Fish Tacos

What an awesome day! Our principal sent four teachers(one of which was me) from our school to the Love and Logic Conference in Little Rock. We are all big fans of Love and Logic so it was great fun! The best part was lunch! We drove downtown and finally found a parking place. We ate at The Flying Fish. I have never eaten there before. I had fish tacos and they were amazing! I know we shouldn't love food so much, but I really enjoyed eating them! They were crispy corn tortillas with fried catfish and this wonderfully sweet sauce, coleslaw, and pico de gallo on top. WOW! I wish I had thought to take a picture of them. (I'm going to have to get a better phone with a better camera. Another thing to add to my want list.) The best part about lunch, though, was eating with friends. We laughed and talked and laughed. After the workshop, I went to visit my mom. We had a nice visit. Then on my way home, I felt like doing something fun so I stopped at a flea market for about 30 minutes. Going to flea markets is one of my favorite things to do.

Positive List

How is it possible to feel so positive one day and not the next? I am having to force myself to think positive today. So what things do I have in my life that are wonderful? My wonderful husband, my children, our new house, my job, my friends, my health, .... The list can go on and on. Okay, I feel better. Speaking of wonderful things in my life, a friend wanted me to share an update on the house, so here goes. Brian almost has all the sheetrock up. We have started priming and painting upstairs. We are planning on moving in this summer!!!

Trying to choose paint colors for the living area

Our warm fireplace!

Trying Again

I started this blog a while back to promote a positive attitude (mainly in myself). It evolved into a family blog and then stopped altogether. This year, before I made my goals, I wrote a mission statement for myself: "I can do all things with the help of my Heavenly Father. I will take care of me spiritually, physically, and emotionally so I can help others. I will live my life by these priorities in this order: my own personal salvation, family, church, work, then everything else. I am in control of my own salvation and will depend on Heavenly Father and myself to solve my problems." I'm really working on taking care of myself (as moms know, it can be difficult). After having my spirits lifted by posting some positive comments on facebook and reading my friend's blogs (yes, you Chelsie), I decided I need to get back to why I started this blog in the first place. So, as I struggle to take care of myself, I will be posting as many positive, uplifting things as I can find.

This is a story I read today that touched my heart.

http://mormonlife.com/story/1579-boy-sings-primary-songs-until-rescued-in-haiti

If the link doesn't work, let me know.

Tupperware!

I am hosting a virtual Tupperware party! If you are interested, email me at grisham60@yahoo.com and I will send you an invite with a link to the catalog!

Thanks!

Grisham Family update

HOUSE

The front porch swing is already stained and in use. It seems like yesterday that Jaydan was a baby. How did she grow up so fast? She is my ray of sunshine and totally keeps me grounded.

Our fireplace insert to keep us warm in winter.

Electrical wiring is taking place now, thanks to the Elders and Bro. Randy Smith.

ZOO FIELD TRIP
I had the privilege of going to the zoo with Jaydan and her class. We had a great time! They had an awesome bird show! Jaydan likes to see the Lorikeets and the monkeys. She thought the train ride was great. (Funny, but I remember it being a lot more fun when I was little.)

Jaydan in front of the African termite mound

The girls loved the pink flamingos!

Oops! I think three monkeys escaped!

I see you! All the kids had homemade binoculars. It was so cute to see the kids use them as if they really worked.

GARDEN

The rose bushes are loaded! They will always make me remember Sis. Thomas.

I can't wait for green beans! Maybe the curse has been lifted. Brian says when he was a kid his mother made him pick green beans. He hated it and one day said, "Curse you, green beans, curse you!" He said they've never been able to grow green beans since.

My first zucchini blossom!

Baseball is in full swing (pun intended). Brian is having a great season! He is by far the best player on his team. Jaydan and I don't get to all his games, because some of them are at 8:00 at night. I'll try to get some pictures up soon. He now has his permit and is driving everywhere. He's a good driver

Alec has signed up for the Air Force and will find out soon when he leaves.

Matt is out of the Army and is here with us for a bit. I am enjoying having him here. He's planning on going to school in the fall.

Dominic Cooper Daniel

I had a great Spring Break! It is awesome to see your kids grow up and be parents. I am so proud of David and Priscilla. They are both good parents and love each other! Here are some pics from the week:



Priscilla, Dominic, David in Hot Springs

Woo Pig Sooie!!

Go Hogs!!

Me, Dominic, Jaydan (having camera problems)

Jaydan and Dominic (giggle buddies by the end of the week)

Uncle James and Dominic

Happy Dominic!

I think I only heard Dominic fuss a couple of times the whole week. He is a happy, lovable little boy. We really enjoyed having them here for a week.

House Update

I love this front door!

Brian is doing a great job on the siding!

We found a great deal on rockers and a porch swing! Jaydan is convinced the swing is just for her, but I can't wait to snuggle up with my sweetheart on a cool evening and swing on our awesome front porch!

A Good Man!

