We Are Family

I know I haven't posted in such a long time and this post is mostly me just needing a place to put my feelings down. So I apologize now to all of you that may not want to hear my ranting so with that in mind you may want to just ignore this post now.
I love the song "We Are Family" (I think by Sister Sledge). What does it mean to be a family?
Due to a recent incident, I have spent some time pondering our relationships as family members. How is that sometimes we hurt the people we are suppose to love the most? I grew up in a large family and I can tell you many great qualities each of my siblings have. I could probably tell you some that aren't so great just as they can do the same with me. When we were little my brothers and sisters got on my nerves, but I can tell you that I adored each one of them. To this day they are some of most favorite people. I know at times I say and do the wrong things. I hope that they will forgive me and look beyond my imperfections. I wonder if sometimes we let silly things that get said destroy our relationships. Do we look for reasons to be offened when no offense was meant? I have done that at times. I honestly think that most of us never intend on offending each other. We are just human and say the wrong thing or don't think before we say it. I feel so strongly that when we are a family we need to overlook the small things that we choose to turn into much more than was ever intended. This life is meant to be a place that we build relationships as families not destroy them.

I guess what I am really trying to say is that I am sorry if I have offended the people I love the most. I understand now what my Mom has always said "that someday it will just be you and your brothers and sisters will you be friends?" I hope to always be close to my siblings and teach my children that there is no greater joy in life then being close as a family. I know this makes no sense to many of you, but it's a reminder to me to overlook the silly things in life and if something really bothers me to discuss it with that person. I think when we really sit down and discuss things we find out that people really never meant to hurt us. I love all of my family members and hope that our realtionships will only grow to be stronger throughout the years. Life is way to short to spend time being mad and not enjoying life together. Some of the best advice my Mom gave me on my wedding day was not to sweat the small stuff.

My 40th Birthday!

I am a little slow getting this posted with everything going on it has taken me awhile. On November 14th I turned the big 40. I really wasn't dreading it like I thought I would. Age is in the attitude or something like that. It's funny to hear these young girls at work talk about how old they feel because they are turning 30. I just kind of laugh. I remember saying that too and now 30 seems like a baby to me.
The day before my birthday Mike and the kids took me to Park City for the night. We had a wonderful steak dinner and just hung out together. On my birthday we went shopping (one of my favorite activities) at the outlets and then headed home. Katy had planned a special birthday party for me. Katy, Eric, and Marissa (Katy's best friend) spent a lot of time making and decorating my birthday cake. It was beautiful, but I was a little concerned when they warned me that I may not want to eat it. They were afraid the black frosting would stay on my teeth for an extended period of time. Mike bought us dinner from Cafe Rio and we ate on china. Katy went to a lot of trouble to make everything so nice. She decorated the house, set the table with china and we ate by candle light. It was just our little family plus Marissa (she's one my kids too). After dinner we played cards. The birthday cards that everyone gave me were the best part. It was just a really great day. Everyone should feel special on their birthday and I definitely did. If any of you are dreading an upcoming birthday just embrace it and look forward to what the next year will bring!

We're Going To Miss Grandpa Frank!

This past Tuesday Mike's Dad Frank passed away peacefully at home. We went to Texas only two weeks ago to see him due to his declining health. What a blessing that was for us to see him one last time. We will forever be grateful we followed our hearts and went to visit. Although we are saddened we are relieved that he is out of pain and reunited with loved ones that passed before him.

Grandpa Frank was an incredible Grandpa. He loved holding babies and always jumped at the opportunity to hold our kids or any other sweet baby near by. He always made Katy and Eric feel like they were the neatest kids in the world. He was very good at drawing and spent lots of time drawing pictures with the kids. When we played Pictionary everyone wanted to be on his team. When he played games with us we knew there would be lots of laughs in store. Grandpa loved vacationing in Mexico and was kind enough to take us with them. Now we love Mexico just as much. We will cherish the many memories of vacationing in the water and the beach with him.

