tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24142330547108175332024-03-18T19:59:05.478-07:00Four Girls and a ChanceTaunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-91008230888434690082014-03-05T12:32:00.000-08:002014-03-05T12:32:21.579-08:00Some Dreams Do Come True<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That first beach moment.</td></tr>
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When I was 23 I had an employer who took us to Maui for a seminar. It was love at first visit for Hawaii and I. Well, I don't know about Hawaii, but I'm pretty sure she feels the same because she keeps summoning me back. Coming from pretty modest means, a trip like that was never in the cards for me as a girl, so just getting the opportunity to go once was more than I could have ever dreamed of. <div>
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Through many fortunate means, I have had the chance to answer the siren's call and return to Hawaii on many occasions, with many people that I love. But I always would stand on the beach and pray that someday, somehow, we could get our family to that very spot with us. That dream came true this December. My sweet birth mom, Lenna, took Doug and I and our family for the trip of a lifetime to Maui. I cannot express the pure joy that I felt in the months and days leading up to that trip, and it was even more amazing when we were there. I kept doing the reality check thing, making sure that I didn't take for granted even one minute. </div>
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Some of our favorite things:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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HULA PIE!! If you ever get the chance to go to Hawaii, find a Leilani's, Kimo's or Duke's restaurant to find this HUGE piece of heaven. The girls amazed us by each finishing off their own piece before the trip was over.<br />
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The Humpbacks!</div>
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They are the stars of the show for me. My favorite time to go to Maui is in Dec-Feb when the whales come to give birth and mate. I can NEVER get enough whale watching and we had such a great show this time. This little baby performed for quite a while for us. <br />
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Dressing up and going to dinner: Roys!!<br />
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Ok, maybe not the kids favorite restaurant, but look at this food! More of an adult pleaser, but, really, you have no idea how amazing it is!!Or just maybe you are fortunate enough to know and I am making you hungry!<br />
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The Beach!!! Now that we are home, the kids just keep saying how much they miss the ocean. It's so incredible how attached you get to the waves and the majesty of it all. Every morning we would wake up and repeat the Carver family mantra "It's another beautiful day in paradise", and every day it was. <br />
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Just chillin!!</div>
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Here's a great pic of Taylor with her serious Hang Loose look. </div>
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Nothing like just hangin', every day, all day. </div>
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We are so blessed to have been able to experience it all together. Traveling to Hawaii is a blessing and a curse, once you have been, it is in your blood and you have to return. Hopefully some day we can all return together. But if that never happens, we have so many great memories of our dream coming true!!</div>
Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-81984161264462178592012-10-16T11:45:00.003-07:002012-10-16T13:41:08.211-07:00Spokane Washington The Power of Moms Retreat<br />
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You know how you plan things and really hope with all your heart that you actually follow through with them? About a year ago I set a goal for myself to accomplish something that I thought would actually really require time and effort but I was going to actually DO it this time. I set a goal to hold a The Power of Moms Retreat in Spokane, WA, where I grew up. And to top it all off, I decided I would be a co-presenter with my cousin Saren Eyre Loosli, who is also the co-founder of The Power of Moms. I DID IT!<br />
This last weekend Saren, my sister Karley and my daughter Morgan and I drove to Spokane where Saren and I held a Retreat with about 35 amazing moms in attendance. It was wonderful and the moms there were just like the other moms we find at these retreats...beautiful, deliberate, creative, friendly, compassionate and humble. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Daisy Phillips, Chatol Sego, Saren</td></tr>
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As I look back on the small miracles that happened in order to make this Retreat possible I have to share just a few things. When I was in the planning stages we were in need of a host location that could accomodate a lot of women. We like to hold retreats in homes so this requires a good sized home. My friend had graciously offered her beautiful cabin, but we felt it might require too much travel for those coming in from Seattle and outlying areas. With no place in mind we threw a request out to the moms on our Power of Moms Facebook page and so quickly, a willing and excited Andrea Hainsworth stepped up to host. As retreat approached and it was 2 days previous, a family tragedy occurred for the Hainsworths and another amazing friend and neighbor offered her home in exchange. She wasn't even going to be in town, but KariAnn Roland opened her home and accomodations to us. Willing trainers stepped up to purchase the food and help with the logistics and everything came together beautifully.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9JRhO6zSU-2E2tTuV7QzTaCEXbgO575tczE0JkXF1z3tLCPa7YiScnqp_F79HLS-45cK02rCZ2sJ54dchXtiQF1Quz22DQ-RAsbYMOrrLZDFmsOW70gzsXLnneC6g_XrPD3t95ZoIlo/s1600/DSC01749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9JRhO6zSU-2E2tTuV7QzTaCEXbgO575tczE0JkXF1z3tLCPa7YiScnqp_F79HLS-45cK02rCZ2sJ54dchXtiQF1Quz22DQ-RAsbYMOrrLZDFmsOW70gzsXLnneC6g_XrPD3t95ZoIlo/s320/DSC01749.jpg" width="320" /></a>My family has been so supportive of me through all of the craziness, I work part time and added this to my schedule, but I hope that my kids are learning that it is ok for you to pursue your passions even as a mother. They have been amazing and excited for me. Each time a registration for the retreat came in they would at least feign enthusiasm for me as I did a little happy dance with each registration.<br />
And so my point that I want to leave you with is this: Don't let anyone, including Satan, tell you that you can't make a difference and do what you are passionate about. I am passionate about helping moms that are in the trenches of the most important thing they will ever do. Giving them tools to make the job easier and above all, sharing with them that we are all in this together. We all share the same trials and frustrations and even though we are not CAPABLE of doing this job perfectly, the learning and the joy is in DOING IT REGARDLESS. You can make a difference, but not if you don't try. I can't wait to present again, to learn more to share and share what I learn. <br />
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I am so thankful to Saren for making this happen with me and for believing in me. Our mothers are sisters, my birth mom, Lenna and her mom Linda. They are amazing women that give me identity. Saren has become one of my dearest friends. Thankful as well for my friend Kim Claypool for being there. Seeing her and embracing her was just what I needed that day. She is the wind beneath my wings after 27 years and counting. Deborah Thomason White for making what was a strained relationship in our teenage years, now a bond that I will treasure.<br />
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<br />Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-8386525854810414782012-08-01T15:10:00.003-07:002012-08-01T15:10:56.523-07:00Our Own Personal OlympicsLike most Americans we are intently focused on the Olympic games. I don't know if I am just sappy but I can't get through a victory without crying. Especially when the camera finds mom and dad in the audience. There we were watching last night as those amazing little gymnasts performed so amazingly well and before I knew it I was in a puddle of tears as they showed those mothers twisting and turning and jumping and crying as they reacted to their kids' performances. <br />
I grew up, probably like you, dreaming that maybe one day I could be an athlete at the Olympics. As that dream drifted into the sunset with age, I again dreamed, this time that one of my kids could achieve such success. Apparently not going to happen as my kids feel abused if they have to walk home from school two miles! All in all, not looking good for the Reynolds to become amazing athletes. (I might still be holding out hope for Taylor with basketball and Chance for ... something). But as I cried with those parents last night I was reminded of dance recitals and school programs that have brought me to tears annually. I can't help but be at one of my children's performances without getting emotional. Not because they are amazing, truthfully, but because they are my kids. <br />
