Mom & Dad

My sisters and I have been going through all of my parents things. We left the picture albums for last. I have been taking pictures and scanning them so that it will be a little bit easier to separate them out. Doing this has caused a great deal of reflection. It's amazing how a picture can take you right back to that moment in time. You can almost hear sounds and smell the air around you. It's been fun and sad (at the same time). It's been a peculiar experience loosing such special, dear, sweet parents. It's peculiar for many reasons, but the strangest part is when it causes me to really question my religion. It doesn't sound right when I type it. I don't mean question whether my religion is true or whether I should believe the things that I've been taught, I have a strong testimony that the gospel is true. What I question about my religion is what I truly know about it. Do I know that I will see my parents again? Do I know that they are in heaven right now? Do I know that they are together again? Do I know what I need to do to be with them again?

You see my dad passed away while I was on vacation in Hawaii? What a sucky thing to have happen. I've never been so pulled apart. I tell you this much, no words can truly describe how grateful I was for cell phones. Can you believe I could be clear in Hawaii and still be able to talk to my dad in Utah??!!! That is truly amazing to me and I felt a great blessing!! I talked to him nearly every day up until his passing and I took great comfort in that. However, I have found no comfort in the great desire I had to hold him one more time. I wanted so badly to put my arms around him one last time - and I have not felt comforted in that desire. I remember saying to Jeff - on the night he died, "Do you know how sucky it is to know that I'm not going to be able to see him again? Do you know how bad it sucks to know that you don't have any parents here to call and talk with?" After a few minutes he pulled me back and he said, "No, I don't. It's gotta suck!"

Well I was looking online at mormon.org and going through our basic beliefs and found a section called "How Can I Know This is True?" I decided to listen to the video and read about this topic. The video reminded me that I may not be able to prove my religion, but I can know it's true because of how I feel when I'm learning. One phrase really caught my attention and made me feel especially comforted. "Feelings from the Holy Ghost are personal revelation."

Well, the feelings I've had as I've gone through these pictures are that mom and dad are happy together again. They must look like they do in these pictures. So, I had to share. Isn't dad so handsome? and mom, isn't she beautiful? I feel like they look like this again and that they are happy and I feel like I'll get to see them again.

Four Day Weekend!!

I found out that I get the 24th & the 25th off for the Holiday this year. So we decided that we better make the best of it. On the 23rd we made a fast trip to Cabella's to see if we could find some cots for our family reunion in Island Park. This year we have to "rough it" and I was not realy looking forward to it. Two years ago we bought a dumpy little trailer - but going camping in a trailer vs. going camping in a tent - HUGE difference for me. Then last year we stayed in a cabin. This guy at work who has the lighting account owns a cabin in Island Park and he said we could borrow it. That was even better. Anyway. . . Jeff said he'd get us some cots since he doesn't want to pull the trailer again and I don't want to stay in a tent.

Anyway. . . we took the boys with us to Cabella's. Taking all three boys with us anywhere is never an easy task. Zac is always our best shopper, while Hayden and Josh act as if the store is a brand new huge playground entirely their own. They run in and out of everywhere they can, playing hide-and-seek. It is so embarassing disciplining your children in a store. So. . . this time I gave them specific instructions before we entered the store that this time I wanted them to remember that the store is NOT their playground. Josh actually listened and did really well, Hayden even did pretty good. Of course it wasn't terribly too hard for them, after all Cabella's is like a big boys play ground and I let them enjoy it a bit. We took a few pictures because we knew it would be fun!

Have You Discovered Wordle Yet?

Thanks to Kami's Blog - I discovered wordle today. Look how cute this is!! I can't wait to use this in scrapbooking and I had to share it with all of you.

Here's a link for everyone to check it out http://wordle.net/ Hope you have as much fun as I did.

Hayden Got a Shiner!!

Hayden got a shiner! :(

It happened while I was at work, so all I know is what he told me. Which was that he was running into his room to play a video game and he ran to jump in his bed but he tripped and face planted it right on to the edge of the bed. Here are the sad pictures!

Zac & Josh Got Hair Cuts!!

Okay, so Zac is the one that started it all. He wanted me to give him a really short hair cut for summer. He talked about it and asked me several times - I told him I was nervous that I didn't know how to do it. Then we went to a family party on Jeff's side and a darling little boy began to talk to me about all sorts of stuff, well during our conversation he said that my kid's hair cuts were weird. He then went on to say that Zac's hair was okay but Josh and Hayden's hair cuts were weird. I had Josh's hair cut in like a bowl cut. I had been wanting to give him more layers on top and this was just the nudge I needed to get it done (so he could be in style and not have a weird hair cut anymore:) - you gotta love the honesty right?!!). When I told Josh I wanted to cut his hair again and give him more layers on the top, Josh told me he wanted it cut really short again. I have cut it real short before, but it'd been a long time. So - Josh became my guinea pig. I tried to cut his hair with the buzzers. I started out using a not so long sized cutter on the buzzer - of course I did this in the front of his head - poor thing - his bangs (or lack there of) got way too short. So then I tried to even it out with my fingers. "Mom, it will be okay - it will grow out," Josh said. What a nice boy!! I think it turned out okay though - just lots different from what it has been.



Then I cut Zac's hair and used the longest sized buzzer attachment on the top and then the next to shortest one on the back and sides. It was so easy and it turned out great - I think. The only thing with him is you have to use wax in his hair or it's just a big fuzz ball. He does a good job styling his own hair though so it will be great!

What do you think?

Cindy Got Her Hair Cut Too!

Since I'm trying to use this space to journal (thanks to my sister Pam's posting) I thought I better enter the real story about the hair cut. Okay, so after 8 years of long hair, same style, same length, I thought I should change it a little, give it a little more shape. So. . . I tried to give myself some layers. I have since learned that you pull the hair out to the side of your head and kind of slice down it to do create long layers. Like I said, I've since learned that. What I did was take a few random pieces and cut them off - straight off. My hair was wet when I was doing this and I thought it looked pretty good. Well, when I styled my hair, I quickly disovered I had created a shelf. Essentially, I had one length of hair - about the length you see in the pictures, and then the length of the rest of my hair. Ridiculous was all I kept seeing. I looked Ridiculous!! This was on Friday night. I tried to just ignore what I had done and carry on with my day on Saturday. As I went through the day, however I kept feeling Ridiculous!! So, Jeff said - you'll just call Raquel and she can fix it for you. Well, upon calling Raquel to see if she could fix it, she wouldn't be able to do it until Thursday. Sunday morning as I was getting ready for church, I felt like an idiot. I couldn't do it. I told Jeff he'd have to cut it all off. So he did and this is the result. I did have Raquel trim it up for me on Thursday and she did a great job giving it more shape. Lesson learned - when you want a new style - let the professionals do it (no offense to Jeffrey).

A Bit About the Quicks

Jeff (JQ) Drafter by day - dad, genius, entrepreneur, philosopher, handy man, & financier by night.

Cindy (Cindy Lou) Admin. Assistant by day - mom, geek girl, maid, cook, psychologist, and busy bee by night.

Zac (ZQ) is our oldest. He is an amazing artist. He wants to make everyone smile. We just discovered he has a great talent for writing. AND he is becoming a teenager fast.

Josh (joshy boshy) is our fun loving middle child. He is always making us laugh. Loves to be active. AND He has a quick wit about him that we love - he keeps us all laughing!

Hayden (bugga-boo) is the youngest and full of spunk. He is also full of "grace." He is always saying the funniest things and trying hard to be big like his brothers.