Surprise!!!

We had a great Thanksgiving here in Idaho. We went Down to Idaho Falls for Thanksgiving Day and had a feast with Paul's brother it was just right. All the things you look forward to and good company to eat with. This was not a surprise. Paul's brother and his family are always welcoming and comfortable. I forgot my camera and that is not a surprise either. I am always finding myself in and doing things where I think " If I just had my camera....." So I have no pictures of the day but Saturday we decided to go to Ikea in Utah to buy our cabinets and while we were there visit Temple square and see the lights. Can you imagine me walking around outside of the temple, the actual square was closed before we got there but the surrounding lights were still on, seeing all the lights and fountains wishing I had my camera. Thinking "I always do this..... if I just had my camera...". Then Dallin let go of my hand and that's when I got it, the best surprise of the trip. I put my hand in my pocket to get warm and found MY CAMERA! I started taking pictures right away.

This is is the reflecting pool. I believe Elise and or Leah has a wedding picture here.
The first picture makes it look like we were alone but the whole edge of the pool was filled with people. These just happen to be a few of mine.
I tried to get my guys in the pictures but it was just to dark . If you look close or make the picture big you can see Marin and the rest under the trees.
So I just started taking pictures of what was beautiful.
Then they shut the lights off for the night. I couldn't resist this last one of Eavan and Dallin, even though it is dark, looking at the Falls that come from the top of the Conference Center.And I wanted one more of my whole bunch.
See I told you it was a great surprise.

Good News Bad News

Since I have had this blog the idea of good news and bad news has been on my mind. Should all my posts be just about the good news. I know I enjoy reading about other peoples good news.
I had a journal as a teenager that had a lot of bad news in it. I used it to vent hurt feeling , frustration, everything that seemed or was unfair. It was not a pleasant read. It was not uplifting and once I realized this I determined to put down positive things for keeping and just vent on paper that wouldn't be kept for posterity. The main reason being that I didn't want to forget how good my life was or my children to have a warped perspective about how many good things I had in my life. Now though with the perspective thing in mind I think I will share some bad news. Paul has been laid off from work. Not the end of the world I know but for a day or two I really did feel super bad. Like living in one of those Twilight Zone episodes or Groundhog Day cause almost exactly a year ago Paul was laid off. We would need to find a job move, start new schools, be the new people in the ward again and just when we were coming to the bottom of the list somebody decided we should go back to where we started. I can't say I am happy to do it again. The Lord has always taken care of us but one of these times we hope to keep the blessings and comfort that we have been given for more that a year before having to hand them in for a new grab bag. I feel ready to wait ( for a little while ) for things to work out. While I am waiting I am asking that there might be a way opened for us to stay here and keep the house we are building and still pay all the bills so until there is some direction for us to go The Lord knows what's on my wish list. now on to good things.

This is the view from the parachute window. The mountain is called R mountain.If you look closely you will see the letter R near the top.

This is the view from the one room where you can see the temple. You really can see it better in person. The clouds being so similar in color kind of make it hard to see in this picture. I will have to take another one for you.
The house now has it's wrap on and windows in.The exterior doors are in. The front door is now my favorite part of the house so far.I spent a few of the last warm days of the season staining and sealing it. I think it looks beautiful. I love it even more now.

This is the best helper ever. He is only two and a half but he didn't whine or complain or get into my stuff he was a total and complete angel for the hours it took over three days and he deserves a little recognition for that great job.

D

For those of you who don't know we call Dallin D, Big D, and for a little while DK (His first two intials). But he is just the cutest thing!"I don't have it!"

Today as we were getting in the car D was being his wild self and needed a wrestle. So mom told him " I'm going to tickle you till you say uncle" and so she wrestled him and then paused for a minute and D said " Uuuuncle". We all started laughing. Because mom didn't really think he was paying any attention to what she said. It was hilarious! That boy is waaaay too smart for his britches!

Opus

Opus is the name we have given our newest child, brain child that is. For all who do not know yet we are building a house. For those and all those who did know and wondered how it was coming here are a few pictures. This is the view from the front. Marin and Dallin looking over the back yard from the eating area in the kitchen. Dallin trying out the anti-gravity floor in the boys dormitory/secret playroom. "This is just perfect. We can parachute from here just fine and bungee jumping ought to work if we need a change of pace."

