My new hobby

My new hobby started last June when our little family was driving into Saginaw for the first time to live in our new home. I kept noticing random "things" sitting on the side of the road. As I would look closer, these "things" appeared to be valuable materials. This sparked an interest for me and I decided to look further into the matter. I found out that every weekend, starting on Thursdays actually, people would set anything they wanted to get rid of out on the curb for anyone to take. So my eyes always were hunting for these "free items", but I never found anything that we needed or was in descent enough condition to keep. But then........................ I found out about the yard sales. Wow, they are everywhere! There are so many every weekend that I stress over deciding which ones to go to. This weekend, the little town we live by had a festival and there were over 100 yard sales in the area! So Paige and I went out at 8:30 for a few hours and found some good things. Many of the yard sales were disappointing and I walked away empty-handed from most of them, but we enjoyed the time rummaging and trying to bargain prices down. We have made some great purchases in the past, including our lawn-mower, lawn-seeder, gas can, sand box, puzzles, our king size bed (I know that sounds gross, but it is an awesome bed), tricycle, trucks for Dylan, little tykes tables and chairs, books, and my bike to name a few. Yesterday, my hot buys were these two toys for Dylan. He is lacking toys and gets very exciting when anything new to him comes into the house. This train set, which has kept him busy since I came home with it yesterday, was only $4. This Little People airport/road thing, which he hasn't cared for yet, was only $3. Now don't be fooled by the couches in the back ground, they were already ours. We are trying to keep these precious babies in the family as long as we can. I also got Dylan some digging trucks for outside for 25 cents each, some snow boots for next winter for 50 cents. Some shoes for Henry for 50 cents, and many more. So that is my new hobby. I love to go yard-saling to see what I can find. Our neighbors junk truly is our treasure.

Construction construction construction.....

This is the construction that is taking place right outside of Dylan and Cassie's windows. There are currently 4 houses being built right beside us. It is very annoying to wake up at 6:30 am to loud trucks that beep every time they back up. The sounds of hammers, cement trucks, loud workers, pounding etc all contribute to the lack of sleep my children are receiving. When Cassie takes naps, she often has 2 loud fans beside her crib to drown out the noise, or she can be found sleeping in a pack n play in our tiny little closet. It is also very annoying when Dylan wants to play outside and big trucks are parked almost on our lawn and we have to yell to each other in order to hear what is being said. I also fear that he will run out in the street and get hit or lost in all the comotion. This will hopefully last only a couple more months, but I am afraid since there are still many empty lots around us, this process will be ongoing till we move. I wish they would build the houses all at once instead of one at a time. Anway, the lesson learned is that we won't buy a home with so many empty lots beside it again.

On a happier note, this is the little dress that Nate brought back from Guatamala for Cassie. Cute.

Women at the Well

Last Saturday, we had a Stake Enrichment meeting that was very uplifting. I had been looking forward to this event for a while and I am very grateful for the opportunity I had to feel the spirit so strongly and learn so much about how to improve myself. The theme of the Enrichment was Women at the Well -Come drink of the "Living Water". We started out in the Chapel as sisters in the Stake (actually they were all from my ward) performed the "Women at the Well" program. It was very well done and I was very emotional through it. The spirit was felt very strongly through out the music and as the different women Christ encountered in his life spoke, I could feel more of the Saviors love.


We then divided into 3 classes and the first one I went to was called "Scripture Study - Drink of the Living Water". I didn't get to hear a lot of this class because I was in charge of making sure the classes started and ended on time (so I was in the hall a lot), but I came away with excitement to read the Bible all the way through. Our Church focus' so much on reading the Book of Mormon, but it is also so important to know the Bible as well. One of the sisters commented on how you can always tell when a sister knows and loves the Bible (or BofM). I know I have studied the Old and New Testament in Seminary and Institute, but I have yet to read it all the way through and there is so much to learn!

The second class I went to was called "Choosing That Good Part". It was based on the book "Mary, Martha, and Me: Seeking the One Thing That Is Needful" by Camille Fronk Olson. Here is an overview of the book:

When someone says, "She is a Martha-type," we know just what that means: a woman who is practical, competent, down-to-earth. We understand that Marthas are certainly useful and necessary, but it's usually Mary that gets the halo. Author Camille Fronk Olson brings unique insights and perspectives to the biblical story of two sisters, Mary and Martha, who serve Jesus in different ways. Exploring the mixed messages in daily life, she discusses the motives and focus that determine our choices and the problem of comparing our gifts and contributions to others. In her warm, engaging style, the author brings to light the lessons Mary and Martha learn from each other and the "one thing [that] is needful" for both.

