Meant to be...

Okay... so, last week was the week from the VERY BAD PLACE! I bought a new car in August and it has been wonderful. The reason I bought a new car was because the Rodeo kept having problems and I always worried about driving it long distances. I felt no peace in that thing. I loved it for many reasons, but never felt totally at peace that it was reliable. It broke down in August and I went and bought a car. I'm not used to cars cause I've had the rodeo for a while. As you will remember last week was really our first bad snow storm, especially if you live in Santaquin where they don't plow until later in the morning, like 11 (LAME). Here is a rundown of my week:

Monday: Woke up, it had snowed, missed the bus in Payson so I had to go to Spanish Fork (not a big deal). Got home and there was too much snow to get in the driveway so I got stuck half in the road on the way into the driveway. I had to get out, go inside, change my clothes, and shovel for an hour just to get in the driveway and park.

Tuesday: SNOWED- Got up, went outside, it looked like I hadn't even shoveled (good thing I shoveled the night before), took about 3 times of reverse, drive, reverse, drive to get out on the road. Got stuck going up the street to Santaquin main street. Tried a different route, got stuck again, reverse, drive, reverse, drive, got out, kept driving, got stuck again. Had to drive 30 mph on the freeway to get to payson park and ride. The park and ride was NOT plowed nor had it been the day before. I had to GUN IT just to get in the lot and into a parking spot. Worried all day at work about how I was going to get my car out of the park and ride cause I knew when I parked I was stuck. Got to car after work, got out of the park and ride, thankfully, and got on the freeway. If I went over 40mph on the freeway my car wobbled. Thought I had a flat tire, pulled over, no flat tire. What the.... Get home, shoveled again. Called Dad to see why my car might hav e been wobbling. He said there was probably ice under my car and I should go to a car wash to try to get it off. So I did. It worked a little, but mostly I looked like a complete idiot driving out of the car wash while others were scraping snow off their cars.

Wednesday: Get up, start my car to defrost. Get ready. Get in car, it is freezing cold, and blowing cold air, which was weird because it was warming up for 20 minutes. Get in car, drive, eh... 4 blocks, notice the temperature is in the red. CRAP! Pull over, wait for my car to cool down. Drive to gas station to get antifreeze. They are out. Get in, drive back home. Car overheats again, wait for it to cool. Trial and error my way to a solution for the overheating problem and try to get the rest of the ice out from under my car.

Thursday: Car drives okay to work, still wobbled a little at 60 mph. Did not over heat, but thought the exhaust fumes looked a little too white for my liking- worried my engine was going. Worry at work about the wobbling and the engine. Get off the bus to my car and notice that someone had rammed into the side of my car and didn't leave a note. Stood there sad and shocked for a few minutes, thinking "are you freaking kidding me!!!"

Friday: Get up, warm up car. 15 minutes later go get in car, ice cold again. Check the overflow of the antifreeze, looked okay. Got in drove about 3 blocks... OVER HEAT! Drove home. CRIED!!! And then cried some more while waiting for my car to cool down. Talked to Nic, cried some more. Went out to check antifreeze and it was empty. I couldn't see any in the reserve or the radiator. Filled it up. Called Dad to see what he thought. He thought the thermostat, so did Dave. Tried to change it myself (I did it twice in the rodeo), it was too far in the engine, I had this thought "just take it in to get it fixed" I thought it twice, so I did. I call, the place on main was booked so they referred me to Terry's tires on the bench. I called, they said they could get me in. I put my car back together, and start to drive. I cried and prayed my guts out begging the Lord to help me. Telling him I know I am a terrible Daughter, but I really need his help. I seriuosly BEGGED, and cried. I get there, there are two men in front of me, they drop off their car, then sit in the last two available chairs, so I have to stand for about 40 minutes while I wait. No one talked to me (which is fine, it's a mechanic shop) I was bored to death, but I prayed and prayed so much. I kept thinking of the money I didnt' have to fix it, and hoped it was in a price range I could fix it. I told the Lord "even if I can't get this fixed and this doesn't work out, I still love you. " Someone left, so I sat down. The praying continued, I had a lot of thinking time. I was there for 2 hours and finally the mechanic comes out and tells Mike (guy behind counter) that it isn't the thermostat, that there is a pin hole in the radiator hose. He passed by me and goes "is that your car?" I said "Yeah, what's wrong with it?" He said to come back and he'd show me. So he did. Then I go back in and Mike tells me that it is going to be 13.50 for the part and 85 dollars for labor plus tax, so about 105 dollars. I was like... CRAP! BUt I had to get it fixed, so I said okay. Then I spend the next hour waiting and praying, and thinking about all the bills I have and crap like that. Then I look over and my Bishop comes walking through the door. I was a little excited. Someone I knew. And I had the thought... Wait... if the Bishop comes here, it can't be that bad. He walks in looks over, I am sitting with a smile on my face, excited to see a familiar, loving, face, and he just does this little corner smile and looks away. OUCH! He didn't even know me. Then I kind of felt crappy for a minute. How did he not know me. He acts like he does on sunday, what the heck! He is chit chatty with Mike behind the desk like were best friends. It did still give me comfort even though I got the brush off. He goes out to see his vehicle, comes back in and does a double take at me. That's more like it. He comes over and talks to me for a while. I told him it had been a hard week and blah blah... I felt so much peace. Then after he left Mike started being chatty with me. Asked about Bishop and stuff. He was so nice now that he knew Ray Rowley was my bishop. They bring my car around, and I go up to the counter to pay my 105 dollars and Mike goes "Oh... I messed up on the price of the par..... on the price of the labor, hold on, let me figure it out again. Okay, your total is 68 dollars." HOLY... WHAT????? I almost cried. It was such an answer to my prayer. I know, and NO ONE will ever convince me that Bishop Rowley was not sent in there at that time by the Lord. I cried when I got in my car, this time it was a good cry. I knew the Lord helped me, he did, and he loved me so much. I thanked him and thanked him and thanked him. And you know... I really think last week needed to happen because I haven't felt very close to him much at all lately. I even said a long heart felt prayer in which I cried and told him that I missed him in my life (knowing that the distance between us was not his doing, but mine). It was a great ending to a CRAPPY week.

