Maybe I was born in the wrong body?

I am gonna apologize for the post ahead of time. This post is just me venting about some issues I have with women in general.

I have a lot of empathy for others, but I have very little patience when grown adults do not speak freely and honestly about what they think, want, or feel. It just makes things too messy. If you are offended by something I do, please tell me straight up! Don't beat around the bush or gossip about it to others, talk to me. 99% of the time I didn't even know I was being offensive. I am not hard hearted or lack affection for others, but I don't always agree with everyone, or want to do the same things others are doing. However, it has been my experience that some people, specifically women, really get their feelings hurt over those things. I just think it's all really silly and do not understand it at all.

I think I will bring my venting session to an end with saying that I love people, I do, sometimes I just think I may have been born with a man's mentality when it comes to understanding the things some women do. Of course I am speaking generally here with regard to gender specific roles and mentality.

saddened

I haven't posted in forever, but I am gonna try again. Lately I have had quite a few friends who have gotten a divorce. This makes me incredibly sad! I understand that divorce may be necessary for some situations, but it seems as though people today have stopped fighting for their marriages. Though I know I shouldn't be I am really bothered by this phenomenon among members of the LDS church. I know divorce is common, but in my naivety I thought that it didn't really happen for Latter Day Saints unless there were serious cases of abuse or adultery. It seems as though that is not reality and I am not prepared for this. How do we help these people? How do we show them that Christ can heal all wounds and help us through all trials? How do we help people understand how to use the atonement in their marriages? How do we keep people from allowing Satan to attack our homes?

Maybe the answer is there is nothing that can be done other than what I do in my own house with my own husband. If this is the case I am truly saddened.

Wow, I can't believe it has been over a year since I posted on here! I have become a FB person and so have neglected the blog! Life is good here in Utah and I am liking it more than I thought I ever would. The kids all have friends in the neighborhood and so it's a great environment for them! Aqeel is loving his job and I am loving being at home! I suppose that's it for now. I will try to be better about updating this thing!

So Proud!

Aqeel has finished his thesis paper and completed his MBA! It was a lot of work and I am very proud of him. In other good news...He also was offered a job as a production manager for Ralcorp frozen foods in Ogden, Utah! I never thought I would EVER live in Utah, but it looks like that is where we are headed! We are actually really excited because we have been praying for a long time to be in a place that is right for our family with a job that Aqeel will be happy with. We are confident this is the place! We are really so grateful to have a loving Heavenly Father who loves us and provides for us! Aqeel starts work on April 5th, but we won't be joining him in Utah until mid June when the kids and I have finished school. Thank goodness for all our Navy training. These next few weeks apart will be a breeze!

it has been a really long time!

So here is what you missed....

Ayron turned 1 and is walking around everywhere!Here is what he did to his birthday cake!


Here he is walking...


He also had his first professional haircut by my awesome beautician cousin Danielle!
Before...

During...

After...


Almost all of my siblings came to visit for a wknd in feb to celebrate my neice's birthday and my Dad's birthday! I heard it was a lot of, but I was locked in my bedroom with the flu for most of the time! So, that is it really. We are boring I know!

the one I got!

This is the jewelry box I got!!!!

back to normality

Well the holidays are over and its back to the grindstone! Aqeel and I started classes along with the girls on Monday. I am taking one of my two senior capstone psych courses and a ceramics class! My ceramics class is soo fun! I am not very good at wheel throwing, but I am getting better. By the end of the term I should have it! We get to make all kinds of cool stuff this term like cups, mugs, bowls, plates, pitchers, and serving dishes! The final project is planning a meal that uses all of our dishes for serving and eating. Then we have a potluck! How fun is that?! Aqeel is writing his thesis and is excited about being done in March!!!! The good thing about this term is that he doesn't to go to an actual class, which means no homework other than his paper! This works well for me cause my capstone class is gonna be time consuming. Wish us all good luck!

Need some opinions please

For Christmas Aqeel bought me a jewelry armoire that got lost in transit. We had our money refunded and now I have the chance to get the one I really want. I need some help deciding. I want an armoire that can hold several necklaces and has drawers that I can organize earrings and bracelets. It also has to look cool. Here are the three I have widdled the list down to. Please help me decide on one.

This one has 4 drawers (2 divided and 2 open) and the sides open with hooks for necklaces. I am not sure if the top opens or not.



This one is really pretty. I like all the detail in the wood. It has 2 side open doors with hooks, a flip top and five open drawers some with ring slots.



