Let's try again...

I went to see my doctor again yesterday because I didn't like the side effects of the medication I was on. So we've changed meds once again. This is the last medication I'm trying. If this doesn't work, I'm going back to be an insomniac. Actually, she suggested doing a sleep study if this one doesn't work, but I'd rather have done that to begin with! I feel like she's really pushing meds, and not the meds I want. We'll see how this goes...

She's awesome!

I officially LOVE my babysitter. My kids adore her (she plays games with them, brings them coloring books, and gives them piggy back rides to bed) and she cleans! My house is always in better shape when I come home than when I left. Friday, she did my dishes (like always) AND she cleaned my kids' rooms!! Getting them to clean their rooms is like pulling teeth, but she and Rachel did both rooms in what I hear was record time. AND she's grateful that I use her and feels like I pay her too much! (I don't pay her ENOUGH!) When both kids love her and the parents love her, you know you've found a great babysitter. Mine is the BEST!

Now THIS is summer

Today is the first of what I'm sure will be many 7+ hour days at the park this summer. We got to the park at 10:00, played for a while, ate lunch while we watched a kids variety act that was the concert in the park for the afternoon, then my kids got drenched in the wading pool. Of course we forgot swimming suits, but it was so hot I couldn't deny them the chance to cool off. We left a little after 5:00 sunburned and exhausted, having had a really excellent day. I took some pictures, but my hard drive is dying so I won't be uploading them until we can get it replaced. Pictures to come soon! I know I should be more detailed about our long day, but I'm too tired. Maybe you'll get more detail when you get the pics. :D

We're expected to hit temps in triple digits tomorrow. Rare for us.

Better than I thought...

Apparantly my lesson on Sunday went better than I thought. I got a call from my bishop last night asking me to adapt it into a talk for Sacrament Meeting this Sunday! How do I get myself into these situations? This has to be his wife's fault...

My favorite lesson!

As I think I mentioned before, I taught in Relief Society on Sunday. It was a pretty remarkable experience for me. My lesson was on the hand of the Lord in the formation of our country, specifically in our constitution. I don't have time to do a full write up here, but I thought I'd pass along a few of my favorite quotes.

Ours is the only country deliberately founded on a good idea. - John Gunther

No human laws are of any validity, if contrary to God's laws, and such of them as are valid derive all their authority, mediately or immediately, from this original. - Alexander Hamilton

In 1740, a mere generation before the Revolution, the intellectual life of America was dominated by clergymen; by 1840, a generation or so after the Revolution, it would be dominated by scientists and inventors. Only for the brief span of a single lifetime would America's statesmen and her brightest thinkers be the same men.

How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy! - Thomas Jefferson

One man with courage makes a majority. - Andrew Jackson

No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisibly hand, which conducts the affairs of men, more than the people of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency. - George Washington

Those men who laid the foundation of this American government were the best spirits the God of heaven could find on the face of the earth. They were choice spirits... [and] were inspired of the Lord. - Wilford Woodruff

The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life. This country will not be a permanently good place for us to live unless it's a good place for all of us to live. - Theodore Roosevelt

A citizen of this republic cannot do his duty and be an idle spectator. - Ezra Taft Benson

Because of our unwillingness to get involved in the preservation of these values, small, radical, Godless groups are literally stealing from us our rights to enjoy the freedom to choose our own value system. - L. Tom Perry

Evidently the Supreme Court misinterprets the true meaning of the First Amendment, and are now leading a Christian nation down the road to atheism. – David O. McKay

Ok, that ended up being a few more than I intended, but still not nearly enough. What a blessing it is to live in a land prepared by the Lord. This truly is the promised land and I am grateful to be blessed to be a citizen of The United States of America. Happy Independence Day, and God bless you all.

I need a nap...

I'm exhausted! I've spent pretty much every day at Lisa's house over the past week or so, helping her clean and unpack and paint and take care of her kids. Hunter, her 7 month old, is incredibly cute, but he's a needy little boy. If he's not being held, he's screaming bloody murder. That makes for slow going. The past couple nights I've been there past midnight trying to get Annabelle's room painted (stripes of two colors of pink and white stripes, and we had to paint over a horrible blue wall). So that's why you haven't seen any new posts from me. Lisa is great. She and I are a lot alike and get along like we've known each other pretty much forever. Our kids play really well together as well. I feel really lucky to have met her. But I am exhausted. It'll be nice when life gets back to normal a little. Her husband gets home this weekend from an almost 6 months away doing training for his job, so she won't need me as much then.

I taught Relief Society again on Sunday. It went really well. I'll try to post some of my favorite quotes from my studies tomorrow. They'll be appropriate for the day.