Spur of the Moment Photo Shoot!
This is what I love about having a cousin who is a photographer. And not just any photographer but a supreme one! When Leah was visiting, she just started taking pictures on my bed with the light from the window and I love them!!!!!! Now which ones do I print and frame?

NEW LOOK!

As I looked at the finished product of my new blog I laughed. Because of course it is so me! The colors are the colors of my house....fall colors! I love it, but it's just funny that we love what we love and are the way we are! Now if I could just figure out how to change the color of the writing in my header! Calling Leah who made it for me!!!!

MOST AMAZINGLY HELPFUL BOOK!

So I tried to find a picture of this book on the web and I am so computer illiterate that was impossible. So I am just going to write about it. It is called Taming the Spirited Child. It is written by Michael Popkin. It seems like every few months I feel like I am maybe getting lazy in my parenting or my kids are in a new phase and I need some extra help and ideas on parenting. I have had a particular hard time with my oldest these days and I was praying specifically to know what he needed and how I could better our relationship. I was in the library and I feel this book was sent from Heaven. I know not everyone has spirited children, but this book has so many good ideas on discipline and avoiding the whole power struggle and tantrum throwing. I have tried several of the methods for a week now and they have worked every time! I am thrilled! It is pretty common sense when you think about it, but I guess I just needed the reminder and the structure. It also helps because he writes out an exact scenario so you understand the situation. The thing that hit me the most was that he said to respect your child (I know, not really big news). He says to talk to your child like you were talking to an adult friend. Isaac and I have began working things out together and problem solving instead of me just telling him what he can and can't do because I am the mom and he is the kid. It's amazing what happends when there is never a power struggle presented. He has no reason to fight if I don't present one. As you can see..... I loved it! It has helped me so much and I just want everyone to know about it! I hope you find it helpful too!

THESE ARE THE DAYS!

Eating apples in their tent!

The 2 weeks with our daddy home were GLORIOUS! I feel sufficiently re-fueled and ready to go! We had so much fun together and just savored every second of time together! I appreciated so much all the help John gave me and all the time he spent with the boys! They loved it so much! We are so grateful for our daddy and that school won't be forever!

HARRY POTTER
We have a new family member! Isaac "Harry Potter" Ferrin. Isaac is recentlly fascinated with H.P. He wishes he has his magic. He is going to be H.P. for Halloween as well. He went through a 4 day phase where he wore these glasses every day and had me draw this scar on him. He won't even answer to Isaac most days!


H.P. helping me make lunch! (In his underwear!?!?!)

I have to brag about my Isaac. I have been subbing in primary alot lately and I can't believe how well behaved Isaac is. I mean, he is out of this world! He never moves from his seat. He listens quietly and sings all the songs and raises his hand and comes home and tells me every thing he has learned. He loves his teachers and gives them hugs and even shushes the other kids when they are being rowdy. I tell you he's a different kid! He also has been telling me for 2 weeks that we need to go invite a less-active little girl to his class because his teacher asked them to. So finally we walked over there on Sat. night and Isaac asked her why she doesn't come to primary and then he said " Come with me tomorrow!" She looked at her mom and said " Can I go to Primary tomorrow?" Her mom said yes and thanked Isaac and told her it made her little girl feel so good for him to invite her! She came the next day! I have to admitt I had a proud mommy moment!
And this boy's prayers are so amazing! He prays for the Holy Ghost to help us and that we can meet Jesus and be like him and that we can know Heavenly Father loves us. He is grateful for our house and stuff and prays for those that don't have the same. He prays to be obediant and is grateful for our family and wants to get married in the temple some day. I love listening to his prayers. With all of this boys spirited, persistant personality, comes a tender, sweet, good boy who willl become an amazing man!

GET AWAY!
My angel mother came to stay with the boys for 2 days while John and I went to St. George. It is beautiful there! We stayed in a hotel less than a mile from the temple. We slept in, went running in the morning, went to the temple. watched the new Joseph Smith movie (which is AMAZING) and went to see Les Miserables at the Touchan out door Theatre! That was also an amazing experience! I think I just giggled the whole trip. It was so fun to just be together. I love that man!




I know these are lame-o pictures, but I am so bad at remembering what to take pictures of or asking someone else to take our picture. So you get a bunch of close up shots taken be your's truly!

SECOND LIEUTENANT JOHN DAVID FERRIN!
John is officially at home back in the Army National Gaurd! Because he is in dental school he was moved up to a lieutenant (which he feels strange about and feels he doesn't deserve). I went with him the other day to get my I.D. card and everyone was calling him sir and when he is in uniform they all salute him. It was a little wierd to me. I have to admit I made fun of him a little and kept whispering "sir" to him and laughing. He get's all serious in "army mode" and he kept shushing me. I told him he knows who the real officer is around our house! ME!!! It was fun. And he really is happy to be back. He truly loves to serve our country in this way and feels it an honor. If I let him, he would go active duty and go to Iraq tomorrow. But it's not happening if I have any say in it! I love this soldier!

