WOW WHAT A WEEK!!

I AM SITTING HERE IN THE DARK JUST TAKING A MOMENT TO BREATHE, THIS PAST TEN DAYS HAS BEEN CRAZY AT OUR HOUSE!! WE STARTED OFF WITH CHEROKEE'S 18TH BIRTHDAY PARTY ON THE 21ST, SHE WANTED TO GO TO "CHUCK A RAMA" FOR HER BIRTHDAY DINNER-IS SHE CRAZY OR WHAT?? THEN WE HAD SEMINARY GRADUATION FOR HER THAT SUNDAY, IT WAS AWESOME, SHE LOOKED SO BEAUTIFUL, SHE JUST HAD A GLOW ABOUT HER IT WAS SO NEAT!! THEN ON MONDAY MORNING MARTY AND ME AND CASH LEFT TO GO TO UTAH TO HELP CONTESSA GET THAT BABY HERE!! WE STARTED WITH HER IN THE HOSPITAL AT 10P.M. ON MONDAY NIGHT, SHE TOLD ME I WAS NOT TO LEAVE HER, SO I STAYED UNTIL 3A.M., THEN I SNUCK TO HER APARTMENT FOR SOME SLEEP, AT 5A.M. LORIN CALLED TO SAY SHE NEEDED ME, AND THAT THEY BROKE HER WATER, SHE WAS VERY NERVOUS AND SCARED AND ANYONE WHO KNOWS HER WELL, ALSO KNOWS THAT IS SAYING IT VERY MILD!! ANYWAY WITH TWO HOURS OF SLEEP I STAYED THE WHOLE DAY TUESDAY, EXCEPT FOR ABOUT 1HOUR, I WENT TO LUNCH WITH CASH AND MARTY. CONTESSA WAS SO AWESOME, SHE NEVER COMPLAINED AND WAS VERY BRAVE, I WAS SO PROUD OF HER!! AT AROUND 11P.M. THE DOCTOR TOLD HER WE WERE GOING TO START TO PUSH AND TWENTY MINUTES LATER THE SWEET LITTLE BABY CAME. CAN I JUST SAY THAT IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE TO SEE THAT LITTLE GIRL COME INTO THIS WORLD, I COULD HARDLY HOLD IN MY TEARS AND MY SMILE WOULDN'T LEAVE MY FACE. I LOOKED OVER AT MARTY AND WE JUST BEAMED AT EACH OTHER, HE GOT TO SIT IN THE CHAIR, IT WAS GREAT TO HAVE HIM IN THE ROOM ALTHOUGH FOR PRIVACY REASONS HE DIDN'T GET TO SEE THE ACTUAL BIRTH, HE STILL FELT THE SPIRIT IN THAT ROOM. IT WAS AWESOME AND YES I AM SO EXCITED TO BE A GRANDMA!! THANKS TO SHAWNA FOR TAKING CASH SO THAT MARTY COULD BE THERE AND THANKS TO MARTY FOR TAKING CASH TO WORK MONDAY AND TUESDAY SO THAT I COULD BE WITH TESS AND LORIN!!
WELL WITH ABOUT FIVE HOURS OF SLEEP WE PICKED UP CASH AT SHAWNA'S AND HEADED HOME TO IDAHO FOR CHEROKEE'S GRADUATION. BY THE TIME WE GOT HOME I HAD 45MINUTES TO SHOWER US ALL AND GET US READY, WE WERE A LITTLE LATE, BUT STILL MADE IT!!! THE GRADUATION WAS GREAT-SHORT AND TO THE POINT!! IT ONLY WAS ABOUT 65MINUTES FROM START TO FINISH!! AFTERWARDS WE TOOK CHEROKEE TO BIG JUD'S, HER AND CHEVY ATE ONE OF THEIR BIG BUGERS AND FRIES AND ICE-CREAMS!!! MARTYS AND ME BARELY ATE 1/2 OF A BIG BURGER, 1/2 OF OUR FRIES AND I DIDN'T EVEN EAT MY ICE CREAM!! TEEN-AGERS!! WE ARE SO PROUD OF CHEROKEE, SHE IS TRULY A SWEET DAUGHTER AND WE FEEL SO BLESSED TO HAVE HER IN OUR LIVES!! MARTY AND ME TOOK OFF THURS. TO GO BACK TO UTAH TO HELP THE ZIPPAY'S, WE