My last scheduled activity at SNAP (except camp)

Just before Christmas I started feeling a little panicked because we hadn't talked about our activities for the new year for Special Needs.  I got out the calendar and sure enough we only had the first week scheduled.  Immediately I remembered that I had been wanting Tammy Bell to speak to our girls.  The thought had first come to me over a year ago and it shot right back on that day.  I immediately text her and she was kind enough to accept.  I made assignments for the rest of the Presidency and sent the calendar off to each of them to make sure they were okay with everything.  That's the kind of President I was.  I did a lot through text because we are shattered all over.  Everyone was good and we were set.  Then a week or two later I found out that Barbie was called as President and I would be being released.  I love how Heavenly Father was watching out for Barbie and how everything was set up and ready to go for her. Pretty cool how Heavenly Father guides us all and watches out for us.

Tammy came and spoke to the gals about being happy.  She shared a little of when she lost her hubby and some steps that she took to be happy.  Happiness really is a choice and it is up to each of us individually to make it.  Tammy told the gals that it was okay to cry and be sad but to set a timer and when the timer goes off to get up and go do something else, preferably for someone else.  She shared a few things that make her happy.  Each of us was challenged to go home and write a list of things that make us happy.  I know that when we think about the things that make us happy, we realize more and more of the things that do.    Tammy did a great job and I was so Happy she came and shared a little of herself with all of us.

Breakthrough....Book Club

Trichelle and her family all made a goal to accomplish something that they have wanted to do...or would be good for them to do.  Zaden learned to tie his shoes and Trichelle was going to go to Flow Rider.  Actually the whole family was going to go and support her by doing it with her.  Even Kimi and Jared and I were going...I wasn't riding.  We got there and found out you have to make reservations.  Darn it...I wanted to watch because I am certain it would have been hilarious and since I love to laugh it would have been a great motivator. hahaha   They played a little at Fat Cats instead and then went to dinner.

I went to my wards Book Club.  I have been curious about other book clubs, plus I just wanted to associate with a few of the gals in my ward.  We talked a lot but not a lot about the book that we all read.  The book was Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson.  I enjoyed the things that were shared about the book but if I hadn't read the book I wouldn't even know if I would be interested in it.  Except for the fact that it was an enjoyable read.  I liked the book.  I liked imagining how I would have acted being able to stay in an estate with my friends.  I thought there was a lot about the book that we could have shared but really it doesn't matter,  it was still fun mingling with some neighbors.

Disneyland

Merry Christmas to US!

It was Larry's idea for he and I to go to Disneyland. I think it's been on his mind of a while and he felt that it would make a nice Christmas Present to each other.  I completely agreed with him.  Larry doesn't mind going to Disneyland because he know that I love it.  He loves me enough to  go and act like he enjoys it too.  He made reservations for us at Paradise Pier. Oh it was nice only walking across the street to return to the hotel after a long day of walking around.  It was a nice hotel and so cute.  The room we got had two queens and since Larry was still a little under the weather it was nice.  We both really enjoyed our own space. ☺I love how Mickey is discreetly placed all over the room.  It make me happy.

We had a 3 day Hopper Pass.  This time of year is slow and we could have done both parks in 2 days but it was fun going to each of them again on our last day.  There really weren't long lines and even without a hopper pass the longest were only about 40 minutes if that.  That might not be true for the Matterhorn because that line wrapped around the mountain.  I didn't care to go on that ride.

One thing I enjoyed was looking at all the yummy treats.  I think they are so cute.  I specifically like that you can watch through a glass window as the workers dip and decorate the caramel apples and marshmallow sticks. I stopped a watched a few times.  I noticed that they use plastic bowls for the white chocolate and they really knock the apples to get the extra off.  They use Peters Caramel too.  It was quite enjoyable for me to watch them as they worked.

Saturday we visited Disneyland.  It was still decorated for Christmas for a few days and they even played Christmas music throughout the park.  I loved it all!  It was so festive and wonderful.  The inner child in me became active right off the bat.  Larry's inner child didn't stay put for long before it was out and running.  One thing we promised Trichelle was to see if we could get a remote for Zaden's Mater truck he had made a few years ago.  They had lost his and was hoping they could replace it.  We stopped on our way in the first day.  Yes, they had replacements for $5.  We knew we would be stopping back by the Cars shop to pick that up.  When we did Larry was acting all giddy and I asked him if he'd like to make a car or truck.  He was so cute and admitted that he did.  I loved watching him choose the body, tires, rims and accessories.  He was just like a little kid again.  (so cute)   He made a Monster Mater with flashing rims of different colors and a light bar that fit on the cab.  He even bought the extra chip so that Mater talked.  hahaha ☺My heart couldn't help but smile all over.

