Christmas Jar's

The Sunday after Thanksgiving our Bishop gave each family a book as a Christmas present. The book was called "Christmas Jar's" as a busy mom and student I placed the book on top of the microwave and forgot about it. As Christmas approached I received a voicemail from our church secretary asking me to check my back door step that someone had left our family a surprise. I open the gift with curiosity and was taken back when I saw a LARGE mason jar filled to the brim with change and a one hundred dollar bill folded  neatly facing the outside of the jar. Most people will not be as honest as I am going to be, but here it goes. We needed this money more than that kind person will ever know. We had saved our money so well that every last penny had been budgeted, we did not know that the oil to heat our home would cost use a whopping $1,200 a month on top of an electric bill of $300 a month. This $200 would help carry us until January, John and I felt blessed and not forgotten by members in our ward. A week later John was taking Kaitlen to school when he found a second Christmas Jar sitting on our door with another hundred dollar bill, tears of gratitude filled my eyes and I knew that John and I could make it one more month. After receiving 2 Christmas Jar’s I decided to read the book that bishop had given to us. The reason why I’m sharing this very personal experience with you is because we can all fill a Christmas Jar and help a family in need without it being a hardship on our family. Bishop’s gift was a story about a woman who started giving out Christmas Jar’s to needy people, she then made it a public thing and pretty soon it had spread around to hundreds of needy people. All we need to do is take the change from our pockets/purses and put it into a jar, when the jar is filled give it to someone in need. I thought to myself that John and I can do this that we always have change and it would be so easy to pass along a jar to family that needs a little extra help. So beginning the day after Christmas our family began filling our Christmas Jar. Every time we add a few coins to our jar I feel so happy knowing that next Christmas my family can pay back the kindness that was shown to us this holiday season. I’m hoping  that whoever reads this may feel inclined to fill a jar over the next 12 months and help a family in need next Christmas. HAPPY NEW YEAR and GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

One Semester Down

  John passed all his classes this semester I'm so proud of him!! I'm still waiting for my scores to post it's killing me not knowing. I know I passed Math and Child Development I passed, but Environmental Biology hasn't posted yet and its driving me nuts!!! Next semester we are going to take 13 credit hours YIKES this is going to be interesting, because we have 4 kids :)

I DID IT

OH MY GOSH I PASSED MY LAST COLLEGE MATH CLASS! IM SO HAPPY I HAD TO POST IT!!

November

Well we did it, we survived our first snow storms, first Thanksgiving away from home and another trip to the ER! I'm looking forward to Christmas and can't believe we are in the last month of 2011.

He didn't want to wear is binnie, but I think he is so cute in it.

Caden in his snow suite, LOL I think he's adorable!

Payten in her snow suite, she had so much fun!

Kaitlen, playing in the snow she had a blast!

Caden eating Grandpa Carl's Thanksgiving dinner, he would only eat on Carl's lap!

Kaitlen broke her arm, she wanted a Christmas green cast this time:(

Going for 3

Saturday my mother in-law wanted to take my three girls roller skating, I thought it would be fun for them especially for Kaitlen and Payten because they had never gone before. However deep inside I knew not to let my sweet Kaitlen go because she is so clumsy and breaks bones by slipping on a piece of paper or tripping over a tent. Sure enough, not 10 minutes into it Kaitlen fell, she wasn't even off the carpet yet. I ran to her and she was holding her arm. I asked her the same question I ask everytiome she falls "K-T is this a broken hurt or just a hurt" she told me mom this is a broken hurt. We arrived at the roller skating place at 7:02 and we checked into the ER at 7:20. By at 8:30 my baby had a splint on her arm, and is waiting for her cast to be put on Tuesday. I can't explain why she breaks her bones so easily, my heart hurts for her she is such a champ though. Shame on me for letting her go, I knew better but I just wanted her to have a fun time with her sister. Now she has broken the same arm 3x's she wants a red cast because of Christmas:)

iPhone Pictures

I love my phone I was able to download my pictures off of it and now I can share some for ALL of you. Oh who am I kidding no one reads this:(

Caldwell Bunch

Kaitlen was a rock star and Payten was a spider princess.... AND Caden was

SICK, he had an allergic reaction to his antibotic. Poor little man stayed home with his daddy.

