just trying to remember...

Some thougths

2012-02-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

My sister, Cindy, asked me to share some thoughts about how we looked upward during our experience with Brigham's heart defect and repairs. I put them down tonight and wanted to preserve them here in our family history, as well.

Hi Cind!

Okay, here are my thoughts about how we "looked up" during our experience with Brigham's heart surgery.

When were first informed by the cardiologist that Brigham had a serious congenital heart defect that would need extensive repair, our hearts were broken. I cried a lot and I was resentful of comments that everything was going to be okay. I knew that things would be, but I just didn't want others to tell me that. I wanted them to mourn with me and feel the sadness of the situation with me. We were blessed with some loving family members and friends who lived that part of their baptismal covenant with us and I can't express what a gift it was.

As the years went by between his first minor repair and the time before his major surgery, we had time to reflect on what Heavenly Father's plan for Brigham was. At times it was overwhelming to consider the many different outcomes of his surgery. We hated the thought of damage to his mind from the anesthesia. We could hardly think about the very real possibility that he might not make it through the repair surgery itself. The "unknown" was the hardest part of it all. As we prayed for him, there was one thing that continued to come to my mind and became an unexpected comfort during those times. In fact, it continues to be a principle that guides me in so many unknowns I face in daily life. The scripture was in Moses 1:39 -- "For behold, this is my work and my glory: to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."
That scripture became real to me as we prepared for Brigham's double-switch surgery. It became knowledge to my mind and heart that God existed for one sole purpose -- to bring His children back home. It is His entire work and glory. He doesn't dabble in side projects or other endeavors. He was mindful of our Brigham and He knew exactly which of the "unknowns" would be the best outcome for him, for our family, and for all of His children who would be affected by Brigham. I remember having an "a-ha" moment where I learned what "it's going to be okay" meant to me. I learned that "okay" meant God's will would be done and there would be a purpose in it. If that meant that my precious boy didn't make it through his surgery, I could trust that Heavenly Father knew that was what needed to happen to give more of His children an opportunity to draw near to Him and be able to return home. If our Brigham lived and thrived through the surgery, I could trust that the reason for that was because this was how more of Heavenly Father's children would be able to draw near to Him and return home. I gained a testimony that God had a plan for Brigham and that it affected more than Brigham. To understand that our precious child could be an instrument in God's work and glory was astounding to me. And the knowledge that followed - that I am a part of that work and glory as well -- was nothing short of life-changing. I feel as though I am a different person because of the experience we had with our Brigham's heart defect and surgeries.
I'm so thankful that Brigham's part in the plan at that point was to live and to be healthy. His heart problems seem like a little asterisk in the story of his life at this point. I often pray, though, that when the time is right, I will have the words to teach him what a gift his heart has been -- not just to us as his parents, but to so many others. He affected the testimonies of our family, of our friends, of our ward members. He changed us collectively and the Lord continues to preserve him for a great purpose. When I think about that, I'm in awe. We wouldn't be here if God didn't have a purpose for us in His plan! We can trust that He knows who we are, what part we play, and that with His grace, we can be an instrument to bring to pass His work and His glory.

Love you, Cindy. So much. Thanks for giving me an opportunity to put this down in writing. I love you.

Juge

The Abundant Life, Grace, Looking Up, and Finding a Balance in it All

2012-02-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

I feel like life has been in a really good place the past couple of weeks. Previous blog post notwithstanding, our home has been a happy place. I've tackled some projects that I've managed to avoid the entire six years we've lived in this home, the laundry is staying caught up, the kids are helping and maturing, and things are in a good place.
The Magical Mornings concept I wrote about earlier has been a tremendous catalyst in this area. Sincere interest in and love for the scriptures has also been a player. Prayer -- real, habitual, communicative prayer has been another key.
I haven't made a deliberate effort to use the computer less, but it has certainly been a side-effect. I miss my blog. I want to continue writing about our home and our life. I always neglect updates when I have huge ones to post. There are two such events blocking my regular updates right now. I really do need to write about Hawaii and Disneyland. They were great trips and really special. In avoiding those posts, I've also avoided the daily things that have really been worth remembering. Little moments where Chloe has shown maturity. Lily's art gifts from two different boys in her class. Brigham's new found cooperation with his eye patch. Cannon's hair now being combed to the side and how grown up he looks without his mop of curly hair on top. Just little daily things that make me smile.

I think with any new lifestyle you adopt, there is a period of learning and figuring it out. I'm in that period right now. I want to do the blog and I even want to comment on my friends' blogs, but it seems there's little time for it. I'm usually catching up on my reading of others' blogs in little stolen moments on my phone -- a second here, a minute there. It's a pain to comment on my phone and really, I just don't spend enough time on the computer to justify doing it anyway.

There are three talks I've read recently that have somehow done something to my soul. I find myself pondering on them without even trying to. They've been an impetus for change and reflection.

If you feel so inclined, I'd recommend taking an hour or so (I've even listened to them while doing other things) and giving them some thought. For me, they were perspective changing and I have appreciated the Savior''s gentle nudge to change because of them. The thoughts presented in them have enriched my personal scripture study, as well. As I've been reading the Book of Mormon over the last few months, I've loved what I've learned. Little phrases that will pop out -- things that cause me to open my journal and pour out my soul. My eyes have been opened even more after reading these three talks and it seems that the Book of Mormon prophets were teaching the same principles -- and of course they were! I've just really appreciated them and want to put them out there for you to ponder if you feel so inclined. They're worth your time, regardless of your religious beliefs.

The Abundant Life -- by Thomas S. Monson

His Grace is Sufficient -- by Brad R. Wilcox

Look Up -- by Carl B. Cook

I Have a Month's Worth of Magical Memories to Record...

2012-02-02T17:27:00.001-07:00

This is NOT one of them.

And I did NOT use it as a gentle teaching moment. No, I had a complete freak out and screamed so hard that everyone cried and one child (not the one who did it) said they didn't want to be in our family anymore.

Fail.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Leana -- Lily's Story

2012-01-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

This is the story I mentioned in that previous post. It is just so cute!

Isn't that veil adorable??!!! I love the whole thing.

Apparently the Universe Doesn't Like Braggers, Either

2012-01-26T03:26:00.001-07:00

We were long overdue. Its noy over yet, but It could have been much, much worse. It still sucks. Vomit sucks. That's the long and short of it.

Lily threw up in her bed at 12:40 am and I have to admit, my judgement isn't stellar at that time of the night. I pulled her sheets off the bed and threw them right in the wash. Yeah, my washing machine doesn't have super powers, either, which means that there were chunks. Many chunks.

I wouldn't have discovered that till morning of it weren't for the fact that at 2:00, Chloe came upstairs saying she'd thrown up, too. I went down to investigate and sure enough, she had. She'd tried to make it to the bathroom, bless her heart. Her bed was fine and the floor was even decently not horrible. The wall and door, on the other hand? Covered. I thought, "well, that's awesome. That will be easy to clean up!" Then I got working on it and yes, it wasn't so awful, except did you know how many little nooks and crannies are in a doorway? I hadn't realized it. Q-tips were used, 409 was sprayed with reckless abandon, and the floor was cleaned with the Little Green. The Little Green for extra work because I also used it to vacuum out the chunks in the washing machine. And then I restarted the load. I was up intermittently cleaning and supervising further vomiting (this time into bowls, thankfully) long enough that the load finishe its cycle. It's now in the dryer, ready to go back on Lily's bed in the morning. I decided to lay towels out all along the path from the boys' beds to the bathroom, just in case they come down with this bug, too. I, of course, woke Brigham up as I was tucking towels underneath him. He has had a hard time getting back to sleep, but I have high hopes. And he has a bowl next to him.

Stanton helped with round one with each of the girls and is back in bed-- he has 4 OR cases tomorrow and a very early start. I'm hoping to get to sleep quickly in a few minutes here.
Just this morning, Stanton said he was going to take Wednesday off from working out and start again tomorrow. I convinced him that you just have to get up and go, especially when you're forming a new habit. I'm so glad we both got up and did it because it looks like tomorrow morning is shot-- being up for three hours in the middle of the night makes it a bit harder to get going early...especially since Stanton starts so early tomorrow.

Anyway, I'm starting to wonder of my poor middle of the night judgement extends to writing and publishing this blog post, too. Probably.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Various Items and Some Serious Bragging

2012-01-25T10:41:00.001-07:00

Parent Teacher conferences bring out the brag, don't they? I am not going to apologize, though, because I'm proud of my little ones and the hard work they put into being as brilliant as they are. It doesn't always come naturally (especially the homework and the listening to instructions both at school and at home), so when they get good reports from school, I feel it's really important to note it in this little family history of ours.

So, I think I'll brag first.

Chloe: She's reading above her grade level, her math is excellent, and she is still writing really well. Her teacher said that during their readers' theater, she tries not to play favorites, but finds herself giving Chloe turns more frequently because she reads with so much drama and inflection. She even said that she expects an invitation to Chloe's starring turn in a musical production at Sky View in several years. :) She showed me some of Chloe's stories and journal entries. Chloe has a terrific grasp on conflict and resolution and she writes very descriptively. It's fun to read her work!
Here's a letter she wrote to us while we were on our trip:

This year, one of the things we've challenged the girls to do is listen in Sacrament Meeting rather than color or do other activities. We allow them to have a piece of paper and a pencil to take notes if they'd like. After the meeting this week, Stanton and I were cleaning up our bench and were taken aback at the notes Chloe had taken during the meeting. I have to admit that she listened better than I did (Cannon wasn't helping much....)!!

I have to admit, I got a little teary looking at that one.

Lily:
Her teacher had so many great things to say about her. She expressed how stunning it was to see her math and reading skills. She showed us a math test (one of several she had received 100% scores on). The problems she was doing were higher thinking problems -- story problems where she had to complete several steps, spacial thinking problems, algebraic problems (as a side note, I LOVE that they're introducing Algebra concepts to the children in 1st grade...) --- it was incredible to get a glimpse of her mind and the intelligence she possesses. Her teacher also expressed what a good friend Lily is. There is a new girl in her class that is really struggling. Lily has apparently taken her under her wing and helped her make the transition to this new environment. She also had a great experience where her teacher put her with a boy who really struggles to pay attention and keep on task -- the first day this happened, Lily came home a wreck. She was really upset that her teacher had put them together. Over the period they were partners, though, Lily really grew to enjoy this little boy and has great feelings toward him now. Her teacher made mention of the experience, too, and said what an influence for good Lily was toward this boy. I'm really grateful that amidst the intelligence, there is the greater quality, which is kindness and concern. In fact, that was the thing that really made my heart happy during Parent-Teacher conferences. All three of the kids are kind and thoughtful of others and respectful to their teachers.
Lily wrote and illustrated a story recently that was so cute. The drawings were great and she has awesome handwriting (something Chloe struggles with and something that I was terrible with until middle school -- thanks, Missy Sue! -- you know you're the reason my handwriting is nice now!). Anyway, I can't find the story which makes me sad. If I find it, I'll put it on here. Instead, though, here's a picture of her standardized test scores - the green is the benchmark they'd like the kids to hit at this point. The middle line in the blue rectangle is the student average. The black dot is where Lily is:

She's reading 141 words per minute with 99% accuracy, too. Amazing. I have to mention, too, that Stanton is SO relieved that our children are excelling in school. He really struggled in school -- it didn't come naturally to him - especially reading and spelling. To see our children doing well in those subjects is really exciting to him. I have to give him credit for our childrens' work ethic. They may get their natural reading/spelling abilities from me, but they get their study and work ethic from him. And, as you can see from our levels of completed education (me: a couple of years of college with very little direction, Stanton: doctorate degree), the work ethic is going to get our children further in life than their natural abilities. I'm glad they got a little of both!

Brigham: Can I just express, once again, how grateful I am that we decided to have him start Kindergarten this year???!!!! As it drew closer, we wondered if we were making the right choice, as he just barely made the deadline (by 2 days). He has blossomed and flourished in Kindergarten, though, so we are SO grateful we decided to send him. He is reading so well. He has recently made that transition from thinking he can only read his Sam books to realizing that he can read anything. I love that moment of realization! He is constantly reading the signs as we drive and is getting several words correct when he reads a verse of scripture, too. It's so neat to see him doing so well -- we had our concerns with him educationally, but he showed us that for some kids, it doesn't gradually come on -- they stall for a long time and then the window opens and they get it all at once. He has done just that and it is so neat to see.
His teacher said what a kind and respectful boy he is. He is nice to the other children, respectful of the girls in his class, and a good friend. He is doing really well in math (they are learning numbers, patterns, shapes, solid shapes, etc.) and is in the high level reading group.
I have really loved his spelling lately. His teacher showed me his work in their journals from the beginning of the year to now. The improvement was astounding! They have been learning a few vocabulary words that she's encouraged them to use in their journal writing. One of the words was "pursue." He drew a picture of a mama dinosaur chasing her baby. He wrote, "The dinucor chaces its bebe." But he realized he wrote chase instead of pursue, so he put a parenthesis under the word chase and wrote "pursues." It was just shocking to me. He actually understood where and how to use a parenthesis! Pretty darn cool.
Here is a story he wrote this morning while he and Cannon were playing ninjas:

It says, "fast - kik but - this - is - not - a - ordunere - kik." He puts the dashes in to indicate spaces or new words. I love how he spelled ordinary! Isn't that amazing?

Cannon: This little man is so smart. He reminds me of Chloe at this age. He memorizes songs and sings all the time. He can recognize most of his letters and knows their sounds. He has started writing letters lately, too. Chloe was telling him to "write a ____" this morning and here is his work:

Chloe and I were looking at each other in amazement as he showed us each letter he wrote. Pretty smart little guy!

Okay, if you're still reading, you're either totally ready to barf at my braggart ways or you're my mom. Either way, here are a few other things going on around here:

* I am doing really well with my resolve to no longer use my phone while driving. I still talk on it here and there, but only incoming calls. I don't make calls, text, etc. I have to say, it's been pretty darn awesome and I'm glad I'm setting a better example.

* We went on a trip to Hawaii with our friends Brian and Linda W. and Kyle and Angie F. It was so fun and I need to get pictures on here. It was a nice week away from the cold and a great time with friends.

* One of the things that Angie, our amazing babysitter, did with the kids while we were gone was a "Fun Chart." She had a list of one fun activity they would do every day as soon as their chores were done. The kids loved it and told us about it every time we called. I decided that was something I could really add in to our lives, since I see all these fun ideas around and never feel like we have time to do them. It's something I really need to improve on and this was a great way to do it. So, I've adopted the practice, and we've had some fun times since being home. One of the activities was making snow globes. HAAAHHAAAAA!!! Do you ever see a project on Pinterest or a blog somewhere and think, "Oh, how easy! That'll be a snap!" But then it isn't? Yeah, that was our snow globe experience. The kids gathered little figurines they had in their toys to use and I was POSITIVE I had white snowy glitter in my craft stuff. Not so much. I called Traci, our neighbor and preschool teacher, to see if we could borrow glitter from her. Thankfully she had some, so I sent the kids over to grab it from her. Well, Chloe left first , then the other 3 went together. They got back with glitter in hand in about 3 minutes' time, but Chloe wasn't with them. I asked them about it and they said they didn't ever see her at Traci's house. My heart sank. I sent Lily to see if she was at another neighbor's house (whom we'd also called about glitter), but when she wasn't there, I started to really panic. I hopped in the van (by this time, Lily had gotten Madie, one of our awesome teenager babysitter friends, to come look with her). I said a prayer and had the thought that maybe she thought it was a different Traci (we have 4 in our neighborhood). I drove over to the home of one of her buddies whose mom is named Traci and, thank the heavens, she was there! When the mom didn't immediately give her glitter when she opened the door, she got distracted by her two friends who were playing together, and just didn't come home. I was so relieved she was safe and sound. So, we all piled back in the van, said a prayer of thanks, dropped Madie off, and went home to make snow globes. By this time, it was 4:45 and I really needed to get dinner ready. BUT, we proceeded with our project. The glue we used (I thought this E-sixty something or other glue would be better than hot glue -- wrong!) didn't stick very well, and just as we were screwing on the now glued lids and turning them over to dry, the figurines came undone and started floating in the jar! Ugh! So, we quickly unscrewed the lids, dried everything off, and glued again. The kids were disappointed that they weren't going to be able to see the finished product (I figured we ought to give the glue several hours to dry before putting it in the water/glycerin mix), but we put them aside and got dinner on.
I put everything together later that night and they woke up to finished snow globes. They are not even close to as cute as the pictures we saw on Pinterest (craftfail, anyone??!) and Lily's figurine has since come unglued again. This time, though, the lid is lock tight glued, so there's no salvaging it now. The kids still seem to like them, though, and play with them every day. I'm glad they're so easy to please.

* Stanton has been working like crazy lately, trying to make up for days missed on trips. We miss him!

* He and I are both participating in an 8 week Fitness Challenge with 37 other people, many of whom are in our neighborhood. It's been awesome! My goal is to exercise 5 days per week, make green smoothies 5 days per week, and drink only one diet soda per week. Stanton's goal is to be 165 lbs. by the end of the challenge. Going on our Hawaii trip did not help either of us! I managed to keep my goals, though, and was grateful I hadn't set a calorie-related goal for myself. We ate so much and so often I was seriously sick of it by the end of the trip. How is that even possible?! We are both back on track with our eating now that we're home and feel so much better. Oh, and Stanton's been getting up in the mornings to exercise this week, too. It has been so nice to be up together working out. Even though we don't do the same things and aren't even in the same room, it's just SO nice to know he's not in our warm bed sleeping in while I work out. Getting up early is not something that comes naturally to Stanton, so I'm really proud of him. With the crazy hours he's been working, it's pretty dang impressive to see his discipline.

* I'm trying to be more productive and organized each day and this week has been a good one. There are two factors that have really helped me:
One is this calendar that some organizing genius put together -- a small task for every day of the week, all year long. I'm only doing it on the days I'm home and not stressing about it when we aren't, but it's helped me tackle a few problem areas that have bugged me for way too long.
Here is the link: RIGHT HERE. I just printed out the entire year and have it hanging on my big kitchen magnet board. It's been manageable and easy to accomplish.
The second is something I found on my favorite "person I don't know" blog. Abbey has been working on making her mornings "magical" and put together a little page to help her do it. I printed it and have been incorporating it into my morning and night routines. What is it about having a checklist that just makes things so much more manageable? I'm not good at making my own checklists and tend to ignore them. BUT, this one has been awesome and so far, has really helped me be more productive during the day. I appreciate the willingness of other people to share their talents with me and help me be a much better person as a a result.
Here is the link: RIGHT HERE.
I can't even say how inspired this has been for me. I have been really tired lately (out of the ordinary tired) and by the end of the day, I just want to lay on my bed and ignore everything that needs to be done to make for a good day the next day. I have to admit that for several weeks, I've done just that. Ignored the floor, the clutter, the laundry, the everything. Doing the simple things each morning and night has made a huge difference and magically, I have more energy to do the things that really need to be done. I'm still exhausted when I hit the pillow at night, but I can wake up to a tidy house and clean kitchen, which means I don't have to use my precious energy to face it in the morning. I know this principle and it's one I practice more often than not, but I've been in a bit of a funk lately, and this has been the push I've needed to improve my days and be more productive with my time. Which was one of my new year goals, so YAY! Thank you, Heavenly Father, for hearing my sincere desires and providing a way for me to accomplish them.

* We have had a ton of rain in that last week or so. The day we got back from our trip was the worst of it. We had some neighbors who were at risk of flooding, so Stanton went over to help bail water from their window wells and sandbag. The next day, Chloe was getting something from behind the couch downstairs and mentioned to us that the floor was wet back there. We investigated, and sure enough, we had water in our basement! Haha! It wasn't anything major -- no wall damage, thankfully. We pulled up the carpet and pad and dried them out with fans. Everything is good now and we need to check the french drain on that side of the house -- we think it was the culprit, as the window wells didn't have water in them and it seemed to come from the corner of the basement, not the window. I'm sure grateful it wasn't anything more extensive.

So, what's new with you?

A Fresh and Shiny New Year

2012-01-06T16:50:00.002-07:00

I gave my blog a very miniature makeover and it was just enough to like it again. I sort of think that's what new year resolutions should feel like -- not a huge overhaul -- just a few tweaks here and there to make myself tolerable again.

I've thought long and hard about my goals for 2012. No really, I have. I really liked having a concept last year instead of specific goals. It made everything seem more attainable and gave me some room for failure, which I need.