Halloween HooHa

I love Halloween! I know. I know. It's over. But I love it cause it's just for fun. There are deep meaningful thing in my life that I cherish and enjoy celebrating. Halloween is different from those it is not a Holy Day. I still love it and am glad to recognize it. I love to see my children happy and excited. We work hard every day to do the right things, be in the right places, accomplish the tasks before us, and continue to improve. Fun and imagination and humor are what we use to get by when the stress is high. Halloween is the day we can enjoy all these things and it's great. This year we had Ella Enchanted, a stick man, a treat, a trick, a cowboy, a Musketeer, a vampire, a princess and a pumpkin from our house. A couple of the kids dressed up as a couple of different things for different Halloween occasions. The costume bin is our best accessory. I got to carve my pumpkin this year! We had a great time.

You Know You Live In Idaho When...

....your kids get out of school for spud harvest, for almost two weeks to boot. So what's a Mom to do? Well if she's from Idaho she signs all the boys in the family up to actually harvest potatoes working from sun up to sun down for the whole break and get them a good jump on their mission funds. I guess I'm from elsewhere cause that sounded like and excellent excuse to get out of town. I would like to say I planned a trip well in advance and had made all arrangements necessary for an extended trip out of town but if you know me that's just not my style. Friday I called my Mom to see if she was up for guests. Saturday I called my brother and his family in Colorado to see if we could visit and bunk there over night and Sunday we took off at 5:30 in the morning. Sunday night in Colorado I discovered that a dear friend from Arkansas lived right on the route to Dallas and called to0 see if she too were up for mass invasion on the morrow. She was and I was thrilled to add another adventure to trip. So began a 3,000 ml. trip with seven children and one Mom.
I really couldn't have made this trip without the Colorado and Kansas stops. I think you guys are the best thing since Godiva Truffles. In Colorado the port-o-john next door and wii fit were a hit. In Kansas "The Brawl" was king I think the boys would have had a week long tournament if they could have figured out how to fit it in to one day.The kids are ready to travel back just for the food so you know it was good. My favorite part was getting to see people that I miss and think of so often. I know it sweetened all of the time we spent on our travels not just for me.
Gramma and Grandpa where there to greet us when we arrived in Dallas on Tuesday afternoon. It was a new experience to go visit and not have Dad gone to work most of the time. I think I like it. The kids played wii and playstation. We went to the Sears Outlet and Ikea I bought appliances and planned cabinets and after a trip to Lowe's I had a full van and a trailer full of appliances to haul home to Idaho. We made a trip to Krispy Kreme, visited the Pumpkin Patch, went to Cabela's, lucked into seeing the coolest part of the air show, jets are awesome and amazing, Mom cut ribbon and Kieran helped, the boys played tennis, all the kids enjoyed the park and no trip to Gramma, in Dallas, would be complete without going to the arboretum.
I can now say I have had ostrich and elk. Someday I want to have my own arboretum and in autumn I will put pumpkins in the fountains too. They float, you know? My sister is my new favorite photographer. I loved staying up late and playing games with Brayden, Kieran, Gramma, and Elise. It got even better when Dad joined in, just to be with us, since games really aren't his thing. You could never guess when you see him in action. I feel grateful for all the time and effort spent to host our impromptu trip. It was just what I needed. It's refreshing to be with your people. You know you are wanted and they will think the best of you. They understand that your faults are not permanent and you can see their pleasure in your progress. This is also how I feel about them. The only improvement I could have made to the trip would have been to see the rest of my family and friends of my heart. Thanksgiving anyone? Even last minute.

Double Whamee!

