Annual Girls Trip to Happy Valley!

Jenna, Darla, Leslie, Mom (Jean), Me (Betsy)
Amy Ward my Best Friend & Me

I hope now that I am quitting my job Jason will still see the importance of getting away and still let me go to Women's Conference with my Mom, Sister, Aunt and Cousin each year. This year like every year was AMAZING! It was a little different this year because when I was listening I had different thoughts and ideas in mind knowing that I would be quitting my job. Some talks I took notes, but more then notes I like to write down thoughts or sayings that stand out or if I have personal thoughts that come to my mind I write them down as well.
We left Wed after work and came home Saturday afternoon. Wed we got to the hotel and hung out, we woke up early and Thursday was beautiful. I met up with Amy and Jesse for a class and Amy and I went to another classes together too. Diana saw me while we stopped to get some kettle corn so we got to visit with her and Mandy. I must have slept on my pillow wrong or something because I had a head ache all day and had to keep the Advil in me or it would come back, thanks to Jenna for being prepared because I wasn't. Because of my headache I was bummed that I ended up going back to the hotel after dinner at Kneaders, relaxed and went to bed early instead of going to the Concert they have. It is always an amazing concert so I was bummed about missing it. Friday I woke up and no headache so that was a relief. Friday we went off to see about listening and doing service in the service rooms. We started in a room that was making sensory books. The room was open and the instructions were all in front of us, so we started but then a lady came in and got mad at us because we were not suppose to start yet. After finishing the books we were on we went over to another room to make these cute felt backpacks, picture above. We stayed for a session and then Mom, Darla and I went to get something to eat and finished the conference at the Marriott Center. When we were leaving I ran into Jenny Ray and her two daughters, it was fun chatting with them. It is funny how thousands of Women are at the conference and I always run into someone I know. The weather was not as nice on Friday, it was pretty cold and even snowed. We ate at a International Buffet Darla & Mom's pick that night and we won't be going there again next year. Jenna had gotten some coupons for ice-cream so we all got ice cream and yummy toppings too. We went back to the hotel and watched a movie that was on TV. Sat we slept in, ate at Kneaders again, and headed for home. When we got back to Mom and Dads the kids all ran out and gave us loves. Brylee fell on the cement with no shoes on, so of course had a melt down to break me back into Motherhood quickly after a few days with the Girls!! It was so fun to see friends and thanks Darla, Mom, Jenna, & Leslie it was fun with lots of laughs until we cried and good talks as always.

My Random Thoughts and Quotes from BYU Women's Conference 2011:
~ His will has become our own.
~ Things will work out, if you keep praying, trying, and praying. Things will work out maybe not the way you thought, but the right way!"
~ Choose Faith, Not Fear.
~ Our Trials are sometimes Supported and Sometimes Delivered.
~ No one or nothing goes through life without resistance/opposition.
~ No one is Happy 24 hours a Day 7 days a week, notice the little things throughout the day and have gratitude.
~ What gives you the right to take away another person's challenges!
~ When life gets too hard to stand, just keep on rollin'!
~ Pray for love for everything around you!
~ Gratitude from the mouth is "Thank You!" Gratitude from the heart is "Love!"
~ A person starts to live, when he can live outside himself. -Albert Einstein
~ You are your strongest when you pick someone else up that is down!
~ Don't let the World define your happiness.
~ When we spend time with our family we are making deposits, Dividends will be paid someday from our deposits.
~ Get your hair wet, let your hair down, let go a little!
~ Do something for Yourself, Your Family, Your Community.
~ Learn the Gospel, Live the Gospel! (Not enough to just know we must take action and do too)
~ The tasks we do may not always be easy, We learn by doing hard things!
~ What you do speaks so loud I can't hear what you are saying!
~ Are the things of the world crowding out our spiritual needs?
~ Lay aside the things of the world for the things of a better.
~ Welcome the task that takes you beyond yourself.
~ Some of the most noble Women Save, Serve, Sanctify!
~ Quit thinking: "I will do it or start it when..... Just make it a priority and do it NOW!"
~ Do something, Try Again, No excuse and Never give up!
~ Choose to do His Will and not our Own!
~ Forgive, Forget and Move Forward!
~ When we are Discouraged remember: Desire, Decision, Determination.
~ We are learning our way back Home!
~ Many, if not All accomplishments are the small & simple things that are right with God that bring about the Big Results.
~ Be Focused, Be Frequent, Be Steadfast & Immovable!
~ Be Constant in the Small & Simple Things: *Prayer (If we pray all day and all night is not as effective if we just pray morning and night) *Fasting (Fasting for 3 days straight is not as effective as fasting once a month when directed) *Scripture Study (Marathon Reading to get the scriptures read is not as effective as reading a little each day) Just like the 10 Virgins it is the little things that we do consistently every day that fills our lamps each day and when it is time we will be ready and prepared to meet our Savior!
~ When compared to a gardening water system. Are we the drip irrigators or the spurting sprayers when we water our souls? We want to be the intelligent drip irrigators.
~ Read "My Search for Happiness" (This was mentioned in two talks, so I guess I need to pull it out and read it again it has been a long time. I think it was on my mission that I last read it.)
~ Desire, Faithfulness and Diligence with small and simple things great things will come to pass!

I QUIT!!