This year, I've decided my theme is going to be:

As a family, we are moving out of the "baby stage." Stanton and I were discussing the other night how we are growing out of our excuses. They were legitimate ones, too, believe me. We made life work and made an effort to do the things we'd been asked to do as a family, but always with the caveat that we could sort of have a pass because everyone was so small. Well, those days are waving goodbye. We have Chloe getting baptized in just two short months. Everyone is in Primary now. We've grown up.

As a side effect of that growing up, I've noticed that my kids are taking on many of my personality traits...for better and worse. They are watching and they are soaking it all in and they are at ages where they will remember these days. Thus my motto for the year. I want to remember that everything I do is teaching my children something - good, bad, or ugly. I want to be an example of a faithful wife, mother, disciple of Christ, and citizen of my community. There are a few key things that I know I need to improve that go along with this motto:

1- I need to be less critical and teasing toward Stanton.
I tease him a lot. Most of it is in good fun, but he shouldn't be the butt of my fun. I don't want my children to ever get the impression that I don't think he's doing enough for our family or being less than what he really is. He is the best man and I want them to feel that from every word I speak to him.

2- I need to yell less.
This is tough for me. I lost control this morning and really let loose on poor Chloe. That dear child...she gets the brunt of it, I tell you. Yes, she knows exactly how to rile me up (it's called ignoring me and being lazy), but if I ever want her to learn to solve problems in relationships maturely, I need to teach her that by my example. Not just her....all of the kids have a problem with yelling and lack of patience. I know that's a negative teaching moment I've let slip in. It's not too late, though. I am not saying I'm never going to yell this year (ha!), but I'm going to make an effort to do it less and to remember the principle I'm trying to convey.

3- I need to pray more sincerely.
I have developed a good scripture study habit this past year. I'm grateful for it. I had a moment while reading my scriptures, though, that taught me something about my own devotion to God. And it was this: without meaningful prayer, my devotion is merely a surface devotion. It's so embarrassing to admit that I often go to bed without praying. I mean to, but I forget or I fall asleep watching tv or reading and just don't get on my knees to pray. And when I do, my mind often wanders or I fall asleep mid prayer (that is often because I'm just kneeling in my bed or worse, laying in my bed trying to pray). I want to develop a more sincere relationship with my Heavenly Father. I want Him to know that I love Him and honor Him. I want my children to know it, too. This year, I'm going to spend more time on my actual knees in actual reverence toward my God.

4- I need to stop using my phone while driving.
That was a random one, wasn't it? I've known it for a while, though. My kids are going to have cell phones before I know it and whether or not they use them responsibly is determined largely by how they see me use mine. I have a horrible, awful, terrible confession to make: I text and drive. I look at Google Reader and drive. I Facebook and drive. I don't do them all the time, but I do them. It's HORRIBLE and I know it. This is my year, though. No more. I will still allow myself to take phone calls, but otherwise, my phone is staying in my bag and will not be touched while driving. I will pull over if something is urgent. I will ignore it if it isn't.

5- I need to spend my time on things that have worth.
I know all of us have this issue. It's an ongoing battle to allow a little necessary down-time without then wasting the entire morning (or sometimes day) on the computer. I find it so easy to innocently hop on Facebook or Google Reader for a moment's respite only to find myself on Hulu catching up on all the shows I forgot I love (yeah, enough to not remember they are on at night when I have some free time? Or to DVR them? Pshaw!). I did it this morning and my boys witnessed it. It was not what I wanted them to see me doing with my free time. It was even embarrassing. Why do I do it? I don't want to give myself a specific time of day to get on the computer -- my days aren't structured enough for that. But I do want to be more mindful of the example I'm setting. Yes, I want my children to know that a little downtime is fine...necessary even, but I also want them to know when it's time to move on to things of greater worth. I want to remember that those little eyes are watching and those intelligent minds are soaking in every second of my example. I want it to be a good one.

There it is in black and white: 2012-- Every moment is a teaching moment....whether I want it to be or not!

Family Pictures, September 2011

2011-12-31T23:47:00.000-07:00

I never posted the pictures Emily Chadwick took for our family this year! Before I print the book, I need to throw them in.

Those are some darn cute kids, if I do say so myself. :)

Resolution Review, Year End Wrap-Up

2011-12-31T23:30:00.002-07:00

Before I print this year's posts (all 241 of them, well, now 242) into a book, I wanted to revisit my resolution for 2011 and see what we did do make that a reality.

Here's what I wrote on January 1st of 2011:

"My first goal is to write 2011 instead of 2010. It's already proving to be a challenge.

Actually, this year I have only one goal. To Lay Off.

I am going to lay off when my kids disobey or defy. I'm going to lay off the yelling. I'm going to try to be the kind of parent Heavenly Father is. He gives me many opportunities to obey. He encourages me and teaches me the blessings of obedience. BUT, in the end, He lets me choose and He doesn't attack me with rage when I choose to disobey. He immediately blesses me when I do and He lays off when I don't. Because I know He loves me, I try harder and harder to obey every day. I'm going to work this year to be more loving and more the parent He is. I'm going to Lay Off."

I have to admit something: I totally forgot about this. I seriously thought I had made the goal that I was going to embrace "This is the Moment." Ha! That's honestly been the motto in the back of my mind all year. Just goes to show ya.

But I think the two go hand in hand. I feel like I have really enjoyed my children more this year. I have really tried to embrace them for who they are and give them freedom to pursue their own interests. I do feel like I've been a better parent this year. And yes, for the most part, I have been better at "laying off." I have hardly spanked a bit this year. That may appall you that I even spank at all. It sort of appalls me, believe me. I usually do it just when I'm really angry and full of rage (so it really has no positive teaching effect in the least). I haven't been full of that rage this year...at least not very often. I am sure I've had my days, but they've become much fewer and further between. I've still yelled...I need to work on that one -- it's a problem for me....but I can sincerely say that I have been SO much more loving this year. So. Much. More. Loving.

So, all in all, I'd say 2011 was a success! I like that I can look back and feel that I have improved as a parent. I still have huge work to be done, but I'm grateful for the progress that's been made.

----

Now, as for the year itself, can I just say how thankful I am for the experiences we had?!

We were able to travel, both just Stanton and I and as a family. We spent some really quality time together seeing new places and experiencing new things.

We got a dog! I say at least once a day that although I truly love little (giant) Charlie with all my heart, I really wish we didn't have a dog. It's true. But I love HIM and so I'm glad we have a dog.

Everyone is in school this year. Chloe, Lily, & Brigham are all in elementary school. Cannon is in preschool. It's definitely one of the watershed changes we've experienced this year. It's great.

Life stayed the same. How is it possible in the midst of growing and changing? But it did. We live in the same house, drive the same cars, have the same jobs, same callings, same ward, etc. I LOVE that there are constants in the midst of the ebb and flow of this stage of life.

I liked 2011 a lot. I'm looking forward to what 2012 will have in store!

Conversations

2011-12-31T23:14:00.000-07:00

November

Cannon: Last night when I grow up, I'm going on a mission to the circus.

Brigham seeing me eating leftover potatoes and asparagus for lunch: I LOVED those. That was your best disgusting meal EVER.
Me laughing: Do you know what disgusting means?
Brigham: Yes. It means bad. And I mean, I thought it was going to be disgusting, and then it was the best EVER and tasted great.

Lily running frantically into the bathroom where Stanton & I were getting ready: I already put new clothes and roller skates on my Christmas list, but I forgot something so important!!
Me: What's that?
Lily: Perfume!
We laughed because she sounded just like Fancy Nancy when she said it...
Lily looking at us indignantly because we were laughing: Because my room smells like POOP!!!

Stanton: Jul, where's Disneyland?
Lily who has a reputation for knowing EVERYTHING, even when she doesn't: Up in the clouds.

Chloe to Stanton, after learning that her story was advancing in the Reflections contest: This was the best day of my career!

Brigham trying to read the Book of Mormon: Did it take Mormon forever to write these words?

Me to Cannon, who was sucking on a sucker before bed: You can't eat a sucker before bed.
Cannon: Okay, I shall eat it the next morning.

Bro. T to Brigham when we were at a baptism: You know your dad is kind of crazy, right?
Brigham: You're crazy.

Cannon looking at the Polynesian boy sitting near us and whispering REALLY loudly: Mom, his face is yucky!
Yeah, we were NOT proud of that moment. Ugh.

Cannon who had already cut Charlie's hair earlier in the day and was throwing a fit about something else that evening: Yohwa meanest mom!
Me: Nuh-uh. Nobody loves you more than I do.
Cannon: No YOU don't.
Me: Tell me somebody who does more for you than I do.
Cannon indignantly: You.

Brigham: Mom, is Dad still a kid?
Me: No.
Brigham: Well, to God he is, huh?

Cannon is in that cutest stage where he wants to be just like Brigham...
Brigham interrupting his lunch: Just a minute Mom, I've got to go get my chapstick washed off.
Cannon standing up IMMEDIATELY after: Just a second Mom. I've got to get my chapstick washCLOTH.

Cannon walked across the road and all the way down the block to my friend's house (completely unbeknowst to me). He knocked on her door, she answered, he looked up and without another greeting or word said: My mom knows I'm here.
Oh, man, I am in TROUBLE!!! That boy can lie straight-faced at age 3!!!

Not really a conversation so much, but I have to record it. I've had the kid's Halloween candy in a closet waiting for gingerbread houses. Lily went to a birthday party and came home with a Tootsie Pop. I was craving it as she was eating it, so after the kids went to bed, I got into the closet and was rummaging through their Halloween candy looking for one. I turned around and guess who was standing there watching me?? Chloe! BUSTED!!! We had a good laugh.

Brigham looking at an Oriental Trading magazine and totally exasperated: Why is Christmas all about candy and presents....and Jesus?!
Well, Son.....

Brigham has some cute ways of saying a few words: Mazagine. And he always asks me if I can see what he's doing with my laser eyes.

Cannon says "accident" as: anskinent

Chloe: Mom, do you think eels are charming?

Chloe after watching Star Wars with the boys: Mom, most movies only have one sad part, but this movie has TONS of them.
I think that's a pretty astute observation of how movies generally tend to go...

Cannon with a bunch of boogers dripping from his nose after a sneeze: Boogey Alert!! Boogey Alert!!

Cannon: That's disGROSSting!!

December

Chloe: I AM MUSIC.

Lily after Chloe, me, and her were talking about what history means and that it's essentially something that happened in the past. They were asking if people who are dead are history. I conceded that yes, in a sense they are....: Yep, and Grandma Allen is almost history.

Sammie F at Temple Square, looking at the nativities: Are the people in the nativity real?
Lily: All the people who went to see Baby Jesus are extinct.

Brigham: I'm smarter than anyone else in the whole wide world except Jesus and Heavenly Father.
Chloe: Well, what's 10 times 10?

Brigham: Water killed the dinosaurs, right?
Me: Nobody really knows what happened to the dinosaurs.
Cannon: No, chickens came and choked them around the neck.

Cannon: When I was a grown up, I'm gonna be a turkey.

The kids and Stanton were discussing how thirsty they were and what they could drink because they were so thirsty....
Brigham: I could drink....Oh no, am I gonna have to tell you this?....I'm so thirsty I could drink BLOOD.

Stanton took the boys to visit the grandmas. Grandma Barbara told Cannon that she was going to pinch his ear. She pinched his ear.
Cannon: NO. My ear is NOT a toy.

Brigham: Bats come out at night, don't they, Dad?
Stanton: Yeah. Sometimes they do.
Brigham: Dad...do bats think cars are cows??

Brigham: Why don't the scriptures have "meanwhile?"

Brigham: Mom, it's weird that Jesus and Heavenly Father and the angels don't have extra clothes, isn't it?

Cannon giving me instructions on how to draw a frog. He told me where to put the eyes, but called them eyebrows instead of eyeballs...he chuckled at himself...: Frogs don't have eyebrows...only crocodiles.

Brigham: I know why they call it Textas. Because they text in Texas...

Brigham after I recorded the last convo: Knock knock.
Me: Who's there?
Brigham: C
Me: C Who?
Brigham: Who're you callin' cuckoo?! Pause... Are you going to record THAT on your phone so you can remember it forever and ever?

Me while snuggling with Cannon: Cannon, what are you going to be when you grow up?
Cannon: I'm gonna be a basketball player, remember?.......And an ANstronaut...

Brigham while we were driving in the van: Mom, you know how Dad always has to go to work? I want to have a job where I don't have to go to work all the time.
Me: Well, that's kind of what a job is.
Brigham: Well, couldn't somebody just pay us for me to stay home all the time?

Chloe driving past a house with flashing, multi-colored LED lights: That house does NOT look like a Christmas house...it looks like a Halloween house.

Bishop Stephenson at tithing settlement: I want you kids to know how very blessed you are to have the parents you have. They love you, teach you the Gospel, and teach and serve you.
Brigham: And sometimes be mean to us.
Bishop Stephenson: It's just part of the job description.
:)

Brigham when Cannon accidentally scrunched up the Mary sticker from the nativity sticker scenes they were doing: So, she was dead in the picture?
Me: Mary actually lived longer than Jesus.
Brigham: What the heck?!
I laughed.
Brigham: That's weird! Why did she live longer than him? Did he die when he was a baby?
Me: No, remember, he grew up and then was killed by wicked people?
Brigham: How old was he?
Me: He was about my age when he died.
Brigham: So you're the same age as Jesus was when he died?
Me: Well, I'm a little bit younger, but we're close to the same age.
Brigham: What? Jesus was 200?!
So much for an enlightening conversation.....ha!

I put out the new Christus statue that my parents gave us for Christmas. Jesus is dressed in an across the shoulder, draped-type shroud so the wounds in his side are visible. Brigham looked at it for a while and then came to me gravely: Mom, Jesus is really immodest in that statue, isn't he?
I have to admit that to a 5 year old's eyes, he is, indeed.

Cannon has been singing some very cute versions of Christmas carols non-stop all month. You Better Watch Out is a favorite. As well as: Deck the Halls with lots of holly. Falalalalalalalala. And Away n a Manger no crib for a bed. The little Lord Jesus asleep on his head.

Chloe: why do we have to look down at h-e-double hockey sticks when we pray?

Favorite Pictures 2011

2011-12-31T22:08:00.000-07:00

My friend Amanda does a favorite pictures post every year. I really like the idea, so I thought I'd do my own version. Some are favorites for their photographic quality, others for the memories they bring back. Oh, and they are not in any sort of order. I just don't feel like fixing them!!

Charlie as a puppy. I can't believe how much he has grown this year. His eyes are still as magical as the day he came to us.

My darling girls on their first day of 1st and 2nd grade. I love that in this picture you can see the similarities in their looks, as well as the stark differences.

Lori, me, and Cindy in Park City. I love how our outfits coordinate (not at all planned). I love my sisters so much. I'm lucky to have them.

My four darlings on Easter Sunday. I loved their outfits that day. They have grown up so much since this picture. Crazy.

I love the lighting in this picture. And Cannon's cheeks.

Lily at Mary Poppins. I like the depth of field, the smile on her face, and the memory of this fun night with the girls.

Cannon at our Johnson family reunion. I love the colors and I love the grass ground into Cannon's buttons.

RV Park in Bear Lake, ID (taken through the screen door). Just one of those perfect moments in life. And I love that they're sitting from youngest to oldest.

Cannon at Craters of the Moon, ID.

I love the adorable way he is looking in the distance.

Brigham miniature golfing with the Days. I love his glasses, eyebrow scar, and freckles in this picture, as well as the focus.

Grandma J and Kyle Johnson. I just love this picture so much.

Farmer's Market, Sundance, UT. I can't believe I took this picture.

Fuzzy Caterpillar, Stewart Falls, UT.

I love the beautiful marks of a life beautifully lived on the face of my Grandma, Virginia Johnson.

A super fun Independence Day hike in the mountains of Logan, UT.

Autumn leaf, Stewart Falls, UT. I love the old and the new, the contrast, and the colors.

Chloe & Charlie. I love their eyes in this picture. This was one of my top faves from the year.

Brad & Lori Wilson family. My first attempt at a family portrait. I'm no expert, but I think this picture turned out really great.

Cindy & DJ. Love these two. And I think this picture turned out really nicely.

La Familia Juanito. At Pickleville Playhouse in Bear Lake, UT.

And I love the editing on this version. One of the few times sepia works. :)

Hoover Dam, NV. I love the scenery behind us...and I won't lie -we were both at our skinniest here. It's nice to have a reminder of that after the holidays when our pants are too tight. :)

This was a super fun trip with our dear friends, Brian and Linda Westfall. Great memory.

There you have it, sports fans. My favorites of 2011. I hope my photography will improve this year. I really need to learn and practice more.

Pictures from December

2011-12-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

I didn't download pictures from my good camera very often this month -- I was trying to keep up with December Daily posts with my phone. I'm glad I did it, but the picture quality is so much better on my real camera.

Here are a few collages from this month of fun!

Almost all of the Christmas decorations in the house. I never took a picture of the nativity scene on the piano or the beautiful wreath that hangs at the entrance of the hallway (with a sign in the middle that says "Merry Days, Silent Nights." I also hung mistletoe this year for the first time. In fact, it's still up. Theres always a straggler or two, isn't there?! I ended up cutting up a couple of vinyl reindeer that went on the wall over the Singapore nativity (left side of collage, second picture down). It added some nice contrast. I love love love our home at Christmas time. I have a very simple style all the rest of the year - at Christmas everything is bigger, warmer, and cozier. I love it. And I love taking everything down just a day or so after Christmas. Oh...and I didn't take any pictures of the front of the house! Darn!! It was so pretty this year. Candy cane colored lights across the front, a wreath with a fun Merry Christmas sign in the middle, alpine trees and present boxes on the porch. It was my favorite outside scene we've had since living here.

Stanton had a fun afternoon watching home movies with the kids. He's pretty much finished transferring everything and getting it organized and backed up. The kids LOVED watching themselves.

Pictures from the Greg & Wendy Rose party. It's so fun to be together with my immediates!

This is the girls at their piano recital with their amazing teacher, Shirlene Shaw. She is beautiful, amazingly talented (I mean, seriously amazingly talented on the piano), and a gifted teacher. We are beyond lucky that we have her in our neighborhood.

Pictures from the Gary & Dorothy family party. The kids loved their presents from their cousins. And isn't Jordyn adorable with those missing teeth?! And hi, Cindy the supermodel! If I didn't love you so much, I might be tempted to hate you. :)

My cutest ever Kindergarten boy, Brigham. I always think those tree hats look mighty Papal. :)

From the Dave & Judy Allen Christmas party. I couldn't help but notice the resemblance to the thumb-sucking Prince John from the Disney Robin Hood movie. :)

Notes about each picture on the collage. I hope they're readable in the book! Probably the thing most noteworthy was the picture on the bottom left. Sweet Brigham and Mary played Joseph and Mary. Brigham took his role very seriously. He held little Mary's hand over Baby Jesus' head the entire time we did the nativity. It was so tender and sweet.

Pictures from our Christmas Eve party. I loved the nativity! I spent the afternoon organizing the costumes so they were so easy and cute that night. And oh goodness, could those sweet kids be any cuter?! I know I've posted so many pictures of Cannon lately. He is just melting my heart lately. That top left picture of him was as Joseph. Ugh, he is just edible. Love that boy! Also, this was one of our best batches of clam chowder ever. What a great tradition for Christmas Eve!

I don't know why I take so few pictures every Christmas morning -- I mean, I guess it's because we're just enjoying every second of it in real life, but still, I wish I would at least remember to take a picture of each of them surrounded by their loot! There's always next year, right?!

These are pics of the kids with some of their favorite gifts. Can you guess which one was NOT a favorite gift, thought? Yep, Brigham had a "Christmas Story" moment (a la them looking at their socks and chucking them behind the couch) when he opened a new church shirt. His face was priceless. I'm happy to report that a week later, the gifts they each received are still being loved and used. I love when we (and Santa) get it right!

