We bought a House!

This is a picture of the model home we are getting built here in Utah.  When Matt and I drove here to Utah from California, I was driving alone in Matt's car and feeling really scared about our move.  I started to see the mountains of Utah and the song "Home" came on by Phillip Phillips.  I felt like Heavenly Father was singing the song right to me, tears started streaming down my face and I knew in that moment that God would help Utah to feel like my home.  I don't know how long it will take, but I have faith it will happen.  Today the song came on again, the day we signed papers for our new home.  I hadn't heard it since the Summer while driving here.  Once again, I blasted it and let the tears fall down my face.  I know this new home is a step in the right direction.

Home

Hold on to me as we go
As we roll down this unfamiliar road
And although this wave is stringing us along

Just know that you are not alone,
Cause I'm gonna make this place your home.

Settle down, it'll all be clear
Don't pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble- it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found

Just know you're not alone
Cause I'm gonna make this place your home.

Proactive

As I mentioned before, I am re-reading the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.  Other than the scriptures, this book has done more to change my life than any other book.  I just finished reading about being Proactive.  Here is just a little quotey quote:

"Highly Proactive people recognize responsibility.  They do not blame circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behavior.  Their behavior is a product of their own values, rather than a product of their conditions, based on feeling."

This hit me hard.  I wanted to blame the cold Winter, moving from California, and other things for my lonely feelings.  I wasn't taking responsibility for doing something about it.  If I value my children being active and not sitting infront of screens all day, and it is 30 degrees outside, then I better start putting in some effort.  I decided to be proactive and find fun opportunities for my children.  The key to every success is our EFFORT.  You value something- put in the effort.  You value your spouse, put in the effort to make them feel your love.  Here are some pics of how I decided to kick Winter's butt and enjoy ourselves.

                                                   Funtopia

                                                   Choo Choo's

                                                   Building an igloo out of marshmallows and toothpicks

                                                   Indoor bounce houses

                                                   Playing with cousins

                                                   Dressing up with cousins

                                          Indoor roller skating

My Favorite Quote of All Time

Tattoo Mormon

Okay, love this girl.  I don't find many people "cool" and actually hate the word popular, but honestly I think Al (Fox) Carraway is so cool.  Love her style and love her passion.  I'm excited to read her new book, More Than the Tattooed Mormon.  I read an excerpt that she wrote which will be in her book and felt inspired by it, here is what stood out to me:

"...I knew that no matter what happens, if we put God first, our trials and losses, our lonely times will be made up to us.  And it would be not just okay but BETTER than what we ever had in mind- better than before the hard times had even started."

"...We need to trust that everything God does is to help us receive greater blessings in life. Our trials move us closer to where things are greater than they ever could have been before.... Fear not.  Forget not whose hands you are in.  You are not left alone or forgotten.  You are not being punished.  You are being led.  You are being guided and directed.  You are protected.  You will make it.  And it will be greater than you could even imagine."

I love that she said that all the really hard things that happen to us will be made up to us, not only that, they will be greater than we can imagine!  If that doesn't make your day, then I don't know what will.... so cool, so cool.

The Snicker Test

Keia has her fifth grade Science Experiment due this month.  She decided to see who had more self-control, boys or girls.  Keia was very confident that girls would win.  At the beginning of the day, she asked 3 girls and 3 boys (same ages, example: one 2nd grade girl and one 2nd grade boy) if they would like a small Snickers candy bar.  She told them that they could eat it anytime during the day or they could return it to her at the end of the day and she would give them a full-sized bar.  It turned out that boys had more self-control.  2 boys returned the small bar for a large one, and only 1 girl returned hers for a large one.  The other 3 kids didn't wait.
This experiment made me think, how do I teach self-control to my children.  Would they be one of the kids who waited or would they eat it right away?  The definition of self-control is: the ability to control one's emotions, behavior, and desires in the face of external demands, to function in society.  I have read way too many parenting books, but I still think the best way we can teach our children is to show self-control ourselves.  Show self-control while they are having a meltdown or tantrum, showing self-control in our eating, showing self-control in our conversations with our spouses etc.  I think this is something that will take our lifetimes to achieve.
Sooo, sneaking treats at night when my kids are in bed, does that count?  I wait until they are in bed!

Olaf

I was listening to Disney songs with Kalli while she was eating lunch today.  Olaf's song came on about his "dream" of being in Summer.  I started laughing because I must be like Olaf to Heavenly Father- I dream of things that I want for my life, but in reality they may not be the best thing for me.

Today I learned...

