Thomas

Great Friends = Great Girls Night Out

I just really have to take a few moments and just mention how much I love the friends that I have.  Tonight there was a "girls night out" of sorts planned by a friend to celebrate another friends birthday from earlier in the week.  Now having lived in this house for nearly 12 years we've seen a lot of neighbors come and go.  Some I've been sad to see go, and others are here so short a time that they move before I know who they are.  But there are a few of us that have been here for a while and we get along well.  We're all of various ages some of the older women could be some of the younger ones mothers.  But we all get along and it's great.  

I love how we can get together and have fun and chat and be there for one another.  We don't have to be drinking or smoking or being completely WILD to have fun.  But in our own way we are crazy wild, but we always have a great time laughing.  And uplifting each other.   This truly is what life is about beyond the scope of your own family.  These ladies are accepting and honest and fun.   Next to my college room mates (who will always be my best friends), these are the other "best" friends that I have.  I always feel accepted and appreciated while I'm around.  And sometimes when we're out and about, I feel uplifted even if it's just a wave as we drive past one another.  

I know back in high school I didn't really feel like I had a "group" to belong to. Because on the weekends most activities were of the nature that I didn't want to associate with and that was fine with me.  As I've gotten a little more mature and wiser I know that I now have friends and groups taht I feel like I belong to, and know that these ladies will help me out in a pinch if needed.  And some of them have and I'm sure they will in the future and I'd do the same thing for them too.  

It's a great lead in to my Sabbath day tomorrow.  A great day to go and be filled with spiritual matters to help me be a more Christlike person and really trying to push myself into becoming the best me I can be.  My weeks are made bearable because I get this chance to refill my reservoirs of spiritual nourishment and then can proceed to do those things which are best.  

Mostly just for my benefit. 
(So a huge thank you to .... Brittany Scott, Elisha Trask, Kanani Horito - her birthday celebration - and her daughters, Rachel Whipple, Cathy Jackson and her daughter Brittany, Clarissa O'Connor, Aja Floyd, Jen Bates)  A few others that weren't there tonight  Brenda Hendrickson, Cheryl Sheffield, Anne Gregerson, Linda Dayton, Natashia McClean, Jean Ashby.    I'm sure I'm forgetting someone but just know that I appreciate them all.  So when I have time, I make sure to let them know that I'm thinking about them.  

Friday Ramblings

So ....

It's a new year and all and we've been going crazy around here. 

This is a Friday so I want to get back to my Friday Ramblings posts that I used to do.


Christmas:  Went better than expected.  Why?  Well, I (Wendy) came down with some strain of the flu on Christmas Eve and slept in my bed all day.  The older kids tried to pawn the baby onto me, but I simply explained that I was too sick to do anything for her or any of them really.  So they took over and watched her until Chris came home around 12:30pm that day.   I realized that I was sick, had no energy and that whatever wasn't done would have to be done by someone else or just go on the wayside this year.  And pictures pretty much did.  I snapped a few but haven't really even seen what I got yet.   But come Christmas day, we still celebrated by opening presents but we did it much later than usual.  And ... the best part I got a Christmas nap -- and that NEVER happens.   Poor Ethan and Kaylee were also sick at that time too.  Luckily now, we're all doing much better and fairly healthy except for a few sniffles and random coughs here and there. Here's a picture of us from our ward Christmas party back in December

New Years:  We didn't do much, mainly because we were just over having been sick, and those whom we would have done something with had gotten some sick kids also.   However, we did have our niece Ashley over and she spent the night and I think Kaylee and Katherine really enjoyed their time with her.  They watched (and Chris and I bombed the party)  Snow White and the Huntsman from Redbox, and then they just do what teen girls do ... talk a lot, giggle, play some games, not get any sleep, and actually wake up earlier then they ever do normally the next morning.   It's a new year, and I've set out to make some more improvements.  

Photography:   LOVE IT!!  I've had the chance to do some photo shoots over the last several months, and I'm hooked again!!  NOt that I ever became unhooked, but being preggo and having a newborn baby to care for for the last little while kind of put me in the "slow down" and do nothing with photography mode.   I have done a lot of newborn sessions and one from just last Saturday that I really enjoyed ...

To view more from this session or any other pictures I've taken please visit my photography blog.

So I finally decided on a name to go with for my 'business'... Wendy Lynn Photography.   I'm hoping to really get up and going (meaning making some $$ ) come Spring and through to next Fall.   Here's a link to my photography blog ....  It's definitely been a journey, but one that I've enjoyed.  I've also decided that I want to do a High School Senior Rep program starting this spring also.  And you can read all about that here.    So please keep me in mind when you find yourself needing photos taken.   Newborns, children, High School Seniors, and I'd like to venture into doing more couples pictures like engagements.   I know a little plug for my photography work, but it's something I really enjoy and is almost like an addiction, but a good one.  *wink*

SCHOOL:   We have been at a new school for this school year and the children have settled in quite nicely.  There is still homework which is good, but the load isn't as heavy as it was.   And that has relieved a lot of stress form the child it was really affecting.  Katherine tried out for the intermediate ballroom dance team at her middle school and made it for this next semester.  However, currently we're working on her schedule to see if we can fit that class in, but so far no luck.    Kaylee has been in band and is picking up on the clarinet so quickly.  We love to listen to hear practice.   And the other kids are adapting just as well. 

No Cable:  We've been almost a year without cable, and it's been NICE.  I do miss it sometimes but only sometimes.   We didn't have the kids whining to us about "I want this, I want that and have these lists for Christmas that are insanely loaded down with all this JUNK.  We've been working on trying to get the house more tidied up and looking good all the time.  (And I say this as my house looks a bit of wreck)  
The kids have really picked up on reading and of all the things that Chris thought his kids would need an intervention with when he was younger, he never thought he'd have to tell them to quit reading.  We have one kid that will stay up late into the night reading.      So we are making frequent visits to the library to make sure that these kiddos have fresh new material to read. 


And finally our HOUSE:  This place was perfect for us nearly 12 years ago when we bought it.  We had just two little girls who were nearly one and nearly two and had only planned on being here maybe 5 years. You know just until Chris was done with school.  Well guess what?   It's not so perfect for us anymore and we won't be in a place financially to upgrade for a few more years.  So if you really and truly thing we're needing it NOW.  I agree.    Since we've moved in we have added 4 more children and the children don't stay little for some reason, they get bigger and thus their space needs become a little bigger too.   So, if you'd like to see us upgrade sooner rather than later, please pray for us, or .... throw some business my way.  (Remember up above where I am hoping to make some money this year)  that's the business I'm talking about.  Spread the word --- PLEASE!    The sooner we can save up for a down payment the sooner we can upgrade our living situation.  We have a 3 bedroom, one bath home with just under 1200 square feet.  We're feeling just a bit REALLY cramped.