This is definitely a book I want and need to read. The teacher in this class did a very good job. She had us all reflect on our lives and asked us if we are "choosing that good part"?. I find myself relating more to Martha most of the time, which isn't that bad, but I need to be more like Mary. I think if I read the book it will help me better understand why I need to be more like Mary. Martha was only trying to cook and clean so that the Savior could feel welcome and have something to eat. What is so wrong with that? How would they eat if no one was cooking? I related this (and so did the teacher) to my children. Am I putting them first when it is more important? Not all the time, but I need to. An experience the teacher told is one I will never forget. I will try to summarize it as simply as possible. She has 5 children; 1 boy and 4 girls. She had a nice big blown-up picture of herself with a beautiful 12 year old daughter. This daughter was an honor student, smart in all aspects of life, kind, gentle, a loving sister and friend. In 2nd grade, this daughter found out there was an advanced math class and asked to be in it. She did all she could to excel and was a daughter any mother would dream to have. Another picture the teacher had was a blown up picture of a 3 or 4 year old girl screaming. This was also one of her daughters, but totally opposite of the first already described. This daughter would always scream. She was stubborn and very hard to teach and relate to. She would hit and she would hardly ever listen to her mother. She didn't talk until she was 3 1/2 years old. The mother said that she (herself) would get angry and wonder why this child was sent to her because she couldn't handle her. The mother often had bad feelings toward this high strung child and wondered if she really loved her. Sounds very sad, I know. But when she was telling me about this daughter (she related many more examples) it's like a bell went off inside of me and I knew how she felt. I have a child that sounds so much like the second daughter she described. Then the teacher looked at us for a long time and then said, "These two daughters I have described are the same person". "Wow", I was thinking. That couldn't be right. But it was, and she told us that she finally learned how to cope with this special little daughter that was sent to her. She learned that she couldn't change who her daughter was, but that she needed to bring out every unique quality this little girl had to help her be the person Heavenly Father wanted her to be. And how did she do this? The teacher said she opened the scriptures and found her answer in D&C 58:27, "Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness". So I learned that I need to be "anxiously engaged" with both my children all the time. Dishes can wait, phone calls can wait, showers can wait (some of the time), because my children are the most important thing right now. (Just as Christ should have been the most important thing to Martha). I still would love to read this book to better understand the whole Mary and Martha thing. (okay, this section could have been a talk! Sorry for being so long!).

The third class was "A Heart Like His". It was based on the book by Virginia H. Pearce, daughter of President Gordon B. Hinckley.

An overview of book:
The ability to feel God's love doesn't just make life nicer or more comfortable-it changes everything. When filled with God's love, we can do and see and understand things that we cannot do and see and understand on our own. As our own hearts are softened by these blessings, our overriding desire becomes to help others experience this joy also. But how do we do that in the normal course of our everyday lives? Presented in the form of an experiment undertaken by eight friends, this step-by-step guide helps us discover the one change we can make within ourselves that will automatically increase our ability to feel the love of God and to extend that love to others.

This class focused on how we should always have an open heart to those around us. Don't be afraid to talk to the teller at the grocery store, someone sitting next to you on an airplane, the dentist, someone walking by, etc. Take the initiative to get outside yourself and express an interest in those around you. Pray for the courage to do so, and always be grateful for what Christ has given you, even the simple things. What a wonderful class! This book will be on my wish list as well.

I am so happy I was able to attend this wonderful Relief Society Enrichment. The best part was the food at the end! (just kidding). It was so nice to come home after and see Nate and the kids. Nate had been gone for 3 days taking his STEP 3 exam, the last of the big tests. YEAH!!!!

Outside for a day

This is Michigan 3 days ago. Today almost looks the same except there is lots of rain instead of snow, but still freezing.

This is yesterday. It finally warmed up to 60 degrees, however the wind was still very cold. Despite the chilliness outside, we took advantage of the day and the kids were finally allowed outside to play for the first time this year. As you can see, Cassie was very very happy about this big day. She loves being outside as much as Dylan does.

Still happy....

Oops, not so happy anymore.

Dirt, trucks, and being outside. Dylan was in heaven.

About Me...

I took this from Jennifer's blog. Thank you Jennifer.

Bath or shower? SHOWER. Hot baths once in a while are very nice too.

What did you want to be when you were little? nothing

Something you don't understand? a lot of things. The biggest thing is why people have to worry about others' problems. Just worry about your own life and try to make it better.

What surprises you most about your adult life? That being a mom really is the hardest job anyone could ever have. (and the best)

What's your idea of the perfect meal?