I love to learn.  I find random facts and information very interesting.  My favorite is to learn what Heavenly Father is teaching me, however I don't always pay attention.  Yesterday I was looking at old pictures and family videos with my kiddies while we waited for my boo to get home from work.  My heart ached remembering all the good times and having little, innocent children all at home.  Of course I mainly remember all the fun and good things about it, not the day to day difficult things.  I realized that no matter what stage of life we are in, there will always be difficult things about it and great things about it.  For years I kept waiting for this "perfect" time in my life when everything was flowing and we had no problems, but then it dawned on me, which I feel like I knew already deep down, that there will never be a "perfect" time in my life, just "perfect" moments.  Some moments I create and others just happen naturally and it is a feeling of contentment.  If we focus too much on what isn't going right in our lives, then we miss out on all the things that are going right.  This always brings me back to gratitude, even during this really difficult Winter.  I need to let go of the stormy, snowy clouds outside right now and focus on the rainbows happening all around me.

Sick of being Sick

The Huffman House has been so sick, and I am sick of it!  It started with our first day of Christmas vacation and my son having diarrhea while in downtown Salt Lake.  We were in the Macy's bathroom for over an hour, it was awesome.  Eventually we put Kori's size 4 diaper on my 8 year old to drive home.  Then we went into fevers, sinus colds, coughs, migraines, and finally two nights ago Kalli woke up in the middle of the night and threw up everywhere- which turned into 6 times that night.  I don't know if this is a "Utah" thing because we are indoors way more than we are used to?  I finally took my two girls into the doctor today and his professional advice was:  you should feed them some french fries so they will want to drink more.  Ummm, sure.  Keia hasn't eaten in two days and some greasy fries will do the trick.  Welp, off to In-n-Out!!!

Keia:  Mattix did you see Marissa today? (Keia missed school)
Mattix:  Yeah, she looked lonely.
Keia:  Did you tell her that I was sick?
Mattix: Yeah, I told her that you were hurling. (who says hurling?  love it)
Keia:  What?! Why did you tell her that, how embarrassing.  I already threw up in Target today and that was embarrassing!
Apparently my Fifth Grader has some "embarrassing moments" to write in her journal now!

Happy 2016

Hi.  I decided to give up on blogging, not sure if anyone was even reading my blog and it felt like one more thing to do... but tonight I spent the last hour and a half going back and reading old posts.  I thought to myself... self, your kids may enjoy reading these one day- keep going.  So here I am again to kick off 2016.

The Huffman House has moved to Utah.  We moved in August.  It has been hard, but right.  I am a California, sunny, beachy girl to my core, so this snow and cold weather thing is not going well for me.  The snow is beautiful to watch and very peaceful, but I have never liked being cold- I live for Summer time.  It has been quite the adjustment living in Utah- I had many preconceived ideas of what it was like here.  It has been way better than I thought, definitely financially better for my family.  I have learned many lessons while living here so far, but the most important is that I can be happy anywhere as long as I have my family.  So here we go to a New Year!  It is January, so I will be reading Seven Habits by Stephen Covey- its been my tradition for the past 6 years- can't you tell I am Highly Effective?!?

My 2016 goals:
*Study the life of Joseph Smith Jr.
*Make Sunday our favorite day

"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals."  Henry David Thoreau

Lil' update

 Here is Keia on her field trip.  Keia just finished basketball season and still likes it (yes!).  She started learning how to play the guitar and is taking lessons at school- love watching her play.  Matt taught her a Bob Marley song.  Love our chats in the car when she can't stop talking, love her!

 Mattix just finished basketball and is now onto his favorite sport- baseball.  Matt loves to watch him play, so cute.  He is loving second grade and has moved on from tetherball to hand ball.  Still obsessed with his hair and won't let me shave it.  Love when this kid gets my humor and we find the same things funny, love him!

 What do we say about Kalli, who has grown up so much this last year.  She loves to be silly, but does not like to be laughed at when she isn't trying to be funny.  My little princess, still likes preschool and told me that Gunnar is her "boyfriend."  Matt and I have many moments when we just look at each other and know we are in trouble with this one.  I love her big brown eyes looking up at me or her cutest smile, love this girl!

Okay, cannot get enough of this mister.  He is literally crawling all over the place and is now standing all by himself- he is only 8 months.  I can no longer leave him.  Kori swallowed a penny last week and I almost lost it.  I felt like a new mom who completely freaked out.  This kid is so sweet and I am super protective of him.  Luckily he was okay and they found the penny in his tummy from an X-ray. I love how he is still so cuddly even with being so active, love you buddy!

Successful People

"The successful person has the habit of doing the things failures don't like to do.
They don't like doing them either necessarily.  But their disliking is subordinated to the strength of their purpose."   E.M. Gray

New Year's resolution: Not to make any personal goals.

I'm kind of in this weird place in my life.  Kori will be turning 8 months in two days and is still my dream baby, even with crawling and standing up on things (usually my leg).  I'm someone who loves to always be improving or working towards something, but I can't make a commitment to save my life.  I get through each week and run the household the best I can, but I can't take on anything else.  I know it is only a phase in my life that will go by quickly, it just feels weird.  Four kids is busy!  A good busy, but busy.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  I truly enjoy being a mother and being a woman, but I know my limits... so this year my personal goal is not to make any personal goals- weird right?!