December Daily - Monday, December 26th

2011-12-26T22:48:00.002-07:00

Such a great, relaxing day!! Stanton and I slept in way too long while the kids played and had a great morning. We cleaned the house up a bit (it was starting to get out of control....again) and then went to the fun park to go roller skating. It was so dang fun! The kids were pretty darn good, especially Lily, who had had a day on her skates already to practice. Chloe made a lot of progress by the end of the outing. I'd like to take them again so they don't lose the hang of it. The boys were not as quick to pick it up, but that makes sense. They still loved every second of it. We went to chick fil a for lunch and then returned Stanton's coat. We got hoe and I took a nap (!!!!! A Christmas miracle !!!!!) for a good long while. The kids played downstairs until they couldn't stand it any longer. They got me up and we did crafts from Chloe's books, played Hedbanz, and had dinner (Stanton worked on something with our intercoms and then ate and played Hedbanz with us). We worked on crafts, read from Lily's new book about getting along with siblings, and then got everyone showered. After scriptures, which we've been neglecting this month, everyone went to bed without an argument. It was nearly 9:00, so that could have something to do with it.... Late for our kiddos, but what a great day. I love these few days post-Christmas. They have such an afterglow. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Simply Having A Wonderful Christmastime, December Daily, Sunday, December 25th

2011-12-26T22:41:00.002-07:00

Christmas Day was wonderful. This was the first year the girls woke up early...and in a strange twist of fate, Cannon slept later than he has in a month. you can guess how excited the kids were about that! Brigham ended up going down without us knowing and waking Cannon up. Little stink! It was around 6:30, though, so I really can't complain!

I took this picture with my phone while everyone was waiting for Cannon to wake up. Charlie took over my spot! I haven't taken pictures off my camera yet, so this will be a pictureless post...ugh. The kids were THRILLED with their presents-- even the underwear and socks (they were in NEED of those things!). Santa brought Chloe a craft set - American Girl craft books, supplies, and a box to keep them organized. He also brought her some fun stocking stuffers- hair bands, a miniature AG doll, snowboots, etc. We got her some new dresses, a crayola craft set, a Guess Who game, books, a puzzle, etc. Lily gave her a charm bracelet, Brigham & Cannon got her a soccer ball and pylons. They have been her favorite gift, for sure! Santa brought Lily new roller skates. She hasn't taken them off since! He stuffed her stocking with similar goodies- clip on earrings, chocolate orange, etc. Chloe gave her a "big sis, lil' sis" necklace set. Brig and Cannon gave her a Barbie Rapunzel movie. We gave her new dresses, the same crayola craft kit, Hedbanz, a puzzle, and a ton of other stuff. Her favorite gift has absolutely been the roller skates! Brigham got a Leapster from Santa. He has loved it, but it's a good thing Santa has a contract with Amazon! - its already not working! Grrrrr. He also got a Star Wars Pez dispenser, a couple of new ties, goodies, etc. from Santa. From the girls, he received a dolphin pillow pet. He has wanted one for a year, so he was thrilled! We gave him a very cool Lightsaber, a game, a new church shirt, some books, and a puzzle. And lots more. My brain is tired! His favorite gift was the Leapster. Cannon also got a Leapster from Santa. He isn't as interested in it as Brigham, but I think if we sit down and help him figure it out, he'll find he enjoys it more. He also received ties and a Star Wars Pez dispenser, along with Cars 2, which made his morning. The girls gave him a piggy pillow pet. He loves his stuffed piggies, so this was a hit. We gave him a Cars Aquadoodle, a Lightsaber, the "If You Give a Mouse A..." books with CDs, a Curious George memory game, and a puzzle. He has loved the Lightsaber most of all! I got Stanton some new shorts, black cotton socks (probably his favorite gift and I mean that sincerely), the Lord of the Rings boxed edition with Blu-Rays and digital copies, and a new coat---which didn't fit, of course! The girls got him pens and a Diet Pepsi. The boys gave him aftershave. I gave myself a new calendar and the Harry Potter boxed DVD set. The kids picked out the cutest gifts which were completely age appropriate and so heart warming. Cannon gave me a bag of potpourri. Brigham gave me fake eyelashes :), Lily gave me some press on nail polish strips, and Chloe gave me filter bottle to use when exercising. And Stanton-- he gave me an iPad. Are you even kidding me? It's been really fun and more useful than I ever imagined. We all made a haul and really appreciated all of it. We lounged for a while on Christmas morning, but didn't get to for too long because we had the opportunity to present our choir's Christmas program at the Pioneer Valley Lodge-- a retirement center in our stake. I have to admit, it wasn't the most convenient way to spend our Christmas morning. Pulling the kids away from their treasures at 10:00 to be over there by 10:45 wasn't easy. Pulling ourselves away from the lazy afterglow of it all wasn't easy. But we did it and I'm grateful we did. It was a neat way to serve on this special day. We came home for about 45 minutes and then went to our regular church meeting. The program turned out really beautifully. We hadn't had any real run throughs (unless you count the VERY abbreviated one at Pioneer Valley that morning). I was nervous about the whole thing, but it really couldn't have gone better. The musical numbers were great, the congregation got to sing a few songs, the narrator was perfect, -- it all went well. The spirit was present and it was a really marvelous way to spend Christmas. We came home from church, changed our clothes, and headed over to Dave & Judy's for dinner. We had leftovers from the party on Friday, which were delish. We played and visited and the kids played with their cousins (Don & Ann were up). The kids also opened their gifts from Dave & Judy. Cannon got his remote control airplane, Brigham got the ninja costume he'd been wishing for for months, and the girls got Journey Girl dolls (Toys R Us's darling and much less expensive version of American Girls). They were all SO excited. Chloe and Lily, who really aren't that interested in toys, have really attached to these dolls. It's so sweet to see. They all loved having one last big present to open that evening-- it spread the magic out a little longer. We stayed way too late at Dave & Judy's and then went home and got the kids to bed. we watched more of Band of Brothers, but I could hardly keep my eyes open, so we hit the sack by 10:00. What a wonderful day. We are so blessed to live the life we live, to have the things we have, and the gospel knowledge we do. I often stand all amazed at the great love Jesus offers me. I'm frequently confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me. Christmas is a wonderful time to remember it and express gratitude for it. I love these magical years with such believing-hearted children. They make it so absolutely magical. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

December Daily, Saturday, December 24th

2011-12-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

Christmas Eve!!

We had a great, lazy day at the house. We ate breakfast, cleaned up the house, watched A Christmas Story, and made our Christmas Eve dinner. I was so glad my parents got there early. It's so nice to have their expertise on the clam chowder.
Emily and Nat and family and Dave & Judy came about 4:00 and we had our traditional dinner: clam chowder, breadsticks, and Em brought an Olive Garden salad- yum! Judy brought my favorite ice cream dessert and life was good!
We watched Em n Nate's Christmas videos from over the years, acted out the nativity (I LOVE the nativity), and visited. It was a perfect way to spend Christmas Eve.
The kids got to bed by 7:30 and we got to work putting out all of our presents for the kids. Santa came and left by 9:30--- I couldn't believe we missed him! We were even up! He is sure sneaky. Chloe came upstairs at 9:50 because she was having such a hard time sleeping. Thank goodnes Santa had left everything in his big Santa sacks-- she didn't notice he had already come. Phew!!!
Wwe watched Band of Brothers for an hour and then hit the hay. It was an awesome night!

The magic of Christmas always makes it hard for me to sleep. This night was no exception. What a fantastic day!

December Daily -Friday, December 23rd

2011-12-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

We spent an absolutely awesome day at Dave & Judy's for their Christmas party. Ann and I went out shopping in the morning. We had gift exchanges, the nativity, amazing food, dancing, dancing, and more dancing, and perfect family togetherness. What an awesome day.

I've got to figure out a blogging app for the iPad so I can get some I ages on here....

Needless to say, though, this was one of the funnest days of the whole Christmas season. I love spending time with family.

"Christmas Is..."

2011-12-23T08:36:00.003-07:00

Our Annual Christmas Movie...Enjoy!!

December Daily - Thursday, December 22nd

2011-12-22T23:38:00.002-07:00

Ah, what a day!! What a world, what a world. That's what the wicked witch said, right? Let me tell you--- this mama was the wicked witch incarnate for a huge portion of this first day or Christmas break. I had plenty of help getting there from naughty, fighting, mess making, sassing, feeling sick children, but I'm supposed to be the grown up here, right?!
I'm so thankful Stanton was done with work early today - he saved my spirit. He took two kids at a time to buy their cousin gifts and gifts for me (cute). It helped to have fewer children at a time to fight and make life frustrating.
Miss Chloe did go downstairs and clean out a garbage bag full of toys, so hooray for her! I was pretty proud of her for that.
The frustrations aside, this was a pretty nice day. The kids are all coming down with colds and that explains a ton. But they got the basement cleaned up and then watched a couple of Christmas shows on the DVR.
Stanton, in between a couple of trips to his office, got our movie completely finished!!! In fact, we just spent the last 3 hours together putting the final touches on it. He has seriously spent hours on it by himself, though. And he came up with the whole theme this year. Awesomeness. It is absolutely precious.
Once we get it compressed (happening right now), we'll post it.
Our day was a good one. I'm so glad we've got the movie done-- yet another burden lifted.
Oh, and I got the Christmas program condensed for our Pioneer Valley sacrament meeting and fixed, printed, and put in choir folders for our regular program. I knew that wasn't going to be something I wanted to do on Christmas Eve or morning. Just nice to get a few important things finished up!

It was a pizza for dinner kind of night.

Cannon found the wings a little hot.

But yummy. :)

Hours of work every year, but totally worth it.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Gifts for the Christ - Sacrament Meeting Christmas Program 2011

2011-12-22T19:16:00.000-07:00

Gifts for the Christ

4^th Ward Christmas Program, 25 December 2011

Choir – In the Bleak Midwinter

Narrator:

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb. If I were a wise man, I would do my part. What then can I give him? I will give my heart.

Each person in the Christmas story gave a gift of the heart. We can learn from them and give our own gifts to the Savior.

The angel gave the gift of hope. As Noah of old, he prophesied of Jesus Christ. As the archangel Gabriel, he taught both Joseph and Mary to hope for the Savior who would be theirs to raise on this earth.

We read in Matthew chapter 1:

“... behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

And in Luke chapter 1, we hear his message of hope to Mary:

“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.” (Luke 1:26-31)

The message of the fullness of Jesus Christ’s Gospel is God’s gift to the world today. When we share our testimony of that Gospel, we give the gift of hope, just as the angel did so long ago.

Whitely Sisters’ number – Gabriel’s Message

Narrator:

Mary and Joseph gave the gift of sacrifice. We often picture them on their way to Bethlehem to pay taxes in the city of Joseph’s forbears. We see the young mother riding the donkey, in the final, uncomfortable weeks of pregnancy. The journey couldn’t have been smooth. She must have ached, her back and legs and ribs feeling every jostle of the donkey’s steps. Dear Joseph must have sorrowed that he couldn’t give his bride more peace and comfort in her “day of tribulation.” It’s not hard to imagine his worry as inn after inn turned them away – and his concern that the baby with whom the God of Heaven had entrusted him would have to be born in a stable. It couldn’t have been easy for Mary to labor with only her inexperienced husband by her side. Nothing they did to bring the Holy One into the world was simple or convenient. They risked reputation, convenience, and safety to fulfill the prophecy of Gabriel and the commandment of God. Away in that manger, with no crib for a bed, they laid the tiny head of the Savior of the World – committed to protect and teach Him; knowing He was their Savior, too.

Congregation – Away in a Manger

Narrator:

As that new family sat quietly tucked away in a stable in Bethlehem, the heavens were alight with joy and rejoicing. The long awaited event had come to pass! The multitudes of heaven (and of whom we may just have been a part) gave the gift of joy. There was no doubt, no dissention, no fear – there was joy!

We can give the gift of joy every day as we let the Savior into our lives and let His light shine through us.

Choir – And the Glory of the Lord

Narrator:

Familiar to the Christmas story are the angels, the shepherds, and the wise men.

The angels brought the gift of the Gospel – Good Tidings of Great Joy!

The shepherds brought the gift of Faith – they didn’t wonder if what the angels told them was true; no, they said,

“Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:15-16)

The wise men brought the gift of temporal help. They bore gifts that were fit for a king, but useful to the family with few earthly means.

We can be angels in the lives of our friends as we share the gift of the Gospel.

Our faith can be unwavering like the shepherds – we can give that gift to the Savior as we trust His hand in our lives.

We have so much to give to so many who are in need. Is there a better way to serve our God than to serve His children?

“And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” (Mosiah 2:17)

And as we give these gifts, our hearts will be full of the joy that obedience to the Gospel brings.

Congregation – Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful

Narrator:

No character in the Christmas story is of greater importance or gave a greater gift than the Christ child Himself. Jesus Christ – the giver of all good gifts – He gave us the gift of hope, the gift of sacrifice, the gift of joy, the gift of the Gospel, the gift of faith, the gift of temporal help, and every other good thing we know. Nephi was given a vision of Christ’s gift in 1 Nephi:

“And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.

And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?

And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.

And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?

And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.

And he spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men. And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick, and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with devils and unclean spirits; and the angel spake and showed all these things unto me. And they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out.

And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record.

And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world.” (1 Nephi 11:13-17, 31-33)

It is hard to comprehend the condescension of Jesus Christ. It is nearly to impossible to understand with our mortal minds why He would leave the glory that surrounded him in the Heavens to come to earth in the humblest of circumstances, live a life of poverty, be judged of the world, unjustly convicted, cruelly beaten, crucified as a criminal, and buried in a borrowed tomb. Would any of us be so humble, so willing? Only He was perfect – only He would do it. Indeed, only He could do it. He left His courts on high, came to live among us, endured blood from every pore in the Garden of Gethsemane, and death on the cruel cross of Calvary. His condescension is the greatest gift imaginable and the most difficult to comprehend. Like Nephi, we can only say in faith, “I know that he loveth his children, nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.” (1 Nephi 11:17)

Isaiah prophesied of the many gifts the Savior would give:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

“Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:10-12)

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6)

Choir – Who Is This Baby?

Narrator:

We owe so much to Jesus Christ. We owe more than we can ever repay, but in His infinite goodness, all He requires is our heart. Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught:

“The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. It is a hard doctrine, but it is true. The many other things we give to God, however nice that may be of us, are actually things He has already given us, and He has loaned them to us. But when we begin to submit ourselves by letting our wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him.”

--Ensign, August 2000, Insights From My Life, Neal A. Maxwell

We are not shepherds; we are not wise men; we were not there to partake in the first Christmas night. What can then we give Him? May we give our hearts.

If we know Him...if we have let Him do for us what He lived and died and lives now to do...then we will feel what the Christmas carol proclaims. Joy to the World! The Lord is come! Let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare Him room and Saints and angels sing!

Choir (& Congregation for Silent Night) – A Christmas Medley (Joy to the World, Angels We Have Heard on High, Silent Night)

Every Year...

2011-12-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

Every year there is one Christmas song that just moves me to tears --- every time I hear it. Last year it was Brian Stokes Mitchell singing The Friendly Beasts with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. This year, it's this awe-inspiring and absolutely incredible version of "Go Tell It On The Mountain," played by Richard Elliot, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir organist. I've listened to it probably 25 times already this month and just pulled up the video on YouTube to watch it with the kids. I cried like a baby! Just amazing and so inspiring. I hope I can develop my talents in a way that allows me to worship the Savior and share my testimony with others.
I hope you enjoy this...but how could you not?!

December Daily - Wednesday, December 21st

2011-12-21T21:25:00.002-07:00

Happy longest day of the year!!! It's all sunshine from here (well, starting next April if you live in Cache Valley....)!

So, I didn't take any pictures today....but here's what I did:

•Got the girls off to their last day of school before break-- with friend gifts and teacher gifts packed up.
• Made a double batch of bran muffins - burned 24 of them while talking to my sister/getting ready.
•Made raspberry honey butter to go with muffins.
• Packaged muffins for home and visiting teaching family gifts.
• Got Brigham to off to school (with a gift for his teacher).
• Convinced Cannon to take an actual nap in his actual crib.
• Watched Emma while folding laundry. (The awesome Emma- with Ramola Garai as Emma and Jonny Lee Miller as Mr. Knightley).
• Put away Stanton's and my laundry.
• Swept the kitchen floor and mopped it. (this was monumental - like the first time in over a week). And vacuumed.
• Greeted kids home from school.
• Sent kids out to deliver neighbor gifts. Got most of them done. Okay, not most, but many.
• Called Chloe at friend's house to say goodbye since I wouldn't be home before she got home.
• Had a wonderful time at the First District Dental Christmas Dinner.
• Caught up with Mandy W. We live down the street from one another and I haven't really talked to her in a month...
• Came home to the craziest disaster of a house we've probably ever found. The kids were horrible for their babysitter and she was so embarrassed!!! I felt bad for her, but was also ticked that she let it get out of control, too. But I have to be understanding-- I think the kids were crazy and Chloe is always worse when she isn't here when we leave. Who am I kidding-- she's nearly always a stinker for babysitters...especially at bed time. And with Christmas do soon upon us, I think the kids were just plain insane. I was honestly shocked beyond words at the mess. Egads.
•Cleaned up the house. (Why does it always happen that things go ape crazy on the DAY that I finally buckle down and clean??!!). Mr. Murphy, I'm looking at you...
•It didn't take very long to clean up, so I need to stop complaining.
•ta Da! Here we are!

Tomorrow is the first official day of winter break and we're going to be doing some chores to make up for tonight's behavior. We'll also be finishing the neighbor gift delivering. Maybe a craft? Oh, and the kids have to buy their cousin gifts. The end.

G'night!

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December Daily - Tuesday, December 20th

2011-12-21T17:09:00.002-07:00

Okay, so I'm a day late posting this. I forgot...oops...

I got to attend Brigham's Christmas program in the morning. The program is Identical every year, and this is our third consecutive year. And guess what? Still adorable. I was pleasantly surprised at how well Brig knew all the songs and actions. And looking around, he was the ONLY kid wearing glasses. Crazy, right?!

Brig got to come home with us, so the boys played for a bit and then I threw them in the car for a few errands. I was on a mission to find Stanton's 'real' present. I'd gotten him a few things here and there (you know that kind of stuff, right...movie, things that i want in the house but can only justify them if I'm buying it 'as a gift," etc), but nothing that would qualify as his present. So, we had to hit three different stores, but I'm happy with what I got him!! I hope he is. It's hard to buy anything big ticket for Stanton. He's picky and usually just buys what he wants for himself. Hopefully I pulled this one off...we'll see...

It was Cannon's last day of preschool and Brigham decided to go with him (thank you to his teachers for being willing!!). That have me a couple of hours to fold laundry and start the hot chocolate cubes we were giving as friend and teachers gifts. Except I didn't have some key ingredients. Off to the store with me!
We got everyone home from school and settled in, etc. Then all four of them went to my friend Mandy's house to play. We almost doubled her kid total! Ha! We ate cold cereal for dinner and I worked some more on laundry.
Oh, and this is a trick Stanton does with Charlie. It takes so much self control for the poor dog!

Everyone got a shower and then we got started on our Christmas movie!!! It's going to be very cute!

After we finished filming, everyone got to bed without incident (miraculous considering how horrible the kids have been about staying in bed lately).

I ran to the store one last time (third trip to town in one day...ugh...). I grabbed two last gifts for the boys (ties...they need 'em) and ingredients for our Christmas Eve clam chowder. I keep thinking I'm done shopping and then remember something else.

The only thing I can think of now, though, is gift cards for our babysitters. I will try to get those tomorrow and then I shouldn't have to go to the store again till after Christmas!! (sure....right...I know....).

We hit the hay late ish and were hammered once again! Tis the season!

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December Daily - Monday, December 19th

2011-12-20T05:57:00.002-07:00

Things I accomplished today:
• made laundry detergent
• eye doctor appointment
• wrapped presents
• visited with Jared Day

Yep, that's it, folks. And it feels like a day well spent, even if the dishes from the last minute cheesy spaghetti noodles with broccoli dinner are still in the sink. I feel one step closer to being ready for Christmas to come.

It was so incredibly wonderful to bask in Jared's missionary glow. He is the best guy! The kids were thrilled to have time to spend with him--- especially playing tic-tac-toe.

There they are in all their glory! Each kid will have his or her own wrapping paper design and it's looming so ;£€€•)

Haha --- I fell asleep typing this last night. :)

Anyway, it's a huge relief to have every single present wrapped!! Maybe we'll actually be able to enjoy the break!
I'm so looking forward to seeing what Santa brings, too. He doesn't wrap the kids' presents at our house, so it's always super fun on Christmas morning to see his present that he leaves, along with the stocking loot he brings. Looking forward to that one!

Ah, another thing checked off the list. Nice.

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December Daily - Sunday, December 18th

2011-12-18T22:11:00.002-07:00

Aaaaahhhhhh!!!! One more week till Christmas! I'm so looking forward to the kids being home for a bit starting on Thursday. We haven't been able to get to everything I've wanted to do with them. The last few years, Santa'a cookies have been a last minute scrounge through the pantry to find something resembling a cookie. I'm determined to bake and let the kids decorate sugar cookies, darn it!