*Breakfast - German pancakes with bacon on the side

*Lunch - Hmm, I am not sure for lunch. People may laugh at me, but I love the two cheeseburger meal at McDonald's. It is what I have ordered almost every time I have been to McDonald's since playing sports in high-school. (besides the chicken burger phase that I went through with Megan. Those are good too.)

*Dinner - My favorite dinner is Hawaiian Haystacks or ham and funeral potatoes. But that means I would have to cook it. Let's be honest, it wouldn't be a perfect meal unless it was made by someone else, or paid for. Since I haven't been out to eat at a sit down restaurant in a very long time, I would have to resort back to when Nate and I would go to Lone Star once a month and get the steak and sweet potato. They also have the best salads.

*Dessert - Cheesecake, white chocolate brownie, or cream puffs. All are fantastic.

What's the craziest fashion trend or hairstyle you've worn? It has to be slouch socks rolled on top of tight pants. That has to be one of the few things left from the 80's that hasn't come back yet. (besides the hair)

What amount of money would make you feel you were set for life? Hmm, anything above what we are currently making. I must say, at least we are not living off of students loans anymore. Only two more years and we "get" to start paying them off.

If you could change careers now without any consequences or financial loss, what would you switch to? If I really had to start working, I think I would enjoy marketing. Sounds lame, but when I watch commercials I always think of different ways products could be advertised. Since my degree was kind of in that area, (okay only a couple classes were in Marketing) I think it would help.


The big decision I'm currently wrestling with is... whether we should finish the basement or not. We would love the extra room for toys and parties and it would probably help the house sell easier when we move in two years, however do we really want to put the money into it that is desperately needed elsewhere?

Who was your first prom date? Trent Leavitt.

Who was your first roommate? Megan, Carmen and Chancy (sp)

Who will be the first to repost this? Someone else that should be sleeping while the kids are sleeping.

First Job? Besides my dad, I think it was at "The Trail of the Great Bear" in good ol Waterton.

What was your first car? Chevrolet celebrity

Who was your first kiss? Mychal Merrill, although that really doesn't count because I ran up to him, kissed him, and then ran off. I then had to go to the Principal's office. Jared McCollister was the first mutual kiss.

What was your first CD? I think it was a "NOW" CD.

Who was your first grade teacher? the teacher that we claim left our school because of our class, Pat Woolf.

Where did you go on your first air plane ride? Virginia

When you snuck out of your house for the first time, who was with you? honestly, you can't really sneak out of our house because the doors are never locked, you just walk out. Also, since we lived in the middle of the country, you can see and hear every single car that drives up, which kind of limits that event. I do remember taking off without asking a few times. I know, I live on the wild side.

Who was your first best friend and are you still friends with them? Vicki. I don't keep in touch with her too much, but once a friend, always a friend.

Where was your first sleepover? Vicki's house

Who is the first person you talk to in the morning? Nate or Dylan

Whose wedding were you in the first time? Lani's wedding

First tattoo or piercing? Ears pierced when I was a baby.

First celebrity crush? Jesse from Full House

First real crush? Mychal Merrill

First detention? Elementary. I had detentions a lot.

Now wasn't that enjoyable?? Here I am in all my beauty.................

Happy Easter

Well, it was a great Easter weekend, however I can not believe the weather here in Michigan. People warned me before I came here that Spring doesn't really exist here. They said it warms up in March and teases you to the point where you almost start wearing shorts, and then it snows again for another month. Well, that is happening. It has been sooooo cold here! Last night it was -18 F. (with a wind chill). I am so tired of my winter coat and bundling the kids up everywhere I go. So we just stay home because I won't go anywhere until it warms up. Yes, there was snow this morning, on Easter nonetheless. I figured since I am from Canada that I can handle this coldness, but I can't. It must end soon!

So anyway, other then the weather, we had a great Easter. We had a big dinner last night with some friends and then played Cities and Knights (an extended version of Settlers of Cataan) and I FINALLY won! It had been a long time since I won and it felt so nice to be competitive again. It is great to have friends here that love games as much (actually even more) then we do. It has been a blessing, truly. So anyway, Dylan enjoyed his basket this morning. I was lying in bed and all I could here is little wrappers out in the hall. He loved finding chocolate and his bubble gun and playing with them before church. Cassie never actually saw her basket, since Dylan found it first and hid it from her. It is probably better that way because I didn't really want her to have all that candy anyway. We had Matt and Tami and girls over for dinner after church. It was fun to have just us two families and be able to visit them. They are leaving soon to Idaho Falls and we will miss them so much. I made a really good chocolate cheesecake flan that I will have to post on here. It was great. I hope everyone had an enjoyable Easter, especially my family since the whole extended Folsom family (minus mine and Tanya's families) had a reunion in beautiful "sunny and warm" (that is not fair) St. George!

