April sum-up!

LIVE ACTION DANCE CLASS PHOTO!! Fuzzy, but you get the idea :-). Each week, 5-10 girls come to the church to take dance. I love spending time with them. It's always exciting to teach those who wouldn't otherwise get the chance to learn--those who LOVE to learn!!

So, life is HECTIC, but great!! We're on pins and needles waiting for the CA Bar results to come next Friday, but we've got plenty to keep us busy until then. The kids have had so much success with their schooling. They are all excelling! YEAH!!
Hunter and I are enjoying our time with the LA youth in our church callings, and we're trying to socialize more with those who live in our neighborhood. We've had some fun get-togethers with families from the kid's school. There are so many great people in this area!

We're trying to focus on all the good LA has to offer. Fortunately, we moved to an ideal location for elementary education. Amber and Cody are not as gung-ho as Mariah--as far as schooling goes, but they are really finding their niche.

Hunter is working like a mad-man lately, as work has become more intense. He's also taken on P90X!! He's been sweating up a storm!! I am so impressed with him! Of course, I haven't been inspired enough to join him, yet, but I get tired just watching him :-)!! And I am doing all that I can to just keep up with this growing family! We don't know what's going to happen once the Bar results arrive...new job, no job, move, stay, relocate to another city or state...who knows??? We'll keep you all posted. Here are some pics of our April events. Enjoy!!

Cody had his first book-share experience in Kindergarten! He had 75 different options for "sharing" his favorite book, and he chose to create a car for his costume. Both Hunter and I helped prepare him for the big day. Hunter and Cody had a blast spray-painting the box-car, creating a designer license plate, cutting out and painting the wheels and attaching rope to wear over his shoulders. Cody then told me what he wanted to say for his book-share. He read it all by himself in front of the whole class last week!! We were sooooo proud of him!
What a great kid!!

STERLING LOVES FOOD (below)--can you tell? Yes--he's still nursing--14 teeth and all!!! I love his flesh-rolls hanging over the lip of the high chair! HAHA!

Last week, the Spector/White family took us to the LA ZOO! Janet (mom), Claire and Oliver (kids), showed us around the park. It was a great day!!

Slumber parties are the best!! We had Madison Smith, Laura White, and Juliana White over to play all night long!! These girls asked for a gymnastics class around 9:30 p.m. I mustered up enough energy to spot them for an hour, but I had to hit the sack at 10:30. They stayed up and played well after 1 a.m.! They love being together.

Mariah now fits into MY clothes...AGH!! She is also donning the beautiful necklace her Grandma Lana (Nanna) gave her. Isn't it gorgeous?!

Cody (above) keeps loosing more teeth! The Tooth Fairy is going BROKE!!

Sterling (below) loves going on dates with Mommy and Daddy. He's a great 3rd wheel!!! LOL

Finding fulfillment through MOTHERHOOD

I was asked to speak for "Time Out for Women" here in LA next month. My topic is: "How do full-time mothers find fulfillment spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially?"

It's a loaded question, huh? I asked this question of my Face book Friends, my family members and Jamie Alston, who then sent it out to all the gals in her Queen Creek Babysitting Club. I have received numerous responses to this question, and the answers have truly WOWED me! Truthfully, I was expecting at least 75% of the comments to be "ME" focused--finding fulfillment by ridding one's self of one's children and focusing primarily on one's own goals, career, dreams, hobbies, etc..."filling my own cup" theory. However, I was surprised how many mothers found fulfillment by simply becoming better mothers--sacrificing MORE of their personal time and choosing to LOVE IT!! I was pleasantly surprised!! Also, many women had found ways to "kill two birds with one stone" (sometimes three!) by doing things that fulfilled them in more than one area (mental, physical, emotional, etc.).

I've thought a lot on this issue, and I've had EXTREME struggles finding fulfillment of my own--so, as I'm sure you all did--I laughed out loud when I heard the topic I was being assigned to speak on!! Of course it would be about the very thing I've struggled with the most and learned the most about this year ;-)!!

It's interesting how self-discipline plays such a HUGE role in self-fulfillment.