11-11-11

(((SMILE))) Yep I'm smiling John and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on 11-11-11!! We were excited to get to go out to dinner ALONE without our kids. Dinner started out good, we laughed, secretly  teased some of the locals because they wear sweat pants for every occasion. About half way through dinner John got very ill, he was throwing up white foam and he felt like he couldn't breath. We left and my mother in-law took John to the ER for me and I went home and put my Mr. Man to bed (I know his routine and every mom knows to not mess with a baby's routine) Well the doctor told John that he had a piece of food stuck in his lower esophagus and was actually choking. After some numbing medication the food passed and he was able to breath again. SOOO we had an eventful night, of course he felt bad because the first time we go out in AGES  he gets sick. So the moral of this story is... John SLOW DOWN when you eat, CHEW your food better and then SWALLOW!!!

I'm so lucky to have him in my life he makes me be my best everyday. He's the entire reason I have been able to go back to school and do well. I feel so blessed everyday to have him in my life. Kaitlen always says it's her special day to, because that's the day she got her dad. The last five years haven't been easy between them. But John never gave up, no matter how many times Kaitlen refused him. Now she is so excited for the first of the year when John will file for adoption and she can legally have his last name. Our family is our everything we try everyday to do something together and laugh no matter what.

Even though my dad left a 32 year old marriage, my mom was the one who taught me to never give up and communication is one of thy most important keys to a marriage. my mom is my example and when things get hard I always remember her strength and my problems don't seem so bad. Also a long time child hood friend Sharron and Jon have been another couple that I want to mirror my marriage around. After 30 something years those two still act like newlyweds. For their example ill always be great full.

John David Caldwell here is to another 5 years together. I love you and can't wait to see were our lives take us these next five years.

October

(((SMILE))) We made it through our first October with a few cold days, but over all not to bad. My mom came and visited for a week, I was afraid she would be so cold but she handled our 40 degree weather like a champ! We all enjoyed her visit and can't wait for the next one. When we moved here the only thing I wanted was for the snow to hold off until after Halloween for my kids sake, to my surprise Montana didn't (hasn't ) had snow yet!! Our kids enjoyed an amazing 'Old Fashion' Halloween, with fall leaves on the ground and EVERY house giving out candy. We didn't have to worry about stepping on someones winter grass or ruining their manicured gravel, people are so laid back here! Well it's almost 3 in the morning and I must get some sleep so I can get up early and be mom all over again. Happy November!

Winter Attitude

 In just a few weeks my kids and I will be entering a new era in our life's called  WINTER!! I have decided that no matter how cold it gets that my family is going to do something fun and new each month in the snow. Being how last year Montana had snow on the ground before Halloween, I'm getting my blog ready! I won't have a camera until January to share pix, but if your on my face book ill post pictures from my iPhone for you all!! We are ready with snow pants, winter coats, boots and gloves now all we need is some white stuff and let winter fun begin!! Do any of you have any fun ideas for playing in the snow??

Back to old school

WOW this month has flown by the three girls have all started school and so have John and I, we are one busy family! Because John and I both hated the school bus when we were kids we can't do it to Kailten, plus were only about 5minutes from her school anyway I drop her off and come home to get miss Payten ready for her school day. Because of her new self given haircut it takes me awhile to try and hide what she did to herself. However by mid morning its just me and the baby (John if hes not working) and I'll admit LIFE IS GOOD for those five hours, I had major guilt when I put Payten in preschool and now I have guilt because I LOVE her in preschool. Between Caden's naps and bedtime I do my homework, I must say I'm one stressed out momma!

