Making our homes a temple

Today we had a great talk by Sister Averil about making our homes like a temple.  I really enjoyed it and wrote down a few of the highlights.

1. Welcome people into your home when they arrive.
2. Everyone is equal.
3. Have a house of order, meaning keep it clean and organized.
4. Have scriptures out.
5. Be kind and caring, don't use harsh words.
6. Have an eternal family.
7. Have a home where Heavenly Father's love is present.
8. Invite people to come back soon and as often as possible.
9. Have only beautiful and uplifting entertainment in your home.

I loved the talk and it has given me some great things to try to work on over the next year!!  Thanks Staci!!

More Ansley Pics

Where did the Summer go?

I woke up this morning to the realization that this is my last weekday off with the girls.  WHERE did the summer go?  I knew in June when I was looking at the calender that it was going to be a quick one but I swear I blinked and it was over.  I am usually somewhat excited for the girls to get back into a routine but with Ally starting school all day this year I am really kind of bummed out. :(  She is super excited to go back but I am going to miss having her home with me.  I can't believe my baby is starting 1st grade!  So here's to the last full day off together girls!  I love you!

Birthday Dinner

After working the worst 3 day stretch of my life we spent Sunday with our family. After church my family came up from the southern half of the state to have dinner and cake with us for Ansley's birthday. The weather was crummy so we were stuck inside but it wasn't as crammed as I thought it would be. We had a great time, especially Ansley who couldn't wait to open her presents. Thank you to all of my family for making the trek up in such bad weather. We love you!

On a side note Jerry and I had to talk to Ally at church today. She has become quite the little prankster at home and thought it would be funny to try it at church. During class she asked to go to the bathroom, when she came back instead of quietly walking in and taking a seat she knocked on the door causing her teacher to stop class and open it. When he did she was hiding. She thought it was hilarious. He did not. So after class she immediately came up to me to tell me she had misbehaved in class. I didn't know the story at this point. I told her she needed to go and apologize and tell Brother Faber she would do better next week. Without a single complaint she walked right over to him and apologized. I was shocked! I don't know what all was said but they talked for a few minutes and I could tell that Ally felt better about the situation after wards. Great job Ally! The hard part about making mistakes is saying you're sorry and trying to do better. You are off to a great start already!

Summer Reading Fun

Jerry has been amazing this summer with taking the girls to the library.  All in all they read over 100 books, got lots of great prizes and had a ton of fun with daddy.  Today at the library they celebrated the end of the program with a ventriloquist and ice cream party.  Thank you Jerry for being so diligent and reading sooo many books to the girls this summer.

Blessed

I am reminded every day that I work how fragile life really is.  I am so blessed to have good health and a great family.  Today I was blessed with leaving work 4 hours early.  Life is good!  When I got home we ran some errands for Sunday's dinner and Ansley's birthday get together.  When I showed her the picture of the cake I was making her she smiled and said, "You are such a good parent to me. I get another birthday cake."  It's so easy to please kids.  I love it!  Ansley you totally made my day!

Swimming

Today we went down to my cousin Debbie's house to swim in their beautiful pool.  The girls have been "counting the sleeps" since the day we made the plans several weeks ago.  Ally is awful with names so she has been referring to Ryan and Justin as those boys.  The morning started out a little crazy but we had a great day.  Even the weather was perfect.

After we got up, I packed up the car and we headed over to library.  The plan was for me to run in and return the old books and just pick up a few more.  Unfortunately the library wasn't open so I went back out to the van to let the girls know that we would all go in together when it opened in fifteen minutes but that they would have to hurry and if they took too long to pick out their books that mommy and daddy would pick them out for them.  When I asked them if they understood Ally said "yes mam" and Ansley just continued watching the movie.  I asked her again, "Ansley do you hear me?"  To which she said, "Yes, but I don't really know what you are saying!"  Perfect!  Sorry for interrupting your movie time Ansley.

At Debbie's the girls had a great time playing in the pool and hanging out with the boys.  The weather was perfect and the pool was wonderful.  Even Jerry and I spent some time in it.  Thank you Deb, Ryan and Justin!  Oh and Lenny and Laura too!  We had a great time!

New Friends

So Jerry has become the dept mascot for the newcomers.  The dept secretary has started giving out our number so he can be of any assistance in the hard process of relocating and getting accustomed for grad school.  Today TJ and his wife Chrissy finally arrived to CT from Chicago.  They are going to be moving into the same complex we live in just across the street.  We welcomed them in with a big breakfast and then hit the moving truck hard.  Between the four of us and two very kind missionaries we were able to empty the truck in about 3 hours.  Thank you Elders Wilson and Fife for giving up your P-day!  You guys are the BEST!  After unloading the truck we took them to Manchester to return the dreaded moving truck.  First stop the gas station to refuel.  As I am trying to direct traffic so TJ can pull the truck up the pump, some gracious New Englander (I can say this because I was born one) tries to run me over and then proceeds to cuss me out.  He didn't even pump gas.  Just took up the pump for 10 minutes in the store.  Next stop to deliver the truck.  So TJ wasn't all that comfortable driving a 28 foot moving truck with a car carrier but who would be.  We pull up and this tall lanky man in swimming trunks, a dirty tee shirt and no shoes walks out and tells him to pull around back and turn the truck around.  Now TJ knowing he can't back up with the trailer asks if there is enough room to turn around without backing up.  "Oh yeah" he says.  "There's plenty of room"  So Jerry and I sit talking to this man who proceeds to tell us that he is feeling good because he has had a few (drinks that is).  He then starts telling us all about his beloved Emma Lou the American bulldog.  After about 5 minutes Jerry realizes TJ probably needs help and walks down behind the building to find him, leaving me all alone with creepy guy who keeps trying to touch me.  Finally after what seemed like an eternity I walk down to see what the problem is.  The truck and trailer is jack knifed and Jerry is trying to coach TJ out of it.  Creepy man walks down behind me (barefoot) and sees it and starts hollering for TJ to get out of the truck.  Emma Lou can drive that truck better than you!"  So creepy, intoxicated man pulls the truck around and then tells TJ and Chrissy just to leave the keys with him because the Penske rep is out.  Hmmmmm, I don't think so and neither did they.  So they called Penske and we left the keys in  a locked drop box.  Come to find out this guy didn't even work for the Penske company.  It was a crazy day and I can only image that the Dubinski's are wondering, where on earth they have moved too!

