The best of EFY

I had the opportunity to attend the best of EFY (especially for youth) today, because I am a young women's leader. It was so much fun... so uplifting... it was really the boost that I needed. I will run down my favorite part from each speaker.

Brother Su'a

3 decisions that can bring more peace to your life.
1} decide to be happy.
"Happiness does not depend on what happens outside of you, but on what happens inside of you. It is measured by the spirit in which you accept life's challenges."
2} Decide to change.
"therefore cheer up your hearts and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves..." (2Nephi 10:23)
3} Decide to NEVER give up.
"Christ knows what we need while we merely know what we want." (Neil A. Maxwell)

all of the trials in life are to give us strength... it is all about attitude.

Brother Johnson

Build your foundation on the savior.
pray... dress yourself in the armor of God.

"Someone is watching, and that's a fact,
someone will copy the way you act.
So make this your motto, and put it to use,
Be someone's example, and not their excuse."
~Kathy McDonald

Know your weaknesses, and DON'T GO THERE!!
Be a good example, and don't do things and be in places where the holy ghost can't be present.


Brother Costello

self control. We live in a world that is out of control. however, "though we live IN the world... we need not be OF the world."
"Poeple do not lack strengh, they lack will." ~Victor Hugo

"Some of the greatest battles of our lives are fought within the silent chambers of our own souls." ~David O. Mckay

Be an example.
Be a comfortor.
Virtue = Power.

These are obviously just little blurbs from my notes, but I can tell you that I am so happy to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I believe in it will all of my heart. I feel like in a world of pain and suffering it is truely my light. I am uplifted and I have a new resolve to be all that I can be. I will be an example. (just don't follow toooo close... I slam on my brakes alot.) lol! =)
~all my love
Nettie

Sufferin' suckotash...

Tee hee, old cartoons are the best aren't they??? Good 'ol Yo Semmity Sam... aaahhhh. good times. Anywho... on with the show. I am so blessed. I love being me. I look around myself right now and I see dirty dishes, dirty laundry waiting to be washed, and clean laundry waiting to be folded. There are shoes all over the house... and a nice layer of fluff (from the dog's toy) blanketing just about every other surface. The trash cans are overflowing, and the roof is leaking... but you know what... I... DON'T....MIND. I have so much. I have children... who can't finish a sentence because something they are talking about remindes them of something else they wanted to tell me. *GIGGLE* kids are so funny. I love that when I tucked my babies in tonight they said, "hey mom... tomorrow night.... can we do exactly the same thing we did tonight?" *grin* "You bet." It is 10:00...pm... I will probably be awake for hours trying to undo the mess that was so fun to make... and it looks like I am going to do it all again tomorrow night. But I have the most peaceful feeling in my heart.... I accomplished something. I made a memory with my kids. One that I will probably forget about... but they will remind me... "hey mom, rememer that night when we made chocolate pretzels, and played the wii and ate breakfast for dinner, and played legos, and talked with funny accents, and read stories, and played with MoJo and Peanut... now THAT was fun." and the best part is... it didn't cost me a penny. =)

lump

Have you every looked at your sleeping child and got that lump in your throat? The one where the weight of the world crashes in on you and you realize how much responsibility you have, and the far reaching consequences if you fail? I am an emotional wreck. I just can't seem to get a handle on things lately. I feel like a bad mom. I feel like a bad friend. I feel like a bad wife. I feel like everything I do is wrong. I need to do better. I am trying to please too many people. I need to get my priorities in order. Right now as I sit and stare at my sweet babies, I realize that everything else is just going to have to wait. I am a mom... and as hard as that job is... I think it pays the best. =)
~Nettie

Orange you glad I didn't say Banana?

I am real. I am a human, with zits, split ends, and a double chin. I make mistakes. I make funny faces. I have a crazy crooked pinky finger. I have ~*crazy*~ eyes. I may actually be a little bit ~*crazy*~. But above all... I am real. I Do not lie. I try to be kind. I admire soooo many people. I sometimes wish I could be more like other people. But then I realize that maybe I am really meant to just be me, crazy and all. Love me or Hate me... but know that what you see is what you get... I am REAL.

a day at the farm...

I can't remember this horse's name... but it was the sweetest thing you have ever seen in your life!!! My son hasn't had a lot of experience around horses, so he was a little nervous to go in the pen with this giant...

But his bravery paid off... this horse was snuggling him... it was so adorable...

Things got a little more comfortable when they busted out this little beauty... she was so short... it was perfect for Drayden....

He got to lead her, and brush her, and ride her... it was so awesome!!!




Then Drayden had to entertain mom and pose in the haystack...





that's my boy...





