Snow!

This weekend has been filled with fun snow events. Up until last week we had no snow. Now we've got a couple feet and it's still coming down. We probably got about 18 inches just this weekend. Craziness! But fun too. I love good snowstorms. We didn't make it to church because they never plow our circle and I got stuck. I guess there were only like 10 families who managed to dig out and make it to church. Snow day!

On Friday Jake and I went skiing at Sundance. We decided the winters are so long in Midway that we need to start having more fun in the snow, so we got season passes. Good thing because it's going to take me all season to figure out how to ski. Friday was pretty sad on my part. Poor Jake is probably wondering why he married someone who is so untalented in snow sports. Oh well, at least I try:)

On Saturday we took the kids to watch a ski race at Soldier Hollow. It was the olympic qualifier for the event (not sure what the event was called). Super cool though. There were people competing from all over the world. It was fun to hear all the different languages. Those guys are crazy good on skis. Fun.

Poor Jake started shoveling snow today at 7:45 and didn't finish until 10:00. Poor guy. I don't feel too bad for him though. He refuses to buy a snow blower because he just wants to get a 4-wheeler one day. Although even the snow blowers had a hard time because the snow is so heavey. I can only lift like half a shovel at a time. We had to play in the snow because how can you pass up snow like this. The piles are so high from our driveway that the kids have their own sledding hill in our front yard. Very fun. Jake is currently using a 4-wheeler to plow the street in front of our driveway. The city came and did two passes in the circle and then left, leaving a huge pile of snow still in front of our driveway. Got to love what our taxes pay for. So yes, winters are long in Midway, but at least we have fun.

One Last Push

Every mountain climb has its challenges, but the hardest part is usually the push to the summit. It's usually the steepest, but its also hard because you're already tired from the rest of the climb.

My family and I have been climbing one of our biggest mountains yet, and I believe we're now starting our push to the summit. The cancer is taking over in my mom. The pain is becoming greater and we scramble to find the right drugs to keep her out of pain.

As we begin this last push we all gather together, for we won't make it alone. We climb, one foot in front of the other. When we become too weary, "the handcart pushes us", as angels help us to the top. For my mom this is her last summit, at least in this life. The rest of us will have more mountains to climb, but for now, this is our Everest. I know we will make it because that is what our mom taught us to do. When we reach the summit with the beautiful view below will it have been worth it? I say yes. Yes if we can climb with courage and grace, able to say that we came closer to God in the process.

"Shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, and on, on to the victory!" D&C 128:22

The Attack

I don't know about the rest of you, but I could definitely use some more humor in my life. For this reason, I'll share my unfortunate incident with you.

Our back yard neighbors have a horse and chickens. They've had some bad health, so we've been feeding their animals for them. Most of you know that I am not an animal person. I feed the animals with the smallest amount of interaction possible.

Well, the chickens have been out of food for a couple of days. Don't worry all you animal lovers, they'll have more food tonight. This morning when I got to the chicken coop I noticed that they all seemed bunched up around the door more than usual. Oh well, I thought, they're just chickens. What can they do? Big mistake. Obviously I don't have a lot of chicken experience. So I opened the door to get the water buckets to fill them up. When I reached in the big black, scary looking rooster attacked me. He flew up at me and pecked at me. Luckily I was wearing my big puffy coat and leather work gloves, so the damage was minimal. I screamed of course, and having not dealt with chickens before my first instinct was to kick it and teach it that I cannot be pecked at. That works for dogs so why would chickens be any different (not that I've ever kicked a dog:). Well, just an FYI, don't kick chickens. Or maybe you can kick chickens, but definitely not roosters. It started attacking me. More flapping wings, more pecking. I kicked back a couple of times and then I realized that I was at a definite disadvantage and started retreating. The rooster chased me all the way to the end of the barn before it decided I was no longer a threat and left. I finally calmed down and stopped screaming just in time to look over and see the rest of the chickens escaping the coop. Blasted chickens. Do you think they had this planned? The great chicken escape. Needless to say, I wasn't about to get them back in the coop. So they will enjoy a day of freedom until Jake gets to them (supposedly they'll re-enter the coop at night).

Moral of the story: keep chickens well fed and if one attacks you DO NOT fight back. Play dead.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was good. Not as relaxing as in years past, but good all the same. I got to make thanksgiving dinner with my Aunt Barbra. Good thing she was there or I probably would have had a panic attack. I was in the kitchen all of Weds. afternoon and Thursday morning. Jake kept watching me go crazy and shaking his head as to why I would put myself through all of that. Right now I'm not sure it was worth it. That food I spent hours slaving over sure disappeared quickly. But I'll probably be ready to do it again by next year. I am proud of myself for pulling it off. The only minor problem was that the turkey had to cook 30 minutes longer than we planned, but other than that everything was perfect. My mom was there in the background giving much needed advice and saving the gravy.