So, our Sunday morning started with major exhaustion and laziness from me-- to the pint that I didn't get up until it was absolutely necessary or the house would be completely destroyed out of hunger. I made Santa waffles-- fun!

He's not much to look at, but boy howdy were the kids th-rilled with him!!

We got everyone ready quickly and headed over to the church for tithing settlement. It's so wonderful to be able to meet with our great Bishop and declare our full tithe. And the kids love going to see him and declare their full tithe as well.
We came home and I cleaned up our room. It had to happen. It was such a relief!
After I finished that (Stanton helped, too), I finished the revisions on the sacrament meeting program for next week. That was a burden lifted!

We got to church and were SO excited to be there because JARED DAY WAS HOME!!!!! He's been on his mission in Chile for two years and we have been so busy this weekend that we haven't been able to go see him. The kids were beaming when they first saw him...who am I kidding...I was beaming!! He is positively glowing with joy. We are so blessed to know him and his amazing family.
After church, we had a run through of our Christmas program with the choir. It's going to be wonderful. I'm so excited to share it with the Pioneer Valley branch and then our own ward next week. The choir members in our ward are so faithful. I feel so lucky to associate with them.
Chloe got to play the organ for the first time. Craig Day sat with her and showed her how. She played her recital pieces and she sounded amazing. It was cute.

I'm telling you- we are so blessed to know the Days.

We came home and threw together a quick dinner of grilled cheese (a half sandwich each because we were low on bread) and tomato soup. I made it from our tomato juice and some other ingredients. One of my Dave versions yet (I'm a huge fan of tomato soup), but I'll never recreate because I seriously threw it together without a single forethought (well, except the thought, "feed me NOW!!!"). Anyway, I'm thankful for a pantry of food storage and the ability to throw things together on the fly.
We got the kids ready for and in bed by 6:20 because we were that tired and done with the day....of course they were stinkers well past 7:00, so don't feel too sorry for them. :)
We did a really poor surface job on the dishes (they'll be waiting for me in the morning...yay....) and crashed in the room.
I designed and printed the tags for our neighbor gift and got them packaged. Phew. That's another relief. They turned out cute, I think!

I'm ready to crash for the night-- 10:00 again! I seriously need my usual energy to pull some late nighters to get presents wrapped, but I am TIRED. I'm a wimp, I know.
Anyway, it was a great Sunday.

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December Daily - Saturday, December 17th

2011-12-17T22:14:00.002-07:00

First and foremost--- I LOVE the holidays with all my heart. BUT, they make me feel like I am living in an episode of Hoarders. The front living area stays reasonably tidy, but walk into my bedroom, office, exercise/present hiding rooms???

Seriously. Ugh. It makes me want to avoid my room and yet I'm so tired that I just pass out on the bed at 11:00 and ignore it all for another day.

We had our extended Rose family party today and I took about a million and a half pictures on my phone.

Here are a few highlights:

Both boys got a power nap on the way over.

The boys were hilariously adorable in the nativity.

Lily and Shaylee had each other and gave them a cute bond.

We got the best surprise ever --- Grandma was able to be at the party with us!
These are the great-grandchildren with the jammies G&G gave them. Can you believe they do that? Their children & spouses, their grandchildren & spouses, their great grandchildren. It's amazing to me.

We went to Grandma's care center and put on a program. It was so fun.

We got home and got everyone to bed, then Stanton and I figured out our tithing. Whew. When you own your own business and it does decently well....tithing is complicated. We both feel awesome about where we are with the Lord, though -- it just took some discussion and debate to get there. And a lot of math and bookkeeping. We are so blessed.
And now I can quite literally barely keep my eyelids open. That equals good night. Good night.

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December Daily - Friday, December 16th

2011-12-17T00:33:00.002-07:00

Another awesome December day.
I spent the entire stinking morning (okay, like an hour or hour and a half, but seriously....) trying to save some time and cash by painting my fingernails and toenails.
Well, after waiting forever for them to dry, I moved on to the rest of my day and.....Well, that was an hour down the drain:

White girl problems...I know.

I got Brig off to school and went down to Stanton's office to see Cindy and her kids --- I LOVE when my sisters come down for dentist appointments! I get my bi-annual dosage of uncontrollable giggles. Oh man, I love them.

We got home after the appointments and Stanton tried to repaint my nails. He even blow dried them --- well, I think the polish was crap because they smudged just as terribly. Ugh. Well, don't tell, but I just ignored it and pretended like they were good.
Again, white girl problems. You don't have to remind me.

Sooo, we got the house cleaned up (except Stanton's and my HORRIBLE STY of a room) and awesome Madie came to tend. The kids were all SO excited for her to come!

She came to tend because we had one of our favorite events of the Christmas season-- the Dave & Erica Low Christmas Party!!! We seriously love and look forward to this party every year. (Every year since last year). It didn't disappoint one little bit.
Dave had a couple of former seminary students come and sing (and play several instruments). They were darling and so talented.

Dave gave his annual Christmas message, which was fantastic as always.
After his message, we had the white elephant exchange. We scored a Skookie pan set!! Sweet!

This was one of the super cool gifts- his and hers Aggie beard beanies!

Oh, and guess what? I won the 'Best Dressed' award. Ha! It was SO fun to get some use out of the dress I bought for Jr. Miss earlier this year.

Not the best picture, but it sort of captures the dress. I wish Stanton had had his tie and jacket on still, but once it comes off, there is NO putting it back on.
I can't blame him--- within minutes, I was in my grandma jammies. But with awesome earrings in still. :)

I got the tags finished for our favor at the family party (YAY!). And now it's time to get to sleep. We have a fun Saturday tomorrow - Rose family party!! Woot!

Thanks, Dave and Erica, for including us in the party!! We love you!!!

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December Daily - Thursday, December 15th

2011-12-15T22:38:00.002-07:00

Much better day today although I have been way more tired than usual the past few days. Ugh.
Highlights of the day:

Christmas tree waffles for breakfast. I saw a much fancier version of these on Pinterest, but this throw together was much more my speed. The kids loved them.

Walking over to the school and seeing the makeshift sledding hill on the edge of the playground. And seeing kids using their coats as sleds on the muddy hill. I can chuckle because my own littles have come home with muddy bums from this hill.

Helping the kids make candy houses in Brigham's class.

Finishing the carrot noses! And working on the tags for the whole package.

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A Heart Full to Brimming

2011-12-14T21:44:00.002-07:00

I layer down in bed, planning to spend the rest of the evening channel surfing.
I happened to land on the public television showing of Brian Stokes Mitchell with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. My heart is so full it has spilled from my eyes.
I hadn't ever seen the whole performance - especially Edward Herrman's telling of Longfellow's Christmas. I have no words. I feel like Heaven sent a special delivery tonight.

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December Daily - Wednesday, December 14th

2011-12-14T21:01:00.002-07:00

Charlie sidled his way between Stanton and I in the wee hours of the morning. I read my scriptures with him snuggling close to both of us.

Have you noticed that all of these posts have been from my phone? There's a reason for that. I really thought I was going into this holiday season with my act together. Not so much. I feel like I'm just maintaining, and most things not even that. My floors are disgusting (and I mean that- don't practice the ten second rule here right now- you'll get a disease), the laundry is shameful, the gifts are sort of finished, but then I keep remembering that I forgot something for so and so or this and that. I won't ever catch up until I start wrapping. And should I do neighbor gifts? I usually donate to our neighborhood giving tree instead, but then I feel like a schlub when neighbors start dropping gifts by. My kids actually have friends to whom they want to give gifts this year. Yet another thing to figure out and produce. And then there are the myriad teachers who really deserve something special...but does it have to be crafty?
I'm behind on the project for our family party on Saturday. I'm behind in grocery shopping and meal planning. I'm feeling really overwhelmed today (amazing how quickly the pendulum can swing from one day to the next, right?). You'd think that with so much to do I'd buckle down and use every available hour to do it....but today you'd be wrong. I seriously wasted the entire morning and half the afternoon doing honestly who knows what. I HATE when I do that. I hate it. The hours are so precious! Why do I squander them?
And when I went to pick Cannon up from preschool guess what he was wearing? A payment reminder. That's right-- I'm two weeks late paying for preschool. Irresponsible much?

I managed to gather the best idea ever from my wonderful sanity, I mean sister, Cindy. I was lamenting how I'd gotten pretty much everything together for our family to do the twelve days of Christmas for some neighbor friends and then didn't start on the right day do all was a waste. She suggested I wrap and label everything (including a 'refrigerate me' label on perishables) and deliver the whole shebang at once. Isn't she a genius??!! I was so relieved to have a solution in front of me. I did manage to get that whole box put together, which was at least one thing checked off (and happily done- I was really excited for an opportunity like that for/with the kids).

Chloe and Brigham had friends over and I, as usual, exposed myself as the grumpy mom. But they were still very cute.
I had to apologize to Chloe no fewer than 53 times tonight for being so gruff with her. She was frustrating and I was extremely impatient and immature. Ugh.
Do I sound like such a crybaby? I just feel like I let myself down today -and my family in turn.

I did exercise. I did vacuum thr main living area. We did read scriptures, have family prayer. brush teeth, and read a Christmas story before bedtime...and I did get a meal made (I can't let Little Caesar's win its battle for weekly - or more frequent - dinners at our house. Gross-- and I have three boxes in my garage that show just who is winning right now).
Wait, I was complimenting myself before. I did make dinner. And cleaned up the kitchen mostly. So there.
I should seriously work on these carrot noses, but all I want to do us lay in my bed with a heating pad on the crick that took up residence in my neck yesterday.

How's that for a merry December day?!

One adorable thing to end the night-- and one I had already forgotten while feeling sorry for myself-

Cannon is still in a crib for no good reason- just laziness on the part of his parents. The boys asked if they could sleep together on Briggy's bed instead of Cannon in his crib. That was pretty adorable. I'm so thankful for my children. They are God's great paradox - if it weren't for them, my life would be 99% less stressful... And yet it is them who actually carry me through the stressful times. They are the source of my greatest frustration and my greatest joy. I'm so thankful for His omniscient irony.

Ah, I feel a lot better after looking at that picture. And I think going to bed early is just the solution for most of today's woes.

G'night...

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December Daily - Tuesday, December 13th

2011-12-13T21:12:00.002-07:00

How are these December days going by so quickly???!!!

This morning I kept my commitment and got up to read scriptures and exercise. I'm sure glad I did because I bombed in the food department all stinking day.
The girls got off to school and I got working on the dishes I signed up to bring for the ward Christmas party. I started with the pasta salad and the funeral potatoes. I discovered a seriously dangerous combination when I dipped a cooked bowtie pasta in the funeral potato sauce. That was pretty much my breakfast. That and some pasta salad later. I really enjoyed my own cooking all day. That's pretty vain and horrible, I know, but dang, I like my food!
Okay, so the boys went to school and I finished up the cooking (baked beans). I got to go to Lily's class for an hour. I absolutely love being in their classrooms every few weeks.
Cannon came home from preschool (2 days of excited to go! Woot!) and we did laundry and watched yet another lifetime Christmas movie.
The big kids got home from school, got their homework done, colored their decorations for the Christmas party, and hung out while I folded more laundry (and they put theirs away, too).
At the last second, I decided to have the kids shower before the party (I'm talking like a half hour before the party started). It had been a while since they'd showered and I knew we would be getting home late from the party. SOOO, we quickly showered and got dressed and the girls' hair in pony tails and headed out to the party. Stanton had been there for a while getting set up, so it was nice to finally see him.
The party was fantastic. I am completely in love with our ward and neighborhood. It is just a little slice of Zion. We are so lucky to be here.
I snapped a few pictures from the party.

Brigham was loving the free access to CHIPS!!

Cannot alternated between jumping around showing me how to kick and nearly falling asleep on the floor.

The Whitely family in our ward brought their instruments (bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums, violin (fiddle)) and played while the kids danced around the Christmas tree. It was soooo cute and so fun. I get weirdly teary eyed with things like that. I so appreciate their talents and their being so happy to share them. These are the same Whitelys who are Cannon's nursery teachers. We are so lucky to know them!!

All the kids rockin' around the Christmas tree.
Stanton brought the kids home while I helped clean up and here we are now--- time for some lounging in bed watching the tube. :)

Feliz Navidad!

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December Daily - Monday, December 12th

2011-12-12T23:19:00.002-07:00

This morning started out so great. I'm usually up exercising by the time the girls get up (Cannon usually wakes me up). I sort of slept in this morning and I don't regret it one little bit. Why, you ask?

First, Cannon saw this temple picture Angie gave me for Christmas. He serenaded me with "I Love to See the Temple" several times through.
Then we got to spend a good fifteen or twenty twenty minutes snuggling with every last member of the family. Stanton ran late for work because of it and I didn't ever get exercise in because of it, but oh, how I loved it.

We got the girls off to school and the boys and I went and ran errands. We had to go get paper goods for our ward party tomorrow night. Brig told me that this was "our chance to go get presents for the girls!!" how could I say no to that little generous desire??!!! We went to Shopko and got gifts for the girls (and Stanton, too). We ran home, I got the boys off to school, and then went to Chloe's class to read to them. One of the girls said that she loved when i came to read to them. Aw! After that, I finished the shopping for the party and also for our little twelve days of Christmas thing we're doing.
Cannon got home and I cleaned up the kitchen while he watched Santa Claus is Coming to Town.
This kiddos got home from school and we did some homework before the groomer called for me to pick up Charlie. Chloe tended the boys while Lily and I went to get him.
We picked up a pizza on the way home and then went home to finish up homework before the big event of the evening. Piano recital!!!!
The girls have practiced SO SO hard on their Christmas songs. They have been challenging ones, especially for Chloe. They were pretty nervous and I have to say that I was, too. Even this morning I was feeling like this was going to be really iffy.
Well, we (they) practiced and prayed and wow did they do so well!

They both played their songs better than they have in days and days (maybe ever). It's always fun to hear them do well, but it was even sweeter knowing all the difficulty and hard work behind the scenes. We are so thankful for a wonderful piano teacher. She really helps the girls reach higher.
We came home and had a treat (to make FHE 'official').
After we got everyone to bed (Stanton actually brought the boys home early - well, they left the recital early. They went and visited the grandmas. It was a fun visit according to Stanton. The boys are both at ages where they are saying hilarious things. It's a blast to be with them more one on one).
Anyway, everyone finally got to bed and as I was cleaning up, I found this adorable letter to one of the boys in Lily's class:

How adorable is that?!

Stanton went over to help set up the church for the party and I watched The Twelve Dates of Christmas (cheesy romantic Christmas movie--- Angie, you've converted me!!!) while sewing carrot noses for a project my sisters and I are working on.
It's late now and I've got to get to bed. This morning's fun means absolutely no sleeping in tomorrow!

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December Daily - Sunday, December 11th

2011-12-11T20:21:00.002-07:00

Oops! I forgot to take a picture today! It was a busy day (what's new??), so I guess that explains something of the lack of pictures...
We started out the morning With some tidying up (too tired after getting home last night...). We got ready for church and had our home teachers visit at 11:00. We have such awesome home teachers for maybe the first time in our married lives. And just in time. They make sure to include our little ones and are awesome. And Cannon LOVES seeing JR up blessing the sacrament on Sunday. He gets so excited and yells out, "Hone teacher!!!!". We're thankful for their faithfulness.
After they left, we had lunch and got to the church early so Chloe and Lily could practice their song with Shirlene. They sang during Sacrament Meeting and WOW. They did so well!! They sang clearly, with awesome volume, and lots of feeling. It was adorable. I sure love those two!
Right after church, we had choir practice. It ended up lasting almost an hour and a half and was so fun this week. We had a huge turn out (nice nice nice) and the songs really came together this week. I hope we can keep it up for Christmas Sunday! When we are singing well and with feeling, I feel the spirit so strongly. It's a wonderful experience.
After choir, we came home to a crock pot dinner of bean and ham hock soup (one of my very favorites).
We unused up at about 6:00 and then went downstairs and I read "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" to the kids (mostly the girls). It took a long time (almost an hour and a half!), but wow, I had forgotten what a wonderful book that is. It's a keeper - read it if you haven't in a while!
We had scriptures (we're doing a very short question and answer study of the advent every night during the Christmas season. It's nice because it makes the story very understandable and also because it's really short -- nice for busy December nights).
We just got the kids to bed. I need to clean up dinner and then lay down and watch TV. :)

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December Daily - Saturday, December 10th

2011-12-10T19:10:00.002-07:00

Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother's house we WENT!
We spent the morning making breadsticks and exercising (not a useful combination). We left the house in total shambles so we could get to Blackfoot by 1:00. We made the drive with no troubles and had our traditional dinner of clam chowder and breadsticks. And veggie tray and treats and soda and candy and fruit, etc. The kids were in heaven dishing cookies on their plates right next to the veggies and then getting to sit by cousins! They were definitely in raptures being with cousins for so long.
After dinner we visited for a long time (including a long and lively discussion about the girl at BYU-I who was refused at the testing center because her "pants were in violation of the honor code." There's slightly more to the story than that, but anyway, it was a lively discussion that was put to rest when we started the program. The girls each played their recital pieces on the piano and sang the duet (Away in a Manger) that they're singing in church tomorrow. They're pretty talented young ladies, may I say? And Chloe's piano pieces for her recital have been very challenging, so I was really proud of her performing them, even though they weren't perfect. She did really well. And they sang very well, too. I'm glad they have a love for music.
The boys sang Rudolph sort of together. It was mostly Brigham who did the singing. He's not as natural with it as the girls, but thankfully he doesn't realize it and just belts it out anyway.
Cindy's kids clogged, played the piano, sang, and made the sound Rudolph's nose makes when it lights up (through a straw of course...duh!).
Lori's kids sang and played the piano and break danced. We're a talented bunch, I'm telling you! Hehe.

After the program, we had the nativity. Cindy and I brought our boxes o' costumes and the kids were adorable. I didn't take any pictures with my phone because I was holding Cannon. He was being a shy shepherd. :)
We sang a few Christmas hymns (I LOVE) and got everyone changed back to their regular clothes.
It was time for the presents!!! The kids had been super excited about those, of course, so it was a lot of fun to open them up. Our four gave to Regan (Pom Pom scarf kit), Luke (marble maze game that Sara ended up choosing because it was going to cost $30 to ship his gift to China!), Morgan (friendship bracelet kit and scented pencils), and Porter (toy story hooded towel and floor puzzle). The cousins who gave to them were Jordyn (gave Chloe a color your own messenger bag), Emma (gave Lily two new barbies), Todd (gave Brigham a 3D toy story glow color tray), and Gavin (gave Cannon a shake and go RC car with Woody). The kids were all thrilled with their gifts!
My mom and dad pulled off another great gift giving year. For our four, they got new cowboy boots. Oh man, the kids were sooooo excited! I took pictures with the big camera, but I'm blogging this from my phone with just the pics I took on there, so those pics will have to wait.
After the kids all received their presents, my mom and dad gave each couple a giant, heavy box. We opened the paper and couldn't believe our eyes. They purchased a Christus Statue (marble) for each couple. It is large and beautiful. I was just stunned to see it. Such a thoughtful, amazing gift. Thank you, Mom and Dad!

It looks like the one on the shelf in the background there. Again, thank you, Mom and Dad!
After presents, we got on the computer and Skyped with Matt & Sara and family in China. They opened their presents from the cousins and sang "I Love to See the Temple" in Chinese. It was so beautiful. I am not a frequent Skyper, so it was really nice to see their faces on the screen.
We visited for another hour or more after and then got the van loaded up and we're on our way home now!
At some point, I'll get the pics off the big camera and add them here, but the home computer is being occupied by a huge project Stanton is working on bringing all of our video from every different camera and tape onto the hard drive. It's taking a long time, but is so worth it. It has been so fun to watch video from the early days of parenthood and marriage.
The kids are watching Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas and Charlie is asleep on my lap. We've got another hour ahead of us on the road and then serious clean up to do at home. It's been a great day.

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December Daily - Friday, December 9th

2011-12-09T22:32:00.001-07:00

I only took one picture today, but we did some good things.
We got the girls off to school after they practiced their duet with Stanton and Brigham went to play with a buddy before kindergarten. Stanton had the day off from work, so we hurried and got ready and drove to Brigham City to visit my grandma. We stayed with her for a half hour or so (maybe less) and then went to the Idle Isle for lunch. The Idle Isle was a place my dad would take me if I ever "went to town" with him, so it made my heart so warm to be there with my little man (and my big man, too). It is so dang fun to go out to eat with just one child. He was adorable.

