Joel Deany the Great

So, I found an old video of Joel that it so funny. It shows his personality exactly. He was always joking and having a good time. I love and miss him so much. I hope you will enjoy this as much as I did.

Bond Family Game of Life

So, I have been struggling with how to motivate my children to get their chores and homework done without me nagging them all the time to do it. I spend lots of energy trying to help them and coerce them into keeping up with their responsibilities to this household. My friend in Logan has been implementing a plan for a few years now that is truly amazing. We have been doing it for 3 days and it has been great, no more nagging, fighting or anything else. I think I want to market this, it is so good. We call it "The Bond Family Game of Life" So this is how it works

Everything that is expected of them whether it is brushing their teeth or doing their job has a value to it. For example, if they make their bed they get a Bond buck. If they brush their teeth they get a Bond buck and so forth. But, the opposite applies also. If they say unkind words they lose a Bond buck. If they hit they lose $2. There is also a charge for maid service. If they forget to make their bed and I do it, they owe me double what they would get if they had done it. They also have to pay for privileges. $10 Bond bucks to have a friend over. Depending on what they want, the price of the privilege goes up. It seems to really motivate them to do the things that are required and even do more. Kind deeds is worth $2 bond bucks. So, they are looking for things that they can do to be kind and talk kind. The fighting has decreased in only a few days. We also give them the option of trading in 50 Bond bucks for $10 US dollars. Here is some of it so you can get an idea.

THE BOND FAMILY GAME OF LIFE


Job Description/ Earning/ Consequence

Make bed daily (morning)/ $1.00/ maid service -$2
do daily job/ not/asked $4.00/2.00/ maid service -$2
put away shoes/socks/ $2.00/ maid service -$2
do homework by 5:00 / $3.00 / -$1 every half hour
laundry on assigned days/ $5.00 / maid service -$3
put away school stuff / $1.00 / maid service -$1
obey mom/dad first time / $1.00 / lose $2 each time
brush teeth morn. & night / $1.00 / 0
read daily scriptures / $5.00 / 0
wake up on your own / $1.00/ 0
put away own dishes / $1.00/ maid service $2.00
bed on time / $3.00 / -$2
clean room / $2.00/ maid service -$4
speaking kind words / $1.00 /
kind deed / $2.00
using manners at table / $1.00
shower/ $1.00
cleaning windows / $1.00
change/wash sheets/ $3.00
morning/ evening prayers / $2.00
clean out car / $4.00
read book to Haylee / $1.00
Make/Serve meal (weekly) / $5.00
be ready on time for school/ $1.00
ready for church by 8:30/ $4.00
turn lights off/ $1.00/ maid service -$2
feed Jack / $1.00
take out trash/ $1.00

hitting -$3
tattle telling -$1
teasing of any kind -$2
calling names -$2
yelling -$2
interrupting -$2
eating out of kitchen -$1
leave dirty clothes in laundry room floor -$1 per item
bossing -$2
borrowing without asking -$2
snacking without asking -$2
unkind words/being rude -$2
whining -$2

Cost of Living Weekly: Due Saturday by 5:00

Room and Board: $5.00
Electricity: $3.00
Gas: $2.00
Food $2.00
Phone $1.00

$50.00 dollars earns you these privileges:

Sleepover, movie night, date with mom and dad, bowling, personal item, out for lunch, $10.00, you choose with parents approval.


$30.00 earns you these privileges:

late night, stay up extra hour, $5.00, rent a game or movie, 1 chore pass, Yummies ice cream, dollar store, out for lunch


$15.00 earns you these privileges:

play 2 hours of video or computer games


$10.00 earns you these privileges:

have friends over, go to friends house

Well, I don't know if this makes sense. But, it has worked well for us. I am excite to continue implementing it. Any questions?

Thanks "living"

So I read this great little article called Thanksliving by James Ray. I wanted to post it on here for others to read... I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I love spending time with my family. They are the most important thing to my life. It was great getting together to laugh and eat and laugh and eat some more... Anyway, here is the article

"You may be aware that while I was growing up, my father was a Protestant minister. For years, I attended service three times per week and, like most kids, often just wanted it to "hurry up and get over with."

However, with my current understanding of the mind, I now know that while I sat in service and doodled, fidgeted or pestered my little brother, my unconscious mind was wide open and received many great teachings and truths.

One of those teachings came back to me in my meditation this morning, and I thought it was very appropriate for this week.

I remember my father saying almost yearly from his pulpit, "We need to not only practice Thanksgiving but 'Thanks Living'."


While some who don't understand the power of energy, vibration and attraction may think that gratitude is not a big deal, I can promise you that:

Gratitude is the mother of creative vibrations.

You see, when you're grateful for what you currently have in your life, it focuses you on the best. And that puts you in a vibration (feeling) to attract and receive more of the best.

When you have a lack of gratitude in your life, you're focusing on the worst, and that puts you in a vibrational feeling that attracts to you more of the worst."

Life is a self-fulfilling prophecy and YOU are the prophet.

Now as you stop and think about this, it's very practical.

Think about the person who's constantly ungrateful and full of complaints and problems. Do you want to be around them... much less help them? Probably not.

Conversely, think of someone you know who's constantly grateful and appreciative in life. Same question: Do you want to be around them? Would you like to help this person if possible? Probably so.