Anyone that knew him knew he was intelligent and very well informed on politics. He was a master musician. I was always so amazed that he taught himself to play the piano and boy could he play. Mike's cousin recently posted a video of Frank playing the piano and Katy has spent many times this week watching it. Anyone that knew him knew that he had a deep love for Grandma Lynn. He adored her! He was so proud of his two children Mike and Cheryl. He accepted me into his family nearly 20 years ago. Always respecting my beliefs and making me feel like I was a valued part of the family. He always supported Katy and Eric in everything they did. Whether it was dance performances, soccer games, baptisms, primary programs and the list could go on. He was a generous man. Always eager to help another person. Whether it be playing the piano at special functions, letting people live with them when they needed a helping hand, and even taking in stray cats looking for a home. Frank took the time to get to know my family. My brothers and sisters always felt like he was truly interested in them. He accepted my family just like they were his family.

I am a better person for knowing Frank Keil and feel so blessed that he helped raise a son that respects me, treats me with compassion and love. I am so thankful my children felt like when they were with their Grandpa they were truly special. It will be a great reunion one day when we meet again. We love you Grandpa Frank!

The Boo!

A childhood memory that our kids have is "The Boo". Mike grew up in Taylorsville and just down from his parents house is a neighbor that every October puts up a Halloween display. We lived with Mike's parents for a year when Katy was 1 so almost every night in October we would take a walk down the street to see what we named "the boo". Our kids have grown up loving this Halloween display. Once when Katy was about 2 or 3 a family friend took her down to see it and they were talking about each of the different characters and when they got to the witch and her brew Katy informed her that she was stirring a cauldron. Our friend couldn't stop laughing. She was so shocked that Katy would know it was a cauldron. When Eric was little he loved the Count Dracula. On Sesame Street Eric's favorite character was the Count so it was a natural favorite for him.

Mike's parents have since moved from that home, but we still made the journey out to see the boo this past weekend. We reminisced about the joy this Halloween display has brought to our family for many years. What a great memory!

Girl Getaway!

This past Friday I met up with my Sisters and Mom for some girl time. My Sister Robyne had the great idea of us getting together to celebrate our birthdays together. My baby Sister Kari just turned 30, Robyne the middle Sister just turned 35, and me the older Sister will be turning 40 in a month or so. We figured they were milestone birthdays worth celebrating. It has been such a long time since we've gotten together and just had time to talk and play of course. We started our day by going to Ikea (Robyne had never been there) and Kari and I don't get there very often. After that we had lunch and got pedicures. Aw I love pedicures. We spent lots of time chatting and just enjoying each others company. We went to the Olive Garden for dinner and went back to our hotel to watch Bride Wars. Saturday morning we got up and went to the Draper Temple together. Beautiful temple and a great experience to be there together. I was on vacation when Kari went through the temple for the first time so this was my first time being in the temple all of us together. We finished up our time together by going to Costa Vida for lunch and then everyone headed home. It was so fun to be together. Thanks Mom for treating us to a great weekend and Robyne thanks for the idea. I am so blessed to have a fabulous Mother that always taught us the importance of family. I am also blessed to have great Sisters that I love and adore. They have grown into great Moms, Women, and are some of my dearest friends.

Family!

This is just merely a journal time for me. I have been thinking lately how blessed I am to have the family I do. Now don't get me wrong we all have our quirkiness at times, but I wouldn't trade one of them. I am talking about the family I grew up in...better known as the Caldwells. Where I am going with all of this is...I have really been missing my Katy, but it has helped me so much to know that she's going to school where a lot of my family is living. All of which are looking after her for me. My 83 year old Grandma is sweet with her as she is always. One day she gave Katy a box of granola bars to keep with her while she's on campus in case she needed a snack. My Mom checks on her regularly. Inviting her to attend the Grand kids games, pack meeting etc. just to keep her busy so she doesn't get too homesick. Of course she takes her to dinner after just making sure she's eating. Kari my baby sister is always checking on her. She reassured me that she would look out after her for me. In fact just today she was at Kari's hanging out. My brother Tom (the handyman of the family) fixing her car when needed. Putting on her new license plates. Anything she needs that requires a man. His wife Chantyl texting Katy and reminding her to let them know if she needs anything. My brother Chris and his wife Heidi taking Katy to lunch. Chris inviting Katy to use the ROTC computer lab that's on campus (he's the boss of the ROTC). All the sweet little nieces and nephews that are always excited to see her. That makes her feel special and I know she adores all those sweet little kids. My sister Robyne who doesn't live there but sends encouraging messages to Katy. One last sibling...Jon he's in Portugal and I know he's wishing her much success too. All these great people helped me become the person I am today and now they are influencing my daughter too. They are great people all unique and wonderful in their own ways. I am so blessed they are my family. Thanks to all you Caldwells that are looking after my Katy. I love you all!!!

