The Underrated Duty

There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy. By being happy, we sow anonymous benefits upon the world. -Robert Louis Stevenson

Perhaps you think you'll be happy when you get a bigger kitchen, or a new job, or the perfect someone with whom to share your life, or for me, maybe when I get my basement finished. "Happiness is not a posession to be prized," "It is a quality of thought, a state of mind." Happiness is a living emotion.

As I thought about these simple statements last night when I had a few quite moments, I recalled the simple happiness I felt today and these are a few.

1. I felt happy with the loads of soft, floral smelling towels nicely folded on my kitchen table anlong with loads of children's laundry washed and folded with love, just waiting to be put away.

2. Looking out my back window and seeing Graci, laying on the hammock, basking in the sun so content like.

3. Riley, so excited, coming home from a day of High School, and saying, Guess what? I got Royalty for the Junior Prom! How exciting is that! Happiness is knowing that your children are having a great time in H.S. yet making good choices and having great friends and doing the things that will make great People.

4. Hattie came home with a piece of paper and was so excited to show me and handed it to me and it was a A+ in Language Arts. Happiness is knowing that you have instilled in your children that hard work does pay off and always strive to do their best.

5. Watching two games at one time. Layton playing baseball on one and Hannah playing softball on the other while parked in between the fields so I could also watch Graci playing at the park. Seeing Layton up to bat with such confidence that he could do anything that he set his mind to do and watching him with such a smooth stroke of the bat and seeing that ball fly over the fence and into a trailor park! HOMERUN!! Seeing Layton be so Happy can only make his Mom so happy. He is truly the hardest worker I know next to his Father and having him overcome such obstacles in his life that has brought him to this point is truely a blessing.

6. Hannah coming home from school with a four on her spelling test and knowing within herself that she did a great job! Also, she was so excited after softball that she was going to be either Pitcher or First Baseman.

7. Graci, running over to the car and was so happy that she had made a new friend. Also watching her stand up to some bigger kids because they had a toy that she had taken to the park. Watching my children have the confidence to reach out beyond themselves to make a new friend or to stand up for right truely makes me happy!

8. Watching them all on the trampoline after school with Riley's friend Dani having a great time together jumping and talking brings happiness.

It is definately the simple things in life that bring me such happiness! My Family is the biggest part of that Simple Abundance.

It is time to update my blog again! So much is happening, I don't even know where to begin.
General Young Women's Broadcast! What an exciting time in my life. I have looked forward to this night for a long time. I was able to go with Hattie to the Broadcast for the first time and it was so fun. The broadcast is amazing, so many great speakers who are inspired and who are just what the girls need in this time of their lives. Afterward, Hattie and I ran to Rock Springs to first go to Los Cabos to each Mexican Food, which we both love and also to get more fabric for my second curtain. What a great night. One that I will cherish. Thank you Hattie. Later in that week, I received a phone call from the Stake Girls Camp Director and she asked if I would be a cook this year for Girls Camp. Heck Yes!!! Good Times to be had at camp this year. Watch out Hattie for the SNIPES!!!


Track, Softball, and Baseball are all in full swing now. Layton is throwing the shot put and discus this year for the first time and is doing great. We were able to go watch a track meet today in Rock Springs. Brings back lots of memories. Running the 100m, 200m relay. Good times!! Layton will be awesome if he keeps up with it his high school years. He is also playing baseball. He was not going to do both but his coach from last year found Torrey and I in the grocery store and asked why his first baseman did not come out this year and we explained that he was going to try Track out this year and was not sure that he would be able to do both but his coach said that he would work with him, just get him out to the baseball fields, we need him so Layton was excited because he does love Baseball. Hattie and Hannah are both playing softball this year and loving it. Torrey and I are Assistant Coaches. I know the girls love to have us there.


Riley is going to the Junior Prom! Riley and his Seminary teacher were in on it together. Riley has Seminary 5th period and Dani has it 6th so Riley stayed in the bathroom after his class had left and his teacher than introduced him as a special musical number. He came out and played Dani a song on the piano and then put the words to ask her to go with him into the song. She loved it and I guess she was crying near the end of it. Way to go Riley!!! Making the girls cry. He is just like his father in many ways. I will have to post it as a song on my play list. I think it is called "Beautiful". Last night she came and kidnapped him and threw a blanket over his head and took him to a swing by the river where she had a blanket with champagne glasses and sparkling cider and a poster that said she would go with him to the Prom. Good Times that will always be remembered!!! Riley also has his board of Review tonight to become a Life Scout. He has six months to get his Eagle project done. Way to go Riley! Layton is already a Life Scout and has a few more Merit Badges than Riley so we are going to have two Eagle Scouts very quickly. I am crossing my fingers. Nice Job Boys!!!