The universe and all its inhabitants line up in support of the person who's in a vibration of gratitude.

Here's my recommendation as you move into the Holidays this year: Make the theme of the Holiday Season "giving thanks."

While eating turkey and watching football may be the norm around your household, sit down for a least a few minutes and have each family member (including you) list out loud at least 3 things that you're grateful for. -James Ray

I hope that we can all remember to have more gratitude for the great things that we all have in our lives. There are so many people that have touched my own life for the good. Thanks to all those people. I am sure if you are reading this, you are one of them.. Love you all! Melanie

30 things about me

1. I love sushi.
2. I start refereeing high school basketball at the end of this month.
3. I am double jointed in my thumbs.
4. I love vampires, especially the good ones.
5. My idea of camping is a 5th wheel in a RV park.
6. I love hot cocoa. I could drink it anytime of the year.
7. I love summer and warm weather. The idea of winter makes me wish that I could move to San Diego.
8. I have been married for 16 years in December.
9. I wear contacts
10. I can still do a back flip on my trampoline.
11. I love to watch, play and referee basketball.
12. I am a mom of 4 kids.
13. I love to read self help books. Putting it into practice is the hard part.
14. I do not like birthday cake. I like birthday pie..
15. I live in the house of my dreams.
16. My favorite movie of all time is Pride and Prejudice. I love a good love story.
17. I still keep in regular contact with my best friend from elementary Julie Thatcher.
18. I love the rain, hate the snow but love the rain.
19. I have never been tanning.
20. I am an amazing speller.
21. I do not like scrapbooking, not very good at it either... I really have tried.
22. I do not pay attention to the details of things. My husband is the opposite.
23. I love music, almost all kinds. There are a few exceptions and I really like to sing even though I suck at it.
24. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. I love to get together with my family. They are great.
25. I have had my appendix and tonsils removed.
26. I love exercising but hate to run.
27. I have been a wolf leader, bear scout leader and am currently a webelo leader. I know alot about cub scouts.
28. I will eat almost anything once. I love food..
29. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ with my whole heart, mind and soul.
30. My hands are constantly cold.

sad news.....

Well, I write something and than I erase it. Then, I do it again. I am not sure how to say this or what exactly to say.

I went to the doctor today because of some complications that I have been having over the weekend. So, they scheduled an ultrasound for me today. I hate that. The tech does the ultrasound and than she keeps the monitor close to her and I ask her "is everything ok?" But, the only answer I get is " I want to let the radiologist look at this. I will be back in a minute." then she is gone for like ten minutes. When she comes back she says "your doctor is on the phone." That is not good.

Well, I have what is called a blighted ovum. This is what it is.....A blighted ovum is a common cause of early pregnancy loss. It occurs when a fertilized egg develops a placenta and membrane but no embryo. An ultrasound will show an empty gestational sac. Blighted ovum is often due to chromosomal abnormalities in the fertilized egg.

I am very sad. I do not know if I want to even think about trying again..

Bound to happen

So, Haylee and I were sitting eating lunch today and she stops eating and looks at me and says "mom how did you get pregnant anyway." I could of just spit my food everywhere. She is only four.  Why is she asking those kinds of questions?  Jerin,  who is nine, hasn't asked me those kind of questions yet. So, not quite knowing how to answer it for a 4 year old to understand, I said  "well first you have to have a husband and than he helps you get pregnant." that was my explanation of it. Okay! lame... I know. I was caught off guard. I should have already had it worked out in my mind, but I didn't. I mean last week she asked "how is the baby going to come out? " My great answer to that was "the doctor is going to help." She had no further questions. So how much do I share with a 4 year old?  I guess I should prepare for what is next... the only problem is, what is that going to be?

Human Life balance sheet

So, things in life have not been running as smoothly as I would like them too. Life at times seems very unbearable. So, how do I get better at this? How do I look at what is going on around me and say "what can I learn from this" because lately all I have been saying is "when will this end."

So, how do I find a balance of serving and being served. A wise person told us to look at life on a balance sheet, sort of like we do with our finances. Are we being served more than we are serving? Are we serving and serving but not allowing others to serve us? Are we taking more than we are giving?

This life sometimes feels so overwhelming. I feel there is so much that I have got to learn and there is no time to screw up because I have 4 children that count on me and my sanity. So, I will be glad when the only question that I ask is "what can I learn from this?"

Was it a Bear?

So, last month I get a phone call from a neighbor asking if I heard about the Bear. I had been watching the news and a story came on about a bear that was seen in the vicinity of Springville high school, which is about a block away from my house. So, I told him "yes I had heard the story on the news." He precedes to tell me that the bear was 2 houses away from mine and to make sure that I do not let Haylee out unsupervised and to bring my dog inside until they catch it. Well, they never caught it.

So, a few nights ago, I was sleeping in my room and I was awakened to a loud shuffling noise on my deck outside my room. I have 2 lounge chairs that were being pushed into my glass doors that lead to my room. I was just praying that they were locked and would not open. I kept thinking "either it is a stupid burglar or something else." I was hoping it was just a deer. We get deer often in our yard, so I hoped that was what it was. I did not dare get out of my bed to check just in case it was the bear. I just knew if the bear saw me, that glass would not do a whole lot to prevent it from coming in and eating me.

Of course this was a night that Jonathan fell asleep in the front room. So, I will never know what was on my deck and that is fine with me...