WOW long LONG time......

Its that time again GENERAL CONFERANCE oh how I LOVE this time of year, always a time of renewal and a time to look at my life and see where I am and also where my FAMILY is! When I last blogged was last YEAR! holy cow! well........ we are STILL in Alaska by some miracle.  We went through a HORRIBLE year last year just everything and then some seemed to happen to us.  We had job loss, a flood, the loss of a family member, and many other awful things that I would just rather leave in the year 2012!
PHEW! Now we are in the year of 2013 thank heavens and life is good! we are at our FOURTH job and hopefully this one will go a LOT better then the last one since let me tell you what that job ended in a big and dramatic way! We interviewed in Idaho and Washington we got job offers from all jobs interviewed for but.....turned out that we were able to secure a job in Kenai.  It was a tough decision it was exciting to think about getting back to family.  I miss my family my inlaws my friends .....fresh fruit yeah I miss it all, and on this morning when it was 6 degrees when I went to take my kids to school it was hard not to yearn for the days of warmth in Idaho!
Life has taken a big change in many many ways I finally got MYSELF back on track I have had alot of health scares and why those scary things are still there I decided I needed to get my body in SHAPE and HEALTHY on the inside! I started the 24 day challenge from advocare and lost 20 pounds and 35 inches! I mean seriously that is AWESOME! From there that drove me further and now I am on my elliptical everyday running at LEAST 4-8 miles a day.  Its nice to get back in the grove of things I was so healthy in Portland and missed that feeling! I am not there yet but I am a day at a time!
The family is doing good here Landon and Kyran are in hip hop dance and are pretty much the cutest little dancers you ever saw in my professional opinion.  Zaders is progressing and getting smarter everyday love that kid! Riya is four and Tayla is two almost three! she is the one who keeps me on my feet! I mean seriously this little girl is into EVERYTHING and there are days that I am in tears by the end of the day trying to either not laugh or with frustration.  My kids are my pride and joy though they teach me and help me grow~ STAY TUNED I will update more often!

Its been a long time.....

We signed Moms casket and sent her love notes. It was a very special time one I will never forget...

Jesse and I on our wedding date almost 10 years ago.

I am blessed.......I mean I am REALLY blessed, I have struggled to see that as this winter has passed and tragedy has come and gone but when I look around at the end of the day I know with all my heart I am a blessed woman. I have five beautiful children whom I love with all my heart, a husband who I still am madly and deeply in love with, and a supportive family and friends who I love so much.

This March we lost a mother, Jesses mom who I have loved and adored for a very long time. When I first met her all those years ago she welcomed me with open arms, I will never forget her game of bummely bummely buck...... how many fingers do I hold up? How many times she played the "game" with me and with each and everyone of my children. The days of rising so early before the sun would even rise and picking whatever plant needed harvesting at the moment and talking REALLY talking as we worked. I remember her beautiful hands helping me and teaching me to make bread, or can, or cook. I remember the drives I took with mom and the wonderful and sweet advice she gave me. I remember the long drives we would go with everyone to go see the bright leaves. I remember the time when I was in college and sick with the flu and she was there with lemonade and stuck with me throughout the day trying to help me get better and telling me stories of my soon to be husband. I remember my wedding day and how I looked at my own mom and my soon to be mother in law thinking how wonderfuly blessed I was that day. She has been an incredible example to me in my life and her sudden death was a blow to all those around. I love this woman and I am blessed with the knowledge that someday I will see her again and the fact that we are eternally linked and for that I am so grateful. So for now I will revel in my family a little better, I will let them know how I love them and respect them, I will hug my own children a little bit longer, I will listen to that still small voice inside my heart closer and hope to be a little more like my mother in law who taught me so much.

It was a beautiful funeral and seeing my family was so wonderful my sweet friend Annika came up and seeing her was just so amazing. My father in law was absolutely incredible his unshakable faith and sweet spirit throughout this trial has instilled a new look at the world around me, his love for Sozel has changed my own love for Jesse helping it to grow even more. I am so proud to have such amazing in laws and seeing all of them truly helped this experience to be a good thing, a celebration of a beautiful life lived.

Our family is doing well this winter has been a long one and with that a little bit of light depression for all, but we are hanging in there and feel so lucky to live in "Gods Country" Alaska is truly magical and beautiful. I almost ran smack into 3 caribou meandering throughout the road the other day and thought only in Alaska would I have this problem. Spring is coming though the sun is out and so are the airplanes, did you know Alaska has more pilots then any other state? Yep they come out whenever the sun does! The moose are also springing forth we had a friend who just fed a baby moose carrots and pet him in his front driveway!

My family and I are just so excited for the summer to be able to get our boat out and go fishing! or even just cruise up and down the Kenai! Life is good and I have to remember that, because at the end of the day I have my family, I have my beliefs, and I have a wonderful support system.

WOW I am so bad at this blogging thing but at least I try to get things up every couple of months right?!?!

Hoping all of our loved ones had an incredible holiday. We had so much fun and were able to have my parents out for Christmas which provided lots of joyful memories that we will cherish forever! We went to Sealife to watch some sea lions and my Dad and Mom found there love of fourwheeling! good times! We all had a few of our christmas wishes answered (and by few I mean pretty much all of them.....) and all in all just had fun as a family. For those of you who did not get a Christmas Letter my deepest apologies but here it is.....

All in all its been incredible here, we are so blessed to live in such an incredible place that has been a dream to live in with kids. So enough about where we live now onto what we have all been up to these past couple of years!

Jesse- Jesse is working in Anchorage for the time being, it has been a rough go for Jesse getting his career started but I have been so proud of him for sticking to it and working for what he wanted. He commutes 4 days a week to Anchorage and then comes back down to Soldotna from Thursday night to Monday morning. So it works out well for us. There are plans to get him back to Sterling which is right by where we live and we hope and pray that it will work out soon for him.