Each deliberate parent, no matter what their child's skill level, becomes the cheerleader, the believer and the admirer. Every time we are put into a position to actually sit, (hold still in one place) and focus on our children, how could we help but be misty-eyed? These are our families' Olympic moments, our turn to reflect on how far we have come with each child, whether it be emotionally, physically or socially. We think about all that they have learned and all that we have learned from them. <br />
So although I'm sure I have many tears ahead as the Olympics play out this Summer, I am even more sure that I could not be prouder than an Olympic parent with each event that my children compete in through this Olympiad of life. Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-230313423386494812012-04-03T19:37:00.000-07:002012-04-03T19:37:10.840-07:00Our Visit to the "Audition and Campaign Hot Place"<div style="text-align: center;">So maybe you are asking yourself, "Self, where has Taunie been lately? She hasn't blogged in eons!!" Funny you should ask, (even if you didn't) because I am going to tell you where I have been. I have been visiting the Audition and Campaign Hot Place. That place devoid of any sanity, any reason and any time. </div>We were sucked in at the beginning of March with Maddie's ambition to run for SBO officer for 9th grade. If you have ever visited Campaign and Audition Hot Place you will know that your initiation begins with the creation of several, very original, very creative and, in our case, very time-consuming posters. For a weekend we were immersed in pictures and catchy phrases, which all of course were tied to our amazing overall theme. Cutting and pasting and approving and relenting and late nights all ensued. <br />
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Then, lest you think the drama is scaling down, begins the CAMPAIGN WEEK! For the student it is a week of reminding all of the people you ever sat next to, or laid eyes on, or lockered next to, how amazing you are and how much they want to vote for you. For the parent it is a week of unrelenting stress. Stomach pain, nausea, and anxiety over the much awaited day of Primary elections where your beloved child will come home with little to no confidence intact (tears to follow), or you will get the victory nod and move onto the final election. <br />
Our first run with Maddie ended in disappointment, but not to be beaten down she moved on to Class Elections joined by Taylor who would run for 8th grade office. And....you guessed it...back to Poster Brainstorming and late night creativity cramming. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj328U9JyQxLRE9MeNkM9nwbxx7gr4_arJwPxn9g5UmbzN9f6un-eIsq0jjCPnx6KaWPOrfQOOhqg8WCRT6HE_W-W_RNtnzvkJmpXdcny8E31x9EEzQts4gbd6seD7IvhSBbObqZHURJjI/s1600/photo(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj328U9JyQxLRE9MeNkM9nwbxx7gr4_arJwPxn9g5UmbzN9f6un-eIsq0jjCPnx6KaWPOrfQOOhqg8WCRT6HE_W-W_RNtnzvkJmpXdcny8E31x9EEzQts4gbd6seD7IvhSBbObqZHURJjI/s320/photo(1).JPG" width="240" /></a>The following Monday it all began again...and I mean, ALL. So by Friday when I was away visiting my mother, my heart was in my stomach when we got the news that once again, Maddie was defeated, but we were thrilled that Taylor would be moving into the final election. There was a rainbow that day because not only were we in the throws of Campaign conundrums but we were also knee deep in Madrigal Auditions. Maddie was putting her efforts into her musical talents now along with Linzie as they were passionately practicing for Madrigal auditions--Maddie for 9th grade, Linzie for High School.<br />
Taylor actually admitted to me that week that she might be trying to brown nose Heavenly Father. Can you do that? After listening and singing along with each other more times than should be legal, the Madrigal auditions came and went with Maddie making first cuts. Linzie didn't get a reprieve, her auditions were all or nothing. There was much rejoicing as we focused our sights on Friday when all would be weighed and our fates would be known. ( Are you holding your breath here?)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCDrsdpdkD2wVXjok3KA9DHuk9yGDEikOzgYhHVRzS2EC0rco2KdLfcnAXlVmu1nRyuZWY-4bSjYfVGT77i7-Q_uK9LpQ7Mt741auPTMLhmpZaPV5NUwwfTGNrg8rUIqD3nfa61P7u0U/s1600/poster2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5NGvqQb6SE8m-HwvcKWS77PecRSOYMDW4qAT1Kko2H6kzN3C_viPhEbHnpLe7S58v7Cl3Zip-CK2OvWjFGIZhLyWcX57AyhzHljpDpF0bAMeXkGBW8G_wm64gRIgZor6bartqvB45IU/s1600/photo(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5NGvqQb6SE8m-HwvcKWS77PecRSOYMDW4qAT1Kko2H6kzN3C_viPhEbHnpLe7S58v7Cl3Zip-CK2OvWjFGIZhLyWcX57AyhzHljpDpF0bAMeXkGBW8G_wm64gRIgZor6bartqvB45IU/s320/photo(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I was at work when I heard my phone ring. I was with a patient so I let it go, but I always know it's important when the office phone rings immediately following. Sure enough, the ring came. I knew it was for me...it was Taylor..."Guess what?" I squeezed my face and sucked in, "What?" "I MADE IT!! MADDIE MADE MADRIGALS TOO!!!" I could have screamed if it wouldn't have looked really bad in an Orthodontic office but I did the crying mom number and my own little dance. Yay!!!! Then it felt like forever until I heard from Linzie. Odds were not in her favor. Only 4 alto spots and 2 soprano available and she was auditioning alto. She is a Sophomore which would lower her odds. Finally, the phone call....."I MADE IT!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!" Only 1 Sophomore chosen for alto and only 4 Sophomores altogether made cuts. Tears of joy for my kids and tears of gratitude that my visit to the Audition and Campaign Hot Place had ended streamed down my cheeks. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEpxSvXwrDMrYrF1EFRJ5h9GTF1QdJkqJPJc5utOvLO0KWF4whpQoLtqiBMj0yjRyqYld2rdoEVqww9Hg2kVdXuIXBfltfK5gaOaGDrmp40De7F13ZcbsP64iWjJwJNGKMgaxKTgeNVo/s1600/poster3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEpxSvXwrDMrYrF1EFRJ5h9GTF1QdJkqJPJc5utOvLO0KWF4whpQoLtqiBMj0yjRyqYld2rdoEVqww9Hg2kVdXuIXBfltfK5gaOaGDrmp40De7F13ZcbsP64iWjJwJNGKMgaxKTgeNVo/s1600/poster3.jpg" /></a></div>This was last week. You wonder where I've been?<br />
Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-75897167340641491102012-02-27T12:21:00.000-08:002012-02-27T12:21:17.770-08:00The Bank of ReynoldsSo we have started something new in our family- or another "PROGRAM THAT MOM WILL DO FOR A WEEK" as Linzie called it. Actually, despite her lack of faith in me (or her too sharp memory) we have been doing this for over a month I think now and I see the fruit is forming on the tree!!! Are you so curious now? We have started a Family Economy. So now you are probably wondering what that is. The short version is that we now have a family bank called the "Bank of Reynolds" that is the funding for all of the Reynolds children's purchases. The way to earn money is by completing your jobs and responsibilites throughout the week. The payment is quite generous, at least for a kid, and even more so if all of you finish all of your jobs. but in return the kids have to buy all of their wants and needs. <br />
I can't take credit for the plan, it actually came from Richard and Linda Eyre. They have inspired me to teach my kids to not be ENTITLED!! I read the book "The Entitlement Trap" and my daughter kept telling me I should put that book down, it was giving me strange ideas. Now don't get the impression that this has gone smoothly. It has not. Don't get the impression the kids love it. I think they love to hate it but love it. The cool thing is that they no longer come to me for random purchases and actually think twice about how to spend their money. In fact, I have heard such phrases as "I'm not paying that much for shipping!" and "I don't want to spend my money on that" thrown around the house... It is like music to my ears!!!<br />
In the long run, I think I actually am spending less than before on kid's wants because they have to make their own purchases rather than asking me for things and the money they are earning is really just the money that I would have spent on them for the same items. Of all of the methods we have tried in our family to teach financial responsibility, I have to tell you, this is the first one that I feel has really worked. <br />
I especially like that the kids are able to make a goal for something that is important for them and actually feel the satisfaction of earning their own money to purchase it over time. It is teaching patience and rewarding with personal satisfaction. <br />
