March 25, 2012

2012, March 25

Dear Family and Friends,

So, I am having a hard time thinking of what we did this past week.  The weather has still been great.  The kids are still doing well and happy.  Brian is practicing the piano for a solo at a fireside in a few weeks.  Usually he just sight reads songs and plays through them.  This will be a treat for me to hear him practicing. 

Oh I just remembered what we did all week.  We celebrated Brian’s birthday all week long.  He had scouts the night of his birthday, so we stretched it out.  We had breakfast one day, lunch another day, dinner another day, and then birthday cake today.  It was fun.  We also went swimming at the Y a couple of times.  The kids really like that, and that’s what Brian wanted to do for his birthday partyJ. 

Kara and Lindsay are still liking ice skating.  The past couple of weeks Brian has taken them while I rest and/or nap.  It has been nice.  My ear has been ringing since we got back from Florida, and I finally went to a Dr. to see what they said.  She gave me some Flonase to see if that would clear out anything that might be clogging my ear up.  Boy, my sinuses have never been so clear, but it gave me a really horrible headache.  And my ear is still ringing.  Oh well.  Anyway, I was so discouraged.  It seems like every time I start to feel better, something else pops up, and it is pretty discouraging to have felt pretty crumby for over a year. 

Anyway, Brian and his dad gave me a blessing last weekend.  It was so nice.  Sometimes when I am going through trials and I get to my breaking point where I throw my little fit or get so discouraged, I am in awe that our Heavenly Father can show his love for me and be so gentle and loving in his response.  I am sure that one of the things I need to learn is to stay close to my Heavenly Father.  I think I can get so caught up in things when life is good, that I don’t pause to communicate with my Heavenly Father as I should.  I am glad He doesn’t let me forget Him.   Since then, the past couple of weeks at church, the lessons seem to be speaking to me.  I am glad to know my Heavenly Father cares for me, and I know he loves all of you, too.

Love,

Martha and Family 

March 18, 2012 Letter

2012 March 18

Dear Family and Friends,

Gosh, it’s been a long time since I’ve written anything or posted anything on my blog.  I would like to say I am going to start up that again, but we will see. 

I think I wrote a Christmas letter that gave a quick synopsis of our last year, so I will start at this yearJ. 

Elise does some really cute things (as most 2 year olds do).  One of the first times I put her in the corner for a time out, she stomped away saying, “No! I not going!” as she was stomping her way to sit in the corner.  Hmmm…  I wonder where she learned to say that.  Obviously she knew to sit in the corner.  She is funny about time outs.  She knows when she is in trouble, and often asks to go in the corner before she will say sorry.  In case you think she is in trouble all the time, she hardly ever is.  She loves to play and be around the other kids.  She loves to get up on the computer and get PBS kids opened up.  If I ever find it quiet, I know where to look for her.  She LOVES her “pretty shoes.”  They are also her Sunday shoes.  She had a fever one Sunday and she was staying home with me.  The other kids were getting ready for church, and she still had her PJ shirt on with her diaper.  We were talking about it being Sunday, and getting ready for church.  She hopped right down from the table and said,”It’s Sunday.  I need my Sunday shoes on.”  She went to the cubby (which Brian made last year, and it has been fantastic.  We always know where shoes are) and got her Sunday shoes on by herself.  She was so cute.  She wasn’t feeling great, so she was fine staying home with me. 

Seth is such a joy to have at home.  He is such a great helper.   He loves to do his chores and is soooo great at it.  He will make his bed, clean his room, and help me with what I am doing.  He is also doing quite well at reading.  He also loves to be around the other kids and play with whoever is playing.  Brian’s mom has been so nice to come over and watch the kids while I get a couple of naps in every week.  So, every day at quiet time, Seth asks if Grandma is coming over that day.  He loves her to come over and play Life with him.  He actually loves all games.  He loves outside and is a very good boy. 

Lindsay is loving school.  She is so good at working hard and doing well at school.  She is such a sweet child and is so loving and loves to give hugs and snuggle.  She also loves playing outside and playing with friends.  She and Kara have started ice skating lessons.  They seem to like them and they are doing quite well.  She also wants to do swimming lessons again.  She loves to read, and can really read whatever she likes.  She likes the Percy Jackson stuff right now. 

Kara also is doing well as school.  She brought home a wonderful report card.  She is working hard on learning her multiplication facts and she seems very happy with school.  I LOVE her teacher.  Mrs. Becker is the same teacher Matthew had last year, and she is great!  It used to be so hard to get Kara up and going in the morning, but she has been SOOOO great about that lately.  She will hop out of bed, get dressed and start making her lunch.  It has been such a blessing to me. 