Jesse is VERY excited to be considered a resident of Alaska now because now it means he has a tag to HUNT. He has put in for every animal there is about and we will hear back in the next few months as to which tags he will receive. Jesse loves Alaska especially the summers with the midnight sun it is amazing to go fishing all night long or boating for that matter. Jesse is also the ward clerk of our ward and while it has been tough to fit his calling in with our family and that chaos that has gone with it he has enjoyed it and feels so blessed to serve the Lord in any way he can. It has been a great move for our family and for our lifestyle the only thing missing is our families!

Heather- Heather is a stay at home mommy for the time being and absolutely loving it, she is also serving in church as the Primary Chorister and loves the kids so much she feels in alot of ways that this was the calling she was born to do. Other then family she loves to run, however, she tends to run where the wildlife ends up being at so she has been charged a few times by moose. This has not deterred her though she is just now more faithful in running with Teton our bullmastiff who has ended up being so protective of our family. She has goals to run a half marathon in the upcoming year, she was planning on doing it last year but hurt her knee right before the race. She has made lots of friends here and loves to hang out with her girlfriends she has come to rely on them in the way of sanity while Jesse is away at work. She is also busy raising the kids and working with them everyday. When she is not doing that she is either cleaning inside, taking care of the outside, or folding laundry.... her favorite thing. She loves the summers as well and her favorite part has been on the boat with the family. We would stay out till midnight with the kids in the summer fishing and it was fantastic! She canned a ton of salmon and is hoping to get stocked up on halibut this upcoming summer.

Tayla- Tayla is 16 months old and such a sweetheart she is a tomboy and LOVES to play with trucks and cars. She is beyond mischievous and gets into EVERYTHING she is on the brink of walking and wants to get in on everything her brothers and sister are into. We love this kid and feel so blessed that she is a part of our family.

Riya- Riya is still our princess so dainty and petite. She loves to play with her dolls and now that she acquired a kitchen and dollhouse during the holidays that is ALL she does. Tayla and Riya “cook” all day long just like their mom does now. She is pretty reserved except for when it comes to the outside she LOVES to play in the snow and sled we have had so much fun with her.

Zade- Our sweet Zade is growing taller and taller and has almost reached the same height as Kyran now. He has been a hard-worker and going to lots of extra classes and therapies to get his speech going strong. He is getting better but we still have alot of work to do with him. We recently found out he may have some hearing issues as well so he has had so much to face in his young life but we continue to try and work with him. He has the sweetest spirit and is so very loving, he is still into his trains and trucks and his best friend right now is Riya they will sit and chatter non stop downstairs it is adorable. It is times like these that I am so happy our kids ended up being so close in age.

Kyran- Oh Kyran, if any kid is going to give me grey hair it will be this one, he is always looking to do new tricks and recently decided jumping off my back deck onto the hill with his snowboard was a good idea. I literally cannot watch him sometimes but he is Kyran my wild child. He is doing well in school and is very smart the problem is he finishes early sometimes and then he has free time in which his mischievous ways come into play. All in all though he loves his kindergarten class and is doing well. He is a great helper to me and while he is wild he is probably our biggest cuddler and he teaches me so much about life everyday.

Landon- Landon is doing well in school and making friends, he loves his teacher and things are going so much better this year for him. Landon has had some of the most incredible adventures living in Alaska in Scouts he went on a fishing expedition, for a field trip they went out to Exit Glacier and hiked around. Living here has helped Landon break out of his shell and learn to love the outdoors, and for that I am so grateful.

All five kids have been growing and changing each day it has been such a wonderful gift just to watch them grown and see what little personalities they have ended up with. We have had many miracles in our lives these past few years and are so grateful for this season of celebrating Christ and his life, we have an everlasting testimony of him and what he has done for us and the incredible example he is to all mankind. We thank you for all of your thoughts, prayers, love, and support as we have made it through the journey of schooling and onto the journey of life. We love you all so much and pray that you had a wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you!!!!

With Love,

Jesse, Heather,Landon

Kyran, Zade, Riya, and Tayla Mumm

Plugging along...always plugging along....

I WAS A PIRATE WHAT WERE YOU!?!!?

RIYA WAS A PRINCESS TINKERBELL!
TAYLA THE PRECIOUS LION!
LANDON ON HIS FIELD TRIP!
Well what the heck is new at the Mumms....

Well there are a few lil things. Projects and extra children , a wedding in Texas and SNOW!

I cannot believe that we have almost been in this beautiful country for a year, how I love it here and feel so blessed to have this great adventure and all the oppurtunities for my kids. Landon just had the opportunity to go hiking at Exit Glacier. I mean SERIOUSLY he got to hike on a GLACIER!! how cool is that! I think the most exciting field trip I took was to a zoo....which I might add had a lot of the same animals that we have just roaming around here. Kyran and Jesse were able to go on a field trip together a few weeks back and that was so exciting for both of them. I was so grateful that they were able to have time to themselves while the 3 days of heaven with Jesse are just that .... the 4 days can be well quite difficult. I am so very grateful for a good solid job and the workplace has treated us very well and we feel very blessed. They are throwing a big Christmas Ball .... seriously a BALL! with prom dresses and everything so that will be quite amazing Im excited to see what its like!

As for Kyran he is rocking out in school and doing so well I am proud of that lil guy! Zade is struggling a little in preschool but we have him going to therapy 3 times a week and that is helping he is such a special guy and I love him so so so so so much he brings such joy to our family! he learned 3 colors just this week! we have been working on this for awhile and he is just getting it Im SO EXCITED for that! Riya and Tayla are just the best of friends and drumroll please.......TAYLA TOOK HER FIRST STEPS! with Daddy here I was so happy he was there to witness the official FIRST STEP! she is getting so big and is the cutest lil girl with the biggest dimples and most devilish grin you cant help but to smile back at her.