We hurried home because the kids were out of school early. We got home 5 minutes before they did. They did homework, played outside, and helped me clean up a bit before the babysitter came (wonderful Cassidy who doesn't charge when we do church-related things). She tended while we went to the temple for ward temple night (and can I just say how grateful I am for ward temple night? It gets us there most months and that is a gift).
The temple was so nice tonight - not super crowded, we had the sweetest officiator lady, and the spirit was so peaceful. I'm so thankful we went.
After the temple, we had everyone over to our house for ice cream and cookies and treats. We had maybe 5 couples (fewer than last year, but so fun still). We live in a little pocket of Zion in this neighborhood. People are so normal. Down to earth. Kind. Non-judgmental. No games or competition. Just normal, Christ-like people who see the good in others. I feel so blessed and grateful that we live here. I feel the Lord's hand in getting us here and I know it's because He knew I'd be a better person because of it. I am and I'm thankful.
We just said goodbye to the last couple and it's time to call it a night. We have my family's Christmas party tomorrow in Blackfoot.
Did I mention that I love December?!

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December Daily - Thursday, December 8th

2011-12-08T21:02:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. The girls had a decent morning (can you tell this is important to me and makes the whole day feel better? It does). After they got off to school, the boys went down and built with castle blocks (they haven't played with their toys in for.ev.er., so it was nice to see them go play), and I did Yoga for the Warrior - Bob Harper's yoga DVD. It is awesome, but long. So, an hour later (with Charlie going crazy underneath me while in some of the positions), I finished up and got ready. I hung out with the boys for a bit and then got them lunch and off to school. Cannon was actually happy when he walked in to school today, so YAY!!
While everyone was at school I got ready to put all the laundry away (I know my kids should be doing it....whatever...), but instead called my sister, Cindy. I'm so glad I did! I've had gingerbread houses on my list of things I really want to do with the kids this year, but every day I think it's going to be too big of a hassle. Well, she mentioned that she did them yesterday with her kids and it made me realize that I need to stop thinking things are too busy and just do it! She gave me the frosting recipe and I had the houses cut out and assembled before the kids got home from school. They were SO excited to see them as they walked into the kitchen! We got homework and piano practice out of the way and then called Eliza, their cousin who is staying with Judy and Dave right now. She came over and we went to town! Oh, and I used all the candy they traded with me at Halloween, so this was a zero cost activity! It took a good hour or more, but it was so funny to see how differently they each approached their creations. They had a blast and I did, too. And sweet Cannon had fallen asleep in my room, so he slept through the entire thing. I decorated one for him using all the left over candy, so he was happy to wake up to a gingerbread house.
After we cleaned up, we put on Elf and I went and grabbed pizzas for the kids and Panda Express for Stanton and I. The gingerbread houses were such a last minute decision that I really didn't have time to figure out dinner. At one point I looked at Stanton (as I was realizing that take out was what we were going to do) and said, "I chose the better part, right?" He took a deep breath and then agreed with me. I appreciated his sincere approval because I could tell it was against his better judgement. And I'm really glad we made the houses - it was exactly the right thing to do tonight.

On the agenda for tonight: figure out how to sew 20 felt carrot noses and quickly. And maybe even sew some of them. That laundry is just going to have to wait another day...

December Daily - Wednesday, December 7th

2011-12-07T20:58:00.001-07:00

After such a crazy and busy day yesterday, I sort of bombed this morning. I sat around in my jammies all morning sort of zoned out on the computer. Before I knew it, it was time to make lunch for the boys. Oops! I nixed the shower (thank goodness for deodorant!), threw the hair in a pony, and made good use of the rest of the day.
Cannon is having a really hard time wanting to go to preschool every day, which has been tough. He's always super happy once he gets going, but he doesn't want to go....ever. I almost kept him home today, but I just feel like he needs the separation from me. I hope he improves over the next year and a half...if not, Kindergarten will be a beast.
Anyway, I'm really glad I didn't keep him home because my handy phone alarm buzzed as I was about to tackle all the laundry folding that needed to happen -- it was telling me it was time to go help in Brigham's class. Thank goodness for smart phones!!!!
I went to his class and helped with assessments. It's so fun to work one on one with the kids -- they're an adorable bunch! And oh, how I LOVE that my little boy loves me and wants to hug me and kiss me on the cheek. He melts my mother heart.
Cannon came home from school and we got started on the laundry (and thanks to you, Angie, I watched a Lifetime Christmas movie -- Dear Santa -- cheesy holiday goodness!).
Halfway through laundry folding, the kids got home from school. We did homework, reading, and got Chloe off to piano lessons (Lily's were this morning). After that was over, I folded more laundry and then we got dinner ready. I'm thankful for leftovers!
While I got dinner ready, the kids played Christmas Choir:

I think some karate ninja guys were in the choir. :)
Oh, I also payed Chloe for her babysitting. She promptly got out a tithing slip and envelope and payed her $.30 tithing. And she added a $.50 piece for the general temple fund because, "I want more temples around the world." You can guess how her momma felt about that. She is a sweetheart.

We had scripture study and the girls practiced their song for Sacrament Meeting on Sunday with Stanton while I read a couple of stories to the boys.
To top off a good day, Emily Chadwick brought over our family pictures! I got them in the frames and am loving them!

I'm a bit embarrassed about this morning, but the rest of the day was pretty acceptable. Now I have to go finish that laundry.....

Six Weeks Bran Muffins - A Rose Tradition

2011-12-07T13:11:00.000-07:00

Here is the recipe for my mom's wonderful Bran Muffin Mix -- with a few tweaks of my own (in italics).

6 Weeks Bran Muffins

2 c. boiling water
2 c. raisins or dates or a mix
1 c. chopped nuts
5 tsp. baking soda
1 c. shortening
2 cups sugar I used 1/2 Splenda, 1/2 Sugar
4 eggs
1 qt. buttermilk
5 c. flour I used whole flour
1 Tbsp. salt
4 c. All-Bran cereal (the twigs, not the buds)
2 c. Bran Flakes

Put the raisins, nuts, and baking soda in the boiling water and set aside. Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in buttermilk, then flour. Add salt.
In a large (we're talking LARGE) bowl, mix All-Bran, Bran Flakes, and raisin/nut mix. Add buttermilk mix. Stir just to mix thoroughly. Spoon into well-greased muffin pan. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
To use over 6 weeks, keep mix in refrigerator and scoop out as needed WITHOUT stirring.

Make it and love it. And have a bit of my momma in your kitchen. Lucky!

Sometimes...

2011-12-07T06:45:00.002-07:00

Sometimes I just want to keep everyone home from school, snuggle up on the bed, and watch movies all day long. This is one of those days. I'm looking forward to Christmas break!

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December Daily - December 6th/ABCPD Christmas Party

2011-12-06T22:16:00.004-07:00

You can guess how we spent this day, right? :)
I stayed up till 1:30 last night so I could get the mashed potatoes made and tidy up the upstairs, so I was feeling pretty on top of things today, actually.
Lily opened the fridge and had a nice surprise to share:

Attack of the roll dough!! They sure were tasty, though!

The girls got off to school with minimal drama (and piano practiced!) and I helped the boys with a few little projects, then rolled out and baked the rolls.
While they ate lunch, I got the bathroom cleaned, floors vacuumed, and the kitchen mopped.
I got Cannon off to school and realized that I couldn't find my keys. Ugh! Thank goodness I had a spare set because I needed to go get a digital thermometer for the turkey. (I just realized I still don't know where those are. Better look tomorrow.)
I also stopped for lunch at Charlie's ice cream shop. Yum.
Anyway, things moved along really nicely and I had time to help the kids with their homework. There was only one minor hiccup- I neglected to look at my tablecloth situation...and all I had were orange and black ones. Stanton ran to the store on his way home and picked up those and some plastic spoons.
The kids were AWESOME helpers. They helped with setting the table, bringing in chairs, etc.
I didn't get any great pictures of the food because we were too busy getting it all on the table! I managed the grab a couple of pictures, though. I think the only thing I missed was the stuffed mushrooms (they were yummy).

The food ended up being really yummy and the company was great, as usual.
We finished the night with our annual white elephant exchange.
There were some great ones-- including a frozen turkey breast (which kept being called a giant bag of nuts), adult diapers, and the best one of all, which I got--- A Leg Lamp puzzle!!! It's going to be so fun to put together and even came in a replica box - it looks like the one in the movie. Awe. Some.

It was a wonderful night. I didn't get any pictures of the staff this year- darn! We have such a great staff right now - awesome, awesome people who are just full of goodness.

Oh, and we couldn't find a sitter for the kids last night, so we hired Chloe. She was awesome!
The kids stayed downstairs the entire time and she even read them bedtime stories. What a good kid. It's nice to be able to depend on her now and then.

Man oh man, I love December!

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Forgot

2011-12-05T23:25:00.002-07:00

I forgot to add one bit of today-
Charlie snuck off and chewed up the baby Jesus from our Little People nativity set today.
Stinker!!!

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December Daily - December 5th

2011-12-05T20:49:00.003-07:00

This was a busy Monday! We have our office Christmas party here tomorrow night, so I spent the morning planning the menu, making a schedule, and getting the shopping list together. I got the boys off to school and hit Sam's Club, Lee's, and the bank for gifts for the staff.

I came home and got to work.
So far, I have made
Salad dressing, cut up veggies for the veggie tray, brine for the turkey, mustard sauce for the ham, nutella fruit dip, stuffed mushroom appetizers, a sour cream apple pie, and an eggnog pie, and put the turkey in the brine.
On my list still For tonight:
Mashed potatoes, cut up fruit for the fruit tray, and start the roll dough.
I'd be surprised if I get beyond the roll dough, though.
Tomorrow I need to get the ham in the crock pot, roast the asparagus & mushrooms, set the tables, roast the turkey, and get the house cleaned up. Oh, and lay out the veggie and fruit trays. And bake the stuffed mushrooms...and warm the potatoes....and everything else.
Yeah, we have a ways to go. :). I absolutely love inviting Stanton's employees into our home and making a special meal to say thank you to them. They do SO much for our office and our success. We really appreciate them and I love being able to do this for them.

Doesn't that look like a happy fridge?! I have to admit, I've drunk a lot of egg nog today and snuck way more than my allotted share of treats.

Sour cream apple pie. Yum.

The kids got home from school, made nutella smeared bananas for a snack, did homework, practiced piano (Chloe), and played with friends.
Stanton brought home a chicken stir fry mix from the store and threw together dinner for all of us. I so appreciated it - I've been so busy today and the dishwasher has been working overtime, so it was super helpful to have a no-prep dinner made by Stanton. And thank the heavens for paper products, right?!
Another special and busy December day!

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December Daily - Sunday, December 4th

2011-12-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

A wonderful Sabbath Day. We started the morning in my favorite way: with NO meetings for Stanton. Hip Hip Hooray!!!
We enjoyed a slow morning watching home movies, the kids did crafts (made cards and wrote letters to cousins), and got ready.
The girls decided they wanted to fast for the first time. They had a few meltdowns each, followed by conversations about how it is NOT a commandment for them to fast at their ages, so if they choose to do it, they REALLY need to do it with a happy attitude. I have to say, I am soooo proud of them. They both made it all the way through church with minimal complaining and by the end, had a stronger testimony of fasting. They each prayed for a neighbor of ours that we'd really like to see back at church -- I know the Lord blessed their sweet little sacrifices. In fact, they went to this neighbor's house this evening and invited him to come listen to them sing in church on Sunday - and he said he would! They were SO excited. It's neat to see the Lord strengthen their faith in these ways.
We enjoyed church (mostly - Cannon was a bit of a stinker during Sacrament Meeting - what's new?!). We came home and quickly broke our fasts so the girls could have a snack, then ran back over for choir practice. The songs are coming along, the program has been approved, and I hope it all goes well. We shall see. Pray for us, will you? :)
After choir, we ran home and made a quick dinner of beef & broccoli stir-fry, which we ate during the First Presidency Christmas Devotional, which we watched on TV. It's so nice to live in Utah and be able to enjoy those things from the comfort of our homes.

Here we are during the devotional - President Eyring is speaking, Chloe is looking at a Christmas book while Stanton & Brigham snuggle (Brigham has a Christmas book as well), Cannon and I were snuggling (when he wasn't being loud and naughty and seriously frustrating), and Lily was reading a Christmas book. We heard maybe 30% of the devotional, but what we heard was lovely. I was surprised at how little music there was this time, but every one of us really enjoyed the video they shared of the events leading up to and immediately following Christ's birth. The spirit of those events is beautiful.

Everyone got ready for bed and I read my favorite Christmas story: Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck. I cried, of course, and the kids asked why. I told them the truth - that I felt the Spirit while reading that story and that I felt it in a way that made me cry. I love the lesson of love and sacrifice it teaches. I always want to be better and show my love in better ways after reading it.

We had a surprisingly pretty nice family prayer and got everyone off to bed. I started a load of laundry, we tidied up the dishes, and enjoyed a cup of hot cocoa.

I'm planning to read A Christmas Carol tonight. Christmas just makes me happy.

December Daily - Saturday, December 3rd

2011-12-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

We spent Saturday doing house cleaning chores in the morning and tree decorating in the afternoon. I didn't take pictures until the evening, so there aren't any of the kids....oops!

We got the tree decorated (finally) and all the Christmas boxes and ladder back out of the house (only a week later...). It was so nice to have the house uncluttered again. Phew!

Oh, and Stanton and I went on a date, too. December gets so tricky - it was nice to find a time to go out. We ate at our favorite Indian place and then went and saw the new Twilight movie (finally). Fun night.

I took these pictures late at night and with my phone, but you get the idea. I really love how the house has turned out this year. I feel like it's starting to match the vision I've had in my mind the past few years. I love it.

Oh, and see, this December Daily is great because it helped me remember that I made my mom's 6 weeks bran muffin mix on this day, too. I LOVE this muffin mix. It is so yummy and something that we always had in the fridge at Christmas time. It keeps for 6 weeks in the fridge, so you just scoop out what you need for muffins every morning. Yummy!
We also received our first Christmas card in the mail! It was from Brad and Lori and had the family pictures that I took! That was fun to see. I am SO looking forward to seeing that card holder get filled up with greetings and updates from friends and family.
I got the stamps on our cards this night, as well. I've been doing a little bit every day - one day cutting out our letter, one day addressing envelopes, next stuffing them, etc. Now I've got to lick them closed (YUCK!!) and get them in the mail. Another thing to check off the list. Yippee!

December Daily - Friday, December 2nd

2011-12-04T08:49:00.001-07:00

Well, if every day in December is as fun as the first two, we are living it up!!!

I kept the kids home from school so they could lounge a bit after their late night at Pickleville. I wouldn't have done that, except that we were planning to go to Salt Lake at noon, so they would only be in school for 3 hours anyway. I felt a little sheepish about keeping them home, but it sure was nice to spend a lazy morning with them!

While they lounged around, I did one of my favorite workout videos:

We did some chores and got ready and then headed to SLC for a fun evening with Kyle and Angie and kids. Before meeting up with them, we checked out the Brigham City office, went to Target (please come to Cache Valley -- please!), and visited another dental office in West Valley (it has a surgical suite like the one Stanton wants to put in his new Providence office). While Stanton checked out the dental office, the kids watched a movie and then I read them some Christmas stories. It was a long wait in the car, but they sure were good!

We met Kyle & Ang at Iggy's downtown around 5:00. We had a great dinner and then went on a wild goose chase to find parking around temple square. After finally finding a place to park, we went to see the lights. Aside from Cannon wandering away from me twice, it was an absolutely perfect night. We haven't gone down to see the lights for a couple of years and I had missed it! It was great to have a reason to have to go -- and we will never pass up an opportunity to spend time with our best friends!

The weather was beautiful -- chilly with just a nice, light, magical snow falling. The lights were as incredible as usual, and the company couldn't have been better.

I know these pictures are weird, but they were funny. The one of me is what Stanton took right after I said how great the weather had been -- he thought my hat hair was amusing. :)
The ghostly picture is a quick one I snapped on the way home -- it's Stanton and Jesse's new billboard! I looks fantastic.

Okay, now to the real pictures....

The girls worked on a Christmas garland/banner thing earlier in the day. Fun pictures at the temple grounds.

Angie took these next 2 and I am LOVING them. The first is for Brigham and Sammie's wedding video. :)

How gorgeous is THAT???!!!

And Christmas magic in photographic form. I love this picture of many of my favorite people in the world.

December Daily - Thursday, December 1st

2011-12-04T08:36:00.000-07:00

This awesome first day of December was spent finishing the last little bit of my Christmas shopping. What a wonderful feeling! I don't think I've ever been done this early. (Okay, I have maybe 3 more things to pick up, but they don't stress me out a bit. Wait, correction -- there is one that is still stressing me out a little. Chloe has NO idea what she wants for Christmas. She did say she'd like to learn how to sew, so I'm thinking maybe Santa will bring her a sewing machine? Or maybe 4H sewing lessons? I don't know about that one yet. We've gotten her some great gifts, I just don't know what Santa is going to bring her. We'll get it figured out.

After I got home from Christmas shopping, we had a salad for dinner and met our friends, Mitch and Vanessa and family, to go to 12.25, Pickleville's Christmas show.
It was SOOOOOO great this year!!! SOOOO great. Can I say it again? SOOOOO fantastic. We laughed and cried and enjoyed every single second.

The kids loved getting to visit with Santa --- the REAL one.

This is Chloe telling him that he can just surprise her for Christmas.

Lily told him she'd like roller skates.

Brigham told him that he could bring a surprise for him, too.

Cannon had a great time getting a candy cane. For as attached to me as he is lately, he really enjoyed talking to Santa. Isn't that left picture so great?!

This picture sums up the fun of the night. Aren't they adorable?!!!

An absolutely awesome kick off to the Christmas season!

December Daily

2011-12-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

My friend Amanda invited me to do a little "December Daily" challenge with her. The idea is to take a picture every day leading up to Christmas day, just to remember the things we did each day during this crazy fun month.

I got so behind in November that I forgot about it until she started posting hers. Luckily, though, we had some fun things going on so I was taking pictures anyway! I'm feeling a bit more caught up now, so hopefully I'll keep up better than I did with my November thankful posts. :)

Decking the Halls

2011-12-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

We usually decorate for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving, but Stanton was just NOT feeling the excitement about it this year. (I think the tree fiasco last year -where he had to take the lights off our pre-lit tree-- really took the wind out of his sails).
I had a feeling that if I didn't get things going myself, we weren't going to have Christmas decorations, so while Stanton was at work on Tuesday, I went out to the shed and got our huge ladder, then went to the garage and pulled down the decorations from the hanging shelf. Let me tell you, it was no small feat. I am 5'5" on a good day and that shelf is suspended from the ceiling of the garage. It is HIGH and the boxes are heavy. And there are a lot of them. It took me a good 45 minutes or so to get them all down and then calm my heart rate. :)
Anyway, I got them inside and started decking the halls. It was all worth while. I LOVE the way the house looks when it's decorated for Christmas!
After the kids got to bed on Tuesday (or was it Monday? I can't remember), Stanton helped for an hour and got some of the garlands up, etc.
On Tuesday or Wednesday I lugged the Christmas tree box upstairs...another huge feat. I got it set up and Stanton put the lights on it.
Anderson Seed came and put Christmas lights up for us this year -- I think I'll make that a tradition, too. I don't like having Stanton up on the roof one bit.

Brigham and Cannon used one of the boxes as their Santa sleigh. So cute to see them sitting on there reading books together.
I went to tuck Brigham in and saw this adorable sight. Cute he be one bit cuter?!

Stanton has always done the "daddy hat" trick with the kids. Well, with four kids now, he had a hat, shoes, and a backpack. :)

Wednesday after piano lessons and homework, we got out the buttons, wire, and ribbons, and made some button wreaths for the tree. It was a super fun craft that even the boys could do. They had a ball and I loved making a craft that didn't involve a huge mess and cleanup.

I'm determined this year that we are going to enjoy some Christmas activities. It seemed like last year we were so busy running from gymnastics to dance to piano to homework that we didn't have time to do anything special all month (aside from Pickleville and some family things). I have purposefully kept the kids out of every lesson besides piano for this reason this school year. I want to enjoy them! It has been WONDERFUL. I feel like we've actually had time to make crafts and treats, read books, and watch Christmas movies. It has been wonderful! And it's only the beginning of the season. Love that.

