Best Buds

For Christmas this year we gave my dad tickets to a Jazz game. The only exception is that he had to take Camden! HA ha!!

Well I don't know about my dad, but Camden has been so excited!!! Camden planned his outfit out last night and could hardly sleep.

We meet my dad at the mall because my mom wanted to exchange a shirt I had bought her for Christmas. So my dad took Cam, and Jaycee and I hung out with my mom. I do sometimes dread hanging out with my mom. She can be critical of a lot of things, and she is not very supportive of my living situation...which complicates a lot of things in my life. But tonight was different??? She was very sweet and grateful I was willing to help her exchange her shirt. She even bought me and Jaycee dinner....mmmmm California Pizza Kitchen!!!

It was on the way home that it felt the weirdest, but in a good way. My mom complimented me and said I am doing a GREAT job with my kids and that she is proud of me. (Whoa!!! OK that has like NEVER happened.) She said she know I have a lot on my plate, but that I am doing well with what I have.

I am still in awe that this convo took place!

I love my mom, but we have never seen eye to eye. She tries to control a lot of things that aren't hers to control. She can never let the past go and that makes it hard. I hope my mom and I can strive to get along more and have more nights like this. :)

Well Camden had a BLAST!!! He loves #8 because he always score the points. Ha ha! And the gave him a giant Jazz flag...which I am not sure where we will put it. He is so excited to tell all his friends about it. My dad and Cam are for sure best buds.

BIG D

I feel like the moons are aligned wrong, or there is something in the water.

A LOT of people I know are going through divorces right now. Some are separated and considering it, or they are going through it.

I felt for a long time that I was the only one divorced...5 years now...yuck!

I am here to tell you that sometimes divorce is necessary, but other times it seems more convenient than anything. I remember a couple years ago I was sitting at the salon and the lady that was doing my nails introduced me another female customer who was going through a divorce. As her and I were talking, the conversation turned to " why are you divorced? " I explained the whole affair/pregnancy details of my divorce. ( I usually say more than I should, or more than they care to hear) She then explained that the reason she was getting a divorce was because her husband never made dinner for her. Seriously????? They had kids and everything!!! I felt so weir talking to her. I think I wanted to smack her! Is it too convenient now? Is it necessary??

I hate that I am divorced, but believe me I do not want to be married to my ex! I hate that I automatically have baggage! I feel judged and looked down upon....like I have failed or something?

If you are considering the big D...think long and hard. The grass is not always greener on the other side.

Divorce does not solve your marital problems....sometimes they are worse after.

I hate to even talk about this, but I just feel so sad that so many friends are going through this :(

Finals week = HELL week

Pardon my language, but that is exactly how I feel!

Three down and one more to go. The math one is the biggie for my...and to be honest I am not sure I can pass the class. I was feeling really badly about this:( I talked to several of my friends about it and ALL of them told me they had to take more than one class again, and occasionally a third time. This made me feel A LOT better. I took on more this semester than I should have....and believe me I learned my lesson!

I am not wonder woman. I really wish I was:) Then I could take care of the kiddos, get the laundry done, clean, homework, work, and fight crime! Where is my whip?

I am feeling better though. I have been exercising a little bit, reading my scriptures, and praying extra hard! I feel the blackness leaving:)

Thank you to all my wonderful friends that have offered advice and helped me.

Lots of LOVE

Melissa

Denny the ELF

So I was out with my friend Allie at the mall and she introduced me to the "Elf on the Shelf" book. It has a kinda creepy elf that sits on your shelf and flies home to Santa to report if you've been good or not. He comes back everyday and sits in a new place to watch you. You cannot touch him or he leaves, but you can talk to him.

I went home that day and talked to Sue about it and she said it is a tradition from Denmark and that she had heard of it, but didn't know there was a book. Well, the next day Sue had bought the book. She wrapped it and placed it on the doorstep, then the kids discovered it!!!

They were so excited!!!! There is a cute website where you can go and register and name your elf. We named our elf Denny...because he comes from Denmark.

The kids have had so much fun searching for Denny every morning. I even caught Jaycee reading him a story from a Christmas book...it was so sweet! I LOVE that all my kids still believe in Santa. I do think Bryn is on the fence though.

Charcoal Gray Monday

OK things are a little better today....not really, but I am trying.

I didn't work out today because I am SICK! Dang kiddos giving me their cooties!!:)
So I don't really feel to bad about that, because it wasn't due to a lack of motivation (pure laziness)

I have eaten a little better today

I cannot find my scriptures, so I get a pass until I do

I told people I LOVE them today

I have tried to do my online homework today, but the website is down....so I think that counts:)

I have prayed very HARD today

I spent a little time with each of my kids (I am really going to have to work at this one)

The taking care of me is going to take time....but it is something I am conscientiously thinking about

We didn't do family prayer...oops

I didn't have anyone to forgive today

Hey, at least I am trying

Black Sunday

I really mean black Sunday...not black Friday. Here is why....

Jaycee has been sick since about Wednesday, then on Friday Camden started not feeling well. Then last night Bryn and I started with the boogie nose and cough.

I feel like every Sunday someone or something makes it very hard for me to get to church. I LOVE church!!! My week goes so much better if I go and feel the spirit.

So here is what happened today. First off I had done a load of laundry last night and had asked Bryn to put it in the dryer for me this morning. I then went up stairs to switch out the load and there was BLACK crayon ALL over everything!!! I started to cry...I had no idea how it got in there, no idea why there was even a crayon that wasn't in the crayon box, why this happened to me, and why I EVEN TRY!!!

I feel like lately that everything is black. My life seems pointless, I don't fit in in my new ward, I am failing as a mother, father, daughter, friend, student,and sister.

I remember being in 9Th grade seminary and winning a medal for best future mom. ( I actually think I still have the medal) I wanted to be a stay at home mom who ran my kids to piano lesson, dance lessons, sports and church activities. I would have cookies hot from the oven when they got home from school, and a husband who couldn't wait to get home to see me. OK OK this seems a little Florence Henderson, but that is what I had always pictured. Well my crappy life couldn't be farther from this. It really does BUM me out:(

Well and to top it off I have put back on some of the weight I worked so hard to loose...I was down 30 lbs from December 2010. I have pit back on about 8...which leaves me at 143...I wanna be 135 again.

Here is my plan to get me where I want to be spiritually, mentally and physically...

1. Exercise a minimum of 45 min per day

2. Pray more

3. Study harder

4. Spend individual time with my kids (not sure how to accomplish this yet)

5. Forgive better

6. Take better care of me

7. Read Scriptures

8. Family Prayer

9. Eat better

10. Tell everyone I love how much I love them

I am hoping this is at least a start to making 2011 a better year.

Snowbird

This September the Taggs let me and my kids use their timeshare at Snowbird. Well Snowbird is gotta be one of my FAVORITE places ever!!!! I love the mountains and that I live less than 10 miles from Snowbird!! We had so much fun! The kids were troopers and went from the time the rides opened until they closed. We went on Thursday night and played all day Friday...there were NO lines!!!

The highlight of the trip was Jaycee! The first thing she wanted to do was ride the mechanical bull. WEIRD!!! But that's Jayce:) She got on and it went to one side, then the other and then flew forward! Jaycee did a front flip off and I pretty sure the girl that was controlling the ride peed her pants! I almost did! We seriously laughed for 10min. We still tease her about it! I hope to make this a yearly trip for us!

Thanks Ray and Sue for letting us use it! We LOVE ya!