Trials & Blessings

I've been thinking about trials a lot this week, in fact our lesson in Relief Society this past Sunday was about trials. We all go through different trials at different times in our lives. Some of them are enough to knock the stuffing out of us and others are just little bumps in the road. There are many people in my life that are enduring really hard trials at the moment. My heart goes out to them. I wish there was something I could do to make the pain go away and to fix their problems. It was a trial for us losing our home and there are times that I feel so haunted by the mistakes we have made, it's such a suffocating feeling. When I am feeling sorry for myself, I try to look at the people around me who have a much heavier cross to bear. I also try to remember that trials make us stronger and we really do learn so much from them, after all is said and done. One of the ladies in Relief Society compared trials to riding your bike up a hill. You have to push yourself up the hill in order to get down the other side. It might be the toughest thing you have ever done but you must experience the hill and conquer it in order to come down the other side, wind blowing in your hair, feeling the thrill of speed. I never really thought of it that way. The saying "This too shall pass" also comes to mind. I am grateful for my blessings and some days I can even admit I am grateful for my trials. They have made me the person I am today.

On a lighter note, we got our tax return last week. We paid off some debts, started a savings account and decided to buy a camera. We have gone through about 4 digital cameras in the past 2 years and they have broken or we were just not happy with them. We decided it was time we invested in a good camera. So, I did some research online and went to my favorite store....(where they have everything).....Walmart! We bought the Canon EOS Rebel XSi. Here is a picture of it.

We are very excited to start taking tons of pictures of everything. We have a lot to learn about how to use it but we're having lots of fun.
In other news, we took Niamh to the doctor this morning. She has had a double ear infection for about 3 weeks. She just started her 3rd dose of antibiotics. It's hard for me to understand how she can get sicker while on an antibiotic, but it's possible. She has a terrible cough and a sore throat. She is miserable. It's so hard to see your babies in pain and not see them getting any better. Hopefully this last antibiotic will work, if not the doc mentioned some shot they give three days in a row and if that doesn't work, we may be headed to an ear, nose and throat specialist. Fingers crossed that this medicine works.
We are headed to San Diego for my little sister Beverley's wedding this weekend. We are so excited to be heading to California. I'm also so happy that my sister has found the one for her. Her fiance Lewis is a great guy and makes her so happy. It will be a special day. Here's a pic of them. Aren't they the cutest couple?

Here are some pics taken with our new camera. Enjoy!

Our dog Duke after a shave (he's normally very hairy)

(Tyrone, being The Hulk)

Long time.

It's been a while. I haven't felt very motivated to blog. Our computer is having issues and I can't upload any pictures. Very annoying and I'm finding out just how ignorant I am when it comes to computer issues. Time to call the Geek Squad I guess. One of the reasons I haven't been blogging is that I have been on a reading marathon. I discovered a wonderful Irish author; Marian Keyes. She has been described as one of the most successful Irish novelists of all time. Her books are entertaining, witty and at times emotional. She uses a lot of Irish lingo and I really get completely taken in by the characters and plot of each story. I have read 6 out of the 12 books she has written. Lets just say not a lot of housework or any other stuff is getting done. Oh well.

Lucas celebrated his 28th birthday on January 28. We had a little get together with family for cake and ice-cream. Unfortunately he had to work that night, so we celebrated over the weekend. We went to our favorite sushi restaurant "TA TA's." it is the best sushi in town, we think so anyway. Lucas had a great birthday. His favorite gift was a "Real Salt Lake" Soccer Jersey. He seriously wears it everyday, he loves it that much. Whatever makes him happy! Lucas is so easy to shop for he has so many interests and always gives me a list. He is my lobster :)

Gavin and Tyrone are my little explorers. They love exploring the backyard. We bought them some Galoshes(Wellingtons/Wellys in Ireland)and they put them on everyday and spend hours outside. Grandpa Abbott has an old boat at the back of the house. This is Gavin & Tyrone's new toy. They spend hours out there pretending they are sailing a pirate ship. I love how they make up games that keep them entertained for hours or until one hits the other and the fighting starts. They both ask me "why/what" questions all day long. Gavin asked me today "Mommy, what do farts taste like?" Just to give you an idea of the stuff they ask me. I wish there was a book that told me the answer to all these crazy questions that kids come up with. "Go ask your Dad" only works so many times.

Princess Niamh is as wild and tenacious as ever. She is such a tom-boy. She loves to be outside. She tries to wrestle our dog, Duke (an old English sheepdog.)She loves to wrestle her brothers and Dad. She loves to brush her teeth and has to grab everyone's toothbrushes and have a turn. It is such a battle every time she needs a diaper change. She won't stay still for 2 seconds. She loves making her brothers laugh. Today she decided to drink water and then spit it out, making Gavin & Tyrone giggle.

Lucas and I are hitting the gym hard this month. We've been slacking a little since moving in with my in-laws and over the holidays. My youngest sister Beverley is getting married in San Diego at the end of February. So for this month we are hitting the gym hard and sacrificing nights of indulging on chocolate, ice-cream, cookies, brownies.....I can go on forever. The withdrawal symptoms stopped after about a week. We decided not to weigh ourselves until the day before we leave for California. 2 more weeks to go.

My father-in-law, Garth has had his second dose of chemotherapy. So far he is doing pretty well. He continues to live his life. Some days are worse than others, but he is doing great. He was losing his hair and shaved it all off. He looks like a tough gangster now, I think. We are so grateful for the answers to so many prayers that have been offered on his behalf. It is so amazing to see everything fall into place and to see miracles happen. Garth found out last month after having a Pet Scan that the cancer is contained in his breast and a couple of lymph nodes. We are continuing to pray and have faith that the chemo will kill the cancer and that Garth will recover and continue to live a normal life.