His Grad Packet came!! And I'm proud of my progress!! :)

So, I finally got Tyler's graduation packet in the mail!!!! I was sooo excited! I had the letter with the directions/instruction on it that I have to present when I get there to get in. Cool beans huh?
So I made reservations for a cheap inn that's 1/2 mile away from the base and made reservations for a car, too. I am still waiting to hear if I can take him to AIT or not before I can purchase plane tickets. I'm not sure how to do it with military discounts for my daughters and I and one civi one for maybe my little brother and get us on the same flight and into seats next to each other. argh! Hopefully I can call someone to figure that nonsense out lol.
So I am really proud of myself! Satan, or to be more "politically correct", the Adversary, has been throwing some major curve-balls at me, and it's been through many different sources, and I have come out on top! The most hurtful ones that have thrown me for complete loops have been through people who THINK they are being helpful when in fact they are being extremely detrimental to my happiness and progress; they are completely not supportive yet do not see themselves as being such. Their demeaning, negative, berating comments to me have left me completely stunned and shocked and deeply hurt. They might as well gut me and stomp on my guts and call me the biggest loser that ever slimed across the earth because I don't act the way THEY think I should be, or at least they ASSUME I'm acting a certain way when I'm not. 
I know I'm not making much sense there. I'm trying to be as vague as possible so that I don't give away who these people are or exactly what they said to me. Let's just say that they've been listening to the wrong source and they really and truly believe they were listening to the good source, or the Spirit of God. They were not. And I know this. The Spirit has born witness to me of this and has blessed me with a huge amount of strength and perseverance and peace, and even a little numbness to get past these negative influences in my life. These experiences have been very painful and like a huge big neon sign saying "here are your TRUE friends that LOVE you unconditionally and have Christ-like love and compassion and charity for you, despite your weaknesses, and here are those who are not!". And also through this some of my very best friends have come forward! They have followed promptings from the Spirit which have lead them to help me in many different ways. These people have been friends, acquaintances, and relatives alike. Thank you so much for your angelic support! Your love, acceptance, and willingness to help and support me and my family has been a great blessing to us! I know God will bless you for your efforts!!
Anyway, so I'm proud of myself for doing as well as I have been considering everything we've been through lately. Sophie's badly broken foot, her hand being smashed (almost broke her fingers), my health problems that landed me in the ER and have been hard to deal with since, and more I cannot mention here.
I also have stuck strictly to my diet. I have not wavered one bit. No cheating at all!! I feel really good about myself because of this. I have found such inner strength that I forgot I had! I have lost about 40 lbs now altogether! Not bad huh? I've dropped 4 sizes! I work out twice a week at least, also.
I have been able to attend the Temple, go to church every week (even when I am sick), read the scriptures, pray, clean some of the house hahaha, take care of my beautiful daughters, and have been starting to organize some things that have needed attention for some time now.
I am so very grateful for all the many blessings that I have in my life!! I know that the Lord is blessing Tyler and I for our faithfulness throughout all the trials we have had to go through. We are still being tried, but our Heavenly Father has made our burdens seem light, and we can more clearly see blessings now than before. I am extremely grateful for a steady income, NO chance of Tyler losing his job! And for benefits we so greatly needed. I am grateful for this awesome opportunity that my family has to be our own family unit when we move to wherever the Lord (through the Army) takes us. 
This has been VERY hard. One of the absolute hardest things I have ever had to do! And I cry for my babies and my husband. But I know that the Lord is mindful of me and my family and that He is taking very good care of us! 
Speaking of sad things. Just two things I'll mention here about the girls.
Lacie cried for TEN MINUTES in school today while her class made Father's Day cards. She then sang for her a class a song about daddy that she made up. Her teacher said it was very sweet and touching. My poor little Lacie!! She can't forget saying goodbye to daddy in the hotel the last night we saw him. She can't get over that. But I'm very glad that she can cry about it. She feels much better afterwards.
Sophie got all dressed up today and came up to me and said "I am ready to go see daddy now. Let's go get in the airplane". She was ready to go! She got her shoes on that she said daddy said she could wear, got her coat, and went to the front door and opened it. Broke my heart!!! She then called grandma Pearson and told her that we are going to the airplane now to go see daddy. My poor little girls!
I try my best to keep a good attitude, a happy face, and not get depressed in front of the girls. I do very well at this I think. At least I give it my very best. I talk to the girls about what daddy is doing and that he loves them and misses them and wants to be with them so much, but he has to work so hard for us and I tell them that daddy is a real hero and is a real man and is a very good man and we are so lucky to have him to take such good care of us and that we'll see him soon. They tell people now that daddy is a good man and a hero. It's so cute!!
Okay, this is getting really long and it's now 2:45 am. I wish I could sleep at night! I need a new CPAP face mask and a new mattress!! LOL
Thanks to everyone for your love, help, prayers, support, compassion, encouragement, charity, and so forth! We need it and we appreciate it so much! Know that whatever efforts you make in our behalf you are blessed for! They do not go unnoticed!! Also, whatever you do for the "least of these" you've done it unto God. Don't forget that!
We love you!!!