The last great thing I found to go along with this is a wonderful phone app called "Bank of Mom" that keeps track of all of my kids' earnings and purchases so we have our own "virtual bank" and the kids always know how much they have and have a record of where their money has gone. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwHiYgwkTgLoRAujwbrfgKO-dtLJjIg2Vm6ZDIID4Q_1z-MvIw8kkdOhefjFNzu3mGcWREs-nmVj0IdudYccuGzmmbAo_o3vwHppV4Yn-CJB4FEWvmrey83-0HUhOOhjMVn1Rp2mhbxE/s1600/bank+of+mom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwHiYgwkTgLoRAujwbrfgKO-dtLJjIg2Vm6ZDIID4Q_1z-MvIw8kkdOhefjFNzu3mGcWREs-nmVj0IdudYccuGzmmbAo_o3vwHppV4Yn-CJB4FEWvmrey83-0HUhOOhjMVn1Rp2mhbxE/s320/bank+of+mom.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>So any of you moms out there looking for a financial solution for your kids, I really recommend this method. Handling finances is so tricky anyway, I am convinced that start some independence early will pay off (literally) later.Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-60831734082813700782012-02-04T20:48:00.000-08:002012-02-04T20:48:26.239-08:00What I have been up to...besides the obvious<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-xnv19YjkrnxW9f74z_gLUvKEWzIrHr_LftP0cGRGqEnwK1MwOsw1el_10WYfR-Sprl4YKPyfBEV4Wa0oDoU1yfg382hNJ-3sfpPDWUeoBLqr-rJatBBbiVSsbDokMhoFl10Q2iyEN0/s1600/remi" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-xnv19YjkrnxW9f74z_gLUvKEWzIrHr_LftP0cGRGqEnwK1MwOsw1el_10WYfR-Sprl4YKPyfBEV4Wa0oDoU1yfg382hNJ-3sfpPDWUeoBLqr-rJatBBbiVSsbDokMhoFl10Q2iyEN0/s1600/remi" /></a>This past week was a really exciting one for me..so I thought I should let you know why. I recently joined the board of an organization called "The Power of Moms". I was not sure just what my fit was in the organization but knew that if I got my foot in the door and they got to know my strengths that eventually I would find a fit. My cousin, Saren is one of the founders of Power of Moms and she has been really good at letting me find my niche. I started as their Twitter person, finding time through the day to post once or twice and retweet some great posts. The more I learned about the organization I began to gravitate toward possibly writing and speaking (training) for them in online and in workshops and retreats. This, I knew, would require a lot of familiarity with the messages and some time to attend a retreat for some training.<br />
Well, last week I was able to attend the retreat in Southern California. I flew out and stayed with my big sister, Beverly. Not only did I get to have a great visit with her and her husband, Terry, but I was also able to see Amanda, her daughter and her husband, Kyle, and their sweet daughter, Remi.(Amanda cooked us an amazing dinner!)<br />
I rented a car while I was out there and faced my fear...driving in Southern Cali. I actually got some help from Bev's GPS (they call her Martha). Martha and I were great friends by the end of my trip. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-0IMkw5XKFXyqHjRtDe_DVj0FEC7L9k4tzNX3dD6sL9nQkKff75h_C2dWHPMY6rc13jiDfF-CaIcx-3xsJaMtp3jCEcgDde0JquA0qGWBjgqMBTcBrI-173p8gsmAykgux2MVD28XoU/s1600/saren" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-0IMkw5XKFXyqHjRtDe_DVj0FEC7L9k4tzNX3dD6sL9nQkKff75h_C2dWHPMY6rc13jiDfF-CaIcx-3xsJaMtp3jCEcgDde0JquA0qGWBjgqMBTcBrI-173p8gsmAykgux2MVD28XoU/s320/saren" width="320" /></a>On Friday afternoon I drove out to the retreat in La Canada. We had three hours of training on M.O.M. (Mind Organization for Moms). If you know me very well you definitely know that I can really use this!! My mind was reeling with all of the info., but I knew that this was gonna be soooo good for me to finally get my schedule and life as a mom more organized and stop missing important events.<br />
Saturday was a full day of training about differents subjects including family economies, discipline ideas, love languages and taking care of mom. The women were amazing, so many brilliant, beautiful and unique people that all came together to learn from each other and really reach out to meet new people. We talked about really important things and felt such a sistership while we learned together. <br />
I came home with a brain full of ways to make my life easier and to help my kids develop into great adults. The kids have really wondered this week what they have gotten themselves into with mom doing all of this. But I do feel like I have been empowered to do better and be better.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0T9mQLFo-_gKDBgjxO7Pz63d5OW42h0AodiK5VdPidc0SEWFPCB8-sgQX_e8TD3Kkrv0APqfPTDh_e9IXIjYkx5-lreCBp7fIx-CTYu78WH8Ei8qPiMD9NvrRKuFDntWUuq9akvIUDpI/s1600/group" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0T9mQLFo-_gKDBgjxO7Pz63d5OW42h0AodiK5VdPidc0SEWFPCB8-sgQX_e8TD3Kkrv0APqfPTDh_e9IXIjYkx5-lreCBp7fIx-CTYu78WH8Ei8qPiMD9NvrRKuFDntWUuq9akvIUDpI/s320/group" width="320" /></a></div>I plan to begin working toward holding my first workshop in the next couple of months. I recently wrote an article for the website that I found out will be published soon! I am soo excited to find something like this that I really believe in and that embraces me as much as I embrace it. I have felt the Spirit pushing me this direction for some time now and definitely know that this is what I should be doing. I hope to have more to tell you in the future about my new venture.Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-12608517455525640902012-01-23T15:30:00.000-08:002012-01-23T15:30:08.861-08:00Science Fair and other tragedies<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZEVTLkz0zrEvEjguIupB4Kyu1zGwDbFP28vrGs_mkykCSafurkZbP-c4r2y6GMWXUX1VB0dWXHwJdIrdDQAkCd28iigRxy1wzGTy58wa9Qt-t6d_pp9WSyjIYz2UQlNneW8l48GOQyo/s1600/sci+fair+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZEVTLkz0zrEvEjguIupB4Kyu1zGwDbFP28vrGs_mkykCSafurkZbP-c4r2y6GMWXUX1VB0dWXHwJdIrdDQAkCd28iigRxy1wzGTy58wa9Qt-t6d_pp9WSyjIYz2UQlNneW8l48GOQyo/s1600/sci+fair+3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The enthusiasm is fake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Okay, so I don't want to give you the impression that I don't support the public school system. In most cases I can happily coexist with someone taking my kids for lots of hours during the day and sending them home smarter. Ok, maybe not always smarter, but at least more educated. But I really have to dig my feet in when it comes to Science Fair. Just the words make me feel sympathetic to how the Grinch must feel at Christmas. I hate Science Fair. I abhor Science Fair and I really detest so much more that my third grade boy this year had to do stinkin' Science Fair. After all, who are we kidding? No kid does Science Fair solo!! It is basically homework for mom and dad. Own up to it educators!!! And if by chance you have gone to a Science Fair with your kids you know what I mean when you see these beautifully laid out and decorated, detailed, so extremely ingenious project that no kid could honestly say that he did on his own! To make things worse, my husband came from a family of Science Fair phenoms!! His brother went to Nationals for Science Fair (who does that?!) So clearly the bar has been set thanks to my dear mother in law who actually confessed to me the other day that she loved doing Science Fair boards. That is all fine and dandy but when we first started with projects my husband wanted to endorse and encourage a project that had more science than most college classes, then it would land in my lap to see it to fruition. He learned right away that if mom was doing the support he'd better dummy thing down like a hundred times.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1HxDe8c8toUsVEFf1u-O_H28syaodbRlOStAAdy04e1qIHCj0_PRwn4cUXrUJiigE-dDUZCL02SLeu1trIrS43mwRhjp359yeO2iOqVSVMl5KmVZFIpWiH0-jAWpeKY8HsKNJVapFYA/s1600/DSC_0042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1HxDe8c8toUsVEFf1u-O_H28syaodbRlOStAAdy04e1qIHCj0_PRwn4cUXrUJiigE-dDUZCL02SLeu1trIrS43mwRhjp359yeO2iOqVSVMl5KmVZFIpWiH0-jAWpeKY8HsKNJVapFYA/s1600/DSC_0042.jpg" /></a></div>I believe that if a child is doing a project, (hold on now) HE or SHE ought to do the work!!! That in itself is mind boggling, I know but before you get the impression that this would absolve the parent from doing the work, let me follow that up with the fact that just getting my boy to work on his project this year became more exhausting than reasoning with an Alzheimer's patient. Now I don't rule out that Chance may have a little ADHD when it comes to focusing on school work, but at any rate the process was EXTREMELY PAINFUL!! So when I asked him what the title to his project should be he looked at me like I was asking him who painted the Mona Lisa. My teenage daughters kept suggesting the title "Science Fair Sucks"... so naturally we named it "Science Fair Suds" tying in the soap he had used in the project along with our tongue in cheek to the whole system.<br />