College Time for Katy!

Last Sunday we had our last home cooked meal together as a family before Katy headed down to Cedar City. She picked for dinner to have BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, cookie salad, and rolls. Then we played croquet together, we built a fire and roasted marshmallows. After that we had our family meeting where we tell each other something we love about them. It was a tear jerker. Katy gave each of us a letter that she had written to us. I am telling you when you are raising kids you wonder if you will ever make it and then they grow up and make you really proud.

Then on Monday Katy and I headed to Cedar City for her orientation and other class sessions. Mike and Eric joined us there Thursday night and we spent the weekend together. We had a great time. I am so proud of Katy. Today was a little teary, but we made it through. I think I did most of my crying earlier in the week. I posted a picture of our last Sunday fun and Katy in her apartment. I am really excited for the new journey Katy is about to embark on. What an exciting time of life.

I love being an Aunt!

Last weekend we went to Panguitch Lake for the annual Dickinson family reunion. We had a good time visiting with family and eating of course. My Mom and her husband Don having been working very hard on building their cabin up there and it looks great! I really enjoyed getting to visit with my sister Robyne. She lives in Idaho and we don't get to see each other very ofter so it was really fun being with her. The two pictures above are two of my sweet little nieces. Hailey is the blond and Mercedes is the brunette. I love being an Aunt! My brothers ans sisters have blessed with lots of little nieces and nephews. I love each one of them. It's so fun to hear their stories and the funny things they say. Mercedes use to never talk now you can't get her to stop talking. I love it! Hailey has the most beautiful smile. She's always smiling! What cuties! I have lots of other nieces and nephews I'll have to write about later. Too many to mention in one post. I am just so blessed to have a great family!

Birthday Time for Katy!

On July 17th 1991 a beautiful red headed little girl entered our family. She weighed in at 6lbs. 2oz. and 19 inches long. It was such an exciting day for our families. Katy was the first grandchild born on both sides of the family. So many family members came to the hospital to welcome her into the world. Mike and I were so excited to see her and we had chosen to not find out what we were having. I remember right after she was born my Mom saying it's a girl. I wanted a little girl so bad. It was just like a dream come true to be a Mother. Any of you that know me know that I am a baby freak. I love to hold them, smell them and just cuddle with them. I finally had one of my own. From the minute they put her on my chest I was in love. I was scared to death that I wouldn't know how to take care of her or that something would happen that I wouldn't know how to deal with, but we managed. The day my Mom left us to go back to Cedar City I cried I was just sure I would not know how to be a Mom. It all worked out and Mike and I were a pretty good team. He helped me with her so much and was a darling Dad to her.

I just can't believe that she's now 18 and headed off to College. Katy has grown into a mature, compassionate, beautiful young woman that I am proud to call my daughter and friend. All of you young Mothers that are wishing away the 2 year old stages or other things enjoy it because it goes by way too fast. I love you Katy! You are an amazing person that I adore.

Cancun!

In June after Katy's big graduation we headed off to Cancun for an even bigger celebration. After a little rough start at the airport we had a great trip. Mike's parents were suppose to go with us, but due to a passport issue it didn't work out. We sure missed them, but hopefully next time we will get to go with them. We did lots of swimming in the fabulous pools and the beach. There's nothing like the beach to me. I love the warmth of the sun, sand between my toes, and playing in the waves. Oh how I wish we could afford to go every year. The kids got to swim with dolphins, which was so fun. Eric was not keen on having to kiss the dolphin, but he was a sport. We went to see Mayan ruins and just had a great time. There were many other things we wanted to see, but we will be back and we'll explore other things next time. The guacamole was so delicious! I love family vacations. So many great memories involve vacations we have taken. It was hard to say goodbye to the beautiful water and head home, but life has to go on. I am just grateful for the fun times together as a family!

She Did It!

