Sawyer's Day - "It's great to be eight"

August 15 was actually the day of my 20 year high school reunion. I have to admit that I was pretty bummed we couldn't head out to UT for the event. However, I couldn't have asked for a more special day.
Instead of flying out to UT and visiting with old friends and family, I got to watch my oldest son baptize his little brother. It was a awesome! The spirit was strong and we were grateful to the friends and family who joined us for the special day.

Facing Fears

We went to Georgia the week of the 4th. It was fun to spend some time with the family, just wish more of them could have been there. We're a crazy bunch and it's never boring when we get together. On the 3rd, we took the kids to 6 Flags. Probably not the best idea doing it the day before the 4th of July especially considering many people got the 3rd off since the 4th was on a Saturday. The lines were long! The kids had a lot of fun anyway.
That morning before we left, I actually suggested leaving Sawyer home. Rides, not really his thing. There tend to be a lot of tears, even at water parks. Mike insisted that we take him anyway.
The day played out mostly like I thought, Sawyer sitting on the sidelines of the majority of the rides. He did ride a couple. As our little group made it's way toward the "American Scream Machine", Sawyer decides he wants to go. I ask him if he's sure, and he insists that he does in fact want to ride it. I think it may have been with a lot of encouragement from his cousins Will and Sam. These boys are fearless! Below is an excerpt of a description of the ride of Sawyer's choice.

"Experience the terror of timber. Considered one of the greatest rides in existence, The Great American Scream Machine is still one of the world's longest and tallest wooden roller coasters. Rocket along the banks of the Chattahoochee and manufacture some screams of your own."

So, as we proceed through the long lines, different conversations going between all of us, I look down to see Sawyer. My son is in tears. His face is red, crying, hands covering his face. I ask him, "Sawyer, what's wrong? Are you okay?".
"Mom, I'm so scared."
I reply, "Buddy, you don't have to ride it. It's your choice. We can get out of line right now.".
My son looks up at me with tears streaming down his face, "But Mom, I want to face my fears.".
The poor kid looked so pathetic, but it was one of those proud parental moments. So, when it came time to ride I went with him. He continued the crying, which turned into screaming for his life, for the entire ride. I held his hand, I tried to talk him through, he was oblivious to me. I just started to laugh. Nothing in my parental experience had ever been similar.
When the ride of terror ended, and we had come to a complete stop, the biggest smile came across his face. I asked, "Did you like it?". He vigorously shakes his head no. "No way! But I'm so proud of myself!"
My heart was about to burst! If you really know Sawyer, you will know that he is a very timid kid. He is not a thrill seeker. He stood in a line for over 30 minutes terrified of the unknown, of what was to come, but he faced it head on. Tears and all.
What a kid!
(We did get a picture after the ride was over with him in front of the roller coaster, but the camera is still in GA with Taylor. As soon as he gets home, I'll post it.)

The High School Graduate

Congratulations Taylor!

Okay, granted it is a little late. I need to be a bit better about this blogging thing, won't argue that. On May 30th, 2009, Taylor graduated from Kingwood High School. Where has time gone? Seems like just yesterday I was graduating. We are so proud of him.

Times are changing...

We have a lot of changes happening with kids as far as school goes. On Saturday, Taylor will be graduating from High School. Arghhhh!!! I am not ready for it. I just graduated 20 years ago. Landon is finishing up his final year of middle school and will be heading off to HS in the fall. No break for Mike for the early morning seminary, Taylor's done, but Landon gets to enjoy the blessings. Emma is finishing up elementary school and it's off to middle school for her. This, I am really not ready for.
Emma. You just have to say her name, and anyone who knows her will smile, shake their head, and say, "That Emma, I love her!" She is silly, talks constantly (& loudly), giggles over nothing and everything, smiley, sweet, dramatic, totally social, yet happy to be by herself, loves & hugs everyone, and drives me absolutely batty. I love her more than words can say.
I am not ready for her to grow up, yet excited at the prospects of who she's going to become. I know that this lil' caterpillar is going to become a beautiful butterfly!

