Living The Abundant Life

President Monson's ABC's

A~ Attitude: "So much in life depends on our attitude. The way we choose to see things and respond to others makes all the difference. To do the best we can and then to choose to be happy about our circumstances, whatever they may be, can bring peace and contentment....We can't direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. For maximum happiness, peace and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude.

B~ Believe: "Don't limit yourself and don't let others convince you that you are limited in what you can do....You can achieve what you believe you can. Trust and believe and have faith."

C~ Courage: "Courage becomes a worthwhile and meaningful virtue when it is regarded not so much as a willingness to die manfully but as a determination to live decently....Have the determination to make the effort, the single-mindedness to work toward a worthy goal, and the courage not only to face the challenges that inevitably come but also to make a second effort, should such be required."

I love this article! Look for it in your Ensign...it's not available online yet.

We're EXPECTING....

to be in our new house by next month! :)

That's right. We're moving...4.03 miles away from this house.

We'll have a GARAGE!!!! (and higher utilities....) I called the propane company this morning...to see what it's going to cost us to run our furnace and water heater. The person I talked to is a member of our Stake High Council...and without thinking I used the word "screwed"...while I was talking to him!..."We don't want to get in and find out that we'll be having a $600 propane bill. We'd be screwed." Can you BELIEVE I used such distasteful (yet honest) language!? LOL!  I didn't even apologize. I hoped he will forgive me anyways!

So!...The Flakes are moving. We're nervous. We've actually grown to love our cozy little home. We love our neighbors (The Lundbergs). Ellie and Kaitlyn have rarely gone more than a day or two without playing together...and Natalie and I car pool and watch out for eachothers kids. I am going to miss that a LOT!

I am praying that we will find a good family to rent our house.

...and I need moving boxes!

Kaitlyn has already claimed the bedroom that has the most beautiful view!

(not quite this close though)

 I just wonder how long Kaitlyn and Addie will enjoy having seperate bedrooms. That's a BIG issue in our house right now....people not having enough "personal space"....That may or may not improve....we'll see.

I'm thinking.....

• about sending out Christmas cards. (I haven't done that in a few years)
• about my parents coming up for Adelin's 6th birthday...hope the roads are clear...
• about taking a shower....I need one...
• about what's for dinner...(even though it's 10 am. I better get chicken on for a pot pie...)
• about how good I feel after I excersise...and how yucky I feel after eating junk food (but it tastes so good!)
• about how we delivered a little Chritmas cheer in the form of chips and homemade salsa to 24 lucky friends and family last night...the kids fought, the roads were muddy...but our tradtion lived on!
• about how I am going to drop Kaitlyn off at school when I take Addie to afternoon kindergarten. She stayed home "sick" but seems to be feeling better. (miracle recovery I guess)

Adelin drew this picture of Pres. Uchtdof while he was speaking at the Christmas Devotional.

If you want to watch a great video click

HERE and  HERE and HERE  :)

Stinkin Hilarious

This is my brother Sam...as George Washington. I stole this off of his blog and didn't tell him. :)

TOFW!

I loved going to TOFW this year. (The first weekend of November.) I got to hang out with three of my best friends that weekend. Angela come from Texas. She, Jami, Skye and I had our traditional dinner at Cheesecake Factory. I miss those ladies! We probably had the waitress thinking we were drunk because we laugh and have SO much fun together and don't care if other people stare at us. (It's just because they are jealous!) LOL!

So, Angela...These pictures are for you. You're gonna have to copy and save the ones you want because for come reason I can't email pictures from my computer right now. (sorry)

(Angela, Hilary and Me!)

Hilary Weeks is my most favorite singer/songwriter. I have listened to her ever since I was 13 and my Aunt Bev gave me one of her CD's. Hilary just knows the words to sing that touch me and comfort and inspire me. ( I really feel like some of her songs were written just for me). I was thrilled to wait in the mob (seriously...it wasn't a line....) to hug her and take a picture with her. She was so patient and kind!

There were a lot of people wanting to meet her.

I told Hilary that Angela and I would just take our picture together so she wouldn't have to wait longer because of us. But she said for us to do individual pictures too. I said, "But don't you need to go to the potty or something?" (Leave it to me to say something truthfully stupid...but I was really concerned for her! She'd been on stage singing and than we all mobbed her...I know what it feels like to need to "go" and not be able to!)  She said, "You must be a mom huh?"

Two of my favorite people! :)

xoxo~ Thanks Brandon for taking care of the kids while I was at TOFW and out to dinner. I had a great time and couldn't have done that if you weren't willing to take over for the day. Love you. ~xoxo

Here are a few pictures of our "Hebegeebe Baby" (that's what we've been calling him!)

I took this on the day that he started to look better....when the bumps started to flatten.

He is looking even better now. He scabbed over and most of the scabs have come off. He was up half the night Saturday night scratching his poor little arms and legs. But it is red under the scabs. We'll wait and see how long it takes for his skin to clear up completely. Also, his big toes are still pretty swollen. It looks like he might lose those toe nails.

Connor's personality has improved as he has started to feel better (less crying and more smiles and teasing). This boy loves to tease!

Kaitlyn summed it up pretty well the other night when we were going around the family and each telling one thing we are grateful for about one of our siblings. She said that she is "Grateful that Connor is so cute and fun." She couldn't wait for him to get better so she could snuggle him and kiss his checks again. :)

SO! I guess this was Connors freakish viral break out that all our kids have gotten around 18-24 months of age. I was thinking he'd get something like Weston did...or have cold sores all over his lips and tongue and throat like the girls did....but he decided to have his own version. Luckily, these things typically just run their course and if they do have a reaccurrence, it is much more mild.

It's snowing!!!!

I love the first snow of the season! It's so exciting!!!!

The kids didn't have to go to school today because of the snow! That's the best thing ever! They were out playing as soon as it was light enough!

(I have been trying to upload pictures to the blog...but it wont work right now. I also have pictures of my "Hebegeebe Baby" Connor!") So, i will blog about something else since I can't use those pictures.

A few weeks ago I bought the "Velveteen Rabbit" movie for $1 at Shepard's Kitchen (thrift store). It is the version I watched at my Grandma and Grandpa Barrett's house when I was young. It really isn't animated...but is the book being read and you see pictures that are from the book.

Well. I turned it on for the kids yesterday. I was folding laundry and listening to the story.

I was so touched by the story. I realized, as I hadn't as a child, that this is a story of CHANGE. Of "BECOMING". I felt the Spirit teaching me as the Velveteen Rabbit and the old wise Skin Horse had this conversation:

"Real isn't how you are made..." said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand..."

Isn't that beautiful?

I went to half.com and bought the original version by Margery Williams. I can't wait to read it to my kids at night.

Let me tell you my version of what the Skin Horse said.

Being REAL comes from being changed by our Saviors Atonement. It comes from feeling like we are shabby and falling apart. It comes from having our sharp edges smoothed through adversity. When we are Real...will become stronger as we realize that we are being "carefully kept" and loved by a Father who understands.