Tuesday June 2nd was a great day for our family. Our cute "little" Katy graduated from High School. Can you believe I didn't even shed a tear? It was so exciting to see her walk in her cap and gown. I just can't believe she's already done with High School. It seems like yesterday when I dropped her off in her Kindergarten class. I was so worried about leaving her there would the other kids treat her kindly? Would Mrs. Smith be sweet with her? Would she miss me? So many emotions going on inside of this Mom on that day and some many on this past Tuesday. Will I be able to make it without her living close to us? Have I taught her all a Mom should teach a daughter (we need to work on ironing and sewing a button before she leaves). Have I prepared her for the big world? I feel so proud of the fabulous young woman that she has grown into. This past year I have watched her mature and grow. So many lessons she has learned and with each she's grown leaps and bounds. I couldn't be prouder to call her my daughter. I love you my sweet little Katy!

Happy 19th Anniversary To Us!

Tomorrow June 2nd will be our 19th wedding anniversary. Since Katy is graduating tomorrow I will do this post a day early. Mike and I met when both our best friends were getting married to each other and we were asked to be in their line. My best friend had told me for awhile that I had to meet Terry's friend Mike because he was really funny and she also added that he sweat a lot. I don't know why she thought I needed to know that part. My first impression of Mike was that he was really funny just like Colleen had told me. He totally cracked me up and at that time I need someone to make me laugh. I was instantly attracted to him and loved being around him. I don't think I have ever flirted so hard in my life. It's kind of embarrassing now to think I must have looked absolutely ridiculous.

We started dating shortly after our friends wedding and continued to date for about a year before we got married. Mike asked me to marry him in April and we got married in June. A very fast engagement due to the fact that my brother was headed to boot camp and I wanted him at my wedding. We got married in Mike's parents back yard. It was so beautiful and they spent a lot of time getting the yard just perfect for us. I felt like a princess that day all dressed up. It was a fabulous day with all our family and friends.

I have been so blessed to be married to Mike all these years. I cannot begin to express how grateful I am to him for all the support he has given me. He constantly encourages me to do my best at whatever I am involved in. He is an incredible Dad to our children. Everyday I am so amazed at the love he gives to them in so many ways. He devotes a ton of time to the local soccer league and to the team Eric plays on. He goes on drives with Katy so they can talk. He helps them with their homework because I have no clue on how to help them. I could go on, but the point is I am so blessed to have him.

Date nights are my favorite. Time alone to chat and eat of course. He always listens to my complaints and worries. I am so grateful to be married to my best friend! So here's to us and I hope the next 19 years are just as fantastic as the first. I love you Hun!

A Wonderful Mothers Day!

Mothers Day was a great day. Saturday night Mike took me shopping for perfume and we went to dinner. I love going on dates with him. Then on Sunday morning I woke up to a note on the floor of my bedroom that said that I had to wait to come out. Katy was making breakfast and Eric had cleaned the kitchen. Katy made pancakes, muffins, and juice with umbrellas in the glasses. I told the kids that I wanted homemade gifts this year. So they bought wood frames and painted them. Then they added a flower and soccer ball to them. Katy put a picture of us in hers with a sweet note on the back. Eric wrote me a note and put it in the frame. They also bought me some pretty flowers. It was really special! I was really touched at all the work they put into it.

Later in the day we played basketball together. The only rule we have is that the girls get to make up their own rules. So basically we foul a lot. I had a great day just being with my little family. All I ever wanted to be was a Mother. I feel so blessed to have great kids and a super husband!

Happy Mothers Day to my Mom!

Here's a picture of my Mom with one of the many Grandkids (cute Aubrey) at our annual Labor Day Campout. I am so blessed to have the Mother that I do. Today is the day we honor our Mothers and reflect on all the good things they have done in our lives. When I was growing up my Mom stayed home with us until the baby of the family was in school. I loved coming home from school and having her there. She always asked how are day was and listened to the days events. I loved it. When I grew up I couldn't think of a more wonderful job than being a Mother. When all the other kids in High School were planning their careers I didn't have an idea I just wanted to be a Mother just like my Mom.

My Mom had six children (I don't know how she did it)giving birth to six and raising all of us. She was always busy cooking, keeping us organized, and running us to many activities. She did so many things for our family. She sewed many of our clothes to save money. We hardly ever ate out, everynight she came up with some new creation for us to partake of. She spent many hours serving and was a great example to me of lifting the burdens of others. She stretched our pennies far to make the family budget work. She always had time to listen to me no matter how tired or busy she was. She still does this for me today.

