Families can be together forever.

My sweet Grandpa that had been living with us for 5 and a half weeks passed away in our home early Tuesday morning. Our hearts are still a bit heavy(especially mine), but we're trying to move forward and to record and cherish our memories. We feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to live with and to be able to serve both he and Grandma. I'm SO greatful that my children had the opportunity to create a memorable relationship with thier Great Grandpa! We are looking forward to helping Grandma through the next little while, and feel lucky to get to do our best to take care of her in the way Grandpa would want. That was his biggest concern that she'd be cared for. We sure miss him, but are greatful for the plan of salvation and to know that we will be able to be with him again one day. We love you Grandpa. (I've posted his obituary below this precious picture of he and my big girl just two weeks ago.)

Don Robert Hymas, loving husband, father, and grandfather slipped away peacefully at home on December 9, 2008 surrounded by his devoted family.

One of two children born to Benjamin and Sarah Elizabeth Hymas on March 6, 1923, in Sharon, Idaho, he grew up in a loving family, with fond memories of helping on the family farm, adventures with his dog, Ring, and enjoying community dances and activities throughout the valley. He entered the Army during World War II and served his country proudly for 3 years.

He married his sweetheart, Lillie Roma Beckstead, on June 1, 1945 in the Logan, Utah Temple. They lived in Preston, Idaho for a time, and then moved to Twin Falls, Idaho. Together they have 6 children, 25 grandchildren, and 38 great-grandchildren. He was a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and served in many capacities, including ward clerk, executive secretary and counselor to the bishop, as well as serving with his wife in the Boise, Idaho Temple. He found joy in hard work. His profession was in the grocery business, as well as being a transport driver. He was involved with the American Legion for many years and loved fishing with his boys, being in the out of doors, bowling, woodworking, cooking, gardening, and being with family. He found great joy in his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and loved being with them and hearing of their achievements and activities.

He is survived by his wife, Lillie Roma Beckstead Hymas, and children, Shawna (Larry) Dunn, Kent Hymas, Randy (Carolyn) Hymas, Catherine (Bill) Garrison, Kristine (Edward) Durtschi, and Richard (Kelly) Hymas, as well as his sister, Pearl (Verl) Perkel.

He was a gentle giant. We will miss his loving and devoted ways, his hugs, his teasing nature, and the joy he brought to his family and friends.

Funeral services will be held Friday, December 12, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. at the LDS 9th Ward Chapel on Elizabeth Blvd in Twin Falls, ID with burial to follow at Sunset Memorial Park. A viewing will be held Thursday, December 11th from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at White Mortuary “Chapel by the Park” 136 4th Ave. E., Twin Falls, ID and 1 hour prior to the services at the church. Friends and family can share your thoughts and fond memories at www.Mem.com.

My adorable boys. :) minus Daddy.

Tenderheart is really growing up! I have been meaning to get my kids to a photo studio forever, but I'm too cheap/poor to take them, so we quickly took a few photo's outside on this warm November day. :) Tenderheart is going to be starting preschool in January, and I really hope it helps him find his own little place in this world.

Babyboy is also growing up faster than I'd like- but there are some good things and bad things about that. His 2nd birthday is in a few weeks, and he's already started the lovely tantrums that can accompany that stage. He's very animated right now, and loves to imitate anything he hears.. even the evil laugh of the wiked witch he'll copy and say 'so funny'. :)

I am one lucky Mommy to get to raise these sweet boys.

What did I do?

Before:

After

Leaves

After a few days of a pretty grumpy Mommy, I got the bug to go outside and rake leaves. Of course, mostly with the purpose of letting the kids play in them. :) It was loads of fun, and hopefully has helped me get out of my rut. Don't ya hate those?

Busy as a Bee.

Saturday we had the opportunity to go to Logan for my nephew's baptism! It was a special day for us, and we are glad that he invited us to come. :) After we got home, we moved my Grandparents into the upstairs of the home we are living in with my parents. Yeah, 4 generations under one roof. This will be a change, for everyone living here, but the transition *seems* to be going pretty good. At least we all have a little of our 'own' space to escape to at times. I'm also glad that my kids will get to spend some quality time with thier Great Grandparents. I hope they can make many lovely memories of this time while we're all together.

I've been trying to figure out how to create some positive time for my Tenderheart. He is classic middle child and I want him to feel loved, valued, and special. I know that no one, including myself means to give him a bit less attention, but somehow it always seems to happen. I do my best to give him one on one time, and let him know what an important part of our family he is. Does anyone else feel like they have a middle child problem in thier family? What do you do to make sure everyone feels important and special?

