STREP THROAT

Okay, I admit it, I thought that homeschooling would make it so my daughters wouldn't catch the latest bug that is lurking around the public schools.  I forgot about seminary.  The girls "caught" strep throat.  We spent today waiting to see the doctor and then hanging out at home with medication.  They were bummed that I wouldn't let them go to Young Women's tonight.  But sick is sick.  And they are still contagious.  They should be okay by seminary tomorrow morning....  and everyone there has already been exposed anyway.  So we'll be there!  They don't want to miss it.  Now I just hope Scott and I don't get sick.  (Although, come to think of it, my throat is feeling a bit raw....)

3 WEDDINGS, A BABY, 40 YEARS AND BOOKS

We have had a busy (and by busy I mean assiduously on the go) two weeks.  When putting this post together in my head, I wasn't sure where to begin.  But then I remembered Maria's wise words, "let's start at the very beginning... a very good place to start!"

On Wednesday, August 15th, my husband and I flew to Utah.  We thought we were going on vacation (but vacations are relaxing and this trip was anything but...)  Despite the crazy schedule, we did have a fabulous time visiting with our family and seeing all of the people we love and miss.  The purpose of our excursion was to help celebrate the weddings of our two beautiful nieces.  The weddings were gorgeous (and so were the brides!)

The first wedding was Kaylee and Braden.  They were sealed in the Logan temple.  It was a beautiful ceremony.  They looked so happy.  (And the cake reminded me of my daughter, Kotten Kandy.  She loves green too!)  Braden seems like a great guy.  He really loves Kaylee which is what really matters!  :-)  He wants to be a doctor when he grows up.  :-)

The second wedding was for Courtney and Henry.  It was gorgeous too!  (Her white cake and antique colors reminded me of Key Lime Pie!)  I loved talking with Henry for a bit.  He caught on really quick that I was the favorite aunt!  That definitely earned him bonus points with me!  :-)  He wants to be a podiatrist when he grows up.  :-)

On our foray to Utah we were also able to catch up with Scott's cousin, Michael, who also tied the knot the same weekend.  :-)  And we got to see our nephew, Davis, who just returned from Nicaragua.  He has grown into such an AWESOME kid!  He'll be making someone a GREAT husband soon as he's headed off to BYUI and I'm sure he'll fall in love with someone wonderful!  We also got to see all of our amazing nephews and nieces.  And I love getting photos of the original DeGooyer family:  Kevin, Dad DeGooyer, Mom DeGooyer, Kerri, Stacey, Scott and Brett!

Scott and I decided that we enjoy traveling together... although we did miss our daughters.  They stayed with our good friends, the Bettenhausens.  At least we knew they were with people who love them (almost as much as we do!)

While we were flying and waiting for flights, etc. I was able to read 5 books.  :-)  They were all good.

I finished reading "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien.  I love "The Lord of the Ring" series, but "The Hobbit" is probably my least favorite if you include it with the other books.  I had read it as a young adult, but not recently so it was a fun review.

I also read "The Children of Hamelin" by Danny Lasko.  It was a fun, easy-read, futuristic novel.  I had read it because it was a free download to my Kindle.

I also read the second book in the Michael Vey series "Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen" by Richard Paul Evans.  I LOVED the first book.  The second book was great - until the end.  I hated the ending because it left you hanging... and we have to wait a whole year until the next book in the series.  That is so frustrating!

I also read "Winners never Cheat" by Jon Huntsman.  He is an amazing philanthropist and entrepreneur.  He reminded me A LOT of my own husband who's values are every bit as wonderful and as strong as Brother Huntsman.

The last book was a book I had sitting on my shelf - like for forever.  It's called "Sunshine for the Latter-Day Saint Child's Soul".  It was a lot like the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.  It was a cute and extremely quick read.

We "officially" started home-schooling this week.  The girls actually started about two weeks ago - but we just got around to taking back-to-school pics and a set schedule.  We are all excited to be back into the swing of things!  :-)

My 40th birthday was Friday.  I celebrated by spending most of the day in the hospital with one of my best friends, Amy, who gave me the best gift of all: she gave birth to her son on my birthday!  :-)  Jelly Bean is ADORABLE!  He only weighed 6 lbs. 1/2 oz.  and was 19 inches long.  He has LOTS of hair and Elvis Presley sideburns.  I LOVE my birthday buddy!!!!!!!!!

Well, that's the news from Shelbyville, Kentucky; where the women are strong, the men are good looking and the kids are way above average!

PLAYING CATCH-UP...

I haven't blogged in... like... forever.  And I apologize.  It has been a bit crazy in Kentucky.  We have had an exciting couple of weeks.