Then yesterday I was teaching my primary class about Nephi and his brothers and how they went back to get the plates. I wasn't going to get into all the gory details because they are 5. I was just trying to explain how Nephi was a good example to his brothers. Ali, a little cutey in my class breaks in and goes (in a very dramatic tone) "and then Nephi... got him [Laban] drunk, and he fell over, and he cut his head off with a knife!!!" LOL! I was shocked. I was like "uh... yeah (long pause) that's pretty much how it happened". LOL!!! She is so cute!

My Montage 12/5/09 at OneTrueMedia.com

THIS is why we love Bubba. Talk about giving it all you got!!!!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Once Upon a Miracle

This year for the Festival of Trees I decorated another wreath for Sarabeth. In case you aren't family and don't know about Sarabeth, she is my neice (Misty and Brad's little girl) that had a heart transplant when she was 7 months old. Since recieving her heart I have made it a tradition to decorate a wreath for the festival of trees dedicated to her. I went on Monday to decorate my door at the Sandy Expo Center. It was such an emotional morning. Amazing and spiritual. Everytime someone would come along and see her beautiful picture they'd ask me about her, and I'd get chocked up telling them. Anyway... here is the door once I finished decorating it on monday.

I know... HUGE door. It was the biggest door on the block, I swear. But it was a beautiful one, so it was awesome.
Here is the wreath. YOu can't see it that well, but the little plaque things say Hope, Blessing, and Miracle and I put them in that order on the wreath because that was pretty much the exprience. We had to have a lot of Hope, which Misty far surpassed the rest of us in this area. She was amazing through it all. Mom of pretty much the next century! Then we were so blessed in July when Misty got the call that Sarabeth had a heart on the way. It was so fast and so scary. Especially for Misty and Brad. Then came our miracle. The miracle of life, of doctors, or medicine, or the Lord giving Sarabeth another chance at life. It's seriously a miracle that you can stop one persons heart (pretty much killing them) take it out, and put in a whole other person's heart, jump start it, and the person lives. It's a miracle. Thus the name of my wreath...

ONCE UPON A MIRACLE!

Here is a closer shot of the picture of Sarabeth. Okay... I know this might embarrass him, but this is my shout out for this amazing friend of mine. I have this friend, who has a HUGE heart (ha ha... fitting-right) that made me this frame (but I like to say that he made if for Sarabeth and another little sick child at Primary Children s Hospital he is going to help save) and wouldn't let me pay him for it. I have to tell you that when I decorated this door and they made me fill out the cost itinerary I cried when the lady told me that I couldn't put any less than $30 dollars for that frame- thus almost doubling the price of my wreath. It brought tears to my eyes because NOW it was like someone's child will get twice the amount of money that I was planning or thinking my wreath would provide. Amazing. Anyway... Tayler made this frame, and he did an AWESOME job. I was so proud to have Sarabeths picture in it and have it as part of my display. So thank you Tayler.
So Sarah and Bubba, and Sariah and I went over (a little nervous, hoping the arrangement sold) and IT DID!!! Yay! It just makes me so happy for all those families that can't afford the health care, and all those poor kids that have to live their life in the Hospital. That was Sarabeth for a long time, and it's hard and heartbreaking. And the last thing that families need is to worry about money and comfort for the children during those times. So it just makes my heart smile to see that someone bought it. YAY!!!!

