Nutcracker

 Studio R Ballet performed the Nutcracker on Dec. 1st and Sienna was thrilled to participate!

She loved every practice, dressing up , and of course the makeup.

She was a chinese mini.

Can't wait to do it again next year!

Soccer nights

 Rigdon played his first season of soccer and was AMAZING!

He loved every minute and we loved watching!

 His coach awarded him the Mr. Hustle award.

Stake dance!

 What the heck?! Gunner just turned 12, now a stake dance!!!

Well I've never seen him so motivated to look and smell good. The young men leaders said they had young men who said they couldn't even remember the last time they combed their hair. They were so happy to see how nice they cleaned up.

 Ashlynn showing a little attitude. Pretty normal.

Sommer Waldron, Kenzie Checketts, Ashlynn. Gunner, and McKayla Checketts.

They had a great time and Gunner danced with 9 girls.

I thought it was funny when Genna asked Gunner if he was spinning the first girl he danced with. He said no she had told him not to worry she taught herself how! Then she spun herself the whole time.

Have you seen a more beautiful fourteen?!

 Happy birthday Ashlynn! This year She celebrated by going shopping and having pie with some friends.

Tori, Julia, Kenzie, and Ashlynn

Getting crafty

 November brought Cristal down from Utah for a baby shower, and I decided to try my hand at baby blanket making.

My good friend Sarah gave me all the instructions. She gave me one of my favorite blankets for Rigdon.

 I bought a rotary cutter and was so tickled with how easy it made it to cut out the squares! Then the pattern was laid out, sewn together, and the binding added.

 I was thrilled with how it turned out!

Cristal came and the shower was so nice! We were so excited to see all the tiny pink girl clothes.

Changes in the White house

 (Bishop Burch, my dad, Bishop White, Bro. Ashcroft, and Gunner)

Two weeks ago Andrew told me that a member of the stake presidency wanted to talk with us.

So after we went to choir we headed over to the stake offices. President Wilcock and President Passey were waiting and told Andrew that President Decker would be ready to meet with him soon.

Well Andrew went in and I visited with the counselors. No biggie. Then Andrew came out and President Decker said he wanted to talk with me next.

We talked about my family, what stake I grew up in, and how Andrew and I met. We also talked about my testimony. He then asked me if I had any idea why we were there. I told him I had an idea... of course I didn't  want to blurt out I think my husband will be the next Bishop. What if thats not it?

Well that was it, and President Decker testified to me that he knew Andrew was to be the new Bishop of the Mountain Vista ward.  I felt the spirit so strong of course I knew it also..  He asked me if I could support my husband in this calling, it's a very time consuming job, and can't be done without support.  I told him yes. As Andrew came back in we then talked with the stake presidency together.

They are great men. They gave us wonderful advise as I held Andrew's trembling hand, tears were in our eyes.

Now Andrew would need to pray about who the Lord was preparing to be his counselors.

We left the Stake Presidents office feeling a little in shock.

We attended the temple on Tuesday and again on Thursday. Counselors were chosen through earnest prayer and called. Brother Ballard and Brother Janes had accepted.

It was a very long week but also a blessing to have Andrew's mom visiting from her mission. Her ticket home was delayed a day so she could come to sacrament meeting with us when Andrew would be sustained.

As Sunday approached I knew they would have the previous Bishopric and their wives bear their testimonies, then the new Bishopric the their wives.

I kept thinking maybe there wouldn't be enough time and the would have to cut me out. I have a VERY strong testimony but get so blasted nervous standing in front of people. Every rational thought I have ever had leaves my brain.

The closer I got to the church the more my body seemed to be vibrating. I felt pretty ill.

Sitting on our bench with family all around us, my parents, Andrew's mom and some of his siblings was kind of fun as people noticed the Stake presidency in full on the stand. I saw many people start looking around to see who had visitors on their benches.

Well the sacrament was passed and the change in the Bishopric was sustained.

I ended up bearing my testimony and all I can tell you is words came out... hard to remember what they were.

I have a testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel. I know this is the true church. There is no doubt in my mind. I love a good plan and the Lord has laid out the perfect plan for us. The Savior had provided the atonement so that we can repent and continue to improve and become better all the time. I know we have  a living prophet on the earth, and I love to hear the words of President Monson. I know our Stake Presidency is called of God and that my husband is who the lord wants to lead our ward right now. I feel so blessed to have a guide through this life and to know the purpose. I would be lost without it.

It's been a week now with Andrew as the bishop, and already we have been blessed. I have a great love for Bishop Burch having worked with him while I was in young womens and as Andrew has served as one of his counselors.  

We were able to attend the temple with Lacey Hudson a new member of the church in our ward. It was her first time and it was a beautiful experience to be in the temple with her on Friday. I have felt the spirit so much in the last two weeks and I am grateful for the love that has already been shown to us.

So here we go. It's going to be busy I am sure it will all work out just right. It always does as long as we have faith in the plan out Heavenly Father has for us.

Bald is beautiful, not for me though...

 For the past 2 years I have been losing my hair. At first you think it's just a phase, change in  the weather, whatever. But as it continued I began to really worry.

Besides my hair falling out I was having some other things happening that were not normal for me.

We had been trying to have another baby for about a year, which doesn't seem so long except that I was pregnant with my other 5 children the same month we decided it was time. Sometimes before...

I had cold hands and feet often, which anyone who has spent time around me knows I will often complain about being hot way before being cold.

My skin had suddenly decided to act like I was 13, only worse than when I was actually 13.