Happy Halloween. :)

Hurray!

My little guy tinkled on the toilet tonight. :) I thought that was blog worthy! We are no where close to being done with diapers, but I was very proud of him for telling me he needed to go, and then going like he'd done it for months.. (besides aiming... we'll have to work on that. ;)


***sidenote.. is anyone going to Twilight? I kinda wanna go, but am doubting Josh will want to accompany me.

As Halloween approaches.. :)

Where were you?

I wish I had a better memory! My dear friend Tara tagged me, and I thought it was a fun one, so here it goes.

20 years ago
1. This would make me 7 years old. I honestly can't remember a whole lot about this time in my life except that I'm sure I was anxious to be baptized. I was lucky enough to be able to be baptized on the same day as my cousin.
2. My older brother was always a trooper to let me hang out with he and his friends.(He is the closest to my age in our family, even though he's 6 years older than me.) I remember many summer nights sleeping out under the stars when I was young. We were really close and I have fond memories of all the fun time he and I had together. I was very lucky to have such a loving big brother.
3. I used to go stay with my Grandparents up in ID for a week or two during the summer. I loved going on walks to 'down town' with them, and visiting all the little shops. We used to stop at a little hot dog stand on the corner and get lunch. I'm thankful for being able to remember these special times.

10 years ago.
1. I was a senior in high school, and honestly couldn't wait to be outta there! I chose to graduate a semester early, and filled the first semester of the year with completely fun, and non-thinking classes. AP Art, Social Dance, Choir, Sign Language, Seminary, (probably somewhere in there was math and english..)
2. Ha, I was 'waiting' for a missionary. He went on a mission to Italy. Looking back, and knowing how it all turned out, it was silly of myself to make myself so miserable, but I'm sure it helped mold and shape me into who I am today. (I have no idea where he is today... and that's ok. )
3. I was so excited and anxious to be heading up to Ricks college. It was one of the best things I've ever done! I've never been very academically smart, but I learned many of life's lessons there and wouldn't trade that time in my life for anything. I made some very good friends in college, and I am greatful to know them.

5 years ago.
1. My daughter was only a month old. It was a challenging time(being a clueless new mommy), but we were and are still very in love with our little girl. We lived in a little two bedroom apartment, and had a really wonderful ward. We met some of our closest friends at this point in our lives and life just wouldn't be the same without knowing these wonderful people!
2.Josh was super busy with work and school. I remember being lonely a lot, even though I had my daughter at home with me.
3.We almost bought a house. Hindsight is 50/50.. It probably would have been a GREAT decision at the time, but backed out because we were sure we couldn't afford it. We never would have guessed what the economy would have done to the value of the home. Oops.

3 years ago.
1. Ha, I had just had my first son. He had horrible thrush and it still makes me cringe thinking of the pain that it cause me while nursing him. We still lived in the same apartments and still loved the ward. I think we actually were 'managing' the apartments at this time. They got sold out, and management changed. This is when we decided to move on as well. ;)
2.It was around this time that we took a trip to OR, for my FIL wedding. It was beautiful! It made me aware of what traveling up there in cold weather can be like. SCARY. The day after the wedding we drove up to Seaside, OR with my newly married in laws and stayed at a hotel on the beach. It was breathtaking to see the ocean out our hotel window. The beach was COLD!!!
3.The most lovely relationship started between our two kids. I've loved watching them grow and learn over the years. I'm glad they are so good to each other..

1 year ago.
1.We had just moved into our way too expensive town home in Daybreak. It was lovely to have so much space! As fall/winter settled in we learned how inefficiently our(energystar) town home had been built. It was a huge expense to try and keep our home warm.
2.Josh worked at the Hospital, way too many hours, for way too little pay. A very very hard time for our family. Glad it is in the past.
3. We got our dog Brutus. The kids and I loved this dog... he always made Josh nervous though, and Josh just never loved him like we did. The kids still talk about how much they miss him, but I'm sure he's in a home where the whole family loves him now.

This year so far.
1. We got out of our town home, moved into my parents basement and are working on getting out of debt. We wish the process was moving faster, but it's a GREAT feeling! Josh has worked a full and part time job the whole year, and I've been working jobs that I can do while I have my kids with me. We've been insanely busy, but we're doing our best to enjoy the journey.
2.We have learned all about allergies and eczema. Yuck.
3. Our middle son potty trained, our daughter started her second year of preschool, and our youngest has learned how to be a chatter box.. he makes us all smile and we can't get enough of his laugh. It's very contagious.

