I have some pretty darn good women as friends...

and SISTERS!!!!

You know who you are and you know I love ya!!!

Some of you I have known for YEARS and some for months,

Some I depend on for different things and different reasons.

Either way...

It is so nice to be able to feel like I can count on people to help me out at the drop of a hat,

with no strings attatched.

You have always been that way!!

I am so blessed!!!

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."

~ Dr. Seuss

Sometimes all I can do is just let go and move on.

I am only in control of my actions and I have

spent a lot time the past 3-4 months packing around

a HUGE burden that I can no longer carry.

As I sat in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday, I looked around and felt

the Spirit so strongly and finally realized that

people are human, me included...

We ALL make mistakes. I am here

to learn and want nothing more than to feel the

My Saviors love and be a better person than I was yesterday.

In retrospect...

I have learned a whole lot the last few months and can honestly

say that I am grateful for the family

Heavenly Father blessed me with and the friendships

I have been able to surround myself with.

I know that kids are kids and I am supposed to love mine more than anyone

else ever will.

And I do...

I know you love yours too.

I am grateful for the strength my SWEET

husband brings to my life!

Brian and I are in many aspects opposites but

I know that I need him more than I ever admit to him!

I love him for the incredible father he is and the thoughtful, sincere, honest

man he will always be.

without him, I know I'd be lost.

I love you, Babe!!!

"The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face. "

Jack Handy

The other day I was reading some stories to Allie after I had worked a 12 hr shift, she gets really needy the second I walk in the door and I love it! She had gone to the library with her dad that morning and had been talking his ear off all day, so I was glad that it was my turn to hear the hilarious thoughts roll out of her head...

She was looking in my mouth and talking about teeth and dentists and asked me which one of her teeth was her "sweet tooth"?

She said Teacher Wendy told her that she had a sweet tooth, so which one is it and do the other's feel sad that they aren't the "sweet" ones?

I love this stage of a child's life when they share exactly how things seem to them. I remember when I was little that I was afraid to eat donuts because of the Crystal Gayle song

"Don't A Make My Brown Eyes Blue" because I thought my dad said "donuts make your brown eyes blue" when he was singing it! I wish they could stay that innocent for longer!!!

I feel like my kids are growing up WAY too fast!

I'm grateful that they are growing up and are healthy, but it just goes way too fast!!

I love all three of them so much and Iknow I am so lucky to be their mom!!!

My friend Wendi let me borrow this book and I was GLUED to it for a couple of days...

I have had some slow times at work and have an opportunity to fill some time with reading books that don't have pictures, it's a nice change. This book was so easy for me to relate to in lots of ways for some reason, I highly recommend it if you have some reading time coming your way!!!

Why do gorillas have such big nostrils?

Big fingers....

AMAZINGLY SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES

1. IF YOU'RE CHOKING ON AN ICE CUBE, SIMPLY POUR A CUP OF BOILING WATER DOWN YOUR THROAT. PRESTO! THE BLOCKAGE WILL INSTANTLY REMOVE ITSELF.

2. AVOID CUTTING YOURSELF WHEN SLICING VEGETABLES BY GETTING SOMEONE ELSE TO HOLD THE VEGETABLES WHILE YOU CHOP.

3. AVOID ARGUMENTS ABOUT THE TOILET SEAT - USE THE SINK.

4. FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SUFFERERS ~ SIMPLY CUT YOURSELF AND BLEED FOR A FEW MINUTES, THUS REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON YOUR VEINS. REMEMBER TO USE A TIMER.

5. A MOUSE TRAP PLACED ON TOP OF YOUR ALARM CLOCK WILL PREVENT YOU FROM ROLLING OVER AND GOING BACK TO SLEEP AFTER YOU HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON.

6. IF YOU HAVE A BAD COUGH, TAKE A LARGE DOSE OF LAXATIVES. THEN YOU'LL BE AFRAID TO COUGH. (My favorite)

7. YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE.

8. REMEMBER - EVERYONE SEEMS NORMAL UNTIL YOU GET TO KNOW THEM.

9. IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.

DAILY THOUGHT: SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING, BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

Blog bummers...