The Beach

Some of my most favorite memories growing up were the summer vacations in San Clemente California with our CA cousins, with some of our other family joining us too. We would stay in a condo just a stones throw from the beach, (actually down some mega stairs, across the street, and under the railroad tracks). We would lay in the sand, body surf, swim, you know, all the things one does at the beach. In my mind, the parents laid on the beach reading their books, and we just did our thing. Played in the ocean, went to the little store, back to the beach for more H2O time, up to the condo to watch movies, back to the beach. Good times! Although there was the one year we watched JAWS, and I think the majority of us chose to just stay out of the water for the remainder of the time. Who thought to throw that movie into the box? Good one, Uncle Stanley!
Anyway, this past weekend we took the kids to Rockport and met up with some of Mike's family. It's no San Clemente, but it was fun. It sure took me back to the good 'ol days, but this time I was the parent with the book. :)

2009 Bluebonnets

It's hard to believe that it's been just a month shy of a year since we did this the last time. We took our sunny spring drive today and took pictures of the kids in the bluebonnet fields. There was a lot less yelling and crying this year. Mike really held himself together this time :) JK! I love being able to just get in the car and drive. Somehow, it all turns out good. At the beginning of the morning, I was wondering. Taylor and Landon were fighting, Sawyer was whining, things were not looking good. However, it turned out to be a great day! I know that the time is drawing near when we won't all be on our little "Hardy Adventures" anymore. For now, I'll cherish every moment.

Happy Birthday Sara!

Hard to believe it's been a year. Sara turned one on Saturday. She is a stinker but the light of all of our lives. She's changing so fast, every day there's something new. She's now has 5 teeth, has a few words, and is really trying to walk. Okay, not really walk, run. I have a feeling we are in for a ride.

"Show Me Your Virtue"

You need to check this out! One of the most entertaining things I've seen in a while.
Enjoy!
Elder Moon, Man What Will You Do? (Show Me Your Virtue)

Reflections on 2008

What a year! Saying we have experienced highs and lows would be an understatement. I reflect on the biggies.
In March, Sara joined our family. How grateful we are to have been blessed to have her. She is such a joy to all of us. What a joy it has been to see how the older kids have responded to her. I love watching them dote over her. She adores them all and responds in squeals to each of them when she sees them.
Just weeks after Sara's arrival my Grandma Felt passed away. Sara and I were able to fly out to Utah to be there to honor her life with the rest of my family. She was an amazing woman. I feel blessed to have been touched by her life. She was so kind, patient, giving, and unconditional. What an amazing example she was to me.
Early fall, Ike hit and knocked us on our rear. We were blessed in many ways;
food and water - 72 hour kits and food storage
no damage to our home or property
a generator that Mike's uncle was gladly willing to lend us (went 10 days with out power), he also brought gas cans full of gas, when gas was very hard to come by
old fashioned family time, really helped to bring us together - it's amazing how much interaction there is when there is no tv or computer
wonderful giving neighbors
We never realized how much Ike would really affect us. We made it through, unscathed, and with a stronger testimony of the importance of following the counsel of the prophets.
With the passing of 2008, I am indeed filled with gratitude. Gratitude for the highs and the lows. For the things I was able to learn about myself and my little family, for the blessings that I have had in my life.
So, here's to the roller coaster ride of 2009...
Keep your arms and legs in the ride at all times,
Hold on tight,
and Have Fun!

Snow in Houston

On Wednesday, while I was at work, Mike called me (from Canada). "It's snowing." To which I replied, "Well, you are in Canada.". He laughed and told me that no, it was actually snowing in Houston. I drove home as big beautiful fluffy snowflakes were falling. The trees were coated. It reminded me of home. Oh, and the smell. There's nothing better than the smell in the air when snow is falling. It was like Christmas came early. When I got home, I discovered Emma had left me a little present on the car. A little snowman. Thanks Emma, I loved it! :)

18 Crazy, Amazing, Stressfull, Beautiful Years - The best of my life

I've had 3 major, deep crushes;
the cowboy,
the soccer player,
the piano guy.
You know, the kind. The kind that you doodle their name on anything and everything. The kind that you make a complete fool out of yourself over and over again. The kind that if they asked you to do anything, no matter how crazy, you would do it. The kind of crushes that they write movies about, only in the movies, at the end they wind up together. The kind that lasts for years, (the cowboy crush began when I was four - he promised to buy me a pink pony). The kind that even if you had a boyfriend, and they came a long and asked you to be theirs, you would dump the boyfriend without a thought. They were the kind of crushes that were felt deep. I cried a lot about those boys, and I actually thought I could never be happy in life if I wasn't with "him".
Then I met Mike. with him, I felt calm. There was no sense of insecurity, no sense of inadequacy, no confusion, no questions period. When he put his arm over me for the first time when we were coming home from the YSA Guadalupe tubing trip, all the chaos in my head stopped. It was quiet, I felt peace. I know that sounds so strange, but there's no other way to describe it. It was right.
18 years ago today, we got married. I have never looked back, I have never wondered, "what if", I have never questioned my choice. Don't get me wrong, it hasn't always been easy. We've yelled, cried and laughed. We've had good times and bad, but we've gotten through, together.
So honey, thanks for the past 18 years. You are truly the love of my life, my very best friend. Thank you for putting up with me. Thank you for letting me be who I need to be. Thank you for loving me unconditionally. After all these years, you still are, "my sun, my moon, my stars," and I still "dwell in darkness without you.". Happy 18th Anniversary!