YES!! It is TRUE!!! I can hardly believe it myself. I quit my job, lots of people having a hard time finding a job or losing their job and I am quitting mine!! My last day is May 18th I will get up pack my stuff up, take it to the office and be done. When I first started with the State of Utah, I never thought I would be with them as long as I have. Then being with them for almost 12 years I never thought I would leave. I worked for the Dept of Human Services from Oct 1999 as an Office Tech, Admin Secretary, then a Payroll Tech. I got hired on with Dept of Workforce Services in March 2003 as an Eligibility worker and have been doing that ever since. I started telecommuting in May of 2008 and it has been what has kept me working as long as I have. If I were in the office with all the changes/drama/office politics/etc. I would have been in the loony bin long ago. No really, my job has not quite made me the person I would like to be and I am the only one to blame because no one can change me but me. It is a rewarding thing to help people, but it is hard and emotionally draining as well when they come to expect you to give them what they think they deserve. I hate to admit this, but I was even put on some anti-depressant medications last Fall, the Dr said he didn't think it would be long term, so I thought I would go off them to see how I would do since I decided to quit working. Guess What?!? I have been just fine without them. Proof that it was my job that was making me feel the way I did and put me into a depression. Of course I think I am still on a high for knowing that in a couple of weeks I will be able to stay home with the kiddos. We will see maybe once I am home with the kids I will be into a different kind of depression. That will not happen, I won't let it. So you ask Why now?
Our bills are minimal and we worked it out after lots of back and forth talking that I get to quit and I couldn't be more excited. Now if you talk to Jason he is having to just rely on faith and a lot more nervous then I am. If I need in the future I may find something at nights a few days a week or when the kids are in full time school it would be fun to be a cook at the school or substitute teach, who knows?!? I have made lists of fun things I am going to do with the kids. I have made a list of things I want to get done and ways to be more organized around the house too. I know I am a good Mom and I love my kids, but being a working mom in the back of my head I felt like I was not the Mom I wanted to be. I am excited to be able to teach them and have them for myself during the days. Perfect time right before school ends to have the whole summer to do with the kids. I am excited to have a whole year to myself with Brylee before she starts Kindergarten. A few people have asked me what I am doing for preschool and I say, I haven't had her all to myself so she and I will play school and learn what they do in preschool. She is very social and has been in daycare/preschool, I will just make sure she knows what she needs when she starts kindergarten. I am excited to be a better wife and just feel better about myself and become better at things I was lacking. I have a few things I am nervous about, but I have faith that a higher power is more aware of what is needed for my family and all will work out the way it should. I say "I Choose FAITH!"

Something New

When we bought our house now over 3 years ago we have not bought many big new things to fill our home. We have lived with what we have or what had been given to us as hand-me-downs. When we first moved in for Mothers/Fathers day we did buy a nice grill for our deck and this year Jason got it converted to natural gas, which makes it nice when grilling.
Jason had hurt his back/neck playing basketball, and we had talked about getting a bedroom set for a long time, so when Jason wanted to go to RC Willey's I didn't know if he was serious and ready to buy. He does like to window shop, and I DO NOT like to window shop. If we are going to buy something I don't want to look forever lets find what we like and get it. He sometimes takes months to find a big purchase. Well we found this bedroom set and had looked at enough that we knew what we liked. We both fell in love and it was on sale, so I was kindof shocked when we did it. We upgraded to a King, so that meant a new mattress as well, we got the generic of the memory foam and we have enjoyed it. It is huge and amazing how much bigger a king is. It is fun when we watch a movie together as a family in our room and have plenty of room now. I do love our new purchase, it was well worth it and looks great in our room. It is fun having something new.

Shurtleff Easter Egg Hunt/Grab

I don't know if it would be considered a hunt or just a grab, as the tradition each year we have a turkey dinner with all the fixings and then we have eggs filled and bags of chips, fruit snacks, candy, fruit leathers, pencils, clementines and etc. thrown all over the grass for the kids to get and in the end every kids bag is FULL with all the goodies. Auntie Lesh handed out full size candy bars too. This year the numbers were smaller as a few families didn't make it that usually come. We let the bigger kids help put out the candy this year, but we also let them collect for themselves as well since we had so much. The missionaries live in the basement of my parents house, so they thought it was amazing and we even let them have a bag to collect some of the goodies too. We always have to get a picture of all the grandkids too. (Isabel, Brylee, Connor holding Marshall, Dawson, Aiden, Bodie, Belin, Brinley, Burkley, Breagan, Tanner, Cache, Kelty, Asher, Cannon, Chandler, Dylan, Kade, & Maxwell) I think Grandma and Grandpa Shurtleff were looking down cheering the kids on with big smiles on their faces that we still get together for our annual Easter Party.

Easter Pictures

I have to get a family group picture every year, and some cute shots of the kids in their new outfits too. Thank goodness Jason's meetings were a little later so we could get a shot before church.

Easter Day

The Easter Bunny hides the baskets and the kids have to find them and also has eggs that she has filled and hides them around the house to find. Just a few shots in the morning of the kids finding their baskets and eggs. Tanner found his under the desk in the kitchen and Brylee found hers behind the couch in the family room. Lots of eggs were hidden around the house and I have decided that Easter is a bigger candy holiday then even Halloween. With Easter Egg Hunts with both sides of the family, the city egg hunt and also Easter morning the kids have a ton. I asked the kids if they want to put it all in a bowl in the kitchen or have it in individual bags, Tanner was for putting it all together, but Brylee wanted her own. Little does she know hers will be gone before Tanners and she could have had some of Tanners if they would share. I give it a week and we will be putting it all in the candy jar to share.
We enjoy the Worldly part of the Holiday, but I do recognize and make sure my kids do KNOW and Celebrate what Easter is all about. What would we do without the TRUE meaning of Easter, the Death but most of all the Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. He made it possible for us ALL to live again!! He is our Older Brother, Our Savior, Lord, Redeemer, Only Begotten, my Best Friend!!