The unearthly howl from the bedroom definitely got my blood pumpimg. As a Mom you get a lot of experience in translating the meaning of crying but this was a totally new sound and had me worried from the start. Torin then emerges from his bedroom, where he was supposed to be cleaning with Eavan and Roan, still howling. I'm not sure if he has even taken a breath yet. When he can speak he tells me that he has tripped off the bunk bed head first! I figure that there is no way we can get out of this without some injury but I can't see a mark on him. I ask him to point to where it hurts the most and he tells me he can't move his arms. I start trying to check out his neck without moving any thing but wanting to know just what he can move. Oxymoronic process! So I start trying to get more info by asking questions and he says he feels like his arms are dislocated. We are now down to standard serious cry translation and I think the neck is not the problem. I start checking out his shoulders and find that the pain isn't in the his shoulders but his wrist/arm area. There is nothing to see though so I have him lay down and try to relax and see if he can recover from the shock a little bit. At this point I am hoping against reason that we have escaped without a trip to the emergency room. As I go to get my personal cure all, ibuprofen, and an ice pack I am hoping Torin will start feeling a little calmer. It was not to be, Torin actually was calmer, but the howl that was now a high pitched moan let me know he was still in a lot of pain. I pack him into the car carrying the most painful arm splinted in crushed ice for him. ( think three legged race only with arms tied arms) Thank goodness for small mercies, Brayden is old enough to stay with the rest of the kids and I don't have to take seven kids with me the urgent care center. I still can't see any swelling or discoloration but Torin's one stipulation to the Doctor is that he can look but not touch his arm. The nurse who is taking the Xrays seems to know all ready that it isn't going to be good news. She is giving me sympathy because it is both arms and I'm feeling like maybe she ought to at least see the xrays first. I am ever the optimist. I am now hoping for it to be just one arm. The less painful one he says only hurts if he moves it very much. I think I said this before but it was not to be. Both arms were broken. Torin is now wearing temporary splints and will get regular hard casts on Tuesday. He is looking forward to them hoping they will give him a little better bracing so that he could exert a little pressure with his fingers without it hurting his arms. I have to say so far Torin is an excellent patient. He has not whined at all. (Maybe cause he thinks we'll start singing the Monkeys Jumping in the Bed song) He has just asked for ice and ibuprofen as needed and even done well with feeding himself. So now my last optimistic wish is that six weeks will fly by like summer vacation and we will be surprised they are ready to take the casts off. Wish us luck.

Post From The Dead (or so you thought) And I Got A Mimi!

We can now see the gates of school days upon us. We are a little surprised that this is so but then we have been involved heavily with the serious work of summer. We have been up to our eyeballs in what most everyone would call nothing! We have been to a couple family reunions and done a little sight seeing and lot of book reading, bike riding, friend playing, movie watching , wii working and house picking. Some things just can't last, like summer, so we are counting on the fact that at least they return. One of the best things that keep returning to our lives is family! Mimi has arrived in Idaho and I can't think of a better distraction from the beginning of school. The kids have been so excited about her coming and I have been just as hyped as they are. Mimi is my grandma who I want to be just like when I am one. She has always made me feel loved and special. When I would visit her house as a child it was a place for exploring, eating, snuggling, stories and back rubs from Mimi's magic fingers. When ever I see her I still call her My Mimi. While she is here we have gone to see the temple, driven by the lot we have picked for our house, visited Paul's work in Idaho Falls and had lunch at Scotty's. We also did crossword puzzles and the boys played Upwords, Marin and Dallin did snuggling and stories. It was so nice to have her around. She is definitely a keeper. Like summer, we were sad to see her go but we look forward to her return.

This Ones Great!

Here is a quote type thing that I got in an e-mail

Whoever said "Nothing is impossible"
Never tried slamming a revolving door.


Posted by Kieran

Let's Do This Thing!!

This is the get it done post a lot has happened so just to keep you updated here's what we've been doing.

• Happy Birthday to Roan! He turned 8 Hurray!
• He got baptized! Brayden turned 15 huh!
  
• and is doing drivers Ed. and got a big donut
• We went to a family reunion. We camped at Downata Hot springs for the reunion. There was a raffle and we got stuff we didn't really need. But I got grasshopper cookies and they were good but got a little melty. The first night there was a BEAUTIFUL moon. It was orange and coming up from behind a hill. The pictures do it no justice. We swam and had a good time there. They have some awesome slides. The only casualty was Brayden's foot. He slipped getting into one of the slides and probably broke his toe. There isn't anything to do for that so we just hope he feels better soon.

Better Late Then Never!

Beware this is a long post with no pictures (sorry about that we didn't take any) feel free to skim or skip!

