Civilian life is so good!!!

I am officially in love with our civilian life! Matt came home the other day and said that Weyerhaeuser did very well this last year as did his section, so they decided to pay out 100% Which meant a large bonus for us!! When he was shown the amount he told his boss that couldn't be accurate because it would need to be pro rated since he had only been there for six months. His boss mentioned something about how they had "forgetten about that" and walked away. On top of that he was given a significant pay raise also! So in six months he has recieved two bonuses, and a pay raise! Amazing!!
The company also sent him to an IT conference in San Francisco for a week where he was dined by potential and existing vendors. He then came home with an I-pod shuffle for me and a Portable Playstation for the kids, courtesy of said vendors.......nice......
My cousin asked if all of this made me wish we had gotten out of the military sooner. I recognize the Lord's hand in this and know that it was the perfect time, place, etc... Matt had to be in the military all those years so that he could recieve the knowledge and training that it provided him, the oppurtunity to have the learning experiences he did and so much more...
I am ever thankful and appreciative of the blessings we have recieved. With this gratitude I have also felt an extreme desire to prove a good steward over the things we have been given. the children, house, finances, etc..... I do realize that as quickly as it is given, it can be taken away.
So thanks to the military for all it provided for us and for making the decision in it's wisdom to cut us loose, it is truly one of the best things that has happened to us.

White River Valley Museum

We went with some friends to see this museum in Auburn. It is a small museum but very well done. It explains how the area was founded and the different groups of people and events that settled in the area and made it what it is. They had a log cabin that you could walk through which was nice because we just finished reading "Sign Of The Beaver" where a young boy lives in a cabin waiting for his family. This gave the children the chance to make the coralation between the house they saw and the cabin in the story. Michael says it is no wonder they got cold from the weather coming in through the cracks, the cracks between the logs were large.

They also had rooms that were done up to resemble a local hotel, a general store and a hat store. And we can't forget about the life sized cabose that showed how the engineers lived.

The caboose was a favorite as was a horse ride. One that you drop a coin into and it jumps around for a minute or so. However, this was no ordinary ride, this horse really jarred you! The lady showing us around liked to explain that it could knock a filling out. I guesse it was the actual horse that sat in front of one of the local stores and people who visit the museum often remember having riden it as a child.

Hmmmm.

Our Lds friends who know us well, will definetly appreciate this. We got a call from the second counselor asking us to speak in church. We knew it was coming, we have been in this ward for about three months.
So after Matt gets off the phone he has a strange look in his eyes and asks if I want to know the topic. He says "you're speaking on teaching children to worship". I laugh out loud. What??? You have got to be kidding me! I am one of the last people who is capable of talking on this specific topic! So, maybe it's I need the info more than that the ward needs to hear me.
Then he asks if I want to know what he is talking on. Wait, we have different topics? That is highly rare. It gets better. His topic is on resisting temptation..
The interesting thing is that the members in this ward really don't know us all that well and have no idea what we have been through. I told him it was a good thing he was the one on the phone as I would have laughed out loud!!!!
hmmmm, inspired or just really out of touch? Probably the former I am thinking. Anyhow, it should be an interesting sacrament if anyone cares to visit, Roecker's? Hughes?

*heart attacks*

Last halloween we were "boo'd" (check Oct. blogs) So, for our Family Home Evening we discussed service and how it should be given with an open heart and not with the expectation of a reward. To go with the theme we gave "Heart Attacks" to a family in the ward, our neighbor, and a family from our homeschooling group. Way too much fun! The kids love ringing the doorbell as fast as possible and then making a get away without being seen.
We are not sure if the one that went to the neighbor will be passed, we sort of live in what I call an "isolation" community. We think the homeschooling one got passed and we know that the ward one is going around because it has come back to us! We didn't get our heart in the window fast enough :) It was a thrill for the children to also be on the recieving end however.
So here's wishing you all a great Valentine's day and a "Heart attack" of your own.