We are taught that happiness comes from making correct choices. If I am disciplined enough--or if I CHOOSE to...eat well, read my scriptures daily, pray and ponder privately daily, exercise daily, put aside time for: journaling, emailing, cooking and cleaning (laundry included) DAILY, and find a moment to squeeze in a personal hobby or college course and still leave plenty of time to taxi children around (or in my case, walk the children to and from school--approximatel­y an hour and a half each day) and ensure they all have one-on-one time with me DAILY...I WILL FIND FULFILLMENT!!! WHEW!! Didn't that list seem exhausting??? Of course, I didn't add: teaching children instruments (piano, voice, trombone, etc.), teaching dance/sports courses for your children, taking children to and paying for dentist, doctor, and orthodontic appointments, and leaving at least 2-4 hours in the afternoon for homework help DAILY!! And you can't forget the extracurricular activities: gymnastics, city sports (swimming, diving, etc.), after school games or tournaments, trips to the library, or church calling preparation and completion. Also, this list DOESN'T include the extra work mothers often take on to supplement the family income--or the community service activities that are often added in order to help better the environment and governments in our local areas (which is strongly encouraged). Plus--you've got to throw in Family Home Evenings and Daily Family scriptures.

Sure--motherhood IS a matter of self discipline (scheduling, organizing, etc.)--without it, a mother couldn't possibly expect to get it all of this accomplished!! But, it's also about complete and total FLEXIBILITY!! If a mother isn't capable of dropping the calendar to rush a child to the emergency room, or cancel appointments due to a high fever or the flu, or go without sleep for one, two, three...maybe 10 nights...she may not only feel like a failure, but she may have a mental/emotional breakdown!!

I met up with a mother at my kids elementary school who was always stressed out--NOT because she had too much in her schedule, but because she had no schedule. She said that motherhood was always a chore because she had no discipline in organizing her time--she felt like she was always REACTING to what HAD to be done--instead of preparing for events ahead of time--continually scrambling like a chicken with her head cut-off because she chose not to plan better.

SO--we see the need to be organized AND flexible.

We also know that happiness comes from following God's commandments. I, in many respects, equate happiness with fulfillment. I think that I feel most happy/fulfilled when I am doing God's will--WELL! Mediocre obedience just doesn't cut it for me. It may for others, but I'm a die-hard perfectionist--which­, in itself, makes happiness/fulfillmen­t hard to achieve! This is where I believe Kendra hit the nail on the head with "unrealistic expectations". If perfection is our expectation, we are always going to fail--fulfillment will NEVER be realized (at least not in this lifetime). In this area, we find that temple attendance, continual prayer, scripture study & pondering, frequent journaling (blogging), church attendance and being worthy of the Holy Spirit truly helps mothers find spiritual fulfillment.

SO--having realistic expectations and keeping God's commandments is KEY for emotional and spiritual fulfillment!!

One of the most essential things we may have overlooked is the fact that our relationships with our husbands is most important--right after our relationship with God! If that relationship isn't good, or if we're not feeling happy with each other or ourselves--we're not going to feel emotional fulfillment.

SO--establishing a good relationship with our spouses through: good communication, service, frequent affection (hugs, kisses, touch, and YES--sex), and weekly courting MUST be done in order to find fulfillment.

Although finances haven't been discussed either, I believe they play a HUGE role in our familial relationships (especially with our spouse). Learning financial discipline, and acquiring wealth (by this I mean simply having enough money to pay bills) can greatly enhance one's fulfillment needs. Unhappiness is DEFINITELY enhanced when bad financial decisions are made--or just when basic needs cannot be met because insufficient funds.

Diet and exercise are also important for one to find physical fulfillment.

Exercising regularly not only helps mothers to stay in shape, but it also feeds their self-confidence and keeps the husband attracted! YES--exercise tends to be the "extra" thing that gets cut out of the daily schedule, but depression and anxiety can be dispelled by a healthy rush of endorphins!! Also, eating well can increase your energy and keep you feeling well. Likewise, eating poorly can drag you WAY down, and make you feel like sitting in one place ALL day long!! I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about!!