Kotten Kandy and Key Lime Pie made the cutest sewing projects.  It includes pockets for scissors, needles and thread.  And has a detachable pin cushion.  Key Lime Pie's is an adorable, yellow, sewing pattern, while Kotten Kandy chose to make hers using a owl motif (because she LOVES owls).

Thanks to a wonderful woman in our ward (my visiting teacher, Mary), we were able to pick TONS of apples (for free).  We have been drying them and making pies.  Amy taught the girls how to make the pies... and, boy, were they YUMMY!

K2 and I also got creative on Sunday.  We mod-podged a cute mosaic.  Kotten Kandy chose to write the word "IMAGINE" on her art, while Key Lime Pie wanted to personalize hers!  They turned out awesome!

In other news, Seminary started last week.  Key Lime Pie is old enough to attend.  Early morning seminary starts at 6:50 A.M. and is located only 1.1 miles from our home.  So K2 and I walk every morning.  :-)  Kotten Kandy is auditing the class since she is too young to officially participate.  But the seminary teachers recognized her spiritual maturity and are allowing her to sit in on the classes.  Both girls LOVE seminary.  This morning, as we walked home, the excitedly told me about what they had learned.  Both of them expressed how much they loved starting the day with seminary!  I'm kinda a proud mommy!
Finally, a couple of funny stories:

K2 were discussing going on missions the other day.  I didn't realize that they wanted to go on missions until I listened in on their conversations.  Key Lime Pie told her sister that she wanted to be "called to Rivendale or Mordor" so she could teach "Sauron."  Kotten Kandy told her she would rather teach the hobbits in the Shire.  I tried to explain to them that they were fictional places....  :-)  They just laughed!
One more:

Apparently they were discussing the Plan of Salvation in Seminary last Friday.  Sister Fielding told them that at the judgement day they would "be sorted."  Kotten Kandy exclaimed, "I'm going to be sorted into Gryffindor!"  Key Lime Pie added that she was part of the Hufflepuff house.  I really have crazy children!  They keep me laughing!

FOR MY SISTER

My sister has an aversion to eyeballs.  She is repulsed by them.    So when I saw theses art pieces at the art festival I had to take pictures just for her...  Enjoy the student art of optical organs!  I love you, G.J.!

I'M GUILTY OF PRIDE

Kotten Kandy entered an art contest this week.  She won third place in the 6th - 8th grade division.  First and Second place were 8th grade artists (and Kotten Kandy is a 6th grader!)  She won $10 and has her art on display at the library for a month.  My little girl is AMAZING!

TUBES... TUBES... AND MORE TUBES...

I've been MIA for the past week because we have had a HUGE tube job.  We sometimes cut tubes for my husband's work.  This week we have made it a family affair.  We have had over 60 boxes of tubes to cut.  The tubes cover our floor as we walk through the excess.....  We are all sore and exhausted... but we have managed to make the time fun.

While cutting tubes we have read my mother's journal and had great discussions and educational moments about government and current events.

We have also watched a few movies (including The Lord of the Rings trilogy) while cutting the endless supply of tubes.

And Kotten Kandy, Key Lime Pie and I even played a "Name that Musical" game with mixed CDs of Broadway tunes.  (I am truly a proud mother that my daughters can name the song, the show, and the composer for almost every musical known to man!)

So even though we are tired of tubes.  We are happy.  It's a true statement: the family that works together is happy together!

OF CROSS-STITCHING, BAD GUYS AND MILESTONES

My name is Sundy and I am a cross-stitch addict.  Cross-stitch addiction is not a common affliction, but it is my therapy in life.  I love cross-stitching.  I've been cross-stitching since I turned 12 years old.  (A fantastic Young Woman's leader taught me the skill.)  I now design my own patterns and everything.  I have also had a dream of owning every DMC color there is to own since I was 12.  That dream came true this weekend.  I now own all the colors!  I refer to my collection as my "year supply" of thread!  :-)  Proof?  This is my DMC collection:

In other news; our first family book club was this weekend.  We discussed the book "Bad Guys of the Book Mormon" by Dennis Gaunt.  It was a FANTASTIC book.  We all loved it and can't recommend it enough.  Kotten Kandy said, "This book taught me a lot of lessons and I was surprised that I learned so much from the bad guys.  I probably learned more from the bad guys than the good guys."  Key Lime Pie said, "It was a very good book.  My favorite chapter was the Laman and Lemuel chapter because they are whiny and funny."  Scott used the book in his testimony on fast Sunday.  He commented time and time again how much he loved the book.  I thought that Amalickiah was the worst of the bad guys in the Book of Mormon.  He is EVIL!  But we can sure learn from him.  This book is great for adults and teenagers alike!  :-)

Finally; my baby is growing up too quickly.  She gave her first talk on Sunday.  She was excited (and a bit nervous) but she did a fantastic job.  She wrote the talk completely by herself, and was amazing!  Her talk was about Choice and Accountability.  I am including her talk here.  (Keep in mind; we did not proof-read it for spelling or punctuation.)  This is completely her.  And it was delightful!  I'm proud of my Kotten Kandy!