This one I really like the look of. I am not sure if I like the depth of the drawers. It has a flip top, four drawers (at least one divided), and sides open with necklace hooks.

Almost...

Ayron is only 10 months old and he is already almost walking!!!

Ward Christmas Party

This year Aysia played a shepherd and Amaya an Angel!




Santa was there too, which I kinda have issues with, but the pictures turned out pretty cute!




Jr wouldn"t sit on Santa's lap, but he wouldn't leave without putting in a request.

Finals week!

It's finals week for Aqeel and I. This would normally be a stressful time for me, but because both of my classes are studio classes all of my work has been done. Here are my midterm and final paintings...


My midterm! Here is the pic I used as a sketch for the painting. I stayed pretty true to the pic for this painting.


Here is the painting...


My final. This is the pic I used as a sketch of what I was going to paint...


Here is the painting. I changes the background to read as a wall instead of having the entertainment center there.


Here is a pic of a pot I made in my ceramics class...

Oh Christmas Tree!

The day after we arrived home from our Christmas vacation the Christmas tree and outside lights were immediately put up!!!! Here are some pics...

Thanksgiving

This year for Thanksgiving we traveled a lot. We began our vacation on Tues morning driving 3hrs to Boise, Id to see my cousin Dawn's family. Aqeel and I also squeezed in visits to the temple. Wed. we drove another two hours to Burley, ID to spend thanksgiving with my sister Staci's family. Staci is a wonderful cook and we had a great time playing and eating!








Friday we drove 31//3 hrs to Pleasant Grove to visit other one of my cousins and go to Temple Square to see the Christmas lights. We went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse Grill, which was fantastic and ran into a family I grew up with! It was a lot of fun seeing Jessica, Erica, Maren, Terrel, and Leah!!!



Jr, Parker, Amaya, & Aysia!


Jr at his best!


Us and the Bayles fam at the conference center!


Aysia at the conference center!


We drove the 31/2 hrs back to Burley on Sat and then 5 more hours home on Sun! It was a long trip but it was a lot of fun!!!!

pics

So much has happened over the last five weeks. We took family pics for the christmas card...







We carved pumpkins for Halloween...



We had our first snow of the season...



We had school Halloween parties!! I am one of Amaya's room moms and I dressed up as Superwoman! I don't have any pics of me though...




I selected a pic for my painting mid term. I am supposed to incorporate a part of my body with my still life object my professor gave me. It's a kitchen scrub brush. So this is what I am doing....



This last week we have all had the flu! It has sucked and I am sooo ready to be healthy again not to mention being able to send the kids back to school!!!So, I guess that pretty much catches you up to now!

It's been a while

I have been very bad about blogging lately and it is because of my new obession Facebook. I love the farming games on facebook and I am on there all the time! It is sad really. There are also other reason for not blogging... My children broke my camera. I don't know what it is about my children, but they always seem to find ways to destroy items in our home that were expensive to purchase. So, I have finally been able to afford a new camera that will help facilitate blogging. So, here is to recommitting to the blogging world!!!

Happy 6th Amaya!

At the Flintstone Museum


with Jr!


Stylin!


On her 6th b-day!

Look how big I'm getting!

I did it!!

I completed my first triathlon on friday!!! It was a 500 meter swim followed by a 12 mile bike ride, and finished with a 3.3 mile run!!! I did it with four other women from church and it was sooo much fun!!! Honestly I never thought an event like this could be fun but it was! I finished the race in 1hr 59 mins! I forgot to take a camera but my good friend Wendie took some pics and I am gonna ask her to email them to me so that I can post some! I am so proud of myself and this accomplishment! After the tri was finished I was riding my bike back to pick up my car and the front brake on my bike stuck and I went flying over the handle bars! I was hurt and thought I had re-broken my right arm. My knee was bleeding pretty bad and I have a pretty large raspberry on my left elbow. I went to the Dr who took x-rays and said that nothing was broken but that I did sprain my elbow quite bad. I am wearing a brace and am quite incapacitated for a while. I really just feel like a dork. I mean really grown people are not supposed to have such silly accidents. I'll post pics of my wounds later as well...

Soccer time!

Amaya had her first soccer gamelast night! It was cute watching the kids chase the ball around! Her is some footage from the game...

Dad's Day!

I am soo grateful for the wonderful father my husband is! He is so consistent, kind, respectful, and loving to our children! It is a pleasure to watch him interact with them. My four little kids just love him. So, Aqeel my hat goes off to you...what a great Dad!!!!!