I was tired all the time, although I do have 5 children so that is normal. Somedays I felt like I was wading through sand.

I was waking up all puffy. no good

At night I was unable to sleep, and often took a warm bath around 1am to get my legs to calm down so I could sleep.

So many things that I thought I would head to the Dr. and get my hormones checked.

She was nice and listened to all my concerns, asked me if I had trouble losing weight... Well yes, but I was 30 so it's supposed to get way harder right?

They checked my thyroid and other hormones and when they came back they said I was fine. Keep trying for a baby and don't worry too much.

Well I was Worried! I mean for heavens sake I was going to be BALD eventually! Besides all the other things...

These first two pictures were taken at about the same time.

SEE, you would be worried too! I am pretty good with hair and had a comb over everyday. I had lightened it to lessen the contrast between hair and scalp.

 Needless to say I waited another year and my hair continued to fall out. I was taking every supplement I could for my hair and skin.

By this time I had started having cramps like I had never had before. Kick you in the buns knock you off your feet I feel like I could be in labor cramps.

I went back to the Dr. they looked at my uterus and said I was fine. Many women have cramps like that. mmmmm....

Needless to say I was reading a friends blog and she raved about a Dr. she had seen and I decided to get a second opinion.

Well Dr. Allen was so nice, listened to my concerns and said that it wasn't normal. He had me get some blood work done. And I waited.

 I took it upon myself to show some faith that I as going to grow back my hair and chopped off 8 inches. It could grow back all together now.

Dr. Allen called me with the results and it turned  out my thyroid was very low, and My progesterone and estrogen levels should have been at an 18 and were at a 6.

Finally, someone who was going to help me! I was so happy. He gave me some prescriptions for thyroid support and progesterone. He felt really confident that my hair would grow back and I would start to feel better once my hormones leveled back out.

By the way if you don't have enough progesterone  you can't get pregnant or stay pregnant. Also if your thyroid isn't working you will have a difficult time getting pregnant.

At first I have to say I felt worse. I was exhausted every day. As I went about my errands I felt like I was going to fall asleep. Several times I felt like it was a little risky to be going anywhere, but what can you do when things just have to get done.

After about 2 weeks I felt like I had turned a corner. I didn't feel like I was battling myself to stay alert.

Now it's been a little over 2 months. I have to say I can tell a difference in my hair. I feel real hope that I won't be the bald lady.

I don't know if we will have another baby, that has yet to be seen. 5 children is a perfectly respectable family and they keep me very busy as they get older. I love them all and fell so blessed to have such good kids.

It is nice to feel energy and looking back  I realize that I was really struggling. I just thought that was how everyone felt. I'm so glad I don't feel like that anymore. It really was a dangerous way to be when you spend about 1/2 the day in the car.

I won't be needing a comb over soon, but if you need tips I can give you some!

Living amid construction

 A few months ago Andrew decided to pull the trigger on a kitchen remodel. Of course I was on board! There were some things I have wanted to change for a while now and I was ready to go.

 We got the name of a wonderful man who refinishes cabinets. ( He also does decorative painting)

He was very reasonable compared to anyone else who had given quotes, and did beautiful work.

 I wasn't quite ready for the mess that would be my life for the next 5 weeks.

Most things went into the office or my bedroom, and eventually in the garage. But things were pretty spread out. On one occasion I had the crock pot cooking dinner in Rigdon's bedroom for dinner. We ate out back for about a week. Then I had Andrew move the table back in even though the floor wasn't done. There were just too many flies outside.

This is the finish that is on most of the cabinets. I was in love immediately!

 Then the demo on the half wall began. I have wanted to cut this off for a few years thinking it would be much more useful. Boy was I right! Even when it wasn't done I used it more than I ever had!

 The cut off island.

 Then Dan(the cabinet guy) suggested wrapping the island in wood and trimming it all out really nice. It sounded good to us and then we decided to paint it black instead of the cream.

My bathroom cabinets were already getting the distressed black finish, so it wasn't a big deal to change the color.

 Rigdon came on the trip to choose the granite. He wasn't allowed in the back, but enjoyed the hat all the same.

 When we came back the black was all painted and WOW!! I really loved it!!

 Next to come out was the flooring. I had forgotten about the old lenoleum under the wood... It was kind of a project to get up.

Jody had come to help Andrew take out the laminate wood, and I gave the kids some money to scrape up the old flooring.

 Hard at work. Some were more diligent than others.

 One thing leads to another and we decided to shorten the half wall between the family room and the dining room.

 After about a week with just the concrete the tile went in!! Yay! I am thrilled I just love flooring the color of dirt.

 Soon after the granite arrived. This was the last big thing and I was anxiously waiting.
Sometimes you just aren't sure if all the pieces are all going to come together but they seemed to be.

  We found a backsplash I liked at Costco, and it worked with the counters, score!

Dan came back to install the corbels on the island. Can you spot my little buddy?

 The island is now large enough to fit all five kids on stools( I am currently waiting their arrival)
It is the perfect place to roll out some cinnamon rolls, and my first batch on it was the best I've ever made.

It's also a great place for homework. I really love it, if you can't tell.

 The after picture.

 And I've decided to decorate for fall, previously Christmaswas really the only holiday I decorated for.

It sometimes seemed like it was never going to be done. Living in the mess was a little frustrating, and once they were done I was on a mission to go through everything and only put back things I really wanted.

It seems a little lame but I sometimes just look at it and think how pretty it is. I feel so blessed and will now have to live here till I die as I will never find another kitchen I love as much. I am so happy it turned out exactly like i imagined it!