My nutty, handsome, HILARIOUS... little boy.






Oh I forgot ADORABLE~~




And ADVENTUROUS~~



Ooooohhhhh... here comes TROUBLE~~~I just loved this picture~


I asked Drayden what his favorite part of the farm was...
his reply.. "Jumping in the Haystack... That was awesome!!! it made my day!"
Don't you wish you were a kid again sometimes... and all it took to make you happy was a dried up pile of hay? I sure do...

every moment...

Every moment has a purpose. When you walk into a room and your 4 year old has clearly gotten into the markers AGAIN... do you get angry? or do you stop and notice that she has drawn a mustache and a goatee so that she can be just like her daddy... whom she happens to adore?

Do you look at your ice cream bowl and get angry because it is full of sand??

or do you step back and see the big picture? a little girl throwing and "ice cream" party for her stuffed animals.

Do you look into those pretty brown eyes and see a little shit who pisses all over the floor? or do you look at that adoring face and see the sweet pup who comes in and curles up on your toes to keep them warm?

Do you stare at your fat ankles?? or do you admire the sexy red shoes that you scored for only a dollar?

Do you take for granted how truely lucky you are? I love that my husband can do ANYTHING... how cool is my custom frame??

don't you just love to learn new skills???!!!! seriously how cute are these!!!??

I hope that I can learn to treasure the moments that make up my crazy life.... I feel as though I am ungrateful for all of the things that I am blessed with. I look at people who I feel are "better" than me in one way or another, and I am envious... and then I look at people who have nothing, and I feel ashamed.

the end of the world

Tonight was a busy night. I turned on the discovery chanel to keep my kids entertained while I finished the things I needed to do. The show was something about outerspace and planets and things... or so I thought. I glanced in to check on the kids. Chantel had lost interest and was coloring... but Drayden was GLUED to the screen. They seemed pretty occupied so I continued to do my thing. Bedtime rolled around and I asked Drayden to turn off the t.v., which he did. Then while we were getting pajamas on and such I asked him... "So, how was your show?" he replied, "terrifying" terrifying??? really, why was it so scary? he proceeded to tell me about 10 different ways that the world was going to be destroyed... all of which meant death and disaster for all humans. *sigh* poor kid. He was literally in tears telling me about it. I tried to explain that it is a fact that everyone will die of something or other, but that we don't have to be afraid. I think he is pretty severely tramatized. (I get the mother of the year award for letting my 6 year old watch a show about the appocolypse!!) We told jokes to try to lighten the mood, then I spent the last hour and a half tickeling his back and singing him primary songs (which is probably more traumatic than helpful seeings as I cannot carry a tune) ... he finally fell asleep. It was really hard to see him so scared. I know that the world will probably end someday... and I may even be around to see it... who knows... but some words of wisdom:


Be strong and of a good courage;
BE NOT AFRAID,
neither be thou dismayed:
for the lord thy god is with thee
withersoever thou goest.
Joshua 1:9


Sleep well my little Drayden, and know that mommy loves you... but more important... God loves you.

what's your excuse?

When you live in the desert... you learn to adapt. When you look out the window and see white... you run out and make a snow angel and QUICK... otherwise it will all melt away...

and then you will have a mud angel. Which you will get anyway, but if you hurry the mud won't get on your bum.

This is Chantel with Peanut. (poor dog) We doggysat her last week while my sister took a little time to relax. Chantel got very attatched. I am sure that Peanut was glad to go home.

aaawww, now for the good stuff...

that hole is in my pantry... and it is a very, very bad thing. It was made my a furry little creature...



He also chewed a nice hole in the waterline that goes to my refrigerator... yes, yes that is BLACK MOLD you see growing on the walls... oh joy.

So... that is my excuse for thinking that mice are of the devil... I look forward to posting a picture of his little carcass for you all to enjoy... stay tuned.

p.s. I know this post is totally random, but life has been a bit of a spiral lately... and I am trying not to procrastinate anymore... so that means I will be posting my life in order... and my life is random.... so now you get me with no sugary coating... enjoy...
p.s.s. Sugar rots your teeth anyway... trust me I am just finishing up my 6th crown... yuck!

wigglin' in the new year

We got Chantel a wiggle cart for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, I was bored so I decieded to take it for a little ride. Oh My Goodness.... They are so much fun!!! So Mitch and I braved the After Christmas sales and got some for the entire family!!! =) Let the races begin...

Don't let that little Chantel fool you... she looks all tired and groggy in the first picture... but she perked right up when I said, "Ready, Set, GO!!"

I love wiggle carts...


You can just call me... "The Blur"... =)

To see us my awesome speed in action click here... and enjoy the lovely commentary from my darling husband. lol