One more blessing to count!

We have been blessed with a brand new baby boy in our family. His name is Brady Kremin Muir. Kremin is a middle name. Whitney didn't have to have a c-section and we are so glad about that. He weighed 9 lbs. 9 oz. and was 21 inches long. He is so precious to hold! He looks like Kael a lot and is so perfect. It's amazing how perfectly formed he is. It truly is a miracle. How could anyone think otherwise? Tomorrow Nathan starts school, so I came home for a couple of days to get him started and then will go back to Vernal for a few more days to help. I'm glad we live close enough to do that. We had a fun time watching and playing with Kael. He is a funny little guy and so busy. He doesn't sit still for long before he is on to the next thing. We are grateful for our kids. Our life is so good.

Explains my moods

WAIT! Before reading this, scroll down and turn on Ever Ever after on my playlist.

I just took an online test. It seems that my hormones are "severely" unbalanced. Cal could attest to that. Lately I have been so overwhelmed by the smallest things and just want to run away. I don't have any immediate plans too, though so don't be alarmed. I love my husband and need his support way too much for that. He is my rock and I don't express it often enough but I lean on him ALOT. I don't even know if he knows how much. We have been married 27 glorious years come August 21, and though it has been rough and rocky at times, I wouldn't change a thing except maybe we would have a lot more money in the bank and travel more often! Marriage is a wonderful institution and I know that it is a fundamental part of a healthy society and our Heavenly Father's plan. I am so glad that my lovely daughters have wonderful husbands who love them and take care of them. We love Jon and Chris like our very own sons and appreciate the contributions they make to our family. My happiest times are when all of my children are home and we are sharing laughter and fun together. I can't wait for Thanksgiving because this year they get to be home for the holiday. And we will have a brand new little one to add to our blessing list. Whitney is due pretty much anytime and we are so excited to meet our new grandson. So here's to another 27 years and more with the man I adore, love, laugh and cry with. I love you Calvin and I love my family so much!!!!!!

Love Life & Learning.....

I am supposed to teach a Relief Society lesson this coming Sunday and it is entitled, Love Life and Learning. I have been feeling very unqualified to give this lesson because I struggle with loving life sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for my good life and do feel very blessed, but I am not one of those people that can always just "roll with the punches." I tend to fight unpleasantness all the way, and....I don't have more than a high school education so what am I doing? As I have been pondering what I should say some things have come to mind for me. First of all, I don't think that life is meant to be easy, or necessarily fun, but we are to glean from our experiences lessons which give us perspective, wisdom and joy. This is learning. I came across something I wrote a couple of years ago, struggling to make sense of some of the adversity in life and here is a sampling of what I learned that year.

*I cannot get along in this life without my Heavenly Father.

*I can receive comfort and peace whenever I ask in faith and humility.

*His timing is better than mine, and He does not always give me the direction I want when I think I need it. He gives it when I am still enough to hear and accept it.

*His creations bring me joy.

*I am never alone.

*Jesus Christ loves me.

*Faith is not the absence of doubt, it is the choice to trust and obey in spite of doubt.

*I've learned to appreciate "old" mothers, especially my own, who have raised families.

*I know what it feels like to have "joy and rejoicing" in my posterity. This is GOOD!

After I read over my list, I felt more confident in my ability to give this lesson. I think we are all too hard on ourselves sometimes, and not hard enough other times. Does that even make sense? I think we can rationalize things away when we maybe should be doing better, in some things, for me that would be wasting time etc., but then I am way too hard on myself when it comes to human tendancies and weakness when I should just give myself a break and know that I really do try to "give my all" most of the time. I love my children so much. They are more precious to me than life itself but sometimes I focus on the things I didn't do or did wrong. I hope that I can learn to just let go of things I can't change. I believe our God is a "God of compensation", and where we lack, He will will make up the difference. That is Grace to me. Enjoy your day. I love you all!

I haven't done a current blog in quite awhile, but Cassidy is here walking me through this so I'm going to take advantage of her help. This has been a crazy summer and so busy but one fun thing we decided at the last minute to do was go to Oregon to visit with Bruce and Jennifer Madsen and their five beautiful children. Calvin and I both needed a "getaway" and the Oregon coast is one of those places that help me to refocus and gain perspective. It is the most spectacular place and unbelievably beautiful to look at. We saw a one hundred year old light house and visited the tide pools when the tide was low so we could enjoy the starfish, sea anemone and all kinds of wonderful creatures we don't ever get the chance to see. It was wonderful to play and visit and just relax. I feel blessed to have this beautiful world to live in. We enjoyed the Madsen family they have such good kids and a beautiful home. I miss the funny things Andrew and Spencer said all the time. Needless to say, it was a fun and relaxing trip and I'm glad we could go. It always feels good to "come home" after being away, though. Dorothy was right when she said, "there's no place like home...." We had a fun Kremin Family Reunion in June with the usual, silliness, laughter, campfires, pranks and everything that accompanies these great get-to-gethers with the Kremins. This bunch really knows how to have fun! We followed up with a Brimhall reunion in Colorado which was just as fun. It was good to see my Mom and see that she is being cared for. I loved seeing all my family and reconnecting with almost everyone. We would be so lonely without our loved ones. Well, to all of you reading this,here are a few pictures from our summer adventures. Have a great week.

