Mattie & Joe

Project #3 Kitchen Floor

2012-08-02T18:03:00.003-07:00

The kitchen floor we have been living with for 2 years.

I painted it with primer and ended up with a white floor. It was primer we already had. The primer isn't very washable and it has only taken a day to get dirty. Not sure what to do about that. I don't think I can mop it. I need the real paint but I don't know what color to paint it. Since we will have to buy the paint, I may have to put off this project for a few weeks. At least there is progress!

Projects

2012-07-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

Project #1

Turning this:

Into this:

My progress so far:

Project #2

We have a little playhouse in our back yard that has seen better days.

The floor where you get on to ride the slide is horrible.

I tore it out and am trying to build a new floor with some free 2x4's we had in the garage and an old hand saw.

Not bad, eh? Only trouble is that I ran out of wood so I guess it's no the project #3

Project #3

This is our kitchen floor:

It is yucky. Just the base flooring with stains all over it. We had a scrap of carpet to hide most of it but the carpet had stains all over it too. Since we are renting from indecisive renters who wont make any decision on what they want done with this floor...I've decided our best option is to paint it. It will be covered up by the new flooring they will put in if that day ever comes. In the meantime, we have to live with it. It is time it was livable.

Getting Reaquainted

2012-07-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

This summer I have been able to be home with my kids. I will go back to my job when they start school. I had grand dreams of doing so many fun things with them and making our summer the best ever!

It has been a good summer but I have found myself overwhelmed by one thing or another at various times. After my last breakdown, I realized that I may need to spend more time with adults. Kids are fun to be with sometimes but they get really good at letting you know when they don't want to do what you want to do. Or something goes wrong and instead of being the fun mom, I turn into the wicked step-mother.

I realize that I need to be a little more independent from my children. They are old enough that they don't really need my attention every minute. I only have a month left of my summer vacation and I think I'm going to start shifting my gears. I think that I will start doing more things that I want to do this summer. If they don't want to join me then they are old enough that they can stay home. I can't just sit at home all day. They help with the housework so there isn't a lot of that to do.

I've been thinking about what I want to do with my summer. I like to be busy and accomplish things. I recently joined Pinterest and have been using that as a means to define myself by choosing things that I love.

I've started some projects. I've set some goals. I've started some hobbies. I realized today that my kids are perfectly content staying at home and playing Legos all day. They don't need events planned for them. I do but they don't.

I started Geocaching again. I started working on putting a motorcycle together. I'm starting to exercise again. I want to go hiking again. I need to get back to doing the things I love to do. I need to get to know myself again. I need to enjoy myself again.

I hoping that doesn't equal selfishness. I'm to the point that this needs to happen so that I can be a pleasant person once more. A happy person.

Raise the Bar

2012-06-03T08:19:00.001-07:00

I have so many thoughts running through my head right now that I hope this all ends up making some sort of sense by the end.

I just wonder how people can just be happy with being average. I'm no expert at anything nor do I excel at anything, but I find myself so hungry to learn and to improve and to try. Why limit yourself and your experiences because you're afraid or because you're lazy or because you are "comfortable" with where you are in life? I just want to slap these people and tell them to wake up!

A lot of this feeling comes from seeing people who pick and choose what commandments they want to follow. I do this to some degree, as everyone does, but I'm talking about those who do it on a large scale. Most people in the world do it, but I've even seen people in the church do it. Okay, so there are a lot of "commandments", technically, and it is hard to live them all but let's begin with the 10 commandments. They are pretty simple and not that difficult to know and to follow. I don't think anyone should have too much difficulty living those.

Keep the Sabbath Day Holy. You're telling me that you cannot refrain from shopping on Sunday? Really? Is it that difficult to promise yourself that you will not shop on that one day of the week? Is it that difficult to plan a day ahead and get what you need beforehand? Come on!

Another one is taking the Lord's name in vain. Are you telling me that you cannot commit to never take the Lord's name in vain? You seriously cannot keep that from coming out of your mouth? It is offensive to me and I don't want to hear it. Control yourself.

I could go on and on. And on. "By your fruits ye shall know them". You say you are a Christian? I'll believe it when I see it. I don't need to wear a cross to show you I'm a Christian, you should be able to see it by my actions, by who I am and what I do.

The gospel is amazing but you cannot know that until you are willing to set aside your excuses and submit to the will of God which means that you keep His commandments. Got has offered us blessings and destinations beyond our wildest dreams but here we sit, picking and choosing what we want based on our laziness. If you were to go on a cruise around the world to see the most beautiful places in the world, would you want to sit on that ship and never get off to see those destinations because you were too lazy or afraid or too comfortable to go? What a shame! What a shame!

Isn't that what we are doing when we pick and choose what commandments we want to follow? What destinations are we missing out on because we don't have the faith or courage to do the work necessary to receive the reward?

Look at yourself. What kind of person are you? What kind of person do you want to be? I want to be an amazing person. I want to experience this life to its fullest. I want to receive every blessing and every reward possible because I worked for it, because I worked hard for it. Don't you?