Next John and I both were called to callings today, I'm nervous about mine because it's going to take more of my time that I feel I already don't have. However I'm looking forward to it and hope that I can be a good 14-17 year old Sunday School teacher :) also I have learned to love the members of this ward, I was scared because it's such a small ward only 6 elders that we wouldn't fit into the clicks, however they have made my family and I feel so welcomed we are excited to go to church and feel their love. I have also realized that church isn't about who wears what its about learning the lords message. So many members can't afford to buy a new dress so they wear the same dress every Sunday even if it's mismatched and has holes in the skirt nobody is judging them. I LOVE that, it's how church is supposed to be. I never sit alone in Relief Society and I never go the entire three hours with out a hug or a hand shake. I feel Heavenly Father is happy with how the Libby ward treats it's members! These members have it figured out it's about serving each other and learning the gospel.

Camping at the YAAK

Well we have successfully been camping twice this summer, hoping to fit in one more trip before the kids, John and I start school again. Our first trip was just for one night John and I decided that our 30 year old bones don't sleep well on the ground. This time around we made sure to buy air mattress and we all slept better even Caden. Caden is my professional camper, he was made to be outside in the dirt, I have never seen him so happy just sitting in a dirt pile with his shovel. He didn't even try to swim with the girls all he wanted was his shovel and bucket. The girls on the other hand needed to be entertained, fortunately they found their entertainment in the YAAK River. I like saying YAAK it sounds like you have something in your throat. They also loved coming up with skits for John and I, I was proud of Payten she learned her lines and was able to be included in the big girls fun. John and I learned a lesson from some old timers, after talking about them collecting twigs all day, we learned that night, that their fire was awesome and our fire wood fire was small and struggling. John and I went out and collect some twigs and soon had a blazing fire. Those old timers knew what they were doing after all! I love getting to spend time with my kids and hubby, we learn to work together, good old family time can be really fun and enjoyable. I can't believe that it's already August and that winter is soon approaching, a good attitude is whats going to get me threw this winter.

Puppy for Payten???

Since I last blogged Payten was kinda sleeping in her bed, well I'm happy to report that she has found her way back to our bed. The other night she even woke me up because she wanted to use my arm as her pillow. My next line of defense is to buy her a puppy (yeah I said PUPPY) for her birthday if she stays in her bed. So far we're not getting a dog :) I'm almost to the point where I'm going to lock my bedroom door at night, however I feel to guilty if she really needed us.

One Little White LIE

A week ago I found a mouse in my room, for those of you who know me know that I don't do mice of any kind. I screamed like the girl I am, scaring John to death. We closed the bedroom door and had a plan to capture our new house guest, well he had plans of his own and wiggled his body underneath our door and now was free inside the rest of the house. We looked for a while and concluded that he got down in the basement. When the electricians updated some of the outlets they drilled small golf ball holes in the hard wood leading to the basement. NICE right, John has since then filled the holes with something that fills holes! Anyway here is when my WHITE LIE comes in!

Payten refuses to sleep in her own bed, we move her to her bed three-four times a night until we just give in. (Insert lie) Payten honey a mouse lives in mommies room under her bed. If you don’t want the mouse to get you AKA eat your face, you have to sleep in your room because mice DO NOT LIKE PINK!! They won’t go in your room at night because your entire bed is PINK! To my awesomeness she has been sleeping in her own room all night long, she’s too afraid to even venture into my room. John almost ruined my plan when he told Payten that he killed the mouse and that night we had her sleeping right between us. The next morning he faked a mouse sighting and my plan was on track again. All I have to do is make sure she doesn’t wear pink jammies or else she feels safe enough to sleep with us. Yep I lied to my three year old; however it’s all in the name of SLEEP!