A long week away

This week I was in Atlanta for work and skills fair.  I always hate leaving the girls but it had to been done.  We talked every night on the phone and they kept me abreast of all of the weird things daddy was doing.  Like ordering Chinese food for lunch.  After all if it's not what mommy would do then it must be WRONG!  Ha, I have them trained already.  The girls spent some time with Sierra while daddy was teaching.  She has been a wonderful help to us this summer.  Thank you Sierra.  I spent most of the week working but did have a half day on Thursday where I was able to spend the afternoon with my best friend from Georgia, Erin and her new baby Roger.  He is only a few weeks old and adorable.  I was also able to have dinner with my family.  It was a nice break from the work week!  This week was also a week of some firsts for me.  I was able to navigate from the airport to my hotel using Marta by myself with  no major issues and will probably use it from now on.  It was much easier than I thought it would be and it only cost me 2 bucks.  Much less than the 45 dollar cab fair would have been.  The way back wasn't as smooth as my cab to take me to the train station didn't show up and I had to take the bus.  Thankfully there is a bus stop in front of the hospital.  I made it to the airport with 35 minutes to spare only to find out that my flight was delayed indefinitely.  Not exactly the scenario I was hoping for.  After all, a 12 hour shift makes a shower and a bed top priority and I still had a 2.5 hour flight home and a 1.5  hour drive.  We finally took off around 11:30 pm, landed at 2 am and got back to the house around 4 am.  I was so tired I didn't even shower and barely noticed that the girls had worked so diligently to make my bed almost perfectly.  Thank you girls.  You did a great job!

Ally's first talk

So Ally was quite bummed when Ansley got a talk before she did, so Sister White made sure she got assigned one too!  Her talk today was about how Jesus Christ is the Son of God and He is a God of miracles. "For behold, I am god, and I am a God of miracles;...and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith: 2 Nephi 27:23.  She did a great job.  She was able to read most of it without any help at all.  Great job Ally!!

Jesus Performed Miracles

Jesus performed many miracles.  He turned water into wine.  He healed a blind man.  He calmed a storm.  He healed a group of lepers and he fed thousands with just a few fish and some bread.  One of my favorite stories of Jesus performing miracles is  the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.  When Jesus heard that Lazarus was he sick he went to see him.  By the time Jesus got to him, he had been dead for 4 days.  Jesus prayed to Heavenly Father and then commanded Lazarus to rise from the dead.  Lazarus came back to life.  Many people saw this miracle and believed in Jesus.  I know that Jesus lives.  I know that Jesus performs miracles today.  When I was a baby I got very sick.  My mom and dad took me to the doctors but I wasn't getting any better.  After a week of high fevers, the missionaries came to the house and gave me a blessing.  That night my fever broke and I was well again.  It was a miracle and one of the many things that brought my mom and dad into the church.  I am grateful for Jesus Christ and for the blessings and miracles he brings to my life.  In the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN.

August 1, 2010

Today was a great day!  It started with church, where for the first time in a long time I felt like my lesson went really well.   Ansley is still not feeling well though and on top of intermittent fevers and no appetite she is cranky and having more of her chronic GI issues.  I had given her a ton of laxative which of coarse works its way out while she is in class. :)  After class Sister Dilzer tells me that their lesson was on obedience and that Ansley shared that "It makes you feel good inside," with one of those Ansley beaming grins.  It really is so appropriate that she said that.  She is so sensitive and she really does beam when she knows she has done good so it probably does make her feel good inside.  Ally on the other hand had a lesson about being kind.  At one point Brother Faber asked the class what they would do if someone hit them.  Ally had the answer of coarse.  "My mommy and daddy said I should hit them back!"  That was a fun one to explain.  This is only half true.  We tell the girls to tell the person to stop.  If they don't we tell them to tell a teacher, parent or any adult and if it still doesn't stop we do encourage them to defend themselves.  We never used too but in the last few years both of my girls have had experiences where kids would bully them and pick on them because they wouldn't defend themselves.  While I don't want them to be unchrist-like I also don't want them to let people walk all over them.  So sorry if my child hits yours.  If it was unprovoked by all means I want to know because I do not condone that and Ally has been corrected.

After church we went over the Buckley's for an amazing dinner.  It was like Thanksgiving.  Ansley is still not her chipper self and didn't eat much.  This has definitely been the worst round of vaccinations ever.  After dinner we picked blueberries off of her blueberry bush and rhubarb and flowers out of the garden.  Ms Claudette has a wealth of edible greens, fruits and flowers in her yard and the girls and I enjoy trying them all!  Thank you Buckley family!  It was a great Sunday afternoon!