Visit from Grandma & Grandpa Rose

2011-12-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad came down the day after Thanksgiving to visit us. It was so nice of them to make the trip through Logan -- it's definitely faster to go the Tremonton way to visit Grandma Rose in Brigham City, but they made the trip through to see us first. We loved having them here!

We visited, napped, made candy (Chloe helped make English Toffee. It was delicious! She decided she was not so into the having to stand there and stir for 15 minutes while the sugar cooked. Hehe).

They took us to Golden Corral for lunch, which the kids, of course, loved.

Thanks for a fantastic visit, Mom and Dad!

This is the only picture that was taken that whole afternoon....but it pretty much sums up our great, relaxed afternoon. :)

Thanksgiving

2011-12-04T00:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I really got behind on my Thankful posts...gee howdy. Life went into hyper speed and it really hasn't slowed down.
The Thanksgiving season was just glorious. We had quiet days, busy evenings, great talks about gratitude, love, and a warm happy home. (You know, in between the fighting, the yelling, the chores, the daily grind.....hehe). It was wonderful and the perfect way to ease into the busy holiday season.

So, the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, all the Allens (minus the SingaWebbs), gathered at our home for our now traditional Appetizer Night. Everyone brings the fun appetizers that you don't have room for on the actual Thanksgiving day and we have them for dinner. It was so great to have everyone at our house. The kids enjoyed every second together and the food was amazing (of course). I didn't take any pictures. I'm ashamed of myself! The kids were SO good to help with chores to get the house ready for our guests. I wish I had something like that to motivate them every day.

Thanksgiving Day was spent with the Macy's parade all morning, as well as getting my side dishes ready (I did fruit plates, stuffing, and a veggie tray this year). I love that parade. It reminds me of Thanksgivings at my Grandma & Grandpa J's house. I'd go back in Grandpa's office and read the B.C. comics he had pinned to his bulletin board and watch the parade on the little TV in there. It was great. The kids really enjoyed the parade this year, too. It was fun to share it with them.

We went to Dave & Judy's around noon and enjoyed an amazing meal - smoked turkey (that Jimmy smoked), potatoes, salad, rolls (oh, Judy's rolls.....), roast beef, fruit, jell-o salad, veggies, etc. And then there was the PIE. I don't really love pie...not at all, but wowza, Rachel and Emily came through this year with some that were mouthwatering. We enjoyed every bite.

After dinner, we had an impromptu talent show and the kids shared what they knew about Thanksgiving. They sang songs, recited poems, did tricks, etc. It was really fun. The adults napped, visited and checked the ads. It was relaxed and so so great. What a fun day! I love these excuses to get together.

Legacy House Thanksgiving

2011-12-04T00:05:00.000-07:00

We spent a great evening with the Grandmas eating a Thanksgiving dinner. They are in a wonderful care center with people who really love them. It was great to see Jimmy, Rachel, & their girls and Dave & Judy, too.

Mish Mash

2011-12-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Some cute pictures of the kids, Stanton, and Charlie boy.

The boys convinced Stanton one Sunday morning to dig out his Buzz Lightyear costume from the Halloween box. He only had about 5 minutes to play with them before his next meeting, but they sure enjoyed it. They've been begging him to get his Batman costume out ever since. I'm pretty sure this was a one time engagement, though. :)

Brigham had a little stomach bug off and on for a few days. He'd be 100% fine all day, then throw up once during the night. It was a weird bug because you just never knew when it was going to hit or be over. But it did allow this adorable scene on the music room floor.

I sure love to see those two readers enjoying a new book.

This little doggy has been an absolute treat lately. Knock on wood, but it seems that he is completely potty trained finally (YAY!). He still has a bit of a problem with chewing --- things that aren't his. He chewed the antlers off one of the Little People Reindeer and today he chewed the arm off an Ariel Barbie meant as a gift to a cousin. Oh, man did he get an earfull. BUTTTTT, honestly, that little issue aside, he is the BEST dog. He is mild, sweet, obedient, fluffy, and pretty much part of the family. We sure love him. I LOVE that picture of him with Chloe. He loves to sit on the couch like that and watch me work in the kitchen - he's just like a little kid. I think he actually thinks he's human most of the time. Love that cute picture of him with Brigham, too. Judy invited Charlie to Thanksgiving at her house...he was a HIT! He was super well behaved, especially around all that food and those sweet little kiddos running around. We are just loving him...can you tell?
Oh, that last picture - the one on the top right - it cracks me up. This was during that super busy Saturday... at the end of the night, after all the kids were in bed, Charlie took each of these toys out of his toy box, carried them over to the door, and laid down in the middle of them. Cute.

Thankful For....

2011-11-19T11:48:00.000-07:00

Friday:

I'm thankful for:

*Visiting Teaching -- I have a wonderful companion and am really blessed by the sisters I visit. I appreciate them so much -- and the opportunity to know them through visiting teaching. And I am so thankful for the lessons that are shared, as well. Heather, my companion, shared thoughts from President Uchtdorf's talk, "You Matter to Him." It was so inspiring.

*The ability to read. I love to read my own books and I love to read to my children. I'm thankful for that ability.

*Safe travels through Sardine Canyon during a big snowstorm. We headed down to Brigham City to have Thanksgiving dinner at my Grandma Rose's care center. There were many cars and semis off the road on our way there (and it took about 3x longer than usual), but we made it and were never in fear for our safety. I'm thankful for the good tires and reliable vehicle that got us there.

*Time spent with family. My cousins are like distant siblings to me - I love them so much. And my aunts and uncles....and oh, dear Grandpa and Grandma. Grandma is doing SOOOO well. I was astounded at how much better she has been doing since her stay at the geriatric psych care unit. They helped her get off some of the meds that were causing her panic and psychosis and she was a new person when I saw her last night. She still has the dementia, but she isn't mumbling or paranoid and she is just herself again (her dementia self, but the pleasant, sweet Grandma with dementia). It is a huge relief.

*My morals. Stanton's morals. The morals of those around us. I'm thankful for our strong marriage, our devotion to one another, our abhorrence at the thought of infidelity, etc. There are moments in life where you just see Satan for who he really is and see what a hold he has on this world -- it causes me to have so much gratitude for the anchor that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm so thankful to have married a man who feels the same.

Thankful For....

2011-11-17T19:56:00.001-07:00

Today I'm thankful for:

*Yoga. I am falling in love with it -- but the Jillian Michaels version of it, which is, I'm sure, not "real" yoga. But I love it. It makes me feel alive (I know that sounds really snooty or weird or whatever, but it's true). I love watching my dog stretch and realize that, hey!, I'm doing those exact moves and guess what they're called? Up dog and down dog! Watching him helps me do them more correctly, too. Anyway, I am loving waking up to yoga lately.

*Patience. I don't have enough of it. In fact, I have very little of it, but I'm grateful for the amount I do have.

*My body. The older I get, the more I realize how important this body of mine is. It was one of God's most important purposes for sending me to earth. It will be with me for eternity. I love it and want to care for it as much as any important gift I've ever been given. I am so thankful for good health - I can walk, I can run, I can eat, I can sing, I can move without restraint, I can do the things I need to do every single day. My body makes me free and I am so thankful for it.

*Scriptures. I find that often I only get one or two verses in before I'm thinking about something in my life and how it can improve. The scriptures open the windows of heaven for me -- it isn't always what I'm reading but that I'm reading that prepares me for the spirit.

*My morning smoothie. I know I've waxed on about this previously, but seriously, it starts my day off so well.

*Sunshine. We are getting less of it right now, which always makes me more aware of my gratitude for it. I appreciate that it still spends some time beaming through my windows daily.

*Facebook. I know it has its vices, but it is such a great means of communication. I've gotten to know people in my neighborhood who I otherwise wouldn't have connected with, it's better than Google for advice, and I appreciate being able to check in on old friends that enrich my life now even more than they did when we knew each other "way back when."

*My grandparents. They've been such a huge part of my life and continue to be. They've been examples of who and what I want to be. They've loved me, inspired me, made me laugh, loved me. I'm very aware that it is unusual to have so many grandparents still alive and involved in my life. I'm aware of how remarkable it was that they were all alive and worthy and able to be at the temple when Stanton and I were sealed. I'm aware of what a blessing they are and I'm so thankful for them.

*Smiles and hugs. What would life be without them?

*A clean home. I no longer have a housekeeper coming to clean (I miss you, Heather!) and so the task falls to me. I don't do it often enough. I am not even close to the home keeper my mother was as we were growing up. She kept a beautiful home. I was most certainly the thorn in her side during those years. I left a trail of "Julie" wherever I went. I have improved so much in my home keeping skills since living on my own and being married with children. I am, like I mentioned, though, NOTHING to my mother on this front. I am thankful, though, for home I do keep. I'm thankful that I'm mostly tidy and that when I do get in and clean the bathrooms, floors, etc. that I know how to do a good job. Again, thank you, Mom, for patiently teaching me.
I love the smell of a clean home. I decided to make some cleaners this week. I was inspired by three parties: my father-in-law, who has been making Consumer Reports' window cleaning solution for a while now, my friend Amanda, who has been making her own laundry soap for some time, and, of course, Pinterest. Well, I made window cleaner, laundry soap, and all purpose cleaner yesterday. I used them today and my house is clean and smells beautiful! I never thought I'd stop using 409 or Tide. I may still go back and forth between them as convenience dictates, but I really like these home made products!
Anyway, I love a well vacuumed floor, a clean kitchen, and sparkling bathrooms. I'm thankful I know how to make them so and I'm also (strangely) thankful that I'm not stressed if it doesn't get done every week.
*My wonderful home. When we moved here 6 years ago, we definitely planned on this being a temporary situation. We planned to build within 6 or 7 years of moving in and on building our "dream home" at that. Within a year of being here, we knew we were going to have a hard time leaving. And now, nearly 6 years later, I can't imagine being anywhere else. This home is not everything I ever thought I wanted, but it is absolutely everything I have ever wanted. It is the perfect size -- big enough for our family and big enough to have guests if needed. It's big enough for get-togethers. Yes, they're cozy, but they're possible. It's also small enough to be cleaned quickly. I only have to replug the vacuum once while vacuuming the upstairs. And aren't those vacuum lines that last about 3.5 seconds glorious?! The bathrooms are easy to clean. It's simply and beautifully (to my taste, at least) decorated. It's just a wonderful, perfect home. I am so thankful for it.

*I'm thankful for the phase of life we are in right now. Tending little Drake (Lindsay & Rob's little man) caused me to reflect on where we were in life when we moved here. Chloe was 2 1/2 years old, Lily was 15 months old, and I was 8 months pregnant with Brigham. Life was, to say the least, demanding. I was frazzled, tired, out of shape, emotional, etc. The children were all so small...all still in diapers....all still babies, to be honest. Not long after, we had dear Cannon. At that point, Chloe was 4, Lily was 3, and Brigham was 2. We had a full year before Chloe started Kindergarten. It was rough. It was full of joyous moments, worry over Brigham's health, stress over new business and home projects, and exhaustion.
Here we are a short 3 years later - no more diapers. Everyone can dress themselves. 3 readers. 3 in elementary school. 1 in preschool. Everyone can feed themselves. No more diaper bags, strollers are extremely optional, everyone but Cannon can buckle themselves in the car. I have 2 hours a day, 4 days a week with no children in the home.
Gone are the days of staying home from family functions because someone is sick again. We are sick so much less often now that everyone is older. Bedtimes are still important, but flexible. Naps are unnecessary. We are tied to the home for different reasons (school schedules, piano lessons, etc.), but are more free in many and happier ways.
Yes, we may have flown into a new phase of life more quickly than most - that may happen when there is but a 4 year gap from oldest to youngest - but we are here in that new phase and I am so thankful for it. I am not nostalgic for those "simpler times." They weren't simpler. Not at all. These are the simple days. Everyone still loves being home. We are unfettered by extracurricular activities. We still go to bed early. Everyone is up and bright eyed early in the morning, not needing to leave for school before 8:45. Life is calm, peaceful, and so happy. Admittedly, it isn't calm and peaceful every second. I yell often, Chloe dilly dallies daily, Lily is a bit of a know-it-all and throws fits more than she should, Brigham and Cannon think (although they are learning that this is NOT acceptable) they can come and go from the house as they please - without telling me first. There is a fair share of unrest here, for certain, but I'll take this kind of unrest over the baby days any day, and time. These are the days I will look back on with fondness and longing, I'm sure. Yes, thankful is just the word to describe my feelings for this moment in my life.

*I'm thankful for the ability to cook delicious, healthful food for my family. Granted, tonight's dinner of pizza wasn't the highest on my "healthful" list, but the crust was mostly whole wheat, the pepperoni was of the turkey variety, and there was spinach present. I am thankful for the ability to look at a recipe and know what changes I can make for it to better suit our family's dynamic. I'm thankful that Stanton works at a job he loves to provide the money for that food. I'm thankful for children who eat what they're given with relative cooperativeness. Not always, but they do eat what's given to them and they don't expect me to make something different for them. I'm thankful for that.

*I'm thankful for forgiveness. I have been the recipient of so much forgiveness from my Father in Heaven. He has seen me through some really rebellious stages in my young adult life and welcomed me back into His arms with amazing grace. I'm so thankful to Him for knowing my heart and loving me through every challenge. I'm thankful that He continues to forgive me for my unkindness to His children...the ones we share. I am daily repenting for my actions and begging His forgiveness. I see His hand helping me be better - gently nudging and encouraging me to breathe, to react with kindness or not react at all. I frequently rebel against His help. He continues to forgive as I ask and help as I try to be better. I want to learn that same sort of forgiveness. I want my children to know they will always be forgiven when they are sorry. I want to show that as much as I say it. I know that is the best way to show my gratitude -- to extend that forgiveness to my children. I need to live my gratitude for this blessing more consistently.

*Finally, I'm thankful for bed time. I love these little people so much. I enjoy having them around me - laughing, bickering, vying for my attention. I love them. And I love when they're all asleep and the house is calm and quiet. That isn't happening very successfully tonight. I've got two very tired and emotional girls on my hands who are fighting it with every ounce of energy they have left. That patience thing is wearing thin. I forsee a need for repentance on my part. Yes, I'm thankful for bedtime.

Thankful for...

2011-11-16T22:01:00.001-07:00

Today I'm thankful for:

*hot chocolate. I just adore it. Almost as much as cold chocolate in the form of ice cream.
Maybe as much, even.
*my darling, adorable, sweetheart sons. How I love then.
*books - I adore them. We went to "The Book Lady's" house today for the annual book sale (actually thrice annual, but who's counting). It warns me through and through to be surrounded by so many wonderful words.
*this season of the year. I love the scarves, the boots, the jeans, the sweaters, the eyeshadow, the hot chocolate, the soups, the yummy smells, all of it.
*birthday parties and good friends for my children
*getting to do an activity that both Chloe and I enjoyed. We did some word games in a holiday word game digest and it was a blast. I didn't want to stop for bedtime!
*a warm home and the many conveniences within it

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Thankful For...

2011-11-15T21:28:00.001-07:00

Today I'm thankful for:

*clean sheets
*a washer and dryer that makes cleaning those sheets so simple
*how much my children love me
*my red jeans
*warm blankets
*abundance
*truth--- and a testimony of it.
*cell phones
*internet shopping
*my sense of humor (I try not to laugh at my own jokes, but we all know I'm hilarious-thank you, Pinterest!) - honesty, though, it helped me keep cool when Lily was literally spitting at me, growling at me, screaming at me, and telling me she hated me....because her friend London had to leave for gymnastics class. I probably shouldn't have laughed right in the moment, but I couldn't help it. It was hysterical. She finally went downstairs to her room for a time out and came back upstairs in her jammies ready to apologize. I'm grateful I didn't scream at her.
*Chloe's continued enjoyment of the scriptures - and the way it's helping her change for the better.
*Charlie. He drives me nuts during the day sometimes, but oh, how I adore him in the evenings when he is a tired pile of fluffiness laying at the end of my bed. He is a fantastic dog.
*Stanton. I'm grateful he's home safe after another night away.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful For...

2011-11-14T20:40:00.001-07:00

On this lovely Monday, I'm thankful for:

*family close by
*the talents of others
*great friends I can rely on in times of need
*opportunities to visit my children's school classes
*sweet little Drakey. We got to tend my dear cousin Lindsay's boy Drake and it was so fun. It got us out of the house on a walk in the crisp fall air and gave my kids a chance to think of someone else. It was a treat!! And having Rob for dinner was awesome, too, especially because Stanton was out of town tonight. Thanks for staying for dinner, Robby!!
*family scripture study - LOVE IT
*Chloe's budding love for the scriptures. She's been reading them every night in bed and is gaining a love for them- she is understanding the stories she's reading and is loving them. She said tonight, "it's so cool when it becomes like a real book - not a scripture book." I couldn't agree more! It's thrilling to see her (completely on her own which is why it is successful) gaining a love for the Book of Mormon.
*classic books - I can't read Pride and Prejudice often enough. I love visiting my old friends and falling in love with them all over again. Thank you, Noelle, for introducing me!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful For....

2011-11-13T22:26:00.001-07:00

On this Sunday, I'm thankful for:

*Warm showers
*Razors
*Makeup
*Curling Irons
*Clean attractive clothing for each member of my family
*Nutritious food
*Our choir members (especially Stanton, Chloe, and Lily)
*Returning missionaries
*Beautiful music - the Spirit can touch hearts in a special way with hymns arranged beautifully.
*Absolutely divine primary and nursery teachers and leaders. They are learning about fasting in their classes right now. Brigham's teachers shared a special experience with fasting - they told Brigham about the fast our ward held for him when he was in Boston having his double-switch operation. I can't believe we never shared that with him! I'm SO thankful to them for teaching him about the importance and power of fasting with such a personal experience - he was really moved by it.
Another example of the importance of wonderful teachers - my little Cannon is a real momma's boy. He rarely wants to sit by Stanton, he only wants me to tuck him in, he doesn't even really go to his grandmas when I'm around. BUT, when it comes to nursery, he is thrilled every Sunday to go see Anna and Sister Whi-ley and Brudder Whi-ley. They love him and he feels it deeply.
*I had the opportunity to sing at the sacrament meeting for the Logan Nursing and Rehabilitation Center branch. The branch presidency has every stake (and ward) in the valley take a turn blessing and passing the sacrament and putting together the program for Sacrament meeting. It was our ward's turn this week and had the privilege of doing the musical number. I sang "Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee" and my dear friend Danene accompanied me. She is my neighbor and visiting teacher and such a great person. It was neat to work with her. The song is such a beautiful one -- I love the arrangement. It was so great to have a reason to find a solo, learn it, and sing it. I love those opportunities.
*I'm thankful for Kiki - she tends for us every Sunday (as a service) so we can have choir practice sans children.
*We had a fantastic choir practice. We started working on Christmas music this week. We're singing a piece from Handel's Messiah (And the Glory of the Lord), a medley of Joy to the World, Angels We Have Heard on High. Our third song is In the Bleak Midwinter. There is just something about Christmas music. There is the familiarity that makes it so enjoyable. It also carries such a special spirit due to its subject. I especially love the Messiah. Oh how it fills my soul. It is amazing to be able to sing such "real" music. It is absolutely full to the brim with beauty and spirit. Choir practice was so wonderful today.
*I'm thankful for my crock pot. I have been using it so much lately and I'm so thankful to have it in my kitchen. 1:00 pm church combined with choir practice right after makes it very difficult to get dinner ready on Sundays. It's so amazing to be able to grab some meat, mixed vegetables, and tomatoes from the freezer, throw them in the crock pot with some spices, dry onion, and broth, turn it on, and know dinner will be ready at 5:30 when we finally get home from church. It's sometimes shocking to me how convenient my life really is. I'm so thankful for it.
*I'm thankful for food storage. I honestly couldn't survive without our food storage - frozen and in the storage room. I am thankful for church leaders and parents who have set the best example in living this principle.
*Finally, I'm thankful for the illustrated scriptures. I read them to the kids tonight instead of the regular Book of Mormon and it was so fun to see sweet Brigham get really excited about the Stripling Warriors. Sometimes those pictures really help little boys "get" how much they can relate or look up to the people in the scriptures.

Okay, I've rambled like crazy tonight! I'm just very thankful for a wonderful life.

Whew - Now THAT Was a Busy Saturday....

2011-11-13T21:47:00.001-07:00

Shall I tell you about our Saturday? I'm guessing it's pretty typical for many of you, but for us, it was out of the ordinary, crazy insane busy, and a reminder of why our children are not involved in Saturday sports activities -- it is SO not our thing! It was a fun day, though, I have to admit. Just one I don't want to repeat weekly.