Saying Goodby to Sister Wives

For six and a half months I had the honor of living with my mom, and Crystal's family. In so many ways we were sister wives, without the sharing our husbands part! Crystal would clean the bathrooms and John and I would cook. One person was ALWAYS doing laundry while the other was watching the kids. Most people couldn't live with 14 other people, but we did it and had a good time. I got to know my nephews and nieces and had the chance to see Crystal as a mom. Over all it was fun and enjoyable. But like all good things they can't last forever, after talking to Haven on the phone one night John knew that she needed him back in Montana. The decision didn't come as easily to me, of course I didn't want Haven sad, but the selfish me didn't want to leave AZ, my home for the past 30 years. However how could I refuse Haven her dad and sister's and brother, especially when she was hurting so bad. The day after Easter we left AZ and I did okay up until we hit the Utah boarder, that's when I began to cry. With a prayer in my heart I asked my Heavenly Father to allow me to be brave. Sometimes it's hard for me, however all I have to do is see how HAPPY Haven is and I'm reassured that we made the right choice. Winter, yep its going to suck, but I have to be BRAVE.

Do your HW JESSICA

Just a quick update, summer thus far has been a blast. We have been busy almost every weekend exploring our new environment. On father's day we hiked the Ross Creek Cedar's that was amazing and a lot of fun. The following weekend we enjoyed our communities Loggers Day celebration, which ended in a carnival the kids loved it. I love finding CHEAP things to do with my family, we have walked the Libby Dam and seen the "beach" we love grilling hot dogs and smores on an open flame and lastly we ride our bikes daily to the park and I push the girls on the tire swing until they want to throw up! Thats it for now I need to get my HW done !

SUMMER KICK OFF 2011

Tomorrow Kaitlen will officially be done with third grade! Haven doesn't get out until the 9th! Both girls rocked this year and we are proud of them. I can't believe that our girls are going into the fourth grade, heck I remember fourth grade. Can I be old if I remember being 9 years old? Anyway I just want to let them know how proud of them I am and I can't wait to have them home for the summer. This will be our first summer in Montana with Haven, I'm looking forward to it. We have already encountered a cougar, dozens of elk and deer. My mother in-law has a bear that visits her place and John found a snakes house on Monday that the kids like to watch now. Over all summer has started out pretty good in Big Sky Country! I'm hoping to try fishing, and smores on a camp fire and not a charcoal grill! However it needs to stop raining long enough for us to see some SUN SHINE!!!

PS. Love and Miss you ALL!

It Was The Year 1915

This is hard without pictures but I’ll try. After doing some goggling we know that our house was built in 1915, and the wood burn down in the basement has a paten stamp February 8, 1916. Our house is almost 100 years old and in many aspects it looks it. For instance the bathroom doesn’t have any electric outlets, because in 1915 woman didn’t need a blow-dryer or curling irons. Also the house doesn’t have 3 prong outlets we have had to buy adapters for everything.  The glass in the windows is blurry because glass back then wasn’t as perfect as it is today. When looking through it you feel like you’re on a boat.  Also the fixtures are dated; I have never seen lamps, light switches, door knobs or windows like this before. Our windows open using a rope hinge, it’s pretty cool. The floors have the original wood therefore they squeak with every step.  Overall I’m in love with this place, the bathtub has been updated and so has the kitchen stove.  Okay now for the ScArY part, our basement is unfinished and OLD. I hate going down there and until yesterday I didn’t have to. But we got our washer and dryer installed yesterday and now I have to. BTW that was an all-day choir getting a 1915 house equipped for a washer and dryer! So the basement has thee creepiest toilet and shower in it, we refuse to pee down there. Also the wood burner is a Freddy Krueger burner, it scares me to death. The lighting is bad and the new oil heater makes horrible noses, it’s so creepy. Just how important is clean clothes? Overall we LOVE this old house our girls have the ENTIRE up stairs, there is two bedrooms up stairs one is HUGE the three girls share and the other room is toys. I’m jealous I love it up there. Caden, John and I we sleep down stairs, and we have a computer/exercise room.  This place may be old and make scary sounds, but overall I love it!

so much to do

We are loving our new home and this new adventure. Haven is happy and learning what it's like to have her dad around. Sometimes this can be hard for her, however she is a sweet girl and as always we love her. Kaitlen is getting used to a small school, and her new found popularity. She is from a big city therefore she must be cool! Payten thinks our house has monsters and 99% sleeps with John and I. Caden is a sweet boy that loves playing with the broom, remote and car keys. I know I promised to update you on our home but between school, being a mom and our move I'm so busy. I promise house is coming.