A Wedding!

Yeah, my brother Chad called me today to tell me he is engaged! I am so happy for him. He is marrying Diana on September 7th. Go Chad!

2 different days

I must say, before I had kids, I had no clue that a child could have two totally completely opposite days back to back. The child I am speaking about is Dylan. Bless his little heart, he can be such a sweet little boy and he can be so kind and gentle......however there is another side to him. Lets just say...that he has always been more of a "high needs" child. He loves attention, but who doesn't? Since I am also the mother of a little girl who has been teething nonstop and besides crawling and using her little car(walker) to scoot around on, I am her main mode of transportation. Yes, she is 15 1/2 months old and is still not walking (and is also "failing to thrive"). But both of those are different stories that can wait. So anyway, I usually have her attached to my hip and on the rare occasion that she is happily playing on the floor, or sitting in her little car enjoying a leisurely ride through the living room, Dylan notices that we are both happy and decides that something needs to change this happiness, or so it seems. Cassie usually ends up being pulled out of her little car, or even worse, her little car gets pushed as fast as Dylan can push it down the hallway (with Cassie in it) and when he comes to a corner, Cassie's little tiny body goes flying out one way while Dylan continues with an empty car the other way. Then after Cassie finally stops rolling and realizes she has been abandoned, she starts to scream. Dylan then notices the car is now empty, sits on it himself, and then starts his own leisurely stroll through the house with a little smirk on his face. This is repeated about 9 times a day.

Okay so I got carried away and forgot what this blog was originally supposed to be about. Oh yes, Dylan and his 2 different days. Yesterday was the day from Heaven. Dylan woke up early and instead of demanding me to get out of bed, he brought his blanket and 2 rabbits and crawled up into bed with me and fell asleep. This rarely happens. I love cuddling with him in bed but he usually has too much energy to lay still. The cuddle lasted about 5 minutes (when Nate blew his nose really loud in the bathroom). Then at 11:00 we went to McDonald's for a medmates playgroup (residency spouse group). Medmates has been so fun and we only ever go to McDonald's when they have a playgroup there because Medmates pays for it, which is only about once a month. So Dylan really looks forward to going and has a lot of fun. However, while Dylan is playing on the play land, usually at least 3 different times kids will come up to me and complain about Dylan hitting them or pushing them. This gets very tiring and I am trying to help him to be soft to others, but it still happens. It gets to the point where I feel like others don't want us to come over because Dylan can get out of control. Not just hitting, but screaming and whining(sp?) a lot. Anyway, for the first time since we have lived here, I think we made it through a playgroup at McDonald's with no little kid coming to tell me that Dylan hit them. One little girl did come up to me and she was about to tell me something that Dylan did and I just looked at her with a look that scared her I think and she said, "Dylan has ice cream on his face". I am not sure if she really was going to tell me that Dylan hit her or not, but she didn't. And, instead of me having to crawl all the way to the top of the play land and drag him down and into the car screaming (yes, I do give him 5 minute warnings before we leave), he came down the second time I told him to and we walked out of McDonald's as a happy little family. That was nice. Then, when we got home, I told him it was time for a nap and he went right to his bed without a struggle. That was also very nice. Then came cleanup time before dinner when it is a mess and no one wants to clean, especially Dylan. I told him it was time to clean-up and I started singing the "clean-up" song they sing in nursery and he got mad at me. He said, "No mommy, you can't clean, go in the kitchen". Then he proceeded to clean up the 200 mega blocks all by himself (with the occassional few thrown in by Cassie's little hands). That never happens either. It was very nice to sit back and watch with a smile as my two little children cleaned up without the help of their mother.

The last thing that made the day great was when I told Dylan he needed a haircut. I had been warning him all day that I was going to cut his hair tonight and he kept saying no. He hates getting his hair cut, Nate and I usually have to pin him down to do it. Sad, I know. But last night, I talked him into playing with his little cartoon band aid that he got at the doctor's office the day before and he just sat there and let me cut his hair without hardly moving. That was a miracle. I guess "Cars" was playing on the TV to entertain him too. And...I had to give him a little mint after every swipe with the clippers because he sat still. So it took a lot of bribing, but he sat still. It was still a miracle. So that was my day with him. He has been doing very well the last couple of months with his behavior, but yesterday was an extremely better day for him. I think I felt for the day what it must be like to be some of the other moms out there. It was nice to feel like them. (I am not saying I have the hardest kids, because I know others have it way worse, but some also have it..............different).