Late night rambling

It's late. I've had a lot on my mind, and it tends to be therapeutic for me to put my thoughts down. Please forgive my rambling, but I need to get it out.
I've been faced with a lot of different challenges lately. It's been interesting to find out how many people that I care about seem to be struggling with different things too. Each of us seem to be going through our own things, be it financial, health, marital, family issues, internal struggles, etc. Some are even having to deal with multiple issues.
I believe that when I choose to come to earth, I knew that it would be hard. I knew that I would hurt, cry, feel pain, and suffer losses and that there would be days that would make me question my choices. I've had those days. My dad used to tell me, "Life isn't for sissy's.", and I think that's truly an understatement. It's hard! Sometimes it just plain sucks, and I wonder if I'm even going to make it through to the next day. There's even been a time when I didn't want to make it through, a time when I was ready to throw in the towel, and call it quits. Somehow, I made it through. I owe it to a good friend, a guardian angel here on earth.
Looking back, it's always been a good friend that's helped me get through those dark times. I've been blessed with many angels along this path of life. Good friends who've helped me in one way or another, more than I can count. I know the Lord truly knows me as an individual and that he knows what I would need in my life to help me through, besides my family & the Gospel. He knew that I would need earthly guardian angels.
I know there have been times that I've probably hurt some of these people, taken them for granted,or let them down. It's easy to look back and see it, but at times I've tended to get all caught up in myself, and been blind to it. I have a lot of regrets, because it's been these angels that I've been blessed to have crossed my path, that have been my balm, and I don't think I've really ever expressed my gratitude. There's been many, I would hope that you would know who you are. Thank you for blessing my life with your love and friendship. Thank you for your example, thank you for helping me to stay on the straight and narrow. Thank you for letting me be part of your family. Thank you for loving me in spite of my shortcomings. Thank you for accepting me even though I was so caught up in myself and seemed oblivious to your feelings. Thank you for forgiving me and being there when I needed you most.
There are those out there, who are quick to judge. Ready to make assumptions as to why we have made the choices we have made in our life. Those who will question the choices that we have made. Those who criticize what we have done, and are quick to tell us their thoughts as to why we may be suffering. I hope I'm not one of those. I hope I can be as unconditional in my love to my angels, as they have been to me. I hope you know that here, with me, you can find peace and solace. Calm in the storm. I will not judge. I will not criticize. I love you. I pray for you. I cry with you. Know that my heart is full of love and compassion because of all you have given to me. My prayer tonight is that we can all be better, that we can be an earthly guardian angel for someone who really needs us.
I feel compelled to leave some words of comfort, but not mine. Some of my darkest times, when I've turned inside of myself and away from everyone, I've been led to His words and been able to feel His love. I share with you my favorite scripture;

D&C 121: 7-8 ... peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.

The truth is, sometimes we need to cry. Sometimes we're going to hurt. Sometimes we will feel despair and darkness. But, it will be because of these times that we will come to truly appreciate the joy that is life. As for me, it's a life that is so much better because of my earthly angels.

She's 8 months old

I can't believe how quickly Sara is growing. It makes me so sad. I guess because I know she's our last and I've really cherished every moment. As sad as I am to see her changing, I love this time as she begins to really start showing her personality, when every day brings something new. The look on her face as she figures out each new little thing. Every day is an adventure. She is truly a joy to all of us. I think the most common thing said in our house is, "I love her!" She makes us smile, she makes us laugh, she warms each of our hearts. Her goofy little grin, how can you not love the little stinker?