As for me I am doing pretty well I had one of my best buds kiddos while they were lucky enough to go to Africa. We had SO much fun I love those 2 kiddos so much and her lil guy and his hugs and smiles just always made my day! Zade was so happy to have his best friend living with him for a couple weeks they were great!

Now I have 2 other kiddos ... who are just by chance FROM Africa and also 2 special lil guys the kids have had fun having some new adopted siblings for the time being.

Another exciting note.....MY BROTHER GOT MARRIED! I am so proud of him and it was so great to see all of my family and meet my sister in laws side. We had a blast and enjoyed the warm texas weather and an added bonus we were able to go see my brother in law Jake and his family I love them so much and it was SO wonderful to see them and hang out with my wonderful niece and nephews they are getting so big!

Also on Halloween we got our first BLIZZARD oh my gosh the snow was just dumping down I had to go plow it was crazy!!!! All in all though things are going so well here we have our good days and our bad days but life is good!

Things are scary out there. The economy is unsure....jobs are shaky...... everything is unstable except for the overwhelming love I have for my family and for my Heavenly Father he is there. I feel him when I pray and I have witnessed his miracles in my life and the lives of those I know and love. As we head into the Thanksgiving/Christmas season I hope that we can remember what we believe and stand up for it!

Change in the air again....

Russian Falls see that waterfall?!?! Salmon jump UP it amazing huh!!!!Know what that is.....bear poo in my backyard SICK!!!! takes like a SHOVEL to scoop out I should have put my foot next to it to compare the size but seriously NASTINESS!

One of my nearest dearest friends here shes pretty much my family here and her kids yep I love em like my ownKiddos being crazy at Russian Falls!
Its about a 5-6 mile hike in and out and we POOPED the dog out .... we strapped him to our jogger and made him pull our kids up the steep hills poor guy DEF earned his keep that day!

Our sweet new camper!
How big was the last fish YOU RODE?!?! Sawfest guys with chainsaws MAKE THESE right in front of your eyes its AMAZING! This is in Homer Alaska (where they film the Deadliest Catch..sometimes you even get to see cast wandering around if your lucky ;) )

As sad as this is....my first alaskan catch a Dolly Varden.....but just for the record TODAY I caught 2 TEN POUNDERS!!! good eating tonight!!!!
This is one of my best friends friends for almost a DECADE! she was at my wedding and I felt so glad and privilaged to be there as she sealed herself to her eternal sweetheart. What a special and wonderful day that was and to be with friends in Portland was INDESCRIBABLE!!!! Yep me and MY eternal sweetheart had to throw him in there since hes still handsome as ever sweeping me off my feet everyday how blessed I am and how I love him!
AFTER well almost after we almost there you get the point :0)
BEFORE horrible huh!
Well my friends once again I have waited to long to blog....but life with 5 children and constant ups and downs just happens.... and so as a result sometimes my blog does not happen :0)

Anyhoo where the crap do I begin with whats going on in the life of the Mumms.....we are still living here in Soldotna and to make the official announcement although it did happen a few months back....

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some of you knew, some may be shocked, some may talk whatever..... its our dream house and we love it here the kiddos are happy here and so are we....another big shocker

WE LOST OUR JOB....AGAIN no seriously AGAIN.....

Yep Jesse had been working his little heart out at the hospital and without real warning BAM they fired us with no reason....literally that is what they wrote out was that there was NO GOOD reason for firing Jesse. So as you can imagine it was quite the sucker punch, we were shocked and hurt and oh did I mention SHOCKED. But about a week later a little miracle in our lives....there are 2 guys in our church who run and small family clinic (and does the hcg diet) and they were looking for another PA and when they found out Jesse was out of work they IMMEDIATELY offerred us a job. It is difficult because Jesse travels about 4 days a week so we only see him for 3 but they are 3 solid days of Jesse which is heaven. Then came the REALLY good news they are building a new clinic literally about 1.5 miles down the road from our new home so Jesse could just bike to work if he really wanted too amazing right?!?! God really does have a plan for us even through the devestating times where we think life just stops it is really just a turn in the road for us.

So Jesse is there now and they absolutely LOVE him there are no doubts there even had the doctors wife call me and tell me how lucky they feel to have him! and a HUGE bonus is I started the hcg diet! and guess what IT WORKS in 3 weeks I am down 20 POUNDS seriously 20 POUNDS. Is it kinda tough yeah it really is the diet gets some getting used to and well first thing in the morning taking a shot in the thigh never did make the list of things I wanted to do in life but as I see myself shrink down again I am good with whatever works!

So there are the 2 biggies in our lives then there are a few smaller biggies we REMODELED our kitchen WAHOOO because seriously the plaid wallpaper and blue counters were awesome and all but HAD TO GO!!!! and thanks to our awesome contract with the hospital that they broke we were all set up to go through with it and thus that is what we did!

Then of course we lived in Alaska and thought we best be getting a camper to put our kiddos in and soooooo yep we got one of those too..... great lil camper a 95 with bunk beds and the perfect layout for our family so we are READY!!!!

Now for some coolness went to the fish run today and you know how many fish had gotten through....230,000 that is an all time record here! fishing was a DREAM you put your pole in and BAM about every 5-10 min you would get a hit! that is until the tourist invaded and it became combat fishing which is LAME and man they get a lil rude as well! but that didnt ruin the day I took my 5 kids by myself and we caught 2 big ones and I felt pretty dang accomplished by the end of it!

So we are doing well here, which means something I am sure will happen soon a little hiccup in life but we have what is most important to us our beliefs and the gospel to steady us, our family which is important above all, and all around us we have this incredible nature. That is one thing that is so different here there is a special peace and beauty in Alaska that you do not find other places you look at the landscape and you meet the people here and you know it is just filled with a goodness you cannot explain I love it! I hope you are all doing well and enjoy the pictures my love to all my family and friends in the lower 48 I miss you so very much!

