CONTEST, A CONTEST, HERE IS A CONTEST!

Thank you one and all for viewing my Newspaper Online Post this past week. You are such nice, kind people...all of you.

I have decided to post another tid-bit in hopes of winning a gas card for you! It's actually a Smiths Card--So, BONUS!, you can use it for Gas or Groceries!


So here's the deal. First, View the article by clicking on the link. Then, leave me a comment that says you viewed the article. If you are one of the unfortunate that haven't figured out how to comment, send me an email at jeridawnm@yahoo.com. THAT'S IT!

They announce the winner in Monday's paper. So, if I win...I will forward the $50 Smiths Card to one lucky winner who will be drawn at random. I'll post the winner on Monday and they can contact me with their address!

So....what are you waiting for....get moving. It's free money! Here is the link and don't forget to leave a comment (on my blog...or you can leave one on the article too!)

Herald Journal Tid Bit

REMEMBER, DON'T CLICK ON ANY OTHER STORIES!

Lately....

Tonight we visited some of our favorite neighbors. Here we laugh and talk and eat and talk. Tonight they made us their famous cheese-cake that is claimed to be "the best." It was. Hands down.

And to top it off, when we came home, the BOOK FAIRY had come. There on our table were piles of glorious books! THANK YOU BOOK FAIRY! PLEASE COME AGAIN SOON. WE'LL TRY AND LEAVE TREATS FOR YOU NEXT TIME. As you can see, we got ourselves a good 'ole bowl of cereal and dug right into the "Book Fairy Stash."We also introduced Crystal to the Pumpkin Walk this week. It is a wonderful, glorious, sight to behold where people all over the Cache Valley display their creative ability to make scenes out of pumpkins. And...it's free. And...Pepperidge Farms gives you a cookie.

Yes, this is a waterfall, made out of pumpkins.
And here is Noah's Ark. The Elephant Bums were our favorite. Can you see them?
We have also been enjoying the fall, not too cold, weather. Mialee and Nikell took me for a walk up the trail that leads to campus. Nikell climbed stair after stair after stair, and she loved it. We got to the top and she was ready to keep on treckin'.

Dethroning the gas card queen

Remember the $50 gas card? I finally went and demanded it. Anyway, someone named Shandi has won it for the last 3 weeks. It's time to dethrone her. Will you help me again? I
just posted the cop story--so you don't have to even read it. Just click on the link for me. Thanks!
Herald Journal Link

or go to

http://www.yourcachevalley.com/2008/10/20/thank-you-mr-un-grumpy-policeman

You know, life is not always as it seems. Looking at this sweet little face gives me such joy, but my heart also breaks. Mialee is a tormented child. I would say OCD personality type, but that's my diagnosis as a mom. She is always, always, always worrying. It started with potty training when we talked about germs and washing our hands. "What? There are germs?" Instant obsessive hand washer. We talked and reaffirmed and talked and reaffirmed and we got past it. But it has consistently moved from one thing to another for the past couple of years. And then it started to interrupt life. Every five minutes she had to come tell me something that she was worried about. She couldn't play, we couldn't go anywhere..not without the constant whispers in my ear. So I started researching a bit and seeking out help. Well, she has her ups and downs. This past week, Jason was out of town and perhaps this is what set her off, I don't really know. But everything that Mialee has ever worried about came haunting this week.

"Mom, I think I got pee pee on the cupboard."
"Mom, I think I said something mean."
"Mom, I think I whined."
"Mom, I think I hurt Nikell."
"Mom, I think I did something bad when I touched that."
"Mom, I think I called that person fat."
"Mom, I think I told the whole world that I was mad at them."
"Mom, I think I made a mess."
"Mom, I think touched something I wasn't supposed to."
"Mom, I think I did all the bad things that I am not supposed to do."
"Mom, I think I did a new bad thing."
"Mom, I think I did all the bad things and the new bad thing."
"Mom, I think I got my clothes dirty and I still wanted to wear them."
"Mom, I think I got my germs on that."
"Mom, I think I spit on that."
"Mom, I think I got my spit on everything."
"Mom, I think I was mean to that boy."
"Mom, I think I took that without asking."
"Mom, mom, mom, mom, I think, I think, I think, I think..."