Our 4th of July was great fun! In the morning there was the ward breakfast with pancakes, eggs, and sausage a plenty. I (Kieran) had to leave early to go to the High school. Why was I going to the High school? Because I was a part of the parade! This along with some other things may be my 30 minutes of fame. I was a part of the Madison Marching band. Because I can not play any band instrument I was apart of the color guard. It was awesome! I knew the routines (pretty well) and was ready. The one thing that I worried about was the wind. When the wind is in your face blowing your flag in your face it's makes it hard to do the routine. I said I silent prayer that there would be no wind and there wasn't except for one little part but other then that all went fairly well. While marching down the streets I saw people I knew and my family. It was one of the awesomest things that I have ever done! The parade ended at the park and me and a friend who actually played an instrument walked around got a little free candy and watched the parade. We saw another friend of ours on a float I LEFT my flag there by the road and asked some guard members to watch it for me. We met up with her but then she had to do pictures so we went back for my flag and it wasn't there. I know that was a pretty dumb decision to leave my flag there. But any ways we started looking for the guard members I had asked to watch my flag. We didn't find them. But we did find another person from the guard and asked them if they knew were my flag was. She pointed to a tree that my flag was right next to and she said " tell her never to leave her flag by the road again" ohhh I won't never again. my second dumb act of the day was I hadn't set up a place to meet up with my mom. Well the friend that wasn't a part of the band left and me and Anna ( the friend who was apart of the band) walked around. The band was doing a flag ceremony/concert right after the parade was over. so we went and did that. Immediately after the flag ceremony mom had found me. Hurray! and because the flag ceremony was all I needed to do we left. The rest of the family had headed down to grandma and grandpas to use the rest room. Me and mom walked down and caught them just as they were leaving. Mom had told the boys not to go out in the street for candy during the parade. Brayden and Eavan were the ones that didn't go out in the street so they got a treat. Because I was in the parade I got a treat too. Those ice-cream cones called Drumsticks are what I picked. Mom got ice-cream sandwiches for the whole family. After that we went and got a movie. The chronicles of Narnia our plan was to watch it at dad's model home with there big screen and surround sound. It was great! We had to break after it had started to change a diaper but it was a great movie. Around the house were bowls of candy and in the movie room there was popcorn. so we ate the pop-corn pretty much all gone and had 2 of those big Gum balls that are found in Gum ball machines (most of us anyway) As we drove home we saw the fire work shows. It looked like we had just caught the end. As pulled in at our house the set off most of the last one. Then we did fire works with our neighbors. We had a lot of fireworks between us. We had little ones like snaps and big ones that shot out spectacular light shows. We ended the night with sparklers. But they were extreme sparklers they shot out there lights in different ways they were pretty cool. We all went to bed happy that night.

Girls Camp

Tuesday before last I left for Girls Camp. Girls camp was extremely fun! We did crafts and went swimming and even watched a movie. It was AWESOME! Unfortunately I have no pictures to show you. I had taken some pictures of the stuff I had packed and the stuff I gave my secret sister but they are all lost now. But any ways one of the big events at camp was the hikes. Mine was 3 miles. Not bad but by the end the bottoms of my feet hurt! Thankfully no blisters. After the hike we got pampered. It was a special treat for the first years. We sat down in camp chairs under a tent and listened to one of the camp leaders give a devotional on testimony. It was a really good lesson and I liked it a lot. But before the devotional they fed us pizza and root beer floats. It was waaay good. After devotional though they washed our feet and then we painted toenails. I got mine painted green and after they put it on I regretted it not immediately but not long after. Over the next 2 days I wanted to get home, find the nail polish remover, and use it! The other main event was a Luau ( I had to look up how to spell that one). They had cooked pork in a paper mache pig under ground like they would in Hawaii. It was really cool with really good food. We saw Hula Dancers preform and preformed our own dance we had learned that day. After the dancing they had people or a person (I can't remember) give a talk and they we separated for ward testimony meeting. Our bishopric and one girl's father was there. ( the bishopric all had daughters that were at camp as well) But it was really just a wonderful experience to hear others testimonies and to bare my own .Girls camp was is an amazing place and I can't wait till next year!
P.S. At testimony meeting some YW leader said that we all got along really well and that when she went to camp, girls got mad or argued with each other. I'm glad all of the girls in my ward get along so well! Also when I got home I counted my mosquito bites. 37! Give or take a little that is a lot. I hope there aren't as many mosquitoes next year!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

So the Scholes summer has only been half revealed. The feminine side has been enjoying too. Kieran has been participating in a summer reading program at BYU-I. She saw the band teacher at the park and was invited to be a part of the color guard. so now she is busy three days a week with fun things. Marin has been playing princess and ponies, puppies and kitties, riding bikes and is looking forward to a new neighbor moving in who's name is Hayla and that ryhmes with Tayla who lives on the other side of us. Whoo ee! life is good for the girls. The big girlie surprise though is Kieran got earrings! Now this was not a long time planned for event but when Kieran's friend from Pennsylvania got her ears done we started talking about it and we were already out for shopping and we ended our trip with a stop at Claire's and a shiny pair of new sparkly ear rings. She was really pleased and we keep smiling at each other and admiring the glitter of them in her ears. It's fun to be a girl and see the boys squirm over what we do and be glad they are boys.