Kotten Kandy's Talk:

Good morning Brothers and sisters, this morning you made a choice to come to church today and now your consequence is having to sit through my talk, I am truly sorry for that!

                What is choice and accountability? Choice? We all know what a choice is right? An act or instance of choosing. Accountability? What is accountability, this one was a little trickier for me, we have all heard it but what is it? Accountability is taking responsibility for a choice that you have made.

                Making choices can be hard sometimes, one time I had to pick one class out of 20! They were all good classes and they all had something I wanted to learn in them. Choices can also be easy, like what shirt you are going to wear today, blue or green???

                James E. Faust said…  quote "Sometimes we make poor choices. . . . Unfortunately, some of our poor choices are irreversible, but many are not. Often we can change course and get back on the right track. Getting back on the right track may involve the principles of repentance. . . . Learning by experience has value, but the 'school of hard knocks' is deserving of its name. Progression comes faster and easier by learning from our parents, those who love us, and our teachers. We can also learn from the mistakes of others, observing the consequences of their wrong choices." End of quote

                Repentance is really important with making choices, sometimes you make really bad choices and you have to repent.  Sometimes you can’t repent, and you will be stuck with those choices the rest of your life. Like the class I chose. I chose one and I am stuck with all that I learned from that class for the rest of my life.

                You have to be very careful when you make choices. James E. Faust said quote "In this life we have to make many choices. Some are very important choices. Some are not. Many of our choices are between good and evil. The choices we make, however, determine to a large extent our happiness or our unhappiness, because we have to live with the consequences of our choices." End of quote

                Consequences. When you make a choice it is always followed by a consequence, good or bad. The consequence dosen’t always have to be drastic but a  choice is always followed by a consequence. If I had chosen a class that was too high for me I would have been rushing all over the place trying to figure out what this something meant. Or if I had chosen one too easy I would have been bored to tears!

                Another thing goes along with making choices besides consequences, ACCOUNTABILITY!

James E. Faust said, quote "In our society today I see so many people who blame others for their failures. I have observed that those who accept personal responsibility for their actions are more successful than those who blame their shortcomings and lack of accomplishments on someone else.” End of quote      

I admit I am guilty for that one I much rather blame what I did on my sister or my dogs. Wouldn’t it be simpler to just admit to it than having to lie and then keep track of your lie? When you aren’t being accountable you are lying and also being disrespectful. Not only to the person you are telling the lie to but to yourself and the person or dog J, that you are blaming it on.

 When do we get to be accountable?  Doctrine and Covenants 20: 71 says … quote “No one can be received into the church of Christ unless he has arrived unto the years of accountability before God, and is capable of repentance.” End of quote. When you turn eight you have the choice to get baptized. If you do get baptized you take on a huge responsibility you get to make choices and be responsible for them a.k.a accountability.

                Dallin H. Oaks says here… quote "Consider how we use our time in the choices we make in viewing television, playing video games, surfing the Internet, or reading books or magazines. Of course it is good to view wholesome entertainment or to obtain interesting information. But not everything of that sort is worth the portion of our life we give to obtain it. Some things are better, and others are best. When the Lord told us to seek learning, He said, 'Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom' (D&C 88:118)." End of quote

                Our choices can be in what we do with our time. My dad and mom always say to me “Use your time wisely!”   That phrase has helped use my time wisely and helped me spend it wisely.   

                Dieter F. Utchdorf said… quote "You are to do the choosing here and now during this exciting and wonderful time on earth. Moral agency, the freedom to choose, is certainly one of God's greatest gifts next to life itself. We have the honorable right to choose; therefore, we need to choose the right. This is not always easy.” End of quote

                I know that Jesus Christ lives and suffered and died for us! I know that Joseph Smith is a true Prophet and that President Tomas S. Monson is too. I know that our leaders, teachers and parents help us and teach us and that they are influenced by the Holy Spirit! I know that what we choose is important and that Heavenly father Loves us and wants us to do our best! I know that the Book of Mormon is true! And I know that my Family loves me! I know that the Priesthood it powerful and that this is the true church of God! In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.