We ARE alive we have not been eaten....yet

Hello to all!

It has been a LONG LONG LONG time since I have updated my blog, things have been crazy what can I say moving a whole world away from all our familiar surroundings has definately been a process. But we are HERE and really do love it. If we had sat down and put down on a list all of our dreams of what the perfect town would consist of for our family to grow up in I think that Soldotna would have about every single quality that we wanted.

We live in a beautiful log cabin its 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and just adore living here. We have had moose, we have seen one bear (well to be clear it was a bear butt but Jesse doesnt think I should go announcing I saw a bear butt in my backyard ha ha) We have been to one side of the peninsula clear over to the other and we love it ALL. We have not lived through a fishing season yet but we are counting on that to provide some food for our deep freezer that seems to empty a little more each day, as my kids grow so do their appetites! and along with all the wonderful things of Alaska one of the biggest drawbacks is that food is kinda spendy here. It is worth it though, whatever we pay extra in we feel as though our quality of life here is so much richer.

The people of Alaska are what truly impress me, they are kind and loving and have welcomed us with open arms. I have met some of the most incredible women here who I already love very much they are absolute angels to me! So hows Jesse Im sure your wondering, he is doing well he loves his job in orthopedics and is just trying to learn everything he possibly can to best assist the doctor. The kids are all doing wonderful.

Landon is settling into his new home and really liked his new school hes struggled a little but things are getting better for him everyday!

Kyran is well hes Kyran my wild child he searches everyday for a bear to shoot, definately his fathers son.

Zade is coping we are still trying to get his speech under control it is very hard to understand him but we are working as hard as we can.

Riya is doing fantastic mostly because she is POTTY TRAINED WAHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! she is the little princess that she has always thought she was and is loving it here, she loves to point to the different animals she sees and her favorite place on earth is Sea Life.

Tayla is CRAWLING and eating and just growing I can hardly believe how big she has gotten! it goes by so dang fast.

So that is a quick update of where the Mumms are at we are trying to keep the faith and keep our chins up as we make our way through this difficult life.

WE ARE ALMOST THERE 72 HOURS TILL TAKEOFF.....

Well we have packed (and with that the kids have unpacked argh!)

We have cleaned

We have said our goodbyes (while picking up our leftovers in Rexburg)

We have our home in place in Soldotna (YAY!)

And so with all of that ... it is about time for takeoff ..... On Monday we will be taking off with our 5 beautiful and LOUD children (heaven help our fellow passengers and US!!)

We have been so very blessed with this whole process it has been scary, frusterating, time consuming, did I mention SCARY ...but we know without a doubt that Alaska is where we were suppossed to go.... The Lord is there he answers the prayers in our hearts and how thankful I am for his direction in my life. He is real to me and has become more so through this whole process I know he KNOWS me and care for me and my beautiful family. So we will make our great adventure happen in Alaska it is so far away from family and loved ones but we will forge on. We are so excited and hope that our loved ones make the journey to come so we can introduce them to the absolute beauty that Alaska offers. Thank you for your prayers and your thoughts we love you.

WE ARE MOVING........TO.....ALASKA!!!!

Not sure if you all had heard.... I know many of my fellow blogsters are facebook friends as well but if you havent heard we are heading off to Soldotna Alaska! how did this happen?

Well its quite a long story so here we go.... so as a prestory to the story....we finished school in August came back and had baby #5 (Tayla) Jesse took it and missed it by about 3 questions, then we lost our job in Boise, after 2 weeks we got our job back, then we moved to Boise, 2 weeks before Jesse took his test (AND PASSED!!!) they let him go (GRRR!) so we were on our bums again. No fear though I got on the ball and in no time I had 3 interviews lined up that all just fell into place..... first Casper WY, Soldotna AK, and lastly Glennallen AK so we headed to Casper. I loved Casper it was beautiful there and the people were as friendly as you could possibly get. Minus the realtor we had she was actually quite horrible and being the eloquent and awesome person that I am I managed to butt call her as I expressed my feelings of displeasure with her services. Ok fast forward we had this AMAZING Christmas with the kids the pure and simple joy of Christmas is just something you cannot explain. It is one of the times of year I am most thankful to have all the children I do...why you ask? well to see their faces and feel their excitement....and to play with their toys that eh hem Santa brings :0)

So the DAY after Christmas we board a plane heading to Alaska (cue the exciting music) arrived at 1:30am (that would be 3:30am Idaho time) and proceeded to this hotel that had more animal heads in one place then I had seen my entire life put together....well maybe not that many but it was a close call there. We had this amazing breakfast and headed from Anchorage to Soldotna and let me tell you without even HESITATING it was the MOST BEAUTIFUL drive I have ever taken in my LIFE. We got to Soldotna and were just blown away it was AMAZING the people were so friendly there was a WALMART (biggest one I have ever seen.....seriously!) and a Fred Meyer. Now it was not all love at first price...I mean sight....yeah thats right holy COW gas is EXPENSIVE! to the tune of $3.65 a gallon good GRAVY! and milk to the tune of $3.00 and the worst of all...EGGS can you believe that EGGS?!?! but one dozen eggs there is over $4.00!!!!! that threw Jesse and I a little bit but as we talked to people and compared salaries (which in Alaska is alot higher then we would get here...) not to mention the PFD which is around $2000 a person things evened out. After deciding that Glennallen was just not going to workout to drive to due to time, expense, and how flipping cold it gets up there.....we were soon touring a log cabin home that was absolutely the PERFECT place for us just felt like home there..... I hope Im not cursing myself as I write this blog as things have changed SO many times this last little bit. But with airplane tickets bought, car trasnport reserved, moving truck set to come..... things are looking up for us. There is a beauty and a feeling of peace and serenity there that I cannot explain. It is something that in order to feel it you have to go there take in this incredible scenery where you see eagles everyday and moose wandering alongside the road. It is a place where you know you are this little human in this big world and where you know there is a higher power you cannot deny it.