Then, as we were walking around, we saw this tree that had this picture, and I loved it. I said to Sarah... "EVERY girl needs to own one of these".
I have more pictures from the day, but it is taking forever to upload so i will try again later. I had so much fun with Sarah and her kids. I was glad she went with me. It was so humbling to see all the trees dedicated to loved ones that are here, and have also passed on. SO touching. I love this the festival of trees. If you've never been, you should go... for me... it is such an uplifting thing to do.

Paintbrush

Okay... I have been in a slump and a brat and pushing away the people in my life that probably love me most. Sunday in church the Bishop gave part of the lesson in Sunday school (5th Sunday-ya know) and even though his message was pretty basic, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Funny how the basic stuff is what we always need reminders about, which is why they always talk about it. I tend to be one of those people that LOVES to listen to /learn about the deeper stuff. Well I have been thinking about this a lot this week and yesterday I started to talk to Jesse (my spiritual counselor-LOL) about it. Jesse works with me and is amazing. I seriously love him, and I know he is the reason I am supposed to be in the job I am... to be close to him cause he has saved me in so many ways. Well... as I drew the chart that Bishop Rowley drew, we got in this discussion (he was mostly discussing, I was mostly listening- but I did throw in a few thoughts of my own) together we came up with a chart that I was scribbling on paper while we were talking. Sometimes I wish I had Cullen like speed writing skills (that was my twilight shout out) so that I could get down everything he says to me. Well, here is the chart I created and now my "job" is to find scriptures to go along with all these concepts. Here is what I love about Jesse: He is not my bishop (though I wish he were), he is not my stake president (though he is one) but he pushes me, and stretches me, and challenges me in EVERY WAY that I need, and I don't even think he knows it. I have told him before that he is my spiritual counselor, and that white hair means you have taken the first step toward translation (to which he laughed in a "yeah right" kind of way), but I don't think he knows that a lot of times he is the lords paintbrush in my life. Anyway... I wanted to share our work.... so here you go. These are the steps to faith/growth/personal development:


and YES... I do work at my job.

Family/Fighting/Food/Fun/Grandpa of the Year

These pictures are out of order, but I don't feel like rearranging them... are too many. Just deal with it. This is my picture getting in my car to go home... it was such a bee-yoo-tiful night. To end a beautiful trip.

Here is Keili playing with Sariahs littlest pet shop. She looks so innocent... WELL... she's not.
Alex playing with everyone's dirty shoes. Of course... what else would a crawlin' baby be doing!
Sariah... on the attack. These two are either holding hands cuddling, or beating each other up. The perfect Love/Hate brother sister relationship.
Sarah and I braved the Black Friday madness. It was quite entertaining to say the least. All Sarah wanted was a pig for Sariah. And... she got it. It was so funny. She was digging through the pets and gets down and goes "Tahnee!!!! There's a pig back there." I said "Well get up there and get it. Climb on up!!! I got the camera."
Here is Rustin taking the kids for a ride in the beefed up 4 wheeler/trailer. They loved it. If the kids didn't already LOVE Grandma and Grandpa's they sure do now!

Bubba and Sariah... awe... cute...

THis is funny. Look at Davey in the back about to pick on Miley... Talk about caught in the act, and Sariah... she is enjoying the little things . She looks so free...
This is my favorite part of the whole weekend.... These next two pictures are after eating Thanksgiving dinner. We are arguing... Men vs Women about whether or not Twilight/Jacob/Edward are girl porn. LOL!!!! It was so funny. Talk about raised voices. Dave/Rustin/Rob all think that "romance" is the same thing to women as naked women are to men. GIVE ME A BREAK. It was so funny, there was lots of yelling, but lots of laughing too. We just decided that Men are insecure and that is why they hate Jacob and Edward. NOT because of Jacobs rippling biceps and freaking hot body, and amazingly amazing protectiveness and need I go on.

These are my Lion House Rolls. I made them... from scratch, from the Lion house recipe. They actually turned out good. The first pan burned a little on the bottom, We are calling them "Spurs" rolls. Not because the burnt bottom is like a spur... but because they sucked... like the San Antonio Spurs (also Rustin's favorite team). These are Jazz rolls. AMAZING!!!
Getting ready to put all the food out.
The turkey... we cooked it in the dutch oven... it was AMAZING!!!
Dad taking the kids for a ride. They love the 4 wheeler, and Grandpa.