Another Day in Paradise.....

Okay, I am a computer idiot! I know how to post, but beyond that I can't figure out the playlist or photos, so turn off the song playing and scroll down to I am blessed and play that one while you read this. Today was a great day for a few reasons. One, yesterday I was so depressed. I had absolutely no reason at all, but sometimes my brain just works that way. It didn't help that no one was home and I had time to just sit and feel sorry for myself. I need distractions sometimes. The weird thing is that I had a good week. I have been feeling kind of overwhelmed thinking about the next month and everything that is coming up. I don't handle being so busy very well. Poor Cal, what he has to put up with. He came home late from being on call and rubbed my feet while he was telling me how wonderful I am. His words, not mine. He is so romantic. Not in the "romantic" sense, just an amazing friend and husband. I'm glad I get to have him forever. Another reason today was good, is that I felt better. I worked in my yard and just enjoyed my home. I have been feeling so sorry for the people in Myanmar and China and even here in the good old USA, who have had so many heartaches and destruction. I was just sitting on my front porch watching the sun set over the Great Salt Lake, and just feeling grateful for the peace and security I know every single day. My sister Nancy is struggling with some pretty serious health issues and this makes me realize how much I take my good health for granted. I hope and pray she will soon be better and on her feet. She is a good sister and I love her so much. Well, another day to cherish. I am happy for those. I don't have much to complain about but always find something anyway. Why is that? One of my goals this year has been to be more content. For the most part I am succeeding, but then have set backs now and again, like yesterday. I'm back on track, though. By the way, I'm reading a good book called "The Magic of Ordinary Days." It is a good read. Hope let me borrow her movie and it was very good. I hightly recommend it. I have really tried to get into Twilight but haven't been able to. Sorry Cassidy! I know it is so popular, but like Cass said, I tend to like books that deal with reality. For those of you who haven't seen Emma, go see it. It is really good and so uplifting. Well, that's it for today. I'll keep you posted on the rest of my life, in case you're interested!!!! Love,Wendy

Cassidy patiently sat beside me tonight and helped me do my music list. I hope you like it. Last week during Women's Conf and BYU, Sheri Dew encouraged us to have a voice in the world and share the feelings and faith we hold most dear. She mentioned different ways to do that and even mentioned a blog, so there you go and here I am. I know that I am an ordinary person, but really like to share my thoughts hoping they will in someway help to add goodness and optimism to our sometimes pessimistic world. I had a great day with my sweetie Cal at the VA hospital. This was my first experience in that dreary place. It felt like a prison hospital. Have these people ever seen color on walls. No wonder there are so many sick people in that hospital! Cal had to have an evaluation for his disability. For those of you who have ever wondered why he can't stay awake.....he has sleep apnia. Because this is something that he had while on active duty, it is considered a disability. Anyway, as I was sitting in the waiting room, filled with old veterans, I kept thinking about my Dad. He used to try to tell me things about the war and his experiences and I am sorry to say, most of the time I would tell him that I didn't want to hear because they were boring. How I have wished he were here to tell me all the things I'd like to hear now. Anyway, back to the waiting room. I looked at these men and wondered what their stories were. Some were obviously from WWII, and others looked and dressed like they were Vietnam Vets. You can kind of tell sometimes. I felt proud to be in their presence, and honor the service they gave for all of us here in America "the land of the free because of the brave." I am proudest of all of my dear Calvin, who spent 28 of his years serving honorably and I might add, enthusiastically to care for those who had been wounded or needed to be "fixed" physically. You may not know this but he helped to save many lives, and rendered much compassion to all he cared for. I love him for that. My brother Mike also served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War and I feel privileged every time he feels open enough to share things with me. He served us well, and I am sooooo proud of his great strength. I love this country and feel so grateful to be an AMERICAN. I feel compassion for anyone who wants the same blessing for themselves and their families. I just wish there was a better way for everyone to share in the goodness. So thanks to all the Veterans. I hold them in high esteem and pay special tribute to the wives and husbands, fathers and mothers left behind to worry and pray and hope for their safe return.