WERE SO EXCITED TO HOLD THAT LITTLE GIRL AGAIN, MARTY COOKED DINNER WITH LORIN'S HELP, WHILE I SHOWED CONTESSA HOW TO BATHE HER LITTLE"SNAPS" THAT IS WHAT GRANDPA MARTY CALLS HER. ON FRIDAY MARTY AND ME TOOK CONTESSA'S HOUSE TO TASK, WE CLEANED, MOVED FURNITURE, HUNG PICTURES, WASHED EVERYTHING FROM LORIN'S UNDIES TO THE BATHROOM RUG!! WE COOKED AUNT BECKY'S CHICKEN CHOWDER-IT WAS YUMMY, FOR DINNER AND THEN WE PRETTY MUCH POOPED OUT!! SATURDAY WE FOUND THEM A BED AND SOME MUCH NEEDED THINGS FOR THEIR APARTMENT AND THEN MARTY AND ME HEADED HOME!! WE GOT UP SUNDAY AND WENT TO CHURCH AND SPENT SOME MUCH NEEDED TIME WITH OUR OTHER THREE MONKEYS, THEN ON MONDAY WE CELBRATED CASH A ROO'S FOURTH BIRTHDAY!! I CAN'T BELIEVE HE IS FOUR, HE IS THE LIGHT IN MY LIFE!! MARTY HEADED BACK TO UTAH FOR TWO DAYS AND THEN IS BRINGING KENNEDY AND MOMMY,DADDY BACK TO IDAHO FOR A FEW DAYS!! CONTESSA AND LORIN ARE GREAT PARENTS, THEY TALK SO CUTE TO THAT LITTLE "SNAPS" IT MAKES ME WANT TO CRY, THAT LIFE IS SO FAST, IT SEEMS LIKE ONLY YESTERDAY THAT SHE WAS IN MY ARMS. I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE TENDER MERCIES THAT WE AS A FAMILY HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH THIS PAST WEEK, I THANK MY HEAVENLY FATHER FOR MY SWEET BLESSINGS!!
MARTY AND ME TOOK THE TIME TO GO TO THE CEMETARY ON SATURDAY, HIS FATHER'S GRAVESITE IS SO PEACEFUL, IT IS AGAINST THE MOUNTAIN AND YOU CAN HEAR THE BIRDS AND HEAR A STREAM AND IT IS JUST SO SPECIAL TO FEEL THAT PEACE WHEN YOU GO THERE TO KNOW THAT SUCH A GREAT GUY WAS A PART OF YOUR LIFE, I MISS HIM DEARLY AND I KNOW THAT HE THINKS OF US AND PRAYS FOR US. WE ALSO GOT TO VISIT WHERE MY GRANDPARENTS WERE BURIED ON MY MOM'S SIDE, THAT WAS NEAT TO, I GOT TO TELL CHEVY AND MARTY SOME STORIES AND I JUST FELT PEACEFUL WHILE I WAS THERE. ONE MORE THING I NEED TO SAY TODAY, I LOVE YOU MOM AND DAD, I MISS YOU WITH EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING, BUT I KNOW THAT YOU ARE DOING A WORK FAR GREATER THAN RAISING US KIDS, SO FOR NOW I JUST WANT TO SAY I LOVE YOU!! A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL MY FAMILY FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO MARTY AND ME AND OUR KIDS, AND TO ALL MY SISTER'S FOR BEING CASH A ROO'S GRANDMA'S AS HE CALLS ALL OF YOU!!! THANKS TO MARTY'S MOM FOR SENDING THE KIDS CARDS AND GIFTS THEY REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND LOVE YOU!! TO MY HUSBAND- I THANK YOU FOR BEING MY BEST FRIEND AND SUPPORT!! I LOVE YOU WITH ALL THAT I AM, 143MARTY!! LOVE, C

CRAZY WEATHER, CRAZY LIFE, CRAZY MOM!!