Here's how it went down:

7:00 - make a quick smoothie for everyone.
7:30 - realize how many things we need to get done; have a quick pow wow
7:30-8:30 - Get ourselves and everyone else ready.
8:00 - Cannon starts complaining that his ear hurts.
8:30 - Call the doctor - appointment at 9:00
8:30 - Call neighbor to ask if she can take the girls to cheer camp since I will be at the doctor with Cannon
8:45 - Drop girls off at the neighbor's and head to the doctor
8:45 - Stanton heads to Providence in the motor home to tow the Jeep home (thanks, Jimmy!)
9:15 - Cannon definitely has an ear infection, get antibiotic from the pharmacy and run home to pick up Stanton
9:50 - Pick up Stanton and head to Jamison's baptism (Jamison is our awesome neighbor, Kiki's younger brother, our dear friend Janet's son - love him! Love all of them!)
11:00 - Run to Chick-Fil-A for lunch, the auto parts store for a battery charger and new wiper blades (the weather has switched from rain to sleet to snow in the few hours we've been out)
12:30 - Come home to try to jump the Jeep again. 200 amp battery (apparently that's pretty darn powerful) turns on every light in the Jeep, but won't make it start. Something else is wrong.
Also quickly sweep the floor, clean off the countertops, and take an Ibuprofen to try to lessen the crazy horrible sinus headache I've had for 4 days.
1:00 - pick up Chloe from cheer camp and leave Stanton to watch Lily perform.
1:00- Take Chloe to a birthday party at a dance studio downtown.
1:30 - Back to the high school to pick up Stanton and Lily from cheer camp.
1:45- Go home, switch everyone from the van to the motor home to tow the Jeep to the dealership so they can look at it on Monday.
2:15 - Run back to the house to pick up Charlie (he'd been in his kennel all day and we felt sorry for him!) and switch back to the van to pick up Chloe from the birthday party.
2:30 - Pick up Chloe and head to Sportsman to rent skis for ski season. (YAY! Ibuprofen kicking in!)
3:30 - Take kids to the Sweet Shop for a treat for the kids (the boys have pretty much been in the car the entire day, with the exception of the baptism).
4:00 - Clean the church. Thank goodness Jimmy came and helped. We were the only ones there and it was so nice to have his help with the endless vacuuming. I have to put in a little aside here -- I honestly feel like I proved my devotion to the Savior and His Gospel on a whole new level. Why? No, not because we went and cleaned as a family without others helping...no, because I plunged week old poop in the men's room toilet...that's why. Yes, Celestial Kingdom here I come. But seriously, it was gross and I did it and I didn't complain. So there.
5:30 - Make grilled cheese for the kids.
6:30 - Shower children and get them ready for bed.
7:15 - Read scriptures together. Have family prayer.
7:20 - Tuck everyone in to bed.
7:30 - Clean up kitchen together.
7:45 - Go next door and practice solo for Sunday with Danene.
9:00 - Come home and run to Carl's Jr. (yeah, I know) for dinner for Stanton and I (chicken strips - yum and no fries. Not the best dinner, but not the worst).
9:45 - Fall asleep without even realizing it.

It was a good parent day - we did a lot for our kiddos. And we did some for others, as well. I'm thankful for that part of the day. But honestly, how do you busy folks do it?! I felt like we were way over booked for a Saturday! It was a lot of fun for one day, though.

Oh, and I did grab two pictures. :)

Cannon with his sucker from the Sweet Shoppe. Chloe, Brigham, and Cannon each chose suckers (different varieties, though) and Lily chose a large jaw breaker.

I think Charlie was exhausted, too. After the kids went to bed, he went to his toy box, grabbed all of these, dragged them to the door, and laid down for a rest. He's such a baby sometimes, but I've really learned to love him with all my heart.

Friday Thankful For....

2011-11-13T20:45:00.003-07:00

Again, I'm behind. This Friday, however, was Veterans Day and I am THANKFUL for that.

We spent a wonderful morning at the elementary school for their Veterans Day program. Lily invited Grandpa David to be a part of the program and it was SO neat to be there and honor him.

There were about 15-20 vets who were honored. The program started with the 5th graders presenting the flag in full color guard fashion (awesome and totally emotional!). A group of 5th grade girls then sang the Star Spangled Banner followed by another group of 5th graders explaining why we celebrate Veterans Day. It was fantastic.
Following the 5th graders' presentations, each of the veterans stood and introduced themselves -- they shared their name, who invited them, and what they did in the military. Dave was an officer in the Army during Vietnam - he was a courier delivering top secret documents and spent several months on Okinawa. He tells some cool stories and thankfully didn't experience a lot of combat.
Lily and Chloe LOVED that he came to their school assembly -- all their friends were tapping them and high fiveing them while Dave spoke. So cute!
There were vets from World War II up to the Iraq War at the assembly. I can't express how emotional it was to see and honor those great men and women.

After the vets had all introduced themselves, all the students in the school sang the US Armed Forces Songs while the vets stood for their branch (cue me crying!). They finished by singing God Bless the USA (I get sick of that song pretty quickly, but when a couple hundred children are singing it -- it's pretty great) and a huge standing ovation for the vets -- I'm crying while I type this!

After the assembly was over, the vets lined the hallway and the kids gave them high fives and thanked them for their service. It was honestly one of the neatest programs I've ever attended. It wasn't fancy or over-produced - just sincere and sweet and absolutely wonderful for the children involved. And it made it even more special because dear Dave was able to be a part of it. We are so blessed to live in the United States of America - to have freedom of religion, speech, thought, and opportunity. There are a lot of places in the world that have those same freedoms, I know, and I'm just so thankful that this beautiful country is my home.

Stanton had a lunch meeting with his accountants and when he got home, we worked together on the underground fence for Charlie boy. Stanton actually worked all morning in the cold and got the backyard done while I was at the assembly with the kids. We worked all afternoon together on the front yard. We have a fence, but we wanted to keep him out of the planting beds so his paws would stay cleaner in the backyard. In the front, we just wanted to keep him from being hit by a car. He knows his boundaries now - the fence and flags have really helped him. I'm so glad. We would be one devastated family if we lost Charlie!

We went to dinner and a movie with Brian and Linda that evening - it had been quite a while since our schedules had meshed. It was SO nice to go to Elements with them - familiar food, familiar friends, awesome conversation. Oh, how I love date night with the Westfalls!
We went to the movies afterward (In Time -- sort of cool) and when we got out to the Jeep, the battery was dead! Well, two big trucks with jumper cables later and it still wasn't starting. We ended up calling Dave and Judy who came clear from the north end of the valley to Providence to pick us up. It was really nice of them to do it.
I'm so thankful for wonderful friends, delicious food, for fabulous in-laws, for a warm movie theater to wait inside, for usually reliable vehicles, and for my best friend and husband.

Our Smoothies

2011-11-13T20:18:00.001-07:00

A couple of friends asked for the recipe for our green smoothies in the morning -- I've hesitated sharing not because I'm possessive of it, but because I really don't follow a recipe or do the exact same thing every morning.
On this particular morning, though, I took a couple of pictures to show a general idea of what our morning smoothies consist of. I hope they're helpful. I will say that when I started hearing about these concoctions, I looked for recipes, too, but mostly found just blogs that promoted a certain lifestyle without sharing any real recipes (unless you bought the book). I didn't really want to get into the bee pollen, agave, etc, etc stuff, so I just decided to wing it. I really just use fruits, vegetables, and water -- nothing else. And we like it.
So, here are a few pictures to give you a start.

Ingredients for this particular smoothie:

Lettuce, bananas, blueberries, grape tomatoes, celery, cranberries, cucumber, baby carrots, and mixed fruit.

I put everything but the frozen fruit in the blender (a good, strong blender REALLY helps with these puppies) and hit the smoothie button. They blend down to about half the pitcher-full.

This is after the fresh stuff was all blended together. I threw in a few handfuls of frozen fruit till it was back to the top again. Blend away again and add some more -- I just add fruit and blend until the blender is full to the top with blended smoothie -- that way I have enough for everyone. It ends up being about half frozen fruit, which I'm sure to some might be too much, but it helps my kids love it and I'm so not against fruit for a sweetener! Oh, and the "frozen" component of the fruit is super important because who wants a room temperature smoothie?! I've done it a few times when I've been out of frozen fruit and I will tell you that it is really not appetizing. So go to Sam's or Costco and grab that big bag of Dole Wildly Nutritious Blend from the freezer section.

Fruits and veggies -- skin, fiber, all the nutrients, and no added sweeteners. We love our smoothies!

Oh, and a few have asked for my grandma's french bread recipe, as well as some quick pantry dinners I use regularly. I have a little blog where I corral recipes that I love (it's not a "cooking blog" with original recipes and witty commentary - just a place for me to keep recipes I have made and love). I posted those recipes over there. I'd definitely recommend the Italian Bean Soup and the Good For You Creamy Tomato Soup -- both of them are big hits around these parts. HERE is the link. I hope that's helpful!

Reflections Contest and Thankful For....

2011-11-13T19:59:00.002-07:00

November 11:

I'm so behind on my thankful posts! It's hard to look back and remember specific things I was thankful for that particular day, so I don't think I'll try that. I will note, though, that on this day (Thursday), we went to the Reflections gallery at the school -- both Lily and Chloe made entries for the contest (the theme was "Diversity Means....."

Lily did a wonderful picture about how boys and girls are diverse and that makes sense:

She's right, isn't she?!

She received a medal for her artwork and was so pleased. We were, too!

Chloe chose to write (and illustrate) a story for her entry:

Pretty great story, right?! Fun characters, good dialogue, a tidy conclusion....we were pretty impressed with her work. It seems the judges were, too. Chloe received a medal and her story will be moving to the next stage of the Reflections contest.

It was SO fun to see the girls work on the Reflections contest -- it was so fun to do as a kid. I was really proud of their entries and the thought they put into them. Way to go, girls!

After we went to the art gallery, Chloe and her primary class visited a sister in our ward. That was a lot of fun for sweet Chloe and a great opportunity to serve others.

It was a nice little day. And I'm thankful for it. :)

Thankful For....

2011-11-09T20:41:00.000-07:00

The day was a good one.

I am thankful for:

*Clean, dry, folded, put away laundry
*Good friends for my children
*Some of whom are their own siblings
*Crock pots and yummy dinners they provide
*Naps - I took one today and it was heaven sent
*Getting things done. Funny how the nap actually helped with that one.
*A warm and cozy home that I love living in
*My dear and wonderful family
*Stanton's care for his patients. He spent 2 hours after regular office hours to help a child in pain.
*My wonderful life. "The secret to having it all is believing you already do." I believe it and I live it.

Already Thankful....

2011-11-09T06:46:00.000-07:00

I know it's only 6:38 in the morning, but my heart is already full.

Last night I ate really good chocolate and really cheap licorice together. It made me sick. It was a turning point for me. I haven't been exercising at all lately -- like for the last couple of months. I thought I could just sort of watch what I ate and be okay and fit exercise in again at some point. I always missed it, but just couldn't find a place for it. Well, not exercising (for me) becomes like the "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie" books. One thing leads to another and pretty soon you've eaten an entire large bar of dark chocolate, 10 pieces of licorice, and way too many cookies throughout the day.

I went to bed last night and prayed for help to wake up with a desire to exercise -- I was certainly going to bed with one. I've got to get back on track.

The boys bounced into the room at 5:30 this morning (a regular occurrence since Daylight Savings ended) and I knew it was "the" morning. I got up, got in my workout clothes, and put on Yoga Meltdown -- an awesome workout for easing back into things -- it's still very challenging, but it's Yoga, so it feels easier. I did it and afterward I felt SO good.

I walked to the kitchen and made our smoothie for the morning and realized how blessed we are to have such a beautiful, warm home with conveniences like a refrigerator, a dishwasher, and a blender big and strong enough to give my entire family their fruits and vegetables for the day in one jar. And I realized how grateful I am that my children understand why we drink them and do it without much complaint....in fact, they usually ask for them.

I thought about the shower I was looking forward to - and how thankful I am for access to clean, warm water.

And then Chloe came upstairs. Dressed. With her bed made. And her pajamas put away. And a smile of satisfaction on her face.

I am thankful.

Thankful For....

2011-11-08T22:01:00.000-07:00

Today I'm thankful for:

*Pinterest. Seriously.

*The ability to NOT yell at Chloe today.

*Brigham learning a lesson.

*Stanton's awesome dentistry.

*Really good chocolate.

*My scripture journal. It's a place where the Spirit speaks to me. I learned something of the condescension of God today - it was profound for me.

*Quick dinners I keep up my sleeve. Especially ones that can be built from the pantry and are still healthful.

*Good books.

*Bing Crosby.

*A warm home, clean clothes, coats, all the little things that make winter wonderful.

*A comfy chair.

*Beautiful, sweet, strong-willed, lesson-teaching children.

*Jesus Christ - God the Son, the Creator, the Father of my salvation, the Author and the Finisher of my faith.

*Cannon, my little buddy and total mama's boy. He makes my heart sing.

Thankful For....

2011-11-07T20:02:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful for:

*Curling Irons
*Charlie boy
*Delicious recipes and the internet where I can find them
*My talents
*Our wonderful piano teacher, Shirlene. She is so fantastic.
*Christmas music by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
*Scarfs
*Sunshine
*Reliable transportation
*A warm home
*Vegetables

Thankful For....

2011-11-06T20:37:00.001-07:00

On this Sabbath Day I'm thankful for:

*My Grandma Rose's french bread recipe. It never fails and is so delicious.
*Church
*Daylight Savings (that extra hour this morning was heavenly!)
*Beautiful Christmas music. The Mormon Tabernacle Christmas concerts are so amazing. I listened to Sissel's and Brian Stokes Mitchell's this morning and my spirit was nourished. Beautiful.
*Choir. We made SO much progress on our song for next week. It was wonderful today.
*Our good bishop and other church leaders.
*The Book of Mormon. I'm learning so much from it right now- I'm so thankful Heavenly Father has given this book in this day and time to His children.

*And that I finally remembered to draw a winner for the Favorite Things giveaway...it only took me a month!

I plugged the numbers into Random.org and it gave me the number 4 -- that means the winner is:
SEWSARA!!!! Aw, fun Sara, my great friend from High School! Love you, Sar! Look for a package in the mail one of these weeks. :)
And just for fun, I'm going to draw two more:
#3 - JILL!!
and
#16 - COURTNEY!!!
How fun is that?! All three winners are great old high school buddies. Awesome.

Jill and Sar, I know I have your addresses, but Courtney, I'm not sure if I have yours. Will you send it to me? Love you!

Perfect Saturday? I Say - Almost!

2011-11-06T20:32:00.000-07:00

Let's start with what made it not quite perfect, okay? Stanton was gone. We miss him when he's gone! It was for a good cause -- he went to SLC with his parents and brother to help his cousin do some remodeling work on the home she purchased for her mother (Stanton's aunt). I was so glad he was able to go, but we missed him! And to top it off, they were in a car accident on the way down. There was black ice on a bridge and the Suburban Stanton's dad was driving just lost control. Thank goodness they were all wearing seatbelts and the airbags didn't deploy. They hit the concrete barrier (that kept them from falling off the 40 ft. bridge) going nearly 25 miles per hour, so it was a real blessing that none of them were injured.
Stanton's dad turned around and headed home to call his insurance agent (har har -- he's his insurance agent) and Stanton, James, and Judy all hitched a ride with DA (Judy's brother, S&J's uncle) to help with the work. I'm so grateful he's okay!!
They were able to get a ton of work done at the house -- a huge help to his cousin and aunt.

He's okay, I promise -- and so is everyone else -- so let's move on to the perfect part of the day, shall we?

We woke up to that most glorious of November sights: SNOW!!!! I am in love with the first snow of the season...and what a treat that it didn't come till November -- we could not have asked for a more lovely summer and fall. I'm not even remotely sad to see some winter days come our way.
Of course the children were thrilled to see the snow and just had to get out and play in it! I fished out the winter clothes box from the storage room and we rifled through to see what fit from last year. Everyone had snow pants -- just not necessarily the color they were hoping for....

Brigham was a great sport about those pink snow pants. He was appeased by the reappearance of his Spiderman snow hat and the discovery of new superhero snowboots I purchased on clearance last year. The girls had most everything they needed, although we're going to have to purchase new coats for them. Cannon didn't have boots that fit, but he was happy in his hefty Lightning McQueen sneakers -- we'll have to buy boots sooner or later, though.
I told them they all had to play outside for a LONG time. I got in the shower and got cleaned up and ready for the day (and no, they didn't just gleefully play outside for hours on end....they came knocking at the door a LOT).
The girls got busy building a snowman, which wasn't entirely successful considering the small amount of snow that actually fell.

Charlie boy, well, he was a BALL to watch in the snow! He'd never seen it before - never in his life! He was a little nervous when he first went out to the bathroom in the morning, but once he got his first taste of the fun, he was ringing his bell to go outside all day long. He was jumping around like the puppy he is, burying his face in the snow, loving every single second.

Our afternoon was spent at a cafe called our kitchen where I served as waitress to a couple of 50s Girls, a Clone Trooper, and Iron Man.

They were a raucous bunch, but some delicious chicken noodle soup (thank goodness for leftovers in the freezer!), rolls, and hot chocolate seemed to settle them.

Throughout the day, I kept thinking how this day was so reminiscent of the old days where all four kids were home all day. They stayed in dress ups all day, we didn't have anywhere to go. It was wonderful....but this is much more wonderful because they can entertain themselves, get themselves dressed, and help one another. Oh how I love this phase of life we're in --- it is nothing short of magical.

They stayed in the dress ups from the moment they got in from playing to the moment they went to bed -- I think they were in heaven.

Courtney H., one of the kids' favorite babysitters came over to tend for the 45 minutes between my leaving and Stanton's arrival home. Stanton gave them some love and got them to bed while I went to dinner and the USU women's volleyball game with some girlfriends. They all hit the 9:40 showing of The Help, too, but I wanted to get home to see Stanton (and 9:40 is a SUPER late movie for this old girl). It was nice to spend some time with friends.

Shaynna, Emily, Cami, Chalisa, Abbey, & Kari at the USU game.

Going out with the girls was fun, but let me tell you, it was NO comparison to the day with my kiddos. I just adore these 4.

Thankful For...

2011-11-06T07:13:00.001-07:00

November 5th
Today I'm thankful for:

•Snow
•Children who will wear whatever is in the winter box just for the chance to play in the first snow of the season.
•Hot chocolate
•Leftovers
•A good husband who is willing to help and serve when needed
•Good friends
•That each member of our family is safe
•That my Grandma Rose is doing so much better and receiving exactly the care she needs right now.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful For...

2011-11-05T07:02:00.001-06:00

November 4:
•my wonderful sisters and fantastic phone conversations with them. They keep me sane sometimes and I'm pretty sure I do the same for them. How lucky to have sisters and how lucky to honestly, truly, NEVER fight with them.
•field trips for my children
•my children's good friends
•date night with my sweetheart

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful For....

2011-11-03T09:05:00.000-06:00

Today is November 3rd. I'm thankful for so many things.

I'm thankful for the scriptures.

I'm thankful for hot chocolate out of my grandmother's mugs.

I'm thankful for happy children.

I'm thankful for my sister, Cindy. It's her birthday today. She is someone I admire so much. I love her and am really, truly grateful for her. Happy Birthday, Cinny Cinny Bum Bum!

I'm thankful for healthy foods and opportunities to teach my children about them.

I'm thankful for my blog and the record I'm able to keep because of it.

Halloween!!!!

2011-11-02T23:13:00.001-06:00

Yeah! I get to blog about Halloween -- one of my favorite holidays of the year.

The kids were all so different this year and that made it a lot of fun.

Annakin Skywalker, a Wizard Kid (NOT a Harry Potter wizard kid, she'll have you know), a 50s girl, and Spiderman.

There is seriously not one thing cuter than children dressed up for Halloween. Not one thing. I love it. And in addition to that one decent picture, here are the outtakes --

Camera out of focus....uncooperative kids....etc. etc. etc....

Oh my heck, those kids are so cute I want to die. I love them to the very depth of my soul.

Cannon was slinging some serious webs.

Brigham was Annakin as a Padowan -- before he turned to the dark side. I think his hair and braid turned out so cool!

Lily was so excited to get to wear makeup to school. And I love her decade-identifying hands there.

Awesome Chloe whose genuine smiles light up a room. Love those bright eyes and dimples.