I love the parades.  I just think everything about the parades is fun.  A little girl from Australia was sitting right by me and the characters and princesses sure made her feel happy as they waved and noticed her.  I noticed when I was looking through all these pictures that one gal on a float was making a heart with her hands like we had on our sweatshirts.  It made me smile. ☺  While we were waiting for the parade we saw a few Characters pass right by us.  I love when the Characters stop and acknowledge the guests.  When I saw them stoop or squat down to get on the kids level my eyes teared up.  I kept thinking about our cute grands coming in a few weeks and how they will be doing that for Jordyn.

On Sunday we chose not to go into the park but we did go hang out at Downtown Disney.  I think a lot of people just go down to Downtown Disney to spend time.  It's a cool place to hang out.  Larry watched parts of a few ball game on a big screen outside of ESPN.  I enjoyed the live bands and people watching.  It was a fun way to spend the day.  We ate at Goofy's Kitchen that night.  Goofy's Kitchen is so much fun.  I love seeing the Characters walk around and greet everyone.  We made sure that we had our picture taken with them all.  At first Larry didn't really want to but I think he decided he'd rather be in the pictures than not and so his resistance lowered.  We're both just big kids at heart.

On Monday we had early entry to California Adventure.  Early entry was at 9:00 because of the slow season and I liked that just fine.  Everyone hurried to the Cars ride and we all walked right on.  I love Cars Land.  It was very festive and cute but is super cute any time of year.  We walked around and then headed to the Toy Story ride.  It was just opening and so we rode it a few times.  I use to always beat Larry but now he beats me.  I'm getting slower and less accurate and I don't really care.  The weather  was nice.  We did get rain on Tuesday which was funny because that was suppose to be the good day.  I carried an umbrella with us every day and only had to open it for a short time on one of the other days.  Compared to the minus degrees at home we were in heat wave.   I loved the temperatures the whole time...even when it rained it wasn't cold.  There were a few changes from the last time I was there.  The Aladdin show is no longer there.  They have a new Frozen play now in it's place.  They use to have a place from Frozen where you could go inside and play in snow and even build a tiny snowman and that is gone now too.  When we went to Eat at Ariel's Grotto on Tuesday they had changed that also.  We were most disappointed in that change.  They use to bring out a tiered dish with appetizers and salad on it.  It was pretty fancy looking but I guess too much food was being wasted and so now each person can choose a soup or salad to go with their entree.  I doubt we will go there again.  I would still suggest it though for people with little girls who want to meet the Princesses.   They get to meet Ariel right off the bat and then four more Princesses come out and visit every table.  The food was good but we preferred the old way they did it.

We both slept good every night because we were exhausted.  I hate to admit it but we tire quicker than we use to.  We didn't stay until the parks closed either. haha  We knew we could go back and rest and come back but when we were done, we were done!

When we were in a gift shop in Cars Land, Larry kept holding up and looking at Mack.  I noticed that he did that three different times.  I think he might have been looking for the price but when I asked him if he wanted he just smiled. ☺We decided to get it along with a stuffed Mater and some plastic cars that babies can chew on.  Because we were at the Paradise we could purchase those things and they would deliver them to us.  Sweet!  Of course we also had to buy another carry on bag to bring all the toys home in.  Larry makes me giggle.  Larry is kind though and lets the grands play with his toys when they come over.

This really was a fun trip for us both.  Larry got over his sickness and we both had a really good time.  We enjoyed the warm weather and each other.  We loved walking around observing all the different people.  It was fun letting our inner children out....you can get away with almost anything in Disneyland.  It was fun seeing others do the same.  We are blessed and we really do appreciate all that we are able to enjoy in life.  Life is pretty darn fun if you take time to make it happen.