Santa came today!!!

Santa clause came today!!
Well, it was actually a surprise secret santa from our ward!
We were just hanging around the house getting ready to leave when someone knocked on the door. Lacie opened it to find two big Kohl's bags full of wrapped Christmas presents. WOW!
With the gifts came a card with a note. The note explained what every gift was and for whom. The girls got a pair of snow boots and church shoes each which are two things we REALLY NEEDED. Talk about tears of joy!!!!
I love this time of year. There is so much excitement, love, charity and joy in the air. I love thinking about my Savior Jesus Christ and the endless, omnificent love he showed for us by coming here, living the perfect life for example, then dying for us.
Christmas is a very special time of year.
Please remember why we have Christmas! Remember why it's called CHRISTmas and how it started and why we celebrate it.
Remember those out there who have less than you do like someone did for us. That's one true spirit of Christmas. Giving gifts. Like Jesus did for us. He gave his life as a gift for all of us.
Christmas is a good time to follow his example, and to reflect on all he has given us and all we have to give of ourselves in return.

Now we are so excited for Christmas morning! We have something exciting to look forward to for the girls instead of just dollar store presents. hee hee.

Wow thank you "Santa" for coming early this year!!

Nice Day s

So today was a nice day outside.
We thought it was going to be a stormy day but it turned out so nice!

We went to our annual Pearson reunion up in Bear River for a huge BBQ. It was fun just chillin and catchin up with the cousins. Seems like more than half my cousins are having babies!! It's so cool! I'm happy for them. Not jealous, though, which is good I think. I figure it'll happen for us when it's right, ya know?

We got to borrow my inlaw's car. We wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for them letting us use it. It was really nice! We took Trynity with us, Tyler's littlest sister. It really was a nice day.

We visited my grandpa's grave and Tyler's grandpa's grave and my friend's baby's grave. I see these little graves and it just breaks my heart. My cousin's 1st baby's grave is next to my grandpa's and I always go stand by it and feel for my cousin's loss. I also stand next to my aunt's children's graves that are next to my cousin's baby's grave. She had two babies die. It's so sad!! Amelia, Robyn & Andrew were their names.

I finally got myself to go see my friend's baby's grave. It was very hard. I haven't been there since she died last year.
She was just shy of turning 2 years old and was Sophie's "best" friend. I loved that little girl with all my heart. I felt a special bond with her. She would smile at me and laugh at me. I loved holding her.
Poor little Allie got really, really sick while growing in the womb. She lost part of her brain before and after birth. It caused SERIOUS health problems, as you can imagine. It was a shere MIRACLE that she lived to be as old as she was!!!

It was the most difficult things EVER for her parents to let her go, but we all know and the Spirit bore witness to us, that little Angel Allie is happier than ever in Heaven without being enclosed in a diseased and handicapped body anymore.

Seeing her gravesite I did okay at first. They had two of her cutest pictures engraven onto the headstone. Then I noticed the little Jump Rope that her mother (Kristen, one of my very best friends ever) had left on her grave and I thought of the Resurrection and little Allie rising in perfect glory as an almost 2 yr old that she will be, but in perfection, and about her learning to use that jump rope wither mommy and I just couldn't keep the tears in. I bawled and bawled my eyes out thinking of her and missing her and wanting to hold her just one more time!!! And cried about her coming back and my dear friends being blessed to raise her during the Millenium because they have been sealed together as a family that will be together forever.
What an ENORMOUS and great blessing!! And it's available to all who choose to have it and do what's necessary to get it.

