October already?

I didn't mean to let September get away like that. I so love September and she gave us beautiful weather this year too! I wanted to blog this past week and gush about the love of my life, in honor of our 14th wedding anniversary, but when I had a minute to sit, the computer was occupied. That's basically how its been for months now as the Chief continues his job search. Its okay, I'm fully supportive of his continued searching for that right job that we know is out there somewhere. We know that Heavenly Father will send us that blessing soon. I just don't know what soon means to Heavenly Father. 

The reason the computer was free tonight is because the Chief took McKay downtown to the conference center for his first Priesthood Session. McKay was nervous, and didn't feel "ready" to go. He just called me shortly, and told me that he was so glad he went. He discovered that the Prophet likes to make jokes, and the men all laughed a great deal. The Chief is taking him to get some ice cream, and make the evening special. 

In the meantime, back at the ranch, I was Holly Homemaker and baked some banana bread and zucchini bread. I took some to a few neighbors. I think it turned out yummy. It was a busy day. Being General Conference, I didn't have to work, so I started the morning making crepes for the boys. This is their favorite breakfast. And it ranks pretty high up there for me too! After that, the Chief left to go take an assessment for a job. The boys and I did yardwork...weeding, pruning, and mowing. I also put away the summer furniture and got ourselves ready for winter.We went to 3 soccer games this afternoon (one for Seth and 2 for Noah)which were all victorious! We also pulled out our Halloween decorations. The boys love to help me, and they braved their fear of heights and climbed the ladder to put stuff up on our ledge. So, we are spookified here at the Skelly abode. And we're ready to welcome October in, despite not really wanting to say good-bye to September yet!

Thoughts on Thursday

I really like Thursdays. Sometimes, I have to go into work early, to teach a class, but I don't mind because it is a class I feel passionate about and believe that if the kids learn the stuff being taught, it can help them in their lives. So, I don't mind getting there early for that. Usually, I try to wrap everything up by Wednesday, so Thursday can be my paperwork day, and the day I follow up on all the things that need to happen before the weekend. And when things are especially good, I can leave a few hours early from work. And that is something I really appreciate! Especially when I seem to get home so late most other evenings. I like being here when the boys come home and helping them do their homework, and study for their spelling tests, and hearing their "after school" chatter. It does my heart good!

And I especially enjoy Thursdays when it is book club, which it happens to be tonight! Yeah! We read How to hug a Porcupine by John Lund this month. I'm sure we'll have a good discussion tonight.

In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the afternoon with my boys!

My family in pics at Storm Mountain



Beautiful Storm Mountain

Love this pic of my oldest

The Chief questioning my picture taking...gotcha!

Taking a short break

The Skelly Fam

Isn't my BYU Fan such a cutie! Can't hardly believe Noah is 9!

Three boys pose for mom

we obviously didn't dress for family pics!

My favorite family pic of the day!

This one is a close second. Isn't it funny that Noah is sitting on lap? He saw some bees and sitting on my lap was the only way he would get in the picture!

Just a few more for mom! My boys humor me!

McKay wouldn't mind if some agent saw his photos and wanted him to be the next Disney Zack and Cody!

The Lovebirds

Another shot of McKay up on a boulder

I loved this photo of my two oldest because if you look closely you will see both of them have their tongues hanging out. They get that bad habit from me, unfortunately. I find it so funny!

More tongue wagging!

This is definitely my fave of McKay from this day! I love his eyes and his smile!

Okay, that's enough for today...maybe the rest of the month!!!

No Laboring Here

These days, I feel like I am working ALL THE TIME. Oh wait...I am! I've been working 6 days/week since April, with a few days off here and there. So, when the Labor Day holiday was coming, we planned a day trip to celebrate our family getting to spend the day together. We planned a trip up Big Cottonwood Canyon to Storm Mountain with our favorite family friends, The Price Family.

Monday arrived and dh and I got to sleep past our normal 6:15 to the glorious hour of 7 a.m.! That was a good start right there! We had our family scripture study, and then dh and I snuck in a little date time when we made a trip to Wally World to get some groceries. The boys enjoyed a reprieve from chores and watched a movie together!