Our last day we had early entry to Disneyland.  We thought going to Indiana Jones would be a good choice.  It wasn't....that part of the park didn't open until 10:00.  So we went into Fantasy Land and of course there was a long line for Peter Pan....there always is.  Larry asked me why it was always so long and truly I just think it's a novelty. We headed to Alice in Wonderland and just as we approached the cars the ride stopped.  Everyone on the ride had to be assisted off.  We didn't see it open the rest of the day.  We had time to spare and I felt like we were walking in circles trying to decide the best thing to do. I was kind of bugged on my inside and so finally I just told Larry we were going to wait for Peter Pan.  That's right...we were going to walk back and forth for forty minutes to ride in a boat that sailed over the city.  Larry was sure it was going to break down when we got to the front of the line because it's happened to us before.  This time however, the ride continued to work and we got to sail around for a minute or two.  Now he can say he has rode Peter Pan.  I'm sure he will never let me convince him to stand in that line again though. ☺  By the time we finished that ride we were able to go to Adventure Land and walk on the Indiana Jones ride.  We rode a few more rides that we like before heading back to California Adventure for lunch at Ariel's.

When we had done everything that we wanted to at both parks we headed back to the Hotel to catch a shuttle to the airport.  We still had plenty of time and so we decided to just chill in the lobby.  Well at least I chilled in the lobby.  Larry wanted to go in the gift shop again.  The guy makes me laugh.  He was in there for quite some time.  I even wondered if he had exited through the other door without me seeing him.  When he did come out he had a huge bag.  I couldn't help but laugh out loud at him.  His face was so cute.  He had decided to buy a bunch of stuffed toys.  Larry loves stuffed toys and had already bought one a few days earlier.  I guess he wanted more. (I told him we already had a Mickey and Minnie...now we have 2)  I wasn't sure how we were going to get them all home because our bags were packed.  We unzipped them anyway and shoved them in.  Surprisingly we fit everything.  I seriously enjoyed watching Larry enjoy himself.  He was able to buy so much because we had a Disney card with lots of money on it.  We have a credit card that earns points and we have been using it for a few years and so we had quite a bit on it. I think I can say with confidence that Larry had a good time!  Me too! ♥

Macie Marie is Three

This little girl is so much fun!  It seems crazy that she is three already but in ways it doesn't.  I had a hard time remembering that she was only two because she is one smart little girl.  Natalie posted some of Macie's favorites and so I am putting them here.  Macie's favorites are: pink, pizza, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, strawberry shortcake movie, anything "Frozen" (movie) and Rapunzel because she has Rapunzel hair.  Macie is so girly.  She loves having her nails painted, dressing up, and helping her mommy especially in the kitchen. She loves books and being read to.  I know for a fact that she has a love for chocolate because she always finds it at my house.  Macie is a sweetie and we are so blessed to have this cute little girl in our family.  I love Fridays when Macie gets to come and play with me for a few hours while her mommy helps at the school.  We have a good time and I seriously cherish our time together.

TJ's Birthday

Starting the year off by celebrating TJ is a good way to start the year.  I really like this guy a lot.  He makes my daughter smile and takes such good care of my grands.  He is funny and witty and a very hard worker.  He loves life and it shows.  He is a very good daddy and adores the littles that call him TJ and daddy.  I believe great things are in the future for TJ and his family.  Together TJ and Trichelle are setting goals and letting go of past struggles.  They are working together and with that happeing I know they have a lot of good things in their future.  I love the path they are on.  It's positive and fun and about helping others.  TJ is thoughtful and caring.  He knows if someone needs a "pick-me-up" and has good ideas of how to do it.  I love having TJ as part of our family.  He fits in pretty darn good!

Sista Sleepover!

A few of us girls went to Carla's last night and had a sleepover.  I'm really not sure why it's called a sleepover because there is very little sleep involved.  We noticed it was the same group that went to Disneyland a few years ago.  I was debating on really sleeping over but Larry ended up being sick and so it worked out great.  He got our bed and I got a bed to myself at Carla's.  Patti and I shared a room but we each had a nice queen size bed with a memory foam mattress.  (I want one now)  Robin and Carla shared a king bed in the other room.  They stayed up longer and so we figured it would be better to split up into separate rooms than all sleeping together which we could have.  Patti and I went to bed about 3 am and that's because Patti needed to get up at 7 to go watch her grands.  I'm not sure when Carla and Robin went to bed and I know that they were still both asleep when I left at 8 am.