I have been wanting to write about my husband for a while. I just didn't think I could express how I feel in words. This picture taken today has inspired me. Brian left for church this morning at 6:15 and came home after 2:00. After eating, he laid down on the couch to rest a little. It wasn't long before he was asleep. Jaydan loves him so much she wanted to make sure he was comfortable. She covered him with a blanket and put two of her animals beside him. It was so sweet! It made me think about how much I love him, too. We've only known each other a few years, but we feel like we've known each other forever. He really is my best friend and I love hanging out with him. He is the most positive person I know! No matter what happens, he always says "life is good". He really keeps me going through the tough times. He sets such a wonderful example for me. He is constantly sharing the gospel and studying the scriptures. He gives away lots of Book of Mormons. He is there for me when I need him. Back in December I had surgery. The night before he gave me a blessing. It amazed me that he asked Heavenly Father for all the things I had been worried about without me telling him. After surgery he was by my side and spent the night in the hospital with me. It was so comforting to me to know he was there. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father to have this wonderful man in my life now and for eternity!

Did I mention that he is building this amazing house with his own two hands?

Blast from the Past

My brother, David, has been scanning some old photos (before the days of digital) and emailing them to me and my sister. It has been fun to look at them and be reminded of some good memories. I have several boxes of photos before digital and would love to take the time to do the same. Hmmm maybe next summer. Anyway, here's a glimpse into my past.

Me in front of my Dad's old Dodge truck. We had a lot of fun in that truck. When I was 12, my dad let me drive it all over the place. He used to go to auctions on Saturdays and would come home with a truck full of stuff. My mom would get so mad. I loved going to auctions with him!

My mom and dad

Me at Christmas in Poplar Bluff, Missouri - probably in 1st or 2nd grade

Me in front of the piano - I took a few lessons but my mom couldn't get me to practice

Me again

Proof that I was a natural blonde in spite of my dark roots and gray now.

More next time...

On Raising a Grandchild

Yes, I am one of those blessed to be raising a grandchild, something that is far too common in our society today. I love her and really want her to have a good life. My own grown children were talking about some of the things they remember from their childhoods. I was a stay at home mom and we didn't have a lot of money. Now I have a full-time job as a high school teacher and a little more money. I'm glad that I can afford to give Jaydan opportunities, but I don't want her to miss out on the fun things that I did with my kids. I guess I am trying to give her the best of both worlds. My kids liked making cookies with me. I couldn't afford extras. Chocolate chips were a luxury. I remember one time my daughter and her cousin decided they wanted extra cinnamon on the snickerdoodles. Those were the brownest, hardest cookies I have ever seen, but they had so much fun! So last week Jaydan and I made snickerdoodles. I jokingly call them my food storage cookies because they take so little to make. We had fun and the rest of the family devoured them.

More catching up!

I know this is a dark picture, but this was just one of those moments. Sometimes I feel bad because Jaydan doesn't have any siblings close to her age. She makes do with dolls and animals. She had them all lined up on the couch, each with its own plate, fork, and cup. She was making sure they all got fed. Later she was up and she walked by the couch and hollered at them, "Stop yelling at each other!". I'm sure glad she goes to Pre-K and church. She definitely needs some socializing.



More pics of our amazing house!

Isn't that the most beautiful dormer you have ever seen?

Catching Up!

Okay, I know it's been a long time since I have posted. This post will contain lots of pictures. The biggest thing that has been going on is the amazing progress of our house. I am totally amazed by what my husband has accomplished with is own two hands.

HALLOWEEN 2008

We had a fun Halloween! Jaydan had a non-party at school and then we went to Trunk or Treat at church. She was a princess again this year. Even though she wants to play soccer and can keep up with the boys, she is still a princess at heart.

THANKSGIVING 2008

We had a great Thanksgiving dinner. Brian fried a turkey, of course. One of these years, I am going to sneak in a roasted turkey. (It seems I am the only one that's not a fan of fried turkey). Our guests were: Desiree, James, Beth, Dylan, Laney, Makynzee, and Mary. Alec was here for a while and B was at his mom's. Later in the evening, Brenda, Josh, Paxton, Lorelei, Jon, Amy, Jerry, and Emily came out. All the kids had a blast! Just try to get 7 kids under the age of 5 to pose for a photo together!

Don't you know frying a turkey is exhausting?

CHRISTMAS 2008

Considering I had major surgery on Dec. 17, we kept things simple at Christmas. Of course, Brian fried another turkey. Do we see a pattern here? I'm not complaining. I certainly wasn't able to cook anything, although I did manage to make mashed potatoes. Instant, of course. James and Desiree came and ate with us and played with Jaydan. Jaydan got a pink digital camera and pink cowgirl boots and many other things. She has worn the boots almost every day. She also got a

matching outfit. Desiree and Gigi are going to take her to have pictures made.

Let me tell you about Jaydan and Santa. We
saw him in Kroger one day. She said, "why is Santa in Kroger?" I said, "He just wants to see children." Then as we went outside, she said, "where's his sleigh?" I said, "maybe it's parked around back". She said, "But I don't hear any reindeer." Then as we were standing in line at the Ward Christmas party, she said, "He's not
really Santa because he doesn't have a beard." I said, "Yes, he does." She said, "it's not long enough." She still sat on his lap and took the candy. On the way home, we asked her if she had a good time. She replied, "He wasn't really Santa." Then we left cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve. Christmas morning, of course, the cookies had been eaten. Then she proceeded to tell us how she got up in the middle of the night when Santa was here. She talked to him and everything. He told her not to break any of her toys. What an imagination!