My Baby turned 5!! It was just yesterday that Graci was born. She is such a sweet little girl. One that is so excited to go to school and mostly to ride the big yellow school bus. She is very ready to go and is even reading some of the Dick and Jane books. She is a wiz at Math and plays Phase Ten like a champion. She amazes me. I know that we will struggle with trying to wake her up to get ready in the morning. She is a sleeper and needs a good 10 hrs to keep her happy. It is a good thing that we started her on a schedule this year as she has to wake up and get ready for her daycare a couple days of the week. That has and will be our only struggle I hope.
Life is good. The kids are accomplishing great things and all staying very close to the gospel. Torrey and I have definately been blessed and we thank our Heavenly Father every day!!!

Spring Break

Do you think it is time that I update my blog?
Alot has happenened since I last posted and I think right around July, when I last posted, is when I received a phone call that changed my life as I new it. I got a phone call from the Secretary at the Sweetwater Child Development Center and was asked to come back to work. Working outside of my home is not an easy thing for me. I pretty much have a full time job inside the walls of my home but I told her that I would call her back in a couple of weeks and let her know. It is a great job with good people to work for and I really could not let this oppurtunity pass since Graci was going to go to Kindergarten next year, what in the world was I going to do, Heaven forbid have some free time. Oh no! I did go back to work and since then, have been trying to organize my life to fit in two full time jobs. I know alot of people do it but for me it is a difficult thing. I do not like to be spread so thin and moving in so many different directions and I have a difficult time focusing on all the many tasks at hand but everyone has stepped up to the plate and have helped out around the house and it really has been a good thing.
It is Spring Break for me this week without the kids except for Graci, so I have had some time to put some of my thoughts in order. The other kids are out Friday through Monday! Whoo Hoo, party time. So far, I have made curtains for my Living Room and Kitchen, played countless number of "Go fish" and "Crazy Eights", Had Lunch with my husband today, Laundry is caught up, Going on a date tonight to see the "Last Song" by Nicholas Spark which I am a fan of. I did not read this book but am excited to see the movie. But the best thing I think of this Spring Break is that I have heard Graci giggling everyday and I love it. Today after going to lunch with Torrey, we stopped at the bank to drop off money from Smith's and Graci and I played "which hand the quarter is in" and "twenty questions" and she just giggled. Life doesn't have to be difficult. Live in the moment and enjoy it. That is what I am learning to do. Those are my words of inspiration. I quess we all need to learn it sometime and it is my time. Thank you Graci for the last couple of days. I have loved every minute of it.

Relief Society Temple Trip

I had the opportunity to go on a temple trip with some of the sisters from my ward. We had a great time being together. We were able to go through the Oquirrh Mountain Temple before the dedication which was gorgeous. Our lunch trip to Olive Garden was a hoot. Then on to the Draper Temple to do a session before we headed home. We had an awesome time and I really got to know some of the sisters in my ward alot better.

Fourth of July- My favorite time of year!!!

Everyone is looking good in their traditional flag shirt for the fourth. Torrey had to work the morning of the fourth but was able to get off early.


We then headed down to Utah for the Bee's baseball game which had always been fun for us as a family to go to when we lived in Utah. Lots of good ballpark food. Hotdogs, popcorn, pretzels, nachoes, pizza. I think with the seven of us, we got a little of all of that. After the game, we met up with some good friends of ours and watched the fireworks together. Their fireworks are amazing!! We had a fun night.

Our Summer Summary...

Summer has just flown right on by for us. As I am sure all of you would say the same. School starts next week for us, on Monday and this week has been full of decluttering. Torrey and I's closet alone took a full day and two big garbage bags later. I don't know why we hang on to stuff the way we do but it feels so good to just let it go. Yesterday Hannah and I spent all day in her room. Her closet was a mess. Everytime I would ask her to go pick up her room, well quess where it all went, YEP! you guessed it, right in the closet. I sure hope it doesn't get that way again but I believe that I have said those words before and I believe that it was at the beginning of the summer. Graci's room got the decluttering magic last night, the kitchen this morning and the bathroom is next, but I had to have a break. Life is good again when we are clutter free.... Now it is time to catch up on the blog and will probably be posting backwards, not sure how it will work but I will figure it out, meanwhile, I hope everyone has a great day. Take care

Hannah's Birthday Party

July 02nd, it was a Thursday, was going to be the perfect day for Hannah's Pool Party. 82 Degrees, no wind, so invitations went out on the Monday before. All preparations were made and the pool was clean with chlorine and the works. Wednesday afternoon it poured rain and the the news said that Thursday was going to be just the same. Augh!!!You can't plan anything around the weather in Wyoming. Plan B, We decoprated flip flops, painted toenails,played Hannah's new game that she got for the Wii. It is a new Disney sing it game. The girls who were brave enough to do it had a ball. We ordered pizza and then had cake and icecream. The party was way fun if I do say so myself. Hattie is also going to be a party planner when she grows up. She was awesome help. Hannah had a great day so that is what counts. Sorry Hannah that you had to wait until July to have your party but we should have just had it in June because we didn't get to swim anyway. Oh well, sometimes plan B works out better. Here are a few pic's of the day.