We were recently victims of some serious blog rage. Our feelings were hurt and I'm still feeling a little leery of posting things, but we decided to remove the nasty "anonymous" comment and just move on, knowing that finding out exactly who "anonymous" really was might just make things worse. I feel bad that someone has that much anger towards me, but I realize that people might not like me or the way I handle situations, I realize that you might not choose to be my friend, so if that's the case...

Please don't read my blog or make hateful comments...

I promise to do the same.

Thanks for all the positive comments in support of not using blogs as a way to hurt each other!!!

Meadow, Utah

Brian's Grandparents are some of the world's neatest people! On our way to St George, we stayed a night with them then stopped on our way back and stayed again. They are such sincere, sweet, funny, kind people. I hope that we can grow old as well as they have! One of my favorite things about them is how simple they keep everything, you can truly see all the beauty Heavenly Father put on the earth when you are company in their home! These are some of MY favorite things when we visit...

Grandpa's milk barn

Grandma's clothesline

Grandpa's farming boots

The sad little home across the street

The carving grandpa brought home from his mission to South Africa...

All of his posterity serve just as willingly! What an amazing example...

Such truth!

No pressure Nate & Jake, but you'd be the first Beckstrand to NOT get your Eagle Scout if you decided not to...Grandma is proud of her stars!

The plants that Grandma has kept going for generations...

She still mends EVERYTHING until the fabric won't allow it!

St George and SOCCER...

Rage, Rage, Rage, Rage, RAGE!!!

Nate's team played in their first tournament this past weekend, we had a great time spending the weekend away from home with the other families that went down.

His team did surprisingly well! They held their own! Way to go Rage!!!
Coach Morford has done some pretty awesome things with these guys! We really appreciate all he puts into coaching! Nate is glad his dad gets to help out too!

The boys all played super hard and had a great time competing!

This isn't a very good picture, but I thought it would be funny to tease Jake with someday...

"Hey remember when you sat on Ronald McDonald's lap...

when you were 8?

Teeheehee!! What a funny kid!

He makes me smile!

Allie was totally obsessed with the palm trees in St George so her brothers were

thoughtful and took her to touch one and have her picture taken by one...

Oooh!!!!! Palm trees!!!!

It made her entire day!

MMMMMM!!!! Milkshakes!!!!

Poor Jake, he was wishing HE was playing!!!

What a good sport, she sat through a lot of soccer!

Nate's Science Fair Project

Not a big surprise, but Nate did his Science Fair project about FROGS....

Actually it was about the fruit flies he feeds the frogs but it was pretty awesome and he is excited to be able to participate on the district level.

He put a lot of effort into his project and was proud of his hard work! Way to go buddy! You did a great job!

Christmas Favorites

Allie's big brown eyes

Jax and Great Grandma

The dancing reindeer (with kinda creepy eyes)

The sleeping reindeer

Allie& Brayden playing some Polka carols

Uncle Martin recognizing himself and his sibs as a babies

Makes me cry when he has a spark of himself,

we all miss playing with him!!!

Beck modeling the Fresh new taste of "pomegranate 7-UP"

What a babe...

Biggest Stealer fan you'll meet

Baby Paige, 5 days old, already a party animal!

Al (aka Ned Schneebly)

Nate showing Allie how to feed her panda

Such a sweet kid!!!

Goofball...

Bri chatting with Jared on Christmas morning!

So good to talk to him!

Allie loving her panda to death

Christmas Eve

They were so fun this year!

We have always had the tradition of talking and reading about

The Savior, but this year was neat to also hear ther their testimonies

while we talked...

What a daddy...playing Petshop Nursery

Gram and Pop...love them!!!

Gotta stay warm

So grateful for our families and the traditions we get to share with them! Blessed that our children have such wonderful memories to share...