When my Mom was 39 my parents got divorced and she did not have a College degree. Faced with lots of uncertainties she headed back to College to earn a degree to help provide for our family. I know it was very hard for her to do this she still had all six kids at home and my youngest sister was just 8 years old. She spent many hours studying and tried to fit all of her Mother duties in to. I was so proud the day she graduated from nursing school. I was so proud to tell everyone that my Mom was a nurse. Just like that day I am proud today to tell everyone that she is my Mother. She's always there for me and listens to my heartaches and joy. She has been one of my best friends and I am so blessed that I am her daughter. I love you Mom!

My Trip to Texas

Last Friday I was able to travel with my Mom to Dallas to see my brother Jon graduate. Jon graduated from Chiropractic school and is now Dr. Jon Caldwell. I am the oldest of 6 kids and I am a very proud sister. All of my brothers and sisters make me proud. I know that this has been a long and hard journey for Jon and his family. He has a very supportive wife and 3 boys. He had to spend many hours away from them to get through school. Now they are headed to live in Portugal for the next 5 or so years. He served his mission there and they feel like this where they need to be right now. So we will miss them while they are away, but maybe we'll be able to get over there to visit. I am very proud of you Jon and thanks Amy for all the support you give him!

Happy Birthday Eric!

I can't believe 15 years ago today my sweet little boy was born. He was 3 days late and i was very eager to see if once again our new little baby would have red hair. He came quickly only a 6 hour labor. I started in labor at 10:00 p.m. by 11:00 I figured it was the real thing so we called Mike's Mom over to stay with Katy. He was born at 3:54 a.m. weighing 7lbs. 10oz. and 21 in. and yes a little red head to match his big sister. There's just nothing like the first time you meet your sweet little baby. That is a treasured memory having a sweet spirit placed in your arms.

Eric was a good baby. He didn't love to nap and at times that was frustrating. It felt like I was feeding him every hour, but he was still a joy. Katy loved her baby brother and would try to share her toys with him. She especially liked holding him.

Eric is a very special part of our family. He makes us laugh. He's very thoughtful and helpful. He tries to do his very best. He adores his older sister. We are so blessed to have him in our family.
Happy birthday muffin!

My favorite time of year!

Today I ran into my friend Timmerie at Maverik and she reminded me that I haven't updated my blog since Valentines so here we go...
We've had lots going on thus no update. I will post more later on what is keeping us busy, but I just wanted to mention the upcoming change in the seasons. I absolutely love Spring it is my favorite season of the year. This is why I love it...I really quite dislike the Winter. I don't like driving in the snow, I hate being cold, and I don't like that it is always so dark and did I mention the inversion? Now I like snow on Christmas morning and that's pretty much good for me. I get so depressed in the winter. I think the lack of sunlight just gets to me and it's so cold. So when I see daylight savings and Spring on the calendar I get so excited. I look forward to Spring cleaning, it's like a rebirth for me. Today I put a new bright bedspread on my bed and started dusting. I have a Spring tulip arrangement I always put on my table about this time of the year and it just makes me feel cheery. I also love to see all the new little calf's and lambs. It just makes my heart sing to see the sun! So sorry for my negative Winter attitude and hello Spring!!

Happy Valentine's to my Sweethearts!

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I love Valentine's Day because we get to spend the whole day thinking about why we love someone so here's my top 5 reasons I love my sweeties. There's lots more reasons, but 5 is a good start.


Top 5 reasons I love Mike....
1. He love's me with all of my flaws and helps me to see when I am wrong and how I can improve.
2. He make's me laugh. He is one of the funniest people I know. Everyone needs a good laugh and he does it for me.
3. He supports me in everything I do. He never complains that I have a church meeting or need to study etc. he just encourages me to do my best.
4. Recently someone commented on my weight loss and said to him you must be so proud of her and Mike said I've always been proud of her. He's loved me no matter what size I am. I wanted to cry that day that meant so much to me!
5. He really listens to me and loves me. If I need to talk I'll say to him I need to talk and sometimes he thinks that's code for he's in trouble and I have to reassure him I just need to talk and he always makes time to listen. He's my best friend and I love him!!