Here are a few of the changes this past month;
1. She began the month up on her hands and knees rocking, now she's "army crawling" all over the place. She'll occasionally crawl a bit on her hands and knees. This also means we have to be very aware of what's on the floor. More than once we've found her with a pine needle sticking out of her mouth.
2. She got her two bottom teeth, which also means she's been introduced to cheerios. She loves 'em. She loves any kind of big people food. She does not like peas or green beans (baby food).
3. She drinks out of a water bottle & can drink out of a sippy cup. Although now, you can't drink in front of her, she gets angry, she thinks it's hers.
4. She can clap her hands & will clap when you sing "patty cake". So cute!
5. She started pulling herself up in her crib & is now trying to pull herself up anywhere she can. She just did this for the first time a few days ago. She was so proud of herself. She started bouncing and jabbering. I wish I could have caught it on film.

I look forward to everyday, and try to imagine seeing the world through her eyes as she discovers everything around her. There's something about these little people so fresh from God. The curiosity, the excitement, the frustration of their limitations. It truly amazes me.

Happy Birthday LanDaMan!

So, my guy's 14 today. Mike and I took him to dinner tonight and when the wait staff asked how old he was, in my mind I was really thinking 13. I swear it was just yesterday he was walking around our aparment at the U of U in his walker pulling rib bones out of the trash to gnaw on. My how time has flown. From the beginning, Landon has been the one that has made us laugh. He was such a goofy looking kid. Ever read the comic Marvin?It was fairly new when he was born, and he reminded us so much of him we actually called him "Marvin". Chubby cheeks, blond hair flying all over the place. Landon was my best laugher as a baby, and as he's grown he's proven to be the comic of the family. We can always count on him to make us laugh. He's so goofy, but doesn't take himself to seriously. I really hope this isn't something that he'll outgrow. He's a great kid, I couldn't be more proud.

Happy Birthday! Even though you're getting older, stay true to who you are. Every family needs a weirdo, that's why we have you!

(Sorry dude, this may be a year old, but it's better than the "Hitler" stash!)

Tagged

Okay, so Krisann tagged me. I'm supposed to find the 4th picture in the 4th folder.


Oh how I wish it could have been a different photo. You are looking at the Allman girls doing the "Angels"pose. Every time we get together, we have to take at least one. We've gotten much better since then. This was towards the end of the summer in 2006 at Stone Mountain in Atlanta, GA.
Okay, I tag Kim, Tami, Shanna, & Jen :)

Count 'em, 14 pairs

As I was picking up tonight, I kept finding more and more shoes. In a moment of frustration, I just threw them all into a pile. Seriously? Does anyone ever put their freaking shoes away? Kim and I talked last night on the phone for a minute about sometimes wanting to blog things for theraputic reasons, but not feeling like you really should. So, tonight it's therapy. I'm so tired of picking up shoes, socks, pants, and underwear (yes, you read that right, underwear), downstairs. There aren't even bedrooms downstairs. As I'm sitting here, I turn to my left and look in the living room I see a pair of jeans on the floor by the couch. That's the first room you see when you walk in the house. Again, seriously? Mike has these shoes we call his "slipper shoes". He loves them. They've split on the bottom and are falling apart. I hate them. He actually asked me tonight if I'd thrown them away. Although I've wanted to, I haven't. He should probably check the closet. No one ever looks there for their shoes, I guess you can see why.

What shoe am I???

Okay, so I saw this quiz on one of my friend's blogs and took it just for kicks with no plan of posting it. That was until I saw the results. Totally cracks me up! Sadly, it's mostly true. Though mom, you must admit, I've gotten much better about embracing the big "R".

You Are Flip Flops

You are laid back and very friendly. Cheery and sunny in disposition, you usually have something to smile about. Style is important to you, as long as you can stay casual. It takes a lot to get you to dress up! You are a loyal and true person, though you can be a bit of a flake. You tend to “play hooky” and blow off responsibilities a lot more than most people. You should live: By the beach You should work: At a casual up and coming company

What Kind of Shoe Are You?

