Things always work out.

I'm grateful and happy to say that miracles big and small happen every day in my life. Luke was able to perform his part as Horton in Suessical jr. 2 out of 3 nights. With the help of wonderful friends, directors, un seen angels and God, Luke went from sick and feverish and coughing believing he couldn't perform to choosing to perform any way, receiving help and encouragement that night before the play and pulling together his strength, performing beautifully. I loved seeing my boy do his best despite challenges. I can brag a little since this is my blog and I'm the boss of it. He is talented and sweet. He sings well and has stage presence. I was on a high that night and the next day because of the great messages of this play and the great character Horton is. Thank you Dr. Suess. 

I was also on a high from the high and happy energy of the children and especially my own children!

Mazie and Horton played by Mallory and Luke

Gertrude McFuzz,  played by Parley.

Horton, and Mazie. 

My Sarah Caroline was a Who citizen and a fish in another scene. She was darling.

Gwenyth decided she just wanted to watch the play this year. Here she is hugging a favorite teacher.

In other news. I have a very fun husband. I went to a Christ centered energy healing conference a couple of Saturdays ago with one of my close friends who also studies the healing arts.  It was one of the first warmish days. Nate took our little girls and several friends on a very adventurous hike in our neighborhood. These mountains are what our city is tucked up against. Isn't that a blessing? Nature is so fun and so healing. I am so grateful to have a husband who encourages me to get out and do what I love while he loves and plays with our children. Even with our human weakness I think we are doing a pretty good job, despite our kid's opinions. ;)

Playful waterfall in the background and happy smiles in front.

I love this picture! 

This was off the trail hiking! These girls are like little mountain goats.

Wow

Wow again. 

That is the Great Salt Lake in the distance

I assure you that there is lots of real life in between all these beautiful pictures. Plenty of messes and dishes and fights and homework not getting done and me being mad about that and meals being made and cleaned up over and over! Why do we need to eat so often??? It takes all day? 

This blog is about focusing on the good, the fun, the adventures and milestones. Here I leave out most of the mundane. Have you noticed I don't talk too much about the details of being a mother? That is for good reason. I am baffled most of the time and the other times I am relieved in knowing that they continue to grow up and eventually move out! :-0  ;) 

Back to the fun parts of my life. 

I was able to get away for 2 entire days with one of my best friends in the entire universe. I've known her since I was 9. We escaped up to our house in Hyrum Utah and had such a relaxing and revitalizing 2 days. I crashed pretty hard back in to real life when I got home but I'll spare you the details of my grumpy crash. 

Hyrum has a wonderful country feeling. Here I am with our neighbor's pet llamas. I look happy but something about them being at head level with me made me nervous.

The lake is still frozen. I could hear an owl hooting as I gazed out.

The sunset mesmerized me.

Next adventure. We went to the Provo City Center Temple open house the day after I returned from my mom vacation. What a beautiful temple! What a beautiful place to dedicate to eternal things and to our Lord Jesus Christ. 

This temple has a special story. I've included this video to give you an idea of the journey and transformation this building has undergone. 

Here we are stretched out like taffy at the temple. 

I don't know how to fix this picture so it doesn't look stretched but you get the idea. The temple is wonderful and we were happy to be there. 

We went to breakfast and then we went for ice cream.

I hope my kids remember this day. I know I will. 

I'll end with my favorite picture. 

Love, Kristen

fed up and cooped up

I have been cooped up with sick children for days on end. I'm being dramatic. I've been cooped up since Thursday, or was it Wednesday? 2 of my kids have had 103 fevers and coughs that sound like the black lung. I have been doling out medicines and herbal remedies and soup and herbal tea like a medicine man or a medicine woman. I am tired and I don't want to hear the sound of a croupy cough echoing through my house. Tonight was opening night for my little kids school play. Luke has a lead part with solos and Sarah is in it as well. They were both way too sick to perform. They were so sad to miss out and I have been really bummed too. They have worked so hard for the past several months, learning songs and dances. Their counter parts had to fill in for them tonight. I pray they will be well for Wednesday's performance. 

I thought I'd post some pictures of some happy things from the past few weeks, 

 I need to be reminded of the good things in life. 

Like this front pack for my pets.

I laughed until I cried when I put my kitty Max in it. I'm thinking if I had to evacuate in an emergency (us Utahan's think about that kind of thing) I'd strap my kitty to my chest and make a run for it. I really like my kitty and I'd like to take him with me everywhere. 

