WOW time flies!!

WOW!! I can't believe how fast the time flies when you are busy! I mean I do know, but it just amazes me when I look back and see that the last blog I posted was on mother's day! Anyway, things are going well. I have just begun swim aerobics again and am totally LOVING it! I have really missed it and was given a year swim pass for mother's day! I can't say it is my most favorite, but right now, it is what I wanted and needed.
Well, Jonathan has been doing some odd end jobs at his mom and dad's for the last two weeks. It has been nice to be able to spend time with him. Whether or not he is working, it's nice to be around him. And even nicer when I have an opportunity to help him work. He is also doing some finish work at work to prepare for their open house next week. He will be working long hours there next week to help prepare the shop for that, and we are excited. Not just for the hours that will bring, but hopefully the business the open house will bring! Because of the economy, the housing market has gotten really slow!!! And so many people have suffered the consequences! I know we have felt the blow enough to tighten our budget a ton! We are pressing forward though. And thanks to a lot of help, love and support from our parents, we have so much more added to our yard and life than we would have otherwise. THANK YOU!!!
Brayson has begun to talk back to me. I'm not sure how to handle that! I thought that wasn't supposed to start until they were at least five years old! And due to a friends example, he thinks it's okay go potty out side! He has now pooped twice out side, and we're at a loss of what to do!!! We have been given many suggestions, and we just don't feel comfortable using some of them, but maybe it will be those that help him learn!!! On learning, he is forming sentences better every day! And he is very open for help on saying words and forming sentences. He loves to learn. He also loves to play with friends! He makes friends so easily and quickly!!! He has many friends of all ages!! And he remembers each one of you! Billy Dawn, Gerri, Spencer, Kim, Darla, Megan, Heather and I'm sure there are more! He just loves you all! And every now and then he will say something about you or sing a song about you! I love it! He is a very musical boy! He loves to dance and sing and play! He also loves to watch Super Why and Dragon Tales, and Word World. They are pretty good shows! He learns so much when he watches them, and that helps me feel okay with it! Though I know I need to interact with him and Kenadi more!
Kenadi has begun to say 'NO!' and 'MINE!'. She also loves to sing and dance! I love to hear them both singing so much! I even turn the radio down in the car just to hear them sing! Kenadi is so creative when she is dancing! She really gets into it! She has been cutting six teeth for the last couple of months and has just recently gotten a bit of a temperature. She has also been really whiny and clingy! She is doing much better when I am gone to young women or anywhere else! I have just started swim aerobics this week and am gone for an hour and about 15 minutes Monday Wednesday and Friday mornings. She has done really well! She gets really excited when I come home! That is really awesome for me! Jon is the one gone most of the time and gets the warm homecomings. So to have them super excited for me is really special!!! She and Brayson will be getting their shots next month. Oh! I need to remember the super cute thing Kenadi says! She calls birdies "wiwi's". I think it is because I say "tweet tweet" when I am signing it to her. And speaking of signing, that is also another thing I need to be better at! She is learning sign, but I am not as good at watching it daily with her like I was with Brayson!
As I have mentioned, I started swim aerobics this week. I have really enjoyed having that time in the morning for myself, by myself and other women. I am a firm believer that women NEED other women! And a firm believer that we NEED time for ourselves!! I love to go walking and running and don't mind having the kids with me. I LOVE being home with them and I love watching them learn and grow each day. But just as elder Ballard said this last conference, " You can not draw water from an empty well". I am also going to take voice and piano lessons this summer from my sweet, talented mother-in-law. I am so excited and a little scared at the same time. It's hard to learn new things, for me, as a perfectionist, especially when it's your mother-in-law and she is an amazing pianist and an outstanding singer!!!! (She sings with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir) However, I am still excited. I am also going to start walking in the mornings, by myself or with others if they are willing. I am determined to go walking EVERY morning! And I hope to train for a marathon. As for the eating disorder, I am in a fairly good place right now. I am eating a shake or yogurt with rice flakes for breakfast and not feeling HORRIBLE. And I am telling myself daily that I love the body God gave me. I know that I really need to love myself for who I am, and accept the "flaws" I have. At least those that I can not change! There are some parts of our shapes and features that we really can't change. They are just part of our genetics and can only be changed through surgery. And in my opinion, surgery is showing and telling God that we don't appreciate what he has blessed us with!! Now, to be totally honest, I had planned on having an induction in the future, when we were done having children. However, I talked with my sister-in-law, who had a different view about what God gave us. And showed me that it is vanity that draws us to change our physical appearance to please others and to "feel" better about ourselves! I have decided to accept my "hopeless chest" and love me for me. And though I do have to consciously tell myself that every day right now, I know that some day I won't have to!! I will feel it and see a different me! I am sure Jon can't wait for me to see myself as he sees me. I still struggle sometimes, but I am trying!
We are preparing for girls camp in our stake! I am so excited to be able to go and stay the whole week! We are preparing secret sister gifts and skits and tents and it's so much fun! We are also trying to unite our young women group! They are quite divided! And with varying backgrounds and households, they really pose a trial. They are all good girls, when they aren't all together! I just hope we don't get snowed on! With this crazy weather lately, I wonder if it is going to snow! And I wonder exactly how warm it's going to be, if it will be warm at all! Jon is going to be coming up on Wednesday to be our priesthood. I am excited for that! We will have some time together without the kids! And we will be going on the hike that day! Wow! I just love girls camp! I have so many wonderful memories about camp! It is a special place for me! It is much like how special the Temple is to me. Though the Temple is MUCH MORE SPECIAL, it is also special! And speaking of the Temple, I am going this weekend! Jon is going to watch the kids so I can go! And I am so excited!!! It's been too long since I have been and the last time I tried to go, my reccomend was expired! So this will be such a great escape!
Derek comes home today! We have been waiting and anticipating this day for a while now. And more especially this last two weeks as we have been helping prepare for his homecoming. We are so excited to have him home! And to have him here for as long as we will have him. He has always been such a great example to all of us in growing in knowledge in the gospel!!! He studied and prepared better than anyone I have ever heard of! And through that preparation, he taught us all the importance of doing our part! And he will meet four new neices and nephews toight! How would that be!!! Four additions to the family in two years!! WOW! TIME FLIES!