Choose a commandment. Pick one that you struggle to keep and begin today by keeping it. Promise yourself and keep your promise. Be better than you are. Raise the bar for yourself and what you expect from yourself. Stretch yourself. Work hard at it. The greater the effort, the greater the reward.

The gold medal isn't awarded to the person who never pushes himself or never works hard or who stays in his comfort zone. Instead it is awarded to the person who is the best because of all that he sacrificed in order to win. It takes sacrifice. Sacrifice your weaknesses and excuses and get to work. This life is about becoming. It is about becoming the best. If you want the best reward then you better be the best and working to earn it.

Christmas Decorations

2011-12-05T16:27:00.000-07:00

Tonight we put up our Christmas tree. We let the kids decorate it. They could hardly wait for us to put it up and put the lights first. They had been begging us to get the tree put up. For some reason, kids like Christmas.

Their mom invited them to spend Christmas with them in Washington State. Joe and I began wondering what Christmas was going to be like for us. I was a little uncomfortable with just he and I sitting by the Christmas tree on Christmas morning. There is just something about Christmas that requires children on Christmas morning.

We thought it would be the best idea ever to spend Christmas with Mike and Shan'l. We invited ourselves to their house for Christmas so at least we could have a fun Christmas too. They welcomed the idea with so much enthusiasm. We felt so welcome and began looking forward to it with great anticipation.

Joe got me a stocking and wrote my name on it all fancy.

See what has become of us since I moved in?

Joe's Birthday

2011-11-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

Joe didn't want to celebrate his birthday, but how could I not celebrate the birth of a man who I love so much? Sorry, Charlie. We went out for dinner at least. We went to La Casita who is owned by a family in our ward. We said hello to them and ate a delicious meal. While we were waiting for our check, we saw a mischievous look in our friend's eye and could tell he was planning some sort of birthday surprise for Joe. Joe got a little uncomfortable but was grinning ear to ear.

A group of waiters and waitresses came over with a sombrero which he had to wear while they got the whole restaurant's attention and sang some sort of happy birthday song to him. Then they delivered a giant desert for us which we couldn't finish because we were already so full. Last of all, they didn't let us pay for our meal. How grateful we were for their kindness and expression of love and friendship.

Joe's Omlettes

2011-11-06T16:01:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday we gather at Mom & Dad's house for Sunday dinner. This time Joe wanted to cook dinner and wanted to do omlettes. He is great at making omlettes. If you know Joe, you know that he never does anything unless he puts all his heart and soul into it. This occasion was no exception. He had every possible topping you could possible want in your omlette. He took orders and made a custom omlette for each person. There were about 20 people there.

I love him. He is so passionate about so many good things. I look at him sometimes and say to myself, "He is my husband." "I have a husband." I look at him and think about how much I love him. He brings a smile to my face. The Lord was our matchmaker and He knew what he was doing. He is perfect for me in every way. The thing I love about Joe the most is how passionate he is about the gospel. His whole heart and soul are devoted to the Lord.

Halloween

2011-10-31T15:46:00.000-07:00

Halloween arrived and the kids were so excited. Joe and I took the boys trick-or-treating while Savannah went with one of her friends.

Jonathan was Thor

I was a MOM

Stephen was Optimus Prime (a transformer)

Savannah was "The Countess of Darkness"

They scored big-time and I even got a little candy while we were out trick-or-treating. It was a lot fun for all of us.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

We went to a pumpkin patch nearby to let the kids choose some pumpkins for Halloween. This year they had a tiny petting zoo with a llama and a kangaroo. At one point the kangaroo put its little arms around the llama's neck like it was giving it a hug. It was so cute!

They also had a maze made from giant bales of hay. We went through the maze and then got on top and did some jumping around. It was a lot fun!

Then we went and chose pumpkins with Joe's help. He is such a good dad! Look how he plays with his children and takes part in their lives with such love. He helped each one choose a pumpkin that they liked.

Cider Pressing

2011-10-15T18:50:00.000-07:00

The Condies started a family tradition where we all get together and press apples to make apple cider. The tradition began last year so this was the first year for my kids to participate. They had a great time. They got to try running the press by turning the hand crank and adding apples. They ate apples and drank the apple juice.

It was fun for me to see them experience something new. To see them interact with their cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and great-grandma. They are already looking forward to next year's apple cider making party.

Snow Storm

2011-10-06T18:23:00.000-07:00

We had a snowstorm with really wet snow. I was home alone on the computer and I heard a sound like someone running up the stairs. We have a roommate living with us and I thought it was him running up the stairs so I wasn't too alarmed. Then I thought about it and realized he wasn't home. When I looked out the back window, I was that a huge branch of our tree had broken off and snagged a cable wire in our back yard.

It was a mess. I called Joe and he came home and took care of it all. That tree just needs to be cut down anyway. Unfortunately, we are renting the home and haven't been able to get permission to cut it down. Having half the tree fall was kind of a blessing in that way.

We cut up the tree with a chainsaw and saved the wood for our fireplace for the rest of the winter. See? There is a blessing in everything.

Meadow Land

2011-09-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

Before I was married I purchased 5 acres in the town of Meadow, Utah. We took a little trip to see what the land looked like now that I had a new family. I had talked about it and they were all curious about it.