So thats the story .... we are headed to Alaska flying out January 31st, 2011 to start our new chapter. Lets hope our story is non-eventful for awhile..... All I want to report on from now on is all the fun outdoor things we will be doing. .... So now all of you who read know someone who will live in Alaska .... So dont hesitate to call and come take a visit into heaven!!!

Ahhh yes I am still alive.....hatw

This is me after losing a bit of weight..... much more to go! and more pics to come of halloween lots of the pics are on facebook though....... so friend me and look at those pics ;0)
After a recent request to update my blog I thought it must be high time to do so :0)

Sooooo last time I blogged we were waiting for the big test.....and.......welll....... we are still waiting for the big test...again. Jesse missed passing his test by about 3 questions. I will never forget that time in my life that was now 2 months ago but still is fresh in my heart and my mind. Seeing the word fail is never something you want to experience after going through years of school. In Jesses case he was so sleep deprived with a new baby fresh out of the NICU and a very very sick wife. So basically for the next month we were absolutely lost, depressed, and well lost. We had a very close and wonderful friend of ours offer us a apartment in Rexburg so that we could continue with our plans to rent our house. As we were packing for that we decided to write the company Jesse had originally gotten hired for and then lost the job after he had not passed. We asked them to reconsider us and that we loved their facility it happened to be when we had sent the email they were in a meeting discussing us and wanting to offer Jesse the job again in November but since we had written they decided to have us come to Boise to work part time so by the time Jesse passes the test he would be all ready to go.

So with that we were off to Boise ..... and here we are! we love it here it is beautiful weather and the mountains are amazing. We are crammed into a little rental home but we do enjoy it our ward here is amazing and I have to say I have met some amazing people here that I hope to stay friends with always. Other then that I stay busy working out (constantly) taking care of the kiddos and trying to eat as clean as possible thus far I have lost about 10 pds and around 10 inches wahooo just started on the journey of getting healthy but look forward to the rest of it its very hard but its def a growing experience.....

So what are the new plans you ask..... well the test....again but this time he will pass I just know it it is in 3 weeks so all prayers are welcome. After that...well there is a beautiful home that we have our eye on and are quite serious about it has 5 acres and is open and beautiful we are excited for the future. However, I have learned so many important lessons. First I have to trust more it stunk to not pass the test but honestly we are in a whole lot better place then we would have been. I have learned to trust my Heavenly Father a whole lot more I thought I was this strong faithful person but I absolutely lost all faith their for a few days and I was so mad..... I know better now being mad doesnt fix anything it actually just made it a TON worse. Third I need to live more in the NOW to an extent my kids are growing so fast and if I just keep looking forward to the tomarrows Im gonna miss the todays and I do not want to look back and regret that. How grateful I am for my husband and children they are absolutely my life and have been there every step of the way they have wiped my tears, given me non stop hugs, and been there they are truly my greatest joy in life. How blessed I am to have such wonderful family and friends. I sincerely thank you all for the words of support and encouragement they were a light in the darkness and I love you for it. So onward we go with faith love and happiness hoping this time around there is another story to tell of joy and happiness and new beginnings.

In Remembrance.....

It has now been 2 years since one of the most amazing people I have known in this life has passed onto that great beyond...... I will never forget that day....I will never forget the sadness but at the same time it brought into focus what is important in my life. Number one the gospel the knowledge that I know there is more to this life after we pass. I felt it in my heart I felt that sweet spirit that he was at peace and comfortable after years of pain. I knew he loved each and everyone of us, I was his Heather Girl that was my name and I will treasure that memory of everytime I would greet him hello he would ask how his Heather Girl was doing.... He accepted Jesse so openly in someways I felt he knew how wonderful Jesse was for me... he showed examples of service and kindness in all he did, he showed me what a great marriage could look like in 50 years and beyond. I was around 13 when I sang at his 50th anniversary never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would be singing the same song at his funeral years later.

Then I look around at this beautiful family I have with my amazing wonderful husband I have 5 kids sealed to my love and I forever. He has met everyone of my children 3 in this life and 2 in a previous time and place I know he is aware of us all and he loves each and everyone of us. Most of all his darling wife my amazing Grandma how blessed I am to have such an example and I will forever remember him and strive to have an attitude half as good as his. I will cherish every memory that I have of him and I will pass on those treasured stories that I have to my children so that they to will feel as though they know him because I know deep in their hearts all 5 of them do. I love you Grandpa I will never forget what you taught me Thank You for your fine example I know you have helped one soul plant her feet firmly on gospel sod and I know that one day I will meet with you again.

Tayla Heather Mumm is HERE!!!

More pictures to come...

TAYLA HEATHER MUMM

BORN AUGUST 18TH 2010

WEIGHING 5 POUNDS 8 OZ

BORN VIA CSECTION 10:03PM

Well everyone.... as most of you have probably heard our little Tayla Mumm was born! she made her entrance on August 18th, 2010 at 10:03pm via csection due to labor commencing and not being able to stop it. So here is the official story on that ......

Jesse had been going to the library everyday to get as much studying done as possible and would leave me home with the 4 kids to try and relax and keep this baby in. He was originally scheduled to take the test September 1st but that has obviously changed now. Anyways that morning I started contracting I would take a tributaline and they would stop of a little bit but then come back stronger and stronger. By the time I called Jesse at 4 to tell him to come home I was pretty sure this was it. We called up Jesses parents and whisked the kids away to their house and got to the hospital asap. Got all hooked up and checked out and I had dialated to 2cm and was thinning out.. They gave me more tributaline and alot of other drugs to get me to relax and handle the contractions but never got them stopped so they decided to do the csection.

