Echols Family Play and Fun Time in Alaska

Scott has been posting some of our old videos on YouTube and I just wanted to share some of our wonderful and fun Alaskan memories.

Jacob Wants to Go Fishing:

Jae Bell Running the Day Boat:

Jacob, Where are we going?

Cherie at the Wheel--oh no!

Sharing another video from Alaska--me having fun driving one of our boats until I was meeting the Alaska State Ferry and a Cruise Ship......I miss Alaska!

We Can Decide Today

This is a video of Jacob having fun practicing his Primary Talk when we lived in Alaska. I thought it was just too cute and couldn't resist posting it. Of course when he realizes I've put it on my blog, he is not going to be very happy with me!

Going Back to Work.....

I started a new job yesterday in a whole different field than I've ever worked in before. I am working in registration at the ER and in the Admissions/Business Office. I was hired for a part-time 4 day/week to work some in the ER and some in the Admissions Office, but now a full time position has come open M-F 7-3pm, registering ER patients, admitting patients into the hospital, outpatient orders for Xrays, lab and respiratory. This shift will work out great for us because Morgan goes to seminary at 640am and they get out of school at 3pm, so I will probably end up taking this shift. It's a very busy job, but I am enjoying it so far.... learning alot about the medical field. And wearing these comfy scrubs are definitely a bonus! Just got to go shopping for some more cute ones!

Nails in the Fence

My friend Linda emailed this to me several weeks ago and I used it for our Family Home Evening Lesson tonight and thought I'd share it with all my friends:

Nails in the Fence

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that everytime he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all.

He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out, but it won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound will still be there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

Remember that friends are very rare jewels indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us." YOU ARE MY FRIEND AND I AM HONORED! Please forgive me if I have ever left a "hole" in your fence.

I'm Tagged.....My Quirks out in the Open!

I've been tagged! The Rules are... tell about 6 quirks of yours and then Tag 6 fellow bloggers to do the same, be sure to leave a comment to let them know.

**some of these are embarrassing and might just require a 12-step program!! lolol**

1. One of my biggest quirks (or OCD as the Laurels used to call it!) is that the toilet paper roll has to be turned a certain way. It has to flow coming over the top. If I'm at your house and it's going under, I can't leave the bathroom without changing it....sorry!

2. Before I can cook in the Kitchen, it must be completely clean, and all dirty dishes put in the dishwasher, nothing in the sinks or on the counters and everything wiped off and nothing out of place. And by the time I'm done cooking, all pots/pans have to be put in the dishwasher or cleaned before I will sit down to eat--only exception is if my family is in there starving! I also can't stand cluttered counter tops--I have to have them free of clutter.

3. I constantly check for my purse when I'm driving in the car. I have to have it in my sight to make sure it's still there or if it's in the backseat, when I ask my kids if it's back there, they say there's no way it's still not in the car because we haven't even stopped anywhere. They get annoyed with me.....but at least I have never lost my purse!!

4. When I get up in the morning, I like to make the bed right away before doing anything else, sometimes before my husband even has a chance to get out!

5. All towels and bath cloths have to be folded a certain way and put in the linen closet/ bathroom cabinets so they're all uniform. (Morgan says I actually do that with all my laundry)

6. I go in a certain order when I shower and can't hardly make myself go out of the order--such as if I want to leave conditioner in my hair longer than usual.

7. I know, only supposed to list 6, but my friend Shannon's quirks reminded me of one that I can't believe I forgot.....my GermX...I don't leave home without it! I have some in my car, my purse and in my bathrooms at home and at the kitchen sink. I use it so much, my hands get so dry. I only use public restrooms in emergencies and try not to shake hands (nothing personal) which gets kinda hard on Sundays at church. I don't allow others to drink/eat after me--even my own family--I didn't let my children share with each other either--I feel we stay healthier that way..... I'm sure I have more quirks I just can't remember right now, but I think I've shared enough!

Basically I'm just anal about A LOT of things!! I tag Britt, Cheril, Marsha, Margot, Erin and my good friend Shannon--no more excuses--you have to create your blog now so we can know all about your quirks!! Thanks Jaime for this fun Tag!

The Political Rat Race

This years' upcoming Presidential Race has left me feeling that I had no choice for president, as I have not been a strong supporter of either candidate. I am definitely a conservative, however I have never cast my vote for a candidate just because they are the chosen one running on the conservative ticket. The biggest reason for McCain not having my full support is that I feel he is the most liberal of all the Republican candidates that ran and his short-temper that he displayed during the presidential race 8 years ago. It saddens me that the conservative party has chosen the most liberal Republican candidate to represent our views and values. I have been struggling with if I would go ahead and vote for him just because he is the chosen Republican candidate to help keep Obama from being elected or if I would just sit this election out.

Senator McCain's VP choice definitely surprised me and at first I was disappointed that he didn't choose Mitt Romney even though I had my doubts that they would be able to work together. Once it was announced that it was Governor Palin, I started my research to find out more about her. Of course I love the state of Alaska, but that wouldn't weigh in on my decision, and she was not governor when we lived there, so I didn't know anything about her. I was impressed with her when she spoke when they announced she was the VP choice and also with her speech at the RNC the other night. She seemed to represent my conservative views and I liked her fiesty spirit and that it was obvious she will be able to "hang and stand up" to the good old boy politicians. I liked that she is a mother, a successful woman, basketball player (my favorite sport) and also so down to earth. I was really feeling good about supporting the McCain ticket even though I really didn't want to support him.

But there are a few things that trouble me about her. That she could choose such a demanding job that will leave her very little time to spend with her family and especially her special needs baby. I respect her for being supportive of her pregnant teen-age daughter, but it also concerns me that she would take this job knowing that her daughter's pregnancy would be played out in the National Media. As a mother, I could never do that no matter how prestigious the job may be, because my most important role is the one of Mother and I would be willing to sacrifice my ambitions to ensure that my children and family's needs were met first.

Even though I would not make the choices she is making as a Mother, does that make her less qualified to serve as V.P.? Does this mean she is not as conservative or hold the values I was looking for in a presidential candidate conservative ticket? Will she lose my vote based on how I judge her as a Mother? The answer is "NO".....because I started thinking, am I looking for someone that will make a good VP or am I looking to vote for someone solely on whether I judge her to be a good Mother? I still feel she will make an excellent VP and still represents most of the core conservative values that I hold dear. So for now, I am still leaning towards the McCain/Palin ticket, but will continue to research and learn more about her during the rest of the campaign and during the debates.

I would like to hear your opinions on Governor Palin, it helps to hear all views in order to make an informed educated decision.

Trying to Look Smarter.....Not Getting Older!

That is my story and I'm sticking to it! I've had prescription reading glasses for several years now for working on the computer and reading. They aren't very strong, but I had started using them much more often. Recently though, they were not strong enough for me to read clearly and my Mom handed me a pair of her reading glasses and voila' ~ I could SEE! It is amazing at the difference. I teased my husband when he had to start wearing reading glasses, reminding him of his 40+ yrs and that it comes with getting older...... so it just serves me right that my time has come! I actually like them and will go see the eye doctor soon because I think I might just need them all the time now since I absolutely love being able to SEE! Don't I look a little smarter? even if I'm being lazy working from the couch instead of my desk in the office!!