A Big Fat Time Out...For ME!!!

I got to go to Time Out For Women with some of my FAVORITE women this year!! The past 3 years I have gone with friends, but this year decided we would try to pull off a Tenney girls trip. So my mom, Tara, Cynthia and I headed to the valley a day before TOFW started and did some much needed shopping and treated ourselves to lots of good food and pedicures. Jami and Carly came down just on Saturday and joined us for the day.

TOFW was of course AMAZING!! Here are just a few things I learned this year...

#1...I need to live my life as a Holy Woman...I have a LOT to work on!!
#2...Compared to others, my life is a cake walk!!
#3...Some times the worse thing that happens to us can actually turn out to be the best thing that happens to us!
#4...I need to make my scriptures my THERAPY!
#5...That in trying times...all we can do is just keep trying!

And MUCH more!



My Beautiful mom and I getting pedicures...I'm holding my niece Taelee who later got her toenails and fingernails painted!

Cynthia & Taera getting their toes done!

Taera, Taelee, Carly (doesn't she look adorable pregnant?), Jami (soon to be grandma:), Cynthia, My mom, and Me (not so cute pregnant!)

Carly & Jami

Thanks ladies for making the weekend so fun! It was a much needed break!

We missed the sisters that couldn't join us!!

Lessons of Forgiveness...

I must be needing to learn how to apply forgiveness in my life. I have never felt like I was one to be unforgiving. To be honest, forgiveness has come quite easily in the past. But for some reason the past few weeks have been full of meanness and I have found myself having a hard time forgiving others.

It all started with an email that was sent to people all over Heber, from an unknown source, totally bashing my husband and our family...all because he has chosen to run for the Heber/Overgaard Fireboard. It was full of lies, and yes some truths, but was truly hurtful. The following is the blurb about Brandon and our Family...

"Our major concerns are with two people running, Brandon Martineau and Jerry Call. These two have a special agenda. That is, to cut the tax rate for the Heber Overgaard fire district to the bone regardless of the consequences. The reason they want to do that is to reduce their own property tax bills. Mr. Martineau owns at least 8 properties / homes in the H-O area. Back real estate taxes are owed on all of them with tax liens on a number of them. Mr. Martineau was given most of these properties by his uncle, Lewis Tenney. Lewis Tenney owes back taxes on a number of his 60+ properties. Follow the money. Mr. Martineau wants the fire district tax rate cut to the bone so his and his uncles tax bill will be lowered. Mr Martineau has no qualifications to sit on the board. He doesn't have a job. He gets free money from the state ( close to $5000 / month ) for fostering children. You would think getting $60,000 a year of free money he would pay his taxes. What does this say about his money handling skills?"

About an hour after receiving this email, we received a mean phone call from a man I have never even heard of. This was our conversation...

Me- 'Hello Martineaus'
Mr. Clark- 'You people need to pay your taxes and leave the fire department alone!!'

He hangs up on me!!

I call him back...

Me- 'Sir, you do know that is harassment right?'
Mr. Clark- 'Yeah and I don't care...You people need to pay your taxes and leave the fire department alone!!'

He hangs up on me again!!

That is when I lose it! I start bawling!! Are there really people that are THAT mean and cruel?! I really couldn't believe it!! I was SO mad!!

Here is where I have to start applying forgiveness. 1st...to the anonymous man who wrote the hurtful email, and 2nd...to the wonderful Mr. Charles Clark whom I have never met who was so kind to call us up and be so mean.

It has been hard for me to do. But as I have read the following quote from President Hinckley over and over again it is getting easier. I WILL move on...and I WILL forgive.

"May God help us to be a little kinder, showing forth greater forbearance, to be more forgiving, more willing to walk the second mile, to reach down and lift up those who may have sinned but have brought forth the fruits of repentance, to lay aside old grudges and nurture them no more."
President Hinckley

All Domesticated...

I LOVE Canning Season! It's the one time of year I feel domesticated!!

As much as I love the few days of extremely hard work...I'm not gonna lie...I also LOVE when it's over!!:)


A Few of Our Pears

Carly and Mom doing peaches

My awesome mom!!

Carly enjoying peeling peaches!!

BIG thanks to my mom for ALWAYS helping me!!

All together we did:
5 boxes of Peaches
4 Boxes of Pears
And
2 Boxes of Apples