Emmaline and Kaytlin had their first gig. They sang for 2 hours at our local Chick Fil-A. They were so good. I felt so proud and bragged on facebood and instagram. I am pretty jealous of their guitar and uke skills!

On Presidents Day I decided we were going to go on a family outing no matter what. 

I have 2 teenage daughters and it is getting really hard to do anything with all 7 of us. 

After some fights and slaps and tears and drama (I did not slap. My kids slap each other when faced with the task of getting ready to go somewhere as a family)

 After a rather miserable car ride to go get daddy from work, we were finally off to Spanish Fork Canyon to hike to some hot springs. 

The pictures of the waterfall and natural hot pools were so beautiful. 

We finally get there with maybe 2 and 1/2 hours of daylight left. When we arrive, the road to the trail head is closed. It's 6 miles to the trail and another 2.5 to the waterfall. We had to accept the fact that we'd just have to wait for another day to see the hot springs. The closed canyon road was snow packed and a beautiful walk. We walked up the canyon for about an hour with many other people who were hoping to see the springs. 

I have 5 children. There are only 4 here  because my second daughter was too ticked off to get out of the car. She slept and sulked in the car while we enjoyed the beauty of nature and the semi warm weather. I had my coat on but my kids are very warm blooded and ran around like it was summer. 

The happy family, minus the pouty one in the car. Isnt' that how it goes in a family? 

Somebody is always mad. 

We went to Slab Pizza in Provo. It was yummy and all the employees were beautiful, young, hip college students. 

Once again, somebody is mad. 

Can you spot the pink lump pouting in her coat? She wanted "healthy food", not pizza. 

Hooray for ice-cream, we all scream for ice cream. This was the magic moment when all 7 of us were happy about the same thing at the same time. I guess in Sarah's book, ice cream counts for "healthy food" because that's what she had for dinner. The BYU creamery is so good. Wow. We are going back there. 

So as you might know, I love animals. I need animals in my life like I need air and trees and a cozy bed. 

Here are my cats grooming Luke's head during family scripture study. 

We try to read the Book of Mormon every night and pray before bed with our kids. It makes things better in our family. Our pets always attend family scripture study and never complain about it. They set the example for our kids who are usually good sports about it. I think they know we need it. It brings Heaven's help in a wicked world. That's right. A wicked world. I am beyond concerned about the state or our nation. I think things are really bad and most of us are oblivious to how bad things really are. Pretty soon we won't be able to stay oblivious because it will be knocking at our doors and affecting our pocket book our schools our health care our grocery bill more than it already is.

Do I sound negative? I feel a bit down and fed up tonight. Maybe I shouldn't blog on a night when I feel fed up with the wicked world, plus the fact that  I've been cooped up with sick kids I'm a little nuts.

Back to happy things. 

For Valentines day Nate and I went to Park City over night. It was beautiful. The inversion was really bad and it was a miracle to drive up to the mountain city where the air is clean and the sky is blue. It was 55 degrees! We walked around art galleries and ate breakfast at our favorite place. 

Here is a huge crystal cluster in a beautiful jewelry store. I love crystals. I have become quite the collector of rocks, minerals, and crystals. I Love them! 

Here is one from my collection. It's called Labradorite. I love the meanings and uses for crystals. They aren't just pretty, they are helpful, like nutritious food or warm sunshine, they can help us physically and spiritually. 

I love to learn about and use them in my personal life and in my Reiki practice with clients. 

Organic Cauliflower of new and beautiful varieties. Bright Orange, soft purple and one that looks like a sea creature. They were so pretty and so delicious. My kids loved them as much as me! The purple one turned the water the pretties violet color. It was so pretty I drank it. Purple cauliflower "tea" is pretty good. My kids thought I was weird, but that's OK by me. There is something satisfying about embarrassing your kids with your dance moves or loud singing or  cauliflower water drinking. 

I have finally gotten out of my house and started exercising again! 

Miracle.

 Spring has srpung in Utah and I am hiking in the snow and slush even if I slide off a cliff. 

I need mother Nature so bad. 

When I go up to the mountains I feel so good. I feel the spirit of the earth heal me and soothe me and clear my head of all its clutter. 

I feel my angels hike along with me. I feel their love and joy for me and for the life I am creating. Even though I'm so flawed and make so many mistakes I feel my angels cheer for me and reassure me that I am doing great. I need Heaven's love and encouragement. I don't think I'm very well suited for this wild world. I think I'm a bit of a pansy.

 I want peace and happiness and rainbows and unicorns. 