Dirt and Snails and Warriors Tales

I have been blessed with many children. I am grateful to have them. Most often I think of them as a group, my group, all together making them a whole. So as summer began I started to anticipate some of the summer activities we could enjoy. Sleeping in, reading, Swimming, going to the library, bike rides, movies, picnics at the parks, play days at the park, would all be fun. On the first day with no school the boys were up at 6:30 am. How could that be when at 7:30 am I have really push to get them moving for school? I didn't see Marin or Kieran till after 9:30 am just as it should be. Right? Later that day the boys went outside to play. After a little bit I went out to check on them and they were digging in the sand box ( I use the term here loosely as there is at least as much dirt in the box as actual sand) and could see that they were happy. I started then to think of the things they needed to do before coming inside; taking off shoes, emptying socks, pulling out pockets and dusting off bums. I just had to be sure to catch them as they were heading inside or my careful planning would be wasted. I was even tempted to call them in then so they wouldn't be too dirty. I hate cleaning but I do like clean. But it was the first day of summer so I decided to let them be. Soon it was time to check again. They were still in the sand box but had abandoned hands and sand shovels and dump trucks. Using Dad's shovels they were digging in earnest now. There were two trenches probably five feet long and as I stood and watched Torin lay down in one and Eavan began to shovel dirt ( opps "sand") on top of him. I almost shouted out right then for then to stop. I even got Torin's name out before I could help myself, but It hit me that really I was being a girl and these were not girls I was dealing with. When did dirt ever spoil a game for boys? It might be a pain for me and I might be a girl and my skin may crawl just thinking about being buried in the "sand box" but who am I to spoil their game just because I don't like dirt. So I quickly changed what I was going to tell the boys when Torin looked my way. "Send Roan when you're finished burying each other and I'll take your picture". When all was ready Roan, the grave digger for Eavan, came to get me. When I arrived with my camera I found no ordinary graves but those of two heroic soldiers with only their packs and helmets to mark their graves dug in honor of their brave deeds and great sacrifice. They made their best "dead faces" and I took a few pics before it occurred to them that the undead might be the next logical game and I captured their rise from the grave.
What a beginning! The summer was on. I have not changed my own plans for summer but I have realized that my own boys, while being part of the group, are unique from me by the simple fact that they are boys. Over the next few days my boys reinforced this renewed observation. We had quests through the wilderness complete with stick swords, water fights with cups hoses and water guns. To finish with a bang before Sunday it was mud men (and one little mud girl). After the last one, I gritted my teeth and, hosed mud from every crack imaginable. They were sent straight into the tub to wash with soap. The next day in church I was still not surprised to look over at Eavan's profile and spot a little dirt resevoir in his ear and you know I left it there. :)

Summer Days by Kieran

School ended on Thursday so it is officially summer. Here is what the boys did.They buried themselves. Dug there graves and then became.... the UNDEAD!!
We also played outside in the back yard. (Backyard above)The boys played some war game and I walked D around the backyard. Off subject for a minute there are 3 goats that live in are backyard. Eavan says they belong to our neighbors uncle but still this would be the first time we shared a backyard with goats. Okay back on topic we also got a sprinkler. One that moves back and forth. Fun to play in. (sorry no pictures of sprinkler)But then it got accidentally stepped on and broke. But later with the hose the boys made mud..... and suits of mud. Even Marin joined the mud men. ( No mud men pictures yet ether they have to be uploaded which is no easy task)
Do you have any plans this summer?

Memorial Day catch-up by Kieran

Sorry this is way late but if you like here it is. So in the morning we flew kites.








We had Buzz Lighter up there and a rainbow Kite too. D flew a kite as well. I think we all had a blast. But Marin was trying to fly a tangled kite it didn't really work.




Nice good clean fun right? Well hu we ahh lost 2 kites strings and they ummm wellll got stuck in the power line.



Yaaaaaaah lot's of fun right? We had a good talking to afterwards. But we weren't trying to get them stuck it's like I said we were flying kites lost the strings they flew away and got stuck.
On other news we started a garden. As you may already know our family doesn't really have a green thumb. But Grandpa Scholes has 20 green fingers and toes. He is one amazing gardener. We have potatoes planted and have other plants to plant such as cantaloupe, watermelon, and a beefsteak tomato. Sorry no pictures on the garden yet.
Have you ever gotten a kite stuck in the power line?