I was rolled in around 9:30 and as you know I had been dreading the spinal tap from the day I had gotten pregnant lucky for me though it was AMAZING no pain really at all. He was just awesome they all knew Jesse in there and even joked about having him come assist with the surgery I was like ummm NO he can stay here holding my hand he helped make this baby after all. I remember looking at the clock at around 9:55 and really starting to feel the pressure of them getting little Tayla out Jesse kept standing up to see and then at 10:03 I heard the most beautiful loud cry of my adorable baby girl. It was absolutely magical I love that feeling of life entering the world and we thought with her loud cries she was going to be ok..... but well it is us The Mumms right so we have to do things the hard way I suppose sooooo unfortunately off to the NICU she went. She had some cloudiness in her lungs and so they let us know she had develped pneumonia which was just devestating I cannot express how guilty I felt not being able to hold a single one of my babies in long enough to not have to endure the NICU I really thought I was going to make it with Tayla but alas it was not meant to be. On a interesting side note when they did my csection they told me my uterus was incredibly thin and worn out (go figure 5 babies in 7 years will do that I guess) so Jesse and I think my body signaled and we saved ourselves alot more trouble in the long run with Tayla being early instead of say my uterus rupturing.

So as of today Tayla has been in the NICU for 13 days it has been insanely hard as we are juggling 4 children, Jesse preparing for his PANCE test, packing up our house to move, and at the same time trying to sell our house and buy another. I do not think I have ever been so stressed out as I have been in the last 2 weeks. We did make an offer on the house of our dreams unfortunately 2 other people thought it was the house of their dreams and made offers before we could get ours in so we will hope and pray that it is in fact the house that we are meant to be in. With all the insanity I am so very grateful to so many people the family and friends that have upheld us with all of our trials, the ward has been amazing planning dinners and babysitting for us, and of course my Heavenly Father who has kept his ever watchful eye over us.

It is so hard for me to once again to understand why I will never have the chance to hold one of my children in my arms after birth. It may be something I struggle with forever but all in all I know that he is watching over me, he knows me, he has listened to me, he has listened to my frustrations and sadness, and after it is all said and done and all of those feelings are let out I have never walked away feeling sad or angry I walk away with this special peace in my heart that he has heard me and understands my pain and that there is a lesson in this experience. So I will trust him and love him and have faith that he knows what he is doing....while it is not how I would have it he knows all....period I trust in his masterful plan I have seen it work miracles and in the end little Tayla will soon be in our loving arms at home where she belongs and right now that is all I could possibly ask for. So please keep those prayers going for us we need them in all aspects we want our little girl home and want her daddy to pass his test we love you all and are so grateful for the love, support, and help you have been to us. Bless you all and know we will never forget the kindness and will always strive to pass it on.

Well the graduation is over......now what?

It was so HOT Riya would not part with her shades!
Do you see the pregnant glow...ok thats actually sweat SOOO HOTHE DID IT!!!!!!!

Thats my HANDSOME graduate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We have finished.....

Seriously after all this time we are DONE .... well pretty much done Jesse has yet to take his big test but after that DONE DONE DONE.... we have the degree....we have the award.... yeah thats right Jesse got a special award ha ha ha.... ready for this RIP VAN WINKLE award ha ha ha he got a special blindfold and pillow for his sleeping efforts in class :0) but you know what he must have absorbed something all those times he fell asleep on his computer.

The Graduation was amazing I always used to laugh at people who cried at graduation because my thoughts were this is BORING why are you tearing up at THIS. Ok now I know why the hardships the trials and the sacrafices we have made as a family is why people tear up. We have given up a father we have given up a husband for basically 2 years. He has been here but not fully ours and when Landon turned to me and said, "Mom does this mean we get our daddy back now?!?" I almost lost it.....then they had this great bagpiper to lead this whole huge procession of graduates and as Jesse walked by Riya and Zade ripped away from me and ran to hug their daddy and that is when the tears came. There were a few people who were touched by the moment especially Jesses classmates they knew how hard it had been for us.

To watch my husband walk across that stage get hooded and take that diploma I have never been so proud of him with the kids screaming 'GOOOO DADDY WAHOOOOO" it was hot! ( like around one hundred degrees!) but it was worth it to see him walk worth every penny worth every hard day in that hotel it was THE END of this incredible journey.

So who are we now..... well we are graduates of this program, we are the parents of 5 beautiful children (no lil Tayla has not made her appearance but we are a few weeks away from welcoming her to our family) We are SURVIVORS yes thats right we survived this insane rollercoaster of emotions, trials, errors, high points, and low points.... we have made incredible friends and even met some family we never knew existed I have always wanted sisters who knew I would find them in Portland Oregon how touched I have been by them their kindness and their stories they have made me a better person all around. We are better people for what we have gone through oh how we have learned and how we have grown.

So now what..... well test first whew that is nerve racking but Jesse will do great he is such a smart guy he leaves in the morning and heads to the library to study till 5 everyday. So we will keep that up till his test on September 1st (any prayers our way for this would be WELCOMED!) After which we will move to BOISE IDAHO!! we are actively looking for homes and eagerly await that magical home that will become our new haven from this hard world we live in. One that we can welcome daddy home with open arms EVERY night no more travels no more long study nights exciting times ahead my friends and we step forward with our heads held high our hearts filled and with a unwavering faith in our Heavenly Father that he knows best he is there and he is always watching down on our family.

WE GOT OUR JOB!!!!

Well after literally MONTHS of applying to literally HUNDREDS of jobs we FINALLY have settled on the one we are going to go with ....ready ......drumroll please.......BOISE IDAHO!!!!

we had no idea we would be staying in Idaho honestly we thought that we would end up across

country in some random place but much to our surprise our first interview we went to was the one we decided to go with.

