The Little House on the Prairie kind of life

One of my many favorite childhood stories was that of the "Little House on the Prairie." I enjoyed and still do enjoy reading about the many adventures of the Ingalls family and realizing that the essence of the novels focused on the family. There was a necessity for each member "do his or her own part" and enjoy in the times spent with each other, utilizing the imagination, being resourceful, Everyone was involved and yes, it was hard work, but what isn't work? Work is a way of life. Being alive takes work. Keeping a house clean is work. Improving one's self is work.

Whatever it is, the strength of the family relies on the togetherness of each member when the electronics, busy schedules, etc. are taken away and just the "good" things are emphasized and enjoyed. My Little House on the Prairie kind of life is still possible when made a priority. It doesn't mean reverting to candles and kerosene by any means, but it does mean "unplug and simplify" to enjoy. And as Henry David Thoreau once said, "Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand..."

Halloween Fun

Traditions are so awesome.

ABC's and 1, 2, 3

There comes a time when a child needs to learn the basic foundation that creates a lifetime of learning, and part of that involves the alphabet and numbers. In order to reach the desired outcome, each part, each block, needs to be secured and mastered so that eventually, it can be as easy as reciting the ABC's. I believe we are all like this child, that when faced with a new experience, responsibility, event, or whatever it may be, we have to be taught the ABC's and 1, 2, 3 all over again. The best part of all, is that we have the tools, insight, and previous knowledge to figure out how to succeed with each step we take.

"I'll Be Home For Christmas."

The song, "I'll Be Home For Christmas" rang true for our family this year because for the first time in 12 years, we didn't have to travel anywhere for Christmas.

You Gotta Love "Dem Bones!"

Ah, the holiday parties! Yummy food and a little bit of overindulgence to let the great times roll. December's parties included the ward party, which was fun for us and the boys. Oh, and you can't forget about Santa. He was definitely the hit of the night for all the kids and parents, especially for the fact that pictures were free!

Anyway, after the party ended, we stayed after to visit and assist in the clean-up. Some of the kids were playing on the stage riser that was used as a prop for part of the program. The riser wasn't very high, maybe 12" at most, but, some of the kids, including Sanford and Ammon, were jumping off the riser and having a great time playing with each other. Next thing I know, I'm watching Ammon fall off the riser head-first and hit the floor. In the meantime, I'm frantically hoping he's okay, but his screaming said otherwise and then I saw his arm and knew it was broken. So we got out of there as fast as we could headed up to the InstaCare in Bountiful. After the on-call doc stabilized the bones, he sent us up to Primary Children's Medical Center.

On our way up to PCMC, I made a quick phone call to Brent's mom to see if she'd be willing to take Sanford for the night and gratefully she said she would. We arrived at the hospital around 9:00 p.m. and Linda showed up shortly thereafter and took Sanford with her back to her house, which was a good thing because Me, Brent, and Ammon ended up being there until about 3:30 a.m. Ammon was such a trooper, surviving the I.V., X-rays, and resetting of the bones. It's times like these that tries a mother's soul. After the docs put his arm in a sling and gave us the 'green light,' we finally headed home to get some much needed sleep.

Ammon's first cast, which extended about an inch past his elbow, was blue because of both BYU AND Utah State. His second cast, which ended right below his elbow, was a yellow. Well, maybe more like a bright, neon yellow with a hint of green. As for the fate of both casts, Ammon decided that he'd rather have lots of pictures than to keep either one. Thank goodness!

The adventures begin...I mean continue

Okay, I'll spare the details of the last 12 years, however, I have come to the conclusion that our family has seen more doctors in the last 4 months than in the 12 years that Brent and I have been married and to this I say thank goodness for awesome insurance!

New Year's Excitement

New Year's Eve was quite a celebration! We all headed over to my parents in Farmington and enjoyed some incredibly yummy Chinese food, played games, and waited up to ring in the new year. Sanford and Ammon were so excited to be up so late, it was hilarious as Sanford exclaimed, "Hey Mom, this is so cool that you and Dad are letting us stay up so late!" Later that night he wanted to know if he could go to bed. :) Ah, the great times.