So that was yesterday. Today.......................well it has been a different day today. So that this blog doesn't get any longer, I will be short. There has just been a lot of crying today. A LOT. I can still here both children's cries ringing in my ears, and they have been in bed for hours already. I am trying to be a more patient mother and work with each child to help them feel special and make sure they are both getting the love that they need, but it can be hard. I love them both so much and the thing that I always need to remind myself of is that "Tomorrow is a new day!". (and I hope it is more like my Tuesday then my Wednesday). And one more thing.... Emily won't read this, but she is a great friend here who took all us girls out for dessert tonight. How did she know I needed that so much today? That's all, goodnight.

Forgot to mention....

I forgot to mention that I saw my brother Chad while I was at home in Canada. I hadn't seen him since before his mission almost 2 1/2 years ago. He seemed pretty much the same, just more mature and a lot more in love. Yes, I had the privilege of meeting Diana, his girl friend. I only got to visit with her for 20 minutes, but she is really nice and seems to be really good to Chad. I was able to go to the temple with Chad and my mom and dad. That was neat, but I wish the rest of the family could have been there. We just all live so far from each other and never get to be together (unless a wedding occurs, hint hint).

I also forgot to mention that I was able to see a few friends from home that I hadn't seen in a couple of years and that was so fun. Shauna looked hotter then ever and Megan has the cutest little kids. I need to be better at keeping in touch with friends because they are all people I don't ever want to forget.

Nate's trip to Guatemala

Here are some random pictures of Nate's trip. He had a lot of fun, but really missed the kids and I (of course). He said they only had 3 working days of helping the locals and the rest of the time was spent traveling. He was gone for a total of 10 days.

Some of the crew that Nate went with:

"I am the king of the jungle!"

Doing his medical thing

Eating a coconut

The 20 pound fish that Nate caught. It took him 5 minutes to reel it in.

A popular meal in Guatemala


The boat that the crew of 10 slept on while traveling to the different villages.

Helping treat the locals

Our trip to Canada

Here are some pictures from our trip to Canada last week. Unfortunately, Nate wasn't able to come with the kids and I because he was in Guatemala basking in the sun (and saving peoples lives). Dylan had the time of his life on the farm. Everyday since we've been home, he keeps asking to ride on Grandpa's tractors. He wanted to be with Grandpa every minute of the day helping him on the farm.

We also had fun riding on the "big bikes", as Dylan would call them. Even with the freezing wind blowing on us, he still got a thrill out of riding on the quads.

Feeding a calf with Grandpa:

Checking cows. (And yes, Dylan is wearing purple boots because one of the blue boots ended up at the bottom of a lake last year while fishing, due to one Dylan Whittaker throwing it overboard (and Grandpa trying to rescue it, but not succeeding)).

Just chilling in Grandma's kitchen after getting all cleaned up:

Eating lunch at GG's (Great Grandma's). It sure was a good lunch. We were able to spend a lot of time with my Grandma and it was a lot of fun.

Cassie with Grandma:

Now that Dylan has had a taste of being on the farm and playing outside this season, I am not sure how I am going to keep him inside. I had to give him a bath almost every day in Canada because he would get so dirty (and smelly).




Had to add some in of Cassie. She did really well after the first couple of days. She was sick to begin the trip and when the plane landed in Calgary, she barfed all over me. I didn't have time to change her on the plane so I just brought her off in only a onesie. Then we almost didn't make it passed customs because I didn't have a note from Nate giving me permission to take the kids out of the country. So we almost camped out in the airport for 10 days but I finally talked the border lady into letting us into Canada, insisting that kidnapping these two kids would be one of the "not so smartest" things I could ever do=).


This was the cutest thing. When we landed bot the kids wanted to look out the window and I couldn't believe how nice they were to each other. They stood like this for a long time.

The kids did really well on the airplane, besides another barfing incident on the flight home. This time I caught it all over me instead of letting it go on the floor. The flight attendant was very helpful and insisted on continuously dumping powder all over me to get the smell out. It worked okay. This was before our 2 hour layover in Chicago, plus a 2 hour delay. Luckily, we met up with Nate's mom and Lisa and Whitney for about 45 minutes. It was so nice to see them and have some help for a while. Since Cassie doesn't let anyone hold her but my lucky self, I was very surprized that she let her Grandma Whittaker hold her almost the whole time.

One very happy Nate and Dylan being reunited. Yes I know, Nate is tan.