The idea that "BEING A BETTER MOTHER" can fulfill many of our basic needs...is absolutely true!! If we are spending our time loving, teaching, nurturing, and fostering growth in our children...we inevitably feel growth in ourselves!

Fraud and QUAKES!!

WOW--lot's happenin' here in LA! The first thing that happened was that our debit card had been duplicated and used in 4 different grocery stores last week. AGH! Yah--you heard me right...DUPLICATED!! Pin and all. Just when you think swiping your debit card is safe---THINK AGAIN! Thank goodness I decided to check our bank account when I did! Turns out that fraudulent card duplicators had created a system where they could access all of our card information as we swiped it. We caught it in time, and we were able to get the money returned to our account. WHEW!

Then, on Sunday, right after conference...I was sitting in my chair by the computer, and my chair began to rock around. I closed my eyes for a moment, thinking that maybe I was dizzy and that I just needed to clear my head, but that didn't fix a thing! I called out to Hunter, who was in the kitchen, and I asked him if he was feeling the same thing. Sure enough--he was, too! He told me to grab Sterling and get outside to the other kids. As we all stood in silence, we watched as our neighbor's tree continued to shake. It felt like a snake was swirling beneath our feet. Once the tremor stopped, Hunter and I stared at each other in stunned fear. What would we do if the quake had been worse? What had we forgotten to do to prepare for such an event? What would happen if our family wasn't together? I could tell that Hunter was thinking all the same things.

When we felt it was again safe to go inside, we flipped on the news...and SURE enough...BREAKING NEWS 7.2 earthquake. Then, more breaking news...5.1 aftershock near Malibu/Santa Monica--just miles from our city. AGH!!!! Sacramento had been hit, too.

I had such a jolt of adrenaline running through me that I had to call my immediate family members. I'm not totally sure why, as I had nothing to report, really. But, I was scared! Unfortunately, I hadn't masked it well enough, and the children were, too. Both Cody and Amber were pretty shaken up, and we had only experienced a small rumble--in comparison to those in San Diego--and of course, those who were closer to Baha California, Mexico--where the earthquake had actually originated. The reports said that we had only felt a "1", whereas, those in Mexico felt the full 7.2! SCARY! These natural disasters are so OUT OF OUR CONTROL that you just don't know when they are going to hit or how bad they are going to be. Michelle (my sister-in-law) and my mother both asked, "So, would you prefer tornadoes or earthquakes?" With tornadoes, we had some warning with sirens and news flashes. There are no warnings with earthquakes. Basements can be a place of safety when tornadoes hit. NO PLACE is safe when an earthquake hits. I, therefore, would prefer tornadoes. Actually--I would prefer NO disasters!! BUT--that seems to be unrealistic anymore :-(.

Is there anywhere that's safe? We've been discussing where we want to finish up raising our kiddos. We've talked a lot about the pros and cons of living and raising children in LA. Good schools are like liquid gold here. I've considered homeschooling the kids once they get to junior high--as I hear the public schools have a lot to be desired here. Mariah and I have already discussed her options for schooling next year, as junior high begins in 6h grade here. Mariah is also the only LDS gal in her entire grade! So is Amber, and Cody has just one other little boy who is LDS in his grade. It really does make a difference for these youngsters when they are unable to cling to others who believe as they do. Fortunately, there are many wonderful families of other faiths here, but it's a struggle for the kids to find good friends. There are so many more things that come into play with the area in which you live when your children are so affected by it. I want what's best for my kids--even if that means homeschooling or moving. We'll have to see what happens.

Finding the JOY!!!

So, last week, when I finally opened up and spoke out about the things that were eating me up, I had an emotional breakthrough! I felt rejuvinated! Honesty is a good thing! I decided that I needed to connect with the many wonderful people in our area, and make a more concerted effort to make friends. Regardless of the fact that money is EXTREMELY tight for us right now, I began attending more events and planned a few get-togethers here in my home. Reuniting with people really helped me. I felt my burdens lifted.

