Apparently, not the right answer

I went to church yesterday, or should I say I went back to church yesterday, not to imply that I ever left "The Church" just that for the past several months I left church.
I did not go, I did not participate in anyway, no activities nothing.
I did not at anytime feel guilty.
No I did not take up smoking, I thought about taking up drinking(not really :D)and thought about using our tithing money for a fab get-a-way but I didn't, as a family we still said our prayers, sometimes read our scriptures, our lives never changed.

So yesterday we went back.
Not that is was planned, Saturday night I just told all to gather up Church clothes, nobody said a word.
We walked in, shook hands, payed our tithing, took back control of "our bench" partook of the sacrament, prayed, sang, and sent children off to primary.(and may I add we were on time, unlike most of the very faithful)

Then Mike dragged me off to Sunday School, the bain of my existence, the place where every answer to every question is: say your prayers, go to church, read the scriptures. Can I just say"gag me with a spoon."
I usually spend that hour on the couch in the foyer or at Safeway.
Oops I was caught rolling my eyes...
"Sister Brinkworth"
"yes"
"May I pick on you?"
"Bring it on, Bro."
"What is you favorite scripture in the BOM, or favorite thing about the scriptures namely the BOM/D&C?"
"umm besides the fact that they are currently holding down the top of my dresser, with great power"
"sigh, yes Sister Brinkworth"
"the history"
"sorry what did you say?"
"the history, you know the truth behind them. The fact that my ancestors willingly gave up everything for them, their homes, belongings and even their lives."
"So you don't have a favorite scripture"
"Umm not really."
"Do you not read, study the scriptures daily?"
"Nope. You see I have read them, twice actually, once because I had too(in Seminary) and once because I wanted to. I believe them, I know God gave them to us, I know that he chose Joseph Smith to bring forth His church on this earth again, and I know that my family way back when chose and myself today choose to follow His Church on this earth. I believe that The Prophet today speaks the Word of God, and that I do not question that. I know that it is the responsibility of myself and my husband(who is at this point wishing he had brought his scriptures) to raise our children to follow the Prophet and therin the Gospel. So no I do not study the scriptures daily, often, yes, but not daily."

"Oh, Okay, so Brother So and so, do you have a favorite scripture?"

Bet they can't wait for me to come back.

Happy Birthday, Sunshine

Wow, how time flies,

seven years ago after so much blue,

We brought home PINK.

Ardynn Margaret Brinkworth
(Ardie, Sunshine, Maggie-Mae, or Ardichoke)

these past seven years have been great,

you have taught us that one really can scream "like a girl",

but catch lizards, climb trees and hunt bears and squirrels,

just like your Dad and brothers.

So here, without further ado is the great list of Ardynn;

1; Ardynn was born after only 14 hours of labor(making her forever my favorite)

2; Our little sunshine suffered horribly from g.i.r.d. as an infant and clung to mommy like a baby koala, but even with so much pain was dubbed "sunshine" by her daddy and has earned that title so many times in the past seven years.

3; As the current "middle" child she is a very calming influence and a great bridge between the "older" and "younger".

4; Ardynn is a great student and excels in her education endeavors, but also wants to be "Hannah Montana".

5; Ardie has great empathy for others, and is a real champ for the "under dog".

6; Our first princess has great career plans and would like to become a Dr. or a Nurse when she gets older.

7; Ardi finds it hard to walk anywhere and must run to see life; it is almost as if she is afraid to miss any part of it.

So Happy Birthday our wonderful Sunshine

enjoy your wonderful life,

we love you.

p.s. she now prefers purple.

Ode to Spring

Spring is finally here the calender says, and it hasn't snowed at our house for two days, and the wind has slowed so it is time for my attempt at a spring poem(this idea was stollen from my really cute, smart, wonderful eight year old) hmm, hmm

Spring

by Dusty Brinkworth

What wonderful gifts you bring,

dear spring,

newborn calves and chicks hatched from eggs,

thank you, thank you dear wonderful spring,

for now thank God I can shave my legs.

Okay so it needs a little work, but Mike likes it.

Oh the hurt.