Matthew is doing well too.  He is looking forward to soccer starting up again.  The weather has been so fantastic here.  I think this is maybe the best spring (so far- knock on wood) ever.  We haven’t had much snow, and  just a few days of rain.  The past few weeks have been mostly in the 60s or 70s, and sunny and nice.  I have seen a few flowers poking their heads up.  Anyway, Matthew has been outside with friends enjoying the weather.  He tried to make a zip line, but that didn’t work so well.  I think we need better supplies.  He also brought home a great report card.  He is such a good boy.  I am glad to have him (and all my kids in my family).  They are such great blessings. 

The weather really has been great.  It reminds me of May and June weather (but without the humidity).  I have been feeling a little better, I think.  I still have many ups and downs, and I get quite discouraged sometimes.  But I think on the whole, I am slowly getting better.   I actually had a blessing that told me I would recover completely- just on the Lord's time.  I am grateful the Lord loves me enough to make me stronger.  I am a ward family history consultant.  That has been fun for me.  I really enjoy helping people with family history.  It is also very flexible, and it will work around my schedule.  I am also the ward choir accompanist.  That is great because it makes me practice the piano.  I really like the songs our director has picked out.  Brian also likes it because he doesn’t have to play the piano and he can enjoy singing. 

Brian has also kept busy with cub scouts.  He really enjoys that calling.  Matthew loves having him with him, too.  Kara also loves going to activity days with the a couple of times a month.  She has really enjoyed being one of the bigger kids.  Sometimes Brian will stop for Frostys on the way home.  He is such a fun dad for the kids.  Sometimes I get stuck into our routine (I think a routine is important, and I am glad to have one that works for us) and don’t take time to smell the roses.  Brian is really good at that.   He has been back on his bike, too since the weather is warm.  I hope he can get back into that.  Who knows, maybe there will be snow next month, like a true Wisconsin winter, but for now, we are going to live it up. 

We have been really enjoying having Brian’s Mom and Dad around.  We get together for Sunday dinners quite often, and Brian’s mom has been helping out a lot with the kids.  We have also gone down to the temple together a couple of times.  It has been really fun having family close by.  I think I could get used to it. 

Hope you know we all love you.

Love,

Brian, Martha, Matthew, Kara, Lindsay, Seth and Elise Taylor 

Florida

Brian had a conference in Orlando, and I got to go, too.  My mom and my sister Rae were so nice to come help and watch our kids.  We had such a nice time.  I spent the first few days with Sonia in Gainsville while Brian was in his meetings.  Then I spent the last few days with him.  We had a great time.  We were just sad Rae had to have a kidney stone while she was here.

 Buzz Lightyear and me at the Lego store

 Universal Studios:  We ate there a couple of nights/days.  It was really nice to eat there, besides great food, they had great gluten free options and were very aware of it.  

Universal Studios during the day. 

 Hogwarts Castle. 

 The last day we spent at the beach.  It was a very nice day.  We saw dolphins jumping out in the distance.  Not sure if you can really tell in this picture.  

 Here we are again.  Aren't we so cute.

The Hand of the Lord in My Life

The Hand of the Lord in My Life

This past year(2011) was quite a challenge, but I have seen the hand of the Lord in my life quite a few times. 

In January we got pregnant.  I had my first Doctors appointment set up in March.  It was going to be perfect because Brian’s Mom was coming out to watch the kids while we went to Lake Geneva for a weekend.  It had been awhile since we had gone away without the kids.  We were both really looking forward to it.  

So, Brian’s Mom got here, and then I went to my Dr.’s appointment.  It turned out that there was not heartbeat, and the baby was only about 6 weeks along, and I was supposed to be 10.  Anyway, I was sad, and I was sad to have such a damper on our weekend.  But, as I was on my drive home, and crying just a little bit.  I thought about what a blessing it was going to be.  We had Brian’s mom here to take care of the kids, and we could still get the procedure done, and go back and forth to Lake Geneva. 

The procedure wasn’t very fun at all, but it was nice to be with Brian and have him take care of me and just have the weekend to ourselves.  I was talking to my Mom, and she said that she felt like that was an answer to her prayer.  When she got pregnant with me, she was so worried about being able to give  me the care I needed and being able to help me when I needed it.  Her answer to her prayer was that if there was ever anything I needed that she couldn’t give me, someone would be raised up to be able to help me.  She felt like Brian’s mom was that answer to her prayer. 

Not that having a miscarriage is a blessing, but I was so sick after the miscarriage and so weak (I couldn’t stir Kool-Aid without switching hands because I just couldn’t hold things), and SOOOOO TIRED, and it was a blessing not to have to worry about taking care of a baby.  I couldn’t have done it.  I would have had to hire help.  Gosh, Brian did a lot of the folding of the laundry, dishes, and picking up the house.  I hardly cleaned the bathrooms once every couple of weeks, and I never did any projects, like organizing closets or going through stuff.  It would have made taking care of a baby really hard.  Maybe one day I will feel better, and we can try for another baby (If I can talk Brian into itJ).  He really is worried about my health, and I do have 5 little ones to take care of.   Anyway, I have seen the hand of the Lord in my life.  

