Rachel's Fieldtrip to the Fire Station

Who would have known that going to the fire station could end up being a traumatic experience? Sheesh! I will explain more in a minute....

The fieldtrip was set up in groups, in which we rotated...first we watched a fire safety video:Then...here comes the TRAUMATIC part, we went for a tour around the fire station. First we went into the area where the firemen sleep...Rachel was so freaked out like someone or something was going to jump out of the bedrooms and get her...wow! he he. Then they gave the kids an opportunity to climb inside the Fire Truck and sit in the seat...picture time! (Notice: I am in the picture because Rachel DID NOT want to get in the truck and she was death gripped onto my hip!)

Then there was a Fire Man that was showing his clothing and letting some of the kids try them on, but Rachel wouldn't let me get within 15 feet of the coat or the hat...they were apparantly SCARY too...ummmm, okay. So we just took a picture by the ambulance (on the other side of the room).

After all the drama was somewhat over, the kids did a couple of art projects:

When all the projects were completed we were SUPPOSED to go and do games and play on a blow-up slide...but Rachel threw a fit and broke my watch bracelet, bit me and scratched me....oh, and she wouldn't quit crying. I am not too sure if Rachel had a good time and I think some of her attitude may have been a reflection of her not feeling very good...she IS somewhat battling the cold flu....*sigh*.

O.C.D.???

Rachel is obsessed with matchbox cars!!!

And not just to drive them around... she will
organize the way they are sitting and once they
are all lined up in one area,

she will move them all to another area and
begin the organizing again.

She does this EVERY day for a total of 2-3 hours
a day. Is this O.C.D?

And...if so, I am blaming you MOM!!!!

Going Organic...

Since last Friday I have been doing an organic cleanse...two days of shakes and healthy meals, then two days of organic juice and fruit ONLY, YEAH that was TOUGH!!!! And now, beginning yesterday I will have five more shake days and then two more juice & fruit days (I know I am SO looking forward to THAT! NOT!) Anyways, today I am on some kind of high...I am even typing this faster than I have EVER before, wow...look at those fingers go (I am really amazed!) It is almost 12:00 PM and already I have gone to aerobics class, went grocery shopping at Walmart, Cleaned the ENTIRE main floor and 1/2 the second floor, got out all my fall decor from the basement and decorated the house, completed two loads of wash...and yeah, I still have OODLES of energy! It is so crazy what non-organic food does to us! On a normal day, I would be dragging around the house because I was tired & had no energy...but not today! I originally did this cleanse to get things rolling again on my weight loss, but now...I think I may just continue to work organic foods into my daily diet, not a bad idea..eh? Anyways, just thought I would share......
I am off to clean some more! Oh, and btw...I have lost 7 lbs and a total of six inches since last friday...not to shabby!

My dream last night...

I had the saddest dream last night...one that I actually woke up with tears rolling down my face. I dreamed that I had died...and now that I think about it, I am not sure where Clint was, but he wasn't in my dream...maybe he died too, hmmm? Anyways, back to my dream...I dreamed that Fawn was living at my Grandparents home and that my kids ended up living there...with Fawn & her family and my grandparents. I dreamed that my boys hair had gotten really long and they all seemed so unhappy and out of control. For some reason I was just wandering around and the only two people that could hear me when I spoke was Kellie, my sis & Abby, my sis-in-law...strange, I know (remember, dreams don't always make sense, he he) Anyways, I remember begging them to talk SOMEONE in either families to take my kids and love them the way that I do and do the things that I do for them. The response that I got back was that everyone's lives were too busy and just didn't fit my kids into them...I know, seems so sad and oh so NOT true! However, I woke up like I said with tears and the thoughts running through my head....Rachel is so young that if something would have happened to me, she probably would have forgotten about me by the time she was older...and to me that is so DEVASTATING. I kept replaying parts of my dream and felt like NO ONE could EVER replace me as my kids' Mother and that I am the ONLY one that knows their needs, their feelings and what works & doesn't work with each one of them. Then my thoughts were brought to those children that HAVE lost their parents and not only does my heart go out to them, but my insight on being the parent on "the other side" and watching your kids grow without being there in person to share their sorrows, accomplishments, happiness, etc. I guess I never really thought about that before...or at least it has never impacted me so much....it just made me so sad.
My heart was aching this morning as I layed in bed and so I decided to say a prayer to my Heavenly Father...I was almost pleading with him for the health and safety of all of my family members...now I know that we are not in control of what life brings us...but I tried telling him that I KNOW and feel like having a loss in the family is something that I could NOT deal with. I ended my prayer and was immediately overwhelmed with peace and comfort in my heart...and the fact that Rachel came in only minutes later and crawled up on my bed and said "Good Morning Mommy, I love you" only gave me that much more peace.
I know that I shouldn't read into dreams with whole heart...but in my life, I feel that my days are filled with so much chaos that the only time that inspiration can come through is in my dreams. I am so grateful for my choice to pray to my Heavenly Father for comfort and that I received just what I needed.