The land was full of wild grass that had browned and there were a lot of red ant hills that the boys were fascinated with. There wasn't much else to see. We walked the perimeter and when we got back to the car we had stickers in our socks and shoes. It really isn't that pretty but it has potential!

Okay, maybe I'm the only one who could see the potential.

Look how thrilled they all are!

School Carnival

2011-09-22T18:01:00.000-07:00

The kid's school put on a carnival and Joe took the kids. I think I wasn't feeling well that night so they went without me. I'm so glad they got to go! They were looking forward to it for a long time and it looks like they had such a fun time!

Family Bike Ride

2011-09-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

Wyn organized a family bike ride for us. She and I went on the bike ride earlier to gauge how long we should make it. It was fun for her and I to do something together. Then we all gathered together and went up Provo Canyon for our big family bike ride.

Kids in the back of the truck for bike safety instructions

The group all ready to ride!

Stephen found some snails

Jonathan's Utah Cake

2011-09-15T17:31:00.000-07:00

For an assignment at school Jonathan had to make a cake in the shape of Utah and decorate it with landforms. I baked the cake but left the artistic work up to Joe and Jon. Jon had a great time and was so proud of his finished project.

Playing at the Park

2011-09-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

I was having some cabin fever and Joe could tell I needed to get out of the house. He told me to get in the car and when I asked where we were going, he wouldn't tell me.

We ended up driving through the canyon and at a park. We just walked around and played on the playground. There was a little stream that we looked at from a bridge. What a great guy. He is so good at seeing what I need and fulfilling that need.

I love that guy. He is so good for me!

We even wore matching shirts that day!

Neighborhood Cleanup

2011-09-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

Our ward had an activity to clean-up our neighborhood. The kids weren't that excited to go but I made them come anyway. They ended up having a great time! I was so proud of them as I watched them work so hard to clean-up. It ended up being so fun! With all the people that came, it didn't take us very long but it was still so rewarding.

The first day of school

2011-08-22T15:17:00.001-07:00

Before we knew it, the summer was over and school was starting again. We took the kids shopping for new school clothes. Somehow their clothes kept getting smaller and smaller. They were excited for the new school year. Savannah was entering the 5th grade and the boys entering the 4th grade.

Derby Cars

2011-08-18T15:12:00.000-07:00

The boys are in Cub Scouts and they got to decorate and design their own car for a race. Dad helped them shape it and paint it. They didn't get to race them because we were out of town but they loved making those cars. When it was the sanding phase, the first thing they did when they woke up in the morning was to keep sanding those cars. And when it was time to paint them they would ask me all the time "Mom can we paint our derby cars now?" Joe used his artistic skills to help paint them but the boys did most of the work on that part. When Joe put the wheels on, they raced them all day. They made ramps and obstacles. I never knew a derby car could be so fun. I'm glad it wasn't all a loss since we couldn't race them with the rest of the scouts. Stephen and Jonathan seemed pretty pleased with them anyway.

Pioneer Day

2011-07-24T14:41:00.004-07:00

In Utah we celebrate the 24th of July as Pioneer Day to remember the pioneers who settled this valley. The kids got to be on a float in the little Mapleton parade.

Here is a video of the kids before the parade while we were waiting for the float to arrive so they could get on it.

Then that afternoon and evening we went to the park and enjoyed watching the fireworks show up close. It was so amazing. It felt like the fireworks were falling on top of us. Every explosion inspired Oohs and Aahs from us.

Here are some videos for my enjoyment. My husband riding our motorcycle.

Before the fireworks there was a ping-pong drop from a helicopter. Each ping-pong ball has a number on it and those numbers are used for a drawing to win a bicycle. Very exciting.

Stephen said that he was standing out-of-bounds and a ping-pong ball fell on his head.

Savannah with cousin, Kate Condie

Boys' Birthday

2011-07-21T14:35:00.001-07:00

This year the boys' turned 9. We made them each a special cake and celebrated with them. They were excited about the Legos they got and especially when there was a big box in the mail from their "real" mom. She sent them fun things like Nerf guns, walkie-talkies, and compasses.

Swimming Lessons

2011-07-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

This summer we enrolled the kids in swimming lessons. It was fun for them and for me. They got to swim and I got to sit and talk to my sister, Rindee, whose kids were also enrolled. It was so hot but that's just how summer is supposed to be.

Fourth of July

2011-07-04T14:11:00.001-07:00

This was a fun day. We bought some fireworks and invited friends over to set off some fireworks with us. Sparklers are still my favorite.

Orton Family Reunion

2011-07-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

We drove to LaGrande, Oregon for the Orton family reunion. It was my kids' first family reunion and they had a great time. They made some new friends with distant cousins and enjoyed the camping and playing outside in the "forest".

Savannah's Camping Trip

2011-06-03T12:45:00.003-07:00

One weekend Savannah and her sister Rachael were invited to go camping with one of Savannah's friends, Sammi, and Sammi's Mom. From the pictures it looked like they had a great time.

This is Savannah's friend, Sammi

Savannah and her sister, Rachael