We went to a few different interviews the furthest being in Iowa and then on in Aberdeen countless phone interviews from Texas, Arizona, Montana the list goes one but when all was said and done it was Boise that totally won us over we had such a good peacefull feeling there. We thought at first that it was the initial excitement with the first interview but as things went on nothing compared to a few choice moments that we had there in Boise we truly feel that it is the next step of our life with our beautiful family. So now what right Heather is 8 months pregnant and doing well the day we found out about Boise she had a slight misstep and ended up in the ER to get her contractions stopped but she is doing better now aside from the flu she has on top of it.

We are now 9 days out from the countdown of GRADUATION!!! we will post pics and such when those shindigs go down thanks for reading and thank you for all your prayers they have helped so much in this crazy journey that we have taken.

My little teachers....

Last night was like any other night here at this grand hotel...

We have family prayer and then Jesse and I head to the hot tub down the hall for a few minuets before I come back and pass out on the bed... this night was different though, Jesse and I had been talking about jobs and where to go and where the best place to raise our babies was. We also talked about money and well basically everything that goes along with finishing school and moving on in life. Well we walked in to quite a lil scene Landon was up praying soon the other 2 boys joined him and they humbly prayed to Heavenly Father that daddy would get a job. That he would find a job that made him happy and we could raise our family at, it was such a tender moment my heart nearly burst with pride and love for these little teachers.

They hear our everyday little stresses and as soon as they have a moment they kneel in prayer while myself and Jesse talk it out together which is also a great thing I learned last night it is sometimes better to kneel humbly and ask for the help THEN talk it out.

Also that my little ones have mighty good hearing..........

Sooo further update on the Mumms! well we were going to be sending Jesse off to Texas for an interview this weekend, however, plans change as they always do and tomarrow we are headed to the coast of Washington for an interview. Life really consists of studying for the PANCE for Jesse and interviewing but we are happy and try to stay calm and collected with our hearts open as to where the best place for us is. We will do as our children and kneel more often and hopefully all will work out soon for us. We appreciate any prayers and thoughts that have come our way and hope they keep coming as we need all they help we can get!

All this up and down....

We recently made a trip just the 2 of us Jesse and I, to Mason City Iowa

It was fun to get away just him and I it has been a long long time since that had happened and we had a wonderful time. Jesse once again just aced his interview they had us all go out to dinner and we were able to meet all these amazing people. I felt so blessed to become aquainted with them and loved their attitudes and kindness towards us. There is no doubt it would have been a great place to work for.... we were also able to spend time with my parents which was wonderful as I dont think they have ever really been around me when I have been around 8 months pregnant (I know any of you who know me are still shaking their heads that I even went with my high risk pregnancies but all went well I promise) it was great to look at houses with them and see them. Now I know you all sense a but in here.... it was wonderful as far as the work went, however I dont know if this is the place for us. We drove around talked to alot of people and I just don't know if I felt it there. So we will keep going keep our options open and our hearts as well and see where this crazy journey is going to take us to next, Jesse is suppossed to fly out to Texas next week and then interview in Aberdeen as well. We still have as of yet to hear anything from Boise as the main guy who is in charge apparently left for vacation and wont be back till August 2nd ARGH! so we will wait and wait for that answer.

As for the hotel here I am back in this one room wonder but it feels good to be once again reunited with my children we missed them so much! my heart fills when I think or talk about them I feel so grateful that I am blessed with them in my life while they are little stinkers they make my life what it is. So onward we go trusting that the good Lord will lead us to where we can raise our children and settle down.

SELLING OUR HOMESTEAD!

Well we knew this time would come someday....

the day you let go of your first home, the home you raised most all of your babies in the home you think of often and with a smile on your face. It is time to move on though, we are off to a new adventure, a new career, a bigger family, and thus it is time to put our beloved home on the market.

What do you get with this home well a good feeling first of all as it was a very well loved home filled with childrens laughter and joy. You get a home that is safe from traffic and a home with beautiful sunsets, a home that has been loved and cared for that has seen good days and bad days. You get about 1683 sq ft of cozy happy living perfect for the starter family!

This home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms the master bath includes a jetted tub seperate shower and the master bedroom has a nice walk in closet. The kitchen is only a few years old and the hard floors are just as new. We are going to list the home at $110,000 but if you get back to me soon we are willing to give you a smoking deal if realtors dont have to be involved if you know anyone who is looking for a great home have them give me a call 208-201-5150 any spread of the word is appreciated!

The first interview!

Well as alot of you know this week we made our first trip for an interview where you ask we went to Boise Idaho! we went for a couple reasons one for my tooth and the bigger one was THE INTERVIEW!

So first things first my dentist... went in and took a look and was just in shock at how shoddy the work was that the dentist had done on my tooth. She said there was to much filling that had eventually cracked my tooth and whats more somehow once she got the filling out I had nerves like hanging down from my tooth. She said if I was not in such a hurry we would take a couple days to fix it and warned me it was going to be very painful due to the nerves. So took a deep breath and after she gave me around 6 shots of novacain 3 which were through the ROOF of my mouth gahhhh! she started her work it was insanely painful I could feel it in my toes and for some reason (dentist was guessing that it was I was pregnant) my body was metabolizing the novacain really REALLY fast so she was working as fast as she could. We ended up with a composit filling (thank you dentist im really only approved for the silver stuff with medicaid gotta love that!) but she was kind enough to upgrade me and 3 hours later with a VERY sore mouth I was over and out with a shiny new tooth oppossed to the half of one I had earlier...

So Jesse rushed me home drugged me up with tylenol ect and by then I just wanted to sleep it off I helped as much as I could with him getting ready and he was off to his interview. First of all bar none most handsome man EVER he looked awesome and I know hes smart but looking at him before he left I could see how much we had grown and how more specifically how much he has grown and it just made me SO darn proud of him! So the interview lasted from 12-4 pm and it went without a hitch he really loved the practice the doctors and Jesse all got along and all in all he knows it really could not of gone any better so we are praying hard they sense that as we fell in LOVE with Boise!