On Friday we headed to Boise for my grandma's 80th birthday party. 80 years is a long time. I hope I look like she does if I live to be 80. My cousin Jen was super nice and let us all ride her horse. The kids even got on and seemed to enjoy it. They know what they're doing on a horse more than I do.

All in all, a good weekend. I'm grateful for all of the good memories I can get right now. They keep you going when times get tough.

Onward and Upward

William Palmer talking about the Martin handcart company:

"We suffered beyond anything you can imagine and many died of exposure and starvation, but did you ever hear a survivor of that company utter a word of criticism?...We came through with the absolute knowledge that God lives for we became acquainted with him in our extremities.

"I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go only that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it... I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there.

"Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay."

I love this quote. I could never phrase it better than that. The angels are with us. Onward and upward.

Tender Mercies

This is truly a time and a season of thanksgiving. I didn't think I'd feel that way this year. You shouldn't be able to when your mom has terminal cancer. But I'm definitely feeling grateful today. My mom had her stomach scoped today. Honestly, I was expecting bad news. O ye of little faith. Her stomach looks no different than it did in June, almost 6 months ago. That is amazing. That is unheard of. The doctor said he was surprised that she was still around and even more surprised at how good she looks.

I think of the holidays last year and remember how we were in mourning. Mourning for a lost sister and mourning for the future loss of our mom. This year the holidays seem to be ones of rejoicing and gratitude. Is my mom cured? No. Is she going to stay this well forever? No. But it is truly a miracle that she is doing so well. I will be forever grateful for the time we've been given with her. When I hoped for time before I thought it would be time with a sick mom and trying to take care of her. Instead, she continues to do more in a day than I do. How is that possible? One answer. Only through the tender mercies and miracles of the Lord. So rather than spend this holiday season in mourning, I choose to rejoice, and hope to spend the holidays next year in continued awe over the tender mercies of a loving Heavenly Father.

Halloween Fun

We made it through another Halloween. I must be honest and say that this is not my favorite holiday. Just call me the Halloween Scrooge. I do like seeing the kids excited and dressed up. But that's about it. I must admit that I'm probably feeling even more like this than normal because I spent the night awake with Zack while he threw up. Super fun. Now I'm waiting for it to hit Kate and praying it doesn't hit Sage. Anyway, despite their scrooge mom, you can see that my kids did get dressed up and have fun:)

Fall Colors

The leaves were soooo pretty this year. Bright red and yellow. These pictures definitely don't do it justice. It was also a little smokey that day so some of the colors didn't show up quite as bright. I would like to point out that this is what it looked like about five minutes from my house. Feel free to move here. We'll never move back to the other side if we can help it:)

Rest and Relaxation

I finally got what I've needed for so long - some real true rest and relaxation. Most people would say that's impossible to get with 8 kids five and under running around. Yes, there were plenty of moments of chaos. But the rest and relaxation came from being able to get away from the every day grind, spend some time in the beautiful outdoors, and most of all, be together as a family.

My entire family got to go to a cabin in Franklin, Idaho. We will be forever indebted to our good friends the Shipleys for letting us go. Its the first time we've all been together in a long, long time. It just felt good. We ate, rode 4-wheelers, ate, played games, ate, did a super slip-and-slide, ate, and just spent good time together. It was just what I needed. Now I'm back to the grind, dealing with every day life, and trying like mad to cling to the happy memories of the weekend. I love making memories!

Finally

All right already. Here are some pictures. I've been a little busy with three kids and a husband who always works. Geez!

Actually, Jake always takes the camera to work so it's hard for me to wrestle it from him long enough to get pictures off of it. We're doing well. Three kids seems like ten kids sometimes, but we'll make it. How did my mom do it?

Sage is super cute of course. A bit fussy because she has some reflux. But she's so cute I don't hold it against her. She smiles lots for my mom and a little bit for everyone else. Guess she knows she and my mom share a name. Smart cookie already.

Disclaimer

I realize I didn't give credit to anyone for the poem entitled 'Great Lessons' in my last post. I don't know who wrote it, but I do know it wasn't me. Sorry I wasn't more clear on that. Still a good message though, would be even better if I had thought of it:)

Great Lessons

I have been taught by precept and example
to search the scriptures for the lessons...