SO OF COURSE I GET ALL MY BEAUTIFUL MOTHER'S DAY PLANTS AND BUSHES ALL IN THE GROUND AND IT SNOWS!! IT HAS BEEN FREEZING HERE THIS WEEK, EXCEPT FOR A LITTLE PATCH OF SUNSHINE ON MONDAY, WHICH I TOTALLY ENJOYED!! I AM JUST HOPING THAT MOST OF MY PLANTS SURVIVED, MY HOUSE SMELLS LIKE TOMATO PLANTS, BECAUSE I DON'T DARE PLANT THOSE YET, AND CHEROKEE GAVE ME PLANTS FOR M.-DAY. LIFE HAS BEEN SO CRAZY LATELY, I WAIT EVERYDAY PATIENTLY FOR A PHONE CALL, SAYING THAT I WILL BE A GRANDMA, WHILE I AM WAITING I SHOP FOR LITTLE KENNEDY, NO HARM IN THAT HA-HA!! I HAVE STARTED BUYING HER 24MONTH OLD CLOTHES NOW, I LOVE LITTLE GIRL STUFF. I AM PRETTY SURE THAT GRANDMA AND KENNEDY ARE GOING TO BE THE BEST OF PALS!! MARTY HAS BEEN VERY BUSY WHEN HE IS HOME WORKING ON HIS GMC, DOING THE BASEMENT, YARDWORK, AND FIDDELING IN HIS GARAGE. HE IS SUCH A GREAT GUY, HE IS ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP ME WITH ALL MY PROJECTS, HE DOES GET VERY JEALOUS OF "NOODLES," THOUGH. I HAVE A VERY SPOILED DOG ON MY HANDS, HE IS LIKE MY LITTLE SHADOW, AND WHEN I GO TO BED HE WANTS IN, HOWEVER I WILL NOT LET HIM SLEEP WITH ME, I ALREADY HAVE MARTY AND CASH WITH ME, SO THE DOG SLEEPS WITH CHEVY!! CHEVY HAS BEEN THE BEST HELPER TO ME THIS PAST MONTH, HE HAS DUG HOLES FOR ME AND THAT IS NOT A EASY TASK WHEN YOU HAVE "ROCK GARDENS" FOR SOIL!! WE ARE AWARDING HIS EAGLE SCOUT SOMETIME THE FIRST OF JUNE, MAY IS JUST TO CRAZY! CHEROKEE IS WAY EXCITED, SHE FINALLY GOT HER LETTER TO SAY SHE HAS BEEN ACCEPTED INTO THE NURSING PROGRAM, SHE HAS BEEN CRAZY BUSY WITH GRADUATION STUFF AND WORKING AND FILLING OUT SCHOLARSHIPS AND GOOFING WITH FRIENDS. SHE GAVE THE MOST AWESOME SPEECH AT HER FFA GRADUATION NIGHT, SHE KNOWS HOW TO MAKE HER PARENTS TEAR UP REAL GOOD!! I WAS SO PROUD OF HER, SHE GAVE ALL HER GRATITUDE TO HER HEAVENLY FATHER, THAT IS NOT EASY FOR A TEENAGER TO DO IN FRONT OF THEIR PEERS, SHE IS SUCH A AWESOME DAUGHTER!!
CASH IS READY FOR THE SUNSHINE, HE FINALLY WILL SIT AND PLAY AND ENERTAIN HIMSELF WITH TOYS, I MIGHT ACTUALLY GET SOME SEWING TIME! CONTESSA AND LORIN ARE DOING WONDERFUL, THEY ARE EXCITED FOR THEIR BUNDLE TO COME, I AM SO PROUD OF THEM AND I LOVE WATCHING THEM GET INVOLVED IN THE GOSPEL, THEY ASKED MARTY AND ME WHAT MADE US SO HAPPY IN LIFE AND IN OUR MARRIAGE AND WE TOLD THEM, IF THEY ARE LIVING THE GOSPEL AND DOING WHAT HEAVENLY FATHER WANTS THEM TO DO, THEY WOULD ALWAYS FIND HAPPINESS IN THEIR LIVES. I THINK THEY WERE EXPECTING A ANSWER THAT WAS MORE COMPLICATED, AND WERE A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT IT'S ALL ABOUT THE GOSPEL. WE HAVE TRULY BEEN BLESSED WITH OUR AWESOME KIDS, I AM PROUD OF EACH OF THEM, I WAS WATCHING THE NEWS THE OTHER NIGHT AND HOW SAD SOME OF THE TOP HEADLINES WAS, IT MADE ME SO GRATEFUL FOR THE SMALL THINGS I HAVE IN LIFE, LIKE FOOD, CLOTHES, A JOB, KIDS THAT ARE HEALTHY, THE FREEDOM TO WORSHIP AS I PLEASE, I SOMETIMES WE DON'T STOP AND THINK HOW TRULY BLESSED WE ARE. I DECIDED THAT I AM GOING TO THANK MY HEAVENLY FATHER EVERYDAY FOR THE SMALL THINGS I AM BLESSED WITH THAT USUALLY GO UNNOTICED!! I HOPE ALL OF MY FAMILY IS DOING AWESOME, I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE REUNION AND TO HAVE LOTS OF WATER FIGHTS, CAMPFIRES AND ALL THE MARSHMELLOWS WE CAN EAT!!! LOVE YOU ALL, C

P.S. MARTY I KNOW YOU READ THIS SO-I LOVE YOU TODAY AND FOREVER!!