Summer 2012

Summer has set me back on my blogging.  When you are constantly going and trying to enjoy the short summer, the blogging kind of lacks a little.  I have much to share and post, so hopefully this week will be a little slower and I can blog a little about the summer...that is now 1/2 over.  What in the world?!

Private vs Non-Private

Does it ever bug you that you don't know when I have updated this blog?  Well, now you can know.  I have seen a few friends who have been doing something new with their private blogs.  They are updating them on the private blog and then on a 2nd blog they are simply making a post, indicating they made a post on the private blog. 

Why do this? 
So you can list my old blog in your blog list or RSS feeds and know when I have updated my blog.  When you go to my non-private blog (old blog), it would simply have the title of the post and then have a link to this blog.  You can go to the old and connect over here or whne you see I have updated, you can simply go to this blog.

I hope this makes sense.  Anyway, if you want to do this, here is the address for the blog that will have the feed cababilities: http://www.suzyqzoo.blogspot.com/

Again, it will only indicate I have updated my blog.  The real updates will remain on this site.

Catch-up

So I have a bunch of posts I have had sitting around, saved.  I just haven't had the pictures uploaded or whatever.  Anyway, I will play catch up now and just post them as I wrote them...months ago.

So Much Fun

I would have more to write lately, but we have been busy enjoying this good weather before it decides to snow again!  We have been walking to the park, having picnics, walking around the block and just relaxing in the nice weather.  I'll check back in on our blog soon, but we just can't resist this weather!  I do have a few cute pictures, but mostly I have just been enjoying my kids and not taking pictures.  I need to do both!

Getting Back Into It

As you can tell, I am getting back into it.  We had some things going on at home, so after we went private, my energies were elsewhere.  My family is still my focus, but this is our family journal and I need to keep up on it or we will never remember these moments.  I also don't want to have a huge amount of posts all at once and then nothing for a month.  So, I am going to try to get back into it.  Wish me luck!

Randomness Around the House

Shane got a hold of the camera and this is what he decided to photograph...



One of these things is not like the other.



Did You Notice?

Yes, I actually changed my background.  Life has been pretty busy lately and so I have been a super bad blogger.  New goal for the month...catch up!  I changed the background, now let's see if I can post about what we have been doing that has kept us so busy!

Man Cave

OK.  I know there are girly baskets, but we are working on it.  That is the best place for the WII remotes currently.  We decided to make our basement family room a little more manly.  It is where they all play games and watch the game, so why not make it look a little better?  We have more things we want to do, but we started with a blue accent wall with the best team ever on it.  It looks a little crooked, but we have since fixed it.  We are working on the lighting next and a few more wall hangings.  The boys in the house all love it!

Things to Come

I have been so busy lately that I have become a blog slacker.  I want this to be a great journal, so I need to make some time for it.  There are some posts that are about 2 months old that I even need to post, so as a reminder and to give you a hint of things to come, here are some posts you have to look forward to:

Anna and Matt get Married
Halloween
Baby Elenor is Born
Thanksgiving
Visiting with Jason and Shez

Now, I need to set a goal for when to have each of these posted.  I will try to post about the wedding by tomorrow at the latest!

NEW BLOG!

So I decided it would be even easier to hide myself and my family if I changed our url.  So, I created this private blog.  This way I was also able to download my old blog and change all the names in a quick search and replace and upload it to this new blog.  I won't have to use nicknames anymore, which I am very excited about!

So, you will no longer see A1, A2, M1 and L1, it is Aidan, Andrew, Max and London.  Yay!  This way I can also leave my other blog going for a little while longer to get reader's information and subscribe them to this new blog.

Long story short (too late) please bookmark this new site and delete the old.  I can then start uploading new posts to this site right away.

Private

So, I've gone back and forth on this whole private thing. I hate the idea because there are people whose blogs I just don't get to check as much because they are private and I fear that might happen with mine. But, the purpose of my blog is mainly to journal, so that shouldn't matter.