Upon getting home, we packed up the van, made a picnic lunch and headed out to meet up with the Price family down the road at the Mav. The radio station was there, and had a wheel to spin, so of course, we all took our turn! Seth seems to have my good luck and spun first and landed on the prize slot. We helped him pick 2 tix to the Rocky Mountain Raceway for this coming Saturday. The other boys took their turn, and came close, but no luck...then the Chief spun and it didn't win. Next up...me and I landed on the lucky spot...so 2 more tix to the Raceway and we have a free family outing for next weekend. McKay gladly gave up going, with his comment, "That's not my thing...but you guys have fun!" He is looking forward to an evening of having unlimited television! And to not have to share the remote! He felt he had won the jackpot!

Finally, we were off...up the canyon...only a 40 minute drive for home, and we were in beautiful country! We found a picnic area and set up. The boys had their buddies and went exploring. They played a game of ladder golf, and we got in a few games of cards. We had lunch, and just relaxed. The weather was perfect! It was just a perfect way to relax and kick back. And we got some fun family pictures....

Off to School he goes

August 29th was the day that my baby, my little guy, my Setheroo, Sethers, Sethy left the house without any tears and went out into the big, bad world...kindergarten.

Seth is excited to get to school!

He wanted us to drop him at the curb, but the Chief and I followed him in and waited til the bell rang, while he loudly whispered "you can leave now!"

My boys love school!

Seth with Mrs. Olsen, his teacher

I took the morning off and the Chief and I went and picked him up from school. He LOVED it and was so excited to go back the next day! We took him to lunch, as has been our tradition with the other boys too!

I hope every day of school is as exciting and happy as your first day was for you, Seth!

No Germs Wanted!

So the unwanted, uninvited germs made there way to our house after the boys were in school for just 2 weeks. Actually, I think Seth brought it home after just 3 or 4 days, and quickly gave it to Noah!

Ugh! Runny noses, croopy coughs, headaches...all happening about every 4 seconds at the Skelly home.

Plus, I ended up having a root canal on Friday evening. So, it has been an overall crummy weekend here in these neck of the woods. I hope everyone wakes up happy and healthy tomorrow and we can enjoy our day off up in the mountains with our best friends!

Sweet September

September has always been a favorite month of mine. Maybe it has something to do with autumn approaching, which happens to be my favorite season. Maybe because it symbolizes something new is coming...new school year, new schedule, new friends. It is a month of new possibilities.

I hope this September will bring a new job for the Chief. It is time. The boys are all back in school. The routine is in place, and it has been 5 months. Time for that job offer! He has two interviews lined up for next week, and he is still waiting to hear back from the place in Evanston, WY.

Oh yeah...this is the month that we celebrate our marriage too! It will be 14 years on the 27th!

Today, I went to see my dentist. I have visited him way too much this year. WAY TOO MUCH! He confirmed that I do have an abscess, and thus need a $710 root canal. This was definitely not the way that I wanted to start September. Unfortunately, there is no do-overs here. When I got home, I told the boys they needed to decide who was going to be the dentist because we definitely need one of the boys to do it! Noah said he would either be a dentist or a football star. He's going to wait to decide when he is a little older!

So, tomorrow...I have a date with my dentist lined up at 5:45. I'd much rather be going out with the Chief. A bike ride around the lake sounds so much more attractive to me.

Anyways...it is, what it is...

Here's to a Sweet September!

The truth be told

I stopped writing because I just had too much going on in my head, to put it in written form. I was dealing with too many emotions to risk writing, or I might have vomitted all over blogger. I didn't want to do that. So, I withdrew. There it is.


I have thought about writing frequently...sometime the thought came so strongly. Maybe I should have. But I didn't. But here I am now, writing. I hope it comes out alright.


On April 1st, the Chief and I received the worse ever April Fool's Day message. His employer told him he was being laid off, effective April 15th. I didn't believe him when he told me. I think it took him telling me 5-6 times before I realized that it was real. No April Fool's Day joke. After the denial passed, we both felt calm and assured. We would weather this storm. He was sure that he would find a better job, with a better employer, with better pay within 6 weeks. He was confident, and he was busy...reaching out, applying. Despite the recession, there were a number of local jobs for him to apply for. Almost immediately, he was invited in for interviews. He went to so many, even second interviews...but no offers came.