We had snacks and watched three different movies.  We had talked about getting in the hot tub but not everyone remembered their swim suits.  I love getting in the hot tub in the winter but didn't mind not going in.  We snuggled in blankets and watched Sully, Lights Out and Premonition.  Sully was really good and I want to rent it for Larry to watch.  Lights Out was creepy and would have been more so if we would have turned our lights out.  Patti and I didn't want the lights out and we won.  Premonition was just weird.  It was hard to follow and we all should probably watch it a few more times to catch everything.

Then we talked.  We talked about angels and ghosts but focused more on angels since they aren't scary.  We shared stories with each other.  They were nice stories of others watching out for us.  Carla has an inquisitive mind and asks lots of questions on things that don't make since to her.  We got into some pretty deep discussions and everyone had open minds.  I bore my testimony more than once and would not have backed down if I had been challenged.  I shared my experience of being forgiven years ago and how part of the deal was for me to bare witness of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father.  I did that tonight.  I pray that Carla will recognize her prayers being answered.  We talked about things she should be aware of and pay attention to while seeking her answer.  She wants a sign and I'm positive she isn't noticing them.  I know God is hearing her prayers and answering them but that she isn't recognizing it.

One thing that bothered me after thinking about it later was when Carla expressed her thoughts about "Why do other LDS families pray for their kids and their prayers aren't answered like ours were when Jared got lost?"  I told her that I don't know why some people's prayers are answered a certain way and others aren't.  I just know that it's all how it's suppose to be.  The thing that bothered me was that I didn't stop and say that being LDS had nothing to do with Heavenly Father hearing or answering our prayers.  I will probably bring that up to her later.  God isn't prejudice.  He loves all of His children no matter where they are in life.  And, I believe we are all where we are meant to be at this time...I don't believe however that we are all meant to stay where we are right now.  We are on a path and everyone's path is specifically for them and their growth.  Also...as we go along our path we are able to help others right where we are.  Everyone is important and meant to be where they are for the time being.  Our progress on our paths is very individual as well.  Sometimes we might speed right along but I am pretty confident in saying that we will reach bumps along the way that will slow us down.  Maybe so that we will take time to help others on their paths or even to slow down so others can help us.

Another point of interest was how could all these Church's on earth claim they are true and the others aren't.  I shared how our Apostles have said it.  All church's are good and teach true principles.  However, they are not complete.  I told her how ours was exactly set up the way it was back when Jesus was first on the earth.  I shared that our leaders are called of God...not men.  I testified of that because I know for certain that is true.  I told her that our church can add to what others have and that those church's are good if they are bringing people to Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. That's how our night ended.  I felt good about our discussion.  At times I wish I was more intellectual and could point out doctrine and specifics but that's not how I am.  I have strong faith and "feel" and recognize the spirit.  That's how my testimony is strengthened and that's the only way I know to share with others.

***Brynlie was admitted to the hospital Monday night when they took both of the twins in to get suctioned.  Brynlie's oxygen levels were low and so she will be staying in the hospital for a few nights now.  I feel sad for the babies and their parents.  I know it's exhausting to them.  I love how Kevin and Julie take turns staying at the hospital and supporting each other.  They are working their way over a little bump on their path.  Jordyn is coughing bad too but because she is older she might be able to avoid the hospital. (we hope)

Movie with the Kids

It's the last day of the Christmas break and the place to be was at the Theater.  Seriously the place was packed.  We made the mistake of waiting until we got there to get our tickets.  We should have bought them on line before hand.  We ended up on the very front row.  We are back row people and so it was quite the new experience.  I was happy that my eyes adjusted pretty quickly and that I was able to enjoy the movie.  I sat between my girls and that just made me feel good.  We saw Lala Land!  The music was great and I liked the show but might have changed a few things if I would have had a say.  I loved the very last look from the two main characters....a smile!  The smile was important...it always is.

We took Trichelle home and then went to Chili's.  Kimleighel got a gift card for Christmas and was eager to use it.  Our first intent was just to get a dessert but we decided to eat and call it dinner.  I ordered spare ribs to take home for Larry.  The kids did get their dessert and I only took a few bites.  I really enjoyed spending the day with my kids.  I realize these moments are coming to an end.  It won't be long and Jared will be gone on his mission. It's coming quick.