Big Sky Move

Well its official, on April 25 my family moved to Montana! As requested by my sisters and mom I’m going to be blogging about our new adventures; and boy oh boy do we already have some stories for you!

John drove the moving truck and I drove our car, the first leg of our trip was uneventful witch I was grateful for. We spent the night in Kanab, Utah when we left Kanab the sun was shining and it looked to be a beautiful day. Not fifteen minutes into our drive it began to snow; for those of you whom don’t know me I have never driven in snow let alone mountain driving and snow! I was doing good as long as I was following behind John I wasn’t scared, however I was getting cold so I turned on my heater and to my surprise the darn heater didn’t work. Yep that’s right the heat wasn’t working and it’s snowing, did I mention that Caden has an ear infection he needed heat. I called John and he is mad that he didn’t think to make sure we had heat before we left. Anyway I’m not that freezing to death so we decide to travel on; we get into Nephi and the snow is coming down harder John finds a mechanic on GPS we pull in and they are expecting us thanks to my mother in law whom had called ahead for us! Long story short, they can’t fix our heater without ordering parts so we make the decision to just wait and fix it in the fall when we will really need it. We meet John’s longtime friend Troy for lunch and spent the night with John’s brother and his wife. The next day also starts out good John and I are making good time the kiddos are doing fantastic even Caden with his sick ears. We get to Missoula, Montana around 7:30 we have dinner and John and I decide to finish our trip, even though it’s going to be dark in a few hours. Before we pull out of the McDonalds parking lot John tells me “by the way you need to keep an eye out for deer, they come by the highway at night and if you hit one you and the kids could die!” Um thanks no pressure on my end it’s just the lives of my babies. We had been driving an hour or so when the rain began, and then snow, without a heater my windows begin to fog up. Now I can’t see out my windows and on top of that its mountain driving, watch for deer and a new sign watch out for long horn sheep next 20 miles. I have to turn the AC on to defog my windows and now I’m freezing to death, the kids have a pile of blankets on them there not cold. Caden, bless his heart has been a trooper the entire time until now, he started crying and didn’t stop for hours; I flashed John so he would pull over Payten had to pee, she was getting pretty desperate. John took Caden for me so I wouldn’t have to hear him screaming anymore that helped my nerves. We had about an hour left of driving before we got to my mother in-laws house, they met us on the highway and took the girls from the freezing car. My father in-law wanted to drive my car but I refused I had driven 647 miles that day and I wasn’t about to give up now. So now we have Linda and Caral in the front, I’m in the middle and John’s in the back when out of nowhere three deer run out in front of me. I slam on my breaks honk the horn and scare them away. That scared me so bad I was just so thankful I didn’t hit one. We arrive at John’s parents’ house around midnight. I was so glad, I successfully drove from Queen Creek, AZ to Libby, Montana It was awesome I loved the drive.

Next from Big Sky Country our 100 year old house!