The End of Things

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..... Okay not that dramatic but life is still happening even when I am not posting about it. School ends here on Thursday. The end of school means the end of a lot of things. We have enjoyed orchestra concerts, a band concert, ballet recital, choir concert, class plays, field trips, field days, class parties and a Ballroom dance recital. As the school year has come to a close we have been treated to great end of year displays of new and improved talents and knowledge. The celebrations have been record setting and memorable. Eavan's third grade class out read all others in Kennedy Elementary. Roan's whole class reached their AR goals and Torin's fifth grade class out read all of the other classes in Madison Middle School. Marin finished with preschool and is looking forward to kindergarten. If the awards and performances are anything to go by we have had a banner year. When we moved in January I would have thought this unlikely. We were putting our fourth school in two years under our collective belts and feeling every bit of it. We had not planned on living a nomadic life it is just how things have worked out for us lately. When Paul went to Logan at the end of last November to work until it was time to move at the end of December I felt like it was the end of the world. A month on my own without Paul would have been bad anytime but to get us move ready while he was gone seemed like asking the impossible and Idaho felt like the end of the world to me. I had a few prayers about what was just too much and asked the Lord for some very specific things that I felt were more than desires. We worked hard and shed tears and chopped wood and gave up all that wasn't absolutely necessary or which could be cheaply replaced. The Lord answered my prayers the way he has many times in the past when I have come to him desolate in heart. The passages are in the Old Testament the Lord is speaking to the Israelites it says "I have seen your tears and heard your cries..." He continues and promises that they will be delivered and nothing will overcome them. I have been given this promise many times over in my life. I know it is not only for me but it is for all of the Lord's children but he never fails to remind me individually. These past two weeks have been loud and clear testimony of all that the Lord has done in our behalf to help me and my family in all that I was not big enough to control or overcome. This is the end of many things and we are happy to begin more. Thank You Lord.

What does the cow say?

Just a little while ago D (Dallin) took a drink of milk. I ( Kieran) asked him what does a cow say? His reply when he looked at me was "More milk" He was talking to my mom but it was still pretty funny. Also have you heard of Grasshopper cookies? Well we were eating some and Marin comes up and asks mom for some except instead of saying Grasshopper cookies she said " Mom can I have cac-o-woach cookie?" Cute! Funny! I love my siblings!

Happy Motheres Day

Mothers are very important in this world and I know I could not have turned out the way I have with out mine. My Grandmother and Aunts are also good examples of mothers to me. When I get old enough the marry and have a family I want my children to know who showed me how to be a good mother. My own mother,aunts,and grandmothers showed me how and I hope I can be just as good an example to them as you have been for me. So Happy Mother's Day and may all mothers know that they are loved.

P.S. These are my mom's roses not pictures from a florist website.

Therapy

I love art. I have known that since I was in kindergarten and the "Picture Lady" brought in the Girl and the Watering Can. I have wanted to make art since then too. As a very young person my attempts were highly frustrating exercises. I was never satisfied with my work because it didn't match the picture I had in my head and my hand didn't know how to translate the idea into tangible format. I thought maybe I would never be able to make this particular wish come to fruition. But I begin to think the cause is not lost. I had a good high school art teacher who gave me a foundation of knowledge about the mechanics of drawing. I still was not pleased with my work but he gave me vital information about translating depth into two dimensions and how light and dark work together to shape things more than lines. I then didn't try art again until college I took an art class and the text was called Drawing on the right side of the brain. This class was a turning point for me. I could actually make a picture look like I wanted it to but you all know how college is and life as a new wife and mother. BUSY. So I haven't really had much chance to do any art but the desire has never gone away. This last three weeks I have been going to an art class taught by one of the sisters in the ward. I am so happy. When I could finally get my work to look like I wished the process became the opposite of frustrating. It became therapy. My brain feels good after I work on my art. The small bits I did in the times since my college days I can match up to some of the toughest times and adjustments in my life. I didn't really consciously think about my art as therapy but now I can see that I found some peace and control in it. Since beginning this class Thursdays are some of my best days ( class is Wednesday evenings). I have not felt unhappy lately. The Lord has taken excellent care of us in Idaho. I have worked through most of the issues that everyone must to function as an adult and I would not have thought I needed therapy at this point in my life and perhaps I don't but it sure has felt good. I can feel a distinct difference in my mood and stress level. So I hope you can enjoy the pictures and maybe take a little therapy for yourself. My art teacher is fond of saying that if you are not pleased with your art it is because you need more practice. You weren't very good at walking when you started either but you do just fine now. I like that thought and it fits in with my therapy. My sketches are to the right and the originals are on the left.