And I qoute... Uhem... "I will gut you with this knife!" YES... my very own dear loving brother said that to me. I didn't even do anything... I was being pleasant. Loving. Cheerful. Kind. Awesome. Just as usual.
The kids getting ready to go.
And the award goes to Grandpa Nielsen for GRANDPA OF THE YEAR!!!!!

Okay... this is freaking hilarious. Look at Bubba on Grandpa's neck (it's the only place left for a bum) it's like he thinks he is flying. Okay... see that tree branch they are about to go under...


Bubba grabbed onto it... pulling him backwards, Dad grabbed him and he flung foward... look at Dad's hat. LOL!
Bubba... getting a talking to by his Mom. Now he's ready to go again. It was so funny. We were all s hocked and laughing at the same time.
See... he did good. No more grabbing things.


Davey wanted to drive. It didn't really happen. He tried his hardes to talk Grandpa into letting him drive around... but too many cars. A bus. other kids. Ya know... it's a no brainer.
Cute. This is Sarah and Bubba. He loves himself some Sarah.
Our Turkey cooking.

And now the horse rides. Here is Keili and Miley.
Davey and Sariah.
Bubba. Waving backwards.
I thought this one was cute. The sun is too bright one the left side, but what a cute bubba.
Sariah.
Keili
LOL! This is Miley. She HAD to have that backpack. Which is way too big for her, not to mention the kind that is supposed to roll on the ground. It's so huge, but she had to have it. That and notice her bottle on the side.
Mindy and Abby.

It was such a fun trip. It was fun to have everyone there. We even talked to Misty. It happened to be during the Edward/Jacob porn debate, but hey... Happy Thanksgiving/Family Get together. I love my family. They are all so awesome. I also bought the New Moon game at the black friday sale and Sarah, Nic, My Mom, and Myself all indulged in our so called "girl porn" for a couple hours on Friday afternoon. Rustin was whining... but he got over it.

"I love demolishing"

Something VERY funny happened on Saturday at the Rubow household. I know what you are thinking... NOT SHOCKING, right? Yeah... I know. Nic and Dave are finishing off a half bath off their family room. When they moved in the only access to the 1/2 bath was through the laundry, and let's be honest... whose laundry room servicing a family of 6 is clean? So... they opted to close in that door and create a new on off the family room-makes sense. Well, the problem they ran into was that the doorway didn't cover up as nicely as one would hope, you couldn't get the wall to smooth out around the door. Nic and I went over several options saturday morning as to how to either cover up the mistake, or fix it. I tried to sand it down, (cause now I am a professional sander-LOL, J/K) but the problem was the sheet rock was not hung flush. So... as i was standing there sanding I said... "Nic... this isn't going to work. You'd have to mud the rest of the top of this wall" I continue to sand.... then all of a sudden...
BAM!!!!!She wacked the wall with the hammer! RIGHT BY ME! Scared me to death! I think I peed in my pants just a little. LOL- okay, I didn't but it would have made it extra funny had I really. She started laughing, and once my stomach moved back down into it's rightful cavity, instead of being wedged in my throat, I started to laugh. She just goes "let's start all over." I was like "UH... you couldn't said that BEFORE hammering the wall?" So then I was like.... "where's my camera? This is blog material." Nic was like "WHAT! You don't take picture of this." I said, "Uh... do you know me at all. We are so blogging this!" Anyway... so here we are...
Destroying the wall. At one point Davey walks in and wants to hammer the wall, so Nic lets him, and then he proceeds to explain to me how he, and I qoute, "loves demolishing". I said... "yeah... that's not a suprise. You better believe you do." You know, not really referring to the wall.
Here is the beauty of parenthood vs singlehood. Baby cries...kids freak out....kid makes baby cry... baby eats sheet rock... Parent gets to calm, comfort, and control kids, while single person get to demolish 3/4 of the wall. I didn't mind....
PLUS... I had a helper. She was AMAZING. I just hope we didn't introduce her to a new coping mechanism. There is something very stress relieving about knocking down a wall. Who needs a punching bag when you got a hammer and some sheet rock.


What a mess we made... Nic and I werer so "white" literally, by the end of the project.
Almost done. We were also trying to finish before Dave got home from work. I have to share out dialog:

Me: Do you kind of want to finish before Dave gets home to prove that we can really do this, without a man's help?
Nic: Yep

So... we finished, measured and cut the new sheet rock and put it in.... why in the world I didn't take a picture of the new sheet rock hung and mudded is beyond me, but we did get it up and almost mudded (well round 1 of mudding) before Dave got home.
Yes... we are amazing! Thanks to our Dad who made sure to teach his girls how to do anything.

Okay... so later that night Nic and Dave went to get Keili and Miley some winter clothes cause it snowed all day and they didn't have any... They looked so....
Christmas Story, not to take pictures....

Miley
Keili