1. I love Katy because she looks for the good in people. She gives everyone a fair chance before she judges.
2. She makes me laugh. She gets that from her Dad. If she weren't my daughter I would want her for a friend because she's o fun to be around.
3. She wants equal rights for everyone. She hates seeing people treated unfairly.
4. Katy is very thoughtful. She thinks about others feelings.
5. Katy is a loyal friend. She stands by her friends and is there for them.



1. Eric is very thoughtful. He's always thinking of my feelings.
2. He is always willing to apologize when he's wrong and always feels sorry for hurting others feelings.
3. Eric is funny. He cracks me up. Thank heavens their Dad passed that trait on to them.
4. He always tries to do his best. He works hard at school and sports so he can accomplish his goals.
5. He gives great hugs. He's always asking me if I want a hug. I love it!

This is why you want them to stay little!

So Thursday night we received a call from Katy crying telling us she got in an accident. I think she was pretty scared to call us for fear we would freak out, but we were fairly calm once we knew everyone was okay. She had two friends in the car with her and got distracted and rear ended another car. As you can see the damage to her car was extensive. The other car looks much better. Just a little damage to the other car. Needless to say Katy's car is totaled since it isn't worth much it won't be worth it to repair. So she'll be riding the bus for awhile. We had already planned to get Mike a new car and send her to College with his old one, but we weren't planning on buying one this soon. If anything happens to his old car it will be a bike for her because we're out of old cars. I am just glad no one was hurt and the people she ran into were so nice about it. She was crying and the man said don't worry about it no one is hurt and that's what is important. What a nice guy!

My baby girl is growing up!

We got some exciting news this week that Katy has been accepted to Southern Utah University. When she opened the letter on Friday I was so excited for her. I also attended SUU my first year out of High School. It is a great campus and I wish I had stayed to complete my education, but life took me in another direction. I think her Dad would have liked her to go to Utah State University, which he attended for one year and loved, but she decided she wanted to pursue SUU instead. The more I thought about her leaving and going to school away from home the more sad I got. I mean I am so happy for her. This is a great opportunity for her to be independent, accomplish her educational goals etc. but I will miss my wonderful daughter. She's such a good girl and I love her. She's thoughtful and makes me laugh. The comforting thing for me is that my Mom, Sister, Brothers, and Grandparents all live in Cedar City so she will not be there without any family. Any of young Mothers that feel like you are going crazy at times with your little ones realize it goes by so fast. I remember being one of those Mom's that couldn't wait for my kids to grow up so life would be easier. I miss those days at times. It goes by way too fast.

Proud to be their Mom!

The purpose of this post it not to brag about how perfect my kids are. They are not perfect by any means. They make mistakes and struggle at times, but they truly are great kids. Recently a friend of Mike's told him how great our kids are. She told him that they are polite, friendly, and just great to be around. It made me so proud that others notice them trying to be good people.

Katy wants world peace. She has a favorite necklace of the peace sign. She's my little hippie! She wants equal rights for everyone and is always thinking of others feelings. She looks for the good in people and is a good example to me. I wish I could take credit for her generous heart, but I think she inherited that from her Dad. Katy has a great fondness for elderly people. She's always pointing out some cute elderly person to me.

Eric always wants to do his best whether it be in sports or school. He's always giving me hugs and asking if I am okay. He's always willing to apologize when he's made a mistake. Last week I took him to the bus stop and he had to hurry and get out to catch it. Later in the morning he sent me a text that said sorry I forgot to tell you goodbye and I love you. What a great text to get. It makes paying for the cell phone all worth it.

I am so blessed to have such great kids. They are the joy of my life and I wiil forever be thankful to be their Mom.

Our week!

Okay so I don't have really any exciting things going on and since I use my blog for a journal this post is really just for me. Don't feel compelled to read all of our not so amusing weeks details.

I went to my second week of school on Monday night. Yikes I thought my Computer class was going to be easy I think I may have thought wrong. I know how to use a computer, but I don't know all the details on bits, bytes, speed, and by the way did you know there lots of different names for viruses like worm, trojan horse and others? I expected my Nutrition class to be a lot of work, but not Computers. Needless to say I was alittle overwhelmed Monday night and left feeling once again like can I do this. I hate when you doubt yourself. I guess I need to have more faith and know that I can do it especially if I rely on the Lord to help me.
I am also way excited to start clipping coupons and save my family some money. My friend Miriam is giving a lot of good advice on how to save more money and I am excited to get going. Now when I was a stay at home Mom I did a lot of coupon clipping and shopped for all the good deals, but since I've been working and going to school life has gotten more busy so I let it go, but I think I can find the time to do it again. A lot of this I already know, but all the coupons on the internet are new to me so that has been a good bit of info. I'll let you know how it goes.