Most importantly, I decided to take on Personal Progress again. Yes, I had already completed my goals as a teen, but since I am now working with the young women in our ward, I thought it would be a great way to help me and them with their current goals. And, HOLY COW!! My scripture time became so much more powerful, as I was focussing on certain subjects each time I read. I LOVE THE SCRIPTURES!!

I also continued journaling my feelings--more regularly, though. I realized how Satan was working me over! I could see from a more objective perspective how deeply depressed I had become and how quickly I had despaired. I felt frustrated with myself, yet--I felt excited to be happy again! Optimism--with a realistic perspective--is my re-found approach to life :-).

I've read a lot of conference talks on faith, and I've taken a lot of time to ponder over our gospel doctrine lessons (about Abraham and Joseph of Egypt--two dudes that were tried beyond belief!). If you, too, are being worked over by Satan, check these scriptures out: Hebrews 11, Alma 32:17-43, and Ether 12:6-22. These scrip's really helped me. They lifted my soul out of the duldrums.

It's amazing how terrible Satan can make you feel--even to the point where you don't want to go on another day. I think it was a good lesson for me to learn--tough as heck, but good to learn. Our situation hasn't relented yet, but I just feel more peace. I'm recommitted to living happily, faithfully, despite our trials.

Illumination...

My brother, Jeremy, sent me this youtube video called, "The Invisable Woman." It was inspiring. To all you mothers who feel invisable...this will lift your day. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YU0aNAHXP0

Thanks to those who respond to posts :-)

Those of you who leave messages for me on this blog....THANK YOU!! You make my days, and I love you. It's fun to put my thoughts out and to actually get responses. It means the world to me. Again, thanks :-).

Family Fun

Mariah and Amber were invited to a slumber party, and Cody and Sterling were feeling really left out. So, it was time to put a tent up in the backyard! We had a lot of fun with the girls gone :-)!!

This is Sterling's first SWING!!! This is at the Santa Monica Beach Park.

Sterling wouldn't stop eating the sand! We tried to keep him away, but gave up! He had sand in his diapers for the next 2 days!

Hunter's boss from the Kansas City Chiefs came to visit us last week--along with my sister, Natalie. This is what our dinner was like.

Our "Happy Place"...

Q & A...

This post is in response to many of your questions. I've been extremely general up to this point--purposefully avoiding a self-instigated mental breakdown. I often put all the positive info. out for all to see, keeping the intricate details of the many trials that are often weighing us down "close to the chest." Struggles are just not as fun to read about, right??

In all reality, LA has been chewing us up and spitting us out!! YES--there is a lot to be said for temperate weather and the TOTAL lack of seasons and snow, but I LOVE fall colors and lots of SNOW!! YES--there is excitement on the beach, but I'm not overly anxious to live on a fault-line--5 minutes from the coast--where an earthquake could flatten our home or a Tsunami could drown us all at any time. FYI--we had 3 earthquakes just last week!! AGH! Fortunately, we only had a 4.4, but REALLY???!!! And why would a $100K home in AZ cost $750K in CA? The building materials can't be that comparitively over-inflated!

Hunter's internship sounded great, but didn't pan out as expected. So, unfortunately, things have been pretty darn tough. We've learned a lot over the past year, though. We've had some really hard weeks. However, we have had some REALLY joyous days--mostly at Disneyland :-). Poppy and Nanna Moore saved up for 2 years and took our whole extended Moore clan to Disneyland for 3 days. We rolled those tickets into annual passes. Now--a day at Disneyland only costs us gas to and from Anaheim and $14 for parking---SWEEEEEEET! Thank you Poppy and Nanna Moore! Disneyland has been our "happy place"--quite literally. We try to go as often as possible.

I've really missed my friends. Terribly.

I miss nature. I've become numb to the "buzz" of the big city. I'm a country girl through and through. I don't need fine clothes or thousands of dollars to have a good time, but I've seen how the "other side" lives now.

The church is different here, too. Wealth can really change people. Views get skewed easily. Doctrine is questionned regularly, and I feel like I have to fight for simple truths to be upheld. Fortunately, I'm not alone. Others are fighting with me. It's exhausting, though. I've really found admiration for those who don't crumble under the pressure. Yet, there are days (too many days) that I just want to give up--and MOVE!!