Painfully, like pins under my fingernails, we plodded through the writing/board summation last night. Chance would type two letter, erase, type three letters, play with the printer, type a word, erase three letters, talk to the dog ........are you getting a visual? Keep in mind that I am the kind of person that when I do something, I do it fast. I really can't spend more than the essential time on a project and fully believe that I can cram four hours into one. So you might as well have been doing chinese water torture to me. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5IUPwZjOkc7nMAjD-EaI1iY-xK38g2GPgcAOck5AoLeMk4OApgDgncwQJOCMlJ6vQt9n8X4VVS49dtnGRp3GufRCTwi5AhW-Q-vpYqhMFGisWurrTFylh-ryGsIK9HMX6jtmyG0lCJEc/s1600/sci+fair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5IUPwZjOkc7nMAjD-EaI1iY-xK38g2GPgcAOck5AoLeMk4OApgDgncwQJOCMlJ6vQt9n8X4VVS49dtnGRp3GufRCTwi5AhW-Q-vpYqhMFGisWurrTFylh-ryGsIK9HMX6jtmyG0lCJEc/s1600/sci+fair.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to hold it together</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSPhnoBIX5Z-DWUVBRRO2uO5DALsLj2VXHAGWygbH7PbpDqPqoBLkY1eLcbq75RzJhZEP-toFeE8c9ZhsY-cq4d7NXr_VIIgfQieHqymDRdVu86UHOS6LRDCBwtFQ7qfonY_EG_FPN0s/s1600/sci+fair+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSPhnoBIX5Z-DWUVBRRO2uO5DALsLj2VXHAGWygbH7PbpDqPqoBLkY1eLcbq75RzJhZEP-toFeE8c9ZhsY-cq4d7NXr_VIIgfQieHqymDRdVu86UHOS6LRDCBwtFQ7qfonY_EG_FPN0s/s1600/sci+fair+2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">waiting for each page</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In the end, we managed to get 'er done. I survived -- just enough to move onto my daughter's research project and her tears and frustration. But at the end of the night I have one consolation; I have survived Science Fair for another year!Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-37741081271953015852012-01-15T23:17:00.000-08:002012-01-15T23:17:19.665-08:00The Things We Don't SayThe things we don't say are often, I have found, the most important things to say. Why don't we just say them? I mean, for Heaven's sake, out with it already! I guess I am learning that the reason we don't say them is because we have said them so many times to ourselves we actually don't realize we haven't vocalized them yet. <br />
Parents seem to be the biggest offenders in this situation. Why? Because their kids depend so much on what they think and how they feel. That is how they create their own values and self esteem. Scary as that may seem, think of all of those times you just wanted to hear your mother tell you that she appreciated what you did or dad tell you how proud he is of you. Isn't that the way kids are wired? For better or for worse, parental acknowledgement can lead to a child's success or the lack of which can lead to the child's serious downfall. <br />
I keep in my scriptures a precious treasure. I realize this may be a precarious place to keep a treasure as it has a much higher likelihood of getting lost but I do it for a reason. Several months after my father passed away I was really missing him and found myself asking him out loud if he could see me and if he knew how much I missed him. That very day, if my memory serves me right, I was in church flipping through my scriptures rather inadvertently and came across a yellow sheet of paper. The fact that it was a yellow sheet of paper was significant because I really knew only of one person who used that yellow paper. I slowly opened the folded letter and recognized the handwriting right away, although I was somewhat dumbfounded because my father rarely sent letters and I didn't off hand remember when I received this letter. What I will always remember is how overcome with emotion I was as I read the words "I want you to know that I think you are the best mom there is" and, "Love, your Dad". That wasn't all the note said but it was what I needed to hear. I had to excuse myself from the room as I was so taken with emotion and gratitude that my dad was telling me he was there and he did see me. These sweet words were something my father had never told me face to face. I would never have known he felt this way, yet I often go back and reread these words and I feel all over again the sense of satisfaction in knowing no matter what anyone else thinks, my dad says I am a good mom. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNZ0H6rxkzFX5H7k2fj9BwsfTc19_6ZcMNfYuNHBrsSnsgxTPvRZbdhdzzxclmOLH5-lC1ozKhr1PYgfujjSFul8bkqVEnJdviNUh6hFdxjPyzoatZ275ftjZkd9iNThuan_rvEwfCW0/s1600/morgan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNZ0H6rxkzFX5H7k2fj9BwsfTc19_6ZcMNfYuNHBrsSnsgxTPvRZbdhdzzxclmOLH5-lC1ozKhr1PYgfujjSFul8bkqVEnJdviNUh6hFdxjPyzoatZ275ftjZkd9iNThuan_rvEwfCW0/s320/morgan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I pride myself in being a pretty open book to my kids. In fact, I am often accused of being too much so. It always seems so obvious to me that they know how I feel about them. But, just as any other inept parent, apparently there is still a communication breakdown when it comes to taking what I say in my head and actually verbalizing it to the child who needs to hear it. Case in point: This week my Morgan was struggling and once again we were there on her bed discussing what was going on and why couldn't she see the good and be happy. I felt impressed to tell her how proud I was of her and her accomplishments this past year. How I could see how hard it had been but she had really made a difference in her own life by consciously making choices to not let other's decide how she felt about herself and by choosing to believe she has value and can stand up to anyone in a positive and assertive way. I told her that I could see such a change in her and that she had done that on her own. I literally watched a light go off in her eyes. I had said the magic words. How ironic that I had said them so many times before... but just not to the right person. I have felt that sweet girl change before my eyes these past few days and our relationship has taken another positive turn.<br />
I'm going to try this out this week on my other kids. I am going to make sure that when I have a positive thought about them that I tell them instead of assuming they already know. Imagine the difference in your own life if friends told you more often how much they appreciated the way you listen to them, or if your husband mentioned that he was so glad you respected his choices, or whatever it is that you need to hear from the person whom you need to hear it from. You actually have the chance to change lives with the things you don't say.Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-68234734214530145252012-01-01T16:27:00.000-08:002012-01-01T16:27:58.412-08:00A Little Tender Mercy<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9wRdwI6GlqU/TwD5kMPyYsI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/6siYhJeKaRY/s1600/linz+chance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9wRdwI6GlqU/TwD5kMPyYsI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/6siYhJeKaRY/s320/linz+chance.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Just wanted to throw on this darling pic of my Linzie ready for the stake dance the other night. For several years now I have worried so much about her as she quit dance for a while and fell into bouts of depression. There were friend issues and self-esteem issues and I worried as her weight seemed to reflect every emotion she was dealing with. I have walked that fine line with her for a while now between encouraging healthy eating and excercise and basically having her interpret that as me telling her that she is fat. It didn't help that friends said things and of course siblings just have to get their digs in as she would down a huge bowl of ice cream. We have discussed balance in life and all of the other things the "experts" recommend to encourage healthy living and yet not obsess about body image. At the end of the day I don't have any real answers other than the most important thing I have found is encouraging talents and dealing with the emotional issue before the physical one. Health seems so reflective on the outside of what is happening on the inside. We are back in dance this year -- for the fun of it and the past few months I have seen a transformation in her as she is on her way to a normal, healthy shape. Just another reminder that things can and sometimes do work themselves out in the end.Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-1618772591314065202012-01-01T16:16:00.000-08:002012-01-01T16:16:42.305-08:00The Joy of Dejunking<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4bZfbUGp3OA/TwD3CGYFe9I/AAAAAAAAAFE/NVWMCctCpJw/s1600/dejunk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4bZfbUGp3OA/TwD3CGYFe9I/AAAAAAAAAFE/NVWMCctCpJw/s400/dejunk.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Junk!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I have a confession to make. I may not be the housekeeper that I used to be. Obviously I have had all kinds of help in this...I can think of 5 reasons. I like to consider it a personal strength that I can overlook the mess and deal with the nitty gritty of parenting but at the end of the day parenting does consist of teaching how to organize and pick up after yourself. I get that, even if it is not as often as I should anymore. The messes left everywhere DO bother me, it's just that at times it is such an emotional battle to decide if I should just clean up after everyone and save the fight or if I should face the bull in the horns and get everyone involved in picking up after themselves. Usually after I have fought this battle in my head I really would rather ignore it and move on to other issues. <br />