Mike spent Wednesday night at the hospital. He's perfectly fine, but had some chest pain Tuesday night and more on Wednesday at work so he decided he should have it checked out. We were shocked when he went to the ER and they ran tests that came out normal, but wanted to keep him over night to observe him and run further tests. For any of you local people wondering if he stayed at our local hospital the answer is yes. They were great with him and he was as happy with the care as he would have been in the city. I realize I work there so I am a little bias, but we really appreciated the great care he received. All the tests came out normal and he's just fine. He was very happy to get home and sleep in his own bed.

Katy is working really hard to get everything in line for graduation. She got a lot done on her to do list this week for school and we were really happy about that. The new semester starts this next week and she's going to do an internship at one of the local Medical Clinics so she's looking forward to that. She helped a lot Wednesday night when her Dad was in the hospital. It was so nice that she could drive her brother to the places he needed to be. She's a great help!

Eric has a had a very busy week. He has been in a Social Dance class at school and they performed on Tuesday and Wednesday night. We attended on Tuesday night and he did a great job. He did a waltz, cha cha, and the 16 step. It wa so fun to see him dance again. He took ballroom dance for 2 years a few years back, but soccer became the preferred activity. Then on Thursday he had a swim meet. He's almost done with swimming and I think he's a little relieved. Anyone that knows Eric well knows that he's a home body. So this past week was a lot for him. Let's just say I think he won't be leaving the house much this weekend.

Well as you can see it's been a busy week and a little stressful. I am so thankful Mike is okay. I don't know what I would do without him. I am also so grateful to have great children that step up and help when it is needed.

To set goals or to not?

Every year at this time I wonder if I should really set any goals or not. I get so tired of setting goals and not accomplishing them. For years I set the same goals of loosing weight, regular scripture study, and family prayer only to do well for about 6 weeks and then fall off the wagon. That's my pessimistic way of looking at it or I guess I could look at it, as atleast we worked at it for a time and were not any worse for trying. Then I think if I never set any goals do I ever really force myself to become any better. Do you ever feel like you're just not progressing? I feel that way often. I wonder if I have taught my children all that they need to know (the answer to that, is not) but I hope I have taught them enough. So I guess as I ponder the goal setting dilema I think I will try again another year to do somethings that will help me be a little better. Maybe the goals will be a little more attainable if I don't set the standard too high. Maybe having family prayer most days instead of everyday will be a good start or maybe losing just 10 lbs, instead of trying to weigh what I did before I had kids (like that will ever happen again). Or maybe just thinking more of others and sending a nice note will be enough this year. So I guess for me I will sit down tonight and think of some ways to better myself this next year. Isn't the important thing to just be trying to become a little better and having joy in the journey?

Back to school I go...

So Monday I will head back to school to pursue hopefully a nursing degree. I took sometime off after my surgery and am now ready to get going again. It seems like I will never be done with school. With having to work and taking care of a family all I can seem to take is 2 classes at a time. I keep teasing that I will be lucky to be done by the time I am 45, but that's not so far away for me. I have to admit that school scares me a bit. I have never been a super smart student. I have to work really hard for the grades I've gotten and nursing is so competitve that there's no room for less than an A.

My sister Kari is also headed back to school this semester and is a little nervous about the possibility of failing and to that I say there is no failure. The only failure is in the not trying. So it make take us longer than we'd like to get the job done, but time is going to go by whether we're working at it or not. I keep telling Kari that we can do hard things. I've definetly done hard things before and I am sure there will be many more to come. I am sure lots of prayers along the way will get me where I want to be. In one of our Sunday meetings recently Eric said how proud he was of me for going back to school and he knew I could do it. I guess if nothing else I hope my exampls shows my kids that they can do anything if they put their mind to it and that it's never too late. Hopefully they will do College when they are much younger than me though.