Things are starting to return to normal (Click to see pics of "Life of Ike")

Ike hit 15 days ago, and I'm grateful to say we made it through unscathed. We were very lucky. We suffered no damage, no downed trees, and even our fence survived. Although, during the height of the storm, it did rip off some of the boards on our windows, (Mike used 2 inch wood screws to attach the boards, 3 on each side), yes, it was pretty scarey. We feel very lucky.
We lost power Friday night at about 8 pm. Mike and I had just gotten out the 72 hour kits, getting all the flashlights ready with batteries, and strategically placing them through out the house. Taylor and Landon brought mattresses downstairs to set up our "sleeping area". We'd just sent Sawyer up to take a shower and were getting ready to make grilled cheese sandwiches. The wind was barley blowing and we were starting to get some scattered showers when the power cut out. Mike turns to me and says, "I guess no grilled cheese tonight.". I was bummed. I really wanted one. Next we hear a blood curdling scream. Emma and I each grab a flash light and ran for the stairs. Emma instantly squeals and covers her eyes. There stands Soy, dripping wet, buck naked, with soap all over him. The kid is terrified of the dark. Landon, being the great big brother that he is, went and took care of Sawyer. After that, the rest of the evening is a blur, at least up until 3:30 am. I don't remember waking up, it may have been Sawyer saying every 5 minutes, "Anyone awake? I'm scared.". I tried my best to soothe him, then went to look out the window on the backdoor. Taylor was awake watching the wind whip the trees around in the backyard. The wind sounded like a freight train. I sat there watching the trees, knowing they were all going to come down. I don't know how they didn't. We sat watching together in complete fear and awe of the power of Ike. At some point, we both fell asleep. After the rain and wind subsided in the early afternoon on Saturday, Mike and I went to asses the damage. We were so surprised to see our yard so clear of debris. It was amazing, especially after just driving down our street. There were so many, who were not so lucky.
After 10 days, almost to the hour, our electricity was restored. You have know idea how grateful we were, and how guilty we felt, (there are still many out there waiting). The kids just went back to school on Thursday, September 25th, (Happy Birthday Tami). So, for the most part, things are returning to normal. Mike's company gave him the the whole week off after the storm, all except that Wednesday, when he went in and worked half day to assess the damage of the research center. As for me, I went back to work the day before, and worked 9 days straight. Our store suffered extensive water damage, and will be closed at least through January. I've spent the last 12 days inventorying and then transferring all the merchandise out of the store. They've already begun demoing around us. I'm grateful to still have a job. Once we're done emptying out the store completely I will be deployed to one of the other Macy's in Houston until we are able to get back in the building. It's been stressful and emotionally draining, although there are many others who have suffered so much more. I'm very grateful for the prayers of friends and family, and acknowledge the Lord's hand, I know without a doubt, that he was watching over us. We love you all!

Hurricane Ike - (click here for the latest Ike info)

It's one in the morning and I find myself still up. Why? Too much to do with a storm coming up on us. We've been through this before with Rita, but by now the storm had already turned and we avoided a direct hit. This time, every projected path gets closer to us (on the dirty side), but don't worry, "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.". So, to all our friends and family who may be worrying about us, know that we are prepared. I'm so grateful that we've followed the counsel of prophets and have food storage and our 72 hour kits. Taylor, Landon, & I made a "treat" run to the grocery store, and the cupboards there are bare. We've heard of people fighting over the bottled water & canned goods. Rest assured, we are set for food & water. Gas is becoming harder to find, but our tanks are full on both our cars (plus we've got 10 gallons of gas in our gas cans). The garage is cleaned out so that we can actually park the cars in it (any of you who've visited know that this was no small feat). In the morning when Mike gets up we'll reevaluate our situation and if needed, will board up the windows (already have the plywood, saved and numbered from Rita). My cousin Chelon graciously offered her home in Austin to us as shelter if we felt we needed to evacuate. Chelon, you are so sweet and appreciate it so much. I know we would have a ball. However, we aren't in the evacuation zone and feel that we need to follow the counsel of city officials to stay put. We need to keep the roads clear for those who really need to get north. We're going to bunker down and have our second "Hardy Hurricane Party". Regardless of whether or not the storm hits or makes a last minute turn, we are at peace and are ready. Schools are closed, Merichem is boarded up, and belive it or not Macy's is closed till futher notice, so for now we'll get as much computer time :), laundry, cleaning, etc., done as possible. I will update as soon as I can. Keep us in your prayers though, it couldn't hurt.
See you on the other side of the storm.
XOXO t
PS My only worry is that I'm going to lose all my fish that we caught and had shipped back from Alaska. If all comes to all, we party Hardy style; cook it all up and share with our friends and neighbors.

9/12 - An update
It looks like it's going to be a direct hit. We've boarded up and are ready to go.

Mike and Landon working on the project together



Taylor making some last minute adjustments



Alright Ike, bring it! We're ready to go.

Alaskan Cruise