Regardless...the waiting game persists. May 15th is D-day for the Moores...Doom/Delight--who knows which. The Bar results should arrive mid-May. Of course, they don't actual give you a day--that's all a guessing game, too. 5 years of my life has been consumed with the "unknown". Who knows which law school we'll go to? Who knows what or where the internships will take us? Who knows when or where the new jobs will come from? Who knows where the money will appear from? So many questions--and so few answers.

We've been reading about Abraham in Gospel Doctrine, and I must admit--that guy had a LOT of faith! Faith is what keeps me alive right now. I have faith that God really does know our situation and is routing our course to greener meadows. I have faith that everything will work out. I have faith that despite the hard times--light is at the end of this very long dark tunnel. Of course, my faith has seen better days, but I'm trying my best. I really do believe the doctrine, though, and that in itself means that happiness is actually obtainable--even if it comes in the next life. Time to keep on keepin' on, right??

Mommy-ing is a struggle right now, too. With just one car (that leaves with Hunter each morning), I've had to limit my activities to the square-mile around my home. And since the majority of my days are spent walking children to and from school--very little time is left after laundry, dishes, and other cleaning is completed...especially with a very active 11 month old that is like a 3-man wrecking crew.

I know all the Mormon cliches for the gloomy attitudes that I'm expressing. "This too shall pass." "Focus on the eternal perspective." "I never said it would be easy, only that it would be worth it." "Count your many blessings." So, all of you that were thinking these things...I've already got it covered.

So--you weren't expecting the real truth, but there it is. CA is not my cup of tea. I don't know what Heavenly Father has planned for our family, but I hope I can get through this. I feel like I'm drowning already.

Random pics from Hunter's camera-phone...

This picture was taken the first week Hunter and I came

to LA to find a home. This was our first trip to the LA temple. We always find answers to our prayers when we come to the temple. Sterling was so excited to get out of his car seat after viewing 30 different homes in the area. We were happy to be out of the car, too!!

YOU GUESSED IT!! This pic was taken at the hospital on Sterling's b-day.

Yup, this one, too :-).

Sterling grew FAST!

Hunter was looking through our wedding pics and added this to his phone-camera collection. It's been twelve years now. Can you believe it???

Visits from friends and family...

So, it's SPRING BREAK for many of our AZ friends and family--which means that we get visitors! Natalie (my 9 year old sister) came to spend time with us last week while my Mom worked in Sacramento. Woody Dixon, Hunter's boss from the Kansas City Chiefs (just got a new job as head of the Pack 10) flew out to LA on Friday. He invited Hunter to watch the Pack 10 basketball game at the Staples Center and then came to our home for dinner. It was WONDERFUL to have him here. We got a brief visit from my Mom and Grandmother on Sunday. It was all too short, but it was great to see them! The next day, Hunter's mom, sister & to girls came. They hit Disneyland on Tuesday and Wednesday, and we joined them for just a few hours after the kids finished school on Wednesday. Yeah for annual Disneyland passes! We just love seeing our family and friends.

So--life is busy, expensive, and stressful...HOWEVER, we're trying to count our many blessings and enjoy all of the time we get to spend with those we love.

THANKS FOR COMING TO SEE US--YA'LL!!!!

Post Bar Phase :-)

So, the Hunt-man has completed the monstrous CA BAR!!! YEAH!! He said it was a doozy! 8 hour days for three days straight--AGH!! He drove to Ontario at 5:30 am each morning, and then he drove home in two hours of bumper-to-bumper traffic each night. He called home with a big "WHAT'S UP?!" at the end of the first day. He said that a gal ran out to the parking lot to spew after the morning session on the second day. I guess the multiple choice section was too much to handle! Hunter used many descriptive words---INSANE being one of them. He was just pooped-out by day three, but he came home with a big smile. Who knows how it will all turn out, but we are soooooo proud of Hunter. He did his best--and that's good enough for us. We have to wait until May 15th to get back the results. Please add a prayer or two on our behalf that the graders will give Hunter his full points. YEAH for the next phase of life.

