

Tyson's gift was to decorate Jilliam's wheelchair.  At Christmas time he told me he wanted to do that, so tonight he got his wish, and Jilliam got ROCKET stickers on his wheelchair. : )

 Using Mitch's own words, my husband is a "flippin' genius".  We pulled out the croquet set and Mitch-Gyver strapped the croquet mallet to Jilliam's wheel-chair.  It was a beautiful sight!

 Mitch was a great coach, and Jilliam's friend, Ryan, got to play, too!

We had a lovely group assembled to celebrate with Jilliam!  This wasn't even half of them!  Jacob and Velma made it, so did some friends, employees and staff of the care facilities, another group home also came to partay with pizza, cake, happy faces, and fun!  You only turn 40 once!

 

If you've read this far, I want to tell you one more thing...

Jilliam is a thoughtful, loving, sacred soul.  He is an indispensable part of my family.  When he used to live in Prescott, before the facebook world existed, and before I had text messaging service, we would call on the phone.  I would ask questions and he would type his response into his computer as I would wait, and then he would push the button that made his computer voice read to me what he was trying to say.  Sometimes I would have to ask him to push that button 3 or 4 times before I could understand what the computer voice said over the telephone receiver.

One night he called me to talk about some things on his mind and to see how I was doing.  I was lying in bed and full of sorrow of my own.  I had just lost, yet again, another baby by miscarriage.  He asked me what was wrong and I had to tell him "I'm losing my baby."  I explained that the baby had been growing like it was supposed to and all of a sudden at the doctor's appointment, there was no longer a heart beat.  And in order to find out why this kept happening, I had to have surgery and testing...not to mention, my heart was broken.  I can still hear his gentle voice mourning for me.  He was in a situation of his own where his hand was having problems, and in order to keep his limited mobility, he was going to have to have a second surgery the next day on his hand.  He was scared of what might would happen, the long recovery and was worried that the surgery might not be worth it.  That night we cried together and lifted each other's burdens in a way that still lifts my soul.

With all of the modern helps we have, and even with loving people in his life, he still has the hardest life-long set of circumstances of anyone I know.  I have been learning that all it takes is a few moments of joy to change someone else's day--and to change your own day for that matter.  Spending time together with friends and family is like a fountain of healing-balm that we must commit to partake from often. 

I am a better person for knowing Jilliam. I'm so lucky to be related to him. I love him.

True Love is a Beautiful Thing

 Last night/this morning I was woken up by a phone call--Lindsay was on my doorstep.  I didn't know what for, but I obviously let her in, because she's welcome at any hour of the day or night.  I opened the door & Mike was with her...I don't know why I didn't catch the clue until she grinned and said, "I'm engaged!"   Haha!  I was so happy!  I gave her a big hug and the next couple of hours looked like this:

 In the digital age, it was necessary to use the lap top and announce to everyone on facebook the fantastic news. : )  Such a funny world we live in, but here I am blogging about it. 

Aren't they so cute?  They're so happy!

Last night there was a lot of texting and sharing the news.  They already have a date, and lots of plans. It makes me happy, because it's all a great plan!  Last night I was pretty much just happy & excited for them.  Today I've gotten choked up a couple times!  I'm so happy for Lindsay.  She's been there for me so many times, and I'm so excited that she's getting the desire of her heart--to marry a worthy man in the temple for time and all eternity & start the journey of love and family with with him.  We really like Mike--we've been routing for him since the first night we heard about him.  Since we've met him, we've just liked his personality and the way he deals with things, not to mention that he's funny & is an all around great guy and a perfect match for Lindsay!  He really does love her & he shows it.

Proof that we woke up just to celebrate. : )  Mitch's hair is sticking up a little, but you can't tell because half of his face is cut off, Haha!

I had an experience yesterday morning where I was feeling irritable, but really that means that I was being the irritating one.  I apologized to Mitch a little later and he said to me:  "I love you forever".  What he said to me made me feel the Spirit.  I know he loves me & I know he loves me no matter what.  It made me want to be better and it made me wonder if I do the same for him--if I show love and express it even in the moments where maybe he feels like he should just be apologizing instead of receiving love.  I hope so--I hope that I fill the void he needs on his bad days and I hope that I express true love.