COUSIN VISIT!
My cousin Leah came to visit for a week a while back with her adoreable twin girls! We had lots of fun and stayed busy! One of the days we went to the Leids Children Muesem and it was amazing! They had so many awesome hands on activities! They got to dress up in all these costumes and pretend they were performing on a stage. We would pull the curtain shot and open it and clap for them and they would laugh and bow! Then we ran into another little friend and Isaac and her were the Prince and Princess and danced the night away! Then they got to make these giant bubbles! We loved having them here! We love visitors!









WE LOVE YOU AUDREE AND LIVVVY!

Our dad!


This is kindof how it goes around here. John had had several nights of waking up at 2 or 3 in the morning to study for finals. He came home one afternoon and said he had to take a nap before he coudl go in his room and study some more. (My car seats happened to be out of the car from being in Leah's van) And so the boys (led by Isaac) brought there car seats over by their dad to watch him sleep. They just yearn to be near him. Any little thing is good enough for them. They sat there and played queitly for 15 minutes while he slept. They miss him. And so do I! I am proud of all his hard work which is essentially for our family!

MY LITTLE BAT MEN!


Don't you love the binki? It is a little bit of irony. I got these masks for 2 dollars at Walmart. It's amazing to me that boy's can be so obsessive about Super Hero's when they have never seen a show about them or read a book or anything. We got the cartoon the other day and I didn't like it so we turned it off. I guess they will have to stick to imagining So, my sister Dena came and is now gone and I feel like I can keep going now. She helped me so much! We cleaned things and places I haven't done in along time, we mylar bagged 400 lbs of wheat for food storage and she let me go to the temple. I did a session and initiatory! That in and ove it self did me a world of good! I love that place! I only had to mention something I needed to do and before I could turn around she had started doing it. We talked and laughed at night. I know Heavenly Father will bless her immensely for being so Christ like and willing to drop everything and some money and come to help me. I am grateful beyond words!

BLOGGING DROUGHT!
Life has been so crazy with trips here and there. And I am truly just trying to survive this hard time during John's finals. We literally see him for about 20 min. every couple of days. The "blog face" is coming off and I am being real. I have found this time in my life truly trying. IT IS HARD TO BE STAY AT HOME, SINGLE MOM! Some days, I truly think I need to be put into an insane asylum and wish that I could, because at least I could sit still and have some quiet. I have found myself not caring about things I care about. And all the good habits I have establish are going out the window. But, I know it won't be this way forever. I just hope I can make it through one more year of this. I called my mom sobbing the other day and my angel sister Dena bought a plane ticket that night and flew up to help me the next day! I cried when I saw her too. She has truly helped me and lifted my spirits and I believe saved me. I know I can do it, I just don't know how!

MY GRANDMA
I have been putting this post off because I really don't know how to express my feelings. My mom's mom passed away a couple of weeks ago. She was 80 and died of lung cancer. She was only diagnosed 9 months ago, so it seemed pretty short. She always had remarkable health, so I think it was pretty shocking to every one. I have so many memories of my Grandma and her home. I grew up in the same town as her my whole life. We had countless sleep overs and were there alot. My feelings of her house are warm and safe and comfortable. Full of good smells and yummy food and laughter. Her sheets always smelled crisp and clean and her water always tasted cold and good. She bought me high heels at the thrift store for a really special treat. My favorite pair were red with rainbow straps. We would stay up late watching M.A.S.H. and eating vanilla icecream. We played outside endlessly in the tree house and on the cable car and driving the train my Grandpa made. We fished for Crawdad's in the canal behind their house with little bits of raw bacon. We ate pomegranites in my Grandpa's old T- shirts on the back porch and played dress up in the yellow room upstairs. My Grandma never told me she loved me, but I knew she did. She laughed alot and made fun of herself. She was proper and dignified and smart. I will miss her terribly, but will await the day to see her agian!

SISTER ROAD TRIP!
The same day I tried out for A.I. we had to drive home to Safford for my Grandma's viewing! We turned what had been a hard day into fun driving in the beautiful AZ monsoon rain. My mom's van broke down that afternoon and so we had to dragg it to a shop and rent a van that only had 7 seats and we had 8 people. We were the last ones to leave Mesa and so we took turns sitting on the floor between the bucket seats! I love my sisters! We laughed and sang! They are everything to me!