Badly needed TEMPLE time!!!

YEAH!! Hunter and I were able to go to the temple together this past Saturday--thanks to Deborah, a wonderful woman in our ward. She watched the kiddos while Hunt and I escaped to the Lord's house for a while. Boy oh boy, how we needed that! I don't think there's a better place on earth to get priorities straight and to feel peace. I kept feeling like Heavenly Father was aware of our circumstances, and working things out for us--in HIS own time, of course :-). I also felt like the most important thing was to ensure that our family was taken care of spiritually. I want to make sure that we raise our kids in an environment that's best for them. I agree that the home is where they get their base values and work ethics, but when the "town" helps to raise them, I want the town to be the right one!! Of course, we'll go where God wants us to go, but it doesn't hurt to pray for specific blessings, right???!!! LA has a lot to offer, but it hasn't offered Hunter a full-time job--YET. Hunter takes the bar tomorrow and the two next days. We won't get the results back until May. Until then, we'll do a lot of praying to find out what the next step is meant to be. We're DONE with interning!! Never say never, though, right?! We just don't care to sacrifice SO much for SO little $$$. Poverty teaches a lot of valuable life lessons, but I'm ready to move on!! :-) HAHA. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way. Unfortunately saying it and doing it are two totally different things. Hunter is a very competent man, and I know things will work out. I'll keep you posted.

There and back again...

"Whew!" That's the word that comes to mind when I hit my pillow each night. "Made it yet another day"--are the words that follow. Today I gave a lesson on motherhood and keeping a clean and orderly home. The lesson inspired all kinds of emotion inside of me--since I try so hard to do both well, yet I feel like I fail to hit the mark almost daily!! Anyone feel like that?

I spoke with a woman a couple months back who said, "Later in life, no one says, 'Gee...I wish I hadn't had as many children!' Nope. More times than not, older folks are wishing they had had MORE kids to keep them company in their later years."

I think motherhood/fatherhood certainly teaches life-lessons that one could not learn in any other way. Selfishness has to excuse itself completely if one is to truly parent well. Yes, it's important to "fill your own cup", but even that comes at inconvenient times!

Mariah scheduled about ten too many activities this semester, and we have since scaled back. The lesson would have never been learned the easy way, however. She had to realize that committing to too many things stretched her beyond her limits, and the only way to do WELL in anything was to do only a few things at a time. She found out that her "eyes were bigger than her stomach". She was taking private violin lessons, after school drama (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory), dance, gymnastics, piano, etc.--besides being the lead in her class production, being a Student Council Representative, going to church activities, and keeping up with homework and daily chores. She wasn't finding any time to play! We agreed that play-time is just as essential as the rest, and scaling back was absolutely necessary. WHEW!! She is now wasting time more :-). She really enjoys rollerblading in our backyard. She's quite good!!

Amber--cuddles her way into your heart. Sadly, she has really struggled to find good friends at her school. There are four sweet gals in our ward that I need to schedule playdates with--so that Amber can enjoy her time in CA more. She is doing well with her scholastic work, and she enjoys math the most. She spends as much time as she can on the bars on the school yard. She will do everything in her power to be the first on the bars and the last to leave. She has brusies up and down her legs from the bars, but she's quite proud of them because she feels they show off her persistance and excellence. She is still our family entrepenuer and the wealthiest of us all--as she saves all the money she's given for b-days, christmas, etc. She is getting more beautiful every day. She's a really fun kid.

Cody has been doing so much better with his anger management. He has so many friends at school. He misses his cousin, Blake Johnston, terribly, however. He fears CA earthquakes, and he begs us to move almost daily. He loves to play every kind of sport, and he loves to ride his scooter. He climbed the tree in our backyard for the first time this week. He was soooo proud of himself. He loves to hug and kiss on Sterling. Tonight I found Cody holding Sterling on his lap, and they were both mesmerized by the Olympic scenes on the t.v. It was very cute.