Ardynn came home last night and asked a very hard question. "Mom can "Suzie" come to our house to play next week during spring break."

I"ll be honest this little girl was the last one I thought Ardynn would want to play with, she comes from a very troubled home and while not a bad child just kind of rough, really not the kind of friend my little girly girl runs with. So after asking her why "Suzie" and not "Sarah" or "Becky" my little angel replied...

"because mom if she came over next week, she could eat lunch".

I am still crying

Tagging you all

For several months now I have been "tagged", not only here on my blog but now on Face book. Really cannot stand them, for the most part I already know that you are wonderful people(wouldn't stay with you if you weren't) so I promise to participate if you will follow my "tag" I don't want to know how great you are, how perfect you kids, house, husband, life is I want the top 10 crazy, embarrassing, never do that again, of you all. Because how can we all say "oh no, I did that to" if we never know.

So being the tough girl that I am I will start.

#1, Apparently I am a "hand to mouth girl" and after spilling super glue on my hand stuck it in my mouth. It took two hours at the clinic to remove(my hand that is, it took two weeks for the glue to wear off) they still laugh at me.

#2, a few months ago my foot got stuck in a snowbank at the kids school in front of Ardynns entire class, and no I did not just slip my shoe off I struggled to pull my foot out and fell flat on my face. I was wearing flip-flops.

#3, I call Mike "Harold" because I once had an entire conversation over the top of an isle at walmart with a completely different Mike, even told him I loved him, and then got mad at my Mike for not remembering our conversation.

#4, I felt so awful while in labor(46 hours) with Dawson due to my p.u.p.p.s that I could not stand anything to touch me. I "mooned" the entire nursing staff.

#5, I have also pinched the wrong husbands butt, again while at walmart, I like to think that he enjoyed it.

#6, I regularly hide from the Schwann man, Jehovah's Witnesses, and once from my Visiting Teachers.

#7, At my High School graduation while we walked up to receive our blank diplomas I walked smack into the wall. In my defence the walls do jut out occasionally.

#8, A few years ago while in town getting a load of water I put my water card into the wrong slot and "washed" the city truck parked under the south side hose(yes the windows were down and two city employees where of course inside.)

#9, While pregnant with Kallison I sneezed while at the Post Office. I left really fast and wet.

#10,Years ago while stepping out of the shower and not wearing my glasses I stepped on the plug to my blow dryer. Mike was at work and Braxton just a baby so I had to drive myself to the clinic in the truck(a stick shift) while wearing Mikes sweats cause I could get them on over the blow dryer and explain what I had done to all 25 employees over and over again.(did you know that they cannot put stitches in the bottom of your foot).

And you thought not wearing a slip was bad!!!

The mother of all inventions

So Carsten came home yesterday with the homework assignment of thinking up an invention and writing a story about it.
After a few suggestions he decided on a helper robot.
One that would help with his homework and chores.
It would also throw perfect pitches and run after foul balls.
The perfect helper for an eight year old boy.

It got me thinking: My perfect invention handy little child size dispensers to hold the shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion and tooth paste.
It would dispense pre measured amounts to each child, on a timer of course.

AND ONLY AFTER THEY HAVE PASSED A RETINAL SCAN!!!!!!!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY or(STRANGE THINGS IN OUR YARD)

Okay it has been proven.

I can not be silent.

My poodle is a Salma Hayak wannabe!

Took- Took is Two

Dear Dawson

Two years ago today you were forced into this world struggling to live.

Boy how things have changed. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

The baby boy that had little chance and wasn't supposed to hear now seldom slows down and chatters like crazy.

Dots loves to chase after his older brothers and sisters, beg for treats, and play with his kikis, fruff fruffs, his trucks, balls, and baby doll Owen.

Dawson has proven to be a very organized toddler and loves to have everything his way, really everything. Even his fits are cool and collected usually only lasting seconds.

Tookers is also very polite with his please, please mommies and tank you fery musch.

Dawson has never met a stranger and loves to give out hugs and kisses, and strangley loves to rub your cheeks with the palm of his hand.

For our littlest man life is not the destination, but just how much you can make your sisters scream on the ride.

How we love you.