So once again I am revisiting the goal of doing a better job of being consistent and riding kids' backs until the house is presentable on a daily basis. To kick things off I started with the Great Christmas Put-Away and turned it into a Christmas and whole house dejunkathon. It felt like an episode of "Hoarders" with my huge black trash bags stuffed to capacity. Trash bags with donations. Trash bags with garbage. The kids were cheering me on with comments like "Don't get too close to mom, she'll throw you away!!" I thought I was being so original until I saw on Twitter all of the tweets about dejunking and New Year's resolutions to organize your home. So much for individual thinking. I decided there is a direct correlation between all of those Christmas decorations staring back at me for a month and then right after the presents are opened they begin to close in on me like a trash compactor. The only thing I can think about is making it all go away...fast!<br />
After a huge drop off at Deseret Industries and filling every empty garbage can in the neighborhood I am well on my way to having the upstairs done and then I will try to wrap my brain around the basement. I cannot describe the relief that comes with getting rid of "stuff"! You really should try this!Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-9957038334037388782011-12-22T21:58:00.000-08:002011-12-22T21:58:22.126-08:00Making Family a TraditionLast Saturday we embarked on one of our favorite holiday traditions. Like every favorite custom of mine it included food. A few years ago we began a tradition of meeting my sister, Karley and other family members (typically all women) that are in the area in Salt Lake for lunch or dinner some time in December. Our favorite place to meet is The Garden Restaurant in the Joseph Smith Memorial building. We mostly love this restaurant for the dessert...amazing!! We are especially fond of their chocolate cinnamon cake and the infamous creme brulee. Ok, so aside from the fact that we love to eat, we really love most of all getting together and catching up. Nothing really fantastic or out of the ordinary happens when we meet. It usually isn't the only time we get together throughout the year. But for some reason knowing that every year around Christmas we will be together again makes this occasion so much fun to look forward to.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So, our waiter really liked us and gave us two loads like this of mints! (Maybe it was the garlic?)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pgjd2MN1lzU/TvQXoDM0qMI/AAAAAAAAAE4/hN3zBNUmeAM/s1600/409443_223232801085522_100001964116213_517411_565940872_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pgjd2MN1lzU/TvQXoDM0qMI/AAAAAAAAAE4/hN3zBNUmeAM/s400/409443_223232801085522_100001964116213_517411_565940872_n.jpeg" width="385" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hansen group</td></tr>
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This year our lunch included Karley and her girls Aimee and Kami, my nieces from Spokane who are living here Kelsey and Emily Hansen and the girls and me. I forget when we aren't together how much I love being with my sis and my nieces. There's nothing like being with a sibling you grew up with who knows you inside and out. Just being together for this short time made it feel more like Christmas. No matter how old we get we always treasure and reflect on those few Christmas' that we spent in our childhood home with our brothers and sisters. It is really there that we begin to define Christmas and those are the times that determine just what really makes Christmas come to life for us. So for an hour or so every year I get to take a glimpse back on those years together and how they are permanently a part of my soul. I can almost imagine me sitting next to my sis on the family sofa with a stack of gifts (one from every brother and sister) with my too short and outgrown nightie on and my dad holding that awful light that was bright as the sun so he could film another classic Hansen Christmas. I can see my mother sitting there with her housecoat on and my brothers and sisters gathered around with our gnarly hair. Mother always made Christmas special for us because she grew up in the Depression with next to nothing for Christmas. The house was always decorated to the nines and the gifts were purchased with every detail in mind. All of these memories come so easily when I am with Karley and my other siblings around the holidays.<br />
Christmas traditions are important as are our Christmas memories. The best is when our traditions and our memories are intertwined. Hopefully what we are doing is helping our own kids appreciate and form their own treasures and someday just as we do they will reflect with fondness and join with love and that is the greatest tradition of all.Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-48579324466974958432011-12-14T09:15:00.000-08:002011-12-14T21:54:38.932-08:00The Amazing Kitchen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMufRSuqYPEOIB3POrE1apI2kQzzzlP6RMk0y21BR7yXCUn6w87je4dp87ez_8pSS0PzUlF61Qh-j_4ztScSDt8SHX0ysqQoRboFnoelNs6PEZa5P2gxsOzEsFI-NHnNkDXZ6Yvy-Ll9M/s1600/kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMufRSuqYPEOIB3POrE1apI2kQzzzlP6RMk0y21BR7yXCUn6w87je4dp87ez_8pSS0PzUlF61Qh-j_4ztScSDt8SHX0ysqQoRboFnoelNs6PEZa5P2gxsOzEsFI-NHnNkDXZ6Yvy-Ll9M/s320/kitchen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>When we built our house one of the things I was adamant about was having a large kitchen, to the extent that I probably overlooked the need for space in a couple other rooms, but my reasoning was solid. I believe that the kitchen is the heart of the home and that the best conversations happen over food, whether it be the preparation or the eating it brings out the best talks. I have spent many hours on the edge with my kids in the kitchen. So many times when I wanted the recipe to come out perfect and they wanted to help--I know that most moms know exactly what I am saying. I have persevered however and now I have four pretty great cooks at my house. I am so grateful I have taken the time to be patient and deliberate in teaching the girls in the kitchen and I got such a great reward again the other night. Morgan and I stood together toe to toe, arm to arm, stirring our first batches of Christmas toffee. The other girls were in and out and my sweet Morgan and I had the loveliest chat together as we were stuck there stirring our own batches of goodness. She told me about school, things that she has been thinking and we even had time to strategize a plan to do a good deed for someone in her class that she has been concerned about. I got precious time to see into this amazing girl's soul and be reminded of how tender her heart is. Not only did we make a delicious perfect treat for our friends but we made a connection we have been missing lately. So all of you young mothers, persevere!!! It is so worth it to engage your children in the kitchen and your frustration will be matched in joy not too far into the future.Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-83936390858155476572011-12-10T11:53:00.000-08:002011-12-10T11:53:59.870-08:00One Heart Bulgaria Concert<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif4noPjzpdx9oSq8wZZ1Tx4AIQtoovYa6LF7dBkhyNLN-u8oU-4x14qWOwVNu1Otd_2r6i1QaB782SLIdUTdFySVN9wnanGz3lAt6hPK2AuFS6d4y3d4VPpdeZXPUSupLltydScsKTjd0/s1600/group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif4noPjzpdx9oSq8wZZ1Tx4AIQtoovYa6LF7dBkhyNLN-u8oU-4x14qWOwVNu1Otd_2r6i1QaB782SLIdUTdFySVN9wnanGz3lAt6hPK2AuFS6d4y3d4VPpdeZXPUSupLltydScsKTjd0/s320/group.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Last Monday we were invited to participate as a family in the "One Heart Bulgaria" Children's Christmas Concert arranged by Saren Eyre Loosli and her family. This is a tradition dating back 5 years in the Loosli family and even more in the Eyre family. The idea is that children are invited to participate with talents and the money that is raised that night from donations (and generously matched by the Eyrealm foundation) goes straight to funding orphanages in Bulgaria. This is such an amazing idea with the kids feeling empowered to actually do something personally to help these orphans. We brought our little quartet of Linzie, Maddie, Taylor and cousin Kelsie to perform. They sounded beautiful. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrS-c9N3RhbXV0ewB3ttJry6J87un5TzHGMnIotiAfzj3SBgOfMAmi0LxLNq4JbC2p4pVzyGgVh-PSO0Xzexx6KTIwi3ek9SSIxx8xARYs0U5jCAaNhfQYU4caEoCKbGDzzsDJlcTOTOM/s1600/organ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrS-c9N3RhbXV0ewB3ttJry6J87un5TzHGMnIotiAfzj3SBgOfMAmi0LxLNq4JbC2p4pVzyGgVh-PSO0Xzexx6KTIwi3ek9SSIxx8xARYs0U5jCAaNhfQYU4caEoCKbGDzzsDJlcTOTOM/s320/organ.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Organ pipe backdrop--gorgeous!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The concert was held in this quaint old church in downtown Ogden which is in the process of being converted to a community center and other than not having a real piano (much to my chagrin as I was the pianist trying to perform an already difficult accompaniment on a keyboard), the place had so much charm and was such a great location for this event.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiRW-U2RSysFBD6EvDhPtgl3zYPT05kSfQsQUwDW_VVBf4qv53nlM18cf_eq0arxvcV8J2WB9zWalwmrv6GQMcmbGboYEFh-lSxRHFGJX3gCd7gUcHt8akViFsP9HQaCdQa2wV1Sj7CA/s1600/morg+and+chance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiRW-U2RSysFBD6EvDhPtgl3zYPT05kSfQsQUwDW_VVBf4qv53nlM18cf_eq0arxvcV8J2WB9zWalwmrv6GQMcmbGboYEFh-lSxRHFGJX3gCd7gUcHt8akViFsP9HQaCdQa2wV1Sj7CA/s320/morg+and+chance.