Stanton and I won't ever be left out of the fun! Stanton took a second to pose with the kids in his awesome chicken suit before leaving for work. And I, like, totally got this radical picture with my bodacious boys before we took Brigham to the doctor and found out he had a totally bummer double ear infection. It was, like, totally sad, but he's on an antibiotic now and feels like he can hear again. And he totally didn't let it stop him from having a wicked awesome Halloween. Thatta boy, Brig!

I'm pretty sure I say this every Halloween, but Stanton has the best. job. ever. I mean, who else gets to dress like a chicken and see cute little princesses like this one for their JOB?! He loves it.

The kids were greeted after school with a snack of witch's fingers, apple jaws, black cats, and ghost milk.
After snack and some down time, we headed over to the care center to visit the grandmas. It was fun to brighten their day and the days of the other residents. The kids sure do a lot of good there.

After visiting the grandmas, we came home and had a Halloween dinner. Dave & Judy and Jimmy, Rachel, Shelby, & Mary joined us for a feast of mummy dogs, salty bones, skeleton veggies, ghostly pizza, and jackentines. Rachel brought a delicious rice, chicken, & green bean soup and we had Frankenjuice with Oreos. It was a really fun dinner, inspired by Pinterest & Family Fun Magazine. This is the first time I've ever done anything "festive" with food for Halloween. I have to say, it was worth the work. It was so fun to have all the different foods out and enjoy the party together.

After dinner, we headed out trick-or-treating. The boys ended fairly early and the girls were done by 7:45. Not a bad night out! The kids quickly sorted through their candy, picked their five favorites, and happily handed the rest over to me (safely stored away for gingerbread houses at Christmas-time, thank you sister Cindy!) in exchange for a watch (for Chloe & Lily) and a headlamp (Brigham & Cannon). I haven't heard a word of complaint since. They all got their jammies on and went straight to bed. Oh, and they totally went to school dirty the next day -- no showers after all that. What kind of a mother am I???!!! Please don't answer that.

What a great Halloween!!! And now, on to the wonderful Holiday season!!

Not before one last treat, though:

Or was that a TRICK???

Happy Halloween from our family to yours!

Park City Getaway - this time with Stanton (and our best buddies!)

2011-11-02T22:53:00.001-06:00

Yes, this is Park City weekend number 3 if you're keeping track. It's a hard life, I tell ya. :)

Awesome Stephanie from Stanton's office came over on Thursday afternoon to tend the kiddos for us. We headed down to Salt Lake to grab Stanton's costume for Halloween. Can I just tell you how horrible the Spirit Halloween store was? HORRIBLE. I hated it. I get really preachy and angry with adults who ruin Halloween by spreading guts and gore and evil all over the place and wearing the sluttiest costumes known to man. Grrrrr....
As you might guess, we left that store and headed over to Halloween City, which was a much nicer environment. Still too many "hooker" nurse, police officer, board game character, Disney princess costumes, but a HUGE improvement. I got back into the Halloween spirit after that excursion, thank goodness.
Annnnnyyyyyway, we got Stanton's costume and then headed off to Park City with a brief stop at Farr's Fresh Ice Cream for a Dole Whip. I have to take them whenever I can get them!

We arrived in Park City at about 9:30 or so and watched Cowboys and Aliens in our room. Cool show. Predictable and silly, but cool.

The next morning we got a bagel and the stinking hottest hot chocolate of my life before meeting Kyle & Angie for a day at the outlets. It took Stanton a while to get in the shopping groove, but once I got him trying things on, he was a good sport and found some good new clothes that fit his newly skinny self.

After shopping we went to El Chubasco (that's definitely a restaurant we'll be frequenting on Park City trips from here on out) for dinner.
Here are Angie's totally flattering pictures of Stanton and I --

You can tell we are enjoying that food so much it HURTS. I'm totally laughing out loud whilst looking at these pictures. Honestly, what a couple of doofusses (or is that doofi?)!

Here's a nicer picture of Ang and I outside the restaurant -

After dinner (did I mention the 2 1/2 baskets of chips and salsa I devoured along with my two fish tacos plus rice and beans? I didn't, oh, nevermind....), we walked around some shops (found a cute toy shop with some fun art things for the kids), got some Coldstone ice cream (yeah, that happened), and then went to Moneyball at the theatre. What a FANTASTIC show. So stinking good. Loved it. Oh, and Angie shared her popcorn with me. As you might guess, I was feeling uber sick by the time the movie was over. This stomach can't handle that kind of consumption anymore! But oh, it was good while it lasted!

Okay, so after the movie, we had a great night's sleep and got ready for some sight seeing in the morning. Sweet Angie has been having some major stomach troubles and was really sick on Saturday morning. We had to say our goodbyes early so she could go home and get feeling better for a family baptism that evening.

You might guess that Stanton and I went sight seeing on our own, but you might guess incorrectly. No, we hit the outlets again. Stanton was in the mood for some shopping and we really found some great things for his closet. Okay, mine too. So, that was fun to spend time shopping together.

After we finished up at the outlets, we grabbed a sandwich at Great Harvest and then headed to Salt Lake to the motorhome store to pick up some parts we ordered a few months ago. We went to the Apple store on a whim after that to see what they could do for my phone. I dropped it without a case on several weeks ago and since then the volume control has been out of commission. Basically the phone is on silent all the time, although the speakers still work fine. Anyway, we took it in and what a miracle! I had 6 days left on my warranty and they replaced the phone! Brand spanking new iPhone. I was really impressed. The downside, of course, was that I lost the voice recordings and a couple of really adorable pictures that Stephanie texted me while we were gone. They were of the kids at the corn maze -- riding ponies! Ugh. Well, they were very cute and I'm bummed they're gone, but that's life, folks! You win a few, you lose a few. And I won a new phone after being an irresponsible clutz with my old one, so I am not going to complain for another second.

We headed home after the Apple store and got to see 4 very darling and excited children plus one very tidy house. Steph was awesome!

We spent a couple of hours with the kids, followed by Kiki coming over to tend again while we went to the adult session of Stake Conference and dinner afterward. It was probably the best adult session we've been to (which is saying something -- they're always wonderful). The music was so well planned and beautiful. The speakers were full of the spirit. It was a great night. The next day was just as awesome. We had a region-wide broadcast where Elder Neil L. Anderson and President Thomas S. Monson both spoke...along with Marlin K. Jensen and the Primary General President. The talks were fabulous and our kids were, too! YEAH! We're clearing another small hurdle in young parenthood --- the dreaded Stake Conference hurdle. Thank the heavens above.

Yeah, this was a great weekend. One for the books.

Grandma Allen's 95th Birthday Party

2011-11-02T22:03:00.000-06:00

We got together at the care center to celebrate Grandma Allen's 95th birthday. She is such a sweetheart.

I absolutely LOVE the way Grandma is looking at Emily in that top right picture. That little spirit is still aglow in there somewhere.

The care center provided a really nice lunch for all of us. Stanton was at work and all four of our kids were in school at the time, so I felt pretty darn lonely without at least one or two of my crew along! It did make it so that I could enjoy everyone else's children more, though. There are some real cuties in this family, I tell ya! Sure love them!

Wonderful David & Judy whose mission has been the care of these two sweet grandmas. They've sacrificed so much for them and are such wonderful examples of love and charity. Both sets of parents are. I have really been in awe of what my parents and Stanton's parents both have done for their parents in recent years. It's very inspiring.

These are Grandma's two children, Dave on the left and his older sister Sharron on the right. She couldn't ask for two better children. They both have so much love for her.

It was a lovely day spent celebrating the life of a very neat woman. Love you, Grandma!

Various Items

2011-11-02T21:55:00.002-06:00

The fancy pants camera's battery was dead for the Red Ribbon Run, so we used the point and shoot. It was left out, which meant a smorgasbord of random kid-taken photos when I uploaded to the computer. I deleted a ton of them, but here are a few keepers (no, I don't think I'll regret deleting that picture of the rug 20 years down the road...).

I've bragged about our amazing babysitters on here before. This is one of our very favorites -- Miss Madie. She is about as sweet as they come. The kids all love her.

Who ever decided it would be a good idea to put Angry Birds on the computer??? It is dang fun to see them all enjoy it together, though.

Here's a capture of each of the six of us on a typical school morning.

Stanton just texted me this picture. This is me after spending an entire day at the elementary school helping with vision screenings + volunteering in Brigham's classroom followed by the after school chaos followed by dinner and a blowout fight with Chloe followed by tears and apologies and making up and scripture study and prayer followed by getting the kids to bed by myself (Stanton has had meetings with the other docs he's buying land with for a new building - he wasn't there for the fight, either, thank goodness -- it was a very ugly parenting moment, one that I'm still regretting) followed by a blogging binge. I think you can see it in the lines on my face and bags under my eyes and mondo zit on my forehead (and the two on my neck you can't see....). It was an exhausting day. But it's done now (almost officially -- it's 11:30!). Off to bed so tomorrow can be better.

Red Ribbon 5K

2011-11-02T21:49:00.000-06:00

Back in early October the girls accomplished a HARD THING. I am so proud of them.

We signed up for the Bear River Health Department's Red Ribbon 5K and WE DID IT... 7 year old Chloe and 6 year old Lily both ran a 5K!!

It was long, it was tiring, it was a challenge, they whined, it was HARD...but they learned that

WE CAN DO HARD THINGS.

I couldn't be more pleased with the job they did.

This was right before we headed over for the run -- Chloe has her green smoothie in hand (so does Cannon) to give her that extra boost of energy for the long run ahead.

Stanton and the boys met us at different points along the way, which gave the girls the boost they needed to keep going. They were so proud of themselves at the end, especially when they realized that most of their friends had done the 1 mile walk -- they were pretty amazed that they had done 3.2 miles (running and plenty of walking). Our time was about 45 minutes, which was pretty awesome, I thought. What a cool day.

Conversations -- I'm In Mourning Edition

2011-11-02T21:36:00.000-06:00

I lost 2 months' worth of conversations from my phone. I feel some degree of consolation in the fact that it happened because the good folks at Apple replaced my iPhone after I dropped it (I had SIX days left on my warranty and was totally honest about what happened and they still gave me a brand spanking new one...awesome)....BUT still, my heart is really sad to have lost those conversations. :/

Look Who Lost Another Tooth!

2011-10-27T17:08:00.001-06:00

Miss Chloe's second tooth came out last Saturday. Hooray!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Pumpkin Walk 2011

2011-10-25T21:34:00.000-06:00

Thank goodness for school field trips or we just wouldn't make it to the Pumpkin Walk...ever. I kept Cannon home from school yesterday so he and I could accompany Brigham's class on their walk to the Walk. Har.
It was an absolutely gorgeous Fall day - perfect for walking the mile or so from the school to the park. Cannon's short little legs weren't as able to keep up with the bigger kids as I thought, so I ended up carrying him most of the way there and back. Add his weight to the weight of my camera bag and you get a sweaty mama! But since I haven't had any time (except for the time I spend sleeping in till 6:30...) to exercise lately, I'll take whatever I can get. Okay, seriously, I seem to make every single post about me somehow, don't I? Annoying.

Anyway, BRIGHAM got to go on a super fun field trip to the Pumpkin Walk and we tagged along. Here are some of our favorites:

Notice it's the Aggies vs. Cowboys game...the one Stanton and I got to go to and the Aggies WON! Fun.

This Calvin and Hobbes one was so cute. and I loved the quotes all around.

I thought these Bambi characters were so cleverly done. And darned cute.

The Wizard of Oz. Isn't that tornado so fun? And I love the tin man.

Flinn Ryder and Rapunzel. I bet this one looked amazing at night. Lily really like this one a lot.

You know Briggy was loving this Angry Birds display. Isn't it clever and adorable??!

We always love the witches, but it was a special treat to have Miss Shelby greet us!

These were my three personal favorite displays:

Isn't Eeyore adorable??

Despicable Me! Those minions are so darn clever and I love that they included the hilariously tragic Box of Shame. My kids are sick of this movie, which makes me so sad because I totally love it. Maybe seeing it here will make them want to watch it again? I hope so.

And finally, one of my favorite displays from any year of Pumpkin Walk:

A Christmas Story!!! Isn't it awesome??!! The painting was fantastic and they picked some of the most iconic scenes to represent the movie. It was just plain awesome.

If you're friends from out of town, may I extend an invitation to you for next year?! We'll provide the hot chocolate afterward (and the displays all lit up at night are so cool) and you'll have a great new family tradition.
I sure love this little (big) Cache Valley tradition.

Various Items

2011-10-25T21:06:00.001-06:00

I never mentioned on here, but back in August (in fact, the day that school started), I had laser surgery done on my eyes. The above picture is of the dilation on my left eye -- they had to dilate it to get the laser to track. I thought it was freaky and also I was on Valium, so I can't be held accountable for the photos I took.
The surgery was great, simple, quick, and awesome. My vision was near perfect the very same day and now I'm 20/15 in both eyes. I seriously think about what a miracle it is every single day.

Our awesome friends, Michael and Mandy W, invited us to an Aggie game a few weeks back. It was a great night out and we loved being with them. They moved into our neighborhood not too long ago and we have become fast friends (as have our same age children). Love that. This game was a super fun one, too, because the Aggies won! And they had fantastic seats. Bonus.
We went to Angie's afterward and had fancy apple cider (seriously, they brought us hot water and a powder packet...and charged us 2 bucks for it! ha) and a late dinner. Great night out. And I got to wear the hat Jamie gave me for my birthday. Super awesome!

This boy fills me up with overwhelming love every single day. He is hilarious, precocious, wild, snuggly, and pretty much perfect.

I spent an afternoon chopping veggies for a really delicious quinoa salad. In the process, I discovered why God gave us fingernails. Don't worry, it didn't hurt....just super weird looking.

I went on a field trip with Brigham not too long ago -- on my way back, Cannon wanted to climb on the spider. I took a picture of him, then noticed out of the corner of my eye a cute little girl playing four square and pretty much taking it to the boys she was playing with. That's my Chloe in the grey shirt.

The day before UEA break, the girls waited right up until the last second to leave for school because that same Miss Chloe was busy drawing a picture of "Spike." As is usually the case, when I sat down to watch, everyone else needed to be within 2 square feet of me.

Behold, her inspiration: Brigham, aka Spike. We don't usually do his hair like this, but he wanted it spiked up, so that's what he got. Chloe has been a prolific author and illustrator lately. Her school journal is full of stories, she writes on any piece of paper she can get her hands on, and she rarely gets one finished. The joy is in the journey! She is getting pretty darn good at character development, conflict, etc. She is even starting to reconsider her 3 year dream of being a chef when she grows up -- we might just have an author our hands!

And finally, guess whose hair is getting long enough to put in pigtails???!!! YAY!!! We've enjoyed Lily's short hair, but are both really excited for it to grow out again. Darn she looks adorable in those piggies!

And there you have it!

G Barb

2011-10-25T20:34:00.000-06:00

Grandma Barbara had a rough day (those aren't uncommon, but this was a particularly bad one) on the Thursday before I left (I think??). Stanton took Cannon over to see her with Judy. I don't know many details, but I do know that Cannon leaves a trail of sunshine wherever he goes, so I'm sure Grandma was at least a bit better after they left.

Two Things

2011-10-25T20:29:00.000-06:00

These are a couple of quotes that hang on the walls of Grandma Rose's care center. I love them both...don't want to forget them.

Sisters Park City Weekend - 2011, Day 3

2011-10-25T20:21:00.000-06:00

Oh my goodness, my heart is filling with joy looking at those 3. How I love them.

Day 3 started with another sleep in and NOT another run. Haha. We enjoyed bagels and yogurt again and spent half the morning talking (so pretty much a repeat of Days 1 & 2). Oh, and we also snapped our now annual shot in front of the gorgeous fall mountains of Park City. Yes, there are a lot of posed mom and sister pictures in these recaps. There are only so many other shots you can take when you spend your time talking and shopping!! And as I look at these now, I think I might have over edited them late last night. Darn tired eyes. Hmmmm, well, I'm not going to take the time to fix them...we're cute enough. :)

We headed back to the outlets for some more shopping. We helped Mom find some more treasures at Coldwater Creek and found a few more of our own.
It ended being after 3:00 by the time we finished up and headed to the bagel shop for one more yummy sandwich before heading home.
We got to Tremonton by around 6:00 where Stanton met me with the kiddos. It was fantastic being back with them, but what a wonderful weekend away with my mom and sisters. I love them so much.

Sisters Park City Weekend - 2011, Day 2

2011-10-25T20:00:00.000-06:00

Our morning started off with sleeping in -- love that. We ate bagels, yogurt, and fruit then headed out for a run. Oh my heck...Park City hills are pretty much murder. Egads....
So, we finished our run and went back in to shower and get ready. And now the fun part....Walmart!!! Haha. Yeah, we spent a large chunk of our trip at the Walmarts. But see, it was a perfect chance to do some Christmas shopping. And Christmas shop we did. It was so fun because we were together.
After Walmart, we got a sandwich at our favorite bagel shop and then headed to the Outlets. Our plan was to shop for a bit and then head out on a hike (the same one from my previous girls' weekend). Well, shopping won. We ended up shopping right up until the outlets closed! It was a blast and our feet were crazy tired by the time we finished. I was super happy with the cardigans & pretty tanks I found at Ann Taylor and awesome winter shoe/boots at Bass. The best part, though, was helping Mom find some fun things at Dress Barn. Darn she's cute.

The middle picture is from the dressing room of Dress Barn - she ended up getting that outfit, as evidenced by the awesome modeling photos flanking that one. Mom was cracking me up- she was doing some serious arm waving and prancing. Hahaha!!

We also got some fun sister pictures. We all happened to be wearing variations on the red/black/grey theme and in our own personal style. I absolutely love these pictures because they seriously capture our totally different/perfectly complimentary relationship.

After that crazy long day shopping, we stopped by Panda Express for some dinner, brought it home, dived into our jammies, and chowed down. I couldn't keep my eyes open for another second and fell asleep on the rock hard floor at 10:15. I didn't wake up again until 3:39 AM when I noticed my hip boring into the floor, ignored my dragon breath from not brushing after Panda, and crawled onto the couch. It was like high school all over again!

I have to throw in this wonderful picture, too. Our dear, dear mother who has loved us, encouraged us in our unique interests, and been a wonderful example of faith and testimony every moment of every day. We are so lucky to have her.

Sisters Park City Weekend - 2011, Day 1

2011-10-25T12:19:00.001-06:00

Ah....what a wonderful weekend spent with 3 of the people I love most in the world.

Our weekend started on Thursday afternoon when we met in Tremonton to visit Grandma Rose in the care center. Grandpa and Nancy were both there, so we were able to enjoy a bit of time visiting with each other.

Grandma is really struggling right now. She is going downhill very quickly and just roller coasters through highs and lows, temper tantrums and moments of lucidity. It is so hard on everyone in the family, particularly her children, and especially dear Grandpa. He is hard of hearing and she is mumbling constantly -- she gets so angry with him when he can't hear or understand her. Most of what she is saying isn't really understandable anyway, but she still recognizes him as her best friend and she gets so angry that he doesn't understand her and agree or disagree. It has been so sad to see him ache as he watches his sweetheart fade away. He is so faithful to her, though -- he loves her, shows her affection, and just tries to make do with what they have right now. I don't think anyone ever expected that this is how Grandma would end up -- she's had so many other health problems that we just thought her heart or her trach or something else would end up giving out. Who knew it would be her mind? It's been tragic. We love her so much.

It was neat to be able to visit her and grandpa with my sisters and mom (and Stanton and the kids -- what a lovely time).

I said goodbye to my dear ones and got in the car with Mom, Lori, and Cindy and we headed to Park City.

It was early evening by the time we got to our condo (my aunt Nancy manages the Skier's Lodge in PC and was so generous to give us a unit for only the cleaning fee -- wow!). We got settled and then headed to the supermarket for breakfast foods and ice cream and licorice and some food storage and a movie. Food storage, you ask? Why, yes, food storage. You can't pass up $.99 peanut butter can you?! After our grocery outing, we ate at a little Mexican restaurant called El Chubasco. Oooh, so yummy!!! They had this awesome salsa bar that had 10 or more different salsas from mild to HOT. It was great! And Cindy ordered the most gigantic taco salad ever. Hilarious! I honestly don't know where she put it, because once she ate the whole thing, she looked as skinny as she always does. Stinker.

The laughs were just getting started. We went home and watched Soul Surfer, ate licorice and ice cream, and enjoyed time spent together without little ones interrupting our conversations every few seconds.

Days 2 & 3 to come.