Isaiah 18

I have been trying to finish reading the Old Testament for several years now.  In the past I have made it past the books of Moses but not too much past that so a few years ago I made it a goal to finish it.  I don't read everyday but I try to.  I also read a chapter in the Book of Mormon everyday too.  I have been using the LDS Institute Student Manual to help me understand the Old Testament.  Today I read Isaiah 17 and 18.  I read in the student manual something that impressed me.  President Joseph Fielding Smith stated that verse one in chapter 18 is a mistranslation.  A more accurate translation would be "Hail, to the land in the shape of wings."  It is a greeting rather than a woe.  He then went on to say that he once saw a picture of the American continent printed on a magazine in a shape of wings.  He went on to explain that the chapter was about missionary work and the gathering of Israel.  So after I read that I read the chapter in a whole new light.  The last verse, verse 7, also has some more accurate translations.  A direct quote from the student manual, "The Jesualem Bible renders the phrase in Isaiah 18, 'a people terrible from the beginning,' as 'the nation always feared'; and it renders the phrase 'whose land the rivers have spoiled' as 'the country criss-crossed with rivers.' These passages seem to refer to America, where the Restoration was to take place."

I am so glad we have modern revelation and prophets today to help us understand the words of prophets long passed away.  Could you imagine trying to describe something you have never seen but in a vision, of things that have not been discovered or invented yet?  That would be a feat.

Wish I could Sleep in

My daughter's bus comes so early in the morning.  We live just about 5-10 minute drive from school but her stop is one of the first on the route so we have to have her up and out the door by 6:30 a.m.  Ray and I usually both get up at 5:30.  I get her ready while he gets ready for work and then he stands out at the bus stop with her.  He leaves for work about 6:50.  But currently I am solo.  He's busy with work and so I have to get her and I completely ready now.  Luckily today she didn't fight me.  Usually it is a big battle.  Now if I decide to take her to school and let her sleep in to 6:30 she is so much more pliable to getting up and ready.  School starts at 7:50 and I leave the house at 7:30 to get there in time.  The only problem is since she is so young I have to walk her to her class and so that means dragging all the kids out of the car so the bus is usually the best option when I have no where else to go.

My new blog

I decided to start a blog just on my crafts and hobbies.  I plan to post about projects I have sewn, crocheted, and knitted.  Also food that I have cooked and treats I have made that have been fun, turned out good, and were enjoyable.  I also plan to post about books I have read since I love to read as well.  Anyway if you are interested in checking it out here is the link. http://melyndacraftandhobby.blogspot.com/

Our new toy

After much deliberation and contemplation, Ray and I decided a minivan would suit our family better than the Borrego.  True, the Borrego seats as many as a minivan, however getting to the third row is more difficult and entails either going through the tailgate or removing a car seat to pull the second seat forward.  Hoever, if we got rid of the Borrego we would have the trailer we couldn't pull.  After the last incident of the awning being ripped off we decided to try and sell it.  Well, we were able to trade both in and get the minivan.

We got a 2011 Nissan Quest SL.  It's twilight gray.  It has a greenish blue tint in the sun.  It has beige leather enterior.  The sliding doors open with just a single touch, so much easier for the kids.  It also has a backup camera with a 7 inch screen in front, a DVD player, a power tailgate, and a smart key.  It does not have memory driver seat or a navigation system like the Borrego but it has power driver seat and we have a tom tom GPS system anyway.  Also it has a huge cargo well in the back.  It rides very smooth and comfy.  I think we will enjoy it over the next several years since I made Ray promise not to even mention getting a new car until it is paid off.

That Girl!!!!

Sheila was asked to bring 18 candy filled eggs to school for her Easter egg hunt on Friday.  Her teacher wanted them there by today so she could get them numbered since each child finds their number.  Since I will be bringing Timmy and Sheila along with me I decided to get 18 for Timmy and then some extra.  Well, because I am a little lazy this year I bought the prefilled ones and I bought a box of 30 and a bag of 24.  I decided to send all of them since then maybe Kimberly could find a half dozen or so and there would be extra incase one of the other children didn't bring some.

Well, if I had been thinking I would have sent them with her yesterday when Ray took her to school but she was already taking a milk jug for her Easter basket project.  I sent them today with her on the bus, all 54.  At about 9 I get a call from her teacher.  Sheila had opened the box (the bag of 24 was totally missing) and had eaten the candy out of the eggs.  I am sure she shared with her friend on the bus and who knows who else.  Her teacher ended up with 8 filled eggs and 12 empty ones.  I was so upset with that child.  I am going to talk to her bus driver to see if he saw what went on but because her backpack was full of empty candy wrappers I am under no illusion that one of the older kids took them all from her.  I headed out to Walmart this morning to replace the missing eggs and she will be paying for those.  Luckily her teacher had enough candy to fill the 12 that were empty and so I only bought another box of 30 for Timmy and Kimberly to find during the hunt.  Little Stinker.

My Big Secret

 Baby number 4 is on its way.  I am now 14 weeks.  These ultra sound pictures are from my first visit at 8 weeks.