I miss little Allie so much. Sophie remembers her and of course Lacie does. Sophie was excited to see her picture and see the little girly toys left at her gravesite by her parents and big brother, Isaac (one of Lacie's best friends).
Lacie got down on her knees in front of the headstone of Allie's and hugged it so tight! She kissed Allie's picture like 3 or 4 times and said she missed her and loved her so much.
I was just crying. I couldn't hold it back. It was so overwhelming.
I didn't realize how much I'm NOT over little Allie's passing. It was like she was my own child, and yet she of course was totally NOT. There's no way I can feel what my friends have felt, but I can surely sympathize, or try to at least, in the best way that I can.

The rest of the day was nice. We dropped off Trynity, Tyler vacuumed out the car we messed up (LOL) and our truck, then we went to pick up some scrap metal to make a couple of bucks off of, and then at home our next door neighbor came over to fix our broken kitchen sink.

The girls are sleeping soundly, Tyler's playing his Black game, and I'm sitting here, of course, and feeling a huge wave of gratitude for all of our blessings and miracles that we have in our lives right now. And so grateful for our many, many good friends and relatives.

This is another day that has passed, and we have one more tomorrow and we'll take them as they come.

Money Money Money Money Money Money Money

So I was thinking about this and Tyler and I have talked about it and my parents have and Kimberley and I have and many others, but, when it comes to Money, we're all a little different than I think a lot, or most, people are with it.
Okay, sure you can say we're bad with it. Go ahead and say it, think it, whatever, but it doesn't matter cuz that's a matter of opinion and perspective and priorities, quite frankly.
I have an old boss that was a multi-millionaire. We worked side-by-side and became pretty darn good friends. I admired this man. He was incredibly intelligent, but, when you first met him you would think he was a bum from Australia, because of his speach impediment, and also because of what he drove and what he wore. To him impressions didn't mean much at all, it was work ethic that mattered most.
Some people think material things DO matter because impressions DO matter. Some people think family matters most, or their career, or their church or "platform". Some think that the earth matters most, life, nature, or sports. You name it, we all think something different from another and all our priorities are slightly or greatly different from one another's.
Anyway, to get to the main point of me writing this blog, I think that Tyler and I have a similar belief system when it comes to money. Oh sure there are differing priorities, but we both know that we think a lot alike when it comes to how to spend money or who to spend it on, etc.
For example, when it comes to helping other people we know and/or care about we are more than willing to spend money on them. Say we decide we want to go to dinner with the family, or with some close friends, and their company is worth more to us than our money and we have enough to share we will PAY FOR THEM to eat with us. We'll pay for friends/family to go see a movie with us, or we'll provide dinner or whatever it takes to spend time with these people. We have NEVER been "rich" or had plenty for our needs and wants. We have been comfortable for a short period of time and during that time we paid for anything for friends and family.
That time when we were doing fine financially we even bought the entire Christmas and food and tickets to a game for a single mom and her child. That was the greatest Christmas ever!! We've helped with bills and food and entertainment for those we care about. We'll loan out money, or just give it to them.
Now, we don't have ANY extra money. As a matter of fact we've been sued a couple of times now and there are just medical bills piling up by the week and, well, life is happening. Tyler DOES have a good-paying job so we do NOT qualify for state assistence in any way, but all our checks go to these people sueing us or surprise bills and to keep our utilities and phone and what-not from being shut off.
There are some people who have enough, or even don't have enough, who have helped us. God bless them for that. They are truly charitable people God will, and is, blessing. There are some who will NOT help. Why?
Well, here are the reasons I've heard from wealthier people in the past for not helping out people who struggle financially:
1. they think they are enabling them.
2. they think they are being taken advantage of
3. they know they'll never get paid back
4. they worked hard for what they have
5. they think the other person is lazy
6. they think it's a temporary fix for a more permanant problem
well, these are the basic reasons. I know more an can go on, but I don't want to. It kinda irritates me.