I began increasing my hours at my second job, and gave thanks that the option was even there for us to do so. Soon, school got out. The boys were excited to have their dad home with them. Still he applied for jobs, and still went to interviews. We decided for them to go to IL for the Skelly Family reunion, as we had planned. We had saved the money for the trip and both of us felt good about it. I stayed home, so I could work, since we couldn't afford for me to take the time off.


June passed.
Then July.
We have remained optimistic. But then....the interviews stopped coming...a week went by, then two. The news about the economy kept getting worse. And I began to feel so much anxiety. So much stress. I didn't talk much. I stopped going to the gym other than taking the boys to the swimming pool. I worked a lot. I ate a lot. I felt discouraged.

August arrived. With it, my oldest turned 12. I will write another, happier post about that! My parents arrived for my nephew's wedding. I will write yet another post about that! It helped a little to have my parents here. For the Chief and I to talk with them and counsel with them.

And here we are...the last weekend before school starts. The Chief was invited to a job interview. The company corporate office is in NC and they are flying him out there this week. It sounds like a good job. It is for a HR Manager position, with a large, stable company. I don't want to get my hopes up for the job. But then if he does get the offer...well then we have another dilemma to face...the job is in Evanston...exactly 98 miles from our home.

So, you can see why I have kept quiet...why I have been doing a lot of meditating this summer. A lot of praying.

I guess I wasn't sure I would want my boys to read this post whether a week from now, or years from now, and feel the anxiety I have been feeling for the past few months. I hope they haven't guessed it. I have tried to hide it from them.

I'm trying to remain optimistic...the right job is just around the corner, with the right company. In the meantime, if I am kinda quiet, you'll have an idea why.

Family Visits

This past weekend, my sister, Heidi and her husband and 7 kids and an extra friend came into town from their home in Tuscan, AZ. We hosted them for a Sunday dinner, along with our baby sister, Kari, and my two nephews and their wife and fiancee, and also my grandniece, Lucy. For a grand total of 23 people for dinner. Did I mention that it rained on Sunday afternoon? So, that meant 23 people for dinner in my house! Along with our 2 dogs and Heidi's dog came to visit too!

But I am not complaining at all...it was so much fun! I think I get it from my mom. I love entertaining. I love hearing all the different conversations going on around me. And all the laughter. The cousins seemed to have so much fun together. They didn't want the night to end, and neither did I. We did some cousin swapping and ended up with 3 more boys, while McKay joined his older cousins for a night in the trailer at Heidi's In-laws. 

I'm glad that they are in town, and I wish we could spend more time with them! I wish they did not live so far away! Most of all, it got me so excited for my upcoming trip with my mom and 4, maybe 5 sisters and one sister-in-law. We are all meeting in Vegas next week! We are celebrating my mother's 70th birthday!

I'm so grateful that I can go and spend time with family! I am sure we will come home with lots of fun stories to tell.

Fishing over the Fourth

After being introduced to fishing in IL by their Uncle Lenny, my boys have become avid angler wannabes. Unfortunately, there is no money in the budget for fishing gear. However, for the Holiday weekend, we decided to go camping close to home. We went up to Midway to Wasatch Mountain State Park. They have a terrific little fishing pond there, and you can rent fishing poles very cheaply, as well as buy a container of worms! They boys were in heaven! They had a limit of keeping 2 fish/day. All 3 of my boys reached their limit! We ended up keeping only 1, which they cleaned and grilled for lunch while I ate a tuna fish sandwich! They gave a number of other fish to the people fishing near us and they released about 4 or 5 of them. It was really a fun time! I think the dogs enjoyed going for the camping trip too!

The Fishing Stance

Seth is a natural...he caught two fish that afternoon. Unfortunately, I had left the camera back at camp by then!

"I guess I pierced its lip!"

McKay was so relaxed and chill about this fishing thing

First catch of the day!

Seth also enjoyed climbing this pine tree when he took a break from fishing

Our Mousse and Penny...best dogs a family could ever ask for

Proof I was on this camping trip! Looking lovely after a day in the wild

I learned that all three of my children can be still, and quiet for long periods of time. I had not seen this side of them before! I'm thinking that fishing is a good thing, a really good thing! Fishing equipment will likely be on the list of what Santa brings this year!