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma and Grandpa Reynolds, Becky, Uncle Richard Eyre and two cute kids.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUvm08i1Fa2VBFKD3PX4Y5dTCco0hEuBh_9DqFtQl7c5_1Zy4G08saIAkcj6KlhXCFhZF2Kij_Or_96wHXferorRjidoLV6XFEAusQtvPp_vgbzZnGTMQv3ZTeu1GjS0R1yal88WtBfo/s1600/group2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUvm08i1Fa2VBFKD3PX4Y5dTCco0hEuBh_9DqFtQl7c5_1Zy4G08saIAkcj6KlhXCFhZF2Kij_Or_96wHXferorRjidoLV6XFEAusQtvPp_vgbzZnGTMQv3ZTeu1GjS0R1yal88WtBfo/s320/group2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfgMm6wJbUIqxsvybDwxFwipvy4YowM9kKCrvECDWU9D8Flw0MHo_FAh_2tPe7VNTCOrP38fS0KOC9RiqMhs-heYXGVuQYdQX9wW70Cs2m5n4mtq57t_MFDYMUYGIjxnAyB0BaluYsls/s1600/ceiling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfgMm6wJbUIqxsvybDwxFwipvy4YowM9kKCrvECDWU9D8Flw0MHo_FAh_2tPe7VNTCOrP38fS0KOC9RiqMhs-heYXGVuQYdQX9wW70Cs2m5n4mtq57t_MFDYMUYGIjxnAyB0BaluYsls/s320/ceiling.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful ceiling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Many little kids performed everything from lip sync to their favorite chiristmas song, to piano solos to poems and skits. The big finale was a nativity play where whoever wanted to be involved could find a part. All in all it was a great event to remind our kids that there are ways that they can help others. Thank you so much for the invitation Saren and team!Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-3285607574675096482011-12-06T10:34:00.000-08:002011-12-06T10:34:59.100-08:00Going broke.....literally<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1inq2AG94y7Xb8gbGRy4tz-iFKFUkvp9xjbdC7TZ33zwOEOxpJo3YvymrXTgsZ7yQ9RguS2ROhwZumvgqso3ZiMHEUf3dDWAC8I4hdetfnJllqJNfZiHek69I4fbdZVac6doFHii6Y8/s1600/washer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1inq2AG94y7Xb8gbGRy4tz-iFKFUkvp9xjbdC7TZ33zwOEOxpJo3YvymrXTgsZ7yQ9RguS2ROhwZumvgqso3ZiMHEUf3dDWAC8I4hdetfnJllqJNfZiHek69I4fbdZVac6doFHii6Y8/s200/washer.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">It has been one of those weeks that try men's souls. Or at least one man that I know's soul. It started with the garage door not opening for me the other morning (broken spring), continued onto the tv downstairs going awol(an ongoing issue), the showerhead fell off broken into pieces, then yesterday a pump to the radiant heat was diagnosed as dead and (hopefully lastly) the washing machine called it quits. I didn't mention that the dog had to go the doggy E.R., I guess he was broken too. </div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQjLeQyPtAAm0JCKgkPISLvMpDhUzuQxcI2A_-eYAAW0Ozo95OqeiXtPbFoPCPXaMZxO8s6l34rR-VlSJCNGz7Wf57rU8SP5VurAN1d-NscTPl3YehyphenhyphenZlK-Pf5e9DiafJ_iC4KYej6Yk/s1600/doug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQjLeQyPtAAm0JCKgkPISLvMpDhUzuQxcI2A_-eYAAW0Ozo95OqeiXtPbFoPCPXaMZxO8s6l34rR-VlSJCNGz7Wf57rU8SP5VurAN1d-NscTPl3YehyphenhyphenZlK-Pf5e9DiafJ_iC4KYej6Yk/s200/doug.jpg" width="170" /></a> I was blessed to marry a man that is not only handsome, but also an amazing fix-it guy. I haven't met anything he can't fix. But the issue has seemed, in our midlife years, to turn from one of can he fix it to how will he find time to fix it? Doug not only works a full time job which he commutes to, but also serves in the bishopric of our ward and is working anxiously to develop a prototype for what he hopes to be his "Get out of Corporate America" card. Along with that he is a dad to four girls who need math help on a regular basis and a wife who likes to see him occasionally. This amazing guy has kept our washer and dryer going for 15 years now and is doing his best to make it 20. (Pretty unbelievable with a family like ours). So this week he will continue the fight between time and money and once again I will thank Heaven for such a gifted man and that the things that are currently "broken" in our lives are ones that money and time CAN fix. As for Doug, I think he might be allowed a little mumbling under his breath because when it gets right down to it THIS BITES!Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-69111983355561646822011-12-03T17:28:00.000-08:002011-12-03T17:28:13.908-08:00A Mother's Lament<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuloJE1KN0RQwyNKgWn16M-a5OW5ofl415GR4mEscer6Isae1IAQQYQkjUJt6RhV_GIWc9HZ1JPo-0u1WZSWy9SbS7mGTa16XbumW7sKVlXg1a_u7fNA1zhBsUQztSpQtExRlWnpToTg/s1600/french+bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuloJE1KN0RQwyNKgWn16M-a5OW5ofl415GR4mEscer6Isae1IAQQYQkjUJt6RhV_GIWc9HZ1JPo-0u1WZSWy9SbS7mGTa16XbumW7sKVlXg1a_u7fNA1zhBsUQztSpQtExRlWnpToTg/s320/french+bread.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The other day we had the freakiest windiest day in a long time in Northern Utah. Maybe you experienced it or saw it on the news. Luckily, we were skipped out here in Clinton for the most part. As I hurried home from work that night, however, it dawned on my husband that the generator we were getting for Christmas from our in-laws that was on sale at Costco just might be sold out if we waited. There were hundreds of people in the area without power and surely they would be racing to buy the few remaining generators in the area. Now, I have to admit that I questioned the morality of buying the remaining generators when there were people who really needed them, but we'll save that for another discussion. In my haste when I arrived home, I hurried in with a box of frozen french bread dough that I had purchased with a friend to have in the freezer for gifts and for our storage. I quickly asked one of my kids to take it down and put it in the freezer, reiterating the importance of freezing the dough and ran out the door to purchase two of four remaining generators left. So, are you with me? My first mistake was not doing the errand of dough myself, the second, asking a preteen to do it. Sure enough today when I was driving I had visions of that box sitting by the freezer with dough busting out in all directions because I had never followed up with my daughter. This evening my fears were confirmed, sure enough, just as I had envisioned it. Dough everywhere. After a week of a broken baking pan and a history of kids breaking stuff and me just taking it and chalking it up to motherhood, I just have to lament for a moment. But then I have to remind myself, it is just stuff. Stuff that lessons are learned from. I'm sure my Heavenly Father feels the same way when we don't listen or mess things up. That is how we learn, that is the point. After all, don't our kids learn the most from their mistakes? Meanwhile, french bread anyone?Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-74496273053911105512011-11-21T15:23:00.000-08:002011-11-21T15:23:25.992-08:00My mother's angels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8gII0_iZaTq3cLJLtizIzqxKFBLxETdS9PyG9z9jYYMlAjj_3c7xRFYsFM9dDDU7i4oM-0AIvfFZVMVknNBUOHalI7q7DKPO_NvL4Z_42MWErgqv-pIrPi5jfDLDK5Tl8y2k5mLrztY/s1600/mother.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8gII0_iZaTq3cLJLtizIzqxKFBLxETdS9PyG9z9jYYMlAjj_3c7xRFYsFM9dDDU7i4oM-0AIvfFZVMVknNBUOHalI7q7DKPO_NvL4Z_42MWErgqv-pIrPi5jfDLDK5Tl8y2k5mLrztY/s320/mother.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>My mother lives in Spokane, Washington and my trips home are not as often as I would like. I try to call her when I have moments with no kids on my arm and a good half hour or so. Mom is 87 this year and in good health for her age, considering she is living with 3 leaky valves in her heart. She gets up and walks on the treadmill most mornings and often does more than she should around the house, which tends to get her in trouble with her kids. I spoke with my mother today and every time I do I am so grateful for the chance to pick up the phone and talk to her. As she so often does she talked to me about her day, how the weather is there and who she has heard from recently. With eleven kids one would hope that she hears from people often. The thing that always makes my heart happy is when I hear of those people who live by her and attend church with her who take time out of their schedules to visit her, call her and do things like snow removal and sprinkler maintenance. I am so grateful for these people who really have no obligation to this older woman other than the moral obligation they give themselves. So many times my family has been helped and blessed by the hands of angels who reach out to my sweet mother. Today I am thankful for these people who have truly touched my dear mother and our whole family. I strive to look around me and find others I can bless just as others are blessing us.Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-8104022749468941522011-11-14T07:19:00.000-08:002011-11-14T07:19:24.282-08:00Finding Morgan's Smile<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zY5VIOiW4R4XZfRsXi0IERPMTLYtE6d7p12ojv3AD6_EmJI5O6iVkBX0vOVTdrU4Qq27HgCqkknHGKtRCdcxWsmC6Pau1Vxz29hrPm5mJgekeobo3wibwdNjeDX8kdnuKJEmF6cyzjM/s1600/morgan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zY5VIOiW4R4XZfRsXi0IERPMTLYtE6d7p12ojv3AD6_EmJI5O6iVkBX0vOVTdrU4Qq27HgCqkknHGKtRCdcxWsmC6Pau1Vxz29hrPm5mJgekeobo3wibwdNjeDX8kdnuKJEmF6cyzjM/s320/morgan.