Today's Aerobic Class...

For a little over a month I have been attending aerobic classes at the new PG Recreation Center, it is close and the price is just right. The classes that I have been attending are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday....Cardio Mix, Muscle Class & Kick boxing. The instructor, Marci...is pretty INTENSE and would be an EXCELLENT drill sargeant for the military, ha ha. Today my little sis Skyler joined me in enjoying the burn and intensity...thanks Sky for coming! It was such a fun (Muscle) class today and we did something a bit different...we used the bands and did some partnering...in which I partnered with Skyler!

Now let me talk about Skyler for a minute....she is my little sis that is quite a bit younger than me (13 years). She is such a beautiful, sweet and sensitive girl and I LOVE her so much and am so grateful for her part in our family. Now...since Skyler is in her teenage years and busy with friends, guys, drill and life...I don't get to see her very much, *sigh*. I love any and every minute that I get to spend with her...and I think it is mostly because that when she is there, she has such a spirit and light about her that I feel honored to be her big sis.

So...back to the aerobic's class, since I was able to be partnered with Skyler...you can see how this class was EXTRA special. We sweated together, sighed together, grunted together and almost cried together...you know, when the pain was too much to bare, ha! I am so grateful that Skyler accepted my invitation and was there by my side...although it was only aerobics, it is a time that I will remember and treasure! I just hope that Skyler will not be too sore and will accept my invitation again!

Now...if I could only get my other two sisters there (hint, hint), then that would be an extra special treat!

I was tagged by my sis, Kellie...

...and this time I guess I should follow through, sheesh! (Thanks Kellie) So here we go:

8 things I am Passionate about...
- Clint
- My kids
- CHOCOLATE
- Friendships & Being Kind to EVERYONE
- Dancing-whenever there is music, I can't help myself!
- FAMILY
- Being Healthy
- Exercising

8 words or phrases I say often...
- WHY ME?
- We'll See
- Love You...More, Most, Infinity
- Sweetheart
- Whatever
- Where's Rachel?
- Did you clean up your mess?
- Are you SERIOUS?

8 Things I want to do before I die...
- Get Clint to fly on a Plane.
- Go on a cruise.
- Be a Grandma.
- Read the ENTIRE Book of Mormon.
- Have my home paid for.
- Impact someone's life...make a difference.
- Own a second home in Arizona. (also Clint's dream)
- Be an aerobic instructor or personal trainer.

8 things I pray for...
- Clint's Happiness
- Patience
- For more work to come in.
- That I can be a better Mom tomorrow than I was today.
- That my kids will KNOW that I LOVE them.
- The safety and health of my family.
- Guidance
- Protection & Comfort for our troops & their families

8 things I have learned...
- A house with small children will NEVER be clean.
- The more you give, the more you receive.
- It is better to get to know someone than never had tried.
- The largest trials ALWAYS bring the greatest blessings.
- Your children are always watching....live by example.
- Each child is so different...how is it possible to write a book on parenting?
- Being a mom is the HARDEST job in the WORLD!
- More respect for my parents...for what they did for me to get me to where I am today.

***I am supposed to tag 8 more people, but I don't know 8 more people with blogs.....so, if you read this and think this would be fun, then try it!

OUCH!

I took Rachel out to the mall today to get some pretty NEW earrings because she has been asking for quite some time to get some. The experience ended up being somewhat traumatizing. Rachel began to scream when the lady was cleaning her ears with alcohol...ummmm, okay...he he. Then, when the lady put little blue dots on her ears with marker you would have thought that the world had come to an end. (Have I ever mentioned that Rachel does not deal with pain very well and is somewhat a DRAMA queen?) Well, then it was time for the actual ear piercing...Rachel was screaming at the TOP of her lungs while I had to pin her head against my chest with one arm and hold her arms down with the other....TWICE! (two ears...two sides, you get the point) At this point I am sure that Rachel thought I was the wicked witch of the world and I kind of got the vibe that the lady that pierced them thought the same thing...(why in the world would this Mother be putting her kid through such a traumatizing thing?) After we were all done and all the tears were dried up I took Rachel for a CHOCOLATE frozen yogurt...who would have known that Chocolate would fix the problem? Maybe it really CAN be the answer for everything?

Anyways, here we are a few hours later AND Rachel is so happy and proud of her SHINY new earrings...whew! Glad she decided to forgive me!