One Year and Five Days Later

Last year Kaitlen had her eighth birthday, we had just moved into our new apartment and hadn't even attended Church yet; plus I was due with Caden two weeks later. John and I decided to postpone her baptism for a few months until I was healed from Caden's birth and we had gone to Church for a few months in our new ward. Little did we know Miss Kaitlen would end up slipping on a piece of paper in her room and therefore breaking her Tibia and Fibula bone at the end of July. Her break was so severe that she was in a wheelchair for almost three months with a cast up to her hip. Then she was in a walking cast for a month. After she was all healed the relearning how to walk phase began for her. Now it's the middle of November and she still isn't Baptised yet. December comes and her cousin Royal Wayne turns eight. Crystal and I decide to Baptise them together! January comes and we are POOR from Christmas, February Crystal's niece Kennedy is getting Baptised on the same day as our Stake. March is looking good but now Kaitlen is going to be nine when she is finally baptised and that means we had the wonderful privilege of getting to hear the missionary lessons because if you are older then eight and have not been dunked you have to have the missionary lessons. Which also meant we had a Caldwell/Eldredge Baptism we didn't have to wait until March 19 for the Stake Baptism day. It was a very special day. I'm so proud of Kaitlen and Wayne for making the choice to become Members of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints.

The Baptismal Fount getting filled

Missionaries who taught Kaitlen and Wayne

Dad, Kaitlen and Mom

Cousins Royal Wayne and Kaitlen

Uncle Spencer(Waynes Dad) Baptised them. John was in a cast and couldn't Baptise Kaitlen, however he did give her the conformation blessing.

Yep I'm no skinnyminnie

One month into my New Years resolution and I'm still motivated. For my 30Th birthday I got a mountain bike and the trailer to pull the little ones in. I love the exercise and being outside with the kiddos. I have also joined weight watchers again, the first time I lost 90lbs on the program. I like weight watchers and now with the new points plus program I can eat all the fruits and veggies I want. I didn't get FAT because I hate to much watermelon. Anyway this is personal to me I'm hoping by blogging about my weight loss journey it will help me stay motivated and accountable to all 5 of my readers. Thanks for all the support!

A Sunbeam A Sunbeam

Payten is a Sunbeam, I just can't believe how fast she has grown up. I remember taking her to my primary class when she was only two weeks old. I always had to leave to go nurse her at least twice during that block. Then it wasn't that much longer she was standing in nursery sucking on her binki and waving bye to me. Then yesterday she went to Sunbeams (we had the flu the first of January) she sang songs and listened to her teacher. She did tell me she missed snack time. I wasn't able to go with her yesterday because John is still sick we made a trip to the ER when they went to Church, but she seemed to have had a great day. She came home singing her song "Jesus wants me for A Sunbeam A Sunbeam to Shine for him each day...." She is right Jesus does want us to shine for him each day. It took a little Sunbeam to remind me that sometimes I'm not as shiny as I need to be.

My Next 30 years

I'm on the count down to my 30TH birthday, only 17 short days and I will be 30 years old. I figure if I keep saying I'm going to be thirty, that when the 25TH roles around I'll be OKAY with being thirty. It's funny but this year I can think of at least thirty things I want for my birthday, I feel like a kid I tell John I want that for my birthday and most of the time I'm not kidding I want it.

These past ten years have flown bye so fast:

20- got married
21- had Kaitlen
22- divorced and a single Mom
23-24- lost my weight was a hot single mom and was happy for the first time in years. Went back to college and was loving life.
25- meet John and fell in love got married
26- had my Payten
27-28- got fat again
29- had my Caden.

I'm looking forward to my next thirty years I hope that the things I learned in my twenties will prepare me for my thirties. So all I can say is come on 30 I'm ready for you.

English 101

These past few months we have all learned a few new words from Payten and Jayden. We have all laughed so hard and in many case have started pronouncing words as our 3 and 4 year old do. Please be warned that some words sound like cuss words which makes them even funnier.

Jayden: Four Years Old
fluge: fudge
flaffle:waffle
smarshmellows: marshmallows
Frismiss: Christmas
Prama: Grandma
smarsh brothers: smash brothers

Payten: Three Years Old
appers: apples
Fencer: Spencer
coloring f***: coloring book
man cakes: pancakes
lip dick: lip stick
bright: sprite
Do you want some: I'm going to hit you.
I'll jack you up: I'm going to hit you harder.
Greenma: Grandma