I think that's what love & marriage is all about.  It's about the good days, the bad days, and all the days in between. It's about having a confidant for anything and everything.  It's about service, kindness, and cherishing each other NO MATTER WHAT.

I love being married--it has enriched my life in ways I could have never imagined.  I believe I have found true love & that it's beautiful, and so when I see it in action in the lives of other people, too, (especially of a dear friend) it makes me get all choked up inside because I know that they'll be able to find the same happiness by taking this leap of faith and this wonderful step forward.  WHOO HOO!  It's so great! 
We love you and are happy for you Mike & Lindsay!  Congratulations on getting engaged!

My Desperately Important Scarf...

...and Bebe's Birthday.  :)



I own a scarf.  I love that I have a scarf!  I almost never ever need a scarf, but I wanted one, and Christmas morning, my DREAMS came true!  Mitchell bought me the one thing I could not live without when we were at Disneyland this year, and he hid it until Christmas--he even put on the best believable facade ever--being disinterested & annoyed that I would want to make such a frivolous purchase that day.  So I restrained, and he bought it behind my back anyway.  I LOVE HIM!  Don't you love the scarf, too?  It's so beautiful!  I also got the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic for Christmas from Taylor, and I can relate COMPLETELY to the Girl in the Green Scarf.  Sometimes the manikins just speak to you, and sometimes you just really must have that "Desperately Important Scarf".

As for this picture--I love it for another reason, too, besides the fact that I'm sporting my new scarf in it. :)  Heber had a birthday, again.  But this year, more than ever, I just look at him and wonder where the time went.  He's the baby of the family, and as the oldest sister, I used to just cart him around on my hip.  There are 12 years between us, but I have always felt close to my brother, Heber.  He's a great kid!  I used to hug him and tell him I was going to squeeze him forever.  Sometimes you just wish you could!  I've always thought he was adorable & we'd squeeze his chubby little cheeks.  I don't know what happened, but his face isn't round anymore, he's taller than ALL of his siblings and just keeps growing, and at school last year, his coach nicknamed him "Casanova".  Wouldn't those girls just leave him alone?  He's MY baby brother!  : )  He cracks me up, because for New Year's we were shooting off so many fireworks that when my mom asked him what kind of cake he wanted, he decided he wanted a bomb-cake.  My mom with all of her creative cake-making skills once again delivered an original masterpiece, and it was tasty! 

Happy 15th, Mista Hebe!

Funny Conversations

D-Jo:  Remember, there are salt water animals and freshwater animals, and the salt water animals would die in a lake or river, so they have to stay in the ocean.  And the goldfish and other freshwater animals can only live in the lakes because the ocean is too salty.
Tyson:  Let's just mix the sea water and the fresh water together.
D-Jo:  You can't really do that, because then the salty water wouldn't be salty enough for the salt water animals, and the freshwater wouldn't be good enough for those animals and they would both die.
Tyson:  Okay, well then the catfish and the dogfish will just need to stay in the freshwater at Lake Powell.
D-Jo:  Right.  : )


D-Jo: (Reading) Rinoceros are the only animals with horns on their noses.
Tyson:  What about Triceratops?  Triceratops have horns.
D-Jo:  Yeah, but Triceratops are not alive anymore.
Tyson:  YES THEY ARE!
D-Jo:  No they're not, because they're dinosaurs.
Tyson:  Triceratops are alive anymore!
D-Jo:  Really?  Where?
Tyson:  They are alive at the jungle!!!!

Tyson (to me & Mitch):  I love you both more than 3 garbage trucks.
Mitch:  Are they full or empty garbage trucks?
Tyson:  (LONG pause & contemplation)  Full.  Dey are full.  I love you more than 3 FULL garbage trucks!!!

The next day:

Tyson:  Mommy, I love you more than a dead tree.
D-Jo:  Thanks, son, I love you more than a dead tree, too.