Yesterday.
1.We had birthday dinner for Justin and Kaitlyn and Josh's parents house. Yum. :)
2.We got to walk to church in the nice warm weather... it was colder at 2 when we left than it was at 11 when we got there. We made it all the way through church without too many melt downs. This is always an accomplishment for our family.
3.We had the kids in bed a little before 8. Unusual, but Sundays are big days for us, and church is during nap time. We are all ready for bed early on Sunday nights.

Today.
1. I made dentist appt's for the kids. I really need to be better about getting them to the dentist. Hopefully next Wednesday will go smoothly!
2.We're going to go and see the witches at Gardner Village... (hopefully... Josh works late on Mondays, so it may have to wait for another day depending on how the kids are doing. ;)
3.I need to work 3 hours for ACS(my data entry job). Yep, going to be a long night.

Tomorrow.
1. We only have Crossing Guard and ACS obligations. I should set up a play date to get us out of the house. :) (This is not something I'm good at)
2. Would like to accomplish everything on my to do list.
3. I Need to spend less time on the computer. ;)

Next Year.
1. Would like to be living our own again. Not sure when exactly this will happen, but we can always hope.
2.Our daughter will begin Kindergarten. Still not sure how I feel about this. :)
3.Last night we planned a camping trip to Zions National Park. If we can stick to budget this will happen next year. I'm already excited... we haven't had a family trip in WAY too long.

I tag. Rachael, BECCA, Lynda, Sarah, and Karli.. and anyone else who wants to.

Winter worries.

This cute kid has been looking so good! His cheeks have been pretty clear from his eczema, in fact I have had tons of comments about how good he looks. His body definatly hasn't cleared yet, but as this COLD weather has settled on us, I've noticed his cheeks starting to get a little more rough. I haven't changed what I've been doing, but I'm afraid we may be in for a long winter with his sensitive skin. Hopefully we'll figure something out to protect it, and at least I have a heads up this winter about how terrible his skin can get. I'll cross my fingers that perhaps the rougher skin on his cheeks is just my imagination, and part of the healing process!

Build it workshops...

Last month we took part in our first Lowes build it workshop! The first week they made these cute little fire engine toys, but this past saturday, we got to make these cute skeleton guys. Our baby had taken a few arms off by the time we got home, butit's a really fun activity for the kids. It's all about hammering and them actually getting to build thier toy! The best part is that it's FREE. No limit on how many classes you can attend or anything. When you complete your project you recieve a patch to sew on to your apron. I'm pretty sure most Lowes locations do this, so if you're low on moola you should look into it!

Autumn

I love love love this time of year. I'm greatful that I've been forced to be outside as much as I am to enjoy all the wonderful things about fall. From my crosswalk, I have the perfect view of the Wasatch mountains. They currently have this beautiful blend of yellow, dark greeen, rocks, and then the newly white snowy peaks. I get to walk a lot, and enjoy the crunch of newly fallen leaves beneath my feet. The kids were just loving the leaves that were falling right into the van through the window while I was working the other day.

We haven't had a whole lot new going on, and honestly it's REALLY nice. We are staying busy, and having fun! We enjoyed General Conference over the weekend, and are really trying to focus more on the here and now, rather than the future. We'd be missing out on so many of life's little pleasures if we only keep dreaming about how lovely things will be in the future. We got our pass to go to the Rec Center(I get a HUGE discount through the city I work for.) and have enjoyed being able to run and go swimming with the kids, even if we're only in the pool for half an hour. Josh and I would like to make some time to go and actually work out, but we haven't been successful so far. Our bodies could definatly use it though!

Sorry for such a no news blog. I hope you're enjoying your sweaters!

Honk your horn...

if you think Jenni is a bad Mom day. It seems an accurate title for my day, I apologize up front for doing two posts in one day, and one of them being a vent more than anything.