 (Baby's back)

We are very excited.  This will most likely be our last one.  Sheila wants a girl, Timmy wants a boy, and Ray and I don't really care as long as it is healthy.  We will be finding out what we are having.  Ray's brother's wife is having a boy (they think although the ultrasound wasn't all that clear) a month before us so if we have a girl we will give them all the boy stuff we have saved up.  We kept it quiet for as long as we could but I always show early so everyone is starting to find out.  Only a few family members knew before now. I am due October 16, four days after Kimberly's birthday.  I hope to have this baby on it's own birthday.

Painting the Hall

I hate my walls.  I have been sitting in this house for almost 7 years staring at the walls every day and hating them.  The contractor used the crappiest flat paint ever.  This year we are finally painting.  Ray and I picked out a warm brown color and Saturday pawned the kids off with the grandparents and spent four hours painting our hall.  We still need to finish painting the doors and trim (white) but I love it already.  We got Valspar signature paint, which is more expensive, but definitely worth it, satin finish.  It cleans up really good if it gets dirty.  Gone is the scuff marks (and everything left marks on our walls) and the crayon and pencil and marker marks that wouldn't come off with the magic eraser.  Here are some before and after pictures.

Sorry the pictures don't show the color too good.  We are going to paint our dining room the same color in a couple of weeks and hopefully the pictures will turn out better.  We hope to have our house completely repainted by December 2012.  We are going to take a break after the dining room and then do the kitchen (red) and the girls room (purple) in the winter.  Then in the spring we will do the living room (?) and the boy room (blue).  Finally around December 2012 we will redo our bedroom and bathroom. 

Strawberry Picking

Wahoo, the strawberry farm is open for the season.  Saturday morning we picked and picked and ate and ate.

 Kimberly's first time picking.  She didn't like the tall grass so I had to physically move her every few feet.

 They all enjoyed snacking during the picking. 

 Afterwards we visited the animals on the farm.

We love this place and it is one of our favorite family traditions.  I make jam and freeze some but we usually eat a lot of them just for snacks.  It is one of our indulgence every spring.  We will at least go one more time if not twice more before they close.

I Have a Secret

I have a secret.  I have left clues in my blog that last few weeks.  Can you figure it out?

Stop telling me what to feed my children

Okay so I am watching the news and it is really irritating me.  This lady is arguing that McDonalds needs to stop adding Toys to their happy meals and that we need to get rid of presweetened cereal.  Okay, I am guilty.  I get my kids Happy Meals on occassion and sometimes we get Cocoa Puffs or Fruit Loops for them. But as a parent I don't let them gorge themselves on those products.  Usually when we get the happy meal my kids get the juice or milk and the apple slices.  They don't even eat the caramel sauce that come with the apple slices.  In fact if they do away with the toys I think that parents will just start buying their children the adult size meals that have a lot more calories than a Happy Meal. Just because a few parents go the easy route and don't want to make their children mad and let them eat all that junk doesn't mean all parents do and so therefore we need to get rid of it all.  We live in America.  Land of FREEDOM, not you can do anything you want as long as it is healthy for you, you don't offend anyone, and it's political correct.  Hello, Big Brother.  "1984" here we come.

I need a Maid

Lately it seems like  I can't keep up with the house.  I am either too tired or too busy.  So today I really need a maid.  But her Name will be Melynda.  I am just going to have to do it.  However, I went to clean my kitchen the other day and couldn't find my cleaner anywhere so I used soapy water.  Well, yesterday we stopped by Wal-Mart getting errands and one of the things I needed was that cleaner and I walked out of the store without it.  My bathrooms need to be clean.  Ray is going to go to the commissary tonight so he will see what they carry there since I am picky about cleaners.  But is it worth that $4 gas to go get a $2 cleaner so I may just take what they got. (We live about 10 miles from town.)

So in the meantime I will change the kids sheets, clean their rooms, and vacuum the house.  The front room also needs to be straightened.

We did finally get the paint for the hall and dining room.  We plan on painting the hall this weekend.  The dining room probably won't be done until the end of the month.  Also we decided on a red paint for the kitchen so we will head back to Lowe's sometime this month and get the red paint.  I look forward to getting those rooms painted.

An Alien

I didn't see the Virgin Mary or even the Savior himself, I saw an Alien when I cut into my red onion last night.  I wonder if that means anything.

Oh no she didn't

Saturday while playing outside Sheila scratched the Borrego all the way around with her finger nails.  Four long curvy scratches starting one side, going around the back, and to the other side.  Ray is hoping that the ScratchX will take them out.  She is grounded for a week (would have been longer if she didn't fess up to it.)  Ray had washed the cars earlier that day and she had been the only one out playing that day since Timmy refused to go out unless his friend Matthew was out there and they were busy.You can Never have anything nice when you have children.

Good Hubby

I am so glad my husband is not a man of yester year.  This morning after washing the car and vacuuming the mats, he vacuumed the living room and dining room without being asked.  Then he took the kids out to ride bikes and walk all while I did some sewing.  I am so Grateful for the man I married.  I don't think I tell him that enough.

Expect the Unexpected

"Expect the unexpected."  Good motto.  Wish I didn't find everything so predictable, even books, movies, and things people are about to tell me.  Good thing April Fools Day is a day I can't believe everything I hear.