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>We have what most would consider a stable family. I am very much in love with Doug and as far as I can tell he is pretty crazy about me. We live in a wonderful neighborhood, having great family support and our kids are afforded many comforts do the degree of possibly being pretty spoiled. So all things considered I expected all of my children to be happy, healthy and successful running off to school each day with perfect confidence. Imagine my confusion when several of my kids started struggling with being happy and fitting in. There seemed to be a pattern of loss of self esteem and difficulty getting along with the family. There seemed to be a fight most mornings just to get them to school. After reading and studying and seeing a really great doctor we realized that the kids that were struggling each had their own version of anxiety disorder. When Morgan started struggling with going to school we already had dealt with similar symptoms but it seemed with each day hers seemed to intensify. It got to the point that I would have to take her into school and leave her kicking and crying with the principal or have the school counselor meet us in front of the school to make sure she didn't chase my car as I drove away. Medication definitely helped, which we knew it should, but Morgan's anxiety has always seemed so much more extreme. Our amazing doctor, Dr. Samantha Bostrom, recommended a counselor for Morgan but we were somewhat reluctant having visited a couple therapists in the past and not having a great experience with either. Then a friend recommended a man they had seen for their son and we decided to give him a try. Best decision ever!<br />
From the moment we met Dr. Ken I knew he was a good fit for Morgan but I was cautiously optimistic because I really wanted her to come away from her visits feeling like she had tools that she could use to overcome her fears. In the past our attempts with other therapists had been so awkward and seemingly useless as we spent half the time retelling the same information and the other half feeling like they just didn't understand exactly what we were dealing with. From the get-go Dr. Ken has been on the same page and perhaps a page ahead of us, providing Morgan with real life methods of dealing with her fears and connecting with her because he understands her. She not only comes away each visit feeling like she is reconnecting with her best friend but also feeling validated and armed with her next challenge to overcome the next obstacle. I come away feeling like I'm not the worst mom ever and I'm given tools and explanations that I desperately need. <br />
I wouldn't say that things are completely better, it's definitely a journey, but I can say that my daughter is happy a lot more of the time and she gets up and ready for school with a smile most days. Most of all, she understands herself a lot better and knows that she can be in control of her fears instead of them controlling her. What an amazing blessing Dr. Ken has been in our lives and I think will continue to be in Morgan's because of the impact he has had on this sweet girl.Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-75487914537168055202011-11-07T08:07:00.000-08:002011-11-07T08:07:11.234-08:00I love the walk!!!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZDFpKNgS5OVQ-tfTj0U5g_I22qPgXIk_JuzTc9Dy2qpDCJjex7Wi5-wQGssMNL-P_wjgqbKF-8MOl7H-L8g1uj0J28qrqeEAiQaIDogkVWuht2dMlnNJ_b3J9QyhBd9xXTZTzDVv8Kc/s1600/eileen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZDFpKNgS5OVQ-tfTj0U5g_I22qPgXIk_JuzTc9Dy2qpDCJjex7Wi5-wQGssMNL-P_wjgqbKF-8MOl7H-L8g1uj0J28qrqeEAiQaIDogkVWuht2dMlnNJ_b3J9QyhBd9xXTZTzDVv8Kc/s320/eileen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My beautiful friend, Eileen and me in Hawaii</td></tr>
</tbody></table>About 4 years ago I committed to my friend, Eileen, that I would get up and walk with her in the morning. Eileen has been walking for around, well, just about forever. Anyone that lives in this area knows her and her reputation proceeds her as she is the official speed walker of our area. For years I was just the observer, seeing her every morning and sometimes twice a day out there walking faster than most people run. Her consistency rivals that of the post office and you knew no matter what every day she would be out there pounding the pavement. So given this, you can imagine how skeptical I was at being able to keep up with her. Nonetheless, I decided to try and for the first week I truly knew agony. You see, Eileen gives you about 3 days to make it or break it and then she leaves you in the dust, not wanting to sacrifice her own workout. So for days I struggled to keep up and reminded myself that it would eventually get better. After about 2 weeks I called her and asked her if she really did enjoy the walk or if it was something she just struggled through every day. She reassured me that she loved walking and one day I would too. After 4 years I can tell you, I love the walk. We are now commonly referred to as "the West Point Walkers" and just like clockwork we are out there almost every day. But something magical happens on the walk...not only are we strengthening our bodies but we strengthen each other emotionally. There's airing of complaints about kids, husbands, family, work, and other stresses in our lives, but at the end of the walk it is done and left at the curb and we leave ready to face the day again. <br />
No two people could be much more opposite but I have to tell you how grateful I am for my Eileen. She has healed my heart and taught me courage on many occasions. I hope that I do the same for her. Women need good women. <br />
My Eileen is in Italy this week with her husband so I ran five miles with my friend, Whitney, this morning. Something that 5 years ago I never imagined I could ever do. I wasn't even tired when we finished. How blessed and grateful I am for the amazing blessing of excercise and the beautiful blessing of friends. Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-47747751393433212032011-11-05T12:56:00.000-07:002011-11-05T12:56:21.759-07:00Thanking my way to ThanksgivingGreat minds think alike. As I was surfing the internet and trying to catch up on my cyber accounts today I noticed that my amazing cousin, Saren, was echoing my plan for blogging this month. Of course she was, the Eyres are all about gratitude--and it shows.<br />
My gratitude post today is that I have been so blessed to have Doug's brother's family move in next to us. For two years now we have finally been able to enjoy cousins living in our near vicinity. In fact, we are so close that it is a 2 minute or less jont to their back door.<br />
For so many reasons this has been wonderful for our family. The kids now have best friends that they mutually stick up for no matter what. In the beginning there was a period of time where the girls would spat off and on because they spent so much time together, but now those times are few and far between. Instead there is someone just around the corner to make strange videos with and do make up and photo shoots with. Life is never boring when sweet Kelsie shows up and the entertainment value is usually pretty high. Before college life, Jacey was always here for girl bonding talks and the occasional eybrow tweezing. (Yes, this is what we do with a houseful of teenage girls!) Even though Chance likes to pretend he is so much older than Kaden and Kameron he tends to spend plenty of time at their house and can't even usually make it through a whole family dinner without taking off before his plate is clean.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLtbZxAa4x55z3IKCrpKvCecw9EdmyxZpJoRu0tJMe3Baxq_zYG2A-uuERFUlKDaGtdVqRXLOkGG4aCSYJI1deVW6IRjZ_oF7oTcsqNZw6A5fyN6sTLZ9gKyi7_V9N20VLE5eUaK-2Ys/s1600/capital+reef.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLtbZxAa4x55z3IKCrpKvCecw9EdmyxZpJoRu0tJMe3Baxq_zYG2A-uuERFUlKDaGtdVqRXLOkGG4aCSYJI1deVW6IRjZ_oF7oTcsqNZw6A5fyN6sTLZ9gKyi7_V9N20VLE5eUaK-2Ys/s320/capital+reef.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Mark has taken on the role of second father and more than he probably likes is invited or coerced into helping with homework. The kids love his dry humor. Jacob is everyone's friend and is the audio-visual tech fo the family.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2jReWmS0im8Dp5n0qo357HpRlu3S6FPYalEOSykVXytkvQWrwxMimEkXYyHLR8kHx572zpxnNdYRL-PKZRjxkav8zwW8GbMSQsGUEHDo_lldeIc1gBR8fbLmXEuonMXc3S3AUSMRGNs/s1600/jacey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2jReWmS0im8Dp5n0qo357HpRlu3S6FPYalEOSykVXytkvQWrwxMimEkXYyHLR8kHx572zpxnNdYRL-PKZRjxkav8zwW8GbMSQsGUEHDo_lldeIc1gBR8fbLmXEuonMXc3S3AUSMRGNs/s320/jacey.