Crossing guard today was not a great day....I went into the Elementary school office to get a school schedule to know when I didn't need to show up for school holidays, and the lady at the front desk continues to tell me.. "Oh, no wonder we're getting lots of complaints about where you park your car... no one can turn right onto (a certain road) after they pick thier kids up from school. We actually contacted police you said you could park there, but are passing on the complaints since you're here." First off, I park approx 4 car lengths away from the intersection... which I'd actually prefer to have my kids closer to me, seeing as they stay in the car. I thought I was being curteous to the drivers. I continued to explain that that side of the street is the ONLY shaded part of any of the roads. (kids in the car)... to which she replied. "Oh, your kids come with you.. (with one of those condescending looks)" (Seemed like she was saying, I can't believe you would do that to your kids.) Then I had a few questions about the school schedule, which she completely blew off, told me she didn't know and to come back later in the year when testing came closer... She kind of walked away at that point, so I took my 3 kiddo's and we went home. Weird. I called the police officer that I report to, to make sure I was good where I parked, and he confirmed I was okay to park where ever was the easiest for me.

This afternoon, I thought about attempting to park somewhere else because it was an overcast day. But I really wasn't comfortable leaving it parked on a corner that isn't as logical for me to stand on...and I guess the defiant part of me came out and I wanted to park where I had been parking all week. Well before I know it, I have a lady shaking her hand at me shocked and appauld yelling frustrated that I park my car there, AND leave my kids in the car.

Do crossing guards really bother people to the degree they feel good about yelling at them? I don't get why people are so quick to judge and belittle others. I guess I better just suck it up, and try and not let people get to me. But for now, I'll feel completely little, and dumb-think of some things I could do that people would deserve to complain about(that I would never really do). And hope tomorrow is a better day.

Virtual Academy, and Charter Schools, and Public Schools... oh my.

I'm sure this is a topic I should have posted about a while ago, but it's really been on my mind the past few weeks. Our daughter will finally be old enough to attend Kindergarten next year. I've never thought of myself the home-school type of Mom, but I've heard so many good things about the "k12" program. I haven't heard a ton about Charter schools lately, but I know they have many good things about them, and then there is the public school route. I know I don't want my kids to have social skill problems because they've been so isolated at home, and not in a class with 25-30 other kids. But I'm not sure I really want her in a public school, with all the issues that come with that(yes, I'm probably just having cold feet due to listening to the news too much!) What do you guys think? All I know is that I want to raise children who are well educated, socially adjusted, and able to be successful in life. Help!

Slacker...

The title of this entry is in reference to me. Josh keeps asking why I haven't blogged. Could you believe it's only because I've been so busy that by the time the kids are really asleep in thier beds, the only thing I want to do is go to sleep! It's a good thing though, and I'm greatful for the opportunities that I've been given to keep me running all day long. :)

The leaves in the canyons are beautiful! If you haven't seen them yet, hurry and go before they're gone!

This one has a goofy face on my son, but I love that he's barefoot and sitting on a rock, with a hole in the knee of his jeans. Such a boy!
This was on my big girls birthday... she's got a birthday bow in her hair. She is one of the best gifts I've ever recieved.

I took these last 4 after my cousins mission farewell. They were rushed, but turned out pretty cute. I was happy to get such a good Shot of Josh, he usually pulls some weird face whenever I point the camera at him. Isn't he handsome?

And a quick hello! and We love you! to our Grandma Err Err, and the Moose family. We really will make it to Chicago one day!

My newest job.

I got hired as a crossing guard for another city, and I was happy to be offered a 'full-time' position (meaning twice a day.) I am positioned alone on a 4-way street, which is pretty busy, but I'm glad that I have a stop light to work with. I am pretty comfortable with the morning crossing, but the afternoon crossing is pretty intense because there is A LOT of traffic, and kids wanting to go to all 3 different corners. This may seem like a petty job to some, because the stop lights obviously have the blue little guys that light up indicating that it's okay to walk. I had my closest call to having a child(that I was crossing) getting hit. It was a kind looking elderly man, and he didn't even look at the child or myself in the middle of the road until I yelled at the top of my lungs(which is very out of character for me). He came within only a couple feet of the child and his bike. It was an eye opener for me, and I'm really glad I was there. I know accidents happen, and it wasn't this man's intent to not be watching the road and his surroundings as well as he should have, but it makes me sad that we aren't more careful! I know school zones are really annoying, especially when we are in a hurry, but please, please be aware that they are there for a purpose... and be a little more cautious when driving through them. Sorry for my vent. It was a scary event for me. ;)

My not so little girl.

I wonder if it will always seem like she was born just yesterday. Last night as I lay in bed it was so easy to replay the memory of her birth.

I feel so blessed to have this sweet girl as my daughter, and can only hope I'm helping her learn how to keep being the good person she is, and helping her develop her many talents.

She is amazingly sensitive to her Mom's many emotions, and she helps me a lot more than a little girl should know how to help!

I love you sweet girl! Happy 5th Birthday!