We have had some recent happenings in our family, including recent talks in General Conference and at church that make me want to step up my Internet security as well anonymity on the Internet. We are adjusting our Facebook accounts to show less and to be more particular in who we befriend.

And, alas, we are going to make our blog private so that we know who is seeing/sharing our private moments. We would love to share these moments with you if you are still interested. If you are, please email me or leave a comment with your email address.


suzyb@alexanders(dot)com

Gratitude

I would be extremely ungrateful if I didn't share a few of the things I am so blessed with. This last week Shane had knee surgery and it was also a particularly hard week for other reasons. I have been so blessed this week as well and really feel that I need to remember the things I do have, rather than focusing on the hard moments in time. These are in no particular order.

1. A husband who tries and who goes to work in some pain to provide for us.

2. Aidan - for coming home and stepping up. He mowed the lawn with no complaint and who, without asking, helped around the house and fertilized the lawns.

3. Andrew - Who didn't complain once yesterday when I asked him to help with dishes, etc.

4. Max - For his little kisses when he looks at you and just knows you need them.

5. London - For her laughs and her innocent eyes and her funny timing with words lately.

6. Kind parents who listen and love with no expectations.

7. Loving church leaders who don't know they are saying the perfect thing in a meeting, but who say just what I need to hear.

8. Amazing friends who give support just with their patience and kind words.

9. Family - Who give you advice, and without even knowing why they are saying what they are saying, are truly blessing your life with the things you need to know to do.

10. God - Who listens to all the joy, sorrow, complaints and thanks and who sends his love and peace no matter what. In a leadership training last night they said that after we have tried with all our heart, might, mind and strength and we can do no more, the Lord will step in and he will carry us the rest of the way. This is so true.

11. The scriptures - Their words are always what I need to hear. I am not always listening in the right way, but when I am, I am given the answers I need.

12. Prophets - There were some amazing words spoken at conference and they really touched me. It always seems that even if the subject isn't about something I have, such as the priesthood, it still pertains to my life and what I can/should be doing.

13. Temples and not only the opportunities that they give us to serve and learn, but for the tremendous blessing they give to us to be an eternal family.

14. All of the many material things we are blessed with. We have enough food and a warm bed to sleep in. We have enough and can't ask for more.

What are you grateful for?

I'm getting old...

So today I am 32! I went to this site to see how I would look when I'm older. Apparently I will not really have wrinkles at 52, but might already feel the need to pencil in my eyebrows to the extreme.

When I am 62, stress is going to take its toll because, man I look bad! Remind me to sleep more to avoid the bags under my eyes! Here's hoping I age a little more gracefully! Ha ha ha!!!

Now

In 20 years

In 30 years

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Hello?

Why is it that I saw about 5 of these at the high school today? Can't we learn from the past? Ouch!

I Love This

My friend had a link to this on Facebook. I think it is so true. We are so focused on NOT being racist that often we are racist in the opposite manner.

Did You Know...

That we are still alive and we are having fun? It is true! I have just been a slacker. I also have a new camera, so now I can upload pictures. Wahoo! It looks like I will be a blogger again now that I can do that. So, here we go.

MIA

I know, I have been missing in action. I have just had a crazy couple of months and the blog has kind of been my last thing on the list. This is bad because it is my journal. I am still doing personal progress and need to update that. I am also still taking pictures, but I got a new camera and it came to me defective, so I had to return it. So, the pictures are still hit and miss because my computer doesn't like my current camera. So, we will see what happens. I will try to get the posts going. We will see if my camera will cooperate. Wish me luck!

New Names

I would love to use new names for everyone. London, Max, Aidan & Andrew just aren't doing it for me. I just want to make sure they are names that grow with the kids. We call Max, Mr. Man. We call London, Little Lady. We also have nicknames for Aidan & Andrew, but they are little names. Once I figure out what to call them on the blog I will change the names.

I Know I Know

Personal Progress overload....but just wait, a very special little girl turns 1 on Tuesday! Where did the time go?