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prom Primping</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob and Morgan</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HjqNOPUfOSBFSAGm6ukNAy6igY1-KTl3bokuLS0mJBFA9_KX_Rx8XN_Ihv4lkVDp-Oe865MiZPeRrE9o48qeOYhLAz2cIyOAB9nmkKxS-pSKEUBmLANVEf0FK31eqxAU3enBNUu9Al0/s1600/kel2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HjqNOPUfOSBFSAGm6ukNAy6igY1-KTl3bokuLS0mJBFA9_KX_Rx8XN_Ihv4lkVDp-Oe865MiZPeRrE9o48qeOYhLAz2cIyOAB9nmkKxS-pSKEUBmLANVEf0FK31eqxAU3enBNUu9Al0/s320/kel2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's always a makeup job</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgPtAVs9hJlucpcAnDLdoK97mwwEUTGe-YCOC9JcpDy083ycg2lRADpZor5qkNuODQAs9AnsAOaaCpIs6ikx1x2lgjunrj9Z8CZPQMnmfumZSRPdBbf_g9IaXIMzQB5GIOz5GnD8N1NM/s1600/becky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgPtAVs9hJlucpcAnDLdoK97mwwEUTGe-YCOC9JcpDy083ycg2lRADpZor5qkNuODQAs9AnsAOaaCpIs6ikx1x2lgjunrj9Z8CZPQMnmfumZSRPdBbf_g9IaXIMzQB5GIOz5GnD8N1NM/s320/becky.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sally, Becky and I</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As for me, I don't know what I would do without Becky here to save me when I forget things (which is most of the time), and to be my "missed the bus again" carpool when I am at work. She is my Cafe Rio and Costco partner and she always makes me laugh. Most of all she helps me remember that I may not always have it all together but that is life and maybe no one really does. She is a confidant, counselor and sister and I am so grateful to have that right next door..or street.Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-57456351024022042982011-10-27T21:29:00.000-07:002011-10-27T21:30:40.045-07:00The Sexy<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9XgBiKEc6WwxDP858ItPNojmjpmMcjJxz-lnKN2d3QGS-7R0FbBtYz539_vrxSE4BnpZAAOeabCbhwXz_AWjj1cxIj4vkfLNXSWoKMAkEv2OgFOwrO-v_8j2GIz4o6WvyLhFMFYZjpg/s1600/mokie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9XgBiKEc6WwxDP858ItPNojmjpmMcjJxz-lnKN2d3QGS-7R0FbBtYz539_vrxSE4BnpZAAOeabCbhwXz_AWjj1cxIj4vkfLNXSWoKMAkEv2OgFOwrO-v_8j2GIz4o6WvyLhFMFYZjpg/s200/mokie2.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Sexy"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Oh please don't be alarmed by my title, it is so not what you think. I just have been wanting so badly to share with you the importance of this little member of our household. I really don't want to sound insane (oh wait, we talked about that last time), but I am referring to our little dog, Mokie. Perhaps the most endearing part of this little guy is all of the entertainment that constantly surrounds him. Not only is he a cherished member of our family, my closest thing to a baby, and our little barky protector but he is also a huge source of comedy, drama and more often than we would like - the center of attention.<br />
Mokie came to our family four years ago and stole our hearts right away. He is not like a toy that after a few weeks loses it's charm but for the last few years every day has seemed like the best day. Not long after we got him we realized that there just was not enough adjectives to describe him, so oddly enough, the one that stuck is The Sexy. No, there is no inappropriate connection to his nickname, it's just that every silly little face he gives you or every little crazy stunt he tries captivates you.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NqYv5n8TUaIlKDeswJgzIDTKlj3xQ8kDuj6TgHBoiMpKbguIkMiTKjxKPPr5-jT8Hboa1N0dkvrcqmOLzUzFq_L-SEi9sG5UaZYaBajmfBSFTLtcTvuujrzgP9QZLQERZTAJoDQ1z6g/s1600/mokie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NqYv5n8TUaIlKDeswJgzIDTKlj3xQ8kDuj6TgHBoiMpKbguIkMiTKjxKPPr5-jT8Hboa1N0dkvrcqmOLzUzFq_L-SEi9sG5UaZYaBajmfBSFTLtcTvuujrzgP9QZLQERZTAJoDQ1z6g/s320/mokie.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Please give me the sucker, pleeaase?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I know that many of you reading this probably have a little dog or cat that you love, but I have to concede that this little dog's charm comes mainly from the constant narration that follows him everywhere he goes. Not long after he came, Taylor decided to give him a voice. Not just any voice but this darling Mokie voice. So we not only have a sweet little dog but also one that can speak and has an amazing sense of humor. Eventually each daughter has adapted their own version of the Mokie speak and given our Sexy a personality like no other. So if you ever come to my house, and you fall into good graces with Taylor, make sure you get her to do the Mokie voice for you.<br />
My little love affair with this animal has origins in many other past pets. In my youth I loved others, my bunnies, our cows, my own cow "Fonzie", our sheep and the turkeys we raised. I do have to admit there was no love loss for the chickens, however. And lest I forget Benji. The dog who was attached to my Dad's hip when he wasn't was seated right by him in his pick-up truck. When my father passed away my first immediate consolation was that he and his faithful friend were reunited.<br />
Recently I watched a movie a friend lent me called "Buck". The movie is a documentary about a man who is the original "Horse Whisperer". The movie is a must see for many reasons but mainly for me I realized just how much you can learn about people just by the way they treat their animals. My sweet dad was a big believer in treating animals with respect and kindness and every Christmas morning he made sure that cows were given their Christmas grain before any other activity began. With an example like that how could I not just love these amazing creatures that have completed my life in so many ways. Thank Heaven we have a soft tonque to lick our tears, a warm body to make us feel safe and a little performer to make us smile. Thank Heaven for our sweet little "Sexy".Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2414233054710817533.post-14959620016363007592011-10-24T18:47:00.000-07:002011-10-24T18:47:17.559-07:00Another Day Teetering on InsanityI laid awake last night for a couple of hours...it could have been the nap, it could have been my kids making noise until midnight in the other room, husband snoring, or the fifty things running through my mind. Ok, let's be real, it really could have been <i>all</i> of these things but one of the many thoughts that kept resurfacing is that I really need to start this blog I meant to start 2 years ago. There was also that nagging that there was a neighbor whom I have been really meaning to visit still needed to be checked on. So many things kept coming up that I confess I had to open the bottle of anxiety meds next to my bed and send my mind to a peace resort for the night. But alas, here it is!! My first official blog!! <br />
I have a couple of selfish reasons for blogging, namely to keep some semblance of a journal at last and maybe much more importantly to give myself a platform for venting. Hopefully I can share some humor and give some value to this insanity I call motherhood. Now, don't get me wrong, I was always the girl who didn't find it necessary to "waste my time on education" when all I ever wanted to be when I grew up was an awesome mom. I love being a mother of four "preteen and drowning in teen" girls and my "sigh of relief" son. There just are days when my enthusiasm dims--just for a few or possibly many--moments. <br />
Today has been no exception. I'm sure many can relate to that beautiful moment when the beloved bus arrives and the children are whisked away to their local fine institute of learning (what exactly they are learning is a subject for a whole other day). For just a few moments, you feel the silence. Yes, you FEEL it. Then the dog barks and you realize you have half an hour to shower and be somewhere. So much for freedom. I spent the morning trying to pose for an office picture and do my best to look 30 and under 125 lbs, then I followed it up at the gym still working on the whole age 30 and, yes, under 125 lbs thing. So I spent a couple of hours trying to undo what 15 years of kids has done to me then came home to see what 15 years of kids has done to my housekeeping skills and checkbook. (Not Pretty!)<br />
This amazing day was topped off with driving from here to Timbuktoo looking for silver spray paint and, get this, pencil buttons. Talk about a needle in the haystack, and not just the buttons! Apparantly silver spray paint is a hot commodity at Halloween. (who knew?) All this with four girls shouting at each other and at me (one of them wasn't even mine!). Now I don't know how many of you understand what it is like when teenage girls get home from school. It can go either way, I don't want to talk, see or hear anyone in this family, or I am going to talk to you about today and I am going to talk louder and faster and more intently than anyone else here and you will hear me over all else. Let me share that when the latter is the case and you have 3 or more girls there is no escaping it and there is nothing much left in your brain when they are through with you except maybe a dull headache.<br />
So in a nut shell, we are once again eating dinner at 8 pm and following that up with what promises to be a charming family night full of shrill screams of torment and chaotic pumpkin decorating. Then when it is all over I am hoping to crawl into bed tonight with at least one batch of laundry washed and 2 wonderful goals crossed off of my mental to-do list. Despite everything, my sweet neighbor got her visit and for better or for worse my blog has begun.Taunie Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01122550705492000804noreply@blogger.com1