These people have turned into gods. No joking!! They have! Why? Well, because they are deciding what's best for the person who is in need. They are making judgments based on their limited knowledge and experience. They are being selfish, plain and simply put, and PRIDEFUL. They think they are BETTER than the people who are needy.
They think they work harder, are smarter, have better priorities, are wiser, deserve what they have, and that everything they have is THEIRS to KEEP and not required to give or share. They think that God obviously has blessed them with what they have because they DESERVE it, OR, they think they're THAT GOOD that they deserve it for all their ______ (fill in the blank with: hard word, wisdom, education, experience, intelligence, good inheritance, straight priorities and/or sacrifice).
But what if, for example, the table was turned and those with money had none or very little and those without money suddenly had what they needed or more than what they needed? What would change?
From my own personal experience, and based from what many, many others have mentioned to me before, that those without money now are the types of people who would GIVE FREELY of what they have to help those in need, and the wealthier people would blame themselves entirely for their want and need and sink into despairing depressions and probably commit suicide or be very, very angry and resentful people. The poor, now rich, people would help those who are needy and the needy and resentful people would be too prideful to accept the help offered, or would snatch it thinking they still deserved it and resent them all the same.
Not saying EVERYONE would be like this, of course!! Just an idea to think about is all.
I've known people who worked hard for years and became millionaires and flaunt what they have thinking it's all due to their hard work and nothing else, and then even those that work hard for years and become millionaires and then suddenly lose it all. They have the hardest adjustment going from rich to poor. They think that going from nice food to ramen noodles and bread and butter is the hardest think they've ever had to endure and they go on and on about it like "woe is me". Very few millionaires actually make it back down to POVERTY level.
Some of the nicest and best people I've EVER met have been those who have very little or nothing at all.
I know what I'm talking about here. I've LIVED in a third world country.
I've been VERY POOR most of my life, but it is nothing in comparison to what it's like living in a third world country. Believe me. You have NO IDEA WHATSOEVER of what POOR and POVERTY-STRICKEN is until you live among those who are afflicted with these.
Okay, on another thing to think about.
What would you do if you had this budget to go off of?:
1800.00 month income
car payment 250.00
Dr bills 200.00 month, minimum
Internet & phone 150.00
Food & Gasoline & Necessities 500-700.00
Rent/Mortgage 750.00
Utilities 150.00
Tithing 180.00
am I missing anything??
What if only one spouse can work? What if there is only one parent? What if both spouses are working or one is going to school and working or one to school and the other working? What if one is consistently sick/ill hence the reason for the high doctor bills and cannot keep a steady job? What if small children require mother to stay home? What if their priorities are DIFFERENT from yours and you have no good reason to judge but you see a financial problem here?
I'm sure you'd like to say "take this and this out, budget this, get more income" blah blah blah.
The truth is we all live in different incomes and different budgets for different reasons. We can judge and say, "they're foolish with their money" but how do you KNOW THAT for sure?? How can you judge that when you don't know what's in their heart, what they've worked out together to be their priorities, and who are you to decide what priorities are justified and what are wrong?
Pretty much God has said some very plain, basic and simple things FOR ALL PEOPLE to follow, and anybody who has common sense and can care about humanity and their fellow men can follow these simple rules, no matter who made them be it God or Aristotle or Budha.
Give to the poor.
Do not judge, it is God's place to judge.
Give to the needy.
Do not suffer anyone to go hungry or naked.
Share your talents, money, abilities, food, clothing, houses, all that you have with others to help them.
Do not kick people out of your "synagogues" (sp bad, sorry) because they are without.
Well, those are just a few things that God has said. I guess take them for what they are worth.
But really, if we are to hoard our money and judge those who don't live the same way we do then we'll never change. We'll always be devided into classes and there will always be pride and poverty.
And remember, above all else, that EVERYTHING EVERYTHING EVERYTHING you have is not yours, no matter how much you think it is, and that includes your income or inheritance. It is God's. We all were created equal. God does not esteem one man above another. And God gives to us so that we'll learn to give to others and accept what is given to us with gratefulness.
P.S. That is not our budget I have listed here. Just so ya know!