The next day we went with our real estate agent and looked at houses all day LONG from 9 am till 5 pm feels like we went to five THOUSAND houses but it was so good. We really got a feel for what we liked and what we wanted. We did end up finding a house that we absolutely loved it is a foreclosure and it is just huge and beautiful! plenty of room for our growing family it sits on 2.3 acres and only 3 miles from Lake Lowell which has THE MOST amazing beach and things to do very well upkept and just breathtaking! we looked at this house and we could just SEE raising our babies in it. SOOO no we go about somehow trying to get our ducks in a row so that if by a miracle we get offered this job we will more then likely jump on this house. If everything went perfectly we could hopefully get in it before baby girl is born and THAT would be a dream come true! anyhoo that is the latest from the news here.

We are now back in our little hotel room but I am thankful to be back for a few reasons so no complaining here.... it makes me realize more and more that home is not how big it is or how pretty it is it is literally where your family is that is home. So for now Im home.

The adventure continue....

Well we are here as you all well know

In good ole Vancouver Washington, hanging out in hotel rooms, malls, and the dearest of friends houses and apartments. So far I really cannot complain at all we have definately had some interesting experiences but at this point they just make me laugh, shake my head, or a little bit of both. Take our neighbors in our hotel just across the way.... we knew they were smoking illegal substances (they tried to clear it up that pot was legal in Washington for the right reasons... yeah ok dude.) We tried to ignore the smells of that, cigarettes, and alcohol YUCK! then we noticed that the girl was taking different men into her room Im talking like in one night Jesse and I counted six different men going in the room with her....so of course we all kinda knows what that means so the next morning Jesse went to the front manager to just see what the deal was. Luckily, they were kicking them out that day so we are happily neighbor free without all the smells and sounds of them around us anymore.... I won't lie I felt so very sad for the girl she had to be my age around 26 maybe even a little younger with this guy who is in his late 30's or 40's ... it just makes me hurt for her I wanted to shake her and tell her she has a choice to move on and start a life but who knows where she stands on it all. So I take a deep breath and pray that I can raise my children to know what they are worth and what they deserve and to stay away from people like that....in my opinion those people are just life suckers they suck all the good out and you are left miserable and alone.

Anyways we have so many amazing adventures coming up, this weekend being the first HUGE one Jesses first interview!!! wahooooo!!! it happens to be in Boise, ID which is where we had kind of hoped to end up lots of good hospitals we are close to the mountains still and low cost of living. Shortly after that was set up we got called in for another interview in Mason City, Iowa now keep in mind Iowa was about the last place I wanted to end up. I am not trying to be mean I just prefer dry heat to humidity and moutains to hills but ...this place sounds amazing and thus far they are flying not only Jesse but me to this place and renting a car for us and wining and dining us...so you cant help but wonder if that is how they treat you for an interview they either put up a good front or they are a great company to work for.... Soo we will see what happens all in all our goal is to leave Portland Oregon with Jesses masters degree and hopefully a job lined up. I always kind of felt like when we came back it would be to pack and get ready to move and have a baby pretty much at the same time.

Speaking of baby sweet little girl is doing well she is growing (which means I am as well ick) she is very active and developes her own lil personality more and more each day. Health wise I have been doing great! I have the occassional braxton hicks but other then that problem free knock on wood. I know with these upcoming traveling trips Ill have to cross my fingers and pray alot that things will work out and she will stay where she is suppossed to stay gosh dangit I want a full term baby first and last time. The kids get more and more excited and love to point out how big there mom is to different strangers....gotta love that.

We also have a trip going to a beach cabin the next weekend oh man I am SO SO excited for that so while this hotel room is tough to hang out in somedays we have been so busy with so many places to go I cant complain we are having a blast here and most importantly we are together as a family and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that!

8 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!!

Holy Cow.... 8 years I mean to those married couples out there that it has been over a decade long 8 years doesnt seem like a huge number but wowza I think what I am most shocked over is how fast that eight years has gone by..... and what we have done and gone through in those eight years. We have 4 beautiful children and one just about ready to enter the world.... we have a house, we almost have completed a masters degree, we have had about what...five hundred canines in and out..., we have moved what seems like five thousand times but in reality is....about 7 times and soon to be 8 times when we move for our new life and new job.

We have faced unbearable heartbreaks including injury, NICU time with babies, a horrendous burn, the loss of a finger, internal bleeding that almost cost my life, we have literally had no money, we have been pretty well off in money, we have laughed and cried together... but through it all every single moment of those eight years I can tell you that we loved each other. Have we fought oh yeah every healthy couple does but we always make up I cannot bare to stay mad at him. Jesse is my best friend, my sweetheart, my eternal companion and everything that I could ever hope for in a man. Oh boy I can be mushy about it but thats what makes it so fun even in the hard times. We have been apart for a large part of 2009-2010 even when he was at home he was still studying and away but now we are closing this HUGE HUGE chapter in our life. We are finishing school, we are finishing up on our baby years, and we are getting our first job that is a career for Jesse.

Where will we go? who knows...we currently have 2 interviews in July one Mason City, Iowa ( I know Iowa right but at least Im right by Minnisota ;0) ) and the other one is in Boise, Idaho. Seeing as how I have sent out hundreds of resumes it is all worth it when Jesse is getting calls of so many people interested. I know that we will rely strongly on our hearts and go where Heavenly Father wants us to go. Listen to that small voice in our hearts that tells us where the right place is for our family. It is interesting thinking that in about 4 months we could pretty much be anywhere in United States..

Sooo anyhoo back to the anniversary I had to write it out about how blessed and how wonderful my hubby is. He is all dreamed of, he is all I want, and I am so glad that on July 3rd, 2002 he decided to take me to the temple to make me his forever and to forever seal our family. I love that the most that we are a family forever not just till death do u part but forever. I love you Jesse forever and always thanks for choosing me and Happy Anniversary my love....