I also want to look nice in pictures so I only took a picture with half my face, that way I can't see how my face is aging. 

It's odd to see your face change and age. 

It's actually fascinating in one sense but also a bummer to see your face get a little wilty. 

The sunsets have been beautiful. We have had some storms that have cleaned the air and made for glorious skies. I love it. I hike up high enough to get a good view and then I stand there and praise the Lord for his creations. 

I have had some wonderful Reiki appointments with some special clients. I learn so much and I feel so good helping people in this way. It is a powerful and uplifting experience. 

I look forward to many more rewarding experiences. 

I have a show coming up in April. Our Christmas show feels like it was a year ago, not 2 months ago. I really need to make a set list and get practicing with Ryan, Emily and Bridget.  My head hasn't  been focused on music lately. I bet it would help my head and heart if I could get myself to write a song or practice the guitar. I don't know why I haven't had the heart for it. I think I do know why but that is another post that may or may not get posted. 

My friend and owner of the recording studio where I record got me this show in April.

 It is in West Bountiful on April 8th. 

I'll post about it as it gets closer. 

Well, the coughing kids are finally quietly sleeping. Poor things. It's nice to be the only one awake. Sometimes being alone is the only time I can hear my own thoughts and feel peace. I don't feel quite so fed up and cooped up after blogging tonight. 

Thanks for reading. Have a lovely day/night. :)

Why am I building a new website?

(It's freezing and snowy here. The wind blew so hard that the power went out this morning.  I love that we are getting all this snow but I didn't like the spooky sound of the howling wind and the power going out)

I've hired some help in building a new website. It's making me ask myself over and over, 

"Why am I building a website?" 

It's been really good for me to go through the process of building this site and defining what I do and what my message is and what my mission is. 

It's been uncomfortable and unnerving but once I do my work I feel so much better. I'm just going to keep walking ahead and try to follow the little ideas that come to me and not get lost in uncertainty or paralyzed by my desire for perfection.

I would prefer to be perfect and never make mistakes and never look stupid.

This can be a problem since I'm not perfect and I do make lots of mistakes and that can look stupid.

I have gotten busy with my Reiki healing business.

 Did you know I'm a Reiki practitioner?

 I know I've blogged a little about it but not as much as I could. It really is the most exciting and wonderful thing happening in my own life right now.

 In October I got my business licence, since then things have picked up.

 I have had many powerful sessions with clients. It has been a huge learning experience for me and also a big positive change in my life. 

Over all I have loved it.

I feel really grateful that I can do it. 

If you are not familiar with what Reiki is, it is a Japanese healing art. It is done by placing hands above or lightly on the body and bringing divinely guided life force energy into the person's body to assist in their healing. 

I like this list of some of the benefits of recieving Reiki. 

 This year of 2016 I have felt like I needed to take some additional steps to share my music, share the gifts that I have, share the knowledge that I have learned and share the  network of talented and knowledgeable holistic health care practitioners that I know. 

These are some of the reasons I am building a new website.

As I have searched and worked toward a greater degree of health and happiness in myself I have met so many wonderful healers on the way. 

This website is to share information about them as well as me.  

We all have our own strengths and specialty.  

So with my Reiki business, I have been very rewarded as I have had the courage and faith to work on people that I don't know and even harder, work on people that I do know. 

My intutive and empathic gifts grow as I use them to help others. 

Right now Music has taken a back seat to the Reiki work. My new website will have links to my music and pictures and the option to listen and buy my songs. It's kind of split 50 / 50 between the holistic healing aspect of what I love and do and the music that I create. 

I'm sure I'll figure more of this out as I go. 

I don't know exactly what I'm doing but I have an idea. 

That's a little scary... or maybe a lot scary. 

I do know I can't just sit here and hide in my house. I've tried to hide, but to do nothing because I'm scared of what others might think of me is more misserable than just doing what I do and sharing what I have and taking the risk that not everyone will understand.  Not everyone will be cheering me on and reasurring me that what I am doing is good. I'm going to have to be ok with that. 

I need to get out and be heard and let myself be found by the people that could benefit from what I have because what I have is good.

This is all a part of my adult development and growth... right? 

We are not done growing and learning when we reach our twenties.

 It is a never ending process and growth can be freaky. 

At least it freaks me out sometimes. It also is the best thing ever! I'm so happy for the ways that I've grown and the things that I've learned. I'm so glad that I am an ever changing and ever expanding being. 

Woohoo!

Thanks for reading.

Have a lovely day, where ever you are.