AMERICAN IDOL!!!!!
I still get butterflies in my stomach when I think about it! What was I thinking?!?! Well, I will try to explain what I was thinking. I love the show first of all. Not, everything about it, but I love to sing and I love singing so I love that part of it. I have always thought in the back of my mind that I would love to try out just to see what it was really like. So about 4 weeks ago, my friend asked me if I would try out with her and I found myself saying" Sure!" So we practiced together and I found myself busting out all the old voice lesson info and really challenging myself and trainging my voice for the first time in 8 years. I loved it all over again. I would sing for anyone that would let me to try and build my confidence to sing in front of 2 judges accapella. So I felt like I definatley built some confidence.
Secondly, it is free, so I thought why not. Let me just tell you it is nothing like it seems. I had to register 2 days early to even get a chance to audition. Then I had the be there at 5 am the day of and stand in line outside for 2 hours so that all the news helicopters could get shots of the crowd. Then we had to have to songs rehearsed ahead of time to sing with the crowd of 5 thousand people (about half being actaully contestants). We sang the songs and screamed( I mouthed it) for about 2 hours and said stuff like, " The talent is hottest in Arizona!" And " Welcome to Pheonix!" Then they set up 12 tables in the center of the arena with thin, black sheets in between (you'll see it in one of the pics below). THese were the judging tables. They had 2 judges,or producers per table. They called us down by sections and had us stand in line in groups of 4. When our group of 4 got to the table we had to take turns stepping forward to sing our song. There are 12 other people singing at the same time as you in an arena of 5 thousand people!!! Talk about hard to concentrate, let alone hear yourself. And it was so nerve racking! They told us it was like that on purpose. They also know nothing about you at this point, not even your name. If you make it through this set of judges than you get to another set of producer judges and then days later you audition for Randy, Simon and Paula. They also, tell you not to take it personal if you don't get through. They said it doesn't mean you don't have a good voice but that they are looking for a certain look and style and they can't explain what it is. They just see it!
So, needless to say, I didn't make it through the first round. But, I had a really good time. When I first got in line outside I happened to stand right next to a girl I found out who was LDS and a mom of 3 and my age exactly. We knew all the same people. She was from Mesa. Her name was Tanya. We talked and exchanged phone numbers because we knew we would be split up. So then I met some more friends while we sat and waited and we went in the halls and sang for eachother and talked the whole time. That is the thing about musicians... most of them are very open and friendly and not afraid to meet people. And it was so crazy in the halls. Imaging thousands of people rehearsing in the halls! Loud, crazy chaos! But funny! THere were only about 2 outrageoulsy dressed people in the whole thing, I really wonder where they get all those crazy people they show try out!
So, the things I learned from this experience....

1. I don't want anything to do with that part of the world or industry. It is cut throat and hard core. It made me grateful I was a stay at home mom where I am surrounded daily by people who love me.
2. I am glad I don't feel that kind of pressure that I felt to look a certain way and soudn a certain way. That was not a fun feeling even for that long.
3. I truly gained some more confidence in myeslf and my singing talent and was reminded how much I LOVE to sing!
4. I also learned again that the Lord is detailed and watches out for us. I took my sisters car out there and it wouldn't start when I was trying to leave and so I called the girl Tanya as she was walking out to the parking lot and she took me home to Mesa from Glendale. I would've been stranded there.

THE FRIENDS I MET!



THE CROWD IN THE ARENA!

IN THE CRAZY HALLS!

THE LINES OF 4 TO WAIT TO GET TO THE JUDGES TABLES WHERE THE FLAGS ARE!

THE LINE OUTSIDE WAITING TO GET INSIDE!

THE CENTER OF THE ARENA WITH THE 12 TABLES SET UP WITH THE BLACK SHEETS IN BETWEEN!

THE PLACE MY KIDS STAYED! Leslie's house with my wonderful sisters to take care of them!

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY EASTON!
It has been an amazing two years. Going from a colicy, sad, baby to the most sweet, obediant, silly, happy little boy has been a fun ride! You are talking so much and laughing and copying everything your big brother does. You want everything he wants and want to do everything he does! You are madly in love with horses, cows, boots, tractors, motorcycles and balls. You could play throw and catch literally for hours and hours. And any time there is a queit moment you are talking about Uncle Matt and his tractor and cows and "neigh" (horse)! We love you so much it is crazy!







We had the Ferrins down for a double birthday party for John and Easton. We ate Sunday dinner and I made home made donuts for the cake!
HAPPY 29th BIRTHDAY JOHNNY!
It has been an amazing 5 1/2 years out of your 29! You are getting so grown up and working so hard! You study consistantly and study some more and study some more and oh.......study some more! And you are the best dental student and you will be an amazing dentist some day and then I will have other things to write about you. Oh, you are a terrific dad when you aren't studying! Happy Birthday Daddy! We love you!!!!