Often, when weighted down with the challenge of today;
and my mind wanders from the page,
I am drawn back by thoughts somehow familiar:

"And having seen many afflictions in the course of my days..."
My path, also reflects the struggle to win against despair.

"If fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness..."
I, too, have seen hours and days that seemed so black that time no longer moved.

"Nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days."
Peace begins to seep within my weary spirit,
"Know this, that all these things shall give thee experience..."
Truth brings solace, and with it hope.

Yes, great lessons to be learned.
Great Teachers, who have learned before, and now teach others...

"Therefore treasure up these words in thy heart. Be faithful and diligent...
and I will encircle thee in the arms of my Love.
Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God."

Great lessons.


Here's to my mom, who has taught, and continues to teach me great lessons. Its from her that I learned the importance of scripture study. And its that habit that is getting me through these trials. We haven't been blessed with the miracle of healing, but we have been blessed with the miracle of her continued good health despite what tests say she should be feeling. So we enjoy every minute that we have together. Thanks for being such a great teacher.

Introducing....

Sage LuAnn Jorgenson! She's finally here. Born on August 10, weighing in at 8 pounds 7 ounces and 22 inches long. Yes, she's a good size baby. She has blond hair, super long fingers and toes, and Jake's mouth and nose. She's super cute and we're so excited to have her here.

For those who want some details... I went in to be induced at 6:30. I was of course still a 1. At 1:00 I was a 2. Then my body started moving. The contractions picked up, but I thought I'd wait as long as I could stand it for the epidural because I didn't want to slow anything down now that things were happening. Big mistake. I didn't realize that the anesthesiologist wasn't in the hospital. It took 45 minutes for me to get my epidural. It seemed like an eternity. Right before they put the epidural in they checked me and I was complete and ready to push. Only problem was I was still dying of pain. Anyway, they finally got me numb and gratefully I was able to push without dying. I only had to push for 30 minutes this time!

So the pictures definitely aren't great. I'm sure we'll get some better ones on. But just so you get the idea, here you go. Enjoy!

Gloom and Despair

Have you ever gone to the hospital to have a baby and come home with nothing? I have. And let me tell you, it's not enjoyable. I went in to be induced today. It's 4 days before my due date, but my doctor's going out of town tomorrow for a week. So I went in even though my cervix wasn't really dilated. My cervix never dilates. I have a broken cervix. But that's how it was for my other two and I managed to pop them out. Well, after 12 hours on pitocin my cervix hadn't changed at all. How's that for enjoyable? Sitting in a hospital bed for 12 hours for no apparent reason. So now I'm back at home and I probably won't have a baby for a couple of weeks. Depressing. Anyway, that's all I have to say. Sorry about all the mentions of my cervix. I'll post pictures of the baby next. After she's done being grounded for not coming out.

Backpacking and Birthdays

It's been a while since I got anything on here. We had birthday week at our house this last week. Zack turned 5 on the 13th and Jake turned the big 30 on the 16th. I'm a slacker and didn't get any good pictures of either event. I know, I should not be allowed to be a mom. Zack had a great birthday though. I can't believe he's 5. On Sunday our family was nice enough to drive up for festivities. Nothing big, but we're always happy for an excuse to get family up here. On Monday Zack had his first birthday party. He loved it, and that's what matters. But let me just say that I'm not a great party thrower. Guess that's probably why I don't do them tons. You know you did a great job when some of the kids leave early:)

On another note, Jake and Zack went on their first backpacking trip together. Zack was so excited he even chose to do that over going to Grandma and Grandpa's. They went to Wall Lake in the Uintahs. It was just a mile hike in. Zack carried his own pack and everything. He's such a good little hiker. They had a great time. They fished and Zack got to reel in his first fish. According to Zack the best part was sleeping in the tent. The only bad part of the whole thing was that there were so many mosquitoes that they almost got carried away. They used bug spray, but they both still got eaten alive. Zack got so many bites on his face that his face was all swollen. Poor kid. Jake asked him if he wanted to leave because of the bugs, but he wasn't about to go home early. Anyway, I'm so glad that Zack has a dad who will do things like that with him. What great memories to have together. I love my boys!

Lake Powell Anyone?

I finally made it to Lake Powell! We had lots of fun. It was so nice to get away and Lake Powell is so beautiful. We headed down Thursday afternoon and camped at the marina. Friday morning we went to find a beach. We ended up on a perfect beach in Forgotten Canyon (I think). The water is rising so fast that we kept having to move our camp and the boat anchors. We had tons of driftwood in our camp because of the rising water.