Sterling continues to keep us from sleeping. And so it goes. He is the happiest baby, however, and he keeps us all smiling (until 1 am, when we're not fully coherent--but fully sleep deprived). He is clapping, waving, and saying MOM and DAD. His hair is growing out--RED! With all of my irish blood, and Hunter's Italian (Northern Italian) blood, each of our kiddos have had red tints in their hair. Sterling now has a TON of teeth, and he's biting everything--including ME!! AGH! Breast feeding is soon to be a thing of the past :-).

Hunter is preparing for the bar---STILL. He will take the bar in a week and a half!! It's here! This is such a stressful time! Hunter has made time for us all, though. He has been such an amazing husband! Really! He goes out of his way to help each of us individually. He's such a great guy. He makes me laugh every day. He's determined to give this bar the best he's got. No matter the result, Hunter is the best of the best.

I took on a video editing project for my mom this past week. I love editing! Yes, it was bad timing for me to set back to work, but it all worked out. I continue to be at the cross-roads with every member of our family. I'm doing everything I can to keep on keepin' on.

We're so grateful for generosity of friends and family who have continually helped us out during the past few months. THANK YOU!! Hopefully, we'll get to see the fruits of our 5-year-law-adventure (including LSAT, Law School, and 3 internships). Only time will tell.

What a week!

So--our refrigerator has gone on the fritz for the 3rd time in 3 months! AGH! It hasn't actually been fixed since the first time it stopped working--so, we've been living out of ice chests for the majority of the last 3 months! EVEN during Thanksgiving and Christmas! The landlords are pretty tight with any kind of home-improvement expenditures, so we've been left to endure life in ice chests. It's difficult to find food you're looking for--shoveling handfuls of ice, and moving from chest to chest. Ice is almost $5/bag here--so we've spent the equivalant of what it would have cost to purchase another used refrigerator off Craigslist at this point!! Frustrating!

Cody is home sick with a fever today. He's a low-maintanance "sicky", though--so, no complainst there :-). Sterling continues to cry himself to sleep--sometimes up to an hour of crying. It's a little nerve-wracking. We're not sure what to do with him throughout the nights, though. Some books tell you to let them cry it out all night. We've let him cry himself to sleep, but after 4-5 hours or so later--when he wakes up, we bring him in with us, and I feed him back to sleep. It seem counterproductive. Any one have any brillant ideas?

Hunter has been trying his best to study every available minute, but inevitably--something blows up (figuratively)!! Whith one car, two callings (both in the Young Mens and Young Womens), an extrememly tight budget, and lots of children needing to be run around every day, Hunter is constantly helping me to put out all the fires. With Cody sick, someone has to be home at all times. The schedule gets discombobulated every time "life" happens. We know to expect it, but it gets to be too much to handle at times--especially when Hunter REALLY needs quiet, uninterrupted time to study, study, study. Bills have to be paid, everyone must be fed, laundry must be rotated, folded and put away, dishes have to be washed, the kids need help with hours of homework, and Sterling needs a consistant "scream-it-out" sleep schedule...LOTS to do!! Poor Mariah took on 4 hours of math yesterday--besides play practice and Achievement night at the church. Everyone's a little (a lot) on edge. Can anyone relate?

Good news!! Mariah was selected to be the lead in her class play. We get REALLY excited when casting is based on MERIT rather than SCHOOL DONATIONS!! CA has a skewed way of rewarding kids in the extracurricular drama program---so this was SOOOOO exciting! We are so proud of Mariah. She was just beaming!

I volunteer with choreography during Mariah's after-school play rehearsals, so I get to see how she interracts and responds to instruction. She is fantastic! I'm also teaching free dance classes at the church each Tuesday night before mutual, and Mariah and Amber have improved week after week. The two of them just LOVE to dance, and they are exceptional students. I'm proud of both of them. They are complimented by all of their leaders and teachers. It really makes parenting a treat when the kids do well in their various activities.

So--that's the update. Things are pretty stressful right now, but the kids are really excelling in their many activities. Additionally, our family scripture time and family home evenings have been so uplifting lately, as the kids are more conversant and are really grasping the various spiritual concepts. They really are good kids.