Day in and day out, seconds apart, Mialee worried and worried and worried. She still worries. Even when she is not with me and she internalizes the worry, it's still there. You can see it on her face. I cry for her and for me regularly. I try new things and reinstitute old things. We keep learning together and I am constantly, and most importantly, reaffirming my love for her. Today, I came home after another discussion with a childhood professional, and cried once again. I am so worried for her and how her life will turn out and I know that I have a huge impact on it all. It's so much responsibility and I never have enough knowledge or patience or time or understanding...and yet It's important that I convey to her that it's not a big deal and that she's not driving me absolutely crazy and that I don't want to run away screaming with my hands over my ears.

And so today when I wondered how much longer I could go on, and the tears fell once again down my face, the sweet spirit of peace whispered into my heart that Mialee was sent to me, especially, because I am the one with the ability to help her. That she could have been sent somewhere else where she could have been beat down and less understand and unable to cope. Now, I'm not saying that there aren't other families that could have helped Mialee, but God gave her to me. He trusted me with her sweet soul and sensitive little mind. And so He will enable me to help her. And that's all there is to it. No matter our struggles, or our fears, or our shortcomings, we can have everything that we need. I am so thankful for that. I pray every day and every night and all the time that I will do right by Mialee. And I often fail. And then I pick myself up again, and I pick Mialee up again, and we start over. Day by day, minute by minute, worry by worry.

So if were at your house and you see Mialee whispering sweet nothings in my ear, No, she doesn't need anything...Except your love and mine. And if you have a child that you too wonder about, know that God gave that kid to you on purpose and you are the one that is going to save them.

A Stupid Thing

Have you ever done a stupid thing? It didn't seem that stupid at the time, but later it did seem a little stupid? Tonight on the way home from the grocery store I was teasing the girls and swerved like I was going to hit a construction sign. They thought it was hilarious. So I did it again. Then I decided I better not do it anymore because it was kind of a busy street. But a couple of turns later a took a quick detour into a parking lot (without blinking, mind you) and pretended like I thought this was our house. Then I pulled out and did another quick turn into the Red Rose Wheat Plant. I even opened the door and told them to get out because we were home. Ha ha, I'm so funny, the kids are rolling in their seats. It was at this point that I saw the guy parked behind me talking on his cell phone. My heart sunk. I knew he was talking to the cops. So I started the drive home, this guy following me the whole way. I had to take the neighbor girl home, and was kind of glad because I wanted witnesses if there was going to be a confrontation. I pulled into the driveway, he did a u-turn and left, the neighbor came out to greet me. I told her about him following me and wondering if he had called the cops. Sure enough, not one minute later, a cop car pulls up. Then another. And yes, one more. Oh great, was it really that bad? The first cop, Mr. Ungrumpy Nice Guy, gets out and the neighbor and I start talking to him explaining what happened. Cops number two and three, super grumpy serious faces, stayed in their cars. I surrender my license to the all-knowing cop computer, while my neighbor is kindly throwing out statements about Young Women's and Church...Thankfully Mr Ungrumpy Nice Guy doesn't think the car-chasing cop-caller is all that credible--at least not enough to give me a ticket. Mialee confronts her fear of the cops stealing us away to jail and we all go home happy.

Rambling

Do you ever have one of those days (or weeks) where you just can't figure out how you feel? I think the last week has been a roller coaster of emotion and FOR NO REASON! The angry monster that lives deep inside me has threatened to claw his way out several times. The psycho cry-baby has been bubbling out here and there (thankfully, not full blown and easily wiped away where no one could possibly notice). The sarcasm that is usually free-spirited and funner, has a little too much bite to it.

Why do we have to have so many freaking hormones? I can't take it. I am sick of craving foods that I can't find and eating everything in my path to compensate. I am sick of unsuccessfully communicating with my husband, and knowing that it is largely my fault, and then feeling hurt that an argument has ensued when I STARTED IT! I am sooo tired of my life feeling like it is not balanced and that I am unbalancing my children in the process. WHAT DO I NEED?

Oh, blah whatever.

Another day another room to clean. Love my kids and laugh with them. Read some scriptures. Try to find a fabulous recipe for dinner. Try to be a little better. Take on the world, with my children in hand. Lay with them and hold them tight. Find someone to help. Be grateful for my life. See, I know what to do. Now if the hormones would cooperate. And once again, no I am not pregnant.

I am guessing that this might have been a game of leap frog gone wrong....Not really sure.
Any guesses?