The kids loved playing on the beach in the sand all day long. They were troopers the whole trip. The weather was pretty good. Not too hot, which is definitely nice when you're super pregnant. We had some windy days, but it wasn't too bad. No rain which seems to be rare this month.

Saturday morning we were able to do some water skiing. I say we, but I mean everyone else was able to ski and I got to drive. Oh well, someday I'll get to ski at Powell. I definitely learned a new definition of glass with the Lake Powell water. It was great. Jake and Zack hiked up to some indian ruins. Zack is a little mountain goat. He did a great job hiking.

On Sunday we battled the waves of the channel and drove to Hole in the Rock. Apparently the pioneers cut stairs in the rock to bring their wagons down. The hike was pretty tough, so the only ones to actually see the stairs were Jake and Zack. Zack had no problem scrambling up all the rocks.

Monday morning we had more good water for one last ski. Then we packed up camp and headed back home. I wish we were still there. It was so nice to be able to get away and relax. Hopefully this will at least be an annual tradition. Anyway, there are a million pictures in the slide show. Enjoy!

The Girls

Mel came to visit for a week over Memorial Day. The whole fam came up to Midway for a BBQ. It was so much fun to have them all here. Of course we had to get some pictures of the girls together. And especially of Mel and I pre-baby. We're due on the same day. She's having a boy, we're having a girl. How fun is that? Sorry for the close-up belly pictures. Just had to do them:)

Preschool Graduation

So I'm late as usual, but I had to give a shout out to Zack for his preschool graduation. Huge milestone that it is:) I took a lot more video than pictures, but he did a great job. He loved his teacher and really learned a lot. I can't believe he's on his way to kindergarten. Crazy!

Capitol Reef!

Zack and Tucker

Cutie Kate
Zack loved climbing sideways on the rocks

Zack and Aubrey



We finally made it out of town! We went to Capitol Reef with our friends the Calderwoods. Jake and I hadn't ever been there, so it was fun to explore and see new things. It was really nice to get away and have some good old family time. The kids loved hiking until they got tired, but they did really well. Their favorite part was sleeping in the tent. They love sleeping in their sleeping bags.

Anyway, we went on a few hikes. Nothing too strenuous due to small kids and a pregnant person. Now you can all see how I look hugely pregnant. I know I look like I'm due any day, but I still have ten weeks. So you definitely won't be seeing pictures of me right before I'm due. I'll probably hide out in the house to save further embarrassment:)

I hope you're all going lots of fun places this summer. I definitely recommend Capitol Reef for a couple of days of fun!

One Year

It will be one year on Sunday. One year of missing my sister. One year of wishing she was here. One year of trying to move forward, not backward. One year of trying to really believe she won't be coming home in a few days.

Humor me while I share some of my memories of Linz. She had a love for life that I've never seen in anyone else. Nothing got her down for long. I remember her complete acceptance of everyone. She saw the good in everyone, no matter what. She somehow managed to make everyone feel loved and like they were her best friend. I remember how much fun Zack and the cousins had with her. She loved to play with the kids and would drop anything to do so. That's definitely a lesson I need to learn. I remember when she would call me at random times from school just to talk. I remember running the Ogden Marathon with her. Neither of us had a very good race that day. We vowed we would run it again after her mission to redeem ourselves. I'll be running it next year and hopefully Linz will be next to me. I remember water skiing with her. She was always ready and willing to come out on our little boat. I'll never forget skiing with her in the early morning in northern Idaho. The water was glass and it was a beautiful morning. Linz managed to get up her first time ever on one ski. So not fair:) I remember riding bikes with her when she asked me what I thought about her serving a mission. I encouraged her to go, and I'm glad I did. I remember her letters from her mission. She always took the time to send something extra for the kids. She was such a good missionary. Still is.

I miss her. This has definitely been a rough year. But its been nice to know that she's pulling for us on the other side. I know she still lives. I've felt her close by many times. I'm so grateful for the Savior and the atonement. I would fall into a ball and never get up again if I didn't have that hope. I look forward to the day when I can run into her arms for a much needed hug.

Remembrance:

I won't forget my days with you
Your memory will not leave my view.
For you have changed my life, you see;
And in my heart you'll always be.
Your friendship is my greatest prize,
It warms my heart like summer skies.
In darkest moments of the night
Your friendship brings a guiding light.
And now I see through all my tears,
I'll never lose you through the years.
No matter what, we'll never part,
For I have locked you in my heart.