Christmas Cards

Hey all. I know it has been over a year since I posted. I am sending out Christmas cards though, and I would love to send you one if you want one. Let me know your address, and you will see whats been going on since my last post:).

My posts are moderated, so if you share your address, I won't post it unless you want me to.

3 July 2011

July 3, 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

The big news around here is that Kara got baptized last Sunday.  She/Brian did it in one try.  It was a sweet meeting.  She is a sweet child.  I hope she is happy in her life.   She told us how she felt when she came out of the water.  Cold…  Funny huh.   Brian’s mom and dad came for the occasion.  We were glad to have them.  Brian’s Mom gave the talk on baptism, and I gave the talk for the Holy Ghost. 

We also did a few fun things with Brian’s parents.  We went to the zoo and ate some custard.   We also played a lot of games with them.  The kids really enjoy having someone to play as many games as they want with.  We wish we saw them more often. 

Brian is still enjoying his bike, and now that the weather is nice consistently, he rides more frequently.  The kids have been doing a great job with the summer schedule.  We are doing piano, enjoying the Y, and doing a little homework, as well as playing with friends and other fun stuff. 

I am feeling  a lot better energy-wise, but not back to normal.  I was so disappointed though because my joints have been hurting a bit worse and worse.  I also had a cough that lasted forever, so I went into the dr. again, and he gave me some prednisone, and antibiotics to take for a week.  They killed the cough, and now my fingers and feet feel better (probably from the prednisone), but my other joints are a bit worse.  I am hoping by the end of the summer things will be better. 

Elise is pretty cute still.  She is talking more and more.  She tries hard to keep up with the other kids.  After church, the kids like to climb a tree at the end of the parking lot.  They headed for it, and Elise ran after them as fast as her little legs would carry her.  She seems to always be running after them.  She is a sweet child. 

Well, we are going to watch some fireworks at a neighbor’s house.   Have a happy 4^th of July.

Love,

Brian, Martha, Matthew, Kara, Lindsay, Seth, and Elise Taylor

June 5, 2011

June 5, 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

What a fun couple of weeks it has been.  We have been busy with dentist and Dr. appointments.  A bench tipped over on Elise’s foot (I actually had a thought that I should move the bench instead of pulling her out from under it- but didn’t- I don’t like it when I don’t listen to that little voice) and she has been limping for about a week.  They did some x-rays and she is fine, but still limping.  She is a cutie though and isn’t complaining or whiny or anything. 

The biopsy they did on me came back positive for Celiac.  I guess I get to go gluten free forever now.  The good news is that I feel really noticeably better after just 2 weeks on the diet.  I am hoping to feel even better in another week or so.  So, for those of you related to me, Dr.s often suggest now that all close family members get tested.  Especially if you have any symptoms (even besides the usual) like rashes, unusual fatigue, joint pain, hypoglycemic tendencies, or others. 

Matthew played his last soccer game this week.  After deciding it wasn’t for us, we decided to go ahead and sign up for next year.  Matthew has done so well, and improved so much and wants to keep doing it, so we will just sign up with the hope that fewer games will be on Sundays. 

I got to go to the zoo with Kara’s class.  We had a great time.  It is fun to see the kids interact with each other and have so much fun.  I got to go around with Kara and 4 other kids.  They were  a lot of fun.  One of the boys was pretty anxious most of the time, and I couldn’t figure out why.  Finally he asked to go by the Big Cat exhibit, and he was pretty excited to let us know that his dad had put the windows on the exhibit.  We also saw a fun bird show that they really liked. 

Lindsay’s class had an end of year picnic.  So, I keep my calendar on my phone, and someone (probably one of the littlest kids) deleted everything on it.  This is a bad time of year to not know what is going on.  Anyway, I remembered the zoo trip, and I thought I had something else going on, but I thought it was just a Dr. or dentist or something where they would remind us with a call.  But, Friday morning Lindsay said she was excited for her picnic that day.  I am so thankful she remembered because I had forgotten.  It was a lot of fun.  Really it was super hot in their classroom, but it was fun. 

Seth is so much fun to have at home.  The weather has been warmer, so we like to go outside more.  We have to remind Seth that if he wants to go outside, he needs to wear pants.  He actually keeps pants on for most of the day these days if we get them on him. 

Brian has been enjoying his bike.  The weather has been warm enough that he rides a few mornings a week.  I am glad he has a fun form of exercise.  He also took Matthew and Seth on the Fathers and Sons outing.  They had a great time.  It is something Matthew looks forward to for much of the year.  They got to do a little fishing, playing in the water, fire (with smores).  They also woke up bright and early in the morning.  I am glad they go.

Well, that is all for this week.  Love,

Brian, Martha, Matthew, Kara, Lindsay, Seth, and Elise Taylor