Father AND Mother Must Nurture Their Children

“The scriptures use the word nurture only twice and in both cases speak of the responsibility of parents to raise their children ‘in the nurture and admonition of the Lord’ (Ephesians 6:4; Enos 1:1).“President Hinckley also admonished both men and women to be nurturers. He said, ‘How much more beautiful would be the . . . society in which we live if every father . . . and . . . mother regarded [their] children . . . as gifts from the God of heaven . . . and brought them up with true affection in the wisdom and admonition of the Lord.’ ”
Susan W. Tanner, “My Soul Delighteth in the Things of the Lord,” Ensign, May 2008, 82

I think this is a GREAT quote that all parents must consider and really put some thought to. It's not JUST the mother's responsibility to nurture her children, but it is the father's also.

Afterall, doesn't our Father in Heaven nurture all of us as His children? Just like he nurtures us all, being our FATHER, so should all fathers nurture their children.

All children are gifts from God to us. And we must treat and raise them as such. They must know this about themselves, about their future children, and also to realize the sanctity of all human life.

The Bottom Line

With all the controversy going on out there about Proposition 8 and having Obama elected President I just wanted to share my two bits.
I believe in an ultimate truth to all things. I believe in God and that he is all powerful, perfect, all-knowing and loving. I also believe he is merciful as well as a just God. And he does not change.
One thing that most people do not know or understand is God's nature. This is the first thing that everybody needs to learn about and know about and accept.
Once that is figured out and accepted then they can understand how and why God does things the way that he does.
God makes laws and commandments, not suggestions or just ideas. He also grants us free will or agency. But what comes with every decision we are allowed to make is a consequence. Consequences are NATURAL and cannot be shirked.
For example, say the Law of Gravity. That is a natural law and you cannot defy it. Sure you can postpone it, but you cannot ultimately defy gravity. "what goes up must come down" goes the old saying, and it's true. You cannot argue gravity away. It is not discriminating in any way. There are natural consequences that go along with trying to defy gravity and those are very obvious to most.
For another example, there is opposition to all things. Now the Prop8 issue people just don't seem to quite get. God made opposition yet we all fight it and argue with it. Sometimes the same can attract to each other, but NATURALLY opposites attract. Trying to force two positives or two negatives together has it's natural consequences.

The bottom line is this:
With every choice there is a consequence, good or bad. There is opposition in all things, good or bad. And God is the Supreme Being.

Accept it or not, that's your free agency for you, but you cannot forever deny the truth, the law, and the inevitable.

In Our New Place!

So we are officially in our new place! YEA!!! We like it sooo much more than where we were before.

No roachies! YEA!!! lol

So time is seriously running away! Halloween is soooooo soon and we're so not ready! By now normally I'd have Halloween decorations up since it's one of my fav holidays of the year. I can't even find them! ugh!

Money-wise we're stretched SUPER tight. The car's breaks are GONE so I can't drive anywhere, and nobody is hiring thanks to the economy! Ugh!

But we're a lot happier here in this place. It's so much nicer!! Yeeehooo!

I'm hoping we like the new ward as much as we like the new place. So far we haven't heard from ANYBODY and if it wasn't for Lacie being so darn outgoing and talking to some passers-by then I would never have found out when church started or where it was! Yikes! I wish that wards here paid better attention to people moving in and out of their ward bounderies, seriously. Sheesh!

Anyway, we had fun tonight having Mau & Tollee hee hee hee over tonight watching Iron Man, having cake and homemade tacos and Pepsi and chips. Yummy! Oh, and candy corn lol.

So, here's what Lacie and Sophie are going to be for Halloween: Lacie a sparkly angel and Sophie a little devil. lol

I just need to find the supplies I bought to make their costumes! They got lost in the move! yipes!

I Am So Proud Of Him!!!!!

I am so proud of Tyler!!! He not only got straight A's in his psychology class at school but he got an A on his final, too! AND, today he got promoted to Journeyman and soon will be Project Manager!!!! Yay!!!
He's totally on Cloud 9 right now and has needed this for years & years & years.
He might get his own Gunther's truck in the next few weeks and possibly a raise. I'm so happy for him!!
So tell him congrats when you see him!
I love you Tyler!!!